Ren felt his heart ache at the revelation. He couldn't help but take pity on Zuran more than he already had.
These were facts he was learning the more he looked into him—facts the novel never documented. And it left him wanting to protect Zuran from everything forever...
"You don't have to take it…" came Ren's gentle voice, echoing through Zuran's illusion. "You don't have to listen to the demons in your head… they're all lying. You won't harm anyone… I'm here… You can trust me…"
The words broke through Zuran's world and sent his illusion shattering into reality. His hand stopped reaching for the berries, and his whole body calmed down.
They were back in the cave.
[Congratulations on completing the third stage of GLUTTONY.]
Ren held the unconscious Zuran tightly in his arms as he looked up at the system. He knew the system was about to send him off to the next stage.
[Now for the fourth stage.]
[ENVY.]
The cave blurred, and soon Ren found himself in a forest—not a pretty garden, but a literal forest.
He didn't bother about where he was. The first thing he did was look around to see where Zuran was; he wasn't beside him again.
And he found him easily this time. Zuran was hanging from a tree, a rope tied around him. He was still unconscious, his expression moving like someone having an unpleasant dream.
"I guess I have to fly up there and get him," Ren decided while staring up at where Zuran was—he was really high up, though.
He hadn't seen any beasts around yet, so Ren knew he had to get to Zuran before anything appeared.
He waved his fan and took off into the air, flying toward Zuran to enter his illusion and get done with this round.
But before he drew closer, a huge tiger appeared out of nowhere and crashed into him.
The tiger brushed its claws at Ren, sending him flying backward.
Ren crashed to the floor as he stared at his hand; the tiger had left a mark, and it was bleeding.
"Jeez, that was brutal," he stared up at the tiger while he healed the cut.
The tiger was a huge one—a big brown tiger that hovered in the sky while glaring down at Ren, alert.
"That's supposed to be Envy…" Ren muttered. "What's he envious of now?" he thought as he stared at the tiger staring down at him.
"He's probably envious of everyone. That's why he's so alert about everything. And probably why he stole Zuran—probably jealous of him or something." He sighed as he looked around.
Ren needed to find a way to get to Zuran quickly, and there didn't seem to be anything around to help.
The tiger attacked, flying down toward him with its claws stretched out. Ren used his fan to shield himself, sliding backward as they clashed.
The tiger landed on the ground, running violently toward Ren while roaring in fury. Ren waved his fan at the air, and wind swept the tiger upward.
With the tiger out of sight for a second, Ren flew toward Zuran with the hope of touching him. But even before he got close, the tiger appeared out of nowhere and knocked him away.
He flew off but caught himself in the air. Ren turned to see the tiger flying toward him with force.
"Didn't I throw him off just a second ago? Where the hell did he come from now?" He wondered as he waved his fan in defense. Ren and the tiger fought in the sky, exchanging powerful blows and sparks while flying through the forest.
Ren was already getting tired of the obsessive tiger. He guessed that's what happens when someone gets envious of you—they cling around you to destroy you.
It took minutes of flying and fighting before Ren came up with an idea. He thought of a way to hold back the tiger for a while.
Ren turned to the tiger and yelled, "Hey! I think you have really good-looking fur! I bet all the other beasts are so envious of you!"
Immediately, the tiger paused in the air. It began staring at itself, skeptical.
Ren smiled. "Gotcha." He figured it would work. People who are envious of others simply need to be praised—something to boost their fallen egos.
And it worked, because it delayed the tiger for a while as it was busy assessing the compliment.
It wasn't a permanent solution, and Ren knew that. So he took off toward Zuran while the tiger was distracted.
On getting to where Zuran hung from the tree with a rope, Ren cupped his cheeks in his palms and whispered gently, "Wake up…"
He dissolved into Zuran's illusion.
*****
Zuran was an orphan from a local village in the lower demon realm. He didn't have any family but lived with a family whom he served.
He spent his life there working under them like the servant he was.
And so, Zuran naturally grew up envying everyone around him—everyone who had a family, a home, a better life.
He envied them while wishing to have the same life. But he never did.
And that was the drive of this illusion: how he envied everyone he met, everyone who had a better life than his pathetic one.
"I'll give you a home…" Ren muttered. "I'll give you the happy life you crave. Come with me…"
His voice broke through Zuran's world and dissolved the illusions. The dimension they were in slowly began changing, and soon they were back in the cave in the same position.
[Congratulations on clearing the fourth stage of ENVY.]
"Can I get a break at least?" Ren stared at the system, Zuran unconscious in his arms.
[Now to the fifth stage.]
[PRIDE.]
Ren sighed. "Never mind."
***
They were at the peak of a mountain. Or Ren was.
He looked back to see how far the mountain top was and almost trembled at the height. "And what the hell am I doing at the mountain top?!"
As he spoke, he heard a lion roar.
Ren stiffened as he looked ahead. A huge lion majestically lay on an elevated rock while it stared down at Ren.
Pride was written all over its face.
Ren blinked. "Ah, I see."