Have you ever thought of the meaning of life?
Have you ever pondered what heaven’s purpose in simply giving birth to you?
Well, I always ponder why I have been born.
In fact, I don’t think anyone in this world pondered harder about their purpose in life as I have.
In this world, where everyone has unlimited lifespan. In this world devoid of deaths. In this world devoid of diseases. In this world devoid of hunger. In this world devoid of thirst. In this world devoid of poor. In this world, I am unique. Because I am unique, I suffer. Because I am unique, I hide. Because I can get injured, catch diseases, get hungry and get thirsty, I hide.
In this insanely large world, I am the only one who ponders about his meaning in life.
“Hmph. I really don’t know about the whole dying part, but I am quite used to getting injured and it taking days--if not weeks--to heal.”
All these lucky bastards are quite different from me. An injury that could take me six weeks in order to heal, it takes them less than a split second. Do you know what kind of amusement some of them have? They like to mash their brains, scatter it all over the place. After regenerating, they go ahead and eat their own brains. Do you realize how messed up, how sick, that is?
One day, I had this strange dream. It was a wonderful dream where the world was overpopulated, the reason was a given.
Growing number of births and none deaths at all. Of course, that’ll make a happy end for myself. This unfair world can go eat shit for all I care.
But, of course, it was nothing but a dream. This world is massive--So massive, that even now, after trillions upon trillions of years, no one was able to fully map it.
There are lands, there are seas, there are weird, mortal monsters and there are fantastical magic spells. But that’s beside the point, since I can’t adventure the high lands or the seven trillion seas, I can’t fight monsters nor can I learn magic.
“To begin with, that messed up mother of mine went ahead and sold herself as a slave for the kicks of it. My older sister is out pirating and my younger brother is a genius magician...”
What about myself, you’re wondering?
Well, I live on my own in a small hut inside a gigantic forest. Of course, the hut is within the very center of the forest. I lived here my entire life...oh, you’re wondering how I knew about that ‘eat your own brain’ game? Well, it was my older sister’s favorite game!
In this world where every one is stuck in the bodies of twenty years old, it can get really boring. Of course, for those who are truly bored, they can always go adventuring. There isn’t really any huge risk to it at all, since you can’t die at all. Obviously, that implies to everyone in this huge world except for me, based on what both mother and older sister said.
To be completely honest, I did meet a few outsiders before. Those who stumbled upon my hut in wonder...well, the only thing I could say was, they truly were immortal just like mother, older sister and my younger brother!
“Now that we’re done with introductio--Oh right, there’s one thing I almost forget to explain!”
Why exactly can’t I use magic?
Well, magic is like using a two edged sword.
The same spell you cast outward...is going to be cast inwards as well!
What I mean is, it’s a tool for masochists too torment others while tormenting themselves as well.
For example, if you were to use a fire magic, then your body will catch on fire.
The stronger the magic you cast, the stronger the backlash.
The weakest magic spell’s backlash could easily kill me, by the way.
But for these immortals? It’s nothing at all.
Mostly only learn it for the heck’s of it...of course, there got to be talent within yourself to begin with in order to cast spells.
For example, my younger brother learned spells that would usually take someone a few decades to pull off at the age of six.
Isn’t that simply amazing? He’s the pride of our little family.
Of course, there’s still a sense of pain...but you grow used to it after some time--or says my sister.
“To be honest, I never believed her...I mean, aren’t you in pain right now?”
But I got to say, my family is truly composed of nothing but freaks.
There’s my masochist younger genius brother, the bored mother who sold herself to slavery one night out of boredom and the older sister who rules the seas with an iron fist.
Although sis does visit me now and then.
Of course, the biggest freak in the family is myself.
“After all, although I haven’t checked whether I can stop aging or not since I’m nineteen years old...As I mentioned before, my injuries takes forever to heal. I also get ill from time to time, as well as feel hungry and thirsty several times a day...”
But because of those things, I realized that my life is not limitless. I realized that my possibilities are not limitless. I realized how unfair the world is. And because of these realizations, I can see things that normal people do not. For example, I ponder about the meaning of life. Another example of a perfect meaning in life, is that I am studying the human body and it’s relationship with various herbs and other materials to make it’s healing process faster.
Because of my constant pondering, I also realized that this world’s inhabitants...simply don’t have a purpose in life. They just drift away, doing whatever they want. No realization of any values held to their blessing at all.
“As for me? Well, I took it upon myself to teach these immortals the meaning--the value of life. Be it in pain, in happiness, in hope or in despair, I will teach them to appreciate their immortality and thank the world on their blessing.”
Bzzz, Bzzz
Right after I finished my introduction to my guest, I flipped the switch within my hands and got her electrocuted.
The lady appeared to be twenty years old, she had the perfect figure any woman would wish for--To be fair, every single person in this world stops aging at the age of twenty, and they all boast perfect figures--She boasted blond hair and golden eyes.
This unfortunate soul found herself within my hut, exploring the rooms as I was cooking my dinner.
Of course, as the life counselor to these immortals...I make sure to make my menu as variant as possible, giving out as many courses on life as possible.
But because this woman tried to steal my father’s keepsake, calling it pretty and whatnot, I decided to give her appreciation for both immortality and life via pain.
How exactly did I manage to tie her up to the chair? Well, I simply told her to sit on it.
These guys simply trust people too much. Well, since they can’t die...I guess I can somehow understand.
Of course, I tied the woman to the chair and gagged her.
As for how her tortu--Ahem, pain course going? Well, I first got a few little bugs on her. Just to put it out there, the bugs are called Flesh Digging Ants. As the name implies, they dig into flesh as soon as they feel any sort of pain.
Why do they dig into flesh, you might be wondering? My own hypothesis on this is that they simply want to escape the pain by digging into the flesh.
As for the electrocuting chair?
Fufu, this here is my master piece!
By pressing on a button embedded with a monster’s core--I found out that using a monster’s core can power up various machines I can create at home--To power up mechanical arms to squeeze two electrocuting serpents! The electrocuting serpents send their electricity toward the metal, mechanical arms. And the mechanical arms are connected to the metal chair I had the woman who tried to steal my father’s only keepsake before he went adventuring.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“MPHH!!MMMHHHHPPHH!!!!”
“Huh? You’re sorry...? Well, if sorry was enough...Hmm...Uhhh...W-what’s the continuation to that again? Anyhow, not only did you break into my office/home, you also tried to steal my father’s pendant!”
The Flesh Digging Ants continued to dig deeper and deeper into her body, as she began to bleed from various small holes within her body.
Although the amount of blood is small...the pain she must be experiencing is simple hell.
With this fast treatment, she’ll instantly realize the bless of life, and find meaning in not breaking into other people’s homes.
“If you have asked kindly for me to invite you in, I could have brewed you some tea and also made you dinner. Not only that, I would have offered some of my good courses. Such as the Happy course, or the Lazy course...Those are popular y’know. Oh, if you’re wondering what rank the pain course is in...it’s just slightly above the hope course, which is at the bottom of the menu.”
I make sure to organize my menu by the most popular to the least popular, so people can know my recommendation and what most immortals take.
I’ve been doing this for six years now, and I had over fifty patients! All who realized their purpose in their own immortal lives.
Well, all except for a few here and there.
“What the hell are ya doing?!?!”
Bang!
And just like that, the ceiling to this hut’s basement was broken.
“What does it seem like I’m doing, patient #1? I’m teaching someone the meaning of life, the meaning in the luxury called immortality, the meaning of living a life without worries or pains to this patient of mine!”
This barbaric red haired woman.
Oh, introductions...This, over here, is patient #1. The only patient that I, kinda, failed in giving a reason to live her life.
After that, she moved a little bit away from my own hut, and keeps bothering me every time I have a patient of my own.
“Stop calling me that, I already have a name! It’s Lucy, L-u-c-y! Remember it already!!”
“Hmph. I don’t care what your name is, nor do I care what you’re doing here. Just hurry up and leave. Come back later, after I finish with this patient, alright? When I’m done, then we can talk.”
The barbaric woman forcibly took the switch from my hands, “Shut up and stop hurting her!”
“Hmm...I see.”
She quickly pressed one of the buttons on the switch, “MPPPPHHH!!!!!”
And the woman screamed in agony.
“Yeah, congratulation on making it harder on her.”
The button she pressed was the squeeze harder button.
She paled for a moment and then threw the switch at me before jumped straight to the chair and forcibly taking off the restraints.
I gave a sigh, and then turned off the machine.
“Don’t worry. I’ve done this before, and I already know that as soon as the electricity stop, so will the ants. As soon as your wounds heal, the ants will die by themselves.”
Of course, when I finished talking, her wounds were already healed.
The woman glared at me. “Do you want to take the course again?”
She quickly avoided eye contact from then on, and I just shook my head in displeasure.
“This makes it the seventh patient that I failed to make ‘em realize their purpose in life, and that’s all because of that woman’s interference...”
I sighed again, as I followed both women up to the ground level.
The barbaric woman led the burglar woman out of my home, as she continuously apologized in my stead.
“Oi, Patient #1. She’s the one who broke into my home and tried to steal my things. If you want to apologize to someone, then apologize to me in her stead!”
The burglar woman flashed a glare at me, and muttered some words that I couldn’t catch--I take them to be cursing--and I simply smiled and waved the switch at her in reply. She immediately averted eye contact yet again. She then said her thanks to the barbaric woman, and left.
“Patient #1, are you happy? You ruined my grand opening! I was planning on showing them how in midst of their agony, they come to understand the will of earth and how their lives should be lived!”
Making them face agony to understand happiness!
Making these immortals feel a step closer to death on a psychological level, to the point where they actually have regrets!
“You are simply mad.”
I shook my head, “You are not the first person to tell me this. In fact, the whole world is mad from where I stand as well.”
Immortals. Are you fucking kidding me? If I didn’t go mad, then what will make me go mad? Am I the one going against the will of the heavens with my weak, mortal body--or is everyone else going against the will of the heavens with their immortal bodies?
“You simply do not understand my way,” I continued, “Only by taking something from someone will they come to understand it’s value!”
The barbaric woman looked at me with anger evident in both her glare and tone of voice, “What part of that torture is taking something away? You simply made her suffer! Was that your revenge for her breaking into your hut?”
I shrugged off her anger with me, “So what? I know that you have the ability to easily massacre me, so go ahead and do it. If not, then I want that hole in the ground fixed before I cook us dinner.”
Although Immortals don’t feel hunger, they still eat out of luxury. While I, on the other hand...
I quickly walked away, completely ignoring her intense glare at my retreating back.
“I simply can’t understand why you do this. What is the point of it? Why make people feel misery? Why force people to go through intense hardship...?”
I answered while continually walking away, “I guess it’s jealousy...Oh well, you’ve already seen how I treated other people before. Although what they face in my courses is nothing but hardship that, perhaps, they never even thought of going through. But what they gain after it is much more. They face their regrets, they acknowledge their weaknesses and set goals for themselves. I truly think that this is the right way to live.”
And as soon as I finished speaking, she shouted on the top of her lungs, “Isn’t that simply forcing your own ideology on other people!?"
I turned right to the kitchen, and if she did not move from her previous spot...then she shouldn’t be able to see my back now. Still, she can still hear my voice.
“So what if I do? They are the ones who are seeking me after all. Well...all except that burglar woman.”
This time around, the barbaric woman went silent.
I started boiling some water, as I was planning on making some curry.
After a few more seconds, a reply was heard from the woman in a hoarse tone of voice, “Isn’t that simply...making people contempt you...?”
I broke a smile, “And why do you care? Remember my words, patient #1. You only live once! And to prove exactly how great my ’Ideology’ is, I request that you stay put. In exchange, I’m going to let the next patient chose his own course. No matter what course he picks, you are not to step in and ruin it at all!”
The woman this time did not answer, and I didn’t bother continuing the conversation either.
Next Chapter. Despair: Shadeless, Timeless, Limitless Maze.
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Author note: I'll be writing this in between life, school, and my main fiction. This is just the place where I release my stress by releasing sadistic fantasies.