"No wonder they all wear masks."
"This face is something even I cannot accept."
At that moment, Elliot stood by the riverbank, staring coldly at the reflection of his own face.
That wretched, twisted face.
For the first time, his own features felt unfamiliar to him.
In just a few short years, the Abyss had already corroded more than half of his visage.
The smile that had once been gentle now appeared only as something hideous and grotesque.
He had thought the Abyss would only gnaw at his soul, but as time went on, even his flesh succumbed to its corruption.
"Looks like I'll need new clothes..."
"At the very least, I need to cover everything."
He stood there, staring at his reflection for a long time.
And then... he began making all kinds of strange expressions at the water's surface.
From a distance, he looked like a madman.
Elliot realized that no matter how he tried, his appearance was frightening.
"Sigh..."
He let out a heavy breath and slipped his mask back on.
Strangely, he felt a faint sense of peace when it covered his face.
Everyone instinctively hides their flaws—especially the severe ones.
Elliot was no exception.
As long as the Abyss remained, he could not take off the mask.
He carried an inhuman sense of duty, always willing to shoulder the burdens of others.
But he still had a human's way of thinking, and human weaknesses.
Elliot could trade his own fate for Shenhe's and never regret it.
He only blamed himself for being careless, for not being cautious or thorough enough.
He could also conceal the Abyss's corruption from his closest friends, bearing the Khaenri'ah War alone for their sake, staining himself with the Abyss's taint—yet never once regretting it.
But when it came to his ugly, distorted face, he felt the same inferiority and fear any ordinary person would.
He feared someone tearing away his mask.
He feared others recoiling in terror at the sight of his face.
Ever since the Abyss began to mar his features, he had found himself coming to this stream more and more often to gaze at his reflection.
He felt lost, afraid, helpless... even terrified.
He wondered: if the Nine Lives Cycle truly sent him back, but the Abyss's corruption still lingered—what then?
Would he have the courage to face those he loved most without the mask?
Elliot knew they might tell him, "I love you, not your face."
But he couldn't get past it himself.
He knew if that day ever came, he would probably run, unable to face them.
[I hate this hideous face!]
[That newcomer did this—he must pay the price!]
[This is unbearable. If we seize this body, are we supposed to slaughter with this face...?]
[Ugly, too ugly! I cannot accept such a repulsive vessel!]
[But where else can we go? This body traps us here! The last one was short, yes, but at least it wasn't ugly!]
[That one was easier to take too. This one's spiritual energy sometimes surges severalfold at random—it's nearly impossible to seize!]
[In this Archon War, we should meet our masters. If they fall to this body, the resentment they release could resonate with us!]
[Exactly. This time, we must claim control of this body!]
[But before that, we can't let that newcomer ruin it—it's already too hideous!]
[It's time we warn him!!]
As Elliot wrestled with the thought of how to face them if he ever returned, the voices of karmic obstacles deep within him suddenly surfaced.
And they didn't seem to realize that he could hear them.
He stood frozen, listening as those strange whispers echoed faintly but distinctly in his mind.
Normally, whenever he heard them, it was because they were attacking him—insidious whispers gnawing at his heart, trying to tear his spirit apart.
But this time was different.
They seemed... organized. Disciplined.
Despite so many karmic obstacles within him, they weren't fighting amongst themselves. Their intent was unified.
From the sound of it, they were preparing to fight the Abyss.
On one hand, this could be good—if the karmic obstacles destroyed the Abyss, perhaps the corruption would fade.
But Elliot also feared the other possibility: what if they won, devoured the Abyss, and assimilated its power? Would that overwhelming evil crush his very mind?
And if they truly began battling within his inner world, what effect would it have on him? Would his body become uncontrollable?
It was all unknown. Elliot had no way of knowing.
Nor did he want to interfere. Even if he tried, the karmic obstacles wouldn't listen to him anyway.
But there was one crucial piece of information he did glean from their conversation.
Karmic Resonance.