9 No Pain No Gain (Edited)
Agony.
Unfathomable agony ripped through me.
It was as if every bone in my body was being pulverized and then reconstituted.
My screams of pain shattered the silence.
Even the few crows scavenging nearby took off in terrified flight at the inhuman sound of my suffering.
The pain was driving me to the brink of insanity.
Consciousness slipped through my grasp repeatedly, time becoming an indistinct blur.
Within the confines of the cursed temple, my cries of anguish reverberated endlessly. The name was fitting, indeed.
Amidst this torment, Jarvis's voice reached my ears, yet the meaning of his words evaded my overwhelmed mind.
It hurts.
The pain was excruciating.
I coughed up blood, my body rolling in the mud mingled with my own life essence.
Bloody tears streamed down my cheeks.
Why?
Why was this happening?
Why?!
WHY?!
The question echoed in my mind like a broken record. Why had I subjected myself to this? I had sought strength, but this... this was beyond anything I could have anticipated.
If I had known the torment I would undergo, I would have endured the challenges of this world with my feeble body.
I had witnessed Edward's suffering during his death pact in the game, but what he had endured was a mere glimpse of the inferno consuming me.
Anger surged within me.
I was angry at a fictional character, angry that the depiction of pain I had seen was nothing compared to my reality.
"ARGHHHHHH!"
No...
I can't...
Someone...
Please...
Help me...
...
I had ceased asking for assistance, as I understood that no one would come.
Edward's aunt might be the only possibility, but she remained ignorant of my plight.
I was alone, with only Jarvis by my side, his voice a comfort I could barely register in my torment.
My body convulsed again, a vessel leaking life's essence, a slow descent towards death.
A feeble smile graced my tortured face.
Was this how I would meet my end, ignominiously dying on the very first day of my reincarnation?
Had I been the protagonist, the famed plot armor would have safeguarded me. Yet, now, I felt the icy grip of death tightening.
[Edward!]
Ah...
Jarvis...
Still, he urged me to endure.
At least I wasn't dying alone...
...and then her face flashed in my thoughts.
Ephera.
Her long, obsidian hair cascading like a waterfall. It used to be my task to tie it up like a princess's every day.
I was, in essence, a simp.
But her beauty was truly breathtaking...
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Perhaps I would soon be with you, Ephera.
[Edward! The screen!]
Ah, Jarvis.
Amidst my pain, he continued to call out to me.
But there was another voice, too...
Ephera.
Her voice, imaginary yet soothing, mingled with Jarvis's urgent cries.
Still, a ray of hope pierced my suffering.
The screen...
I gazed through my tear-blurred eyes.
[Congratulations! New Title Obtained!]
[Lucky Fatty!]
Whoever came up with this, I'll...!
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
I slammed my head into the ground, using pain as a weapon to pull myself back to reality, and focused on the screen once more.
[Do you wish to claim your rewards?]
With all the energy I could muster, I lifted a trembling finger. The click to select YES took all my remaining strength.
Just give me a healing potion...
Please...
[You can choose a weapon!]
Go to hell.
[What weapon do you desire?]
Go to hell, you...
[Since you're not responding, a weapon will be randomly selected for you!]
As if I'm in any condition to answer!
I wanted to throttle the person behind these messages, but I lacked the strength.
....
....
My consciousness blinked back to life, accompanied by a jolt.
What had just happened?
Darkness surrounded me.
My senses gradually awakened, revealing my surroundings.
Water.
I was parched, starving, and my body was aching in ways I couldn't fathom.
Attempting to stand, I tumbled to the ground. My legs quivered beneath me.
A glint of water caught my eye.
A pond.
It beckoned, offering relief to my thirst and exhaustion.
But survival was my priority.
With a fierce determination, I began to crawl.
The temple's entrance lay far behind me. For twenty grueling minutes, I dragged my weakened body, driven by the promise of water.
Finally, I reached the pond's edge.
The water glistened in the dim light, offering salvation.
My trembling hands plunged into the cool depths, and I brought the water to my lips.
I drank hungrily, feeling vitality return to my body with each swallow.
Then, I bathed in the pond's embrace, cleansing away the grime and blood that had clung to me.
Emerging from the water, I felt... alive.
A sigh of relief escaped my lips.
"Why aren't you speaking?" I murmured.
[You needed some time alone,] Jarvis replied.
Indeed, solitude was what I had required.
In my agony, the world had faded to insignificance, my pain the only reality.
"How long was I in that state?" I inquired.
[Two weeks,] Jarvis responded.
Two weeks...
For a fortnight, I had existed in a realm of agony, a prisoner to my own decisions.
Then, I sensed something new within me, a presence distinct from Jarvis.
"Why aren't you speaking?" I inquired again, a mix of curiosity and frustration.
[I'm-]
"Not you, Jarvis."
[<Oh, you noticed me?>] the new presence responded, her voice a melodious echo in my mind.
[<Since when?>]
I was only just beginning to comprehend her existence.
"Now," I stated, more to myself than to her.
I smiled, confident that I possessed the sensitivity to detect her presence, an aura different from Jarvis's.
[<You have sharp senses,>] she commented, her tone amused. [<Why are you fat though?>]
My smile vanished.
"How did I survive without food and water for two weeks?" I pondered aloud.
[<It's likely that the new presence within you sustained your body,>] she explained.
But my thoughts shifted, and I questioned her presence in my mind, "Are you a Goddess?"
[<Indeed, >] she confirmed with pride.
I couldn't help but point out, "You were trapped in that temple."
[<You are being rather disrespectful for someone addressing a God. Apologize,>] she retorted.
Defiance rose within me, driven by frustration and fatigue, "Apologize? Like hell I will apologize to someone insulting my physique."
[<My words were not meant as an insult! I thought perhaps you athletic->]
"I see. Then you're a clumsy bitch," I interrupted, my anger fueling my retort.
[<Enough! I'll kill you->]
"Jarvis, mute her," I ordered.
[I can't mute a Goddess,] Jarvis responded.
Exasperated, I asked, "What can you mute, then?"
[<H-Her- >]
[Nothing,] Jarvis replied.
I sighed, slumping into the pond's water, my frustration mingling with exhaustion.
Cleenah's voice echoed in my mind again, [<Let me introduce myself, I'm Cleenah.>]
I questioned her, "But you were stuck in that temple."
She confirmed my suspicion, [<Indeed. >]
"Why did you choose me then?" I inquired.
[<You are quite sensitive about your appearance, aren't you? I just needed a suitable host,>] she responded with amusement.
My anger flared, "You've got a problem with me being fat? If I wasn't, I might have died, and you wouldn't have found a receptacle."
She attempted to explain herself, [<I apologize if I caused offense. was referring to your potential for endurance and strength->]
"Ah, I see. So, you're a clumsy bitch," I retorted.
She stuttered, [<I... that's not->]
Interrupting her, I said, "Enough. Jarvis, mute her."
[<I'm tr->]
I cut her off again, "Jarvis, mute her."
[Okay.]
A semblance of quiet settled in my mind.
I sighed, splashing my face with water, seeking solace.
A new voice intruded on my thoughts, one that emanated from Cleenah.
[<Listen m->]
"Cleenah," I interjected.
[<Yes? Finally,>]
A faint smile graced my lips as I imagined a sulking Goddess.
"Why did you keep me alive for two weeks?" I asked her directly.
[<Of course! Though it's not like I did it for you or anything. needed a strong host to escape that temple,>] she responded in a somewhat defensive tone.
I acknowledged her words with a simple "Thanks."
Even though my agony was unbearable, the truth remained that I was alive, and for that, I was grateful.
Silence settled between us, until she finally spoke again.
[<You're welcome, Amael.>]
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The next chapter will be the last one before the TIMESKIP of one month.
The start of the game story is nearing…
