The Fool's Freedom

Swirling darkness. An ocean of it. And in the middle stood an island as if placed under spotlight. It was a lone jagged piece of existence cutting through the currents assaulting it. Shadows of beasts, of memories, and of wails that had traveled through eternity passed by in a constant storm. Raging, untamed, and dangerous.

Each took a bit of the island. Devouring or replacing, it was unknown. The island remained unchanged.

“Do you think killing is all there’s to it?” the man asked, his voice echoing before sinking into the darkness. He was tall and thin. Hair fell around his face, as if locks of oil. His eyes were sad, and his voice was tired. The island welcomed him. It was his, but not his alone.

In response, he received a giggle. A girlish laugh that made the darkness it had spawned from seem almost inviting. It was innocent and pure, and none of the malice its owner could bring was reflected in it. Was it an illusion, or truth? Was there such pure joy in one bathed in so much blood?

Then she appeared, swimming out of the storm, as if she was part of it. The shadows swirled and slowly formed her. A beautiful vision of white and dark.

“You’ve always strayed from what we are, but that’s what I like about you, brother,” she said. “You seek virtue where there is none. We, by design, are creatures of the dark. We embrace the dark urges that shape us, and we don’t deny the shadows spawned by our souls. Is it so wrong? Do you think us evil?”

“How many have you killed, Saiya?” the man retorted. “How many have I been forced to kill? When does the killing end? Do you not understand that you create a cycle of blood and death that will never end, so long as revenge is all you seek? So long as you crave power that shouldn’t be yours?”

“Death is a necessity, and so is killing. What else is there? It is not evil to embrace your nature and to accept the joy that comes with it. We’re not betrayers, we’re the betrayed,” Saiya said. Her voice had lost some of the joy that permeated it almost constantly, but it still brought ease and comfort unbecoming of one such as her. Not a hint of anger or frustration tainted her words. “Power is all that matters. Power is all that can grant us what matters most.”

“There is power in light. There is power in using the darkness to do good. Let us leave a legacy that is more than carnage and rivers of blood. Let us be remembered as something more than monsters. We need to build. We need to create. Destruction will only tarnish the memories of those before us. We’re the last of our family. Soon we will be the last of our race if we don’t fall before that. The duty is ours.”

“Why could there be no light in killing? Ridding the universe of those who rule is good! It is the greatest contribution to life. You’re foolish, brother. Your heart is in the right place, but you’ve seen that it is impossible to live without embracing the death we bring. We’re shadowless. We are darkness. We are light. Hope for the slaves and the punished. Hope for those who don’t accept the rules set by the usurpers.”

“You’re too bloodthirsty sister. I… struggle to argue with you. These constant talks are draining. It might be as you say it is, and it might be that death is the only thing that can bring change… But I need to try. I need to see where this new path leads me,” the brother replied.

“Then do so, brother,” she said. “And leave the killing to me…”

“I mourn for you. For us.”

She was about to answer but then thought better of it. Something changed in the storm of shadows around them. Someone was coming. It should’ve been impossible to find them in this place, and yet… Saiya smiled and the world shifted with her ruby lips. “They’ve found us,” she said. She sounded happy.

Her words made the man look even more crushed and broken. He stood up. A tall wiry frame that exuded sadness. The shadows coalesced around him, swirling and shifting. In them, there were monsters.

“Do as you wish, brother,” she said. “Go do good. I can bathe the Realms in blood alone.”

“You will die.”

Saiya laughed. “Do you think death scares me? Do you think death will be the last of me, brother? I revel in fighting. I seek the Thrill that enraptures my heart. Only in combat can we create the most beautiful of art. Only through death can this universe be reborn anew. Enough. I’ll greet our visitors.”

She became one with the storm of shadows.

***

The pale lanky man walked alone. His chest was bare, covered in scars. Torn trousers that reached a bit below the knee were all he had on. The shadows followed after him, blotting the sky and turning the world grey.

Yet the people in the distance didn’t seem afraid.

Farmers, blacksmiths, brewers, bakers, fathers, wives, sons, and daughters. Simple people with finite lives. Low lifeforms, if one asked the System. Unevolved. The man knew that to those of his stature, such people were but grass beneath the feet. Those without power were only important to the gods and those who copied them, feeding their strength with the power of belief. Their souls held no value to the System, but they had their uses.

He didn’t want their belief. He was not one of those that needed to be propped up by others. But they gave him joy and peace. Helping them, using his sinister powers for their good, was changing him. Slowly Slowly but surely. He still killed. Oh, how he killed.

It was the nature of all things that wanted to grow to kill. His sister had been right in that. But… perhaps change could be achieved in different ways too.

The man looked toward the sky and the blanket of shadows that followed after him. A million small lights lit up inside the darkness and shot out at once, bathing a broken world with hope.

***

Alan woke up with a start and quickly rose. There was pain everywhere, especially in his midsection. His right arm was numb, and his collarbone was killing him. He was still in the dark cavern. A headache pumped in his head. It was different than a common migraine. A disgusting smell hit him, forcing his brain to wake up faster. He scrambled away from the corpse next to him, slowly so as to not aggravate his injuries. The ground around him was worn and cracked. The remains of the monster were in the same state.

Broken apart, as if he had battered them for hours on end. Perhaps he had. His mind was sluggish and exhausted in a way that suggested he had utilized his Will all this time. An unconscious act of self-preservation.

He shook his head. His mind was hazy, distant. He had dreamed things. Memories that didn’t belong to him. They were growing fainter by the minute, and all he could hold on to was some of the things he’d felt inside the visions. Pain and fatigue… and joy. Unbridled, mad joy.

How strange.

A giggle came from the whispers of the shadows, making them quiet down for just a moment. He felt shivers pass through him, but decided to ignore it. Such was the path of one like him.

He looked down. There were holes in his clothes and scars on his skin. His stomach was covered in scabs and a few of the wounds were still open, although most of the damage was healed. Not on the inside, considering how he felt, but it was getting there. The mana worked its way through him, like thousands of small ants.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but considering how much the healing had progressed, then it was at least a day or two. It was lucky nothing had come to finish the job of the monster. Even his finger was almost fully recovered, and that one seemed to take more time than the fight.

The messages of the System still flashed and his mind, and he focused on them.

You have slain Forgotten Drider (287)

Level up!

You have reached level 118 in Tier Two [Shepherd of the Broken]

+5 Attribute Points

+5 to Mind, Will, Magic

Level up!

You have reached level 119 in Tier Two [Shepherd of the Broken]

+5 Attribute Points

+5 to Mind, Will, Magic

Level up!

You have reached level 120 in Tier Two [Shepherd of the Broken]

+5 Attribute Points

+5 to Mind, Will, Magic

Level up!

You have reached level 121 in Tier Two [Shepherd of the Broken]

+5 Attribute Points

+5 to Mind, Will, Magic

This was good. Levels were always good. Each one was a significant boost and felt more important than at tier one. Alan could almost feel himself change. It was a strange sensation, as change was oftentimes a slow process. The System circumvented that and he liked it more and more. He wondered if he was supposed to be addicted to the levels. To seek out the power they offered. Each milestone brought rewards he couldn’t dream of.

And yet… there were also other paths to power. The insights he had tried to utilize a few times. The strange mana he could conjure just because he had some experience with it. Would attributes matter if he grew to understand the secrets of the universe?

Alan shook his head. Those were silly thoughts. He focused on the other messages.

Your insights into Flow and Emptiness have improved.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill [Severing Mana] (Epic)

[Severing Mana] (Epic)

To see the world for what it is. To dissect it, cut apart the seams, and unravel all you touch. A first step down a road many swordmasters reach for. Your senses, sharpened by trials and suffering, allow you to see the currents holding it all together.

Follow the currents. Create emptiness where there is none. Cut.

Warning! There’s a 60% chance of failure as your understanding is not high enough to wield this skill properly.

Strong emotions may alter the chances in your favor.

The chance of failure is lower when you’re near death.

Entering a state of Enlightenment will fully neglect this restriction.

Alan’s eyes widened. This was yet another surprising twist. A skill that could fail, and fail so often? It was a good skill. Its destructive power would somewhat alleviate the lack of such in [Shadow Creation] and [Void Pierce] and allow him to have an ace up his sleeve.

However, from what he understood this was a very close-range skill, and close range was always a gamble. He needed a physical touch for his curses, but this skill took some more time to use.

Furthermore, it was a last-moment ace up the sleeve. He didn’t know how to feel about that. Getting hurt, or having strong emotions made its success rate rise… Hopefully, in time he would manage to advance it.

Perhaps focusing more on [Void Pierce] or trying to go in another direction with the basis [Mana Zap] had given him was smarter. This was just too niche.

Covering his nose Alan approached the corpse and examined the cuts he had managed to make in those last few moments of inspiration. It was difficult to see them well, as his Will had wreaked havoc on the remains and the slightest touch made the once powerful carapace crumble beneath his fingers. It was a pity. The corpse was probably very valuable, however nothing usable was remaining of it. Not even a core.

From what he managed to gather the cuts were smooth – straight lines as if the body was made to come apart there. How strange. He moved his arm and conjured a shadow dagger, then swung at the ground and activated the skill. Moving like that hurt, but it was bearable.

The swing was slow, much slower than it would be for something like a shadow slash or even a regular attack. Almost like making an imaginary straight line in the air. A thin thread of dark emptiness that seemed to cut through reality was left in the wake of the blade.

And nothing happened. Alan felt the skill fall apart and sighed.

This was never simple for him.

After taking some time to examine the cavern and make sure he was not missing any loot. The fight had been worth it, but things had gotten too dangerous at the end.

He sat down, and made use of [Warlock Body Mastery] to boost the healing factor a bit further. Then it would be time to leave.