Chương 205: Indomitable Spirit

I woke up to somebody knocking on the door, the wooden ceiling of the tavern stared at me, I really didn't want to get up. Another knock.

"Elias, are you there?" Tom's voice was muffled through the door. I sighed, it was me who told him to come bring the items. I got up and opened the door, the big man was about to knock again, arm raised while the other held a big burlap sack.

"Sorry to wake you up, I was ju-""Don't worry, I asked you." A moment of silence stretched between us, I had to be careful not to let even a speck of my aura into my eyes, but it actually wasn't that hard, just like keeping a muscle clenched, after a bit, you get used to it.

"Well then, can I help you with something? You seem tired." he said. I thought about it, could he help? He probably had experience given that he was a war veteran and all, but I didn't feel like talking about it now.

"Just tell the Guild that I won't tolerate any more freeloaders, and if somebody objects tell them to leave, I'm done playing nice, this is life and death, it's high time they understand." He looked conflicted for a moment then sighed.

"Fine, I don't know what happened to you, but I can imagine," I didn't think that he could actually, "remember that if you want to talk, me, and the others too, are here for you. God knows how much you did for us already, so don't be a stranger, ok?" I nodded.

"Thanks." I didn't know what more to say, so I just decided to cut this conversation short.

"I will work on the items now, it will take me some time, but by tomorrow they should be ready."

"Yeah, yes of course, I'll leave you to it…" He opened his mouth to say something else, but in the end he simply passed the sack to me and awkwardly walked away. I looked at him going down the corridor, he turned around slightly then turned a corner and disappeared from my view. I took a deep breath, I had to get a grip. I closed the door and took out the stylo, opening the passage to my manor, then for the first time I sat down in the living room, the couch was incredibly comfortable.

I opened the sack and of course, it was a spatially enlarged object, inside it was full of stat-enhancing items, fruits, tower shields, spears, armours… most were standardized, copies of the same things, most probably for the new fighters, Tom was training a unit. I hoped it worked, this was going to be hard in my condition. I got to my feet again, I didn't have enough space for the curses, I took the sack and went into the dungeon.

There, my two eggs silently waited, I noticed that the white one had nearly absorbed all the green crystals, while the black one had eaten most of the curses I placed this morning, damn gluttons. It wouldn't be long until they were born, I would have to improve my Veiled Marionette, to ensure their loyalty, maybe cast multiple commands, making them a part of them. I would have to think of something soon. I sat on the wooden bench in the black egg's cell, and took out the first item that came into my hand.

The long spear had a curse related to brittleness, for lack of a better description, I could feel that whoever used it would have their body way easier to break, but without a clear System description I couldn't infer more without trying it out on myself, not that I would, I was already full as it was. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I started my work, linking the spear to one of the items under the egg, one that got its curse devoured already.

My aura acted as a bridge, then a real tether manifested, and I transferred the curse. Luckily it was quite weak, so it didn't require that much effort, but the large amount of items would still pose a hard challenge in my state. My state… I was feeling better after my nap, I had totally collapsed in bed, the repetitive work, while not giving me much in the sense of levels, allowed my mind to wander.

My curse resistance trait was working overtime along with my aura and new Willpower stat to resist the bracelet curse, I could feel the trait improving, getting pushed, stretched and broken and reformed, at least it was working… small mercies. Now that my mana was full again and my mind a little more clear I realized that I wasn't feeling as destroyed as before, but one thing I constantly went back to were the three bandits I killed. I killed three people… What did that make me? What did this mean to me?

Before I killed the man and woman controlled by the root tree, they got blasted to pieces by my spell, but in my heart I knew they weren't there anymore, they weren't people, just puppets, and the System seemed to have confirmed my hunch. Because I didn't gain the Kinslayer achievement before. Achievement… was it really an achievement to kill your own? I could argue all night about my motivation, I was good at arguing after all, they provoked me, they wanted to harm me, or rob me at the very least.

They were bad people, and the world is a better place without them. I could even argue that I killed the first man by mistake, but that would be a lie, I wanted to harm him, I wanted to make him feel terror, helplessness, I wanted to see him hurt, and when he had that heart attack, at least I presumed he died from that, I felt satisfaction at my capability…

Then the other, he tried to escape, and he was the one that suggested killing me first, not even the leader went that route, he just wanted my items, so maybe I was justified in doing it? I tore him to pieces. And felt vindicated when I did. The last one… I felt I could work with him, I hoped to somehow recruit him, adding some very needed analyst personnel to my Guild, somebody who could tell me how valuable things were and what properties they had, but that skill, Backstab…

he said it wasn't what it seemed, but he was lying, I felt it in his aura, and even without that, how could you backstab someone when you had no weapons on you? No, he wasn't travelling with the other two for nothing, he was a willing participant, and his danger sense skill was working very well, he was the brain of the group, and got the same treatment. There was no way I would bring into my Guild a bandit whose highest skill was Backstab. But I could have let him live…

The real problem after all this thinking, wasn't that I felt guilty. It was that I didn't feel anything for killing them. It was a realization that spoke volumes about how I saw others, was I lacking empathy? Maybe, but I felt a sense of camaraderie with Quinn, Alya and Marcus, and Rhea, I loved her I think, did I? I left that thought for another day. Still, the fact remained that I knew I should feel remorse, I should feel guilt or at least some form of pain for my actions.

The reality was that I felt nothing, that understanding brought me more anguish than I thought would be possible. Maybe there was a reason why my soul was dark as the abyss. No. I transferred another curse into a knife near the black egg. That's enough. I killed three men. Three bandits who wanted to harm me. I felt nothing, and that was that. I didn't hurt innocent people, I just scared Gilbert to the point of soiling himself, I reasserted control and instilled the fear of God into the ingrates in my Guild.

Was it bad, maybe? Did it work? Very likely. Did I regret it? Absolutely not. I felt my resolve strengthen, the curses seemed to have less of a grip on me now. I would survive these five days until my curse resistance evolved, I would improve my aura control, my skills, I would take everything I needed and bring my Guild to another level. It was time I stopped cursing my fate. I needed to act, to plan, and moping about my lack of humanity wasn't helping.

I needed to strengthen my resolve, it was my most powerful weapon, I didn't evolve my Willpower for nothing, now it was called Indomitable Spirit, so I would embrace it, I would take that indomitability and make it real. This cursed bracelet won't fell me, Adrian won't fell me, this damn tutorial and whatever happens next won't fell me. I would prevail, one step at a time I would gain my freedom, I knew I could do it, but I needed a plan, I needed to think, I needed more information.

My mind was growing tired after all this work, I still had many items to cleanse of their curses, but I would do it, then I would rest.

But tomorrow, tomorrow would be another day, another opportunity for growing stronger and getting what I needed, I would take the bull by the horns, I wouldn't be this passive anymore, I was done with the kind Elias, until the bracelet stayed the curse of the False Saint was subdued, so I could act as I wanted, and as soon as I took it off, I would evolve my class and use all the resources I had, then I would face the Tyrant of Aaranor. I would get that crown, and nobody would stop me.