The Gamer's POV-Chapter 249: Test [1]

A flash of lightning streaked, followed by the rumble of thunder, and then... Cedric’s eyes fluttered open to a dark, silent space. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

There was only a gray darkness above, and since he was lying on the ground, he slowly sat upright to look around. The first thing he checked for was his tattoo, and when he couldn’t find it, he could immediately tell that he was not in the sanctuary itself. Rather, he was undergoing the test thrown upon him by it.

He brought down his hand and looked up. There was nothing in front of him, and so, he slowly began to move his head around in a slow, searching circle. When he finally looked behind him, his heart almost jumped out of his mouth in fright.

"Holy shit!" he gasped as he scrambled back on his hands.

In front of him, suspended in the air, was a massive humanoid figure. It wore a heavy, dark cowl that shadowed its face completely, though the rest of its hulking torso remained bare and pale. Its arms were stretched wide to either side, held aloft by thick, rusted chains that disappeared into the gray darkness above.

The being had no legs. It looked as though it had been divided cleanly at the waist, leaving only a jagged, hollowed edge where the rest of its body should have been. It hung there, perfectly still, like a forgotten god bound in the center of the void.

In front of the suspended torso, a large, beating heart hovered in the air. It was split into two distinct, clashing colors. One side was a dark green bordering on black, while the other was a cream color bordering on white. Thick, sharp thorns wrapped around the heart, digging into the muscle and constricting its every beat. Tiny droplets of liquid, either blood or sap, seeped from where the thorns pierced the flesh.

’What the hell...? Is that... my true nature?’

While he was still looking at it in horror, a voice suddenly sounded from all around him. It was a heavy, vibrating bass, and it sounded ancient yet strangely familiar.

"One day, a wise and powerful lord visited his people out of boredom. While walking along the dusty riverbank, he came across a young scholar who was seated alone, lost in deep contemplation about life.

"The lord sat down beside the boy, smiled, and asked, ’What do you think is a huge influencing factor on the actions of mortals?’

"The young scholar thought for a bit, then replied with uncertainty, ’...emotions?’

"The lord let out a small laugh and said, ’Ah... you really are wise. I can see why you are called a scholar. Yes, yes. Emotions are one of the most influential forces in existence. If one has a beautiful heart, they could be very powerful. So powerful that they could influence kingdoms.’

"The scholar seemed to really like this conversation and so, capitalizing on the rare opportunity of the lord’s presence, he asked, ’My lord, what is a beautiful heart?’

"The lord smiled and shared his bit of wisdom with the young scholar. ’A beautiful heart is one that does not merely feel with great intensity, but has the power to sway all things through that very same intensity.’"

At that moment, Cedric felt a deep, piercing pain in his chest.

"Ack!"

He groaned and bent over, clutching his heart. It was beating wildly, thudding against his ribs with such force that it felt on the verge of exploding. He winced in agony, shutting his eyes tight against the gray darkness. Then, he heard the voice again, booming from every direction at once.

"Envy!"

At that moment, the darkness vanished. Cedric’s reality changed and he found himself standing as a hunter, trudging back toward his village in the mountains. He had gone out to hunt in order to feed his family, but unfortunately, he had not been able to find even a single trail to follow. His hands were empty, his stomach was twisted with hunger, and the cold mountain air seemed to mock his failure.

Then along the way, he heard what sounded like someone whistling. The sound seemed to be coming from his right. He sneakily crept toward the noise, staying low behind a thicket of snow-covered pines, until he caught sight of a man some meters away in the forest with a deer on his back.

Cedric recognized the man; this was the man who had stolen and married the woman Cedric had loved right from when he was little. They now had a beautiful family and were doing quite well for themselves.

Whenever Cedric saw this man, he was always filled with envy, but today, the feeling threatened to swallow him whole. Just looking at the man’s easy, confident smile made his stomach turn.

’Somehow, he even managed to get a good catch. While I, like always, got nothing.’

As if to mock him, Cedric’s stomach gave a low growl in the mountain air. He sighed and looked at his stomach, and then his eyes caught sight of his belt where his dagger rested. At that moment, he heard a familiar voice in his head:

"Avarice!"

A small, tense, and evil smile crossed Cedric’s face as an idea suddenly popped into his head.

’Wh-what if... what if I just kill him here and take that?’

He looked around to see if there was anyone nearby, but there was no one. It was just he and this man in this snowy dark forest.

’If I kill him... I can take that... I can... I can also take his wife...’

Evil thoughts began to form and amplify in Cedric’s mind as he watched the blonde-haired man whistle unknowingly with the deer on his back. After a moment of hesitation, Cedric bit his lip.

’Yes... I can kill him. Nobody will know.’

He began to move, leaning his weight against the rough bark of the trees to stay hidden. He stayed low to the frozen ground, sliding from one trunk to the next with his hand white-knuckled against the hilt of his blade. Each time the man stopped to adjust the heavy carcass on his shoulders, Cedric froze, pressing his back into the shadows and holding his breath until the whistling started again.

...Meanwhile, while this was happening, the real Cedric was kneeling on the snow some meters away. One hand was clutching his aching heart, while the other was reaching out as he kept yelling in an attempt to stop this illusory Cedric from committing an act he could never take back!

But it seemed that he was invisible and unheard, considering that the illusory Cedric kept advancing with cold, unwavering killing intent. No matter how loud he screamed or how hard he tried to lunge forward, his other self continued the hunt, guided only by the bitter sting of envy and avarice.