‘Is this death?’
The feeling shrouding my mind was completely different from anything I had felt until now.
Everything felt empty, hollow from within.
Yet, It was soothing but at the same time, repulsive.
My body seemed to reject that warmth, as if trying to push it away.
Why?
Isn’t that something everyone wants? A feeling of calmness, freedom, and comfort.
Finally.
I can feel repulsion weakening somehow. My body was giving in to that heaven-like feeling. Now I understand it was peace, long-awaited.
It should be enough for now.
Calming myself, I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids. The effort was tremendous; it felt like my body was not listening to me.
‘!?’
What is this?
I was standing inside a pitch-dark space, unable to move my hands even a little.
‘am I chained?’
Trying to exert some force, I realized not only were my hands stuck, but my whole body was in the same position.
At least, I am able to see.
‘What am I thinking?’
It feels confusing why my body is trying to convince my mind with small hopes.
Each passing moment, my eyes seem to become heavier, but before giving up to it, I want to observe those restrictions on my body.
Not being able to twist my head, I try to observe the whole space with only my pupils moving.
‘Where is my body?!’
After stretching my limits to observe the restrictions I feel, my eyes can see only darkness instead of my body.
To be more specific.
Except my eyes, my whole body is covered in that darkness, more like it is now devoured by it.
It is enough to break that sleepy feeling I am getting.
All comfort, warmth, everything now seems an illusion which was shown to me while that thing is devouring me, dissolving my consciousness.
‘System’
My mind is getting clarity due to the sudden impact it got seeing what has become of me.
‘….’
Not getting any reply, I understand that this place is inside my body, confirming from the fact that this could only be a place where the system can’t reach.
‘Is it the last struggle my body is putting?’
It is clear that, even though more than half of my body is devoured, I am still able to think.
It all feels like something is protecting my consciousness while my physical body is getting dissolved.
‘What could that thing be?’
I can only name this darkness, Void, something which is trying its utmost to erase my existence.
Suddenly, my left eye starts to get covered by a shadow.
‘Stop it, don’t disturb me.’
It was a word coming on a whim, even though it carried my intent at that moment for not getting distracted while thinking.
But it worked.
The shadow seems to get deflected, leaving my sight.
This small event was registered by my mind.
‘Was this what the System talking about?’
I could remember words from the system about something stopping its interference inside my body, repelling it.
Though it was only surface observation, that unknown thing was giving me protection against any outside interference, curses, poisons, debuffs, and even the System itself.
What are you?
This was the only question remaining in my mind. It was an unknown energy that was protecting me, but I didn’t know anything about it.
‘…..’
Slowly closing my eyes, my mind tried to focus on the feeling it felt when that shadow was deflected due to my words.
It was pure intent to thwart that thing from disturbing me.
But that feeling was on a whim, not clear exactly what requirements needed to fulfill in order to use it again.
‘Leave me.’
After some time of trying to regain that sensation, I tried to use it again.
Seems like nothing was going to happen.
There was no movement, I couldn’t feel my body; the only thing vivid to me was my sight, looking towards darkness, akin to void.
‘….wait, what if’
A sudden realization dawned on me, making me think what if I was wrong all along.
The immunity the system talked about may not be just an ability of repulsion or blocking.
But there was only one thing I could do to confirm my doubt.
‘Erase.’
Huush
A slight sound reached my ears, which seemed to be blocked for the beginning by that void-like substance, covering all my senses except my eyes.
Subsequently, I started to feel my body which was non-existent for me a moment ago.
Slowly bringing my hand forward to see if it was fine, the moment it fell into my sight, what awaited me was dark black veins shrouding both of my hands.
I couldn’t feel any anomaly, but my eyes could clearly see my veins which were now turned black, even more vivid now.
I could now feel that unknown energy which seemed to me as providing me immunity into something else.
That ability Nullifies everything instead of just repelling.
Somehow, that thing felt mysterious and at the same time its mechanism was somewhat clear to me.
What I needed was time to fully master that thing, whose mere thought only caused one voice to resonate in my mind — *Shunya*
I don’t know which language this is, but it felt as though that ability wanted me to call it by this name.
Unlike the System, which felt like a foreign body to me, the feeling I got from this ability seemed to belong to my own.
It was an indivisible part of my body and soul.
My thoughts were solely focused on one fact: what if this ability could be used with free will?
Not only that,
Clenching my hands, I can feel it resonating with the surrounding energy, as if trying to nullify it but blocked by something, which I can at least guess is nothing but me.
My own mind is becoming a hindrance, thwarting me from fully utilizing *Shunya*.
Slowly, I started to concentrate on shrinking this unknown energy within a small space in my consciousness, removing its influence surrounding my body.
Trying to make way for my other support to come inside.
The moment I felt that unknown energy getting concentrated in one place, I called out.
‘System’
DING!
In that mute space, a sharp sound resonated, carried by another mechanical voice reverberating in that empty space.
[Host, it’s nice to see you well.]
‘….’ Somehow, even after knowing about System’s origin, I still can’t seem to become accustomed to its friendly tone.
But atleast, it felt nice hearing it.
‘What happened to me?’ I needed to know the reason for my present state.
That feeling of being torn from within was not foreign, but it felt like my own body was trying to kill me.
[Host, it was a drawback of the Devereaux Bloodline. It seemed to have activated after detecting you killing a user carrying the same bloodline.]
‘This was unexpected.’
Now every puzzle was falling into place.
From the fact that Devereaux members engaged in the Flagbearer battle, making the whole family’s foundation about killing each other, while their bloodline prohibited it.
Pointing towards only one thing: they tried to get rid of competition for heirs using outside variables.
