Chapter 4: Awakening
When I first woke up, my mind was a complete blank.
There was a faint headache, my gaze was unfocused, and I felt like I had been asleep for ages without being able to truly awaken. For a long time after regaining consciousness, it was as if I had lost my body—I couldn’t move at all, not even a thought to try.
I have no idea how long this state lasted. As my awareness slowly drifted back, the scene in front of me became clearer. I saw a white veil above my head and an old chandelier hanging higher up. The chandelier wasn’t lit; it was dark all around, nearly no light at all. I couldn’t tell whether it was day or night.
Wait, where am I?
It felt like I was lying on some… bed?
“Ugh…”
I involuntarily let out a sticky groan through my nose, opened my mouth, and moved my jaw a bit… The air here was stuffy—both suffocating and dry. After blinking for a bit, my eyes felt a little gritty. I wanted to lift my hand to rub them but realized my arm was stiff—horribly stiff—like I had forgotten how to use it entirely. I struggled for a while but couldn’t manage to get it up.
What on earth…?
Anesthesia? Injection? Mandrake?
These thoughts flashed through my head momentarily, and panic started creeping in, making my breathing quicken as I blinked like a frantic goldfish.
I’m not dead…
So that means I’ve been caught by the Angels and am under house arrest now, right?
I started to wrack my brain to remember what had happened before. It felt like ancient history. Disjointed memories trickled back; I fought desperately against a terrifying Deity Body, my scythe piercing its skull… I defeated it at the last moment… and then Infernal Fire surged, the massive corpse exploding into bits, and I got caught in a tidal wave of flames. That’s when everything went black…
But I remember hearing Angel’s voice…
So…
I must have been captured by him.
Now then…
Is this some hidden clinic?
The environment does seem a bit like it…
At this thought, I suddenly wished I could just never wake up again.
What have they done to me…
Bastards…
My heart sank further, and at the same time, I tried to move my fingers, my mouth, and my tongue. My eyes began to dart around, and while my legs and arms felt like logs, it was especially difficult to move them.
How long have I been lying here?
No idea…
I need to find a way to escape first…
Slowly, I managed to move my head, turning to look at the pitch-black room. My vision, accustomed to the dark, was hazily able to discern the outline of my surroundings. However, it was still too unclear to figure out the style of furniture—whether it belonged to Silgaya or not. It felt like a spacious area, but it seemed like no one else was around.
After listening intently for a long time, I noticed an unusual silence in the secret room as well as outside the walls.
“Mmm… ah…”
I continued to move my body, bit by bit, slowly regaining the sensation of muscle power. After a while, I managed to catch my breath, prop myself up, and awkwardly crawl to the edge of the bed. I dangled my legs down and felt my feet hit the ground. Just as I thought I could stand, the moment my b*tt left the bed, I went crashing down.
Thud!
“Ugh…”
My nose smacked the floor painfully, and tears nearly sprang to my eyes.
“Phew… yuck!”
The floor was filthy—I inhaled a mouthful of dust and nearly choked on it, quickly holding my breath, terrified that I’d cough and alert whoever was lurking around, fearing they would discover I had woken up.
I lay there quietly in the dark, flailing my arms and squirming my b*tt, struggling endlessly but still couldn’t get up.
I felt incredibly weak.
Not just weak, but my limbs couldn’t exert proper strength, and there was an enormous sense of disconnection that made me feel even more panicked—especially since I was used to being filled with power at all times. Suddenly, I felt afraid.
What the hell did those jerks do to me… they can’t have taken away my power, right?
What a joke…
But after a moment of panic, I quickly calmed down, stopped struggling, and closed my eyes again, focusing on feeling the power within me…
…The power is still there.
Those three immense energies, like an ocean, all still quietly resided within my body, and I could sense their existence.
“Phew—”
I let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness…
But…
I tried to tap into that power only to find that the Power of Order, Infernal Fire, and Chaotic Power all seemed to be slumbering beasts, completely disconnected from me…
I can’t really describe this feeling.
I can sense the power’s existence, but it’s like my arms and legs have gone on a strike, refusing to listen. My will couldn’t connect with what should belong to my body. It felt like I had become a handicapped person—that was the best way to describe it.
This sensation was somewhat similar to when I was restricted in the Land of Dragons, but far worse—my body was definitely malfunctioning, and I realized that immediately.
What the heck is happening…
“Ah…”
In the midst of my chaotic thoughts, I instinctively opened my mouth to call for help, only managing to let out a tiny sound before promptly shutting my mouth again.
Am I a fool…?
No one has noticed I’m awake…
No matter where I am right now, no one has realized I’ve woken up…
I could possibly escape…
I’ll think about everything else later when I’m safe. First, I need to get out of here…
After a brief rest, I flipped over and began to crawl along the floor, slowly making my way to the wall. After catching my breath for a bit, I used the wall to hoist myself up. My legs trembled alarmingly, and I could barely stand, but I finally managed to do so—almost even able to walk. I did my best to lighten my footsteps, feeling along the wall as I staggered forward. Suddenly, I kicked something, producing a loud “creak” that made me jump.
What was that!
…A cabinet.
I kicked the leg of the cabinet.
Since I was moving slowly, it didn’t hurt much. But now, clinging onto the cabinet, I dared not move for a long time, my ears perked up as I listened closely for any sounds outside…
Silence outside.
It seemed like no one was coming…
Great…
I started to move forward again.
As I passed the cabinet, my heart raced a bit, and I unconsciously turned to glance…
I remembered the dream that Irush had made for me back in the Royal City. The dream room had a cabinet filled with all sorts of grotesque vessels containing gross, rotten meat that even moved. I later found something like it inside a Heretic…
It was absolutely disgusting. If I came face to face with something like that right now, I surely would scream in fright… My heart raced at the thought, and the more I thought about it, the more anxious I became. So, with a deep breath, I leaned in closer to the ground and cautiously moved to confirm what was on the cabinet…
To find, surprisingly, that they were all books.
A lot of books.
…Books?
I stood there, momentarily stunned. This was actually a bookcase, and a big one at that. It was loaded with numerous tomes, most of which seemed old and shabby, their covers worn to the point where the titles were indistinguishable.
But no disgusting tumors…
No tumors, and I felt relieved.
At that moment, I didn’t have the time to check what kind of books they were. Someone could come in at any moment; I needed to find a way out quickly. So, I leaned against the cabinet, creeping forward in the dark. My fingers slid from the cabinet to the wall, and not far from there, I seemed to touch a wooden door.
This must be a wooden door…
The rough texture of the wood tightly connected with the wall felt very old. As I got close, I could subtly smell decay, and the wood’s edges and top had a frame… This is definitely a door.
But it seems to be locked; I gently pushed and pulled on it, but it wouldn’t budge. I hesitated to exert too much force, carefully feeling around the door’s seams and crouching to peek through.
Outside was just as pitch-black.
I couldn’t see anything or hear any movement.
If I can open this, I should be able to get out…
It seemed like no one was around for the time being. I might not be easily discovered, but I’m escaping here! Who walks proudly out the front door when making a run for it? There could be guards all over…
I need to check for another way out.
However, after searching painstakingly for a path, I didn’t find any other routes. The imagined ventilation ducts or anything like that didn’t appear to exist. I had no idea where such things would be located, mainly because it was so dark that I couldn’t see anything.
This secret room was large, constructed from stone walls, with no signs of loose bricks or hidden entrances. I couldn’t touch and feel everything; I didn’t dare to strike a match to check for other options—I had no idea where Captain Gray could be—the scythe had turned into that form, the Church should have taken it… but it’s obvious they wouldn’t leave it here. What should I do?
A sense of despondency washed over me.
I sighed, sniffing back tears. I thought about how losing my power meant I had no way to escape. An overwhelming anxiety surged within me, but then I shifted my thoughts again. I must have slept too long, and my strength fell into slumber along with me… That must be the reason…
What is my next step…?
“Grrr—”
My stomach suddenly grumbled mournfully.
I’m hungry…
Just then, I heard faint sounds outside, footsteps approaching.
Uh-oh, someone’s coming…!
