With no better ideas, I float aimlessly down the river for more than an hour, finding little of anything worthwhile. The current is rather swift, and the water is much colder than I was hoping it would be. On the other hand, the river is also very deep, so there is no worry of colliding with any obstacles in my path.

Even when I put in the effort to keep a lookout, there are only trees to be found; So many trees. As far as I can tell, most of this river runs through an endless forest, save for that one clearing where I happened to spend the night. Perhaps I have entered some sort of prehistoric world, untouched by the greedy hands of man.

Just about when I am starting to lose the sensation from my limbs, I spot what can only be described as a dirt road along the river’s edge. Having at last come upon a worthy discovery, I decide to halt my leisurely venture and drag my soggy bones to shore.

“Finally… Ungh...”

My rejoice might be a little insipid for the occasion...

Hoisting myself ashore, I attempt to remove my shirt and pants so as not to become hypothermic. However, I immediately stumble and land face first in the dirt. It goes without saying that with little room to break my fall, I am treated to a hearty mouthful of rocks.

(So pathetic…)

Only now have I realized how exhausted I have become. The long search, coupled with the all too abundant hallucinations have sapped any reserves I had stored up. I guess this is my body’s way of recuperating itself after finally having deemed me safe. A bit of a warning would have been nice.

Barely able to move, I sluggishly manage to unwrap myself from my clothes, down to my boxer-briefs. Like a cast-away stone, I lie by the riverside. The chance of catching hypothermia in this kind of situation is very high. Regardless, I have no choice but to rest here till I can move once again.

(Today has been such an unproductive day.)

It would be helpful if I could fall asleep just like this, though I cannot see that happening. Even when as physically exhausted as I currently am, I will not sleep... Cannot sleep…

If I have to spend an extended amount of time in this world, I will undoubtedly end up as [Falling Owl], one way or another; It is only a matter of time. I can only do my best to pick up any mess that he should make.

Once sufficiently rested, about forty-five minutes worth, I begin making preparations. It is better to make a camp than to travel the highway just yet, as I am short on knowledge. Which direction leads to a town the fastest? If I were to make the wrong decision, I would instead be led further astray. I do not have the energy to waste on such a hapless journey.

First I should figure out a way to get some of those delicious looking fish out of the river, and into my stomach. Boasting mere rocks for tools, there are not many options available at the moment. It is doubtful that I could fashion a viable spear using these blunt stones.

“Which just leaves… A trap, right?”

As it stands, this area does have all the makings of a proper camp. With the steady stream of fish from the river and plentiful wood to make a fire, I should have no trouble staying here for the immediate future. The spacious area beside the highway devoid of trees will even act as a built-in barrier, leaving little worry of burning down the whole forest. This is good news; I am beyond freezing.

Using a few of the larger rocks by the river, I construct a moderately sized circle to act as the base of the fire pit. My camp will be nestled in a particularly open area, halfway between the river and the highway.

Rounding up the wood is effortless, as there is no small shortage of fallen branches and dead trees to choose from. For tinder, I grab a bit of hanging moss which has become dry and brittle. Now I just need to light it somehow.

Rather than banging two rocks together and praying for a spark, using the pinnacle of my primitive technology, I will whittle some sort of friction hand drill. Having only ever seen this done in videos, the chances of success do not weigh in my favor. Not to mention the preparations are cumbersome when I have nothing better than stones to work with.

(I am so ill prepared…)

Despite countless disadvantages, I manage to hack away enough of a rather straight branch to use it as a drill. Removing piece after piece, slowly the drill begins to take shape. The other half of the device, the baseboard, is just a split branch with a groove chipped into it. With all the parts assembled, and after much effort to build up the friction necessary to create an ember, the tinder ignites rather quickly.

Sitting next to the warm fire makes all that time I had to spend lying in my undergarments, and fiddling with sticks and stones totally worthwhile. I am also able to lay my tattered clothes onto the ground around the fire to dry. Finally, an achievement of merit, though I still need to fix my food situation.

Unlike the fire, making the trap takes much, much longer than I thought it would; Twelve hours, in fact. To find the vines, sticks, and twigs takes little time at all. Weaving the conical basket and inner funnel, on the other hand, takes a whole eight hours of back-breaking work.

With no twine to speak of, there is no choice but to struggle to hold it all in place as I build them; Otherwise, the whole mess would spring apart like a firework. It is truly grueling work under the blazing sun.

Next, I make a vine-woven fence to place into the river that should redirect at least a few of the fish into the trap. While this part is far easier than the basket, it still takes close to four hours to complete. By the time I finish weaving both contraptions, the sun begins to dip below the horizon. If I do not pick up the pace, I will soon be working blindly.

Luckily, the remainder of setting this trap is child’s play in comparison to the rest. Punishing, exhausting child’s play. Nevertheless, having become so painfully hungry, I am burning with a ravenous intensity. Running mostly on adrenaline, as I near the peak of concentration, I silently complete my task.

Using a long branch as a makeshift shovel, I dig out a channel with vigor. The river grows ever swifter and deeper as it gets closer to the center, so I need to build a more suitable environment for the trap to be placed in. Setting guideposts into the slower moving channel, I then fasten the basket and the water fence in place, strapping it all together with vines.

Thus, I finish my masterpiece, only to collapse in a heap next to the fire. My entire body cries out in utter agony, while fresh blood seeps from my fingertips. Worn raw from the rough treatment up to this point, only now have I noticed the ragged state they are in. But more than anything, the throbbing headache that never goes away is driving me insane.

I have to find some way to take my mind off this constant pain…

“I should give it some sort of name now that I went through all the effort to make it. A name… Erm… Huh… Eherty…? That sounds just right. Good luck with the fishing, Eherty.”

It will take quite a while to catch anything, but it should be a lucrative investment so it was well worth it. In the meantime, I shall pass the night relaxing by the fire. I should spend my time wisely, but frankly, I do not even have the energy to think right now.

By now, it has been almost forty-eight hours since the last time I slept; There are only two hours remaining until [Falling Owl] starts making my life difficult…

(Ah, what a mess I have gotten myself into. Damn that bastard clown!)

“At least bring me to a town or something…”

Normally, in a situation like this, the protagonist would end up in a place with people, not the middle of nowhere. That is if I were to look at this in terms of it being a manga or a light novel. With no people around to guide the plot, how the heck am I supposed to figure out my next plan of action? It feels like an MMORPG without NPCs…

Then again, this is nothing new… That sideshow freak always does the most conniving and sadistic things with no remorse. This is why I refuse to believe a single word that comes out of its mouth. Yet I fell for its nonsense again. Next time I see that bastard I will punch its retarded, masked face in; No excuses.

(Ugh, thinking about that bastard is just going to make me go crazy…)

“What do you think I should do, Eherty?”

I need to plan for the future. Everything up until now has been the prologue; From here on out, I will require meticulously decisive actions if I expect to accomplish my goal. I will do anything it takes to repay her. But first, I have to find her…

Regardless, I have insufficient information. To get more, I need to find some people, which means I need to find a town, which means I need to follow this highway. Not knowing how long it will take to get to said town is the problem. With nothing to carry drinking water with me, it is highly probable that I could become dehydrated along the way. In which case, it might be better to wait for someone to pass by.

I wonder if they have cars in this world. From the torn up condition of the road it seems unlikely, but who knows, maybe they use wooden wheels instead of tires. I think I would prefer it if this world had at least some kind of technology though since manga and anime are great pastimes.

In the case that this world only has a medieval understanding of technology, I will not hold back, you know. I will engineer a revolution by my own hands… From the shadows, of course. Perhaps I can leave new technology on the street corner for people to find. That way, the ambitious ones would pick it apart in an attempt to learn how it works.

If they revere some sort of Church, I could just leave them at the front step of the Pope. Someone as gullible as that might even believe it came from God itself. Radical change may bring about war, so if I give it straight to the Church, it would at least tickle their faith. Divine Providence, or some such.

Hmm… Is giving the Church that much power really the right thing? It might be better just let the wars go on. Otherwise, I might accidentally create some kind of madhouse, pig, clergy bastards, who lord over the population like filth. Yes, war is good. It is for the best…

I refuse to go the way of the emissary of the future. Having to keep up that kind of act the whole time would be exhausting. I dislike being in the spotlight, even one bit.

(Hmm, who knew there was so much to think about?)

Usually, when you read about world transfer you get the type of story where the protagonist is forced into some type of nonsense right away, like a hero, or whatnot. Now that I think about it, being summoned in such a remote place is not really that bad. A little closer to a town might have been nice though.

Speaking of which, why did that clown take me here, to begin with? This is a fully legit, alternate dimension here. There has to be a reason for a figment of my imagination to pull off such a godlike feat; Most likely a selfish reason. Not that thinking about such meaningless things will get me anywhere.

As it has been quite a few hours since I left Eherty to fish for me, maybe I should go check on her. I doubt there would be much fish yet since most of them will just swim right past the channel. Eventually, they should find their way inside, slowly but surely.

The pitch darkness of night, having finally given way to the few rays of the early morn, I carefully make my way over to the channel where Eherty lies in wait. Peeking through the cracks in the woven basket, contrary to my jaded expectations, there is a forty centimeters long, somewhat meaty fish inside.

“You did it! Good job, Eherty… But... What the hell is this?”

Bizarre; Definitely a demonic looking fish. With sharp protrusions along its spine and brow resembling something like bone, as well as a number of squirming tentacles on its stomach, it is most unpleasant to look at. Not to mention the six beadlike eyes lining the nasal ridge. This thing truly looks like an alien creature.

“Is this thing even edible, Eherty? I do trust your judgment, but... I mean... Look at it, you know?”

There is also a less gross looking, albeit two thirds smaller fish as well. The only problem is, it is much too thin and bony to eat. Thus, I begrudgingly let it go. Looks like tonight’s meal is tentacle-fish.

‘Sigh’

I really would have liked to batter and fry this thing to make it look more appealing, but I cannot see that happening. I can only roast it like it is. As a precaution, I hack its stomach open with a pointy shard of rock, carefully removing the organs, then scrape the scales off as best I can.

Holding a tiny piece of its meat to my tongue, I do this for a while to test for poison. If I had some type of reaction, I would have halted the test immediately. Thankfully, there were no signs even after fifteen minutes, so it is likely safe to ingest.

For efficiency’s sake, I hack off the tentacles and poke them on skewers, then do the same with the main body. The tentacle skewers rest on the edge of the base, while the main dish rests on the two y-shaped wooden posts on either side of the firepit.

“I may be in the middle of the wilderness, but I gotta have some class. Am I right, Eherty?”

This camp is not so bad. A serene sanctuary of nature, if you will. Nevertheless, I am quite concerned about what that clown said about Gwyn. I hope someone passes through here quickly…

------------

It has been a whole week… Do people even travel on this road?

Currently, I am only living the shadow of a life. I eat nothing but fish from the river, work on my camp in my free time, and all the while I slip further, and further into insanity. Though it may seem similar to my life on Earth, this world has no lifelines to rely on…

Eight days without sleeping or taking my pills is too much. My mind is ablaze, and the structure of my sanity is crumbling down around me. The maelstrom that is the [Black Corona] has begun to swallow me alive, even though I knew it was coming. I am losing my grip; Fading… Sinking down into the depths…

Hallucinations have been running rampant in this place. Anywhere I go and everywhere I look there is some sort of distortion. Even the sun has turned an eternal shade of black. It is becoming hard to tell reality and illusion apart. Why did I ever think I would be able to manage this feat.

I feel unstrung, and the visage I see in the reflection of the water is a withered ghost of my former self. Along with pallid skin, disturbingly dark circles surround my blood red eyes. I perfectly resemble some kind of monster… And I certainly feel like one.

The revolting specters that multiply as days go by, never leave my presence. Becoming strong enough to take a firm grasp of my mind, they haunt me, like horrid hosts of the darkness beyond the brink.

Out of all the gruesome shapes they take, such as the long, bloody eyestalks, with large square pupils, or the protruding limbs, whose rotten flesh drips from the bone, or even the slithering skeletal serpents, who burrow in and out of the ground, every one of them, nestled amongst the mountains of rotting flesh in the distance, paint a macabre picture of hell…

If any sane person were to see this spectacle morbidly displayed before me right now, they would either scream while vomiting till they pass out, or simply die in place, their heart having given up the fight.

There is little solace from this madness, but… Amongst all these horrid aspects, there are at least a few things to look forward to. The fish for one tastes pretty good, although I wish I had seasonings to put on it.

After a few long days, I thought about giving up my vigil to try traveling down this road in whichever direction, but I gave up after a half day of walking. I am so hopelessly far in the middle of nowhere that I would never make it on foot.

Even my concern for my sister has taken on an inextinguishable form. The scars that she left me have literally been on fire lately, with a small flickering black flame constantly smoldering upon them. I have tried countless times to douse them in water, but they just keep burning. Hallucination or not, being on fire at all times still wears you down.

All in all, you could say I am quite unwell. My future is rather grim…

“Eherty, do you think someone will come by today?”

I sit in my chair, made of sticks and woven vines, confronting my only ally in this crazy abyss.

“{It seems unlikely, gero. I do not sense any presences in the relative vicinity, gero. I apologize, Master, gero.}”

“Is that so…”

I figured as much…

The fish trap, Eherty, after about two days, manifested herself in the appearance of a brown frog. It is my firm assumption that she is hallucinatory, but I have still been conversing with her just the same. The goofy, inorganic way she speaks is a bit lacking though.

In comparison to her, that demon-eyed girl is like a breath of fresh air. Somehow, I think I miss that cute little cuspid. Hold the insidious antagonism though, that I can do without. It seems that in the end, I am only able to converse with my own delusions. How quaint…

“Did you catch anything good today, Eherty?”

The brown frog is currently sitting on my lap, while I wait for time to pass me by. Whenever she talks, she puffs up her chest pouch and opens her mouth, though her lips remain stationary. I keep thinking it might be humorous if she actually mouthed the words, but she never does.

“{I have successfully captured two pimpleyfish, two moonclownfish, and a green-speckled bone-dingler, gero. There are also three evil-eyed pulp-bloaters mixed in, gero. That is everything, gero.}”

“Lucky! Two pimpleyfish and a bone-dingler? Good job, Eherty.”

“{No, no, gero, it is the least I could do for the one who created me, gero…}”

Is that supposed to be shyness? I somehow have mixed feelings. She is a frog, you know? Did I really need this much self-gratification?

Then again, I guess I have become the main character. In that case, should she not have turned into a girl, or something anime-like? Despite that, a week and a half have gone by with little-or-no change in my situation. If this was an anime, I sure as hell would never watch it.

“Well, since you finally caught a bone-dingler again, I will definitely have some tentacle skewers.”

That gross-looking boney fish, or “Green-Speckled Bone-Dingler”, actually turned out to be pretty delicious. Especially the tentacles. Those are my favorite. Among the other fish, the “Pimpleyfish”, a disgusting, brown, bumpy fish with long whiskers, is the best tasting. Then there is an appetizing purple and black-striped clownfish lookalike I dubbed “Moonclownfish”.

The “Evil-Eyed Pulp-Bloater”, is not delicious like the others. If you touch this red, big-eyed fish it will puff up, and spray a yellow, mushy mist from its body. If you happen to come in contact with said mist, it irritates the skin and causes an itchy rash for days. Definitely poisonous, I have learned firsthand.

In order to get that fish out without poisoning the others, I have to let them into the buffer canal I added in the back. That way, I can scoop up the good fish first. Since they never attack other fish, it is likely a defense mechanism against birds or mammals.

“Which would you like, Eherty?”

“{I am fine with whatever Master decides, gero.}”

Being part of my imagination, you should know that I did not want that kind of wishy-washy answer. You might as well have just slapped me in the face. Wait… Maybe she has a grudge against me or something? Do even frogs have hidden agendas now?

‘Sigh’

“You do realize I lose face when you say such trifling nonsense, right? Know the line between humility, and obsequiousness.”

“”

Ugh… Then there is that… Has she been doing it on purpose? Is this some new form of torture? How can anime characters handle the “Master, Master” thing? When I have someone call me that for real it is cringeworthy.

“I thought I told you to call me Wade. Is my name shameful to you?”

“”

Now I sound like some kind of superhero!

“WA-DE! Just… Wade… Okay?”

“”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“…”

Well… I shall let that one slip. But only because that was rather refreshing. Do not think I will let you off the hook again, Eherty. I am a passive person, but if someone requires water-boarding to get rid of bad habits, I will be more than willing to assist. Although in this case, it is a frog, so maybe… “Fire-boarding”?

What am I doing getting annoyed at my own imagination? With all this ridiculous stuff fluttering about around me, I am steadily becoming warped. I need to get some kind of drugs before I go insane…

After preparing the fish, I throw them on the spit. I tried my luck at making a few animal traps, but I have no twine so anything I make is doomed to mediocrity. I actually saw a rabbit-thing come out of the brush a few days ago; A giant one, as big as a dog. Its body was brown, with green leaf-like plates on its back. At first, I thought I might try grabbing it, but the damn thing ran as fast as a…

…

…

…

… Bicycle, so it got away… Eh…? Wait… What…?

“Oh shit! The food!”

Damn you [Falling Owl]! What a vile time for you to show your face! How long has it been since I passed out? Well… From the look of the fish, it was only about eight to twelve minutes, though that in itself is a new record.

“Phew. Lucky they are still fine, right Eherty…?”

...

No reply… Actually, I cannot find that annoying frog anywhere. Is she hiding? Honestly, that pest. One minute she is all “Master, Master”, and the next she just up and leaves? I am beginning to think she was messing with me this whole time.

As I start to head over and check on the fish trap, I immediately understand what the problem is. Thereupon the shore, a gigantic feline beast is clawing at the trap. No doubt trying to get at the fish inside…

She has been torn to shreds…

‘Tch’

“Rest in peace, Eherty…”

When did this monstrous thing even get here? It looks like a lion-sized cross between a panther and a lynx. Big and black, with long, flared whiskers, bulging muscles, and a black and white tail.

Ah… It must have come when I was unconscious. How could I have not noticed its presence before then? Fortunately, it did not attack me right away, or I would have been toast.

Now, what should I do? I would really like to refrain from fighting a panther since odds are I take more than a little damage. That said, can I even outrun something like that? The answer is pretty obvious when you look at the size of the muscles on that thing.

Quietly, I ready myself to engage the panther. There is little chance I will win, but I have no way to escape either. If I can make it to the makeshift windbreak I built to sleep under, I will at least have a weapon. It may just be a shoddy wooden spear, but it is much better than not having one at all.

Apparently having little interest in my worries, it continues to pry apart the already dismembered fish trap, completely ignoring me. When this creature is finished with the fish trap, it is likely to go after the food by the fire. Like hell I am going to let this glutton eat my prized tentacle-skewers.

(No matter what, I have to get that spear.)

With due diligence, I quietly tiptoe to the windbreak, mostly unnoticed. That was much easier than I thought it would be... Oh well. Having equipped myself, I must now firm my resolve. I cannot die until I have repaid my debts in full. Like this, I become fixed upon the target in front of me. The moment to fight has come.

“Oi, cat! Look what you did! I spent more than half a day working on that… How are you going to repay me?”

Hearing my threat, it turns to look at me with a strange glare. Is it afraid of me? I guess wild animals are just like that; Take no chances and such. But you stole from me beast; I am taking back what is rightfully mine.

“Pretty sure I could make a decent blanket from that fine pelt… If I had something sharp to cut with. Oh, wait… Hmm… Your fangs look something fierce, do they not?”

‘Flinch’

Hey, is it just me or is this cat not abnormally scared? I am not some kind of monster, you know. At least… Not literally… No, something else seems to be the problem. Its eyes do not seem to be looking towards me; More like, behind me? I have a bad feeling about this.

‘Glance’

Yup. Wow! What a sight. That is clearly a golem, in the flesh. Towering at least ten meters above me like some kind of foreboding idol, it dwarfs the two-meter tall windbreak in front of it. Just by standing there, it perfectly blocks out the sun.

The golem is made of a type of black mineral, and vines with deep-blue flowers creep across its surface. The long arms, which appear to be suspended almost-magnetically somehow, loom by its side menacingly.

Should I be worried? It looks slow; Or rather, how did it sneak up on me? This thing is huge, so it must make a racket when it moves. Perhaps it flies then. Though I do not understand how, with all that weight.

It seems that scaredy-cat ran at the first chance it got. Damn… There goes my blanket. Nevermind. For now, I need to get out of the way. If that thing strikes, I definitely cannot counter it…

Ducking and rolling to the side, I try not to expose any weaknesses. However, the black golem stands motionless. I guess it is quite slow after all. Or not…

‘Swoooooooosh!!’

“Ehh!?”

With a catastrophic impact, the meager break I spent the better part of two hours building is reduced to shrapnel. Thankfully, the deadly flying debris somehow misses me. Otherwise, I would have been swiss cheese.

This bastard just lobbed a haymaker at me! Turns out, it is surprisingly fast. Rotating its arms around its body like a gyroscope, huge centrifugal force is built up in the process. Forget about countering, I need to get the hell out of here!

(But my tentacle skewers…)

Fine, I will just have to grab a few on the way by; That is, if I can avoid this stupid golem. Now that I think about it, why is this thing attacking me? I have been at this camp for a week and it never appeared before, so why now?

Well, I can think about that later. Luckily, I manage to grab a couple skewers as I sprint past the firepit. I will head in the opposite direction than last time, so maybe I will meet someone, or find a town. Not much I can do against a giant stone golem, right?

‘Sigh’

------------

I only left forty minutes ago and I already miss my camp. Walking sucks, you know? I have had enough of it already. The only thing I do lately is to walk aimlessly for kilometers. Why the hell does nobody travel on this forsaken road anyways?

I made myself a pair of sandals when I was at the camp, but they suck too. Made of only vines and bamboo, that much is obvious. They are better than nothing though.

That golem has not followed me; Either that, or it is so slow it cannot keep up. I no longer doubt its arm speed but have no conclusive evidence of its gait. Just what made it attack me now of all times? Lots of annoying things have happened all at once. [Falling Owl], the panther-thing, Eherty dying, that golem, and also my skewers.

Speaking of which, how did that golem even move in the first place?  I doubt it is an animal, so magic…? Maybe… But that proves there is definitely magic in this world.

“Magic, huh…?”

I am clearly missing something. I need to meditate and get all my rampant thoughts in order; Coalesce everything I have learned about this abominable world. I feel like I am on the edge of a breakthrough, but cannot quite reach it. There is something hindering me, like some sort of floodgate locked in place. I think I have traveled a safe distance by now, so let me try it out.

Finally deciding, I plop myself down on the side of the road. Carefully settling into a comfortable seated position, I straighten my back and breath deep, concentrated breaths. I am going to meditate to clear the shadows from my consciousness, and finally, reveal the truth of the matter.

Breathe… Calm my mind… Focus on the emptiness… I am the world, and I am nothing…

“{Kyish shyi shyi shyi…}”

(…!?)

“{Wade, Wade, Wade… Is it any wonder why you could never manifest anything of value, what with you doing everything within your power just to suppress it?}”

Revulsion. I taste a sour flavor on my tongue as that wicked being exudes forth its poison into the surroundings. The grass that it touches becomes withered and grey, and the shadowy smoke that leaks from behind its mask oozes a sense of the vile madness of the [Black Corona].

Composure… I am meditating, and as such, I refuse to let this harken of dissonance spoil my sanctuary. I know of no such things that it speaks of, and I wish nothing more than that. No… No, wait...

“{I see, you have noticed. I expected nothing less. Kyish shyi shyi…}”

‘Tch…’

…

“{Since I’ve brought you here, it appears you’ve regained much of your guile. I’m quite inspired, Wade. But due to this, you’ve only become lost; Awash in the confliction between what you want, and what you must do to obtain it. You cannot fight it, Wade. You chose this path from the start, you see?}”

“I will not be led astray by your rambling, demon! Save your verbosity for someone with the time to listen to it…”

“{Kyish shyi shyi shyi…}”

It burns! My scars are seething from the intensity of the flickering tongues of heat embracing them. I will not falter, Gwyn. I must not dip into that corrupted void. I must stand on my feet, lest I be swept towards calamity once again. My will is adamant in its resolution. I cannot afford to fail. I will not fail!

“I know all of it! I know why you brought me here, demon. I know what kind of harrowing prophecy you foretell and I know the twisted, dark heart that you hide beneath your masks. It is morbid and it is vile, and I shall have nothing of it. Now leave, foul thing!”

Still and silent it stays, as it stares beyond my eyes, into the depths of my consciousness, extrapolating my mind from within. The tension, like thick mercury, until either one of us breaks free from our death gaze. The mask of the pierrot upon its face remains unchanging.

“{As you will, Wade…}”

It concedes as it folds into its signature bow. Like a puppet cut loose from its strings, it hangs there in silence.

“{However…}”

Suddenly, raising only its masked face to look in my direction, ever so slowly, it peels the mask to the side. With this, the terrible secrets that lurk from within are revealed. Terrible, terrible, secrets...

I scowl, as I am once again shown this abomination’s true face; Or lack thereof. As if the mask acts as the stopper on all the madness of the void, the horrifying, endless emptiness of the [Black Corona] is unleashed from underneath.

The air begins to vibrate, and the deafening sound resonates with a force that penetrates even to the molecular level. It is indescribable in its grandiosity, quaking the fabric of space in its wake.

“{{C4n y0U AFf0rD t0 dIsMiSs tHiS BeCk0NinG 0f uNt4pPeD p0w3R Y0u

sQu4UnDoR, eV3n iN tHE fAc3 oF sUcH aDv3rSitY?!1?}}”

‘BWOOOOOOM!!’

The sheer gravitational force of the monstrous energy emitting from the now uncorked distortion brings me to my knees. I am left panting as my blood runs backward, and all semblance of composure is erased from my facade. This pressure is but a fragment of the true, unfathomable vileness, sealed within the depths of the [Black Corona].

That this bastard would crack open the seal of its own volition, I cannot understand. What utter hypocrisy. I am not so sure my body will last through much more of this unabated, explosive display of power. The force of an atomic bomb is literally warping the ground around me.

The surroundings are becoming concave, bending to the devastating mass of the dense, eruption of energy. A crater the size of a city block is carved out of the forest with me as the epicenter, as debris is hurled away from the shockwave of the impact that is crushing me.

I cannot hold up, I knew this even before. Then, why did I come here? Why did I abandon my fortress of pills, and agree to that bastard’s whims in the first place? I am forever becoming hung up on the contradictions I have brought upon myself. What must be done is simple, I just cannot accept it.

No… I will never bend, and I will never fall mercy to the monster that is buried here. I will do what I came here for, and I will use any means to accomplish it. I will repay my debts!

‘Tch’

“GAAAAAAARGGGGH!!!!”

Let the record state that I am still hesitant about using this power… But, it is far too late now…

“Fine! Is this what you wanted!!??”

A countering force begins to push upwards onto the one from before, causing a warping bubble to appear inside. The bubble stretches and pierces through it, blasting high into the atmosphere. The huge, black field of energy, having its center destabilized, begins to expel outwards in a ring, vaporizing everything for tens of kilometers.

As the wave subsides, I am relieved of the pressure atop me, so I stand and brush away the dirt. My current state is quite unsettling, having tapped into that which I so tried to avoid. Apart from the bulging, darkened veins, stretching across my body, a haunting aura is creeping out from me.

My aura blots out the light and has enough concentrated energy to cause the nearby vicinity to vibrate uncontrollably. There is enough friction heat generated that even the water in the air is evaporated, causing steam to rise from my surroundings.

I have only pulled out a minute fraction of the power of the [Black Corona], but I can already feel it seeping into my mind. The sickening darkness is starting to absorb my entire being, as it pours out from the void. I must finish this quickly, and put an end to what has come to pass.

The clown has dissipated, having accomplished what it came for, and in the distance is none other than the golem, which has finally caught up. It survived the catastrophe from before, somehow. However, red cracks spread across its surface, probably from the heat of the explosion.

If the clown wants me to fall prey to this power as a means of dealing with that lumbering sack of stones, I will show him that which I have decided. Sure, I will tap into this power, but I will use it for my own means. Then, when the time comes, I shall send it back to the void. I will be the victor in this war of attrition.

Swiftly, I break into a jog towards it, spreading havoc in my wake. The ground beneath me is becoming hot enough to melt itself, leaving a path of molten rock spanning behind. Any debris from the ground that actually makes it into the air is immediately disintegrated by the vibrations.

The golem is still about two kilometers away, so I sprint. The muscles in my legs, now overflowing with the corrupted energy siphoned from the [Black Corona], move with such vigor that the ground fractures with each step.

I feel my heart sink deeper still, as I run towards this obsidian behemoth faster than any living creature has ever gone before. The sound around me travels so much slower than me, I can no longer hear a thing.

As I approach the golem like a bullet, it begins spinning one of its arms horizontally around its body at a ferocious speed. The other arm waits above its head, ready to smash the ground when I come within range.

It has apparently deemed me worthy of unleashing its full power, unseemly as it is. This much is of little consequence to me since it is unlikely to survive the damage it is about to receive. A simple punch is nothing like what I have in store for it.

Passing right by the gyrating arm of the golem, I move so fast that it has no time to attack with its other arm. Everything begins to move in slow motion, as my concentration hones in on the golem’s body structure; Until finally, we are almost standing still.

The glowing cracks on the surface of the sleek, black golem form a web, radiating from a single indentation; The perfect target to aim for. Like stalled clockwork, my smoldering fist rests right at the center of the web, as I contemplate whether everything is correctly in place…

The event acts as waves, spreading out from the point of impact. First, the force from my momentum is absorbed by the golem, which immediately explodes into pieces, becoming inanimate shrapnel in the process. Next, the shards of rock further dissolve into dust, as the pressure wave continues to push further and further from where it started. At this point, the golem is already a thing of the past, but the calamity has just begun.

A draining sensation pours out from my body, like a river flowing through my veins. Suddenly, my carefully planned attack is sent hurtling out of control. A black mass begins to form in the center of the earlier pressure wave, soaking up all of the force around it, effectively absorbing the blast.

(I have a bad feeling…)

Quickly, I plant my foot in the ground, as I catch the strange mass inside my palm; Grinding to a halt. Hurriedly, I point my right hand towards the sky, exposing the still-forming ball of darkness to the air. All the hair on my body begins to stand on end, as the static surrounding the densely packed energy ball, erupts into the surroundings in coils of discolored, dark lightning.

‘Fztfztfztfztfztfztfztfztfzz!’

“Nnngh!”

More and more energy is being sucked from my body, against my will. Just how much energy can fit into this acorn-sized ball? It is so hard to control that I am no longer able to move. Everything around me is dark, like all the color is being sucked out of the scenery, and the rumbling is deafening.

Finally, I feel the draining start to slow down. The black mass begins moving erratically, rattling my whole right arm, so I steady it with my left one. Things are about to turn sour, so I shut my eyes to protect them.

“Ungh…!?”

‘TZZZzzzzfffuuuu…’

All of a sudden, a great weight is lifted from my body, and the roaring sound from before comes to an end; However, I do not hear any kind of an explosion. All the sound simply fizzles away, off into the distance. I suppose it is safe to assume that whatever that black mass was, has now safely fired into the atmosphere. I have successfully averted the worst case scenario.

The result of all of the energy being drained from my body is utterly devastating. Since the only thing holding me up had been the gravitational pull of that black mass, I quickly crumble to the ground.

I wonder how far that thing actually went…?

Deeming it no longer a danger to open my eyes, I scan the sky above me, looking for any clue as to what has happened. The black mass has simply vanished, but thanks to its aftermath, it is obvious where it has gone.

In the sky, far beyond the cleanly parted clouds, though almost unnoticeable to the naked eye, I can faintly make out a blemish on the smallest of the three moons that I swear had not been there before.