The Villain's Story

Chapter 899: Successor to Death.

The golden 'hue' vanished into Alan's soul, and the boy collapsed. His head seemed to expand to the absolute limit before retracting. This happened several times. James heaved a sigh of relief as Alan fell.

He sat on his back, watching his 'soul' teeter on the edge of shattering and coming back.

"... Should have toned that down a bit."

He mused, as a countless amount of information had bombarded Alan's soul, although only for a fraction of a second, it was enough. James had just shared his experience within the Weave with Alan, although a small part of it.

A young soul like Alan's was unable to handle it; he had controlled the experience just enough that Alan's soul would come back, with some damage dealt to it. It wouldn't be enough to trigger his absurd, unique skill. James continued to watch his soul endure the pain.

After a certain amount of time had passed, he raised his hand, but it was no longer there. His hand was 'melting' into 'nothingness'. James was certain he would last only a few more minutes; he was reaching his breaking point, both in the mind and the soul. It was the price for combating the Weave.

"What a frightening construct..."

He remarked, watching his soul slowly break down. By now, The Weave was probably writing a conclusion to his existence. He had the urge to use [Fatipu] to read his own end, but stopped himself.

He should enjoy his last moments; he should enjoy them in silence and peace, whatever of it he had as the Weave endlessly assaulted his existence. He had no desire to increase his pain. James took a deep breath and waved whatever remained of his hand.

He invoked his control of Alan's Soul Sea and darkened it. He stared at Alan's soul, the Astral Blue Star with a Golden Core, and muttered to himself.

"Alearia is still in there; that's good, just another form of protection. Dominatus has snatched her existence from Lapsus and is maintaining it... I wonder what it saw in it that made it preserve it to such a degree, well... who knows?"

He coughed, and James wiped the 'soul' off his mouth.

He stood up, or at the very least, tried to stand up, only to fall on his face. He used the stumps on his arms to support himself as he turned around, lying on his back, staring at the Black Star above Alan's soul sea.

His legs were gone, his soul body was being torn apart piece by piece, and his breathing was becoming shallower. It was as if he were someone suffering from a lung disease. His eyes were becoming more listless, more... blank.

He continued to stare at the Black Star and asked.

"Hey buddy, you there?"

But there was no response. Aranus had gone back to sleep, hidden in the core of his Soul. He wouldn't wake up at all now, unless [Possession] was used. Aranus's soul was at the very end of its existence, barely being preserved in Alan's soul.

James sighed and started to talk to himself, or rather, the mute Black Star. His thoughts were becoming muddled, his mind was breaking apart. He only had the slightest idea of what he was doing at this point.

"You know, I wonder why you called me out of all people here, or how you did it? I guess the Weave was behind that... but then again, I guess I'm glad. I liked it here, even though it all turned out like this.

Who knew the novels I liked to read would become reality? Heh... Fuck..."

He coughed once more and then found himself unable to speak. James was only a head at this point; his mouth had disappeared, and the other parts were soon to follow. He turned his eyes, looking at his creation, before going back to the Black Star.

A certain emotion flashed in his eyes, but it was a wonder as to what it was. Pain? Desperation? Acceptance? Relief? Nobody could tell, for there was nobody there to witness it. Soon enough, his eyes disappeared, along with everything... but his mask.

His existence vanished, leaving behind a cracked mask in Alan's Soul Sea. A beast emerged from the darkness, the strange creatures inhabiting Alan's Soul Sea. It was smaller than the rest, as if it had just been born.

It approached the mask and picked it up carefully with its pincers. A flash of purple light appeared along its body, and it raised its head. Following that, a pedestal of black rock appeared in front of it, the top angled towards the beast.

The beast approached the pedestal and gently placed the mask on it. The Weave had written a conclusion to James, but it left behind his mask.

It was unknown why it chose to do so.

------

A cold breeze washed over his body, the sound of waves soothed his soul, and a light from above pierced through his eyelids, causing him to wake up. He felt anew, like he had been reborn. Every orifice, every cell of his body had somehow evolved, becoming one with something he couldn't quite comprehend at the moment.

Alan woke up, reborn, clutching the black rock beneath his body with his hands. They effortlessly went through it, as if it were butter and not rock. Controlling his strength, Alan stood up.

The ritual was complete, the panoply had become his. It had wrapped around his existence within the Weave, protecting him from True Death and granting him various boons.

He had done it; he had passed the Trials of Death.

Frost, Shadow, Darkness, and finally Death. He had gained the approval of the Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha. He had gained the approval of the Supreme Dragon of Shadows, Kulak. He had gained the approval of the Supreme of Darkness, Valus. He had gained the approval of the Primordial of Death, Ariel.

At that moment, a black screen appeared in front of him, notifying him of a new title.

[The title, 'Heir of Death' has been acquired.]

---End of Volume 2, Trials of Death---