Chapter 26: Chapter 24
[A/N: updates would return back to normal, everything is good on my end.
By the way, I would like to give a shoutout to Nathan Mcrenolds the premium channel. That really motivated me to keep going,]
'I'm going to be a dad... a dad.' The elevator ride felt like it stretched on forever, longer than it had any right to. I took slow, measured breaths, ignoring the presence of the other passengers as I worked to calm my racing heart.
Just how would the future play out?
Honestly, I was looking forward to the world I was going to build. With the entertainment industry under my control, I could create a future where my child and I could bond over movies, anime, and everything I had spent my life loving. I could share all of it with them, shaping a life filled with things I once found comfort in.
But then... there was Blessing.
I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to acknowledge a truth I had been avoiding. The truth was, she had broken down my walls long ago. The day I slept with her was the day I fell in love. Maybe it was pathetic, maybe I was so starved for love that I clung to the first person willing to be with me. I knew how it sounded, and how it looked, so I pushed her away. I shut her out, convinced that it was better to stay distant than risk letting someone in.
And yet, somehow, she never left my side. Now, she was about to give birth to my child. It felt... right.
It was time to stop letting my past dictate my future. I had spent too long fearing heartbreak, too long using that fear as an excuse to keep myself alone. But now? Now, I felt ashamed of myself for it.
Once we left this hospital, I would ask her out. Nine months of pushing her away, she didn't deserve that. And I didn't want to be that person anymore.
Sighing to myself, I stepped out of the elevator, arriving on the floor where Blessing was supposed to give birth. But the moment I did, I froze.
Something was wrong.
I could feel it, Blessing's life force, and that of the unborn child, were growing weaker by the second. That wasn't right. That shouldn't have been happening. I had seen the future. I knew how today was supposed to go, and nowhere in that vision did Blessing or the child die. I had made sure of it. I had prepared her body for childbirth, strengthened her, and ensured nothing could go wrong.
I didn't waste time thinking. In a flash, I vanished, reappearing beside Blessing's hospital bed, only to freeze in horror. Her body, her very existence, was dissolving, turning to dust, flaking away as though she were being erased from reality itself.
She was trying to hold herself together, fingers weakly grasping the hospital sheets, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes, once filled with stubborn determination, the same eyes that never backed down no matter how much I pushed her away, were now glassy with terror and pain. She looked up at me, her lips trembling, as if she was scared that even her voice would disappear before she could speak.
Panic surged through me, and I moved without thinking, hands glowing as I poured every ounce of my healing into her. But the moment my fingers touched her, I felt it.
My power was useless. Nothing changed. Nothing worked. That shouldn't have been possible. I could do anything. I could regrow limbs, restore someone from a single drop of blood, and even mend a broken soul.
And yet, here, at this moment, I could do nothing.
I clenched my jaw so tightly it hurt, my mind racing, trying to grasp onto something, anything, that could fix this. There had to be a way. There was always a way.
"You came..."
Her voice. Broken. Soft. A whisper trembling on the edge of nothingness. I looked at her, and she was crying.
Her tears slipped down her cheeks, falling onto the bed, onto her shaking hands that were vanishing before my eyes. Her body convulsed with quiet sobs, but she wasn't looking at herself she was looking at me.
Like she was relieved. Like she was happy I was here. Like she wasn't about to die. I felt something deep inside me break.
I had seen her angry. Annoyed. Playful. Stubborn. I had seen her force herself into my life, pushing past every wall I built around myself. I had seen her smirk at me, tease me, and refuse to leave me alone no matter how many times I pushed her away.
And now she was dying in front of me, and all she cared about was the fact that I came.
I swallowed, my throat dry, my heart slamming against my ribs. My hands shook at my sides, but I couldn't let her see it.
I couldn't let her see that I was afraid. But I was. For the first time in my life, I was truly afraid, and hopeless.
"What happened?" I asked quickly. I needed information before I could even attempt to heal her. I could instantly learn anything, and with Anos' IQ, I could refine and enhance whatever I learned, making it even better. It was like having The End, but with extra steps.
Blessing's body trembled as she struggled to get the words out, her breath uneven.
"The gods," she choked, tears streaming down her face. "They thought our child was one of those dungeon monsters. They called it an outsider and took a vote… Oh, Adam, there's a multiverse."
I stiffened, my heart pounding.
"There are others like me—others who are pregnant with outsiders. The gods found out… and to avoid problems, they decided to erase me on a conceptual level. I don't know exactly what that means, but I only have ten seconds left."
Her voice cracked on the last word, I froze, the Conceptual level… Not many people would understand what that truly meant, but I did. A concept is an abstract idea that defines something real, whether material or immaterial, yet still exists, such as the concept of time or the concept of space.
Blessing was being erased on a conceptual level.
It was like trying to kill time or space itself… something that couldn't be stopped through normal means. The Gate of Babylon held countless treasures, many capable of attacking at the conceptual level. But none that could heal at the conceptual level.
I had to learn. Fast.
My unborn child was already gone. Erased before I even arrived. Blessing was larger, and more physically present, so her erasure was taking longer.
My eyes sharpened with focus, my mind accelerating at an unfathomable speed. My learning ability had always been unmatched, and now, with full awareness of the nature of the attack, I pushed my skills beyond their limits.
I had to save her.
I rapidly refined my healing abilities, adapting them in real time to counteract the erasure. But the moment I started, I hit a wall.
Even if I mastered conceptual healing… I didn't have the energy to sustain it. I was already pushing my limits when I hacked the system to give others powerful Job Classes. But this… this was on a whole different level.
My reserves drained rapidly. I tapped into the Nine-Tails' chakra. Not enough. Even with its huge amount of energy, the sheer power required to undo conceptual erasure was beyond what it could provide.
I was running out of time.
***
"It's okay..." Blessing whispered weakly, her gaze fixed on Adam.
She could see the strain on his face, the way his skin had turned unnaturally pale. She was shocked, he had actually slowed down the rate of her erasure.
But she also knew the cost. When someone used up all their mana, it wasn't just exhaustion, they could die. And she didn't want that for Adam. Not for her.
"...I can't lose you," Adam murmured, his voice trembling. Tears welled up in his eyes, something she had never seen before.
Blessing forced a small, weak smile. "Never thought I'd see the day you'd cry. My edge lord… crying over me."
She tried to sound playful, to comfort him, even as fear gripped her heart.
Adam's jaw tightened. "I'm sorry… for the way I treated you. You deserved better."
His voice was barely above a whisper. And for the first time, Blessing saw just how much he regretted pushing her away.
"Then... kiss me," Blessing whispered, her voice weak but steady. "A goodbye kiss."
Adam hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching hers. Then, without a word, he leaned in, his lips softly pressing against hers.
Blessing closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of the kiss. For a brief moment, everything else faded away—the pain, the fear, the gods' judgment. Even Adam, distant and cold as he always was, felt different in this moment. Even his kisses felt like magic.
She could almost lose herself in it… until a sudden nullification message flashed before her eyes. Her heart pounded as reality snapped back into focus. Without thinking, she shoved Adam away, then slapped him, hard.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she demanded, anger flaring through the fear in her voice.
Adam looked away, silent. Blessing's breath caught as she saw it—his face, his body... he had aged. He looked several years older, his youthful features now carrying the weight of time.
"You—" Her voice cracked. "You sacrificed your lifespan?"
Adam still didn't answer, but his silence told her everything.
"I'm sorry, but you can't save me..." Blessing whispered, her voice barely audible. "This is goodbye."
Adam clenched his jaw, his vision blurring as he struggled to hold back his emotions.
"But you have your whole life ahead of you," she continued, her trembling hand resting gently on his chest. "You can do the living... for both of us."
They locked eyes—hers filled with quiet acceptance, his with helpless desperation.
Then, slowly, her gaze went blank.
Within the Genjutsu
"It's a girl!" the doctor announced with a warm smile.
Blessing exhaled heavily, exhaustion washing over her as she fell back onto the hospital bed. But the moment she heard the baby's soft cries, she turned toward her child, ignoring everything else—including Adam, who was right next to her, holding her hand.
The doctor performed a quick check-up before gently placing the newborn into Blessing's arms. She cradled the baby with overwhelming love, completely captivated... Oddly, no one seemed to react to the tiny tail swaying behind the newborn.
"Luna Willson..." Blessing murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the baby's forehead. "The newest member of the Willson family."
She turned to Adam, her smile full of warmth, only to see his expression—a mixture of awe, fear, and deep conflict.
"Here," she whispered, placing Luna into his arms.
Adam's hands trembled slightly as he held his daughter for the first time, as if afraid she might suddenly reject him. Would she grow up to hate him? Would she see him as a failure?
But the baby didn't cry. Instead, she nestled against him, peaceful and content. And so, the next chapter of Blessing's life began, motherhood.
She experienced the joys and struggles of being a mother, the sleepless nights, the laughter, the tears. But she wasn't alone. Through every moment, good or bad, Adam was there, trying his best to be not only a father but also the best partner he could be.
While the outside world continued to battle against dungeons, she lived in her own world, focused solely on her family.
Just six months after Luna's birth, Adam proposed, and they got married. It wasn't grand or flashy, but it was theirs.
From that moment on, they lived their lives together, raising their child, overcoming obstacles, and making memories.
Blessing grew old, living well into her nineties, surrounded by family. And when her time finally came, she passed away peacefully in her bed, with those she loved most by her side.
Over seventy-five years passed for Blessing, but in reality, not even a millionth of a second had elapsed. Yet, experiencing an entire lifetime within the genjutsu took a toll on her physical body. As she continued to fade, her once vibrant hair turned pure white, and deep lines of age marked her face.
Her body, reduced to dust, began drifting away into nothingness.
"One only truly dies when they are forgotten…" she whispered, her voice fading like the wind. She gave Adam one last, faint smile. "So I will live on inside you… No diddy."
And with that, she was gone.
Adam stood frozen, staring at the empty space where she had been just moments ago. His body trembled, his vision blurred, and the overwhelming exhaustion of expending so much energy nearly sent him to his knees.
He stared at the empty bed, his pain and grief swallowed by an unyielding rage that grew hotter with each passing second. His breathing was heavy, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.
Adam's hair flickered, and flashes of gold surged through his red strands before fading back, only to return stronger, more persistent. The very air around him vibrated, rippling with an invisible force as his suppressed fury clawed its way to the surface. The hospital walls groaned under the pressure of his energy, the lights above flickering wildly, struggling to withstand the sheer power radiating from him.
His entire body trembled, not just from exhaustion but from the storm raging within him. He had seen the future, he had known Blessing would live. Yet here she was… gone. Erased from existence not by fate, not by accident, but by those who deemed themselves gods.