I was forced back into the void of despair with only the feeling of physical pressure remaining. All other tethers to the world were separated by the game's effects and I felt like a simple existence with no physical body, just sapience and weakened sentience.
"Wyatt!"
Who was that?
I tried to look around but the only thing in sight was boundless nothingness. The source of the voice hid in the depths and I couldn't even tell from what direction it was coming. Not like it mattered anyway as the voice soon faded away. A feeling of emptiness took over my entire body and - like previously - I felt my life slip out of my grasp into eternal peace.
「 ■■■■■ is tearing. 」
What was tearing?
「 The defense of ■■■■■ is activating. 」
I felt my consciousness break into shards; with each thought, one shard cracked into another pair.
「 Your control over ■■■■■ is weak. 」
「 The defense of ■■■■■ has activated. 」
A voice spoke into my dying consciousness but I couldn't process what it said by the time my existence ceased.
----------------------------------------
I opened my eyes to see Khai wielding a sword - which was also clashing with the one I had in my hand. Confusion spread over my entire body as feeling returned to my brain and my consciousness was once more bound to a physical medium.
"Khai?!"
Pulling his sword back, Khai went for another slash. I noticed his eyes were blackened out and he was emitting an aura of murderous intent. My body moved by itself in response to the attack and blocked it with the blade I wielded. With limited control over my movement, I was surprised to see myself accomplish such an action.
「 Two minutes remaining to complete the game! 」
"This isn't the time, we have to get to the end!"
No response.
The only thing I got from him in return was another series of attacks, and he even incorporated a few attempts at punching me. Continuing to move without conscious thought, my body fought back.
「 The effects of ■■■■■ are ending. 」
The control over my body slowly returned to me.
「 The effects of ■■■■■ have ended. 」
I felt like chains had dropped from my limbs and I would start to levitate any time now. Such fantasies were short-lived as Khai had only one thing on his mind.
"DIE!"
His sword separated into black smoke and glowed brightly as it released a crescent wave of energy towards me. I narrowly evaded after squeezing myself against the grotesque wall. Noticing his attack didn't succeed, Khai pounced at me with his sword out after it formed back into its original shape. If I didn't make up a plan soon, I'd definitely die.
Since he surely didn't have control over his own body anymore, it was my duty to help him especially after he helped me. My mind raced through possible plans while my body fought to protect itself but it kept getting distracted. What happened to me?
The notifications censored what was happening and I don't recall activating anything, plus anything that happened after that was lost in the past. I could only remember the feeling of the void clutching me until I woke up mid-fight.
Klannnnnkkkkkk
Hearing the screech of the two blades slicing each other, my mind put its theories aside and focused on the task at hand. I had less than 2 minutes now to get to the end. Thankfully, it wasn't moved too far away after the moderator initiated the modifications. I started to run towards it and I heard Khai chase after me. The only flaw in my plan was that Khai was significantly speedier than me, catching up within a few seconds.
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As his blade moved through the air to carve into my back, I twisted my body around and parried the attack. The sheer force of his strike forced me to stumble back a bit.
「 One minute remaining to complete the game! 」
"Where did I learn this?"
Ever-rising nerves brought back my psychotic habit of talking to myself but Khai wouldn't find out anyway. Right as I thought that, Khai's movements became slower and more restricted as if he was gaining control again.
"Seriously? You wake up now?"
No response.
"Guess not fully."
Although slower, the slashes of his sword were still faster than I could handle. Even if I managed to keep up, there was still a significant difference between me and him; plus there was no sign of that mysterious ability coming back any time soon.
"Going to have to try again."
Unlike this corrupted version of Khai, I wasn't aware of how to make this sword (which also appeared out of nowhere) do any of those fancy tricks. The only thing I could do was run, and so I did. If I just kept running we'd get there soon enough. May have been a cowardly plan, but it's the only one in which I don't end up dead.
Khai's thunderous steps got closer and closer but so did the exit. The distance from it was no more than 10 metres.
「 Thirty seconds remaining to complete the game! 」
The exit door's light got brighter the less distance there was between us and it. I heard Khai struggle to hit me with his sword. I never ran that fast in my life.
Once I got to the door, I waited for Khai to strike me so I could push him in but he wouldn't. The thing using him as a host was planning on keeping him in this game, forever. Even if it didn't directly tell me that, I could tell from what it was doing.
「 Ten seconds remaining to complete the game! 」
The notifications started to count down and Khai started to move away from the door. My mind broke through different possibilities until it did the most careless thing. I dashed towards Khai, grabbed his arm, and pulled him along. The gap in our strength made his resistance more potent than I hoped for so doing this gave him a lot of time to hit me. As I pulled him forward, he spent his strength trying to cut my body.
His attempts succeeded often as I wasn't able to dodge everything while directly holding onto him. The edge of the sword cut through my arms and my back. Blood poured out from the wounds but my adrenaline kept me going. I've never been this careless in my life so why now that Khai's life was at risk?
I hate owing people things.
「 One second remaining to complete the game! 」
With Khai's feral behaviour continuing behind me, I managed to get us into the door within the time limit - that's what I hoped happened at least, only time would tell if I was successful.
.
.
.
"Congratulations Wyatt and Khai. You have succeeded and passed the game. Your rewards will soon be awarded."
Right as Ervant finished his congratulatory statement, an influx of notifications appeared before Khai's unconscious body and me.
「 You have completed: secondary game 'A Never-Ending Walk of Doubt.' 」
「 100 gold has been awarded. 」
「 5 stat points have been awarded. 」
「 100 EXP has been awarded. 」
「 You have levelled up! Level 1 -> Level 2 」
「 You feel the stars align in your presence. 」
「 You have unlocked an achievement: 'First Success.' 」
「 150 gold has been awarded. 」
「 2 stat points have been awarded. 」
「 You have unlocked an achievement: 'Mental Fortress.' 」
「 100 gold has been awarded. 」
「 You have unlocked an achievement: 'First 10 victorious players.' 」
「 200 gold has been awarded. 」
「 You have unlocked an achievement: 'First to beat a secondary game.' 」
「 200 gold has been awarded. 」
It took me a while to sort through all of the messages but it was good to know I've earned a few things. Getting right to it, I invested all of the 7 stat points I earned into physical strength to get out of the negatives as soon as possible.
「 7 stat points have been invested. 」
「 Physical Strength + 7 」
「 You feel your muscles slightly develop. 」
I opened up my stats menu just to make sure.
﹁
Physical Strength || 7 + (-10)
Stamina || 0 + (0)
Mental Prowess || 0 + (5)
Durability || 0 + (0)
Stellar Affinity || 0 + (?)
﹂
My head started to feel light when I remembered that I have been badly butchered by Khai and his sword, and then I also realised that both of the swords were missing. Were they part of the game?
「 A mysterious force celebrates your victory. 」
What's that? What did the notification mean?
「 A spectator gifts you a token of support: 'Rejuvenation Medallion.' 」
Out of red pixels, a circular pendant tied by a black string materialised in front of me and next to the notification. It looked to be pure gold and had beautiful engravings of flowers and herbs on it. Reaching out for it, I took the medallion into my grasp and hang it off my neck.
「 The Rejuvenation Medallion boosts your regenerative capabilities as a result of your state. 」
「 Rejuvenation Medallion cooldown started: 1 day. 」
My lacerations were stitched shut by strings of green essence and then burned together causing the area to sting. Once the process was done, all the wounds were practically healed. Now, what about Khai?
I walked over to his laying body and crouched down. There were beads of sweat all over his face and I rested the back of my hand on his forehead. It felt like a boiling inferno that was waiting to burst out.
"Great, now what am I meant to do?"
After standing back up, I looked around to see collapsed buildings and messed up terrain. There were corpses every few metres and I heard wild animals rummaging through the buildings, searching for more prey. If we didn't move now then we would be their next meal.
The game moderator was nowhere in sight either which was great.
"Wait a second.."
﹁
Name || Wyatt Sightseer
Level || 2
Stats || [OPEN]
Stellar Aspect || [UNLOCK]
Stellar Abilities || ■■■■■
Equipment || Rejuvenation Medallion Lvl. 1
﹂
"This aspect better be useful."
I tapped the glowing 'UNLOCK' button and my vision faded away into the familiar abyss that has been tormenting me recently.