Notice: you have entered the Domain: Hell’s paradise.
Kancor heard the familiar words as he crossed the first ring of poison. Liz had been unconscious for more than a week now.
She must have evolved a powerful skill or something. But for a lvl 4 to do that… Kancor looked at Liz, who was being carried in his back. Honestly, what are you little spirit?
Liz was a mystery for the fallen hero. He had explored this world from north to south, from the human lands to the demon domains. He had evolved beyond the limits of his raze, and witnessed the power of beings far greater than what he thought possible. But Liz was something new, something he couldn’t understand.
It was as if she had the experience of a thousand lives, yet she was clueless to the most basic aspects of the world.
Kancor decided to flush those thoughts away, she might be keeping some secrets, but he wasn't any better, especially not with what he had planned to do.
He walked through the narrow paths between the poisson lakes that covered his domain. Slowly approaching to the centre’s island, a rock of no more than 10 metres in radius, covered with some grey wood structures.
He stepped into a wooden hut and let Liz on a chair, he then opened a wardrobe and grabbed some meat to eat. “I hope it doesn't take you much time to wake up little spirit, cause at least for me, time is in deed running out”
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Liz was floating in an endless black lake, she felt as if it was made from tar. Sticky and dense, black enough for it to be indistinguishable from the black void that surrounded her.
This place felt similar to the void of her last world, a place where only her soul and the system existed. But it also felt opposite, she had a physical body, there was a difference between the sea of tar and the void. But the most important thing was the feeling she had, as if she was in a foreign realm, trapped and helpless, like a mosquito in a spider’s web.
She remained there, laying on her back for god knows how much time, her consciousness slowly drifting away. Her breathing slowed down more and more, why was she breathing in the first place? It is not like there is any air in the void.
She felt her memories fading, as if they never happened. Why did she remember them? It is not like anything good could appear just from looking at the past.
She finally forgot all her past, she forgot her magic and eventually, even her name…
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Notice: you are losing your named status…
She heard the words of the system in the distance, she wondered what they meant, already forgotten everything she went through.
Eventually, even her will started to fade. She saw something in the distance, the endless void above her acted as a mirror, reflecting the giant pair of maws that slowly rose from the depths.
The creature was getting closer to her each second, its appearance was strange, and a feeling of absolute horror would engulf anyone who saw it even before the creature itself did.
But the girl did not care, she saw the creature getting closer, she was certain that she was going to die there, but she did not care. Why was she alive anyways? A mere hollow husk, a remnant of what once was something, but now only an empty soul remained…
“Run” She heard a voice in the distance.
“Run” She heard the voice from far away, almost like a whisper, but she was certain that it came from inside her head. “Run.”
Why? She thought. I’m nothing, I came from nothing, and now I shall return to nothing.
“RUN”
Her body moved on its own and started running, a second later the creature bit just behind her.
Why am I running? What's the point?
“RUN”
Her body kept running, trying to escape from the creature that tried to eat her. Then something clicked, she realised that the voice she was hearing was her own.
Memories started flooding to her head, memories of all her lives, memories of her magic, of her name.
“Haha, you don’t have to worry about me, I can always teleport away” She remembered saying those words thousands of years ago. That's right, I can always teleport to safety.
She started channelling her magic as the monster came closer and closer. “See you never!” She mocked the creature as a rift started to open ahead of her.
But another memory flashed in her mind, and the rift closed. Liz stopped running instantly, as if she had just been drained of all the strength she had left. “That's right… I'm a failure…”
The monster finished catching up to Liz and jumped high in the void. Its maws started to open as it descended towards Liz. She was paralysed, not only had she accepted her fate, but also thought she deserved it.
“Frostburn” A wave of blue flames burned the monster, only to become solid ice a second later, immobilising the creature.
Liz slowly turned around, fearful to find her hope crushed. That her saviour wasn’t the man she thought he was. That he was another faceless manikin just like rouge.
She saw his black coat, decorated with blue lines of pure mana. His black short hair and menacing pose. But she couldn't see his face, the man wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the monster, still frozen by his spell.
“Leave” The man said.
Liz wanted to say something, but her words couldn’t leave her throat.
“Here you are powerless, leave before you die”
Liz wanted to cry, she wanted to demand an explanation, she wanted to get close to him and see his face, see if he was the real one, or just another illusion…
“Now you are as weak as a child in the eyes of true mages like me or Bel”
She froze, the words slowly sinking in. Like me or Bel. Those words were enough to confirm her thoughts, or at least to give her hope. Slowly, she opened her mouth.
“Thank you, Kai” Her body shifted to one of a little girl, one powerless kid who dreamed of becoming the strongest.
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Liz’s eyes slowly opened, awake after more than a week in the lake of tar.
But, on that endless lake of black tar, a figure stood up in front of the frozen statue of a monster. He wore a black coat covered with blue lines of pure mana.
He turned around and started walking, leaving the frozen monster behind. “I’m sorry Liz, but I’m afraid I’m not in better shape than rouge.” The man said, closing his eyes.