Game Transcendence

12: Leaving

12: Leaving
Date Written: August 31, 2019

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If there were anymore information that could shock him to the core today, then it would be her words that was supposed to give him hope.

A cold feeling washed over him.

The Excelcis race hijacked this game in order to use humans as an energy source. Could he really accept that he would become someone like them?

However, there was also a part inside him that told him that he had to leave to inform the others. A while later, he sighed and let go of Keiko's shoulders.

He couldn't afford to spend all his life inside this room. He might as well die if he did.

"How?" Kian faced her with determination.

Guilt was written all over Keiko's face. She couldn't help but blame herself. If not for her, they wouldn't be trapped inside this room.

In fact, she herself could leave anytime. However, she couldn't bear to leave him here all alone when she felt that it was her fault in the first the place.

Keiko took a shaky, deep breath and took out a red crystal on the shape of an eye. It was a crystal eye of an Excelcis. She placed it into Kian's hands whose hands were slightly trembling from nervousness.

"Place it into your mouth. After that, it'll melt and start the process of conversion" she said and took a few steps back and fell to the ground with her back sliding into the wall.

Kian grasped the red crystal, his eyes filled with determination. A few seconds later, he opened his hand and placed the crystal on his mouth.

It melted into a red liquid with viscosity similar to water. There was no resistance at all. He drank it despite the bitter taste.

A painful feeling started to spread throughout his body. It was bearable at first until he had trouble breathing.

Suddenly, sparks of red lightning came out of his body. The pain from the shock it brought was enough for him to fall into the floor. He was writhing from the pain, the whites of his eyes were showing.

"H-how could this happen? You're not at Cosmage Rank?" Keiko who saw him writhing from pain ran to his side and tried to touch him. However, the lightning that surrounded repelled her hands.

Kian on the other hand felt his consciousness slowly drifting away. The feeling of death threatened to take over him. It scared him. He couldn't help but recall the faces of the people that he cared about.

His parents, his best friend, and Amy. He still wanted to see them. He also wanted to meet Alexa once again. He must not die in this place, a place so far away from home.

He clenched his teeth and started to pound the floor with his fists in hopes of diverting his body's reaction to pain take priority towards them.

A red mist floated above his head and started to form ten eye-shaped red crystals over his head. Suddenly, black and silver mist also appeared.

When the red crystals came in contact with them, they started to crack from places. What replaced the missing parts were black crystals and a metallic chunks.

The red, black, and silver mists were fighting against each other for dominance before they settled to divide themselves in each crystals.

Unlike normal Excelcises and halflings like Keiko, his hair didn't turn silver but reverted back to his original black hair and pupils.

Kian's bronze skin also returned back to the previous paleness. He is so gonna be disappointed at this.

The scene was totally shocking to Keiko who stood a few meters away from Kian though. It never happened towards all the Excelcis that she met before nor to the other halflings she knew.

She couldn't help but feel guilty. Only those who had reached Cosmage rank or similar ranks are permitted by the Excelcis to convert because of the danger to the body. When she saw the sheer power of his attacks, Keiko quickly labeled him as a Cosmage.

All she could do now was hope that it would all turn out okay and that the strength he had that fooled her would help him get through this.

A day later, a young man and woman flew away from Aether Castle and left the ruined city. They stopped in front of a cliff. One step off the cliff and they could fall to the lands below them.

Keiko took out a crystal orb and gave it to Kian. The two didn't speak to each other and just stared off at the distance, watching the sun who was forever in a state of sunset.

"Pour mana into it then you'll be transported back outside the dungeon." she said and took out her own orb.

When she was about to pour her mana into it, Kian suddenly spoke beside her.

"How's your relationship with that guy?" he asked with a smile on his face.

Her back shook and she couldn't speak for a long time. Her chest felt heavy and even turning around to face him was as hard as lifting a mountain.

"There was no relationship between us. It was all a lie." she said in a tone as flat as she could to hide her chaotic emotions.

The revelation caused a jolt to run over his body. A lie? What he had seen at that day was a lie?

"I hid it whenever we met but I'm suffering from an unknown illness that could only get treated by becoming a Half-Excelcis. I didn't want anyone to know and I also didn't want to hurt you by involving you with my problems. I'm sorry, Kian" she said in a softer tone.

It was the first time she said his name ever since they met yesterday. It made her feel nostalgia and sadness.

Kian's face was cast down, the absence of light made it hard to see his expression.

"It's okay. Besides, I already like someone." he raised his head, a bright smile was on his face.

Right, he already had Alexa although he still hadn't confessed his feelings for her. There was also one thing that he realized when he heard her words just now.

The reason why he couldn't forget about her all this time wasn't because he still loved her. It was because how their relationship ended that wounded him. Now that he knew the true reason for their separation, she was finally able to clear his mind.

"Mm... I've also moved on. Sorry once again." she turned around and gave him a smile which was so bright that it almost blinded him.

Strangely, he felt a pang of guilt when he saw her smile. Nevertheless, he didn't thought too much about it.

"Well then, I sent you a friend request. You can accept it if you want. Just whisper to me if you need any help!" he waved at her and then poured his mana into the crystal ball.

Light swirled around him before he disappeared from his spot leaving Keiko alone on the cliff.

Even when he was gone, her smile didn't fade away. However, tears started to pour from her eyes as she tried to recall his back before he disappeared.

"I still love you" she whispered to the wind before she also left the dungeon.

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Quite different from what I expected to write....