Side Story: Lazarus

A/N: My high school graduation is tomorrow and thus I can't really put out a full chapter, I had to do a lot of stuff today that ate up my time. I don't feel like rushing a chapter and putting out a really bad one so instead today I'll just give y'all a nice side story to expand on the background of the world. This guy probably wont be important for a long long time.

After tomorrow, uploads will increase.

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My name is Lazarus.

I was born in a small independent farming village on the east of the Stonespear Mountains.

But there was something unique about me, a diamond amongst dull rocks.

I was born with all 3 minds unlocked.

My first mind, shadow magic.

My second mind, shadow magic.

My third mind, shadow magic.

We had no expert mages or any other sort of fighter in our village, and so everyone assumed that I was a genius with powerful shadow magic.

Nobody, including myself, had known that the truth behind the strength of my magic was the fact I had opened all three minds upon being born.

Later on, I would learn that I was the only mortal in all of history to have accomplished this.

Well, calling it an accomplishment would be dramatic, it was a predetermined event.

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My eighteenth birthday was a good day.

I drank with my friends, laughed with my parents and confessed to my love.

Yet a good day turned to a hellish nightmare in an instant.

The sky cracked open, and the world went dark.

A fleshy, mutilated arm was thrusted through the crack, and our village was crushed.

But I had survived.

I wish I hadn't.

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The next time I awoke, it was due to agonizing pain far beyond anything I had ever experienced coursing through my body.

I was bound by what I felt were unbreakable restraints, and I could only move my eyes.

What I saw could not be described.

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Test Reports - Project Lazarus 

Year 0, Day 1

Test subject was created. Upon inspection, the original experiment worked as intended. The test subject was successfully created with 3 minds.

Year 18, Day 1

Test subject was extracted as they have now become suitable for proper experimentation to begin.

Year 18, Day 2

Test subject survived the injection of Abyssal essence directly into the bloodstream. It is assumed this is the case because of their immense shadow affinity.

Year 18, Day 10

Abyssal essence has been successfully absorbed, the subject's blood has become black.

Year 18, Day 12

The subject has been fed their first phylactery. In order to not destroy the subject's soul, the chosen phylactery belonged to a low class lich.

Year 18, Day 30

After considerable time, the low class phylactery has been absorbed. Significant increase in magical aura emitted. The feeding process will continue.

Year 18, Day 250

The subject is ready to be fed middle level phylacteries.

Year 20, Day 45

The subject briefly went braindead after being fed so many phylacteries. This is assumed to be a product of the loss of 'hope'.

Year 30, Day 200

The subject has managed to successfully absorb all the high level lich phylacteries I have left.

'It' has almost been created.

Year 35, Day 103

Final experiment is beginning, 2 ultimate level lich phylacteries have been absorbed. The radiated mana is nearing the level of Gods.

Year 35, Day 152

After considerable negotiation with the God of the Abyss and Freedom, I have managed to obtain one of the original chains of the Abyss. He is a shitty neighbor, he took so much from me. I do not like him.

Year 35, Day 153

The Abyssal Chain has been placed upon the target's soul, it may never leave the body now.

Year 35, Day 154

After significant testing, project Lazarus has shown to be partially successful. Due to the intense mental strain, the body has been in a coma for decades.

Subject Report

Further testing has been performed. Test subject has been killed in 7 unique ways, yet they have managed to automatically revive every single time, and the body has grown tougher with each death.

I shall name this ability 'The Curse of Lazarus'. Further Curses may be created based upon different concepts. I will meet the God of the Abyss and Freedom to further discuss this. More abyss chains are required.

Year 35, Day 160

Upon considerable debate, I have decided to mend his mind. In the process, his 3 minds shall be lost. 

Year 35, Day 161

Test subject has broken free. I have decided to not pursue, and instead observe future actions.

Project Lazarus has been marked as 'complete' by Carrion.

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For a long time, I wandered the world.

I had no idea what happened to me, and my mind was in pieces.

My magical minds were completely shattered, and I was unable to perform even the most basic magical ability.

Whenever I tried to recall the past, I simply passed out.

And so I simply existed as a nomad.

Eventually, I was caught up in a monster wave.

I was trampled to death, over and over.

But something happened.

The trampling stopped hurting, and I pushed a monster off my chest.

It flew far away from a simple push.

That day, I defeated an entire hoard of monsters with my fists.

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Dozens of years passed, and many changes occurred. 

The fractured memories I once possessed had faded away, with me only remembering 2 simple things.

My name is Lazarus.

I hate the gods.

I did not know why I hated the gods, but I have never once questioned it.

The grudge felt as if it was embedded into my soul.

By this time, I had left my humanity behind.

I had died dozens of times fighting immensely powerful opponents.

I was an unstable, suicidal, nihilistic maniac.

I dyed battlefields with blood on both sides, for no reason.

I recklessly challenged the strongest beings in the continents, hoping to achieve true death.

Yet I could not.

I kept coming back, my body kept becoming stronger, and I kept destroying what lay before me..

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It took time, but eventually I had mellowed out.

Killing countless enemies and drowning in a sea of blood had begun to bore me.

I became a pacifist, deciding to simply train my technique on a deserted island.

I gave it a simple name.

Shockwave Fist.

Every time my fist swung, even if it made no contact with anything, everything within my radius was obliterated.

When I stomped, earthquakes ruptured the landscape of the island.

Truly, I had no need for magic.

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A man, followed by several others, came to my island.

His blonde hair reflected the sun, it was quite irritating.

His radiant blue eyes held a rebellious gaze.

He asked to fight, and I responded that I was not interested.

It seemed he wasn't asking it as a request, and he attacked me anyway.

I was defeated.

And even after dying a dozen times, he still defeated me.

Apparently, his name was Arthur.

His noble appearance did not fit the words that came out of his mouth.

I still remember what he told me back then, even a thousand years later.

"Those bastard gods have set the tides of fate for too long! I ask you, Lazarus, help me in my conquest to reclaim the fate of humanity!"

My hatred for the gods had never once subsided. Even though I had long since forgotten why it was the case, I did not dare let go of my anger.

So when he asked me if I was willing to kill them all.

I did not hesitate to say yes.

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He gave me one of his swords.

I told him that I was a martial artist, yet he still gifted me his sword.

Durandal, it was a marvelous greatsword which radiated endless light.

I began taking up the sword to pass the time during our travels.

Our group of eleven was an interesting bunch.

There was nobody who I would dare call weak.

It seemed that all of us were freaks of nature.

I felt at home.

Our travels were long, but our leader's ambition was endless.

Turns out finding gods was not easy. 

The first path was to the bottom of the abyss.

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When we entered the first layer of the abyss, I regained a part of myself.

I remembered why I hated the gods.

Carrion, the God of Monsters and Lies.

For the first time in 2 centuries, I had a true target for my hatred.