The Villain's Story

Chapter 855: Black Sea(3).

’I feel cold.’

It was unreal, really. I didn’t think I could feel cold, never in my life. I was used to feeling a supernatural chill at this point, caused by magical abilities or presences belonging to Supreme beings or the like, but the cold is... a friend to me.

It’s the environment where I can be at ease, unleash all of my power, and be strengthened to the maximum... But this isn’t the kind of cold that is comforting to me.

It feels as if I’m back to being a normal human, affected by the cold. It’s no longer an ally, but rather a dangerous part of nature. Just like it was before. It shouldn’t be like this, not to me.

A frost dragon should never feel ’cold’. Just comfortable in cold.

’But then again, is it really cold?’

I questioned myself, thinking about the conditions of the Black Sea. It’s been a few hours since I departed from the port, effortlessly manipulating my mana to move my sweet little dinghy in this... black expanse.

I’ve been feeling strange ever since I left the port, but it’s a type of strangeness I can’t quite explain, nor even begin to understand, really.

I could handle the lack of noise, the muting of my hearing function. This world was like that from the beginning. I didn’t expect it to be any different in the Black Sea, but I was naive.

Hopelessly naive. From the very beginning, I was getting used to the lack of sound using pain as an intermediary. From the moment I had departed from the port, I was training for the Eternal Flame, casting fire magic, as unpleasant as it was, to open wounds and trying to feel something. trying to form a connection to whatever the eternal flame is.

But then again... I suppose I should have paid more attention.

At the beginning, ever since I stepped foot into this world, it was sound. My body, my being, was deprived of hearing anything; it wasn’t that significant. I could still maintain my sense of balance because my body mainly used mana to do so. It was strange at first, but using pain to keep myself aware was working.

However, I should have noticed the lack of smell. At first, I was unable to hear the echo of mana, and now, I’m unable to smell mana. The sweet and succulent scent of the incredibly dense dark mana all around me is gone...

’It’s fine, not much.’

As a dragon, it’s disturbing... But I’m certain the others are going through an even worse experience.

’What will it be next?’

The Black Sea is slowly but surely depriving me of my senses, so what sense would it be next?

Vision? I hope not; shouldn’t the most important be saved for last?

Touch? Honestly, I would prefer if I kept my sense of touch; most people don’t know, but they rely a lot on their sense of touch. I don’t know how I would be able to fight off any unknown beasts without the sense of touch. How would I know if I’m even grabbing my spear the right way?

How would I avoid the effects of the Black Sea if my precious little dinghy is destroyed? How would I keep myself from drowning if I can’t even perceive the feeling of drowning? Convincing myself to stay above the sea would be difficult.

I hope it tastes, even the senses of a dragon can’t taste unless it’s in a very specific form, or unless I put my tongue in the sea.

That does raise a question, though.

’What does dark mana taste like?’

I looked to the side, beyond the faint light produced by my dinghy, and at the still waves of dark mana. It’s unnerving, really.

There is no movement at all.

Even when I’m making my way through it, not a single ripple can be seen. Am I... am I even moving?

Am I going forward? Backwards? Left? Right?

’Am I... even moving at all? What if I’m at the port... just a few meters away? What if I’ve been there si-’

I almost laughed at myself for thinking something like that. The Black Sea may have taken my sense of hearing and smell; it may have me questioning the direction. But no matter what happens... It won’t have me questioning if I’m moving or not.

As long as I can manipulate mana, I am moving. It can take all of my senses, my vision, my touch, my taste, my smell, and my hearing... but as long as I can feel mana, I can do anything.

I’m still moving, the direction may be unknown... but I’m traversing the Black Sea, my mana is still flowing into the dinghy, making it move.

’All I have to do is keep moving, doesn’t matter where.’

I comforted myself in my mind, taking off my cloak and throwing it in front of me on the dinghy. I don’t think I have to hide my identity here, where the darkness hides all.

Continuing to make my way through the Black Sea, manipulating my mana to flow into the dinghy, powering the spells engraved on it to make it move. A few more hours passed by, and it came all of a sudden.

I lost my sense of taste, I... didn’t think it would impact me like this, I can’t feel anything in my mouth, even when my tongue touches the roof of my mouth, there is nothing. I can’t feel my own saliva going down my throat. I can’t feel my teeth.

It’s a strange sense of emptiness, one that I never realized could exist. I didn’t think losing my sense of taste would impact me so much. Something like this would take me a while to get used to...

But before I could even come to terms with it, I felt another sense of loss, one that hit much deeper than the loss of hearing, taste, and smell.

The loss of touch did not come instantly like the rest; rather, it was slow and irritating. It felt as if my body had gone to sleep; throughout my entire being, I felt tremors and electrical currents surge.

It was disorienting... so much so, but even then, it couldn’t prepare me for what was coming next.

A complete loss of touch.