*DING!*
[Congratulations! You finished the first challenge! Get ready for your rewards!]
[You only have 1 day before the start of the second challenge.]
"Blarghh."
"It's okay, kid. Just let it out."
Standing behind the boss's corpse, I was vomiting everything in my stomach while Cecil was supporting me.
After reading the screens that appeared suddenly — I realized something dangerous.
The disgusting monster's blood…
It entered my mouth!
"Maybe next time don't laugh while cutting tentacles, pfft." Cecil mocked me, trying so hard to hold his laugh as I finally finished vomiting.
The problem was that he was right. If the darkness didn't suddenly turn me into a lunatic that wouldn't have happened.
"We… we did it?!"
I wiped my mouth as I stared at Drax that looked so proud as if he was who killed the boss.
But he wasn't wrong.
Even if we lost many people.
Even if that took us months.
Even if it was only the first challenge…
We still — we still did it.
*Bam!*
Suddenly, I heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.
My gaze fell on the man with long blue hair and blue eyes.
In front of him, there were 2 huge boxes filled with… drinks?
"Hehe." He suddenly chuckled, "Oh come on, why don't I hear happy shouts? I even threatened my VIP viewers that I may kill myself to make them buy those drinks so we could drink together. But all I hear is silence?"
*Gulp!*
Everyone's eyes suddenly lit up after looking at all those types of drinks.
"WE FUCKING DID IT!"
"WOOH! NOW GIVE ME THAT!"
"GILBERT! Put some barriers around the mansion. If something annoys me while drinking I will kill you!"
"Is that Volcanic Wolfbee honeybrew?"
"It's been a long time since I saw beer. Andrea, you are the best!"
"Hey! I put my hand on the sake first!"
"Get off before I cut your hand then."
Everyone started rushing to the boxes while shouting and speaking happily.
They were celebrating.
'The adults can really change suddenly just for a drink.'
"Hey Yami, catch this." The saintess suddenly called me while throwing something towards me.
I caught it in the middle of the air, it was a bottle of cold chocolate with clouds floating above it.
My eyes widened slightly, because that was something only the richest nobles could drink casually.
This bottle on my hand costs 5 million points!
The saintess smiled at me —or at least I thought she smiled under that veil—
"You are a minor, so this should work with you." Them she took 2 bottles of wine and gave one to Long Wei.
I went to sit beside master Kai who was drinking sake on a silver cup calmly.
While taking a sip from the chocolate, a small cloud fell and entered my mouth.
The rich sweet flavor filled my mouth instantly, and even the scratch in my body started healing faster.
That was the best thing I drank in my entire life!
"I can die without regrets." I murmured as I stopped my tears from falling.
"It's been a while since I saw everyone that happy." Master Kai chuckled as he took another sip of the sake. "It's like they forgot that we will still fight each other if we all left this place."
After hearing the last part, my eyes widened in realization.
We were still in a war, we and the demons were most likely fighting each other in our world — yet, here we were, fighting together, eating together, speaking together, crying together, having fun together.
My mind drifted to the fight between team 3 and the boss. I remembered clearly how the demoness almost lost her mind after seeing the death of the spearman.
There was definitely something between them, Whether it was from one side or both sides didn't change that.
If we all left out of here… would I have to kill both Aurelia and Drago?
And what were the people outside thinking about us now? Were we considered miserable people that were forced to fight here or just some traitors? Would both sides reject us if we left?
I took a big sip of chocolate and ignored those thoughts. We still had 4 challenges to think about all that.
"To the dead!"
"TO THE DEAD!"
Some people drank with tears in their eyes, remembering who died in front of them without a way to help them, while others drank with wide grins, trying to forget the past amd focus on the present.
We buried the remains of the people from team 3 and gathered their cores to return them with us.
We planned to rest for this day before the challenge, but suddenly—
*DING!*
[Your rewards are ready! Click for more details]
"Oh oh oh, it's here!" Zorath laughed as he pressed on the air in front of him before a big axe made of lightning appeared in his hand.
Doing the same, I pressed for more details, and a screen like the one that opens whenever I got gifts appeared in front of me.
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[Trait's Awakening Orb]
Description: after swallowing the orb, you can force your trait to awaken.
[Mirror of Merit]
Description: For 2 minutes, it shows your highest talents and the effects of your trait. Use your aura to activate it.
[The Novice's Grimoire of Souls]
Description: Contains basic information about the soul pathway. The Grimoire was made by Leonard Von Saint, the legendary Soul Alchemist, in his youth.
[A Bag of Soul Threads]
Description: A small bag that contains 10 threads made of soul essence. Use them wisely.
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Seeing the rewards, my expression shifted from disbelief, to happiness, to excitement and finally confusion.
'Soul essence?' I questioned in my head, not sure of what that was, but I just hoped that the Grimoire would give me answers.
"Kekeke."
"..."
A chilling laugh came out of Cecil. I just hoped that he didn't get an item that seduces women.
If that man got something like that, then we better kill him before becoming too dangerous.
Shaking my head, I pressed on the orb first, and instantly, a small black orb appeared in my hand.
It was smooth in touch and gave a small glow, but then I had a problem.
How was I supposed to swallow that?
"Hmm? What is that?" Braham suddenly asked, looking directly at the orb.
I answered honestly: "It's supposed to force my trait to awaken — but I have to swallow it first."
He rubbed his temple and thought for a moment before saying: "What if it melts in the mouth? You won't lose anything from trying."
Listening to him, I put it in my mouth immediately, but instead of melting — it became smaller and fell to my stomach without troubles.
It literally became smaller!
Now it was the time.
I told everyone around me to go back in case something happened.
The description said it "forces" the trait to awaken, so we better be safe than sorry.
I sat on the ground and waited for it to start.
Suddenly—
"Argh!!"
A sharp piercing pain hit me, but it wasn't in my body, but my soul!
My soul that wasn't supposed to feel pain started feeling it suddenly as if turning into something new.
I fell on the ground, my body shaking aggressively, but I endured that pain.
Maybe because of my willpower, or because Braham and Celestina were supporting me with their spells, I didn't scream from pain.
After 3 minutes that felt like eternity — the pain finally stopped.
"Are you okay now?" Braham asked with concern while supporting me with Celestina to sit.
Instead of answering him, I summoned the mirror gift and channeled my aura into it.
Instantly, pitch black words started forming inside the huge mirror.
Some people around us started gathering to see what was written.
"What the FUCK?!!" Drax suddenly screamed, gathering more attention towards the mirror.
Quickly, I started reading everything, then I understood why everyone was staring at me with disbelief.
I couldn't help but open my mouth from shock.
And unknown to me, most people around the worlds had similar expressions.
[Trait: Abyssal Soul]