Chapter 291: The Eternal (1)
"WE WILL NOT DIE! For the system's sake, Caramel! Get a grip of yourself!"
Mason shouted back, at the screaming girl.
"It's over! I knew that this whole world was fucked the moment I realized that there's no real avatar of sloth but just some damned parasite that is responsible for watching over the system! Because of that, we got thrown straight into the challenge scenario instead of the main story! But why is Eternal here?! I didn't cheat! The glitches and bugs I used were all left in game by the creators! That never happened when I played it before...!"
The light brown-haired girl seemingly calmed down a bit since she at least stopped screaming and began rapidly mumbling under her breath instead.
"Don't go crazy on us now! Quick! While that thing is still not moving! What's the plan!?"
The gray-skinned half-elf hurriedly glanced at the red and black smoke monster and tried to hasten the mumbling girl.
"What plan!?! Are you deaf?! It's not possible to defeat that thing without getting rid of the Invictus title and reducing those ridiculously high sta...!"
"...(you...) ...(You know what happened to my Cranberry.)"
"H-HIAAH...!"
As she was explaining, Caramel's words were interrupted by the nonverbal growl of the red and black primordial god of destruction.
The monstrosity was facing the girl and even without anything resembling eyes, it was clear that it was glaring right at her, causing the reincarnated girl to scream in panic.
"...r-run...! WE NEED TO RUN!"
The light brown-haired girl completely lost her head and bolted away as fast as she could."
"RUN?! HAVEN'T YOU SEEN ITS SPEED STAT?!"
Mason shouted after her, but before his last word even reached the running girl...
*••••••••••*
With the indescribable noise, a thin red and black whip pierced the air and flew after the escapee.
*STAB*
"Ugh-hyyyh...?!"
...and pierced right through her chest as if it was the strongest of spears.
"CARAMEL!"
Mason shouted in horror when the red and black whip raised the trembling girl up to the high ceiling.
"...(...let's see...)"
Eternal sighed and its body began glowing with a murky red light.
"AAAAAAUUUURRRRGGGGHH!"
Caramel wright in pain and screamed horribly while grabbing onto the whip in an attempt to tear it apart but her hands met with no resistance whatsoever, just as if the red and black smoke was...
Just smoke.
And so her hands passed right through it.
"KH...! GUUEGHUEEEHU...!"
As something alien was scraping the inside of her brain, the light brown-haired girl began throwing up bile mixed up with crimson blood in a ridiculous amount and proportions.
A flood of foreign memories flooded Zombie's brain... if any part of his current smoke self could even be identified as a brain, that is.
He saw his old world.
He got the confirmation that indeed the one to get reincarnated was indeed the girl whom he hated the most in the whole world.
He saw countless hours she spent on a single game, her obsession with it was almost impressive.
And what she knew, he now knew too - all thanks to the data drain skill that allowed him to acquire any and all information that he could ever need from his target.
...but he also saw what was that light that took Cranberry away from him...
Judgment - a special skill only available if both Justice's Wrath and Will of the World are in the player's party.
As long as the target's sins could be proven - the world itself will deliver punishment for the sinner - which simply meant that any and all defense would be diregarded...
...although he had already seen the message that popped up right before the seal of the eternal had opened, now he had yet another proof...
Cranberry was dead...
"... (...you...) ...(YOU FILTH!)"
"!!!!"
The eternal took a step forward and roared inside everyone's brains causing the gathered people to block their ears even though no actual sound was made.
"N-noo...! Let me gho...!"
*RIIIIP*
Caramel wriggled in the air like a butterfly pierced by a needle but then the red and black whip piercing through her chest extended even more and wrapped around her body - before ripping out her left arm and crushing it into nothingness.
"AAAAAARRRRGGGGHH!"
Caramel whizzed in agony but it wasn't the end - before her companions could even move, the red and black smoke mist tightened around her body and...
*CRUSH*
Ripped her apart and sent her limbs flying through the ballroom.
"...(...burn, you repugnant waste...)"
Eternal scoffed, tilting its head.
*WHOOOOOOO*
The violet flames erupted from thin air and turned every single piece of the reincarnated girl into ash before any of her scraps could fall onto the ground.
"NOMANNIC! What are you waiting for?! You have infinite damage! KILL THAT THING!"
Mason, pale as a ghost, roared at the dark-skinned woman.
"B-but that's big brother Zombie...!"
She flinched and took a step back.
"WHAT BROTHER?! IF YOU WON'T KILL IT WE WILL ALL END LIKE CARAMEL!"
The half-elf waved his hand and growled, baring his teeth as if he lost his mind.
"!!! R-right!"
Nomannic flinched and nodded, unsheathing the daggers that magically reappeared in their sheaths before, and launched at the monster who was slowly making its way out of the crater...
"...wh-what about the system walls...?!"
The ashen-haired Mika gasped and looked at the trembling white-haired Radiance that was clinging to her in desperation.
"...it... it broke them... it broke the system's walls with its first scream..."
The white-haired child whispered - while the blood was pouring out of her ears, mouth, nose, and scared eyes...
"R-Radiance?! NOMANNIC, STOP!"
Mika gasped and shouted at the dark-skinned woman who already was fully enveloped in the darkness of her skill.
But the monster merely raised its hand and...
"GHHHH...!"
The next moment Nomabnic was already held by her throat - no skill or magic in sight - only the red and black smoke monster choking her at its arm's reach.
"B-brother Zombie...! I-it's me...! Cinnamo...!"
Nomannic cried out while her throat was getting crushed.
"...(I know.) ...(I saw the memories of that disgusting garbage.)"
Eternal responded indifferently.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! STAB IT!"
"!!!!"
Mason hurt his throat in a desperate scream, causing Cinnamon to flinch and actually attempt to attack the red and black monster.
"B...rother Zombie...! For... give... me...!"
She cried pushing the blades of her daggers inside Eternal's chest.
"?!?!?!?!?!"
...but she met no resistance as her action didn't even register as an attack...!
"...(...and I have already mourned you as a precious friend...) ...(...not a traitor...)"
*WHOOOOO*
With the next indifferent sentence spoken by the Eternal, the violet flames lighted up and burnt the wolf-turned-human into ash before she could yelp another word.
"...(...next...)"
Eternal's voice grew colder as it moved its featureless face and stared at all the remaining people in the ballroom.