The Villain's Story

Chapter 436 [436] Eyes as deep as the abyss[2]

I could never forget that son of a bitch. The being encased in a dark fog of chaos mana, the same demon that had nearly destroyed Aror completely...

I could never forget him.

He was the cause of so much suffering...he was the reason Elton was suffering, the reason Aror went down on a dark path.

An entire city was brought to dust by his nefarious actions...the sight of entire mountains of corpses...entire graveyards being filled was still vivid in my mind.

Never, will I be able to forget.

”YOU!”

I yelled with all my might, doing my very best to charge at the fucker and kill him with my bare hands.

I yelled and yelled again, but my voice didnʼt come out.

ʼTOWER!ʼ

I redirected my anger to the tower, which was forcing me to relive this trauma.

I had fought that demon when I was 10...and I remembered how badly I was beaten. A single day did not go by where I didnʼt think of getting my revenge against this genocidal demon.

”TOWER! YOU FUCKER!”

Even though I could feel no mana within my body, even though I could not even open my system...I desperately wished to be able to go and kill that son of a bitch. I wished for the tower to let me move my body.

But yet it wouldnʼt.

I screamed, and screamed, and screamed, until it felt like my throat had been ripped apart by sharp blades.

And then, I realized.

I curse you, tower...I curse you.

Forcing me to relive this trauma without giving me any chance to do anything.

I fell to the ground, the feeling of my forehead against whatever dirty thing on the ground was rough.

But then, I didnʼt even want to...but I got up.

Tears continued to run down my cheek as I could only stare at the duo on the ground, being mercilessly tortured by the demon.

”Mom...dad...”

Huh? What?

Those are not my parents.

What?

ʼWhat the hell.ʼ

I was sure I was the one that had spoken, but it was not my voice...it wasnʼt anything like my voice.

As I was lost in thought, the duo looked at me and, with a renewed vigor, stood up and fought the demon once again. The man tried his best to keep the demon of black occupied whilst the woman ran towards me, picked the little girl up and threw her.

I barely caught her, almost unable to keep myself straight from the force.

”Alan, run!”

Huh? Alan?

Without a second of hesitation, my legs were already moving and I...was running.

All I thought was to run. Carrying the little girl in my arms...That was all.

Even when my heart dared to jump out of my chest, even when my feet stepped over glass and other such objects...when the skin was torn apart and my feet bled.

All my body did was run.

But my mind was stuck on this thought.

ʼAlan? But Iʼm Elijah though?ʼ

And it was just then, when I was running over a pool of water did I see it.

It was only for a mere second, but the boy running did not match any of my features.

And then I realized the purpose of these trials.

I was not Elijah at the moment...But Alan.

Alan Peccator.

**********

[Tower of Trials, ?? floor, Alan Peccator PoV]

After the incident, Elijah had seemingly run away from the hospital and entered the outskirts of the city.

And he was barely managing to stop himself from crying as he ran. He jumped over rubble, large bodies of monsters until finally.

He had reached the outskirts of the city, which were barren. The only form of traffic was present on the main roads of the city, which were filled with trucks bringing food, water, and other essentials to the destroyed Armor.

At least the Government had responded and actually sent over aid...

Nevertheless, Elijah paid the trucks no heed, he was quite far away from the main roads so they wouldnʼt be able to detect him when he was this far away.

Elijah, after running for quite a while, entered a thicket of trees and...

Cried.

He sat down, resting his back against a tree and his head on his knees and cried.

ʼ...ʼ

I had forgotten that Elijah right now was just a 10 year old kid.

A 10 year old kid who had just seen the city he grew up in go up in flames, a monster roaming the streets like an endless horde, devouring his friends and everyone he knew.

A 10 year old kid who still tried to help the people...who tried his best to save his brother but failed. A 10 year old kid, who, filled with the courage and willpower of a hero, tried to take down the ʼbig badʼ and get ruthlessly defeated.

The one who had just seen his entire family cry...who had seen?every family cry.

...

...

...

I would be lying if I said I didnʼt feel anything, it was quite the contrary. All of Elijahʼs emotions were being projected onto me with such intensity my state was probably no different.

I was sure, even I was crying because of the emotions Elijah was feeling.

Guilt and sadness were the strongest among them. The same regrets that filled Elijahʼs mind were also projected onto me.

Why was I unable to defeat the demon?

Why did all this happen?

Would it change if I was stronger?

Would I be able to save Elton if that was the case?

Would Aror still be the same?

...

...

...

These were not things a 10 year old kid should be thinking of...at his age kids would be begging their parents for toys or trips...even causing tantrums.

But here he was, alone, in the middle of the night in a thicket, grieving.

...

...

...

[Raise your head Elijah.]

All of a sudden, I heard a voice.