"59...58...57"
The man walked into the room while 22 was counting.
"How much time do you have left 22?" he said in an unfazed voice
"12 minutes and 53 seconds" 22 blankly said. After all of the pain he had endured, he was overjoyed that the pain was gonna stop.
"I see. Well, I am gonna clean the room now so you might smell some disdainful smells. Of course you're probably used to it by now." The man said as his hands began to bubble.
"Water magic, of course it was but... Why was he cleaning the room?" 22 thought to himself
"Why-?" 22 was cut off by the man.
"The smell is finally sleeping through. I was ordered to clean it this time."
"Oh-gyah" 22 spat out some blood.
"Seems you haven't lost all of your sanity. That's good however, new orders are in..." The man paused for a second after cleaning a wall. He then asked,
"How much time?"
"8 minutes and 35 seconds..." groaned 22
The man looked at 22 for a brief second.
"So far the kid has been able to tell exactly when the poisons wear off. How curious." the man thought to himself
Once the man was done cleaning up all of the blood and feces, he then un-cuffed 22. 22 still in pain and covered in a mixture of blood and waste, slowly stood up. The man then quickly washed 22 using his water based magic. The boy floating in a water bubble watched as the pain and the blood floated away. The man gently put 22 down and asked him the amount of time that was left.
"58 seconds..." 22 sighed in a fit of relief as the pain started to melt away. His posture now slouching down against the newly cleaned wall, hands over head.
By the time the man had cleaned the table, was when the pain went away completely.
[POISON lvl 22
Available points 44
Poison resistance(PR): 14
Through hours of suffering, the host has automatically gained a natural defense against poisons.
14% chance to resist Tier 1 poison.
Poison damage: 0]
22 looked at this message in a blank stare. Empty on the outside, yet overjoyed on the inside. He had done it. He survived through the poisons and now can go and see the others. Meanwhile he put all of the points into Poison Resistance. He didn't ever want to feel that pain again.
[POISON lvl 22
AP: 0
PR: 58
The host has a 58% chance to resist tier 1 poison, 29% chance for tier 2 and 1% chance to negate tier 3 poison.]
22 stood back up, legs shaking as he walked over to the rusted door like a zombie.
"Where are you going?" The man asked while cleaning the syringes
"..A-Aren't I done?" 22 gulped
"Like I said, we have new orders. You may sleep where you were before." The man said while pointing to a corner.
"No... I-I Can't!!" 22 said fearfully while trying to yank open the door.
"FWOO"
The sound of the man suddenly appearing behind 22 and grabbing him. He was insanely fast and in a moment 22 was sent flying towards a corner in the opposite side of the room.
"BANG!"
The sound of 22 slamming into the corner. Despite the man cleaning the room, there were still fresh blood stains from 22 everywhere. He landed in a water deluded version of his own blood.
"I suggest you get your sleep now. Tomorrow we're starting the whole process again."
The man walked out of the room turning off the light to leave 22 in pitch darkness. For the order was to break 22's will before sending him to floor 5 for experimentation. The president wanted to make sure he could become a mindless killer that would follow their every order.
22 was left in the dark, crying and slowly crumbling.
The next day in the morning, 22 couldn't sleep at all. Starving and willing to do anything for food he became desperate. When the door opened, he expected the man to show up in front of him but instead, it was a different man. One with luxurious clothes and 6 guards around him all wearing royal armor. 22 was confused but the need for food had overridden his senses. He could smell food behind the man.
"Hello, 22. Are you hungry?" The calm voice said.
Despite the light, 22 still couldn't see his face. Like a shadow that was purposely placed.
22 nodded his head while the man placed down some food. Like an animal 22 didn't hesitate to chow down on all of it.
"I will give you a chance. Kill this person next to me and you will not have to go through the same pain again."
The man brought a boy next to him. He was strong and feisty. 22 knew exactly who it was.
"Oh my GOD! 22 are you alright?" yelled Moryen in a horrified voice.
The dark circles under the now pale skinned 22. Swirls in his eyes as if to cry for help.
"He has been feeling endless pain for 12 hours straight. I'd be surprised if he even recognized you." said the guard holding down Moryen.
"Clang"
A knife was thrown in front of 22 while the 6 guards held down Moryen. 22 knew exactly what they wanted him to do. He looked at the knife, then at Moryen.
"Don't do it 22! It's a trap clearly to- GYAH!" One of the guards kicked the already pinned Moryen in the stomach.
A guard on top of Moryen lifted up Moryens head. Moryen was terrified to see 22 and what he had become. 22 was like a lifeless zombie ready to be controlled like a puppet. 22 lifted the knife.
Moryen closed his eyes and braced for death.
"SCHINE"
"AHHHHHH!"
It wasn't Moryen... The guard that had been holding Moryens head up was sliced across the eye.
"DAMN BRAT!" the man yelled before smacking 22 clear across the room.
"Too bad. Do the process again. Then take him to floor 5 immediately."
"Yes sir." The man with the demonic mask replied before grabbing 22.
"Guess you're lucky kid. send the other one back to his cell." The President ordered.
Moryen was shipped off to his cell while 22 was placed and cuffed back onto the table.
A bright light started to shine from 22 including a message that 22 could see.
[Trial of persistence complete. You have unlocked the feature to use/gain new skills.
The host is now fully admitted with full functions to the system. Automatic recovery and gifts have been sent to your mail.]
The President turned around when he saw this light.
"Now I see why Helewise was saying that he was ready. How peculiar." The President thought to himself before ordering the demonic masked man,
"Speed up the process through awaken dissection."
"Yes sir." He replied.
"Injecting paralysis and calling for a healer." he continued.
22 couldn't move after the injection. However, he could feel the breath of the man as he got out his scalpel and a woman entered the room...
Moryen was thrown back into the cell by the guard who had his right eye slashed. The man closed and locked the door before getting a healer to heal his eye. The Slaves watch as the man's eye recovers and he goes up the stairs.
"Well?! How is he?" asked Baraor
"Yeah! and what happened?" followed up Eurien
Moryen had a gloomy look on his face and took a second to process all of the information he had seen.
"It's... Terrible..." Moryen muttered.
"What do you mean? How bad?" Aelinor rushed from a cell across from Moryen.
"He..." Moryen stuttered before vomiting at the sight he had seen.
"Blood, everywhere... It's horrible." Moryen spat out.
The others were speechless.
"How bad?" Nathan grunted
"It was like staring at someone who had witnessed a massacre of a village. His own blood everywhere and a mixture of smells." Moryen stated further.
"22 was so broken, He almost killed me..."
The others winced after hearing this.
"but he didn't." Siltral said while comforting Moryen
"Yes but now... He faces a fate worse than death. Live dissection." Moryen cried out. He dropped to his knees and started weeping for 22.
"Those bastards!! I'm gonna kill them!" Nathan screamed before looking at Laedireil who was silent in a corner.
"Don't you have something to say?!" Nathan yelled before grabbing Laedireil by the collar.
Nathan stopped after hearing mumbling coming from Laedireil.
"Are... Are you praying?" Nathan said as he slowly let go of Laedireil's collar.
"Elder, you're not--" Aelinor asked before getting interrupted
"QUIET!" Laedireil yelled before continuing.
"What is he doing?" asked Nathan
"He's using a forbidden spell... The Spell of making... But chief you can DIE!" Rushed Aelinor
"What the heck does this spell do?" Nathan quickly asked.
"It's a spell that only dark elves can do. It puts a mark of the dark elf clan on a person's body to signify that they have been recognized by us dark elves. However, it is forbidden because it could corrupt the applicant achieving the spell! And if it goes terribly wrong, then everyone who casts the spell can die. However..."
"However what?!"
"However, if it succeeds, not only will they have access to Dark eleven spells but also, will be guaranteed protection of one's soul." Eurien jumped in.
"Well, can we make it any better?" Nathan asked
The others looked towards each other before nodding.
"Only someone with the closest relationship to the Applicant can take the brunt of half the spell helping the applicant survive. But-" Aelinor was cut off by Nathan as he took off his shirt and signaled that he would do anything.
"Okay, however, this is going to be painful. Your blood will be used as a catalyst for the spell. Just... don't die" Aelinor reminded
The 5 sat down and bit their thumb. They drew a circle around them that was the same as Laedireils. The pentagon made of blood as Aelinor cut into Nathan's arm and drew the circle around him. Other slaves who were there watched the scene unfold.
"Wow, you're worried about me now? what a novelty" Nathan smirked
Aelinor smiled before blood spat out of her mouth.
"DAMN! We're not enough!" Aelinor spat.
"Do you need more blood?!" Nathan asked him to prepare himself to cut himself even further.
"No! you'll die otherwise. The spell is supposed to have a sacrifice but since we don't have one. We also need more demonic blood. Either Dark eleven or demons will do..." Aelinor replied before thinking,
"But where can we find that?"
"I'll help." said a voice down the hall.
It was a demon.
"Why?!" Another demon asked even further down the hall.
The first demon replied with ease.
"Because that kid sacrificed himself to save all of us."
"But he's the one who started this!" another voice said
"No, WE started this. He would have been fine if we hadn't decided to use a kid as a shield for our own escape attempt!" The demon shot back.
Silence
"Alright, I'll help too."
"Here, here."
The voices of different types of Dark-elves and demons started to voice up.
"Are you sure? If this fails... We're all dead." Aelinor said.
"It's fine, he did this because of us. The least we can do is pitch in." The first demon said.
One by one demons started to bite down on their thumbs and drew the pentagram underneath them. A red light began to show as they started to chant.
Other humans and demi-humans also bit down onto their thumbs and passed down a cup of their own blood to help as a sacrifice.
"Audi nos audirent te. Audi vocationem nostram! Vocamus tibi domine de morte! Samdron Dhoshrizaesh!"
(Hear me, Hear thee. Hear our call. We call to you, lord of death! Samdron Dhoshrizaesh!)
"We acknowledge this small one as one of us! Grant him that of the same for me! Protect him from the evils around him!"
"?!"
The man noticed the boy flinched.
"Weird, he shouldn't be able to move..." The man thought.
Suddenly a powerful magic started to flow from deep within the cells and into the boy.
"WHAT THE-"
"BANG!"
The man and the healer flew back. A pentagram underneath 22 started form as his flesh started to mend back together. A powerful wind was forcing the 2 of them back against the wall. 22 now floating in the air.
[The host is currently being appraised completion chance 75% chance. Do you accept?]
"YES!" 22 shouted
The Red light from the cells stopped shining and so did the chants. Nathan who had been expecting the worst didn't feel any pain.
"Why am I still alive?Did it fail?" Nathan asked.
"No, due to the amount of blood that was used, it was enough sacrifice to get through. However, 22 now has to go through a trial and we can't help or interfere. Only 22 can do this." Laedireil weakly said.
[The host is entering the trial of acceptance]
...
Nothing...
When 22 opened his eyes, he saw... nothing. A void, just like that one weird dream he had.
"Hello, little one. Are you the one that they so desperately ask to protect?" The cold voice said as it echoed throughout the void.
"I-I" 22 stuttered as a black rotted hand came out of the void and touched his face.
It was cold like a corpse buried under a snowy mountain.
"Look into my eyes boy." The voice said.
22 slowly looked over to see a rotted face, maggots coming from every pore and holes for eyes. Despite this, 22 didn't look away. He did as he was told, entranced by the eye sockets.
The corpse came close to his face and then winced.
"You are quite the monster." The voice said
"How did you obtain such a gift" the voice mumbled while staring even deeper into 22's eyes.
"I see... It wasn't by choice... Alright, I will agree to give you the dark eleven seal. I do have one request for you however." The corpse said.
"A request? From me? Why?" 22 asked
The corpse backed away and proceeded to explain.
"There is this black liquid that I had left when I was still alive. The people here are experimenting with something that is rightfully mine!" The corpse raged on
"If you can survive their experiment and give the substance to me, then I will grant you even greater power that can even rival the grim reaper."
"But, won't there have been others with this power? If they experimented with other people then I wouldn't be the only person to have it. Why would you need me when others may have it" 22 asked
"Because they have a fake version of it. Anyone who has gotten the real version of my blood has had instant death. However, after seeing that man in the demonic mask's memory. You will be the one to receive the real blood. My blood. In return for surviving the blood, you gain a reward." The voice calmly said.
"Do you agree?"
A message popped up in front of 22.
[Do you Accept Samdron Dhoshrizaesh's request?
Quest type LEGENDARY
Reward: Power that could rival death itself.]
"I accept, but not for the power... I just don't want anyone else to get hurt by this blood anymore."
22 naively said.
The corpse smiled, teeth missing from its skull.
"Until next time... V-" The name was cut-off before 22 could hear his name.
"Wait! what was my name again?" 22 asked but with no response.
A sudden tattoo appeared on the right side of his chest. It was a reddish purple dragon with blank orbs along the side of the dragon. The dragon was small however with one orb being Red revealing a demon inside the orb. The second orb next to it was a dark eleven god covered in blood and a bow in hand.
The nauseous and furious wind stopped flowing and 22 was laid back down onto the table unconscious. Both the man and the healer then proceeded to vomit excessively. For the man already knew that 22's body was normal. Suddenly, a guard charged into the room.
"BANG!"
"Everyone alright?!" he asked.
It was Gyrard.
A sudden foul smell slammed Gyrard's nose forcing his body to vomit excessively as well.
After an hour of vomiting and letting the room air out, the man told Gyrard to send him to his cell.
"In 3 days, he will be going to floor 5" The man grunted
"Yes SIR!" Gyrard said, still very nauseous from the smell.
Gyrard ordered 2 guards to enter the cell and pick up 22. They took him and carried 22 to his cell. There all of the slaves saw 22 and started to cheer.
"YES!!"
"WE DID IT!"
"WOOOHOOO!"
Gyrard, confused by what they meant, yelled at them.
"It's 1 a.m in the dam morning now SHUT UP!"
22 tossed in his cell while Moryen, Eurien, Siltral and Baraor checked his tattoo.
"Whoa! He is so lucky!" Said Eurien
"What?" asked Aelinor across from them.
"He not only had the dark eleven stamp, but also the demon's mark! This means he is recognized by both demons and Dark-elves!" Blurted out Siltral
"But why does he have a dragon on him?" Laedireil asked.
"It seems his dragon necklace fused and became the carrier of the tattoos on his body." Nathan said.
"Thanks again Demons!" Baraor Unconsciously yelled.
The first demon to speak out simply pounded his hand against his chest.
"Alright, were all tired from losing that much blood. Let's rest for now. I think 22 needs sleep as well." Laedireil said.
"He's right." Agreed Nathan
After a long and tiring night, they rolled over and went to sleep.
[Message, completed the trial of Acceptance. Rewards are in the MailBox]