Lucia took three deep breaths, forcing her nerves to loosen.
The Simulation wasn't limited to text alone. It came paired with vivid visions and details she deemed essential, whether she liked it or not.
Once her composure settled, she spoke again in the same unchanged tone.
"Set the goal to Ashen's safe return to Esperra."
[Simulation starting…]
[Day 1: You gather and consolidate the information you obtained from the last simulation.]
[Without wasting any time, you instruct your information network to monitor the individuals you already knew were cultists.]
[Day 5: After gathering enough evidence, you finally report the cultists.]
[Unlike Alice Sinclair, you don't have enough authority to report based on suspicion alone; that is why you had to gather evidence.]
[Day 8: The cultists were finally apprehended and executed after your evidence was verified.]
[You had gained merit for this, but you didn't care; you knew of this place's fate after a couple of days, and that merit would have no use then.]
[Day 11: You hear that Ashen had been attacked by cultists last night, but despite their much superior number, he prevailed.]
[You curse your naivety in thinking that cultists would stop just because you killed a few of them.]
[Day 20: In the days that followed, your information network spread its wings once more, and you even used your merit to hire more hands for your cause.]
[There were dozens of assassination attempts during the last nine days, but you had thwarted every attempt. Nevertheless, you didn't let your guard down, since you knew the real threat was coming.]
[Day 21: You know that this is the last night before the third-step pathwalker's attack, but his Thema's concealment capabilities still stumped your attempts at finding his group.]
[Eventually, you settled on gathering Ashen's closest allies beforehand for better protection if you couldn't eliminate the source.]
[Day 22: You informed Ashen of the possible attack, but contrary to your thoughts, Alice Sinclair summoned a third-step pathwalker as a bodyguard when she heard of the danger.]
[Day 23: The night passed safely, not because you caught the cultists, but because the cultists simply refused to show up.]
[It seemed that when they knew the odds were against them, they'd bide their time, which was logical.]
[A third-step pathwalker couldn't stay stationed in the same place based on a mere hunch, so he left the next day, and almost immediately, your Mark skill triggered a warning.]
[You informed Ashen of this, and he calmly accepted the news.]
[Day 24: You hear that Ashen was attacked by a group of cultists, but he prevailed despite the leader of the assassination being two steps above him.]
[Right after, the Narkals attacked.]
[You caught one last glimpse of him as he headed to the battlefield, and you saw that his condition was almost identical to the last simulation.]
[Day 25: You saw the same scene repeat itself. The distant clashing figures bathed in fire, surrounded by colossal Narkals and the spear of light that rose from the wall to be eventually swallowed by the fire.]
[Ultimately, you felt the target of your Mark skill lose its hold, indicating his demise.]
[Ashen Hart… is dead.]
[Since the stipulated goal cannot be accomplished anymore, the Simulation will end here.]
[Simulation ending…]
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
"..." Lucia stared at the wall, a bit dazed, and then shook her head. "Okay, this one's on me. I definitely messed this up. I really underestimated those cultists…"
But she wasn't disheartened, since she had more than one chance. "Let's try again. I don't believe they can keep running away from me."
{Activated path skill: Life Stake.}
"Set the goal to Ashen's safe return to Esperra."
[Simulation starting…]
[Day 1: You used the information from the first and second simulations to gather evidence on the cultists hiding in the Ashbastion.]
[Day 5: You report your findings after four days.]
[Day 8: The cultists are apprehended, but you don't let your guard down this time, and you use the merit rewards to bolster your information network.]
.
.
[Day 20: You stopped every assassination attempt on Ashen Hart and kept using the amassing merit to hire more informants. You even bribed civilians to keep an eye out for you.]
[Day 21: Despite all your efforts, the last group of cultists remained elusive.]
[With no other choice, you gathered Ashen's closest allies with his help and explained the situation. You also persuaded Alice to drop her idea of bringing in a third-step pathwalker of their own.]
[Day 22: Right before the time of the attack, nuns came saying that the Chapel was attacked by cultists, and Seraphine was forcefully brought away for her safety.]
[Alice's residence was also attacked, but unlike Seraphine, she was more stubborn and threatened suicide if she was brought away by force.]
[Eventually, the attack happened, and you were finally able to see the true appearance of the cultist who always eluded you.]
[But despite being there, you were actually quite helpless. You had always focused all your time and attention on your job and developing your information network, so your offensive means were essentially non-existent.]
[Watching Ashen fight a dozen people of the same Step and one Step above, while still holding on, made you feel ashamed.]
[Braun was also contributing by courageously acting as bait for Ashen to score kills.]
[Even Alice fought alongside him with skills and moves that were eerily similar. She was like his other half, two sides of the same mirror, much to your deep envy.]
[Eventually, the cultists got the upper hand despite their efforts, and even you were being constantly targeted, making the others have to defend you.]
[That was when Ashen suddenly exploded with unparalleled might. His whole body shone milky white with mana before concentrating on a single point that followed his movements.]
[Ashen slaughtered them all, but his expression was bitter afterwards. You also learned that the third-step cultist left a curse that constantly ate away at vitality.]
[Day 24: The Narkals attacked, and Ashen was forced to lead his division into battle.]
[Day 25: You saw the same fiery silhouettes. The same light. And when the light was swallowed… You felt the same feeling of your Mark skill announcing its target's death.]
[Simulation ending…]
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
Irritation gnawed at Lucia's nerves, and like a gambling addict on a twelfth losing streak, she forced the word out through clenched teeth.
"Again…"
{Activated path skill: Life Stake.}
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.
[Simulation starting…]
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[Day 5: You know all the cultists' information, including the proof of their involvement with cults. You preemptively report them, one by one.]
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.
.
[Day 22: Instead of your last plan, this time, you only observe every route and wait for them to strike.]
[When they did, you merely record their every move and nothing else.]
[Day 24: The Narkals attack.]
[Day 25: Ashen dies.]
[Simulation ending…]
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
"Again!"
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.
[Simulation starting…]
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.
[Day 15: You previously reported all the possible hideouts that you had gleaned from the last simulation, where the last group of cultists must have been hiding.]
[Day 22: You used your bolstered information network to keep watch on every hidden place where cultists were likely to hide, including every path leading to Ashen Hart.]
[Day 24: The Narkal tide arrives.]
[Day 25: Ashen dies.]
[Simulation ending…]
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
"One more time!"
[Simulation starting…]
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.
[Ashen dies.]
[Simulation endi—]
"Again…"
"Again…"
"Again…!!!"
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
.
.
.
[6 years and 10 months will be extracted as the price.]
Like a deranged junkie, Lucia's intensity increased with every repetition. By the fourth one, she skipped pausing between each simulation, by the eighth, her breathing turned labored, and by the tenth, her eyes watered and her cheeks reddened.
"I… will… save… you…!"
Focused on that singular goal, she didn't notice… or refused to acknowledge her changing physical state, going from a young woman to a woman in her prime…
The strand of life force in her heart kept circulating faster and faster in her bloodstream, pumping vitality and aging her body, but also slowly but surely dissipating.
It wasn't without result, however. By the eighth simulation, she had ultimately been able to corner that final group of cultists and report them in time to have them executed before they reached Ashen.
…But the ending stayed the same.
The only indicator that she had changed something, even remotely, was the increasing brightness of that white light, but the fundamental problem remained. Ashen couldn't live past day 25.
On the ninth simulation, she had this idea of pulling him away from the battlefield, since going there was a death sentence anyway.
He was stronger than her, making her discard force as an option. So she used a sleeping substance on the 24th day instead.
It didn't work, and Ashen even found out it was her. Contrary to her expectation, he neither got upset nor did he look betrayed.
He simply asked if her skill had reacted.
The tenth… the eleventh… the twelfth… She tried almost everything from distracting him to outright hiring someone to kidnap him, but nothing worked.
Ashen always ended up on the battlefield, whether by his will or by the higher-ups.
"Is it a dead end…?"
Lucia's eyes glazed over as she let her head fall back, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Was she really going to give up like this? Maybe she should try again after speaking with Ashen?
But then, her eyes lit up as if she remembered something… "I still have one method I haven't used yet…"
With that, she triggered the skill one last time.
{Activated path skill: Life Stake.}
"Set the goal to Ashen's safe return to Esperra."
[Simulation starting…]
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[Day 8: You have the info on more than 200 cultists, and from these cultists, you extracted the info on 100 more. You reported them, one by one, and let the higher-ups deal with them.]
[Despite you reporting the cultists gradually, such a large number had startled the higher-ups, making them send Sabrina Chase, the Sin Lord's right-hand woman.]
[Day 12: You had gained credibility from your consecutive successful apprehensions of the cultists, and you used this credibility alongside the merit to catch more.]
[Day 16: Your fame is exponentially increasing among the population of the bastion and even among the cultists. They even started calling you the Cultists' Culler.]
[Day 18: Your fame approaches even Ashen Hart's, but while his name is tied to hope and safety, yours is tied to dread and fear… especially by the cultists.]
[Day 20: You methodically reported all the possible hideouts of the last group of cultists, and Sabrina Chase combed through all of them one by one until she sniffed out the third-step cultist and killed him.]
[Day 22: In the last twenty-two days, you had destroyed no less than five hundred cultists, making not only Ashen, but countless other generals escape the fate of assassination.]
[Though you didn't care about that and were only proud that not a single one reached Ashen this turn. You looked forward to the light's brilliance with this result.]
[Day 24: Finally, the day that the Narkals' army attacked in full force had arrived, but you did not make your move yet. You knew that Ashen would survive this day, no matter how many Narkals were thrown at him.]
[The only obstacle was the mysterious enemy and the humongous crow.]
[Day 25: On the dawn of the twenty-fifth day, you got closer to Ashen's position on the frontlines and waited until he temporarily retreated to call for him.]
[Despite the frenzied battlefield, Ashen still heeded your call and followed you. This decision was largely because of his worry about you, seeing your new, more aged appearance.]
[You brought him to a secluded corner and employed your last resort: Seduction.]
[You knew that you had mere minutes before the mysterious crimson figure appears and the humongous crow follows after it. You should hold Ashen for at least this amount of time, and when he sees the impossible odds, he will hopefully agree to flee in the chaos.]
[Your inexperienced attempts at seducing him only end up being amusing to him, but for some reason, he goes along with it.]
[Eventually, after only a kiss, your attempts fail, and Ashen disappears with one last remark: "Welcome to the Harem. Enjoy your stay, since escape is impossible."]
[You thought that this was the end, as always, and were in despair since having him die right after that suddenly felt a lot more wrenching.]
[But what you didn't know was that the couple of minutes that you had bought with your body saved him from death, since the crimson figure that had just appeared turned its focus elsewhere without his interference.]
[You didn't hear Ashen Hart's death, no matter how much you waited. Instead, the sound of explosions got louder.]
[Finally, you saw the Ashbastion's gate fall under the Narkals' relentless aggression.]
[What spilled in wasn't regular Narkals, but those at the Demon stage. What made you truly despair was the Great Demon spearheading the charge.]
[You looked ahead at the silhouette on the horizon, surrounded by wrathful flame, and knew that it was the Sin Lord of the Domain still fighting ahead.]
[She was battling a massive crow that looked translucent.]
[The Ashbastion burned. Everyone died left and right—soldiers, the pit's criminals, civilians. By the end, nothing remained untouched; the fortress and all it sheltered were reduced to ruin.]
[Amid all of this, you kept looking for Ashen but didn't find him. What you found instead was the man leading those Narkals to lay waste to everything and anything.]
[You only caught a glimpse of his crimson eyes and hair before the Great Demon spat a huge amount of fire from its mouth, scorching the ten kilometers ahead.]
[You were burned to death.]
Lucia thought that the simulation would end here, but it did not. Ashen was still alive, even after all of this, and as long as he was alive, the goal she set was still possible, no matter how improbable the chance of it happening was.
Her vision remained black for a few moments… and then, the black veil lifted, and she realized that this was Ashen's point of view.
[Day 28: Ashen wakes up to find himself surrounded by darkness. The only source of light came from the eyes of the entity before him.]
[The entity was ghost-like and feather-like. It had a perfect smile that somehow managed to appear completely disgusting despite its perfectness.]
Lucia should have been glad that she had finally surpassed the twenty-fifth day; however, only dread gripped her as she saw that thing through Ashen's perspective.
Unfortunately, the Simulation didn't end, so she had to keep watching.
[The entity had a friendly attitude and an amiable demeanor, but Ashen wasn't fooled. He kept a wary countenance, but he soon discovered that his wariness was futile.]
[He was trapped in this darkness. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, and couldn't even muster any ounce of resistance. The main reason for this was the black chains of space that surrounded his body.]
[Ashen wondered why he was still alive since he knew for a fact that this entity was an Outer God.]
"What in the world is an Outer God…?" Lucia was completely losing it at this turn of events.
[Ashen didn't get to question his situation for long because the answer came soon after. The Outer Gods didn't always kill, and sometimes death is a mercy.]
[From then on, his days of torture began.]
[With the same friendly smile, Secrets started torturing the man in every physical way imaginable.]
"Hrrk—gghhh—blurrrgh!"
"Hk—urk—splshhh!"
Lucia watched the first moments with tears running down her face before eventually not being able to hold the vomit in anymore.
But the simulation didn't pity her, and with numb eyes, she kept watching.
[Day 29: Secrets started with light torture, just removing nails one by one, waiting for them to regenerate, then doing it all over again.]
[Day 30: Secrets seemed to have gotten bored with peeling off nails, so he moved to peeling off skin.]
[Day 31: Today, Secrets seemed to be partially interested in how much he could push Ashen's body before it perished. So he cut his ears, nose, gouged his eyes, and opened his belly.]
[Day 32: Secrets discovered that Ashen was quite resilient! Some of his parts seemed to even show signs of regenerating, so with the same amiable smile, he removed his spine.]
[Day 36: Getting bored with only gutting and cutting, Secrets brought special insects and let them burrow into Ashen's orifices and eat him from within.]
[Day 40: Secrets had used nearly everything within his arsenal that Ashen could handle without dying.]
[Burning, flaying, drowning, crucifixion… and even psychological torture such as sensory deprivation.]
[Through it all, Ashen stayed eerily silent aside from the first few days, when he screamed at the top of his lungs. Now he just looked dead, and might as well have been if it weren't for his still-beating heart.]
"No… Ah… Stop… please…" Across the empty room, a numb voice echoed.
Lucia had never seen such cruelty; it completely surpassed anything humanly possible. And it was true… for the one inflicting them was never human.
But it seemed as if Secrets had heard her plea, as even he got bored by Ashen's lack of reaction.
Instead of killing him, however, he moved to the next dish. He was Secrets, after all… he knew the secret of provoking a response from whoever it was, even half a corpse.
[Day 60: Secrets beheld Ashen's golden eyes, the only organs that seemed to completely regenerate no matter how many times he crushed them, and happily smiled.]
[He said that he was glad that the secret of his infinite will was true after all… since he could still feel that relentless fire of vengeance burning in those golden orbs!]
[But Secrets is curious how he'd fare against other types of pressure, for example, the death of his loved ones?]
[The moment those words left his beak, he instantly felt a chill run down his spine. When he looked down at his captive, all he saw were those eyes that looked at him like he was already dead.]
[The crow, despite his exalted status and the condition of his captive, impossibly… felt fear, and alongside it, came an involuntary urge to kill him as soon as possible, but he held himself back.]
[He knew that he was completely helpless now; his magic circuits were completely destroyed by him, and all his mana was scattered.]
[So he proceeded with his new method of torture, or play, in the crow's words: Threatening his loved ones.]
[Day 70: Every day, he came up with new scenarios where his loved ones ended up tortured and dying before him.]
…And Lucia was forced to hear everything, in excruciating detail.
At first, it started with his childhood friends…
I wonder how they'd react if I had them go through the same "plays" you went through?
Then it was Braun.
Will his screams be as loud as yours when we first started?
Then it was his lovers.
Are they still alive? I really hope so, I have a lot of "plays" waiting for them. I hope you'd join us for some of them… but let me tell you a Secret… one of them is deeaad already… can you guess which one?!
Finally, Secrets started recounting the most vivid scenarios about his family.
Hmm… I should pay extra attention to those. Maybe even let you have a taste of it… what would you like to start with? Your mother's flesh? Or your sister's?
And through it all, the deathgaze never left him. Under it, he only felt like a corpse… more so than the actual corpse gazing at him.
Lucia couldn't comprehend how Ashen stayed sane enough through it all to still be able to cast such a gaze, as even she, an outside observer, was on the brink of collapse.
[Day 90: Secrets got increasingly more uneasy with each day. At first, he combated the irrational feeling of fear that he got from this corpse, but eventually he succumbed, and decided to kill him, and bury the secret of his infinite willpower alongside him.]
[But before that, he didn't forget to provoke him one last time, to vent his emotions.]
[He leaned in and whispered that he knew about his "other" self, and that he probably could actually kill him if he unleashed it, but too bad for him, he was two months too late. Haha!]
[With that, he dug his feathered hand into his chest, piercing his heart.]
[Ashen did not react to the mortal wound. He didn't even look at the crow anymore; instead, his eyes wandered to the ceiling of the darkness, and seemed to momentarily pierce it.]
["Are you watching?"]
"..."
["...Partner."]
"Yes."
[The crow, despite all his knowledge, failed to recognize who the man was talking to.]
…but Lucia instantly recognized that it was her. She was his only partner.
["You won't let him end up like me, right?"]
"Yes."
["You will have him kill this piece of shit, right?"]
"Yes…"
["...Good."]
[Ashen Hart died.]
[Simulation ended.]
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