I was coughing blood. It was strange. It was very strange. The Void was still backing me, but I wasn't regenerating.
"Kuh..!"
The ground was getting more and more cracks as the pressure kept getting stronger. I was barely able to look up, but I got a look at the person standing in front of me.
He was wearing a traditional murim dress. A beautiful one. His behavior was like a deity. He wasn't saying a single word, yet all this pressure was being exerted onto me. Even the stones had made cracks on the solid ground.
"Ngh—!"
All of this pressure was being exerted by the presence of a single man who stood unfazed.
He took a step forward in the air, and in an instant, he was standing in front of me.
All the pressure that was being exerted on me suddenly vanished, and I took a breath of relief.
He got on his knees and touched my chin.
[ You've no potential. You are the weakest product. ]
Product..? What is he talking about?
Was there something like a product in the Endless Dream? I don't think so.
[ Don't think I wanted to save you. ]
He got up and started walking back.
Am I safe? He won't hurt me, right?
There's no way this guy is a deity because they didn't get introduced in the story till Chapter 678. I didn't do anything that would leave a deep mark on the story.
I only killed Han Seeyoung and formed a Void's Contract. This much isn't enough to change everything.
Every time, my brain got stuck on one question.
Just who is this guy?
He stopped at a distance.
[ Ah— ]
He started to look back while speaking.
[ Who said you are going to live? ]
His eyes locked in on my eyes. It sent chills through my spine. At that moment, I only knew one thing. Run as fast as you can.
***
A group of three people were walking across the forest. The girl who always hides her face was also with them. But she wasn't covering her face.
"Anna, what'd you think? Where should we go for our next raid?"
"..."
"Anna?"
She was gone. Again, the footprints were gone, and it felt like she never existed.
The remaining two people panicked and started to look for her.
"Anna?!"
"Where are you?!"
"Marcus! You were walking with her, weren't you?!"
"I was! But for some moment my mind went completely blank!"
"Huh?! Stop giving me excuses and start finding her!"
Whoever this person was, it seemed like she was an important person for these guys.
"We'll die if she leaves us.."
***
He blinked, and an invisible ray passed above me. I didn't know what it was, nor did I get the time to react to it, but I was lucky because...
I looked behind, and there was a giant hole in the wall. The walls had started to tremble. A ray that can cause this much damage with just a blink of an eye.
It wasn't something a person from Murim or a normal human or deity could do. It was something that could be done by—
Someone stronger or at the same level as The Void.
[ Oops, I missed. ]
He smirked.
[ One more chance. ]
My face was completely terrified by the scene, and my legs, which were trembling the whole time, ran. Ran to live.
"Is this a game?!"
[ It is. ]
The moment I ran and got some distance, another ray burst and it completely destroyed the wall on one side. The debris was falling. I ran for my whole life without looking at the debris.
I was scared. I was scared of this monster.
I wanted to scream so loudly.
Someone. Someone. Someone..! Please save me!! Please save me.!!
My inner voice couldn't reach anyone.
Not even The Void.
Did he abandon me?
[ Stop running away. ]
"Hahh..hahhh."
He blinked again, and another ray burst. Exactly at the bullseye. My leg twisted, and I started to fall.
"Hah..?"
I looked at him. Everything around me seemed to have slowed down. I was able to see an immersive force of wind coming toward me.
At that moment, I had only one thought.
Did I fail?
This time I didn't have an answer because I knew that I truly had failed.
...
My jaw was shaking nonstop, tears bursting from my eyes as I watched my right leg in several pieces. Blood was spraying from my joint nonstop. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to curse this bastard, I wanted to leave this Endless Dream.
Words weren't coming out of my mouth. I was just crying. Crying about my chaotic life.
I won't hold back anymore.
"ARGHHHHHHH!!! FUCK!! FUCK!! WHY?! WHY?! WHY DO YOU GUYS KEEP PLAYING WITH ME?! I'M NOT A TOY!! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS!!"
I felt a hand on my right cheek. A gentle touch. I felt like my mom was touching me, trying to stop me from crying... until I opened my eyes.
[ Pathetic. I just wanted to play with a Dreamer. ]
I was looking at him like a small child looking at its mom.
[ I was finding a weak Dreamer who doesn't have potential. ]
[ That's how I found you. ]
The gentle hand I was feeling on my right cheek started to grab my cheek lightly.
"Wh-"
"ARGHHHHHHH!!! NOOOO!! NOOO!! IT CAN'T BE!! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!! ARGHH!! NO NO NO IT HURTS IT HURTS!"
He pulled out the whole skin on the right side of my face. I was screaming, crying as the pain of my own skin getting torn from my body crept more into me. My whole right eyeball was now visible. My muscles were visible. Blood was leaking out of my muscles. I was looking like an undead zombie.
[ You've got such soft skin. ]
I looked at him in tears while the rage kept engraving inside me.
He opened his mouth and ate my whole skin... in front of me.
[ Hmm... ]
He licked his fingers as he looked at me.
[ As expected, this skin is the best. ]
My eyes were red from constant tears. Rage engraved into me more, and the tears stopped.
"Hey.."
[ Hm? ]
I looked into his eyes.
[ Fire element can't be used ]
[ ??? Skill is applied here ]
He must have applied that skill.
My mouth started shaking as I was watching the system's screen with shock.
I stopped doing anything and started looking at the ground.
I don't want to live anymore. Never. Never. The system never supports me. It always does something in order to kill me. I always encounter the strongest beings and end up at the brink of death.
But this time, I won't come back again. I'll die for real.
He started grabbing my hair...
[ Hey, what were you saying? ]
He grabbed my hair and lifted me up. My eyes were looking completely dead. My will to live had died at this moment.
He put his hand into my right eye socket and pulled out my right eyeball completely. The nerves were sticking out of my eye socket. Blood was leaking out of it.
He ate my right eyeball and licked the blood on his hands.
My whole body was trembling with the pain, but I no longer had the will to scream anymore.
[ Sigh. No fun. Well then, I'll have to kick you until you stop breathing. ]
He threw me down hard. The dust rose, and he started kicking my head constantly.
While my left eye was rolling back.
Just kill me now. I just don't want to live anymore. If only. If only I was a bit stronger, then maybe I would have lived.
He looked at me with a disappointed expression and sighed.
[ I should end this. I thought you would last longer. ]
He pointed his hands in front of me and started gathering the debris. He made a sphere with the debris and pointed it at my head.
[ In the end, you were just like others. ]
[ Weak ]
[ You gave up too easily. ]
If only I had one more soul. Then I would have definitely lived.
...
I heard a metallic clashing sound and looked slowly at the scene.
Someone. Someone. Someone was standing in front of me, trying to protect me.
I raised my hand towards her, but I gave up because I didn't have enough energy for it.
She looked at me and started yapping. Maybe, maybe she was complaining about how weak I am.
Ah, she has green hair.
"DON'T GIVE UP THIS EASILY!!"
My eyes closed.
I finally met you.
Anna