(13) Vousenne [3]
The situation rolled out identically to the first round.
Vousenne couldn't help but start growing nervous, imagining the pain that was to come. Nevertheless, there was nothing she could do.
Her body starts declining the next day. Helvry shook his head while examining her body again.
"It's hopeless." Helvry's cold voice caused Vousenne's hair to stand on the edge.
'....Just why was I sent back in time? Just to suffer again...?' Her mind was overtaken by despair.
The number of rounds began growing, along with her despair.
....
[Round 12]
'.....' Veren wasn't surprised anymore to find himself before Vousenne again.
This time, Vousenne didn't try to stop Veren, her blank gaze made her seem like a doll.
'I feel like I'm looking at myself...' Veren closely looked at her, he had grown used to looking at her.
['Wait.']
Just as Veren readied himself to leave, the water spirit queen spoke into his mind.
'What do you need?' Veren got straight to the point. He knew that spirits could look into his emotions, so it was useless acting.
['You....']
'Get to the point before I leave.' Veren frowned slightly.
The water spirit queen was connected to Vousenne's mind. Hence she was able to deduce what just happened. And furthermore, being comparable to a demi-god, she had sensed the god of time's divinity in the crack that vanished a few minutes ago.
With all these clues, if she couldn't find anything strange, that would just be letting down herself, who has lived for at least a thousand years.
['Help Vousenne, don't you want to get out of this loop?']
'Not even worth hearing.' Veren began walking again.
['Stop! She will most likely lose herself in her current self. Weren't you worried about her?']
'Not really.'
After contemplating for a second, Veren decided to stand his ground and wait for the spirit queen to continue speaking.
Sensing the truth in Veren's words, the spirit queen was left speechless.
['...I will owe you a favor in exchange for helping her.']
'Not enough.' Veren coldly responded, while thinking: 'Now she is talking business, I was growing impatient from waiting.'
To the current Veren, Vousenne was no different than a stranger. He didn't feel any discomfort looking at her either.
['I will bestow upon you an advanced level water god ritual. How about it?]
The queen spirit was surprised by her own actions. She never knew that she would grow so connected to her second contractor.
'One forbidden level ritual or sacrificial act. Give it to me once I grow to a sufficient level. And make a temporary contract with me, since you will forget either way.'
Silence prevailed upon them.
A spark appeared deep within Veren's eyes. This was the fifth time he negotiated with the spirit queen. He has been doing the same negotiation from the end of [round 7].
He could have accepted the advanced knowledge offered by her, but he kept his wit and continued trying.
'Once a contract is formed, it is irreversible. I can only hope to make the most of it.'
Waiting with patience, Veren wasn't disappointed in this round.
['Alright. I shall form a contract with you.']
At that moment, Veren felt some kind of shackle placed in his soul.
['It a temporary contract...']
'I know.' Veren sat beside Vousenne.
"Huh? Really....this guy is as unpredictable as ever." Vousenne began smiling as if she couldn't care less about what happened around her.
"..." Veren clenched his fist, bearing with the pain transmitted from the mask. It was late at night, which was the reason he was always in a hurry to leave.
'First, I should do something about her mental state.'
Who could know Vousenne's current state better than Veren? He had gone through it all more than once. So...
"You know...This mask has a strange mechanism where it injects dark divinity into me at night. The pain I go through in this process is similar to the torture of being pierced by hundreds of swords." Veren began speaking, but it strangely didn't feel like he was particularly speaking to someone.
".....?" Vousenne's eyes widened, she was shocked by various factors, making her wonder what was the most surprising fact.
"Now, there is even something like the second phase. Where I have to eat live sacrifices, that have not been very contaminated with any divinity. Unless I do so, the pain will continue to haunt me..." Veren's voice was emotionless, but he still said what he had to say.
"I see..." Vousenne suddenly felt her heart move closer to Veren. They both suffered through something unfortunate, naturally creating some appreciation between them.
"So....don't think too much when I don't come to visit at night." Veren slowly stood up and walked towards the entrance.
"Will you visit again? No, why can't you visit me tomorrow?" Vousenne looked on with some resentment.
Her wording was naturally suspicious, but Veren acted like he didn't notice it.
"I should be busy with finishing my task of reading holy rituals...."
"Come visit me, promise."
Veren blankly looked at her, 'Did she actually damage her head?'
Vousenne continued: "Not just tomorrow, every day come and visit me…please, I feel like I will go crazy if you don't."
Veren entered a state of deep thought.
Was there a reason to help Vousenne so much? Personally, he didn't even consider her as an acquaintance.
Therefore, Veren closely stared at Vousenne. He couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable internally.
'Would my life have been different if someone had helped me? Whether it was from my father or the bullies if someone had saved me. Would I have not ended so miserable?.....sigh...so pointless.'
Veren didn't hate the current him and didn't see a reason to change either.
"....Alright. I promise you – till the moment you get rid of your disease, I will watch over you every day."
Vousenne's eyes glowed momentarily, but it turned dim not long after.
'He will probably not remember his promise after my death.'
.....
Veren returned to his room, suppressing his ugly expression for a while, he had grown tired.
'I can't grow used to this pain no matter how long....'
Originally, Veren forced himself to be affected by the fragment of time divinity, only to survive. But he wasn't quite sure anymore.
If Vousenne kills someone right now, they won't revive in the next round.
The god of time doesn't hold power over life and death. A god holds absolute authority over their path.
Vousenne was only sent back to time before her death, which couldn't be said to bring the dead back to life.
'Knowing those two gods, they wouldn't allow it.'
The fragment of time divinity affecting Veren and Vousenne can only last for 5 years. Whether this time passed by while regression was carried out continuously or the usual normal life didn't matter.
'I should meet Helvry tomorrow.'