[Mana: 600 (-590)]
[Endurance: 400 (-395)]
[Host in a critical stage]
[All currently activated abilities will now be deactivated.]
The system notification blinked before the soulless eyes, as Ryuk felt his activated skill deactivating.
Slowly, his body slipped from the cracks he was on, landing on his butt, his gaze turning to look at the empty stumps where his legs ought to be.
He slowly raised his gaze, his eyes landing on that face.
But it was all blurry.
All he saw was that grin.
That devilish grin that found amusement in him.
The grin that seemed to have found ultimate joy at his absolutely battered state.
'So this is the power of the Eternity Stage, huh?' Ryuk thought, before a sickening grin appeared on his face.
'I truly may have been closer to death these past few times than I thought.'
'To think there's so much gap between an Eternity Stage expert and one below,' Ryuk thought again, as his gaze flashed to the Frost Wyvern lady and the Half-Fallen one.
Each of them was as strong as the man before him and he had used almost everything in his arsenal against this man.
Frozen Physique, Sovereign of Eternal Frost, Abyssal Nano-Reaper, Abyssal Reaper Scythe, Cryo-Eternal Devourer. All his most powerful skills—his pillars of confidence.
And all had proven futile, crushed under two gauntleted fists.
The man hadn't even revealed a single battle technique.
He had simply crushed him with nothing but punches after punches, wearing down everything Ryuk was proud of and reducing him to an absolutely battered state.
'The gap between me and an Eternal Stage expert is so high? I never knew,' Ryuk muttered.
"I really have grown arrogant from my ignorance. Perhaps I should have exercised more caution. Perhaps I should have never come in…" The thoughts, filled with nothing but negativity and blame, began sinking into his mind as Ryuk watched the crimson lines that scarred his body begin covering every part of him, sucking out more life force.
The world was starting to blur, and the last thing he could see was that grin.
'My life is slipping away."
"I can feel something within, my soul perhaps, getting colder, and all he has is a grin on him. Didn't know life could be so feeble. How interesting…' was Ryuk's thought before he felt his consciousness fading.
The embrace of Death was getting closer now than ever.
Yet at the last second, he saw a golden glimmer standing just at the edge of his fading awareness, and quickly, his eyes settled on it as he focused on the blur with the last vestige of his power.
There he saw a figure that made his eyes flash in shock.
The physical outline of a gentle, old-looking man, standing on his feet, a dark rusty jacket slung over his shoulder while both of his gloved hands rested on a walking staff.
"Uncle… Uncle Bob!?" Ryuk forced out from the corner of his lips as he strained his eyes.
Yet no matter what he did, he could never see that face.
All he saw was him silently standing to the side, yet Ryuk could feel his gaze on him.
Then, he watched as one of his hands rose from the cane, waving toward him.
"Uncle… Bob," he said once more as the negativity and blame faded from his world and he felt a little bit of light, even as the image slowly faded away.
"I'll fight, Uncle Bob. I'll fight for you!" he roared in his mind, tearing apart the last bit of doubt as his eyes snapped open.
DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Space dilated from power as a powerful crimson-blue light burst through the golden space, Ryuk's eyes flashing open in anger.
"I'll fight!"
'System!'
[Yes, Host.]
"Use my reward from my previous quest!"
[Rewards Available: 1 Rejuvenating Card.]
[Rejuvenating Card][Type: Consumable][Rarity: Divine][Description: A miraculous restoration card infused with primal life essence.][Effect: Upon activation, instantly heals all physical and internal injuries, cures all ailments, and resets all bodily stats to their original peak values.]
[Does Host wish to use Rejuvenation Card?]
'Yes!'
[Congratulations! Rejuvenation Card has been used!]
Immediately, the notification panel flashed.
A groan left Ryuk's lips as he felt an incredible wave of pure energy being released into him.
Crimson blood oozed from his lips, along with a sizzling gas as the energy that had depleted his life force was instantly expelled from his body.
In an instant, Ryuk's nanobots began multiplying rapidly.
Soon enough, they came together, forming new arms and legs, the runic tattoo of strength on Ryuk's arm appearing once more.
The feeling of absolute strength returned to him, and in the next instant—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The wall where his back lay shattered into nothing as Ryuk shot to his feet, his body levitating in the air, a massive aura of energy bursting forth like an opened dam.
[Confirmation: All injuries have been healed!][All stats have been returned to original!][Host has returned to full power!]
The system flashed before disappearing, as Ryuk settled back to the ground, his eyes locking onto the man sitting on the throne who now had shock in his eyes.
One second ago, the boy before him had been completely crushed, seemingly at death's door.
Yet now, he stood before him, fully healed of all his injuries.
'Could it be? Could it be today I finally get to be freed of this misery?' The question flashed through the man's eyes, a hint of melancholy hiding in them, yet a taste of release accompanying it before an even wider grin appeared on his lips.
"Interesting. Really interesting!" his voice boomed, louder than ever, as he rose to his feet, towering above Ryuk.
"Come, kid. Show me all you got!" he said, as a powerful light flashed in his marred hands.
From the space beside him, two gigantic weapons slipped out, and the last piece of the gauntlet in his hand finally crumbled, falling prey to the cracks, but they created a chance for his hands to tightened on the new Weapons that settled tightly in his grasp.
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A/N:
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In and Out_SnowySmoos