The Essence of Life

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I don't know why. In fact, I couldn't really say why.

My entire body was pierced by these shadow tentacles. I could clearly feel the horrendous pain because of it. My legs were torn apart, bloodily falling apart into chunks. My heart was pierced, bursting instantly from the attack, plus my lungs were also pierced. Currently, I was drenched in blood. My stomach was pierced, and my torn-apart intestines were also visible. The only thing that was intact ended up being my head. Maybe it's because this bastard decided to make me look at my own body before dying. Just for extra horror and trauma.

However, I couldn't tell why I wasn't dead. My entire body… as mangled as it was… should be dead by now. But I wasn't. Could this be…? The endless health from the System actually made me "alive" even when my body is disfigured like this? Is this… the "glitched" HP that never changes its numerical value?

Despite not regenerating automatically, I'm still alive. So what? If I'm reduced to a meat paste, will I still remain alive? If I rot away, will I still be alive, with my soul being stuck to this horrendous body? Well, I would've probably lost my consciousness if my head was hit and my brain was greatly damaged, but theoretically, my soul would still remain in my body?

This is… ugh. Even though the pain was still numbing my mind, I faintly glanced at the skeleton before me. In front of me, I saw Aquarina crying desperately.

Don't cry… I'm fine.

It's not so bad when you're burned alive constantly by an angered dragon. It seems you eventually get used to the pain.

I tried to buy more time for Aquarina. I knew our parents wouldn't sit down after their daughters disappeared. I had to buy as much time as possible. Aquarina… doesn't have the same ability as me. If she's pierced like I was, she'll definitely die.

And out of all things that could happen… I cannot let that happen.

"Oi… you've still got to kill me…" I said, touching the shadow tentacles with my hand. Soon, Naturia's very spiritual essence of nature and life began to flow inside the tentacles of death and darkness.

While doing so, I suddenly noticed that Naturia was also crying desperately. Her powers began to flow in great quantities, absorbing my mana. Now that my body was all torn apart, I guess using all the mana I had didn't matter that much, so I completely went all out, using my endless mana to its fullest potential.

FLASH!

I suddenly felt as if my very soul and mind was being infused into the death and darkness of these tentacles connecting to me. I don't know how exact I could explain it, but my very soul dissolved itself into it. It fused with my endless mana, creating a wave of golden yellow essence that spread across the skeleton's shadows.

For some reason, I realized the elements of Nature and Life were super effective against Death and Darkness if I combined them. Then again, the nature of life completely negated death, but I had yet to train this magic element, so I wasn't confident about using it… until now.

Naturia guided my hand, soon feeling and realizing that I had discovered a strange capability the unique composition of my body possessed.

I saw as the shadow tentacles suddenly began to burn and dissipate into nothingness. Soon, the skeleton started to groan in pain right after that… well, this was the first time he's genuinely in pain.

"Eh? I-Impossible- Nngh?! UNNGRRYYYYAAAAGGH…!"

SPLAT!

My entire body soon fell on the ground as I destroyed the tentacles. Currently, I look like a horrendous and gory mess… for some reason, using regeneration spells on me multiple times didn't work. At most, some of the wounds I had closed, but other than that, no progress.

While doing that, I faintly looked up as I saw that my life energy was spreading over the guy's shadows, turning them all into yellow-gold essence, quickly dissipating it.

"What kind of magic is this?! N-Not even Tier 8 Life Magic should be much of a problem to me- AGH!"

He suddenly fell on the ground as the element of Life continued to spread into his body. Suddenly, I saw something truly horrendous, his skeletal body began to grow flesh. Yes, muscles started to wrap around his bones, and even skin formed on top of it. It was definitely a horrid sight.

"W-What? A revival spell?! This won't work!"

However, he quickly cut it off. His entire arm fell on the ground and actually continued to regenerate as most of the essence was infused into it. On the other hand, the rest of his body was "purified" by his own darkness while my power was easily suppressed.

"Hahh… Ungh…"

He gasped for air despite having no lungs. From the looks of it, he seemed to have been utterly terrified by that. Good.

I wish I could do much more, but I couldn't even talk now. My face was facing the floor, plus I think my nose broke and my jaw dislocated from the impact. The very least I could say about it would be… it hurts like hell.

"S-Sylphy… S-Sylphy!"

While that was happening, Aquarina kneeled before my corpse as she began to cry.

Fuck, this is harsh. I didn't want her to see such a thing. But man… I wish I could do something else! My healing magic is not powerful enough, plus my mana is useless if I cannot use the spells I want to use. Trying to use spells doesn't work now. After all, my mind was too exhausted, while Naturia seemed to have fallen into a coma after using all her power.

"Y-You pest…! I will turn you into ashes!" the skeleton roared. Soon, he rushed towards me, summoning his scythe once more, a massive phantasmal scythe.

"You can somehow remain in your corpse despite dying… are you some sort of Undead? Well, no matter! With this scythe, I'll slice your soul in half and there won't be any second chances for you! DIE!"

Soul?! He can destroy my soul? If my soul is destroyed, then everything is over… I cannot even regenerate back… I will die for real!

No… I don't want to disappear… this… this wasn't part of the deal, you damn God!

Fuck… my entire body feels like I've turned into a mass of slime… I can't even move an inch… Aquarina… please run away!

Please… run away!

"…"

However, Aquarina suddenly fell silent as she looked at the skeleton, whose name was Hell.

"Ngh? S-Such strong aura!"

The skeleton stopped midway through his move as Aquarina's entire body began to emanate immense amounts of mana…

SPLASH!

Then, it was as if the might of the oceans was summoned.

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