Chapter 114 114(113): The First Ring VI
What looked to be a darkling crocodile surged out if the lake, and in a movement that was so smooth that no crocodile, whether darkling or not should be able to do, the creature twisted as it lumbered forward and smashed it's tail in Cole's direction. For a brief moment Cole felt the cold grip of death as he spread his plan to the side and summoned every last shred of energy in his body to use [Gravity]
There was a massive boom as Cole was blasted backwards, his body flying through the air until he impacted the cavern wall, breaking something in the process as the chitterlings which were faster swarmed allover him.
He was in pain and at the moment it was becoming a bit harder to concentrate or focus, but he couldn't stop, so I stead he spread his awareness over his entire body that was at the moment being chewed up by the darklings. Then he began to use [Sin Eater] the darklings had no souls, nor where they considered physically alive to be able to give him health. he had tried activating [Sin Reaper] but the skill had failed, Cole could only hope that it was because of him injuring himself by pushing a skill past the bounds of what he and his body could handle or at least it was because of his earlier hypothesis.
The drain was Instant and Cole already knew that once the drain started, a sort of paralysis would be present. He used that to his advantage as scores upon score of chitterlings began to rush and pour themselves over his location, only for them to get dusted and turn to ash as their numbers reduced, sucked dry of everything that they were.
But this wasn't the end of it though, just as he was getting the energy, Cole was also getting more and more debilitating injuries. The only thing he could do was curl into himself with his sword held tightly within his grip as the chitterlings fell upon him, as they hurt him, the injuries healed over, but for some injuries he was getting injured all over again before he even has the chance to heal it.
But there was no escape from here, with [Shadow Dance] out of commission Cole was not sure [Spectral Rover] was available for use. But even then he still wasn't that shaken, he could perhaps try and escape, but Cole refused, he could hear with the injuries for a little while, the reason for that was because He had perhaps found a way to cheat with his abilities.
[Demonic Constitution has Reached a threshold! +10 to Dexterity and Perception! Counter reset! 4/20 Debilitating Injuries Healed.]
[Sin Eater Used! +20 to Energy, +10 to Intelligence, +15 to Attunement]
[Sin Eater Used! +15 to Energy, +10 to Charisma, +10 to Perception, +5 to Intelligence]
[Sin Eater Used! +25 to Energy, +5 to Attunement, +10 to Dexterity, +10 to Soul]
[Demonic Constitution has Reached a threshold! +15 to Dexterity and Perception! Counter reset! 7/30 Debilitating Injuries Healed.]
This was cheating, and Cole could not stop it. He had lost count of how many times his intestines had been dragged out of his body and then his healing either regrew it before shoving it back in. He was buried deeply under the ash of the destroyed chitterlings, they were a few Ursalings amongst them too who had gotten too close. But the endless streams of notification aside, Cole was in a hell of a lot of pain, ten minutes through he was already rethinking this crazy plan of his.
But by then it was too late, he couldn't think as the torture was all he could endure. He shuddered, he knew that there was always a price to pay for power, and here he was paying way more than what others could possibly have to pay. For the first time in a while, Cole regretted taking a course of action that would bring him power, even when he had refused to interact with people believing no one could be trusted and that they would slow him down.
He never imagined he would find himself in such a situation. Which begs the question… why was he still there. Ultimately Cole could just as easily extricate himself from underneath the growing pile of death he had just formed around himself. Yet he was still there, barely coherent, the pain being the only thing on his mind as his flesh was torn and ripped open again and again and again…. Why was he still doing this?
The answer was greed. Cole became a different person when he lost the woman he loved, but beyond that there was still a bit of hope left for him, a spark if you could call it that…. But then his brothers got killed and it turns out family was responsible. Then he found out that the universe as he knows it would end and they would be subjugated and conquered by other realities, then people tried to kill him.
Cole had pretty much been pushed to the edge where only dire choices and dangerous moves would be the only thing that could and would save his life….. power. In the end that is what it comes down to. This was what Titus and Izanagi had chased after, the power to be able to control their own destiny against a system that they could not possibly hope to fight against.
Power against established forces and power that have had the system to themselves for years, decades, centuries if not millennia… or more. Power to be able to decide his own fate and not be drive or pushed left right and center, to be able to plant his own foot on the ground and decide when and if he would move at all. To have people think twice about attacking him, betraying him or leaving him behind…. To keep whatever was left is his now fractured family safe.
This was the reason why he was fighting, the reason why he was here getting chewed up by unworthy monsters. So if it is pain he has to deal with in order to get to where he wants to then so be it. He would deal with the pain, he would live with it, he would wear it like a mantle and he would surpass it. So these darklings can do whatever the fuck they want to him, he was not getting up from here, because he knew for every bone broken and ever organ torn into, he was getting stronger and stronger By the time they get tired or he was done…..Titan Rising Online would never remain the same again.
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