Chapter 19: Madness

I silently gazed at the silver moonlight, standing by the window, and opened the envelope. Extracting a folded paper from it, I unfolded it to reveal the curves forming words in The Magi Language.

Nine Ringed Worm.

Ability: • Return From Death 9 times.

This worm had three skills in total, although the words for the last two had almost faded away.

This was precisely why I hesitated to use this worm. Its other two skills were concealed, and despite offering resistance against curses, along with potent regeneration and healing abilities, the side effects were unbearable.

Firstly, the person had to consume an amount of food equivalent to what a family of ten adults would eat. Failure to do so would result in the discovery of skeletal remains the next day.

Secondly, even after ingesting that bizarre amount of food, a minimum of five pounds of flesh had to be consumed per meal, preferably rotten. If the flesh was not eaten, lingering hunger would persist in the person's body. As days passed, the hunger would intensify, each passing second becoming increasingly agonizing. The person would struggle to endure the hunger, and their emotions would gradually spiral into chaos.

On the positive side, the person using this worm would grow stronger the more flesh they consumed. It was akin to a passive ability, and although the strength increase had its limits, consistent daily consumption would accumulate significant power.

However, the negative effects weren't what I dreaded the most. Despite the repulsiveness of the requirements, my greatest fear lay in the aftermath of each death. The person would descend into madness, gradually losing themselves to it. In the process, their emotions and personalities would be entirely replaced. Having read the novel, the chilling account of Jonh's fourth death at the end of the second volume lingered in my mind.

The worst part was that these were just the negative effects of the first ability. Once the second and third skills were activated, more sinister aspects would be unlocked.

Now, faced with the pivotal decision, I pondered. Should I do it? This one decision could reshape everything, literally everything.

"F*ck it! There's no other way to survive the first volume!" Striding towards the cupboard, I snagged a bottle of whiskey and unsealed it with a satisfying flick. Taking a deep breath, I muttered to myself in a low tone.

"Madness, here I come." Without wasting another second, I placed the worm inside my mouth and then downed a few big gulps of the whiskey.

1 minute... 2 minutes... 3 minutes...

I anxiously waited for three minutes, my palms sweating and my heart pounding so fast that it seemed ready to leap out of my chest. And then it hit me.

Out of nowhere, it felt like a car crashed into my body. My stomach became scorching hot, as if it was engulfed in flames! Every fiber of my body seemingly turned into worms and were squirming all around.

My eyes bulged out, blood streaming from them. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound emerged. Ultimately, I collapsed to the ground, consciousness slipping away. Simultaneously, the bottle of whisky fell to the ground.

"Veronair... Veronair... Veronair..."

...

"Argh! My head's pounding!" I groaned while pushing myself up from the chilly floor. Why was I even sprawled on the ground? Well, that was a mystery not worth solving at the moment.

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Wait a sec?!

I've got a performance to deliver! My fans are probably on the edge of their seats waiting for me! I thought, gearing up to switch into my professional magician attire. However, right then, I froze.

Where am I? And then it dawned on me!

Sigh, how could I forget that I had transmigrated? Rising to my feet, I stumbled a bit. I ran my hands over my body and even patted my head a few times in the process.

Wow! I felt fantastic! Better than ever! My body was as light as a feather, my mind a bit foggy but gradually clearing up.

My body, which was previously at the peak scholar level, felt like it had nearly doubled in strength after consuming that worm. I was now on the brink of becoming a master!

Closing my eyes, I focused on feeling the energy coursing through my body, mimicking the descriptions I had read in the novel. However, I sensed nothing.

Another idea sparked in my mind. I shifted my body into a martial posture, recalling styles from the magical guide. With a whistling sound, I punched forward, gradually refining the moves until they became flawless.

These weren't just martial moves; they also included hand signs and body gestures used in nonverbal and wandless magic. As I continued to perform them, I felt something stirring inside me. With each motion, it seemed like a tide of energy was crashing against internal boundaries.

Crack! * Crack! * Crack! *

With a final loud crack, the energy surged out from the gaps formed in the boundary! Although my physical strength didn't improve further, I could feel the energy, as if I had gained an additional limb—an internal organ that could be controlled!

My name was Alister Klemort, and today was the day I successfully awakened – the day I truly became a character in this world!

This was the True Beginning!

...

It took me a few minutes to quell my excitement. Finally attaining the master rank was a significant achievement. Yet, this didn't grant me the qualifications for self-defense. Despite having nine lives, I wasn't planning to squander them carelessly.

From the perspective of an experienced reader and a gamer, I could compare myself to being at level 1, facing bosses at levels 500 or 600. They could crush me like a fly. This urgency pushed me to become stronger quickly, armed with the knowledge of the future. However, I had already acquired the best cheat from Jonh, leaving just a minor trump card waiting for him in the first volume.

In response to this conundrum, I found a simple solution—steal from the villains of the first volume.

The author of this novel was a certified sadist. The tears and screams of the readers seemed like music to his ears. He generously endowed the main character with a major bluff and a minor one at the novel's outset.

In volume two, a few cheats were thrown his way, but that was the extent of it. The villains, however, were living the high life! Unbelievably spoiled! I started to suspect these villains were the author's secret, illegitimate children!

As these thoughts raced through my mind, my stomach rudely interrupted with a loud rumble. I placed my palm over my protesting stomach with a sigh. Well, it was time. This would mark my first meal after awakening. My gaze fell upon the table where two plates awaited.

In a sluggish manner, I walked towards both the plates. My instincts were clearly telling me that the raw one was very appetizing, but I went for the fried chicken. Taking a bite, I was met with an appalling taste, akin to sinking my teeth into a five-month-old trash bag. I promptly spat it out and reached for the water bottle conveniently placed nearby.

Swiftly unsealing the bottles, I gulped down a few big mouthfuls of water in an attempt to cleanse my palate. At that moment, my stomach rumbled once again, and something within me snapped. I seized the chicken and devoured it, my teeth sinking into the flesh with a predatory ease.

In the end, all that remained were the bones of the chicken. I should have been disgusted, grossed out, but strangely, I wasn't.

"Am I really human anymore?"

With a deep sigh, I took a seat. My taste buds had undergone a complete transformation; this meal now seemed absolutely delicious. I questioned my entire existence as I stared at the skeletal remains of the chicken. It was a nightmare for someone who once enjoyed food so much.

"No! I'm still human, just different from the masses!" With that, I reached for a metal cigar case, propped myself on the chair, and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it with a flicker of the lighter, my body flinched slightly. Ah, I had completely forgotten about this. Despite my resistance to flames being only slightly weakened at the moment, there was still this reaction every time I looked at fire. On top of that, the more I died, the weaker my fire resistance would become. In a sense, the worm would gradually replace me with each death.

Was this the price for strength? Was this the cost I needed to pay to control my destiny? Indeed, nothing comes free in this world.

Taking a puff from my cigar, I strolled towards the mirror, once again examining myself.

Gang wars, battles with abominations, conspiracies—this was what the plot mainly comprised of. But things were slowly getting interesting, but disturbing and gross, completely F*cked up even without them.

"Ha, even before entering the plot of the novel, things are starting to get bombastic."

Tomorrow, I was going to face him, possibly the first villain I would encounter—a secret villain, a hidden one.

Madness awaited me...