NOVEL NEXT Chapter 352: Initiating...
We remained as such for a few minutes until they reluctantly let go of me. I am not gonna lie, seeing these two people who I've only known for less than three hours care so deeply about me filled my soul with warmth.
"I will see you in a bit, my mothers." I decreed resolutely and turned towards the giant structure.
"I am ready to begin."
[Initiating…]
A sudden brightness enveloped my vision. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that I got incapacitated by a flashbang. I tried to open my eyes, only to realize that I never closed them in the first place. I was surrounded by pure whiteness all around me, and I was floating freely in the midst of this strange atmosphere.
In front of me, words began materializing just as they did before on the monument.
[The Soul Records believe that the entity Quinlan Noir has a low tolerance for pain, both physical and mental.]
Oh dear. That doesn't sound good at all.
[He'd surrounded himself by mortals and went from being a frontline warrior to a backline mage so that he would not have to dirty his hands. He almost lost consciousness from the mere pain inflicted upon his body by the intermediate water elemental spell, [Jet Assault], which would've seen a simple mortal human of an identical level eliminate a primordial through the use of a single spell. Furthermore, he'd never suffered loss or crippling defeat. His biggest personal loss is getting laid off from a workplace he didn't care much about in the first place.]
"What do you mean, not having to dirty my hands? I am not a coward. I just wanted to become a mage more than a fighter. As for the water spell, I held my ground in the end… Also, I did lose before, such as Ayame whopping my ass in our duel or the many monsters I needed her help with." I rebutted the strange creature with my admittedly rather weak arguments, but it paid my words no heed.
[Therefore, the primordial entity shall be tested on his ability to endure suffering.]
[Primordial Rank-Up Mission: 'Gauntlet of Suffering' is beginning…]
[Constructing simulation: the childhood of Iris Thornclaw…]
[Task: Remain Sane.]
No way…
Iris was the holder of the Child of Agony class, and my mind instantly replayed my beloved Ayame's words regarding it.
'Child of Agony is an Epic rarity class that debuffs its user with various debilitating effects but in exchange grants buffs. It's up to the class holder to retain their sanity and combat readiness despite the immense pain they are constantly subjected to, and if they can, they get rewarded handsomely in the form of bonus temporary stats and strong spells.
The ugly name comes from its unlock requirements, which are just straight-up horrible. One needs to be tormented from the moment they are four years old - which is when children really start to understand what's going on around themselves - until they reach the age of fourteen, constantly. Without a day's rest. The child has to feel permanent terror, horror, hopelessness, depression, and such. If they feel a single happy or hopeful thought for more than a few hours, the class can't be unlocked at all.'
I couldn't help but think that I might just go insane if this simulation was going to be about what I thought it would be.
The light that enveloped me thus far dimmed and in the next moment I found my surroundings to undergo a drastic change.
My body was compressed on all sides as I was held tightly in a warm, pulsating darkness. I felt pressure building, intensifying with each second, and then a powerful force squeezed me downward.
The sounds around me were muffled and very strange - somewhat familiar but from an angle I hadn't experienced before. I could make out low murmurs, one distinctly feminine and filled with pain as she was desperately gasping for air. A second voice shouted reassurances.
"You're almost there! Just one more push, lady Vernice!"
"Come on my love, you're doing so well. Inhale and exhale while pushing!" said another voice, a man's this time around. It was deep and shaky as though the tension in his mind fought against his understanding that he is the one who must remain calm.
The walls around me tightened once more and I was forced to move forward. Panic swelled in my mind - was I really in the womb of a woman? I couldn't see anything but darkness and I couldn't move my body at all. I tried to extend my arms but felt no response.
The woman's - who was evidently called Vernice - body surged again, forcefully pushing me out into the unfriendly welcome of cool air that stung at my skin. I felt myself break free with my senses getting entirely overwhelmed as a loud cry tore from my throat. I was alive in a way that was both intensely raw and painfully vulnerable.
Through a blinding layer of moisture, I managed to glimpse some blurred figures hovering above me. I blinked several times as I was trying to focus on my surroundings which were slowly but surely coming into hazy focus. I could see a female's features that were red and weary yet softened with relief, beaming down at me. Beside her, a broad-shouldered man leaned close and his eyes shone as he looked down on me with a mix of awe and pride.
"She's perfect…" the man murmured while reaching down to caress my forehead. His touch was firm but gentle, steadying me amidst the strangeness of it all.
The realization hit me like a tidal wave. I was… Iris. Not the Quinlan who just moments ago stood ready for a test, but the newborn, helpless body of a child named Iris Thornclaw.
As a pair of hands lifted me and wrapped me in a blanket, the voices continued.
"Welcome to the world, my beloved daughter, Iris Thornclaw." the woman, my new body's mother whispered lovingly.
I was swaddled in blankets and handed to the man, who held me close. This was my father - if only for the purpose of the trial, which would see me through the early years of one of the most tormented lives to ever exist.
As I lay in his arms, I tried to steel myself for the path ahead. Gauntlet of Suffering - the words echoed ominously in my mind. This was going to be the greatest challenge I'd ever faced.