Chapter 71: The Swamp (1/2)
”How did you know?” Rakna snarled whilst suppressing his anger. His face was still as stone but the venom that could be heard in his voice was very unusual for him to display.
”Calm down, young wolf,” Flegra raised her voice slightly and an invisible force pushed him down until he was forced to hunch his body. ”I don't want my house burned down because you cannot control your emotions.”
Rakna was surprised by the sudden display of power but quickly recovered. He breathed in and turned humanoid again before donning on new clothes. ”You dare speak of control when you tried to pry into my mind?”
”I didn't pry. That… pool of blood,” she said and ignored the frown on his face. ”Was the most buried thought in your mind. I merely stirred it.”
”Didn't you realize that something confined within another's mind is meant to stay locked?” Rakna retorted scornfully.
Flegra shook her head. ”It is the purpose of this Trial. I was meant to take what you hide the most and make you face it. That nightmare of drowning in blood… although I do not know how it might have developed in you, was meant to be the Trial. However, I never expected it to surface like this. Your entire being went haywire and you almost burned down my house.”
”Why do you keep saying that? I don't have any energy capable of doing that.”
The old woman looked at him in confusion. ”Don't you see the burning marks under your feet or the steam around your friend? He had been standing on your shoulder when the heat seized him.”
Rakna closed his mouth and glanced at Pronos who had gotten closer. The little snake nodded at his inquisitive stare and he immediately brought up his status but nothing had changed. However, a few skills had leveled up without him knowing.
'Alexa, can you bring up any System windows that I have missed?' He asked mentally but even after a few seconds, she didn't answer. 'Alexa?'
[…yes, Rakna. Here they are,] she responded with a weird tone but Rakna couldn't ask questions about it as his focus was caught by the System prompts.
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Flegra has asked you the third question, the Mental Trial has begun.
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Your subconscious has been scanned; no weakness has been found.
A trial of a higher grade will be launched.
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Your intuitive mind has been scanned; a weakness has been found.
The Trial will proceed. Mental Simulation; Pool of Blood.
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Error. The System has lost control over the Simulation. The Host's trauma is fueling its survival.
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Attempt to wake the Host; Failed.
Attempt to cut off the Simulation; Failed.
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Error.
Error.
…
Error.
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An anomaly has been detected. Obsidian Blood has been activated. Ireful Shell has been stirred. Soul Core has been roused. Fabled Sight has been enhanced. Eyes of the Soul has responded.
The Simulation has been terminated. Obsidian Blood has been negated. The unknown anomaly has been terminated.
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Ireful Shell has leveled up!
Soul Core has leveled up!
Eyes of the Soul has leveled up!
Fabled Sight has leveled up! x2
Pain Resistance has entered Exceled state.
Fear Resistance has entered Exceled state.
Fatigue Resistance has entered Exceled state.
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'What just happened?' Rakna had never been more puzzled in his life. He had lived every moment of what had just happened to him but everything was a blur at best, so he truly was lost. His three resistance skills had even entered Exceled state.
”As you probably have just read, the System judged you to be too strong for the normal level and asked me to increase the intensity,” Flegra admitted with an apologetic tone. ”I just never expected that bottled-up thought to be so chaotic. It is normally meant for Hosts to question themselves and face their demons before truly starting to climb Plateaus.”
Rakna scoffed and lit a cigarette, uncaring of what she would think about it. ”How stupid. There is no demon inside me that I'm scared of. You got it all wrong. I'm only scared of one thing; to break the promise I made to my uncle that I would never lose myself. As for this thing I have in my head, if I could face it, I would have already done so.”
”I see…” Flegra lowered her head a bit. ”There have been people like you with strong traumas that came to me in the past. But, the explosiveness of yours is very irregular, to say the least.”
”Are you done analyzing my psyche?” Rakna retorted, his temper was still a bit stuck on the side effect of Obsidian Blood's influence. ”Believe me, I've done that myself for years, I don't need you to bore me with more of this crap. Did I pass this Trial, yes or no?”
She smiled wryly. ”Yes, you did. Congratulations.”
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You have completed the Mental Trial!
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First Plateau: All Trials Completed!
You have gained the right to leave the First Plateau.
Do you wish to exercise it now? You have 26 247 hours to make your decision.
Yes/No
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