Chapter 93 - Back To Reality
The human me looked over and picked me up as the dark red chains fell off from around me.
"It's time to go. My memory lays elsewhere now."
With a final flash of light we were back into the humans room and sitting at the table was Gluttony, but this time the usual smile she had while looking at me or the scowl of anger after she pulled my ass from the fire was gone. In its place was a look of sadness as she teared up while looking at me.
"I'm sorry you had to relive that Vexsus, but I needed you to remember, I needed you to regain your knowledge that could be applied to this world, Even if you might think it's useless now. What you gained from your old life could help you tremendously here, in this one. I gave you 10% of your overall memories only because of how low on power I was at that time. I used up so much of my divine energy to bring you over that the cost of giving you everything at birth was to much of a strain on me. I wanted to give you more but all I could do was seal away the rest until you were strong enough to handle them."
I walked up to her and kneeled down in front of her while keeping a straight face.
"What was that parasite that plagued my whole life. From my childhood all the way up until I died, what was that."
She looked up in shock at the human me, who only shrugged and walked away leaving us alone.
She sighed before looking back at me.
"Vexsus... That was the Sin of Wrath. His real name is Ira, he laid claim to your soul from a young age but I saw potential in you in your final years. I saw compassion, kindness and things that were not fueled by rage. I know I'm not one of the god of virtues, but I needed a soul to claim of my own to help me. I gave you the power to grow stronger than anybody but that came at a price Vexsus.... I still need you. In this life and the next."
I just stood there stunned. Did this mean that if Gluttony had not intervened that I would have been sent to a hell of sorts? or would Wrath or Ira or whatever it was called transported my soul to a new world? I wasn't all that curious about it so I let those thoughts go, but I was still upset and destroyed emotionally after having to revisit all those past traumas.
"My human soul wanted to be killed and released from reliving these memories..... can that be done?" I asked after a few minutes of nothing but silence between us.
"Yes it can, you have the power to devour almost everything in this world. Well, really you can eat everything but there are things that exist that are just to powerful for you to devour right now. But yes you can devour your human soul, but if you do it will be like ripping off a piece of yourself. It will be extremely painful to do so."
Gluttony further explained that some parts could be lost because of the pain, But after seeing all those memories again I was resolute in releasing him from this hell that he was forced into. I mean essentially my human soul was over 60 years old now, and I could tell that behind those eyes was nothing but sadness and tiredness.
"I will do it." was all I said before standing up and walking to go find my human self entering from that strange doorway yet again, almost as if he was listening the whole time.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Yes, I lived longer than I wanted to, I am happy that you got to live again and that your making new memories. I hope that whatever you gain from me can help you."
I nodded before placing my hand on his shoulder and smiling. "I'll make this as painless as possible ok?" Then with a concentrated draconic slash I pierced his spinal cord and instantly the life drained from his eyes as I opened my mouth and started to devour my old body.
I felt guilty doing this but I resolved myself and with the excuse of how the knowledge would help me, I was able to finish the bloody process.
"I hope your prepared." Gluttony said, however as I was about to respond I felt an intense pulse from within me as my body radiated a reddish light. I looked over at Gluttony only to see her eyes widen in fear.
"Oh god... it's Ira." She muttered before in a flash of light she disappeared. Next moment I was on my knees groaning in pain as my body started to heat up to almost an unbearable level. I was pissed off because wasn't I supposed to have a heat resistance that was maxed out? How am I being effected so many times by heat?
"Because my flames are not something your puny skills can handle." A voice spoke softly from behind.
I turned and on the bed was a woman dressed in a suit of fitted armor that was set ablaze but it flowed almost like a liquid as the fire licked across her tanned skin. She had dark brown hair that rose and curled with the heat waves coming off her body, her eyes were almost the color of fire itself. They stared directly into my soul as if looking through every nook and cranny to discover all of my secrets.
She smiled at me with a knowing look as if to say she could hear every word being thought.
"I happen to like this armor, and my eyes.... well my eyes are usually more of a blueish color but today I'm a bit pissed off so my emotions are getting leaked out a little bit."
I could only groan with confusion as the heat was still rising inside my body and I was very close to breaking.
"P-Please.... Stop, it." I managed to force out.
"Oh? And why should I? You were meant to be my property, and instead now I come to find out that that bitch Gula went ahead and branded you with her seal. I am not happy right now." She spoke and with each word the flames all around her seemed to intensify and my mind started to get hazy from everything going on.
She took a look at me as if a moment of lucidness went over her and she sighed. "Huugh, well fine then, I guess your no good to me now so there's no point in really doing this." She snapped her fingers and instantly the pained stopped and the tempature of the room lowered drastically, to the point I started to shiver from the lack of it.
"I should have branded you when you were still a human but I wanted to wait until you accepted and unleashed my power. But ugh ahwell, my loss. However hot stuff, if you ever use my power you gained from eating your human soul I will be back to claim what I'm owed. Do you understand me?" She threatened me with a serious tone as she stared into my eyes to further intensify the situation.
I could only nod as I didn't exactly know what to say.
"I can be reasonable at times, so I'll make you a deal how does that sound?" She instantly smiled in a crazy 180 turn of emotion.
"Um? I guess that's ok, but why make a deal with me? Shouldn't you be trying to kill me so that Gluttony will lose and die?" I finally ask after I built up the courage.
"Haha, you fool. We gods of Sin cannot die. We span countless universes and planets. You think this world and yours is the only one under our influence? Aslong as we have souls to empower us we can stay alive even if that means we have to go into hiding and recoup our energy for millenia at a time. I don't know what Gula said to you but just because you're her only soul in this world does not mean that you are her only soul everywhere."
I knew that as everybody from my world suffered atleast some form of sin. But to think that Gluttony... Or Gula as she was called I guess, had multiple branded souls besides me. For a minute I felt a bit special but this put a hamper on that. But nonetheless What I gain from using Gula's power is undeniable so I had no qualms about keeping my contract with her. But the thought of gaining more power with the help of gathering another sin was definely an intriguing option.
"Ok.... SO what's your deal? You come here and torture me for a bit but then stop it and even offer me a deal? On top of that you go from being pissed off to smiling like a friend? What are you a psycho?"
As the word psycho leaves my mouth I instantly felt fear. "Shit, I didn't mean to say that, I was just not thinking before speak..." I was shut up in a second as a flaming hand grabbed my throat and lifted me into the sky as it seared my throat.
"Do. Not. Ever. Call. Me. Psycho. I came here to claim what was rightfully mine, but seeing as that failed I figure I can still corrupt you with the power of Wrath enough to eventually bring you back to where you were supposed to end up." Her mood changed so rapidly and even mid sentence that my brain was unable to keep up with the switch.
She dropped me and I was on my knees coughing as my body tried to heal the seared throat and everything in the neck area. I was overwhelmed as I smelt my own flesh being cooked and that terrified me even more because if I lost my head.... That was it. My powers of having regeneration couldn't heal a decapitation. I just wasn't at that level.
But after a few minutes of hacking and coughing and struggling to breath, eventually I was able to raspily form a question.
"What... Deal?" I croaked out.
"It's simple really, you use my power at the cost of my devouring your body."
"No." I mustered because hell no.
"Ugh, fine, How bout this. You can use my power and the cost of each usage would be some form of sacrifice equivalent to the amount of power you use? Hows that sound? I'll even add a gauge to my sister's system she placed inside your seal to help show you just how much you're using."
I looked at her for a moment as the pros and cons of the deal swirled around my head. On one side it was basically resigning myself to eventually end up as her property, but on the other side I could just get strong enough to overpower her and force her to become my slave instead hehehe.
She scowled and punched me in the face hard enough that I heard my nose crack and break as I howled in pain and started spitting out teeth.
"You moron. That was for thinking of trying to overpower me...." Then she punched me again this time in the groin. I felt something bust and a warmth spread over my legs as an audible pop resounded in my ears.
I couldn't breath and could only lay on the ground gasping for air.
"That was for thinking up such an idea as me being your slave, you lowly mortal... If we were in the mortal realm right now I would have killed you. Thankfully for you all I can do is just force your mind to imagine the pain."
She stood over me and touched my brand that was located on my chest and within the brand of Gluttony was a small red symbol that was being seared onto it. I felt nothing from that as my mind was busy dealing with the fact that she just blew up my genitals..... with one punch.
"There, deals done. You agreed when you thought up that perverted thought. I'm leaving now and will be checking up on you and my dear sister in the near future." With a flash of Red light she vanished and I was left there alone in the fetal position until everything healed up.
"Glut....tony.... Help...." I groaned as suddenly Gluttony appeared and looked around in fear.
"Is she gone?" She asked before looked at me for the first time and with shock she ran over and kneeled down next to me. She looked over my body before zeroing in on my groin area.
"OOOOO. Man you must have pissed her off really bad. Let me guess, you thought up something naughty about her didn't you? Yea she never was particularly fond of being thought of like that. But here let me heal you then I think it's best you wake up and get going."
She hovered her hands over my groin and with a warm ray of light everything seemed to grow back. I still was a bit confused as to how my stuff was on the outside seeing as how in the real world I haven't see my junk until now. I just figured it was hidden somewhere inside me like all reptiles.
I looked down to see if everything was alright and was extremely shocked with what I found... I was equipped with a set of dual blades.... Yes that's right two of them.... I had nothing hanging below them so I guess what I thought was my dangling berries was actually just my lower... lower horn.
"Ummmmmm, well it looks like everything is umm, good as new? So time to leave." Gluttony said with a face redder than tomato as she waved her hands and in a blinding light my consciousness was flung back to reality.
I rose up with a start as I looked around my surroundings in haste only to see nobody in the tent with me. I then looked down only to see that I was smooth as silk down there. I didn't have the dual package anymore and nothing even hinted at where they were. I slumped my shoulders a bit in disappointement. I got excited admittedly at the prospect of dual wielding, only to have that erased.....
"Fuck it, time to get back to business, I can deal with this issue when I need to. HEY ANYBODY THERE?" I yelled and before long I had 3 people running into the tent.
Sondar, Sylvania, and Shorunt all ran into the tent to check up on me. I guess they were just outside the tent from the quick response time.
"Hey brother, how are you doing? Are you ok? We were all worried about you." Sondar said as he came and stood next to me.
"Get the hell out of the way ya big oaf. Me and Shorunt need to examine him." Sylvania spoke up as she tried and failed to push Sondar out of the way. I chuckled seeing that and let them examine my body.
"It looks like your all good master. We were worried a bit but I had faith you would pull through. Kitsoma was worried but Sylvania had to force her to go sleep since she was determined to stay with you and make sure you were ok."
"How long have I been out? It sounds like it's been more than a day?" I raised an eyebrow asking this since I had plans that needed to be fulfilled soon. I was reminded that Gluttony had set aside tasks for me to do and lately I feel like she has been getting weaker, so maybe if I finish the tasks, maybe she will regain some of her strength.
"It's been what? 4 days? well 5 days now since it's the middle of the night."
"Well shit, that's a bummer to hear. But let's go ahead and rest and we will have a meeting with everyone tomorrow about our plans moving forward ok? I'm still feeling a little tired so I'm going back to bed."
The others nod and after saying their goodbyes they walk out the tent and I lay down and close my eyes and before long I was fast asleep.