CHAPTER 38: CHPATER 38: REVELATION[3][GTG]

Leo squinted at the impossible sight before him.

A shimmering expanse of liquid hung suspended in mid-air, defying gravity as casually as it defied explanation.

Unlike any normal water, it seemed to writhe and pulse with an eerie inner light.

This was an abnormal sight.

That much was certain.

However, that was not all... there was also the reflection.

A young man stared back, an image with hair as black as ink and eyes that held the fire of rubies.

A tremor of unease ran through Leo.

Though the figure stirred a certain familiarity within him, he knew for a fact that this wasn’t him. Yet, a curious familiarity tugged at the edges of his memory, like a half-forgotten dream.

[Le...o...le...]

A voice, fractured and faint, echoed in his mind.

It was the blasted system’s voice, but distorted, like a whisper struggling through a storm.

"Huh?" he blurted out, searching the dense forest around him.

[L...oo... Ir...le... LEO!!!]

The sudden crackle of amplified sound sent a jolt through Leo.

He lurched back, clutching his ears as the voice boomed in his head.

"Ahh!"

"What the fuck was that?!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet, his hands still shielding his ears.

[Finally. I found you,]

"What the heck is all this? You said if I died it would all be over, my memories would be wiped, and I would start all over, so why am I here?" asked Leo, already resigned to his fate.

[I don’t know....]

"What?" he frowned.

[... I will take care of it. But for now... take a step back... do not, and I repeat... DO NOT touch that liquid,] the system’s voice, now a strained whisper, barely penetrated the ringing in his ears.

"Why? And who is that?" Leo demanded, his gaze locked on the reflection that seemed to mirror his every movement.

"He looks so familiar... does he have something to do with my memories you wiped?"

Static filled the connection for a moment, then a curt, [You do not have permission to ask such questions now STEP BACK!]

Frustration bubbled up in Leo.

"Yeah... like hell I am going to obey you,"

With his teeth clenched tightly, he reached out, hand trembling slightly, as if drawn by an invisible force towards the shimmering liquid.

[STOP IT! I WILL ONLY WARN YOU ONE MORE TIME!] The system’s voice shrieked in his head, the urgency raw and panicked.

Leo flinched, collapsing onto one knee as the amplified voice assaulted him once more.

"Damn it!" he roared.

[You will not like the consequence that will come with your disobedience once more.]

"No, I won’t," Leo defied, fueled by a growing curiosity.

He lunged forward, his fingertip mere inches from the pulsating liquid. Something primal screamed at him to touch it, a voice louder than the system’s frantic warnings.

But suddenly...

An invisible force slammed into him.

He flew backward through the air, a rag-doll flung by an unseen giant.

*Bam!*

Trees erupted in splinters as his body collided with them, the final impact sending him sprawling to a stop at the base of a massive, ancient tree.

He coughed, blood stinging his throat, as he struggled to his feet. Pain radiated from every fiber of his being, but a primal anger burned brighter.

"What the hell was that?!"

[I said...]

[...keep away from it.]

He looked up, and the sight that greeted him shook him to the core.

It was utterly terrifying.

It was him, a twisted doppelganger with hair like bleached bone and eyes glowing with an ominous crimson light.

In its hand was a sword.

It seemed to be standing in his way, stopping him from getting to that tree.

[The goddess of @#$%^& has stopped user from using any ability from stats]

"Wait..." Leo’s eyes widened as a thought as bizarre as it was unbelievable crossed his mind, "... are you... THE FUCKING GODDESS ALL ALONG?!" Leo stammered, the truth dawning on him with horrifying clarity.

A booming laughter filled his head, the voice deepening with each horrific chuckle.

[Well, you were always frustratingly observant... That pathetic system must have malfunctioned again.]

"No way! If you’re that god, then why are you acting as my guide?!" Leo demanded.

[Your guide? I was more of an observer, idiot.]

"This... this doesn’t make sense! Why the fuck are you even doing all of this?! ....WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!" Leo roared.

The reflection smirked, a cruel twist of his own lips.

[Be quiet. If you hadn’t committed such a grave sin with HER, you wouldn’t be in this mess. This is a slap on the wrist compared to what you are supposed to truly suffer. All you had to do was put on an interesting show for me, but even that much is probably too much for you to handle, YOU INGRATE!]

"FUCK YOU, BITCH!" Leo cursed, enraged by this, his hand balled into a trembling fist.

[Ha.... Well no matter, I just have to find who did this... Who brought you out...]

The voice trailed off, replaced by a chilling hum.

Leo’s breath hitched.

"AT LEAST TELL ME WHY YOU DO THIS? HOW LONG?!" he rasped, the question scraping against his raw throat.

[Huh?]

The other him tilted its head, a mockery of confusion.

"How long have you been using me?" Leo roared, his voice echoing through the silent forest.

A flicker of surprise crossed its face, then a slow, sinister smile spread across its lips.

[You do not deserve to know. But you know what... this time I will tell you. This iteration is the 1,232nd time.]

"What?!"

Dread coiled in Leo’s gut.

It couldn’t be.

"No... no way..." he stammered, his voice cracking.

"Wait, you don’t mean I’ve been through this—"

[A thousand two hundred and thirty-one tries, excluding this run,] the other him confirmed, its voice dripping with morbid amusement.

[Watching you have actually truly is entertaining beyond what I imagined, well, let’s not get carried away, shall we?]

Leo’s mind reeled.

A thousand two hundred and thirty-one lifetimes, each one a cruel iteration ending in failure and oblivion.

The weight of it threatened to crush him.

"What... what have I been doing all this time?" he whispered, the question a desperate plea for answers.

[Well, I guess I can tell you, after all, you’re definitely getting a memory wipe after this,] it drawled, a cruel glint in its crimson eyes.

[You were supposed to survive in a world I created myself. A masterpiece, wouldn’t you say? But since I didn’t want to attract the attention of the other gods, I created a small realm, then picked certain characters from the real world you came from and created an interesting story of mine... all you had to do was simple. Die in the most gruesome way possible.]