Chapter 3: The Immortal Nihility White Phoenix

Opening his eyes to see the scene of a white-haired man looking at the horizon from the window of a castle, Nostro looked at me confused until he heard me speak.

I was born to an aristocratic family that, by the standards of your time, would be considered ancient. Something long lost to time. In my era, all believed I was destined for greatness from my very birth. I was showered with all the best from teachers to help me develop my mind, and masters to help me hone my body. Just as expected, I grew into a powerful lord.

Unfortunately for me and my family, it seemed I grew too powerful. The Emperor felt threatened by my presence, even though I stayed loyal, but I was not a figure he could simply erase without a good excuse. So to keep me busy and far enough to eventually end my story, he declared war on a Kingdom too weak to win against our empire and appointed me as an officer in the army.

Too naive and loyal to see my own fall coming, I did not notice the Emperor's brewing plans and was ambushed, and encircled with my troops. I fought with all my might, but were it not for my best soldiers' sacrifice to make an opening for me to escape, it would have ended right there.

Upon my return, I was scrutinized and charged for the incompetence of failing a mission that was rigged against me from the start, and were I to resist, treason would be my last crime.

The emperor had the other nobles in his thumb, so I had little choice but to accept my fate. A sham of a trial and a far long-decided condemnation. Stripped of my title and land, I was thrown out of the court as a common nix. Those who knew me still respected me, but the populace was fed with hate for me.

So, I had no choice but to leave. Going as far as I could and started my new life as a common nix, living a simple life only hearing news of the war and the larger world occasionally, as I slowly lived my forced upon life, no longer having any purpose.

That was what I thought until I met a creature a nix like myself could only see as inferior. A mere slime, well it was a pink slime, one of the rarest sub-species of its kind. Even then, it was still a slime.

However, I came to learn that loneliness is such a perplexing state, and I could only live with it, but I was happy to have the pink slime with me, and it came to be so much more than I ever imagined. She evolved and became my beloved, and taught me to live again.

If only my story could have ended on a happy note.

The Emperor was not quite done with me yet, forcing me to go back despite my new life that had nothing to do with him or the empire at large.

Once I was there, a mission to stop a cult of hateful mages fueled by the Emperor's actions, got forced on me. Getting my new life threatened, I took what I believed would be my last, since I planned to escape as far from the Empire as possible. Unfortunately, as I faced the cult of mages, I found them performing a ritual, and my mistake was to interrupt something, I didn't understand. 

While I stopped whatever those lunatics were doing that day, I lost my connection to death and only I was affected. It was what I thought at first, but no, their ritual still had an effect beyond cursing me to live. No more children could be born. It was that which started the beginning of the collapse of society as there was no cure.

Just like before, I was blamed for this, but this time, I felt my rushed actions to go home to my beloved led to this. Even if that was not the case, as undying as I was now, they could still capture and torture me as I still felt pain and my body was still nix. 

However the emperor made one crucial mistake, and he chose to punish my beloved, and she was executed as a witch, scorned in her last minutes due to my mistake. I failed to protect my purpose again, just like I failed my family before. 

It was then that I awakened the white flames that left nothing behind except for me. I found out I was the Hero of my time, but that meant nothing to me, I had already lost everything one too many times. All that remained was wrath.

My rampage was not justice or even revenge, it was more akin to a massacre, a genocide, that was the fall of the Nix Empire, but it did not end there, in my rage, the blood of the innocent of my own people was not enough, so I kept on going, killing anything in my way, part of me hoping, I would learn to feel again or just die trying.

Funnily enough, eventually, I killed the Demon Emperor of the time, a monster considered invincible, but when you have all the time, nothing stays invincible forever. Accidentally, I had saved the world, but that gave me no satisfaction. So my killing continued. 

I did not stop until I had ended all life, and by then, I had long since been known as the Immortal Nihility White Phoenix, The Herald Of The End, and the one who saved the world before ending it myself.

In the end, even the Goddess was forced to act, as I had destroyed all the life in her creation. For my crimes, as the first mortal to be directly judged by the Goddess before death. As one who could not pass, I was instead made into this... a mere myth, fated to pass on my curse to one who could ever resonate with me. This burden will be yours to choose what to do with it. 

I hope you are better than I ever was...

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{Nostro, dear hero, I see you have reached the first of the cursed ones known as Myths. It was much faster than expected but this only speaks to your ability. However, you must know that such a power comes with a curse attached to it. While many would see the loss of death as the curse itself, you seem to have a different belief. Even then, will you take this tainted legacy as yours?} The voice of the one who reigns supreme in this world, could be heard as Nostro found himself in an empty space.

"I accept it. Am ready." Already knowing the consequences he nodded.

{Farewell my hero, I hope you fair better than that who owned this before you.} The voice said before the space disappeared.

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Nostro found himself still in the slime area with an agitated-looking Feila watching over him under a moonlit starry night. The slab with the sigil of nothingness was no longer there.

[Master, the system has detected that foreign powers have come into contact with you. Unfortunately, the current system has no defenses for this.]

[The foreign power was decyphered to be constituted of three things, The first being a unique skill known as Deathless Body, the title Immortal Nihility White Phoenix, and a Curse Known as The Forever Love Syndrome.]

[Deathless Body: A body that does not have Death. Not any stronger than a normal body, it will always regenerate.

Current rank: I-

Regeneration grade: 1/16

Grade 1: This level of regeneration would be capable of healing minor amputations to the body, such as lost fingers, toes, and ears and potentially reattaching lost limbs. For regeneration of more serious amputations to the body, healing may not be perfect. In case of more severe injuries, temporary inactivity will be the result.]

[The Immortal Nihility White Phoenix: A title given to the immortal who rules over the White flames of nihility, flames fueled to burn solely by pure wrath and said to erase whatever they touch, burning until it's gone. Its power is defined by It's user.]

[The Forever Love Syndrome: A Curse that binds all love to its target, and was the target to reject love, the bearer of such feelings would come to pass, cementing your love forever either way.] 

"There it is... the curse is a pity, but a small price to pay to survive and have this power." Nostro smiled looking at the purple floating screen.

 Extending his hand he made a white flame-like substance appear on his palm. It however could hardly be called flame in that state, as it acted more like a crystal.

"The flames that don't burn without pure wrath... I'm not the right person to carry such a power, but it's mine now, so let us make the most out of it. After all, it's still dangerous even like this." Nostro spoke as he looked at the crystal that was supposed to be flame.

"The more I learn about you, the weirder you get. Why would you do this? Curse yourself like that?" Feila narrowed her eyes as she asked.

"A curse for some, a plague to many, even then, I like it plenty." He smiled as he replied.

"Why am I trying to understand the mind of a crazy ero hero? You just better NOT disappoint the Goddess." She crossed her arms as she sighed.

"That's easy. Better go back home, I'll start my grind next week after I get released from the punishment I'm about to face." Nostro got up and stretched his body.

"Oh yeah... Your a... Why not run away?" Feila asked with a frown.

"It's ok, I'm fine with being a slave for now, I'll get out of it in time. Plus after this, I'm not dying, so I can handle it. As for running away, I can't, the subordination magic on the collar on my neck, and the subordination mark on my body, control body and soul respectively, and stop me from running away. I can only go so far before it takes effect and It will be worse in the long run if I do that." Nostro explained as he walked toward the mansion.

"That kind of magic can only be dispelled by clerics of the highest order or released by the master themselves, If you can't leave how will you find such a cleric?" Feila questioned.

"I won't, Baroness Yvine is the master of the collar, and Baroness Stella the master of the mark. It won't be too hard." Nostro smiled sinisterly.

"You think two nobles will fall for a slave? a sex slave of all things?" Feila looked at him with an eyebrow raised, and sheer confusion.

"What can I say? I'm pretty cute." He made himself look 'adorable'.

"Errgh..." There was only disgust in her eyes.

After journeying back to the mansion the young hero found himself at the door of the mansion with the guards holding spears looking at him with scorn.

"Are you not right in the head?! Did you really think you could escape?!" One of the two guards looked down on him.

"I hope the Barenesses put you in your place once and for all, you male whore. Get inside before I punish you myself!" The second guard spit on Nostro's face.

"Oh, I see... We're doing this... " Nostro pointed his hands at each of the guards.

"Did you not hear me trash?! Frikin lucky bastard, taste this!" The first guard pierced him in the stomach with his spear.

"That will show ya your place! Scum like you should never be close to the baronesses, and yet! Trash dares to live better than me." The second guard smiled and also stabbed him with the spear but this time in the chest.

[Warning, fatal level of damage has been taken. The hibernation mode will be initiated in 10 seconds]

"Enjoy hell," Nostro said as he let out a white flame crystal from each hand and they pierced the head of both guards, blood, bits and pieces splattered everywhere.

[You have killed a level 5 human guard, you have gained 9 exp]

[You have killed a level 5 human guard, you have gained 10 exp]

"You fool, you should have just gone inside..." Feila's voice faded.

[Initiating hibernation mode]

That was the last thing before it all went dark for him.

"This ero hero will be a lot to deal with..." Feila sighed as she looked over his ever so slowly healing body.