Chapter 136 (1/2)

Tenth Floor, in Front of the Bonfire

Burble!

Blood poured out so much it made me doubt if it was okay for that amount to come out of such a small wound. It was gushing out like water would from a broken faucet.

‘Damn, from the god of magic to the god of life… Why do the gods make such a fuss whenever they see me anyway?!’

The current situation was even nastier because not only did I not have control to stop the situation, but I didn’t even have an infinite reserve of blood in my body.

‘As expected, Auto-Heal’s not working!’

The snake bracelet wrapped around my wrist failed to activate the magic. Perhaps it would be useless even if I drank a potion.

‘Is it going to bleed me to death if I don’t listen?’

I had my past and present life. However, I never would’ve imagined my end would be because too much blood was coming out of my fingers. I was sweating like a log. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t.

‘Anyways, those things called gods are of no help to me!’

I thought I would wake up and have seizures if someone mentioned the gods in my sleep. While I was trying to think with a sense of urgency in my head… The bloodstream was no longer a thin solid line. Instead, it had turned thick and rough as it made another sentence.

-Thee, this is my last offer.

And then-

Boosh!

Instinctively, I felt it.

“…!”

Something was approaching me.

– It may not be possible because of the presence of traces left by ‘magic’ in the body… but the traces of ‘time’ left in the soul are relatively blurry. All right, I’ll leave it there, too.

‘Leave it? What? Don’t!’

But what it wanted to do started before I could say anything. Something like an invisible storm collided with me.

Splash!

I had a hunch. There was no way for me to detect divine power except for the pain in my finger, but somehow I could tell. ‘Rom,’ the god of life, had given me something right at that moment. I barely composed myself to pay respect by swallowing the profanities. At that moment, I realized that the idol wasn’t like a sacred beast. Rather, the god itself was delivering its will on its own.

“Great being. God of life. I dare ask you a question. Just now, what have you done upon me…? -It’s my proposal. “What?”

I wanted to start a fundamental discussion about the meaning of the word ‘proposal’ in the Archid language. After imbuing something to my soul without asking for permission, it had the guts to say that it was nothing but a proposal?

-Yes. That’s my proposal. Take a look.

I focused my attention on a trace that made me feel itchy. As I did so-

Paht!

[Orb of Immortality (Rank: ???)] -Item Description: It is a spiritual artifact that deviates from the constraints of the material world. If it’s coupled with the user’s soul, forced separation can cause severe damage to the astral body. – The more the user reaps another life with its own hands, the more energy one charges inside the Orb. After charging it 100%, the user will be able to activate the item at any time. – From the moment the item is activated, the user is freed from the circle of death. – Beware that if the user dies while the item is not activated, this Orb will disappear naturally. -Current Spiritual Power Charged: 0%

“…”

It was also an item that I had never heard of before. It felt like it was a type of sacred item. The explanation was also unusual.

‘Immortality, is it?’

Aging was indeed delayed as one gained more active Mana, but through the cases of other worlds, it became evident that the limit was only several times the original life span. But looking at the description of the item, it boldly stated… That one could be free from the circle of death.

‘Does those words mean that there would be no more aging? Or will it grant the user the unprecedented ability to regenerate even when their head explodes, and their heart shatters?’

Whatever it was, the more important fact was that…

‘It just combined that item with my soul!’

I couldn’t figure out what kind of immortality I would get if I ‘activated’ the item, but one thing was clear. The moment I activated it, the god would enslave me. It was the same case as using all three of the sacred scars that Igras-Sho, the magical god, gave me. The god of life, Rom, was seducing me in a different way than the spider god.

“By any chance, this item’s rank is…”

There was only one reason why the rank was marked ‘???’. The drop of blood answered me as if my guess was true.

– Don’t worry. The system won’t notice. “Is this perhaps an EX-Class?”

Then it was a big problem. What if the item, which was prohibited in the tutorial world, were integrated with my soul? I remembered a nightmarish supposition that I wouldn’t be able to go back to Earth. However, the blood droplets made bold letters as if to emphasize it.

– Words of the control cognition who talk like a parrot about this item cannot be communicated to the person who manages and regulates it. “… But ‘they’ can see my soul.”

Although the ministry spirit that I met when I Awakened couldn’t see my unique skill, it knew that the insignia of Awakening was engraved in my soul.

– There’s nothing to worry about. Many parts that compose the system… are also the result of borrowing our powers for an extended period of time. This degree of intervention is easy to be bypassed. “?!”

I tried to ask more about it, but the blood drops did not allow it.

-This is my last suggestion. I have planted the Orb in your soul. The more you kill the living in the future, the more spiritual power you shall gain.

The sentence was followed by drawing a word meaning ‘and.’

– Filling it up to its maximum will not rigger it immediately. You can choose when to activate it at any time you want. The Orb will forever suspend the coming of your death from the moment you had made a decision.

And the suspension period would be exactly the same as the period of slavery.

– My suggestion is for me to return with this Orb embedded in your soul.

As if to give me time to think, it went silent for a while.

– By any chance, if you don’t want to, I can ‘rip’ the Orb off of your soul again. What is your choice?

I had no choice but to pour out curses and swear inwardly. That treacherous bastard!

“…!”

In the end, I had no choice but to choose to accept the proposal that was not, in any way, a proposal.

*

“And, you accepted it?!”

Hibiki asked with a pale face. We decided, in the end, to rest on the 10th floor and to move on as initially planned. We lit an artifact that acted as a bonfire and finished our meals while sitting by it.

“Yes, I couldn’t help it.”

I nodded in front of the frightened party members. Everyone’s vivid expressions were seen beyond the shade created by the bonfire. In the hidden room on the 10th floor, before coming back there, I conveyed my will to accept the Orb. Blood droplets made large letters as if they were very satisfied.

– You have made the right choice.