"One more. Just one more..."
"Ahhh..."
"Ahhh..."
The sound of heavy breathing and insane murmurs resonated through the bony graveyards where the battered body lay.
Right now, Ryuk’s state was absolutely mind-chilling. Half of his entire body, up until his waist, had fallen by his side—almost as if he had been severed cleanly by a blade. But it was far worse. Ryuk had truly been severed, not by a smooth blade, but by a rough, merciless club.
One of his legs lay deformed beyond recognition, barely functioning, and his hands—his very bones—had been completely ripped out, rendering them useless.
"I... I need to get up!" Ryuk stated, his light flashing with anger—yet beneath it, a hint of horror as he looked at his broken form.
And then... he saw it.
A figure was walking toward him, step by step.
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
CLATTTTEEERRR!
The sound of heavy footsteps thudding against the bones and something being dragged along the ground echoed ominously. It came from none other than the skeletal figure. Slowly, it walked toward Ryuk, dragging behind it a massive club, shattering bones in its path.
"Get up!"
"Get up!"
Ryuk screamed inside his head, watching in horror as the skeletal figure raised its hefty club high above its head.
"Isha!?"
"System!?"
Ryuk wanted to roar out, but all he could do was gurgle as blood clogged his throat.
And then, as he locked eyes with the ghostly green glow of the skeletal figure...
He saw...death.
Pure, malevolent death.
He was now alone with this force—perhaps the most malevolent force in the world. And there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could stop it from ripping away his life.
"No! No! I’ll fight back!"
Ryuk roared in defiance, his crimson gaze bursting forth from his eyes. Immediately, he focused all of his remaining strength into the only part of his body he could still move—his last remaining leg.
With sheer desperation, Ryuk jerked his leg, kicking the skeletal figure with every ounce of force he had left.
The undead collapsed instantly onto the ground.
But its club followed after it.
CRACK!
The massive weapon slammed into Ryuk’s neck, and blood sprayed like a fountain.
But Ryuk ignored the pain.
His mouth widened to its absolute limit, and then—
CLAAASSSPPP!
He bit down.
Hard.
Straight into the skull of the skeletal figure, his eyes flashing with an ominous crimson light.
GRRRRRRRRRRRHHH!
An enraged wail left the skeletal figure’s maw, but Ryuk paid it no attention. He bit and bit and bit, until finally—
SHAAAATTTTEEERR!
The sound of shattering echoed through the graveyard. The skeletal figure’s skull exploded into pieces under Ryuk’s sheer will.
Green gas seeped out of its body as it crumbled into nothing but ashes.
And then—
THUD.
Ryuk’s head collapsed onto the ground.
"Ahhh... ahhh..."
He tried to breathe, but it was as if something was restricting him.
He had lost feeling in everything.
Everything.
But—
"I... I lived!"
Ryuk mused to himself.
But then his gaze slowly dimmed.
He looked up at the countless eyes in the sky—eyes that stared blankly back at him.
Horror flickered in his pupils.
And then, a deep calm.
A slow relaxation dawned on Ryuk.
"I... I’m... dying."
His regeneration—it was no longer working.
He was not healing.
And—
"My heart... it’s been destroyed!"
Ryuk forced his last remaining strength to his chest, trembling fingers pressing against his body—
And then he saw it.
Blood was spurting from his side.
And where his heart should have been—
There was nothing.
A gaping, agonizing hole.
---
"Remember, Ryuk. You can always abandon your body in times of need. The only thing you need to survive is your heart, lungs, and brain. As long as they aren’t harmed, you have a chance of living..."
---
Uncle Bob’s words echoed in his head as Ryuk’s trembling hand collapsed onto the bone-ridden ground.
"I failed, Uncle Bob. My heart is gone."
Ryuk mused to himself.
Moments stretched into eternity.
Hundreds of years seemed to pass as Ryuk stared at the black, blank eyes in the sky.
His death was so close.
He could feel it.
The air around him grew heavier and heavier.
His very life force was slipping away.
’Perhaps... I should have left for the academy instead of taking this path...’
’Was it greed?’
Blood flowed faster from his lips.
’I just wanted to grow stronger. Is that... greedy of me?’
’No. No. My decision could only be right...’
’Too many people have died for me. Too many lives have been sacrificed to keep the Draconis alive...’
Ryuk thought, watching as the countless eyes in the sky slowly shut.
"Then, what?"
"What can I blame my death on?"
Ryuk mused.
And then—
A chuckle escaped his lips, blood rushing from his throat.
"It doesn’t matter now, does it? All I regret is never getting revenge for you, Uncle Bob. That’s all I regret..."
Ryuk mused, his final thoughts drifting into the abyss.
And finally—
The entire world darkened.
He took his last breath.
---
"Ahhh... How interesting..."
A voice suddenly resonated through the darkness.
"Really, really interesting..."
The voice echoed once more.
And then—
GAAAAAAAAASSSPPPPP!!!
A sharp gasp tore through the air as two eyes snapped open.
And suddenly, the sensations came rushing back—
CLAAANG!
CLAAANG!
CLAAANG!
BAAAANG!
BAAAAAM!
ROOOOOOOAAARRR!
GROOOOOOWWWLLL!
The sound of blades clashing, of screams, of roars of cultivators filled the world.
When Ryuk opened his eyes, he was faced with the sight of an unending battlefield.
Warriors fought to the bloody death, blood slithering through the land like a great anaconda.
But then—
Something else stole Ryuk’s attention.
In the middle of the battlefield, standing atop a high-rise throne, amidst the swimming bodies of beasts and warriors alike—
A figure stood.
Ryuk’s heart thundered in his chest.
And to make matters worse—
It was staring directly at him.
---
[Congratulations on passing the 2nd level of the test!]
[Welcome to Phase 3 of the test!]
[A goal has been assigned!]
[Goal: You have arrived in the Land of Unending War with full consciousness!]
[Defeat the Warlock of Eternal War!]