Free Web NovelChapter 20: Chapter 20: Already
Zach noticed a lake ahead.
He continued on. It was definitely a struggle. He knew that more than most. The others had all cut their journeys short.
No one made it nearly half as far as he’d come.
Of course, he didn’t know this. He couldn’t turn to see or do much really. His body had given out, but his mind hadn’t, and he was committed to keeping his resolve intact.
Minutes went by, and he’d only make little progress.
It was still progress.
He was leaking from his lower half like a faucet. He persevered all the same.
Minutes after minutes.
Maybe even an hour passed.
He finally reached the lake.
He knew he couldn’t go in, like all in. He had to think, and fast.
He submerged only his mouth initially, but he got pulled in.
It wasn’t just water.
Not plain water.
It was infested.
Man-eating bacteria.
He lost his entire skin.
His skeleton made it out alive.
He knew how to swim.
He was in the lake for a couple of hours.
The bacteria did their part.
A skeleton from the ribs up continued.
This confirmed to Zach that the immortality was present somehow.
He’d lost all his organs.
He was down to just his skeletal frame.
No brain, but he could still think.
No lungs, but he wasn’t suffocating.
He continued.
This time, it was even harder to grip the ground, to propel himself forward.
No skin.
Friction burned him as he made his way onward.
He’d been on the move for just about three hours.
He’d made the equivalent of four regular steps.
He didn’t know this.
He was just feeling defeated.
He continued for ten more hours.
The immortality took the tiredness away.
He didn’t feel sleepy or the need to sleep.
The ceilings also made it impossible to know if it was light outside or dark.
Zach’s skeleton was wet.
It had gotten so because of his own tears.
He’d been crying ever since.
He regretted stepping up for this.
He didn’t think this was a challenge anymore.
It felt like something suicidal.
’I made a mistake.’
Zach didn’t move for the next six hours.
He just waited.
He cried.
He waited.
Hours went by, and he made no progress.
He noticed no one had overtaken his place.
He was still first in the running.
He would’ve sighed, but he couldn’t.
He’d lost that functionality.
’I’ve made it this far.’
’I’ve literally lost everything.’
’I can lose no more.’
He continued on.
Forty hours.
Forty strenuous hours.
He’d made some progress.
There was a light ahead.
The expression made sense.
The light at the end of the tunnel.
He thought.
He would’ve laughed, but he couldn’t.
His lower half, what remained of his ribs, had been feeling it.
Wear and tear had gotten the better of him.
He just knew he still had to continue.
He powered through for a few more hours.
He finally made contact with the light.
In that instant, the ground opened up and swallowed him whole.
Not whole, as he was most definitely less than whole.
But he was consumed.
He didn’t die.
He simply re-emerged.
His skin was restored.
His lower half and organs as well.
He could feel again.
Smile again.
Zach grinned.
He fell.
He didn’t reach the ground.
The mental strain was taking its toll.
He was committed.
He picked himself up just before he hit the floor, smiled once again, and sprinted for the end of the light.
The tunnel didn’t seem like much.
He’d been through worse.
He realized he probably wasn’t immortal anymore, so he could probably die right now.
This realization didn’t stop him.
It only reinvigorated him.
He charged.
He ran on until he noticed that ahead, the light only seemed to get brighter.
He finally took the last step.
He was now outside the caravan.
He saw nothing but the vastness of the sky and a figure.
It wasn’t a man.
It wasn’t even alive.
"Is that a statue?" Zach said.
The statue had an inscription.
It wasn’t in the weird language of the gods.
Zach moved on.
He noticed it.
He was now within talking distance.
He heard a voice.
"Beyond the Heavens Awakening: God System."
Zach had awakened.
He hadn’t read the inscription.
He was back at the party.
He didn’t know how he got there.
He just assumed it was the same way he left.
’I didn’t read the name.’
’That voice... when I heard it... the statue’s eyes came alive.’
’I’m guessing that voice belonged to the statue.’
’The name was short.’
’SSS-rank Mage.’
’Is that some kind of title?’
’I only read the damn title.’
’Wait.’
’I’m fixating on the wrong thing.’
’Did I just...’
’I mean, did I?’
’Did I just awaken the God System?’
’Already?’
-
Roe expecting something. It never came. Solomon had told him of the possibility he’d later awaken the system. It just wasn’t in the cards for him .
Around the same time Zach was found. The teachers all in the room felt something move. It was a sudden wave of energy
-
"Where have you been Zach"? Modred asked as he and Sigman just got back from checking their quarters.
Zach realized that little to no time had passed for them. It was more than a couple of days for him . To them it just seemed like minutes, definitely less than an hour.
-
The strange feeling was picked up by Roe as well.
"What is that. The well. It’s bottomless." Roe said.
"What do you mean". Ursula asked. He said nothing.
-
One of the teachers taken aback by the shock first asked if this was Roe’s doing.
He said he had nothing to do with it. frёeωebɳovel.com
Solomon knew.
What the hell’s even going on. Lot asked.
The teachers clearly thought this was something serious.
"I think we should postpone the tests tomorrow". One said.
"We’ll do no such thing". Lot replied.
They got into argument, not just that teacher but the whole bunch of them.
"It’s Merlin isn’t it?" One asked Solomon. He noticed he was the only one not making a fuss.
Lot got even angrier.’ Solomon knows something he’s not telling us. ’
Solomon knew he had to speak.
"The tests will go on as intended". He said .
