Afterlife : Journey to be strongest

Krishna's voice echoed internally within Ash: You can't see inside him?

"Yes," Ash confirmed, his gaze still fixed on Ray. "I was trying to see inside him to check the number of cores he possesses, but as I attempted to peer within, I saw my own reflection. I have never experienced something like this before."

Before something happens for the first time, it has always never happened, Krishna mused internally. Perhaps he's different from Curseumans and Spiritumens, which is why the Deep Analysis technique isn't working on him.

It can be, Ash conceded internally.

Ash turned his attention back to Ray, who stood like a statue, staring at him. "How did you come here? By that, I mean, from which city are you? Tell me more about yourself."

"I... I suddenly came here," Ray stammered, his mind racing. "When I opened my eyes, I saw a girl. She is the one that Curseuman killed."

"Again, you are trying to fool us," Ash retorted, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"How can you suddenly appear here?"

"I don't know," Ray insisted.

I can't tell them about the Void of Nothingness and Ager, Ray thought. He's already suspicious of me, and I don't want it to increase. If he's telling the truth about being a Special Rank or something, I can use it to my advantage. I think he's telling the truth because his hand regenerated in a fraction of a second, and he said 'REVERSE' at that time—he probably reversed time or condition. I have to be cautious.

"How did you wipe out my hand entirely?" Ash demanded, his gaze piercing.

"I don't know," Ray said, waving his hands to emphasize his ignorance. "I didn't do that."

"I guessed you would say that," Ash replied.

Ash then spoke internally to Krishna: Krishna, what should we do with him?

He can be a problem if left outside, Krishna responded internally. Take him along with you.

I was thinking the same, Ash agreed internally.

Ash turned back to Ray. "What was your name? Yes, Ray... Ray, listen carefully."

"As you are neither a Curseuman nor a Spiritumen, being outside could be a problem, or even a threat, to this continent. If what you say about appearing suddenly is true, you must know nothing about this world. Also, Curseumans are not the only bad people; many Spirit Possessors and Curseumans are a danger to us. As you don't know about your powers, you have to come along with us to our residence, in the capital of Osis, Eldoria. I will not ask you if you are alright with it or not; it's not a request, consider it a command."

Is he forcing me because he has power? Ray thought, his mind racing.

Ray thought —

"

According to what that Curseuman was saying before—that I absorbed his technique—I am slowly understanding what is happening. I am not sure, but that technique was able to absorb attacks and people's strength. So, if I am right, I have that Curseuman's strength.

I don't know how to use it, but it activated automatically when I felt afraid. I can try to defeat him with this, but I don't think I can. He is too strong, I can tell by what he used before. However, I don't want to go with him.

My past life... a curse to me is no longer on me. Now, I am free here. These Curseumans killed Yuki. I was helpless, with no strength. I heard with my own ears what he did to her, and I was silent. I didn't have the strength to defeat him.

That's why I came to realize the most important thing from his words, my condition, the pain and suffering. In my past life, money was everything, but here, strength is everything. If someone has strength, he can do anything he wants. He can kill anyone; he can order anyone, just like this Spirit Possessor is ordering me around to take me with him.

I could be killed, but God gave me an unrivaled technique to absorb power. I don't know if that power is still with me or not. But what I am sure of is that somewhere within me, that Curseuman's powers are present.

If I am able to control his technique, I can become very strong, and after polishing it more, I can become even better. It will be hard to do all this on my own. So, I don't think there's a problem with going with him for a period of time, until I get stronger than him. Also, maybe he can help me control my powers.

But from all this, I have realized a dark truth, one I only saw in short videos on my phone in my past life: that no one truly belongs to you. Everyone is here for their own gain. They create bonds with others for their own sake; they trust others for their own sake. Parents nurture their children as a duty because their parents did the same to them, also for their own sake—that when they are old, their children will become their support.

Everyone, everything, even beings, non-beings, all they are doing is directly or indirectly connected to their own self-interest. Nobody belongs to anyone here. Good, bad—all of this is a lie; it depends on perspective, what is good, and what is bad.

What would happen if you were alone in a world where 'bad' is believed to be 'good'? For them, bad is good, but for you, it's the opposite. No matter how much you shout in that kind of world, you will be a criminal committing crimes.

You say, 'Goodness always wins, no matter how powerful badness is. In the end, goodness wins,' but the people of that world will say, 'Badness always wins, no matter how powerful goodness is. In the end, badness wins.'

This way, all boundaries of good and bad collide, break, and something new forms. People just don't want to accept it; their minds are always flooded with foolish beliefs: caste, creed, God, king, rich, poor, etc. There are thousands of lines like this, even more heart-touching, heart-breaking.

Nothing is real, nothing is fake. There is no God, there is God. All these things are different for everyone; everyone has different perspectives.

I don't know why I suddenly realized all this, why I am thinking all this, what is happening inside me—my mind, my heart, my soul.

But something I realized today seems true to me. I, who have lived life in a different way, I, who knows loneliness, sees this world from a different perspective. I don't know if what all this I am saying is an effect of that Curseuman, but…

"Why are you taking so long to answer?" Ash's voice cut through Ray's thoughts, sharp and impatient. "Don't even think about running away. You can't."

"Okay," Ray replied, his voice calm. "I am fine with this."