SON OF THE HERO KING

Chapter 618: Everyone fighting hard

Stepping through the Gate of Truth, Sol was not sure what to expect when he reached the other side. Everything from here on would be a new experience for him that went beyond his calculations.

The fact that a source of unknown power had taken root in his heart for the whole of his existence had been a great bother to him from the moment he was aware of its existence.

It was definitely dangerous to have an unknown power slithering inside of him and he had no choice but to seek out such a power. Even though there was a high chance it would swallow him whole, leaving nothing left, Sol continued to march on without any hesitation.

I should find something soon, right?

One step— just one step was all it took for him to find himself transported to a whole new world, completely different from any place he had traversed before.

What did the other side of his Gate of Truth hold? What kind of things could he see? What trials would await him?

The answer was now clear to him.

Nothing.

He could see nothing.

As a hybrid dragon, being able to see even in the deepest darkness should have been a given for him. But not here, not in this abyssal place. Even the strings of Fate that usually occupied his vision were nowhere to be seen.

Did Adam stay in this place all this time?

Sol shuddered at the mere thought of living in such a place, and when he looked back, darkness was all that greeted him. The door to lead him outside didn't exist any longer, perpetual darkness replacing its existence.

The situation was clear to him now. Either he found a way to escape from this abyssal place or he would be forever imprisoned in this place with nothing but darkness as his partner.

“….”

Sol opened his mouth, cursing under his breath for finding himself in such a fucked up place. However, he soon stopped, realizing that no sounds came out no matter how much his lips moved. This… did not make sense, he was currently inside his sea or consciousness… his words and thoughts should virtually have no difference.

He could say nothing.

He moved around, trying to find at least some sense of direction but soon, doubt began creeping upon his mind. No sound reached him. Not the sound of his heartbeat, not even the sound of his steps.

He could hear nothing.

Ah….

Sol blinked or at least he thought he did, he tried to pinch himself but he realized that he felt no pain.

He could sense nothing.

By now, Sol realized that he was truly in deep shit. As a last resort, he even began sniffing, and as he feared…

He could smell nothing.

He did not know when, he did not know how, but slowly, all of his senses had been deprived of him, leaving him with nothing but his own sense of self.

Is this the End?

Absolute perpetual nothingness. A sad and lonely world— the destination of all things with their embers of existence extinguished. Every single thing in existence must meet its end, and they would eventually end up in this place.

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Slowly, even his sense of self started to get eroded, the feeling that his consciousness was drifting somewhere far, far away was soon encroaching upon his existence.

… Huh?

He tried to reach out his arm, trying to grasp at something, anything… but he started to forget how to do that as well.

Focus!

It wasn’t just his arms. Since he was still able to think for himself, he realized he was sure that his head was still attached to his body, and so would be the rest of his limbs. However, even though he knew they were there, he couldn't recall how to move them at all. He surmised that his body should be in one piece but even that thought began to drift and become doubtful to him.

… I still cannot feel anything.

If he could describe his situation in a nutshell, then it would be that his mind was wandering on its own, disconnected from his entire body. He could not see, hear, or feel his magic and for the first time, Sol started to realize just how important the five senses were when it came to keeping a person's sanity in check.

I have to get it together.

He finally understood why Adam had given him that warning, that nothing but hell awaited him if he were to cross the Gate. He could not feel anything, and his fears started to creep in, attacking his weakened mind. This was worse than any hell one could ever imagine themselves experiencing. A hell of nothing but one's sense of self existing and that too dwindling with each passing moment was too horrifying.

… I am still alive, right?

As his perception of time started to distort, doubt began creeping in, and even though he continuously pushed away those thoughts and tried to focus… the fears were relentless, never stopping their onslaught on his mind.

Walk.

He thought to himself, he did not know if he was walking or he was staying put, but he still continued to focus on this single action…

Walking.

The direction did not matter, nor did the distance. All he needed was a singular point to keep his sense of self intact otherwise, he could feel that his mind would start to drift without any sense of purpose until it got extinguished by this endless void of nothingness.

I am Sol Dragona Luxuria

Sol repeated this firmly.

He was Sol.

He was the prince of Lustburg.

He always won, no matter what.

He would succeed in this Trial too.

The girls must be fighting now.

It would be quite lame, right… if he was to be defeated in his own mind while all his loved ones gave their all with all of their hopes and beliefs pinned on him.

Even if it was only for this vain purpose, he needed to win. To survive and to come out stronger than ever, just so he could be there for his loved ones.

But… Could he even do that?

Sol smiled bitterly in his mind. He was biting on far more than what he could chew at this moment. Had he been alone, defeat would have been all but certain, for no mortal mind could face the solitude of endless darkness and still even hope to stay sane.

Thankfully, even if he could not see the Thread of Fate in this forsaken place, and even while fear and doubt assailed his mind, he continued to walk as he was never alone. And he would never be alone, he promised himself that.

———

In the Mortal Realm, the transcendental fight between Camelia and Eins raged on, and the Supreme Daughter of Lustburg slowly felt herself reaching her limits.

Eins was surprisingly not that powerful all things considered. She did not know if it was because he was holding back or if he was really only this strong in the first place, but she knew that as long as she got a clean hit, she could win.

Therein lay the first problem. Being able to hit the slippery bastard.

“What is the matter? You cannot find me? I am to your right, you know?”

His mocking voice reached her, making her grit her teeth. She did not know whether or not he was telling the truth and that worried her. Eins had shown a power that completely isolated all her means. He seemed to be capable of manipulating her perception of reality, thus messing with all of her senses, be it mortal or divine.

Because of this, right and left, up and down, forward and backward, were all scrambled up, making it difficult for her to even sense him properly, hitting him was a faraway thought.

The one saving grace was that she was too powerful for him to hurt as well, but therein lay the second problem.

He was a true Demigod while her power was only borrowed and said borrowed power was also reaching its limit.

[You should stop the descent and flee, you still have a chance to survive if you get away from him…]

The worried voice of Castitas reached her but she ignored it.

“It’s not time yet. I have to hold on.”

She knew that even now, Sol was working hard. So all she had to do was make sure all of his plans came to fruition.

Even if… she had to risk her life for it.