"However, not long after that, her children wished to climb the tower. They exited the Residential Area, and were immediately transported to the Tutorial World, during which they underwent several challenges."
"But after a month, a piece of news entered our ears."
"Isabella's children had died."
"Her husband soon committed suicide."
"Her heart broke, and she entered a catatonic state for a few years. Then, suddenly, her complexion returned to normal, and she became the kind, gentle soul that you see right now. I am not aware of the specifics, but something changed."
Elder Gabriel's expression was dark. Strong gusts of wind swept by, causing his robes to flutter, and his hair to shoot backward. Arthur remained silent. The two mourned her loss wordlessly, refusing to utter a single word in that instant.
Arthur nodded expressionlessly. He suddenly pitied Isabella, but he couldn't dispel the bewilderment he experienced when she suddenly changed. His irises narrowed, and he stared at the ground, averting his eyes from Gabriel's gaze.
Elder Gabriel simply assumed the crimson-eyed man realized the pain Isabella suffered through, and how she was similar to him. He patted Arthur's shoulder, ruffling his hair in sympathy.
"Don't push yourself so much in your youth, child," Elder Gabriel's words resounded in Arthur's mind, but the latter was not listening. His mind had wandered to other places, concerning Isabella's sudden recovery.
'Doubt' could make or break something.
When choosing to blindly trust someone or something, doubt was the enemy.
However, in almost every other situation, doubt was the ability to think broad, to expand one's thinking. The concept of doubt allowed one to consider all variables and prevent oneself from forgetting to account for even one.
The sudden change in Isabella's demeanor after the destruction of her planet, death of her parents, friends, children, and husband, was utterly insane. No sane person would remain in a normal state of mind after such continuous tragedies.
*
The day passed in an instant, welcoming the darkness of the night that enveloped the bright sky in mere minutes. The rays of the Sun faded, allowing those of the moon to fall upon the residents of Gargo Village.
However, unlike the usual representation of a silent, eerie night, Gargo Village was quite bustling during the night. All residents and tourists formed a circle around a bonfire, sharing their past experiences, stories, and legends.
The Elders usually spoke, while the others listened with much interest.
Seven Elders sat on a particular side of the bonfire, while the tourists and residents sat on the opposite side. The bonfire emitted blinding light that seemed to originate from the crackling flame burning away at the firewood.
Smoke arose from the flames, accurately describing Arthur's current state.
Screams escaped the hut in which he resided. A few were muffled, while others contained the true intensity of the pain that coursed across his body, eating away at his sanity and causing such painful noises to escape his lips.
His body convulsed rapidly, while the crimson-eyed man squirmed in pain. Once again, two energies levitated on each side, attempting to fuse with each other. Well, it wasn't total fusion, but the partial fusion would prevent the Blessing of the Sun from being able to pressure Arthur's mana circuits.
However, completing the process was nigh impossible with the physique Arthur had. Not only was his constitution weak, but to forcefully activate the Blessing of the Sun at such a point in his life was practically a death wish.
His mana reserve was low, his mana circuits were too obstructed…
He could allow the Blessing of the Sun to pressure his mana circuits as he upgraded the listed aspects…
'But by then, my mana circuits would have been utterly destroyed,' thought the crimson-eyed, biting his lip violently as blood gushed from the wound. His eyeballs threatened to pop out from their sockets, while veins bulged from his skin.
Several blood vessels had already popped, forming a pool of blood around the location where he meditated. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. The crimson-eyed man somehow held himself together, refusing to give up.
He clenched his teeth, forcing the two energies together.
The Blessing of the Sun along with his mana clashed, desperately repelling each other as if the matter determined life or death. Arthur continued to force them together, subconsciously manipulating them.
But it was of no use.
Suddenly, the crimson-eyed man reached for a white pill. The pill was a Smooth Mana Pill, a pharmaceutical wonder that forcefully smoothened one's mana circuits. There were, of course, consequences.
But those could be disregarded, considering the consequences of not performing the task Arthur was doing right now.
Priorities were key.
Smooth Mana Pills also had a side-effect. They were harsh on one's bones, as they directly influenced an area that ran across the body. A certain chemical used to form the Smooth Mana Pills could also corrode one's bones.
That was why Arthur always consumed the pills in moderation.
But today, he consumed a few extra in desperation.
As soon as the pills entered his lips, Arthur began intensifying the fusion, uncaring of the possible consequences.
A few minutes passed, and his screams subsided. Two violent forces collided, causing his body to undergo severe strain. His muscles screamed for help, while his tendons protested. His entire body was about to collapse.
Not only that, but his mental health was deteriorating, too. His vision was covered in black dots, and was stained with what seemed like the screen that appeared after a TV malfunctioned. It was confusing.
However, suddenly, the Blessing of the Sun and his mana began to weaken their repelling force. Arthur's eyes widened, and he fervently nodded his head. With a rejuvenated expression, he increased the force.
His body protested, but that was of no concern to him at the moment.
'It's finally happening…'
Words couldn't describe the sheer happiness that assaulted his body at that moment, drowning him in ecstasy.
However, one couldn't always achieve the best scenario.
A sharp pain burst from his cervical spine.
