Chapter 270: Running in the Darkness (4K)

!!!

What happened?

Herbert's heart lurched violently.

Thump! Thump!

There had been no warning, no premonition in his heart.

In a single instant, pitch blackness swallowed Herbert's vision.

"What on earth is going on?"

One second ago, he had still been within the radiant sanctuary.

The next second, boundless darkness devoured him in an instant.

Everything around him sank into endless night, his line of sight completely cut off, as if he had fallen into a black box without a single glimmer of light.

No.

It was more than that.

It wasn't only the light—at this moment, he could no longer Perceive the Outside World at all.

Every connection to the outside had been severed.

Hearing, smell, sight, taste, touch… all of them were gone.

When the five senses are forcibly stripped away, the first reaction of any normal person is panic.

The five senses are the vital means by which people perceive the outside world, interact with their surroundings, and confirm their own existence.

Once stripped away, everything outside becomes unknowable, unfelt.

Herbert wanted to cry out, but after his lips and teeth opened and closed, he heard no sound.

"……"

It was as if he had been cast into a space of eternal stillness, quietly awaiting his final dissolution.

At the thought of this, Herbert's heart couldn't help but race.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Yet, at this critical juncture, once Herbert realized the situation before him, he instead calmed down rapidly.

Unable to speak, unable to hear, unable to see… he seemed to have completely lost the basic functions of being human.

But at this moment, the now-calm Herbert settled his emotions, and slowly inquired of the presence deep within his heart.

"Nie Nasha, are you still there?"

The deity did not respond.

No one within the consciousness space answered him.

He had been abandoned.

Abandoned by the entire world!

It seemed things had now reached their worst possible state.

However, after receiving no response from Nie Nasha, Herbert instead let out a great sigh of relief.

Although he had now been forcibly stripped of his five senses, his entire body had entered a vegetative state, and the situation was terrible in the extreme.

But if things were truly so bad that even Nie Nasha was gone, then it could only prove one thing…

"So this really is an Illusion."

Herbert felt the darkness gnawing at him, and his whole body completely relaxed.

Phew!

I really thought something had actually gone wrong.

Turns out you're just playing tricks on me again!

Herbert didn't know what purpose Lucille had in doing this, but he knew she was bound to miscalculate.

No matter how Lucille schemed and calculated, she could never have calculated that deep within Herbert's heart there lurked another presence.

A mysterious presence far stronger than him, yet one that had never tried to devour him.

Nie Nasha's absence proved that the darkness before him was nothing more than a hallucination aimed at Herbert himself.

No matter how terrifying everything before him seemed, it was not real.

Thinking this, Herbert suddenly noticed that part of his senses had returned.

He could feel his hands and feet.

"Mm? If that's the case, then that means…"

Herbert clenched his fist, inferring his current state from the force feedback in his palm.

No weakness; his body's functions were all normal.

He felt over his body and found no wounds either.

"Heh, if that's the case—"

Since he couldn't see in front of him anyway, Herbert simply closed his eyes.

With his eyes tightly shut, he relied on his sense of touch and began to step forward.

At first he was still a little slow, walking tentatively.

But soon, he grew more and more confident, gradually quickening his pace.

From walking, to striding, and finally breaking into a full run.

Herbert ran with abandon, his eyes tightly shut.

Tap.

At some unknown moment, he suddenly heard a sound.

Tap, tap, tap…

That was the sound of his own footsteps.

But Herbert still did not stop, continuing to sprint.

He did not know what he would encounter ahead; every step was filled with the unknown and danger, his feet alternating ceaselessly forward in the darkness.

Herbert did not know how long he had been running.

He merely silently counted the steps beneath his feet, eyes closed, head down as he ran.

Step one thousand.

Gradually, Herbert felt as though he had returned to the very beginning, when he was still an ordinary person.

The extraordinary power upon his body gradually faded, leaving only a fragile shell supporting him.

No, perhaps even weaker than that.

Step two thousand.

His violent heartbeat echoed in his ears, like war drums cheering him on.

Step three thousand.

Sweat soaked through his clothes, and his breathing grew rapid and heavy.

Step four thousand.

Herbert's body grew heavier and heavier, his legs as if filled with lead, every step costing the strength of his entire body.

Thud, thud… thud.

But Herbert never stopped his footsteps.

Step five thousand.

Herbert's speed grew slower and slower, his walking more and more difficult, more and more painful.

Step six thousand.

Nothing happened.

Herbert's vision seemed to have recovered.

But he did not open his eyes, and instead kept walking.

He ran slower and slower; rather than running, it felt more like a staggering, stumbling stroll.

Step seven thousand!

Herbert fell for the first time.

He had not been tripped by anything—his legs simply gave out, and his whole body crashed heavily to the ground.

This time Herbert fell hard, but he merely got up to catch his breath for a moment before continuing on his way.

Step eight thousand.

Herbert stopped for the first time.

He fell once again.

But this time, Herbert did not get up right away; instead he sprawled lazily on the ground, savoring this brief moment of stability.

Sweat streamed down his body, soaking the ground beneath him.

He lay sprawled on the spot like a salted fish, panting with effort.

His lungs already felt as though they were about to burst, pumping like a worn-out bellows.

His mouth, however, was not dry—the moist liquid made things somewhat more bearable.

"Ha… ha…"

Herbert lay on the ground, panting for quite a while, then slowly crawled back up.

He was far too tired.

When getting up he had to brace his hands against his knees, his body trembling violently, only barely managing to stand.

After standing upright he staggered, swaying back and forth, nearly plopping back down on his rear.

"Ha… haha."

Once his body was steady, Herbert could not help but laugh a couple of times.

He could already hear, and could also open his mouth to speak.

Herbert could very well have opened his mouth to demand of Rushill why she was treating him this way, or even to humbly beg her to let him off.

But he did not.

He did not ask.

Herbert was extremely arrogant to the bone.

He had his own pride and persistence.

Since you won't speak, then I won't take the initiative to ask either.

This is a challenge you've set for me, isn't it?

Fine.

I'll break through it for you to see!

No matter what the other's true purpose was, since Nie Nasha had not stepped in to interfere, it was probably not dangerous… and might even come with benefits to be gained.

"Heh, even if there are no benefits, I will still walk this road to the end."

He took a deep breath, swallowed the saliva in his mouth, and strode forward.

Thud…

Thud…

Thud!

Step by step, stumbling and staggering, he pressed forward.

Starting from the eight-thousandth step, Herbert had reached the stage where he was purely sustained by sheer willpower.

The time spent on one thousand steps was longer than all eight thousand steps before combined.

Thud.

The… nine-thousandth step.

When the nine-thousandth heavy step fell, Herbert's brow twitched—he felt the rusty taste in his mouth.

His sense of taste had returned.

The liquid in his mouth was not saliva, but fresh blood he had coughed up at some unknown point.

"…Heh."

Gulp!

He forcefully swallowed the bloody foam in his mouth, then continued forward.

One step deep, one step shallow.

After walking like this for another stretch of time, Herbert suddenly felt as though he had broken through a thin membrane.

In an instant, everything became different again.

The bloody taste in his mouth had vanished!

"Mm?"

The sudden change nearly made Herbert fall, but his right foot, stretched forward, stomped hard onto the ground.

Thud!

He felt power returning to his body once more.

His back, bent from pain and exhaustion, gradually straightened, and the steps beneath his feet grew increasingly forceful.

He possessed the strength to run again!

"…"

Herbert silently furrowed his brow—all the sensations from before had been an illusion.

Without thinking long, he continued walking.

Tap, tap, tap…

The easy pace was the same as when he had first set out.

The ten-thousandth step.

When Herbert strolled down the ten-thousandth step, the last of his senses returned.

His sense of smell had recovered.

In that same instant, Herbert caught a scent.

It was a faint, somewhat unfamiliar, elusive fragrance.

That faint scent was like a gentle breeze, slipping silently into his nostrils, then slowly spreading through his mind.

That fragrance made Herbert involuntarily think of many things.

Like flowers in the morning still bearing dew, like the mist in a distant tranquil forest, or perhaps some beautiful moment he had already forgotten yet still hidden deep within his memory.

Peace.

Upon smelling that scent, Herbert's weary soul instantly became at peace.

That fragrance was like a gentle hand, lightly smoothing every crease of his soul, soothing away all his weariness, anxiety, and unease one by one.

But Herbert did not completely lose himself in it.

Because the most important point was that Herbert could clearly sense that the source of this faint fragrance was right ahead.

No.

She was right ahead.

She was within reach!

Thud.

Herbert tapped his toes and abruptly brought himself to a halt.

She was right before him!

He only needed to open his eyes to see her.

To see the culprit who had forcibly imposed this trial upon him without so much as a by-your-leave.

That powerful Fallen Angel.

Should he really open his eyes?

Had he truly prepared himself to face her?

What would he be facing?

Malice? Goodwill?

The youth was silent for a moment, then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he laughed at himself.

"…Heh."

After staying in the darkness too long, he had actually become timid and hesitant.

"Honestly, what's the point of agonizing over this? Does it make any difference?"

It didn't.

No matter what Lucille had in mind, she couldn't overturn the heavens.

This was the Third Commandment's domain.

I am the Warden.

I am the one who calls the shots here!

Herbert no longer dwelled on it; he opened his eyes directly and gazed calmly ahead.

And at the very moment Herbert opened his eyes, he faintly heard a cracking sound.

Crack!

As if the barrier shrouding his soul had shattered completely.

His will pierced through layer upon layer of darkness, finally allowing light to fall upon him once more.

When light reentered his eyes, that instant stretched into endless time.

Like returning from hell to the mortal world, like thousands of years condensed into a single moment.

The prolonged tension built up in the darkness was released utterly at this moment.

【"Congratulations~"】

And, a long-missed, nagging whisper.

【"Ahahaha~ My dearest, bravest, most adorable ally! You did it! You didn't disappoint me~"】

【"You held fast to your soul in endless darkness, refusing to be assimilated by it!"】

【"Truly astonishing!"】

Nie Nasha, unexpectedly exuberant, chattered teasingly:

【"You'd better be careful~ You see, a soul of your quality, even now fallen into the abyss, could be instantly transformed into a powerful demon!"】

【"Hehe, you little punk, watch out! If you draw too much attention, you'll catch the attention of Miss Xie Shen! Being watched by Them… oh, I am Miss Xie Shen, so it's fine~"】

"... Heh."

Nie Nasha's noise made Herbert's lips twitch slightly as he shook his head gently.

Though he did not know the true significance of this sudden trial, from Her reaction, he had clearly gained much.

A sure profit.

But then… heh.

After a moment of daze, Herbert steadied himself and looked at the fallen angel kneeling before him, head bowed, one knee on the ground.

He studied Luciel's demeanor, then spoke softly: "It seems I won this time."

Yes, Herbert won.

He had passed the trial Luciel had forced upon him.

"Yes, you won."

Luciel did not raise his head; he spoke softly and respectfully: "You truly surpassed my expectations. Not only did you traverse the Path of Darkness, but you did so in only one percent of the time I anticipated."

"Your will is a hundred times firmer than I imagined."

Herbert shook his head without comment at Luciel's flattery.

A hundred times?

Perhaps.

His swift awakening had been somewhat opportunistic—he relied on Nie Nasha to confirm his own state.

"Enough of that. Tell me, why did you do this?"

Even if he had gained something, Herbert disliked the way She had granted him this opportunity.

He hated forced affection.

Especially this kind—silent, zero-frame, forced affection.

"You ask why I did this… Haven't you noticed yet?"

Luciel raised his head and spoke softly:

"You have been tainted by His aura."

What?

Whose aura?

Herbert was about to speak, but in that instant, a chilling sensation suddenly spread from his chest.

!!!

It was a bone-deep cold that made Herbert's body tremble involuntarily.

"Cough!?"

Herbert coughed, slowly lowering his head, eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.

There, a cold, jet-black feather-sword pierced straight through his chest, emerging from his front.

Huh?

The feather-sword gleamed with icy light, seemingly carrying the breath of death; blood slowly seeped from the wound, staining his front.

When?

The fallen angel, who had just been before Herbert, had silently appeared behind him, four arms gently wrapping around his body.

The towering fallen angel embraced Herbert like a child, whispering softly yet unyieldingly into his ear:

"Do not fear, do not resist—I am merely helping you break free from Him."

You'd better clarify who exactly you're helping me break free from!

Herbert tried to struggle, but his consciousness once again began to fade.

Before his awareness vanished, a thought flashed through Herbert's mind.

"Damn it…"

"Her embrace is so warm!"

And…

"Dammit!"

"Not again!?"

"I don't want to sleep…"

Herbert's vision went black.

(End of chapter)