10 'Resolve' Time

After Ashe's mother, Aileen, had defeated Demon Lord Xoketh, due to a series of interconnected events, Aileen had decided to live within the Merez Forest for the sake of her survival. But this is not the end of her story.

Unknown to all the parties involved, even to Xoketh himself, no one was able to predict how Xoketh's 'curse' would have effected Aileen's pregnant body at that moment.

In fact, Xoketh's 'curse' was not merely a second-rate ability which only causes damage to their victims and eventually kills them. The moment Xoketh activated his 'curse', a portion of his soul was torn from the main body and was then launched together with the 'curse' only to be absorbed into Aileen's body.

The reason for that is simple. After the 'curse' would have ravaged the body and soul of his most hated enemy, Aileen, Xoketh will use Aileen's contaminated soul/body to revive himself once again.

In order to hunt Demon Lords, ancient inhabitants of the Omnias Civilization would use long-lost techniques called 'arcane spells' that would have the properties to fully eradicate a Demon Lord's soul fragment.

Of course, no one in the current modern world of Eruvia would be a wielder of such a mysterious technique.

However, there was another method that, while not as effective, can help delay the effects of the Demon Lords' corrosion and slow their rebirths used by the Omnias Civilization. And that very method happened to be the same nameless 'Blackthorn Rose Drug' which had saved Aileen's life before her untimely end to the 'curse'. While its name was lost in the annals of history, during the Omnias Era the name of the mysterious drug is called the 'Curse Phasing Drug'.

The effects of the Curse Phasing Drug would not only just reverse the spread of 'curses' temporarily, it would also force the soul fragment of Xoketh into hibernation and help to prevent his revival.

While temporary, if Aileen continues to take the drug, Xoketh's revival will never come to fruition…or it was supposed to.

When the Omnias Civilization was at its peak, the ancient people's main use for the drug was to be used as a temporary stopgap to allow enough time for the limited number of wielders of 'arcane spells' to reach the victims of the 'curse' in time to fully eradicate the Demon Lord's soul and was not meant for long-time use.

Because of that, even the ancient Omnias people had no idea that the Curse Phasing Drug would continue to lose its effectiveness so quickly over time.

If nothing was to be done, Aileen would eventually succumb to the 'curse' and the revival of Xoketh would become inevitable…if not for one thing.

At the time when Aileen had received the 'curse', she was in fact pregnant with Ashe.

'Curses' are powerful abilities that could only be used by beings similar to and as powerful as the pinnacle of demons, the Demon Lord. With it, regardless of how strong your defenses are, a single 'curse' by a Demon Lord would lead to all victims towards inevitable death.

However, even though it is powerful, there is a limitation found when a 'curse' is used.

A single 'curse' can only be put on one being at a time no matter how weak they are. 'Curses' cast by Demon Lords cannot be used against groups.

As such, in the event there are multiple enemies at a time, Demon Lord's would not use a 'curse' to fight, to do so is impractical. Even without a 'curse', Demon Lords can use strength far beyond any normal human and would not need it anyway.

Due to such limitation, Aileen's pregnancy allowed an anomaly that even Demon Lord's couldn't predict.

It has been said that the process of childbirth is the miracle of life creation.

A common 'miracle' which came in the form of 'magically' creating two different lives (and sometimes even more) within one body.

Aileen, as an expected mother, became the holder of two lives. Coincidentally, she was then struck with a 'curse' that could only target one life.

This resulted in a unique situation never seen since the dawn of time.

I mean, how many expectant mothers would not only appear on the battlefield, but also fight face-to-face with a Demon Lord? <br data-mce-bogus="1">

The 'curse' itself was successful. Aileen properly received the effects of the 'curse'.

However, the same could not be said for the soul fragment of Xoketh which came along.

Due to a freak accident resulting from the combination of rash decision making and strong power limitations, Xoketh's soul fragment found itself become lodged into the 'soul space' of Ashe's embryotic body.

And to top it all off, since Aileen ingested the Soul Phasing Drug, Xoketh's soul had been forced into hibernation and was left inside Ashe's 'soul space'. Being unconscious, Xoketh's soul was unable to move himself closer to his actual 'cursed' target, Aileen.

As such, when Aileen had gone into labor alone and given birth to Ashe, Xoketh remained within Ashe throughout the whole process. As a result, Xoketh's soul had been successfully removed from his 'cursed' target. Without the'nutrients' provided when the 'cursed' target dies and the soul had been contaminated, Xoketh's unfettered revival had been completely interrupted.

So when we return back to current times, that very same Xoketh is now beginning to come out of his forced slumber after remaining quiet for so long.

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Aaron Amano's POV

*Ba-dum**Ba-dum*

The dark glowing sphere continues to pulses loudly and ominously within the 'soul space'.

If you were to observe more closely, you would see that the sphere is gradually getting bigger over time.

[While I had a hunch this would happen eventually, I didn't know that it would be this disgusting and so sudden.]

As I am the only player who had been with Ashe Daemon to the bitter end, it was inevitable that I knew about the 'parasite' living inside Ashe all along. From knowing how Xoketh came to be inside Ashe to his eventual revival as a [Raid Boss], only I knew all the details.

While having only been acting docile within Ashe until now, Xoketh's soul had been gradually regaining his powers. In the end, he will take over the mind of Ashe for his complete revival.

It wasn't until to the update, prior to the most recent one, that Xoketh's revival had been completed.

Ashe Daemon, having been broken and battered from receiving unfortunate event after unfortunate event since his mother's death, he eventually lost all will to live. With nothing to stop him, Xoketh's revival had been all but assured.

When this turn of events first happened, I couldn't believe my eyes.

What will happen to Ashe now? Will I be controlling a Xoketh/Ashe hybrid from now on? Will Ashe be made to have a revival arc in the next update?

So many questions, but no answers.

It wasn't until later that got an answer for the update....and it was the worst news.

[To appear now of all times...You wanted to just rub it in, don't you? To me! Just so you know, it was all your fault, you got it! Not like it matters now…]

To hide my nervousness, I aimed my scathing words towards the ball which seemed to be an amalgamation of resentment and evil.

Yes, it ended all because of you. Because of you, I had learned that wouldn't be able to play as Ashe Daemon in the future ever again.

It was a ridiculous decision. Why would Kami Productions choose the worst option when there were hundreds of other ways an unpopular character like Ashe could improve before being scrapped. If I hadn't died soon after learning about it, I would have sent them a hundred-page complaint through their email complaining about the unfairness and spamming hate messages all across their social media.

Sigh.

I was reminded of something I wished I have forgotten.

*Shakes my (imaginary) head*

Nope. Nope. Nope.

It is not time to think about such useless things. What I should do now is think about how I should deal with the current crisis.

I turn my attention back to Xoketh.

[…it's growing alright.]

According to the setting within VDS, it is said that Demon Lords like Xoketh can feed off negative emotions to grow stronger.

This would explain the reason as to why Xoketh had made his first appearance as possessing Ashe within the game.

It seems that by using Ashe's worry and despair for his mother, Xoketh had been both recovering and gathering his strength.

The gathering of negative emotions was further fueled when Ashe had been attacked by a pack of Merez Forest Wolves while searching for the Blackthorn Rose. With the additional fear of being eaten by the wolves, Ashe's young soul temporarily lost control of his body allowing Xoketh to take over.

While still in recovery, it does not take much of Xoketh's power to kill low-ranked Aether Beast at the level of the Merez Forest Wolves.

As such, if the future flow of events matches with those in the game, it is necessary for Ashe to be taken over by Xoketh in order to survive the coming wolf attack. With me being unable to help, there is no other choice.

However, if Ashe is unable to break free from Xoketh's control in time, Aileen will have died from the 'curse' without the timely arrival of her medication.

In other words, in order for both Ashe and Aileen to saved, I would have to not only have to allow Xoketh to take over Ashe's soul, which is partially connected to me, I would also have to somehow wrest the control of the Ashe's soul from a powerful Demon Lord...

To be perfectly honest, this task could be said to be absolutely impossible.

The moment Xoketh began to pulsate, I could instinctively feel it. The overwhelming power and malevolent force of will held by the most powerful [Raid Boss].

I can't win. Not against that.

But if I don't win, will I once again have to see Ashe fall into darkness once again?

Besides, I don't even know what would happen to me when Xoketh devours Ashe's soul.

Will I too be forcefully taken over?

When I first understood I had been sent into another world, I instantly tried to check if I had ever received the cliché 'Cheat Abilities' that many protagonists you see in many isekai novels get.

The results? Nothing.

No 'status window'. No 'superpower', Not even a 'godly item'.

The only thing I received is having my soul split into two.

Unlike in certain webnovels where the main character somehow combines their soul with the soul of the previous host and gain a powerful soul unmatched to any other, I actually received the opposite and weakened instead!

Disregarding my extreme love and passion for playing VDS, I would say that I have no other important qualities.

My grades are normal, some even failing, in college. I am not a star athlete or a famous inventor. I don't' have a single example of the so-called 'Real Cheat' to speak of.

I am just 'me'.

While I continue to wallow myself in self-pity, the situation began to pick up speed.

"Mom! Does it hurt?" said Ashe with worry, "I know! You need that ugly flower, right? You said that it would make you feel better. There isn't any right now, though. But that's okay, I am going to out to get a new flower, Mom! Just wait a bit."

"W-wait...A-ashe! Yo-u…c-can't….nngh….go! Com....me…back!"

While still writhing in pain, Aileen desperately tries to stop Ashe from going outside.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll be right back!"

And with those final words, Ashe immediately started to run outside the house in search of the Blackthorn Rose.

[….the prologue is finally going to begin]

There is now no turning back. Even though there is nothing I could've done to stop it anyways.

Xoketh continues to pulse ominously behind me, emitting a dangerous pressure.

[….]

*Breath in* *Breath out* (Subjective feeling)

Phew. Whether it is for good or for ill, I will just have to accept it. Whatever happens from now on, I won't regret the decisions that I make.

With renewed determination, I gazed strongly towards the floating screen.