Whilst Elias had lost all feeling and sensation in the void of darkness he found himself in; he did discover that he still had his own thoughts—weird. He'd always thought that death would be, well, empty. He had no control of his body and in fact, had no body—his connection to anything seemed to have been completely removed.

  "This is good, I did good. You never really had a chance… Who was I to think that I could stand among adventurers of legend?"

  "Maybe—maybe I really will get to see them again? Maybe I haven't been in that dungeon for long… but, I'm tired. Really tired, of all of it."

  "After I lost you to them as well, Tess, I just didn't know what to do. I thought that Jacob had a plan. That if I just did as he wanted, maybe…I don't know. Maybe I could avenge you?"

  "Stupid. I know. Really fucking stupid, but, I just wanted something, anything to keep me clinging to Eridoria."

  "It was you, you deserved to live. Not me. I've wasted the chance of survival. Look at all I accomplished—nothing."

  "I just—I, I'm not sure how I ended up like this. What was I even doing towards the end there? It was all so painful, it hurt so bad. Everything!"

  "But… you know, none of it hurt as much as losing you. Either of you."

  "You are waiting for me right?"

  "Someone is waiting for me?"

  "Anyone?"

  His mind was filled with thoughts of what would come next, if anything at all. His pent-up pain, sadness and self-loathing leaking out in his final thoughts.

  [Quest Complete: Survival: Part II: Dungeon of Orus - Complete the Dungeon]

  "Hah, I did it? Not that it matters now. Too late."

  [Calculating reward]

  "Don't bother… My reward, is this. Escape."

  The notification began its calculations, it displayed his kills, his bathing in the Well of Ascension, his acquisition of a legendary skill, his completion of the Trials, the defeat of the Trial of Defiance. He barely registered the myriad of additional lines that formed on the notification as he succumbed to acceptance. He was ready to move on.

  "Final Reward Calculated for completing all objectives, hidden objectives and for Cosmos first completion of the Secret Objective: Trial of Defiance."

  "Cosmos first? Hah… Haha-Hahaha—" his thoughts rang out in echoed laughter as he took in the irony of the System.

  His thoughts were cut off by another familiar voice as a monstrous guttural billowing echoed across his mind.

  "It's not over yet. Your Path has only just begun…"

  "What the fu—" He began

  [Reward: 1 of 3 — Revival]

  "Revival?!" He continued. "You piece of SHIT!"

  [Initialising revival of Elias Grey]

  Intense light pierced the veil of the void and a slither of sensation began to intrude His thoughts. It wasn't as though he could cover his eyes… He had no eyes right now. He then felt, pain? Inside his thoughts? How was that possible?

  "As if you couldn't get any pettier?!" He thought as he willed to hold his non-existent head, battling away the migraine like sensation that throttled through his incorporeality.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  The light intensified in a flash as everything flooded back to him at once—his nerves ignited with—everything. His vision returned, his hearing, his smell, his feeling and his touch. His limbs became part of him again, his head, shoulders, arms, chest, stomach, leg, stump and foot.

  The touch of cool grass on his prone form, the gentle wind that circled through the three-biomed arena. The smell of utterly rotten corruption mixed with a smell alike to that of burning hair, intensified by a thousand times.

  He didn't move as everything rushed back to him in an instant. Including the pain he'd felt before the bittersweet peace that he'd embraced openly.

  "Why?!" He tried to yell as only shallow breath came forward.

  [Life Force: 1 / —]

  The notification loomed in front of him for but a moment before being swallowed by an intense Crimson-Gold notification that looked almost like it belonged to Royalty.

  [Reward: 2 of 3 — Recognition]

  What did recognition mean? He tried for only a moment to visualise what recognition the System would possibly bestow upon him.

  The notification fell away as another with only text replaced it, it began with the cursive crimson before being replaced entirely with the normal System text.

  [Prim—Corrupted Core has been uninhibited. — Your birth-right and your destiny, whilst not yours by choice, has been embraced in Spirit, Body and Soul by you alone. It will be impeded no longer]

  In crimson, "May you be the bridge that connects us all."

  The text faded as quickly as it came, replaced with the third reward:

  [Reward: 3 of 3 — Custom Skill Crystal - Tier: 0 - Rarity: N/A - You have been given a reward reserved for existences at the pinnacle, the forerunners of the expanse and the explorers of new frontier. With this Crystal you may create a skill recognised by the System and with perfect synergy with your own Path]

  His eyes opened wide as he felt a Crystal coalesce in his hand. Everything was happening so fast and as expected—the System had no intention to slow down.

  [Hidden Quest Complete: Awaken your destiny: 1/1 - Reward: Knowledge]

  The final notification pinged into his view and as he completed reading it, his vision sparked with bright white—and everything that had so shockingly flashed back into existence flashed straight out as his connection to his body severed entirely and the perfect white embraced his vision.

  Then, in less than a moment, he was standing in a field, a stunning beautiful field that stretched on, over rolling hills for kilometres in every direction. Blue skies dotted with the occasional small white cloud and the glowing warmth of two bright golden suns beaming down on the planet. Two suns? He thought as he found himself pause at the sight before him. He'd never even imagined such a thing, whatever illusion he found himself in now was masterful. Who could even think of a second sun? It'd be too hot. Surely? His abstract thinking was interrupted by a voice and his vision returned to ground level.

  "Vostus," the soft female voice began, "I don't have a choice. They told me just this morning."

  The gentle voice had come from an even gentler existence, he looked on at the beautiful young lady, dressed in a simple linen dress, with leggings and sandals. She was pale skinned and had incredibly long and silky brunette hair. She looked younger than him, early-teens, he reckoned. She was speaking to another of similar age, although this young man—Vostus stood around five foot ten, he was built athletically and his simple clothes swayed against his figure in the warm breeze. Elias could tell that this man had worked on a farm, he was built just like the workers Elias was familiar seeing in Haven's Point.

  "Wendy, you can't go! You don't even want to leave," Vostus replied as he took both her hands in his. The man looked into her eyes with both care and affection—real care, something he was moved to see. "The Sanctuary is a world that no one returns from. You know the stories as well as I, the Valkyr are formed through lifetimes of the Sanctuary's teachings."

  "I have to go!" Wendy said as she gripped Vostus's hands tightly, "I may not want to, but I cannot defy my parents again. They will be rid of me one way or another."

  Vostus studied Wendy's face for a few moments in silence before releasing one hand and drawing his own to her cheek, "Wendy, you may go anywhere in the Cosmos, in the end. We will return to each others side."

  He saw a small tear fall down Wendy's cheek as he watched in stunned disbelief, not wanting to intrude, he'd just stayed completely silent. He knew this was definitely one of those situations you left well alone, he just didn't get why they had to do it in front of him.

  "Let's go back, please." Wendy said after nuzzling gently into Vostus's hand.

  They both turned to face him and he grimaced, expecting a very awkward conversation to follow—but they—they looked straight past him as the walked hand in hand towards him.

  He was left slack-jawed as they completely disregarded his existence, "Hello?" he said.

  The two figures didn't even bat an eyelid as they continued towards him.

  "Right, yeah! I get it," He began as he gestured amicably with his hands, "You had this whole thing and I'm just kind of eavesdropping—that's… that's my bad"

  Nothing.

  "Ok, right. Silence. But maybe—WHA—?!" He was cut-off mid sentence, he had planned to ask them to not walk directly into him as they had approached his position, but he was too late and they had simply—walked straight through him. As if he wasn't truly there.

  His hands patted across his body for a few moments before he resigned to the Cosmos, "This is System fuckery—I should've known!" He said with a huff.

  He turned to face the two walking away from him now, they were headed towards a small village, surrounded by palisades with two prominent dirt roads leading out of it. It had what seemed to resemble a church with a tall bell-tower reaching out from a large building, just like Haven's Point, what differed however were the style of houses—this definitely wasn't the Empire. The houses were made of wood and thatch and were far too small to be anything the Empire would construct.

  As they began to walk further and further away he considered following them—but didn't get a chance. His view warped again and was replaced with a new scene.

  It was Wendy and Vostus again, but there were more people, all dressed in simple clothing and all of them seemed, well, unremarkable in any way. He focussed on Wendy who was stood with two others, her parents, He assumed, their arms wrapped around her as they scowled in the direction of Vostus, who waved wildly at her with a look of both sadness and love in his eyes. Wendy looked back at him adoringly, but with a knowing look. She didn't truly believe they would see each other again.

  A few moments passed before Wendy's dad released Wendy and the three of them turned, he raised his hand into the air and—he gaped at the sight—out of the mans hand came brilliant crimson energy that quickly coalesced into a portal. Elias looked around in shock, expecting reactions from Vostus or any of the other villagers present—nothing?

  The portal formed completely at the height and width of a large human and was reminiscent of those that formed for the dungeon, it only had one minor different. There was no sign of any System light embracing it.

  Without any hesitation, Wendy and her parents stepped through. They disappeared along with the portal and the villagers stopped saying their goodbyes, they dispersed only a moment later as if it was part and parcel of life.

  The only one that remained was Vostus. Vostus stood resolute his arms by his sides and tears falling down his face. There was a determination in his eyes that sent a shiver down Elias's spine. At that moment, it was undeniable to Elias that Vostus would definitely see Wendy again.

  The vision in front of him faded away once more, replaced with the familiar white light.