"And who the fuck are you?" -Hunter said turning in my direction, while the priest quickly removed the crown from his head, and went to a safe place-

"I'm the fool or the brave one you called, your name was Hunter Wolf, right? Nice to finally meet you in person. -I said to the beast, removing the beast costume from my body

Hunter did not like my presence, you could see in his face that he did not want me there, and without thinking twice, he sent one of his chains underground and when it came out it wrapped it around my right arm, pulling it off with one jerk.

I stood there watching him as I bled buckets of blood from what was left of my shoulder, pretending to be paralyzed from the pain, I slowly fell to the floor on my knees processing what had happened.

"Humans are dumber than I thought they were. Did you escape from a herd? It doesn't matter, I will end your life and take you to the celebration buffet."

Slowly, I brought my left hand to my almost non-existent shoulder to pretend to cauterize the wound with magic, when what was actually happening was that I was simply regenerating myself with the power that was granted to me.

"Ha ha ha ha...that's where you're wrong Hunter. I came to finish what my race mate started, plain and simple, I will not allow you to continue killing any more of our kind, not after that. Allow me to introduce myself. I am called by many names, but you can call me 'The Nomad of the Fifth Ring' and I never thought I would find the one who took from me what belonged to me years ago."

I made up something to use on the spot, the rulers of all the worlds I've visited have always had some things hidden behind their facade of leadership, I was trying to provoke him no matter what, so I could get it over with quickly.

"I don't even know you," Hunter said to me, who seemed increasingly angry, stomping his feet loudly as he approached me

"Look deep into your memories, do you really not remember anything about it or do you avoid it to make yourself look strong? We both know that pretending won't get rid of your past. Your talisman, hand it over this instant."

That piece of wood is really of no use to me, nor to the "Ones from Above" But because of its power it may have been coveted by someone in the past, whether it worked or not, it didn't matter, I'll snatch his soul.

"Shut up...just shut up!"

Hunter stopped suddenly and I noticed in his eyes a slight tearing, had he found something? I wondered; I don't know why it happened, but it seems that my strategy was working.

"Give me the talisman, and let's pretend that what happened long ago never happened."

The beastly crowd was stunned, even those who were leaving the arena were returning, this was not over, rather it was the second main course of their evening's entertainment buffet.

"I thought I killed every last one of you bastards! I will never forgive them for what they did to me and my family five years ago."

As I suspected, a problem with royalty from the subjects is to be expected, but... how valuable is that talisman really, what did they do to him; meh never mind, the plan works, just go with it.

"I won't say it again unless you want the same result as 5 years ago."

The beast changed his facial expression, became crestfallen, and in a serious tone exclaimed

"I'm not the same as I was 5 years ago, if you try anything I'll chop you up until your body is no longer recognizable, did you understand you fucker!"

Usually, I never put emphasis on drama or acting to make this seem real, but there was a public this time, and the "Ones from Above" don't like others to know about my harvests, I may try something...much more daring.

"Ouch how harsh, why don't you better go with your mommy the queen? Surely, she misses you".

Of all the things that would have happened, I didn't expect the following to happen, I mean, I did expect a reaction, but not of such a magnitude.

“THAT’S IT! YOU'RE DEAD, YOU IDIOT!"

Maybe I went a little overboard with the performance, his face stretched and like any canine, he showed me all his teeth while growling in rage, his talisman released energy by the bucketload, so much that it was visible from where I was, the irises of his eyes turned the same color as the energy he was emanating, his chains were imbued with that energy as well, and down his neck went one of his sharp claws, indicating my fate.

Hunter rushed at me in the blink of an eye and with his bestial fist he brutally hit me in the face, burying the visor in my skull, it was so fast that I could not react to the impact, it was so strong that my body was shot to the other side of the arena, being embedded in the wall of it, a déjà vu of what happened with Hunter.

My strategy had worked...a little too well.

I peeled myself off the wall with several lacerations on my back that healed quickly, but strangely I felt some pain, genuine pain, something that had not happened since I was rescued by the "Ones from Above", how hard does this beast hit? I wondered at the time.

Hunter ran on all fours towards me, while screaming at me.

"FIVE YEARS AGO, EVERYTHING I LOVED WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME, ALL FOR A FUCKING TALISMAN, BUT THIS TIME IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!!!, YOU EVIL BASTARDS!!!"

I unsheathed my sword using a reverse grip, prepared to receive the imminent impact of Hunter, who raised his huge claws and directed their edge towards me.

I managed to parry several of his attacks, one after the other, a sequence of uninterrupted swipes in which anyone would have died in the first one, but no matter how fast I went, he always managed to be faster than me. What was happening to me? I wondered, I felt sluggish and clumsy and my sword felt heavier and heavier, and if I continued like this, I would end up succumbing to its power.

Until at last one of his claws connected with my torso, and in response to such an impact I resorted to escape, striking his claws with my sword, sending us both off to opposite sides of the arena.

"Ugh... What is this?" -I said to myself while, with my left hand, I covered the bleeding wound from the claw-"S-stop playing games, the acting has gone too far, it's time to end this once and for all."

But nothing of what I expected happened

"W-what! My regeneration...Is not working?"

From my wound, blood imbued with that greenish energy poured out of my body, it burned as if fathoms of hell were falling on my torso, I was in extreme pain, and I could barely stay conscious.

I didn't want to believe it at first, but it seemed to be true what the witch said, this beast somehow managed to control the power of the souls and is using them to enhance his attacks and apparently the soul energy disables my powers if I am too close to him or if he attacks me.

This has never happened to me before, without my powers, I am just like an ordinary human, I had to avoid his attacks at all costs, but how? My powers were the only thing keeping me on my feet, at this moment, they are slowly coming back to me, I just have to hold on until I can regenerate and stop being one-armed, show's over.

"TCH! YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF YOU BASTARD!"

Hunter lashed out at me again, and again I parried his attack, the greenish essence of souls seeping into my body slowly, reducing my strength over time, I had to do something, and soon; and what better thing to do to immobilize someone. Yes, to kick him in the balls.

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I applied all the strength I had left to my supporting foot, lifted my other foot off the ground, and in an instant kicked his crotch at full speed.

Hunter was paralyzed with pain, even his eyes rolled back; seventy percent of the onlookers exclaimed "UUuuuuuuuu..." At the sight of such a scene; everyone knows how that hurts.

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- "Damn you!" - Hunter punched the wall in anger by punching a hole in it with his fist.

- "You let your guard down, and I had to take advantage of it. Do not take it personally".

- "YOU ALMOST TOOK MY OFFSPRING AWAY FROM ME!"

- "Like that's an important thing"

- "FOR A KING IT IS AND YOU KNOW IT, DON'T PRETEND YOU DON'T! YOU DEFINITELY WON'T TELL THIS, GO ON, I WANT TO GO TO SLEEP ALREADY"

- "Okay, I'll consider your physiological needs."

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That gave me enough time to heal my wounds and get back to 100 percent of my potential.

"It was good while it lasted, but..." -I said as I regenerated my entire arm on the spot-"my bosses require your soul, Hunter."

Hunter to my threats responded with a punch to the underbody as well, a shockwave was created from the impact, with his massive beast fist, as he half stood up and returned to the fray.

"I-Impossible! That must have left you delirious with pain!" - Hunter said still complaining from the blow I gave him.

"I don't have genitals, Hunter"

Taking advantage of the advantage I had over Hunter, I launched a blow with the hilt of my sword aimed at his chest, followed by a sword thrust that knocked the beast back.

"Heh... heh... heh... human fool, when will you understand THAT WE BEASTS ARE SUPERIOR!"

The energy coming out of his talisman was overwhelming, suffocating to me, which like my regeneration, healed his wound, and not only that, it also empowered his body, his muscles became more toned, his claws became fully the color of souls, his chains seemed to have taken on a life of their own, uncoiling and positioning themselves on his shoulders like two snakes he controls in their entirety.

"You're not the only one with tricks UNDER YOUR FUR!"

Hunter sent his chains against me, and I tried to block them with my sword, but it was not enough, one of the chains snatched it from my hands and the other one squeezed me as it lifted me into the air.

Hunter was slowly approaching, emanating concentrated soul energy, the beast grabbed my ear with its claws and yanked it off.

I was totally helpless, the chains of the beast had annulled my powers in their totality, I felt how my bones creaked inside me, how with each laceration the pain increased, I felt that I was losing consciousness little by little...

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID TO ME, I WILL HUNT THEM DOWN ONE BY ONE UNTIL NO TRACE OF THEIR EXISTENCE IS LEFT, THEY RUINED MY LIFE IN THE PAST AND NOW I WILL END THEIRS!!!"

His claws pierced my chest completely, not once, not twice, but many, many times, so many that I lost count, I felt an empty sensation in me as I was being riddled by Hunter, claw by claw, thrust by thrust, and bite by bite, my body looked like the result of someone trying to be a butcher without being one, with my guts scattered over there, one of my arms on the other side of the sand and my heart in the jaws of the beast.

To finish, Hunter with his chains slammed me to the arena floor and with his fist brutally pounded my head, over and over and over and over again.

Until he decided to end this matter, and with his fist imbued with soul energy, he launched a blow that was going to liquidate me and .... YMJMNLLXKNJQINXFKNJQITKJSJWLDYMFYNXYMTZLMYYTJCNXYNSJAJWDWJLNTSTKYMJZSNAJWXJYMJKNJQINXFHHTRUFSNJIGDFKZSIFRJSYFQUFWYNHQJPSTBSFXYMJMNLLXGTXTSBMNHMNXZXJIGDYMJKNJQIYTHTSYNSZTZXQDNSYJWFHYBNYMTYMJWUFWYNHQJXXZHMFXYMJJQJHYWTSUFWYNHQJXYMFYNSYJWFHYBNYMYMJKNJQIFWJLNAJSRFXXFSINSFXNRNQFWKFXMNTSYTFSTGOJHYUFXXNSLYMWTZLMYWJFHQJTWRTQFXXJXBNQQGJHTRJXQTBJWFXYMJDUFXXYMWTZLMNYYMJWJXZQYTKFUFWYNHQJLFNSNSLRFXXKWTRYMJKNJQINXYMJUWJAJSYNTSTKNYXFGNQNYDYTYWFAJQFYYMJXUJJITKQNLMY....MYYUXXNRUQJBNPNUJINFTWLBNPNMNLLXKNJQI.... BZZZT.

Error 5: Corrupted data

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- "Ahh... yes, the travel log is based on my memories, and since you almost killed me in that instant it had a catastrophic failure, I will have to recall that again, but it won't be that easy... What do you say, Hunter, do you think you help me with this?"

But there was no response, none, in fact, the room felt strange, as if something was not right

- "Hunter? I know you were angry about this whole history thing, but you can't be like that."

I looked toward the bed where he was lying but did not find him there, it looked as if no one had used it, it was spotless. The silence of the night made it that much more eerie, usually the wind whistled through the cabin windows, but nothing seemed to make a sound, it was just me, my stuff, and the room.

I got out of bed, took one of the candles, and went determined to look for him, but the door to the room would not open.

- "Hunter... this isn't funny."

I tried to break down the door with my strength, but it was also impossible, I couldn't break it down at all, I even felt pain after trying several times. What was going on?

I also tried to lift my sword, but it was impossible, it felt like trying to lift an elephant with one hand, I also tried to escape through the windows, but the night view of the desert was nothing but paintings and behind them, there was only a brick wall.

By this point I was hyperventilating, I felt agitated, my whole body was sweating, my hands were shaking, and my thoughts were cloudy, I didn't know what to do, I was trapped and had no way out, I feared the worst. A ruse maybe?

I just wanted it to be over, I didn't like feeling this way, so I sat on my bed, waiting for Hunter or Awyn to come out saying it was a joke.

Immediately, as if, if they had answered my knock, someone knocked on the door, 3 times and called my name

- "Spacetime? Are you there? Spacetime, wake up, we need you."

It was a female voice like a woman in her thirties, a little high-pitched, but you can tell the years even so, she kept knocking on my door for several minutes calling me in different ways, sometimes she said that I was needed, other times she just wanted to talk to me, and others that it was urgent.

I didn't know what to believe, over the years I have known creatures capable of altering a person's perception of reality, it was probably something like that... wait, no... that can't be, in Küpperniko there are no such creatures...

Suddenly a white light emanated from under the door, and from one moment to the next, I don't know how it happened, but I was in front of the door, like, if I had teleported in front of it, my feet couldn't move backward, only forwards, it was clear what I had to do, open that door.

I grabbed the doorknob and slowly opened it, behind the door I found a human on a hospital gurney, his body completely burned, with serum and supplements being injected into his bloodstream, on the other side of the gurney were the machines that kept the subject alive, a respirator, dialysis machine, among many other things that I did not know what they were.

On the right side of the gurney was a woman, with long wavy hair, wearing round glasses, which highlighted her light brown eyes, wearing a white robe and a long black skirt, carrying an ID card over the pocket of the robe where her name, Nova, was written on it.

- "Finally, you're here Spacetime, I've been waiting for you"- She said to me in a soft and slightly tired voice.

-"I know you are still recovering since you were "awakened" and we have tried not to disturb you, but we need to consult you."

The woman took me by the hand firmly and led me to another room.

- "Follow me"

She led me out of what appeared to be the hospital area of the modern building, we were walking down a hallway, past multiple rooms, workshops, and even classrooms.

Until we reached an area where an armored metal door stood, the woman slid her ID into the scanner, the door opened and ushered us into an enclosed room, with wide, white-painted walls, and a huge, curved window to the outside.

We sat down at the small table next to the window and began to chat.

- "Er... What happened to that man on the gurney? It looks as if a mob has burned him alive."

- "So long asleep and you still have your analytical skills, you fascinate me. But it's not time to flatter you, in fact, I was going to talk to you about that."

- "I appreciate the praise, but have we met before?"

- "Hmm... It seems that your memory is still bad... but I'm sure you'll remember if I tell you what happened" -The woman sighed - "We don't have much time so I'll be as brief as possible."

The woman pulled some papers out of her robe, and on it were hundreds of mathematical calculations, all pieced together to come up with a percentage that read "Higgsian Synchronization Ratio:45%."

- "Today was the day we did the first preliminary test of Artemis with living beings, animals to be exact."

- "Artemis? What are you talking about, I don't know any Artemis"

- "Tch... you'll remember, now just listen to me, okay? Well, an error occurred with our calculations again... we had already succeeded with objects, but apparently, it is not possible to use the same parameters with living beings. The test monkey was disfigured, his face was on his back, his arms were on his chest and don't get me started on his private parts, all liquefied by...miscalculated Higgsian forces and our partner paid the consequences. I was hoping you could fix it; Caesar knows very well how to use your code, we programmed it to have presence to the fifth power forward from protocol A operation, but the bosonic field went through our shielding, and... you know what happened.

- "I... would...love to, but I don't know what all these numbers mean, much less the formulas here, although...they look familiar from somewhere, I can't help you at the moment."

But my voice didn't come out, it was as if my body was acting against my will, I actually said

- "Go back to the beginning, correct the Higgsian ratio of transfer to the subject, and add some material that doesn't interfere with Artemis to the alloys so this doesn't happen again, check my work more closely...I feel very, very exhausted, like I'm not here."

The woman got up from her chair and kissed me on the forehead.

- "I thank you for your effort, you can continue resting, and forgive me if I was abrupt with you, I don't want to see any more of our people in that state, the future is in our hands after all."

- "The world?" Which one of all of them?"

The woman chuckled and smiled at me.

- "Go and rest, a new day's work awaits us tomorrow"

The room began to shake heavily, and my vision began to distort little by little until I awoke in the cabin bed to a rumbling sound coming from downstairs. Had I... fallen... asleep...? Was I... dreaming?