138 Temptations
Author's note: I know we didn't reach the goal, but I will post the bonus chapters on the 24th and 25th so you don't end up with nothing, my family for some reason celebrates Christmas on the 24th so Merry early Christmas to everyone
He didn't even feel any problem spending so much time just reflecting on his path. His coma had bizarrely changed his mindset.
"How long has it been? Have I been disqualified?" Again his questions were direct and dry. For a second the officer didn't know what to say. He didn't expect the boy to have his sanity intact.
"You have not been disqualified. It has been 3 hours. You are one of the last participants at the moment."
"I understand. Please put me back." Doctors were unable to deny the boy's request as they found nothing wrong with him.
The boy walked a few more steps before falling into the illusion of the great war. Once again he found himself in Thomas' body, with his two-meter height and strength beyond ridiculous.
His first action was to start attacking everyone. His focus this time was to train the use of his path along with his technique. Even though he couldn't control mana, he could still control his own body.
This was the final step his technique needed to be complete. Slowly he began to make a river of blood on the battlefield. No one was able to rival his strength and only a few people were able to exchange a few blows with him when the boy used his full strength.
Not even Thomas' brother could stop him this time. The difference in experience between the two was no longer that great at this point, mainly because of the insane amount of life-and-death struggles the boy had faced.
His fight was the push Kayden needed to complete his technique. Now the black tone accompanying his blade was present the entire time. His every blow was made using only the minimum amount of force necessary.
This was only possible because he discovered his path, which allowed him to have absolute control over his body. The time he spent trying to lift millimeter by millimeter of his body against the will of the world taught him many things, and this was one of them.
"I'll call it reminiscence." Kayden thought the name matched the essence of his technique, as the word reminiscence meant something left over. He used the strength of his previous movements to deliver the next blow.
No energy used was simply dissipated. From the first to the last blow of a confrontation, the same energy was used. Whenever a sword strike is made on a shield, the momentum of the attack is lost. But in Kayden's case, the impulse was repurposed.
The only questions that remained in Kayden's head were where this coloring came from. It wasn't something he produced naturally. His only response was the small increase in his mana flow. It was something minimal, but with his absolute control, he could feel the mana in his own body emptying.
This shouldn't happen as he was in a world where mana didn't exist.
Author's Note: I hope this is clear. Otherwise, tag me in the paragraph and I'll try to rewrite it.
After a long time inside this illusion, Kayden thought he was ready to come out. There was nothing more he could learn in here. His technique and his path came to a halt.
As soon as he left, Kayden noticed that he had an increase in his killing intent. This time, it wasn't as big as before, but it still improved his overall performance. This would be helpful for your plans.
Without wasting time, the boy moved on to the next challenge. Again, he found himself in an illusion where he had to fight familiar people and, in another, defend a castle close to failure. This time, he managed to hold out longer, but the castle was still invaded.
His next steps took him to the floor he had previously failed. The boy didn't even hesitate as he stepped onto step number 80. Once again, he found himself in a beautiful family with loving parents and a younger sister.
"I could be happy here," Kayden thought to himself. "At least if I were someone normal." That was his last sentence, along with an apology, before killing his entire family.
This probably wasn't the best way out of this illusion, but Kayden needed to bury these memories in the back of his mind. Even though it had been a few years, he still felt a certain attachment to this illusion.
"Sorry," Kayden put that illusion aside as he stepped onto the next step. The boy found himself at the top of a building. By his side was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life.
Apart from it, there were others of similar beauty spread around a pool. The boy managed to identify that he was on the top floor of a luxury building and his interaction for the next few minutes showed that he was in the body of one of the richest people he had ever seen.
His pockets were full of money, and as he walked onto the rooftop, he saw one of the most luxurious places he had ever been to. Even the floor was gold-leafed. These illusions could not be broken by Kayden's willpower alone.
Because most of them had a clear objective and, if he didn't discover this, there was a great chance that he would fail even if the strength of the illusion came out.
In the next few days, Kayden lived the life of a really rich person. But not just rich, but rich to the extreme. The boy drove cars that could buy a city. He went to stores and... he simply bought the entire store on his debit card.
Everything was possible to do. Money bought opinions and friends.
"This is addictive," Kayden had to admit this was one of the best experiences in his life. But he didn't feel like continuing this illusion at all. In the end, this was an empty life doomed to nothing.
"Break yourself," with an order to himself, the boy was snapped out of the illusion and promptly stepped onto the next step. This time, the illusion was similar, but in reality, he was a king of the world.
Everything could be done at your will and desire. Nothing was denied to him. Even absurd requests were fulfilled to the letter by his subjects. This was the true meaning of power.
And yet it didn't bring Kayden any genuine happiness. They were empty achievements and, over time, his reign would be nothing more than history in old, dusty books.
