Possessing Nothing Novel (쥐뿔도 없는 회귀)

Chapter 94 - Denir's Trial

"This... Crazy bastard... "

Denir muttered as he stared at Lee Sungmin, who was sitting there absent-mindedly. Not much time had passed in reality since Lee Sungmin entered the world of his subconscious. It had only been about 5 minutes since the trial had begun.

But Lee Sungmin had already spent 2000 years in a different world. It was unbelievable and ridiculous.

Ten people had challenged Denir's trial so far. Seven of them had failed to complete 500 years, and their minds collapsed. Because they were recognized as geniuses, they could not easily overcome the despair in their subconscious when growth was forcibly restrained. Those who had lost their minds in despair were unable to wake up when the sand of the hourglass ran out. Death in the world of the subconscious meant the death of the mind, meaning that they fell into a vegetative state. No cure or potion could revive a mental death.

Three people had overcome the trials. They spent different amounts of time, but the longest of them was 1000 years. He couldn't stand the loneliness and insanity beyond that. That's what the person who survived for a thousand years said.

However, this man had been practising in his subconscious for 2000 years. If it wasn't sheer talent, then was it natural determination? Or sincerity? Desperation of that level? He couldn't understand. The man named Lee Sungmin, in Denir's eyes, was not so great. Rather, he thought that the mental power of that human was rather weak compared to other humans.

But how did he last going on for 2000 years?

'His mind collapsed several times along the way and recovered again. This... This is impossible. How could he piece together such a broken mind?'

During the 2000 years, Lee Sungmin's mind collapsed several times. Nevertheless, after reaching a certain point, he woke up again and continued to practice. Was he intentionally forgetting? No, that wasn't possible. He could never forget the time he had spent. This trial was terrible.

Having a few hundred years of memory without forgetting anything at all. In a world where there was nothing, he could move and spend time practicing repeatedly. Alone. His growth was suppressed, so even if he practiced, again and again, he would not progress much. That was the trial. Denir's ordeal was precisely that. The flow of time had stagnated in the world of his subconscious. It could be extended indefinitely, as long as one can endure it, advancing at a slow pace to obtain something. If Mush's ordeals accelerated the overall growth through a series of restrictions, Denir's trial brought spiritual attainment within hundreds of years of experience.

"Ah."

Lee Sungmin's closed mouth opened. When Denir heard Lee Sungmin speak out, he was frightened and stepped back a few steps in surprise. Lee Sungmin's closed eyes opened, and he blinked, looking around with blank eyes.

"Aa... Aaa. Ah?"

Lee Sungmin struggled to speak. He staggered and tried to stand up, but his legs gave out, and he plopped down. Drip. Drip. Drip. Blood flowed out from Lee Sungmin's nose like a dripping tap. He tilted his head as he looked down at his nose.

"This is only natural. You've lived in your subconscious for 2000- no, 2100 years. You should be thankful for my intervention to stop your brain from bursting."

"Thank... Right. Thank. Thanks. Thank you."

Lee Sungmin murmured through his lips. He rubbed the blood off his face with the back of his hand and raised his body while stumbling. Lee Sungmin looked down at his body, both eyes looking quite terrible.

"I feel heavy."

"You've lost touch with your senses."

"That's... I-I've lived 2100 more years. It wasn't not a dream. I'm sure of it."