Leaving the battlegrounds. Roberion walked with some weakness permeating his body, the empowerment effects of the drugs ceasing; sadly, his afliction only got worse. His body felt like a hungry wolf, but his desire wasn't for food but for that substance that was both a blessing and a curse. He knew, both from the information from the couple from the fiznaults and from his memory imprint, that drugs are prone to addiction effects, be it from the substance itself or the reactions it causes in the system.
The trade-off of this potion isn't great; become an addict with a use just to become stronger and lunatic as a result. Why would someone buy this shit? Maybe mine is expired or something. Anyway, better get out of here.
Roberion pushed his weakened body from the center of the park, trying not to slip from the moist terrain. The null drank sips of the mana potion and even some of the regenerative potion, trying to reduce his cravings for the drug from before. Even though he felt like a junkie with abstinence, he felt more in control than when he was affected by it, and in this way, he could work with it.
The confrontation from before was one of the hardest things he had done. Fighting for control against his euphoric mind was extremely hard, as he wasn't fighting against another personality of his or someone else invading his mind; he was literally fighting himself.
If it were only his body delighting itself with the susbtance, it would be one thing, but he himself never felt better than in his euphoric state; he didn't care about plans, about the future, just about the now, the pleasurable sensation of happiness and power guiding his body to another state of being.
Roberion continued to consider the consequences of the medicine's abrupt and disastrous effects when he arrived at the park's border, where the blood swamp had only grown larger. As a result of the blood, it was fed like a thirst demon. Roberion deactivated the dice, and the Jubilant Choir was dismissed, the wood sensation and heavy weight of the weapon vanishing from his hands.
He waited a few seconds to see if the dice would activate again. It didn't, so he jumped into the blood swamp, sinking more than he was comfortable with. Next time I will use a stick or something before jumping in anything liquid; this swamp "water" is almost shoulder high.
Roberion tried to swim through the blood mud; his body power, even though drained a little by the loss of the medicine effects, was still powerful enough for him to accomplish it. Didn't the effect of the drug be similar to the one the orc used? He seemed a little crazy, but not like me when I saw him later, and he didn't seem to be addicted or anything; he didn't even use the drug again while I was there.
No, my mistake, it wasn't similar; he regenerated almost like an undead; I only recovered because of the [Behemoth Skin] it isn't the same. Anyway, it didn't seem to have any such effect on him. And everyone here, if the baroness is telling the truth, has a parasite in their head, so could mine have a deffect?
Talking about parasites, did the Blight Squad have one? Probably not, unless the baroness forced them to put on themselves for some reason, but that's probably not it. They probably didn't; she didn't have a reason to want to eliminate them otherwise, right?
Roberion tried to find a hold in a broken wall so he could exit the blood swamp; the iron and cadaveric smell wouldn't leave his body soon, though. It was hard at first, trying to find balance in the mud and finding enough strength to jump, but after some trials and breaking some parts of the wall to create some purchase, he finally got out of it.
"Is it normal for such carnage to produce blood swamps? I think some liquid and slippering make sense, but swamps? Maybe it is magic or the baroness. Enough, time to find the safe house."
Roberion looked back, trying to find the The Gentlemen still sleeping. He found it, but it was not exactly sleeping; he was slowly getting up, seemingly going after something in his back. Fear flowed in the null's veins, enough to drive him to jog away in the direction he saw a signal of a safehouse. Even though he felt the addiction trying to take hold, he strained his body and ignored it to run fast. He wasn't sure if he was the last participant.
Everything seemed to indicate that he was the last one nonetheless. The silence is deafening; there wasn't any undead or participant around; there was no sound of an explosion, spells, screaming, shoots, or anything else. It felt weird to wish for these sounds, but it was better than not hearing anything; the most dangerous is the unseemly, silent danger.
Roberion ignored his paranoia. Maybe I should summon Percival; fuck, my body feels like a bag of trash. There, that is, the place, looks like a convenience store; the purple runic symbols seem to be weaker there. I will use the [Air Movement Spell], no fucker will steal my safehouse.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Roberion focused on the spell; it seemed more difficult to concentrate and to direct the mana flow like before, not only because of the state he felt his body in but also because of his mental exhaustion, but nonetheless it worked. The airflow around his body changed, the translucent aura enveloping him increased, and his speed increased—not at the speed while he was in the effect of the speed potion, but enough to make a difference.
Nearing the convenience store, he looked like a panicked thief, trying to see if anyone would stop him, or worse. Nonetheless, the way is clear, which only makes him more suspicious. I'm fed up with this place; only this purple light all around; all the place seems artificial and unrealistic; danger everywhere. It's not like I'm afraid of danger, but it's like I'm a prisoner with no sky and no way of getting away. Even though it would be just as dangerous, it would be better to be in the forest. Oh well, it's not like I have a real choice, like always.
Roberion took a last look at the quiet neighborhood. Not losing his fast pace, he took a swig of the mana potion; sometime later, he would need to look at how many he had, but now he will use all he can to be on top of his game until the trial is over.
Just a few paces from the store, Roberion all but jumped at the door to open it. He tried to push the door, but it didn't open. Fuck, is somebody already there? Roberion felt exposed, looking all around him and taking a glance at the door, all the while almost breaking the door. It seemed enchanted. In a few seconds, he noticed a small sign: PULL.
"You are joking me", Roberion pulled the door and entered fast, already crossing the room, trying to see if anything was there. All that welcomed him was an assortment of products, from foods to hygiene. Roberion walked to the food section; it seemed that the place had six corridors and four sections. Aside from food, hygiene, and medicine, the null found there was also a toy section, just after the food one.
"Why toys? The other two make sense, but toys?", Roberion ignored it, only now hearing the entrance door close. Roberion gets anxious and takes a look back, but finds nothing. Stupid door, trying to scare me. Ignoring it, he looks at the food products; there are various that he has never seen or heard of.
Dumplings, mini cakes, marshamallow bunnies, coxinhas, moon cakes, stuffed sausages, sweet frogs, and others. What? Sweet frogs? Roberion took one of the sweet frogs; they seemed like real frogs, but without any blemenish on them, also looking dead; their skin seemed rugged but looked more like jelly. Are they real frogs or candies made to look like frogs? This time you won, baroness. It seems like a trick, but I will eat this thing anyway.
Roberion opened the package; he couldn't understand the language. It doesn't seem to be the invention of the baroness. She must have copied it from somewhere; do the citizens of the Empire of Creation eat this thing? Does the Emperor of Creation eat this thing?
Taking the slimy frog, he squished it. It seemed dead, if it was ever alive to begin with. Roberion opened his mouth and took a bite at the frog's lower body, taking the two legs whole. When he finished the bite, he felt a sugary liquid leaving the thing's body; it seemed to have solid things on it too. Not letting anything go to waste, Roberion slurped the liquid and stuffed his mouth with the rest of the frog.
It was hard to munch the thing whole, but the Null achieved it.
"It's pretty good; the sugary liquid creates a distinct feeling against the bittersweet texture of the frog's body. I will take it and everything from this food section into my bag. Although maybe I should save some for the medicine, maybe not. I can feel the abstinence worsening. I don't know if I can control myself here."
Roberion started stuffing his bag with the sweet frogs. As if in cue, he started hearing the voice of the baroness; strangely, it was so lifelike that it seemed like a human was talking. Roberion kept stuffing the sweet frogs in his bag. Trying to collect the cards seemed like a cool idea at first. Until this crazy reaction to the drug happened. Maybe it will get better soon, but I don't know if I will buy it anymore. I could try to buy the cards separately, but that can wait; now I have these sweet frogs, and the other foods could be even better.
"Congratulations! You reached a safe house; there are…I know you're dying to know, don't you? Why does it always have to be me to speed things up?! Luckily, I like it, ha. There are only two participants left—yes, TWO! What is more curious is…you entered in a group; you have 30 minutes to kill yourselves—", as the last words left the Ceruelean Baroness, Roberion spins, with the last of the sweet frogs on hand, the die activating again.
As a dagger goes to his left, trying to perfurate him, Roberion manages to evade just enough to not cause serious damage, and an enormous gash opens up in his stomach. The sweet frog on his hand didn't escape either, being cut in two and liquid oozing from it. "—as the survivor will be the winner of this trial, there is no reason to secure the place now…unless to cage you two to a deathmatch. Don't ignore what I said before; I'm on a timer; have fun!"
Roberion takes a quick look at the attacker, only to see him go invisible a second later. That little guy—how can I forget that pale little bastard?! Yes, I didn't see his corpse; there were a bunch of others dead too. Why should I have even cared about another nobody?!
"Think you are smart? I will make you see your sister in hell reeeally soon", Roberion says, looking around, trying to see if the guy will give an answer. He got none. Either he has a cool head or that woman wasn't his sister. Anyway, it's time to end it all. After all this work to get a second place, no, I won't end like that. I won't let a coward like that invisible assassin win. Dammit, I would trade a fireball for invisibility any day, fucking lucky asshole.