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1.6% Advent of the Three Calamities / Chapter 6: Julien D. Evenus [5]

Chương 6: Julien D. Evenus [5]

What does it feel like to be consumed by fear?

"Haaa... Haaa..." 

Small, shallow, and repetitive breaths coming out of the mouth. 

Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump! 

A rising heartbeat that drummed in the mind. 

A trembling body.

Sweaty palms. 

Shit—

It felt like shit. 

"H-hah." 

Regardless of what I tried, the trembling wouldn't stop. 

I tried to take deep breaths but struggled, occasionally inhaling too deeply and choking on my saliva.

"...Akh." 

It was a pathetic sight. 

I knew it. 

But. 

"...H-hah." 

I couldn't stop it. 

It was slowly consuming every part of me.

Creeping toward the deepest parts of my mind. 

I was able to hold onto my composure up until this point. But now that I was alone... I was struggling. 

I couldn't stop the shaking and the feeling that was taking every part of me. 

'Let this stop... Let this stop...'

At this point. 

Death didn't seem too bad. 

But. 

"Kh...!" 

I grit my teeth. 

"No." 

Such pathetic death... 

Not again. 

And not when I still didn't know what was going on. I wanted to know at least that much. Who was I...? And why was I here? 

Dying in such a moment was the last thing I wanted. 

Therefore. 

"Khhh...!" 

I continued to grit my teeth and endured the fear that was taking hostage of my mind. 

Riiip——! 

My hands were fiercely clenching at my shirt as my legs wiggled on the ground.

For some reason, my body would reflexively avoid the puke on the ground during my struggle. 

The thought of touching the puke seemed more repulsive than the fear that was clouding my mind. 

It was as if it was ingrained in my body. 

"Just... let this pass..." 

The situation seemed helpless but... I could slowly feel it. The sensation was dying away. Slowly, but surely I knew I could regain sight of myself. 

I just had to...

"Kh... Endure." 

I bit my shirt and pulled at my hair. 

"Khak!" 

That was when I noticed something. 

"The pain..." 

The pain appeared to take away from the fear I was experiencing. 

"Ukh...!!" 

I took advantage of that and bit on my forearm. 

The sensation of my teeth digging into my skin eased many of my symptoms, and despite the intense pain, it helped me finally achieve a sense of calm.

Pain. 

Pain I could deal with. 

"Huuu..."

For the first time, I was able to take a deep breath. 

My hands were still trembling but my mind was clear. 

I glanced down at my arm, observing the intricate red patterns weaving across it, converging at the tip of my finger before eventually trailing down toward the ground.

Drip. Drip. 

Red stained the ground. 

Ignoring it, I continued to take deep and even breaths. Slowly, I was regaining control over my body. 

Enough to be able to stand up. 

I wasn't sure how long had passed when I was finally able to be myself again. 

But it didn't matter. 

Right now, all I wanted to do was figure out my situation. 

"Where is this place...?" 

Walking around the room, I traced my finger over a wooden desk.

It felt real to the touch.

Although I already knew, I did it to make sure. 

None of this felt real to me. 

"A medieval style setting, strange powers and visions, a grey-eyed man..." 

The pieces started to put themselves in my head and a conclusion drew up in my mind. One that I struggled to come to terms with. 

I was in the game, wasn't I? 

'Rise of the Three Calamities.'

There wasn't much that I knew about since I'd never played it before, but from what I was told by my brother, it was a very popular game. 

"Why?" 

For what reason was I here? 

And. 

I turned to face the nearest window. It was dark outside so it was hard to see outside, but my focus was elsewhere. 

Toward my reflection. 

With deep hazel eyes, black hair, and a chiseled jawline, he appeared to epitomize perfection solely through his looks. I raised my hands to touch my face. 

"This is me...?" 

I found it hard to believe, but as I pinched my cheek, the reality seemed undeniable. 

"Crazy... This is crazy." 

Even though this seemed to be my reality, I still found it hard to believe. 

Creaaaaak—

My head flicked. 

"..." 

"..." 

A familiar figure stood by the door. He stood motionless, staring at me with his cold grey eyes. 

"Not feeling so well?" 

His tone seemed calm but all I felt was chills. 

Step—

The wooden floor creaked under his step. 

A strange tension lingered over the room as he stepped forward.

His eyes briefly paused on the puke on the ground then settling back to me. 

Step—

He took another step. 

Inching closer to where I was. 

His every movement and action felt suffocating. As if he was dragging me deeper and deeper into the water.

I thought about running but realized it was futile. 

There was no running from this man. 

And...

I didn't feel like running. 

Step—

He stood in front of me. 

His eyes were intense. Closely reminding me of the ones he had in the vision. When his sword pierced me. 

What did he...? 

SHIIIING—! 

My neck felt cold.

It all happened so fast that I had no time to react. 

His mouth parted slightly, 

"You, who are you?" 

"..." 

My neck stung as the blade sunk slightly into my skin. 

A wet trail traced down my neck. 

"You're not him. Who are you?" 

He seemed sure of himself. As if he was certain that I wasn't the person whom this body belonged to. 

And he was right. 

I wasn't. 

Strangely, staring at the sharp tip of the sword that was pointed at me, I didn't feel a thing. 

Would you look at that? 

After all that fear, when the time came for me to feel fear, I didn't feel it. 

It seemed to pale in comparison with what I'd experienced back in the examination room. 

I cocked my head slightly. 

"What makes you think that?" 

My voice came out much calmer than I thought it'd come out in such a situation. 

His lips pulled upwards. 

"He wouldn't have reacted the way that you did had he been in a similar position." 

Is that so? 

"How would he have reacted?"

"By cursing me." 

I thought back to the vision. 

He didn't strike me to be that type of guy. 

I still tried. 

"Get your fucking hands off of me." 

"No, not quite. Still missing something." 

"As in?" 

"Try, 'get your fucking hands off of me dirty bastard'. That's how he'd reply." 

"I see." 

Quite informative. 

I gripped the blade that was attached to my neck and tried to pull it away. Through my gritted teeth, I spat, 

"Get your fucking hands off of me dirty bastard!" 

"Better." 

Unfortunately, the blade wouldn't budge. 

Was the difference in our strength that vast? 

"Don't bother. I'm a knight. Our strength difference is not something that you can bridge with that body of yours." 

"I see." 

I let go and stared at my hand. 

It was bleeding. 

Still, it helped me calm down even more. 

My heart was no longer beating as fast as it was before, and my mind felt a lot clearer. 

"..." 

"..." 

We stood face to face with each other, neither one of us speaking. 

He was the first one to break the silence. 

"I heard an interesting rumor." 

I stood still and listened to his words. 

There was nothing I could do at the moment. 

The powers I displayed before, I knew nothing about them nor how to use them. I had been trying the entire time. 

Right now. 

I was just a normal human. 

"An amazing examinee appeared. From the rumors, he stunned all the judges in his performance. So much that they had to pause the selection process." 

He looked at me with a meaningful look. 

"That was you, wasn't it?" 

Ah. 

It then finally dawned on me. 

The reason why I was still alive up to this point and why he still hadn't killed me yet. 

He was...

I glanced at his hand. The one holding the sword.

...Wary of me. 

"I wonder." 

I kept things short, slowly pulling my lips into a smirk. 

"And what would you do with that information?" 

The grip of his sword tightened, and the blade dug deeper into my neck. 

I suppressed the pain and forced myself to not react. 

"I hate to say this, but this..." 

I lightly tapped the blade on my neck. 

"...It isn't scaring me." 

Fear was the least of my worries. 

"..." 

His eyes grew more intense. 

'Ah, right there.'

He was faltering. 

I raised my right hand.

It was stained red as blood dripped down onto my forearm. It was quite the sight. Also why I chose this hand. 

"All I did was touch him."

"..." 

"I didn't expect him to react the way that he did." 

It's true. 

I really didn't. 

"I wonder." 

I looked at the man in front of me and brought my hand to a close. 

"...How would you react if I tried that on you?" 

*** 

The man that stood before him was not the young master he knew. His demeanor, his actions, and most importantly...

His calmness. 

Leon was sure of it.

...He was not Julien D. Evenus.

Having spent enough time with him, he was certain of it. He had first noticed the change before the examination. 

He seemed strangely silent.

Something unfitting considering how he normally was. 

'He's probably nervous...' 

Leon brushed it off, thinking about how he had probably been nervous about his examination. 

But. 

"Why is the examination on hold?" 

"I'm not quite sure, but I saw someone being brought out from the examination room on a stretcher. Apparently, it was done by one of the examinees."

"Ah? There's someone like that...?" 

"Yeah, I caught a glimpse of him too. He was really handsome. Black hair, hazel eyes..." 

The sudden rumors made it impossible for him to no longer think about it. 

He didn't hesitate to look for him. 

And...

"That was you, wasn't it?" 

Feeling the edge of his blade press Julien's neck, he tightened his grasp of the sword. 

'There's no way they're the same person.' 

He was sure of it now. 

He wasn't the young master he knew. 

What made him especially wary was his lack of reaction. Faced with the prospect of his sword slicing down at his neck, he appeared unperturbed.

The hazel eyes he seemed so familiar with suddenly felt different.

As if he was looking at the cold shell of the young master he knew. 

"I wonder." 

His lips pulled into a smirk. Taunting him, almost. 

Mocking him. 

"And what would you do with that information?" 

Leon further tightened his grasp of the sword and dug the sword deeper into Julien's neck. 

It was a threat. 

'No reaction...?'

One that didn't seem to be effective. 

He was merely standing there. 

And yet...

Yet...

He felt so intimidating. 

Why was that?

"I hate to say this, but this..." 

With light movements, he tapped the tip of his blade. 

"...It isn't scaring me." 

"..." 

Leon remained silent, the muscles of his body tensing. 

Then... 

Drip. Drip. 

Julien raised his blood-soaked hand. 

"All I did was touch him."

He voiced out in a low tone. 

His words seemed to describe the situation. Probably what had happened back at the examination room. 

But. 

"I didn't expect him to react the way that he did." 

To Leon. 

His words. 

"I wonder." 

Seemed more like a... 

"...How would you react if I tried that on you?" 

Warning. 


next chapter

Chương 7: Black Star [1]

The tension in the room felt stifling.

His eyes felt intense. As if they could swallow me whole at any second.

Devour me. 

But. 

I never looked away. 

I continued to stare back at him. I knew I couldn't look away. Looking away meant showing weakness. I couldn't do that. 

Not when I knew he'd kill me for it. 

Drip... Drip... Drip... 

Blood continued to drip down on the ground. Softly disrupting the silence that seemed eager to envelop the room.

Then, 

"What is your goal?" 

He asked me a question. 

One that I couldn't find the answer to. 

Goal... What is my goal...

I'd like to know that as well. 

Suddenly thrust into this situation, I was still struggling to come to terms with everything that had happened to me. 

Why was I here...? Who was the one responsible for all of this? And why me? 

For now, my goal was to find, 

"Answers." 

Reasoning behind my situation. 

And what the end goal of all of this was. 

"What I want is answers." 

I repeated. Sort of as an affirmation for myself. A goal was important. It was so that I wouldn't fall astray in the future. 

"Answers?" 

His brows knit and the pressure that bore down on my neck alleviated. He seemed to be in deep thought, and when he looked back at me, he asked, 

"What sort of answers are you looking for?" 

"Who am I?" 

"Hm...?" 

"Where am I? Who are you? What is this place? Why am I here? What was the goal in putting me here?" 

I threw one question after another. His expression gradually changed with each question, and before I knew it, the sword was no longer at my neck. 

For the first time, his eyes didn't seem that intense. 

"You didn't possess his body by choice?" 

So body possession was possible? 

"No." 

I shook my head. 

"I'm just as clueless as you are in regards to this matter."

I wouldn't be having such a hard time if I knew. 

"..." 

He stood quietly, perhaps contemplating my words. 

Step— 

In the meantime, I walked toward the nearest chair and sat down. I felt lightheaded. With all the blood loss and puking, I was in no state to stand. 

I had just taken a seat when something flashed in my vision. 

∎| Lvl 1. [Fear] EXP + 0.5% 

A familiar notification. 

I felt like laughing and my lips gently pulled up. What sort of joke was this? 

The room grew tense again. 

Turning my head, the same two grey eyes were staring back at me. He seemed strangely stiff. 

"I won't bite." 

"...How do I know you're not lying?" 

Lying? 

I rested my cheek on my propped-up fist. 

"Beats me." 

And shrugged. I really couldn't do anything if he didn't believe me. 

Had I been in his position, I too wouldn't have believed myself. Not only was I unaware of how things worked in this world, but the blood loss was making it hard for me to keep a clear mind. 

But even so, under such circumstances, staring at the man in front of me, I understood something. 

"You already know I'm not lying." 

Somehow. 

Someway... I had a feeling he already knew I wasn't lying. How? The expression he was making. 

It was rather easy to read. 

"..." 

His lack of words served as a silent confirmation to me. 

There was something he wasn't telling me. 

But I didn't push for an answer. 

"Haaa..." 

I couldn't afford to. 

Keeping myself level-headed was starting to prove difficult. 

"What now? What are you going to do?" 

Hearing his voice, I lowered my head to stare at him. 

"...I don't know." 

I wasn't in a state to contemplate. 

Plus, I knew too little of the world. I needed to know more before making a decision. Haste made waste... 

"I see." 

He seemed satisfied with that answer. 

Once again, the room fell silent. I took that moment to close my eyes and rest. But just as I closed them, I heard his voice again. 

"Julien was arrogant. Not very talented. And someone who hated commoners with every ounce of his being..." 

Is that so...? 

Sounded like an amazing guy. 

"The way you act is too different. When the moment arrives for you to encounter someone connected to the previous Julien, the fact that you're not him will easily be exposed. It wasn't hard for me. How hard would it be for others?" 

I figured that much. 

"But..." 

He dragged on his sentence, enough to capture my attention. 

But? 

"I can help you." 

His tone lowered. 

"Let me use you." 

And I opened my eyes. 

Our gazes met. 

"In exchange, I'll let you use me." 

*** 

The Haven Institute, better known as [Haven], was the most prestigious and renowned 'Academy' in the Empire. 

As such, the admissions were extremely challenging. Fitting for an institute of such renown. 

With such a reputation, there was no social segregation between commoners and nobles. There was, however, a consensus amongst the staff.

And that was that commoners were not equal to nobles. 

But it wasn't for silly reasons such as the purity of their bloodline or background. It had to do more with the Empire's law. 

Commoners were only allowed to practice mana from the age of 17. 

To maintain their authority within the empire, the royal family—The Megrail Family—strictly forbade the common people from practicing mana until they hit a certain age. 

The same was true for nobles as well. 

In contrast to the commoners, individuals of nobility were permitted to practice mana at a younger age. However, there existed an age restriction that varied based on their noble status.

Only the direct lineage of the Megrail Family was allowed to practice mana since birth. 

It was therefore normal for those of the Megrail lineage to rank first whenever a descendant entered Haven. 

And yet,

"You're saying there's someone better fit for the top rank. Not just one, but two?" 

Flip—

A black glove delicately turned a page. The motion, though simple, conveyed an oddly graceful fluidity.

"This will be a first for our institute. For a lower-end noble to be elected as the Black Star. I wonder if there's ever been such a precedent in the past. And not just one candidate like that, but to have two of them..." 

The Black Star. 

A title given to the top entrant of each Academic year. 

Without failure, each of them ultimately evolved into an influential figure within the Empire. 

It was an important position. 

"...It has to be done." 

A crisp voice replied.

The tone sounded strangely calm. As if the one who spoke was dealing with a trivial matter. 

But it wasn't such a trivial matter. 

At least, Atlas didn't think so. 

"It'll certainly bring forth a lot of headaches. Not just for me, but to him as well..." 

The position didn't just symbolize status. 

It also served as an index. 

Someone that the cadets had to look up to and strive to become. 

A goal. 

Atlas Megrail sighed as he removed his glasses, unveiling his yellow eyes—a distinctive symbol of his direct lineage with the Megrail family.

"If he can't handle the pressure that comes with being the Black Star, I'm afraid..." 

"That won't be necessary." 

[Julien Dacre Evenus] 

[Leon Rowan Ellert] 

Delilah glanced at the two profiles in front of her. She thought back to what had happened back in the examination room. 

Tap—

Her finger slid over to one of the profiles. 

"He's not someone that will feel pressure from something as trivial as that." 

She was sure of it. 

After all. 

She had seen him in person. 

Slide—

And she pushed his profile forward. 

"The Black Star." 

[Julien Dacre Evenus] 

"It can only be him." 

***

Shaa—

Cold water trickled down from above, each droplet stinging upon contact with my skin. 

My heart raced wildly, yet I remained motionless beneath the frigid stream. I clung to my composure, letting the sensation engulf me as I let my body be consumed by the cold. 

Beneath the showerhead, an unusual tranquility befell me, my mind emptying.

In that brief moment, I savored a small taste of freedom, however fleeting it may have been.

My neck and forearm stung. 

But under the cold of the water, the pain seemed meaningless. 

Click—!

The fleeting sense of freedom disappeared as soon as the shower came to an end, and the weight of reality crashed back down upon me.

"Use me..." 

It had only been an hour since I parted ways with him, and yet, it felt as if it was just a few moments ago since we had that conversation. 

"I wonder if I made the right choice." 

I studied the reflection before me. 

Every aspect appeared meticulously crafted, from facial symmetry to eye depth and jawline definition. It was flawless.

Yet, I loathed it.

"Emmet Rowe."

I muttered aloud for myself to hear, my hands silently grasping the edges of the sink.

"Twenty-four years old. Male. Salesman. Brother, and Patient at the San Burrough's Hospital."

That was my real name, my real identity, and who I was.

I couldn't forget this.

"I mustn't forget this."

This world wasn't mine, nor was this body. Both were foreign to me. This world didn't belong to me, just as I didn't belong to it.

I needed an answer. 

A reason to keep on this facade. 

And for that...

Shaa—!

I turned on the sink, calmly washing my face as the water dripped from my hair.

"I'll do anything."


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