The Gatekeeper knew Neo would refuse the reward.
He was a stubborn person who would never change his stance once he formed it.
A #22 commanded the orb of ink.
It floated towards Neo’s Seed of Existence and fused into it.
“You’ve earned it, Neo Hargraves.”
Surviving after taking a look at a Supreme Deity was no simple feat.
The surrounding empty expanse pulsed gently.
[Time remaining: 11 hours, 59 minutes]
[Time remaining: 11 hours, 2…]
[Time remaining: 7…]
[Time re…]
[T …]
[12 hours have passed since your death.]
[You will be forcefully revived.]
Neo’s body and soul regenerated.
He was brought back to life with a gasp.
His chest rose sharply as cold air filled his lungs.
Pain echoed through his nerves
“Dammit, this always makes me feel like shit,” he said with a smile.
Neo was happy despite his words.
He had received a goal as a reward.
Just then, Neo sensed something different about himself.
His brows furrowed.
Before he could check what it was, he heard A #22.
“We apologize for calling you weak, Neo Hargraves,” A #22 said, even though she had never called him weak out aloud.
Neo nodded.
Honestly, he didn’t think A #22 was wrong after he saw the Supreme Deity of Shadows.
The Shadow Supreme’s body continued to transform from one object to another—shifting from vast celestial formations to minute fragments of cosmic dust.
It allowed Neo to look at the wonders of the universe.
Some of them were weak, but rare, while some were absolute and powerful.
He realized he had a long path before he could reach Zenith.
“Now that I’ve gotten my reward….”
Neo suddenly stopped speaking.
He blinked.
He tried to blink.
He realized he was ‘seeing’ things through Intent Vision after he was revived.
“What the….”
Neo waved his hands in front of his eyes.
Nothing.
He could see nothing.
A glance at the Shadow Supreme had turned him blind.
He tried to use his blessing along with Life and Holy element.
Nothing changed.
There was not the slightest hint of his eyes recovering.
Neo exhaled, surprised.
Unlike his scars, which he could heal given time, he had no idea if he could heal his eyes. Neo felt it. Shadow Supreme could’ve killed him with a thought. He only survived as the Shadow Supreme had no intention of harming him.
“Do not be surprised, Neo Hargraves. It is a small injury for what you’ve tried,” A #22 said.
“Mhm,” Neo nodded. “Can I meet up with Jack before I leave for my world?”
The loss of vision wasn’t anything big.
His Intent Vision was much better than physical vision.
“You can.”
Jack and Neo existed in different ‘pockets’ inside the Gap of Dimensions.
The Gatekeeper was about to fuse both pockets and bring Neo and Jack into one space.
Neo suddenly spoke up.
“Will Jack get a reward for the trial?”
“He will not.”
A #22 answered without hesitation.
“The trial was not just saving the Child of Mana. It was the test of your willpower.
“You stayed in the Shadow World for centuries to save your home.
“But Jack was here, weeping.”
Her voice was cold and detached.
“We do not blame him for having left the Shadow Trial, but he could’ve done better.
“He should’ve done better,” the Gatekeeper said.
“I was the one who forced him to leave,” Neo replied.
“It does not matter to us. This is a Trial, not a charity.”
Neo clicked his tongue.
He wanted to see if he could negotiate and make them help Jack return to his previous strength.
It seemed impossible.
The Gatekeeper brought her palms together before turning them in opposite directions.
Neo felt a shift.
He began to hear a sobbing sound next to him.
He turned around, noticing Jack on his knees, crying.
Another Gatekeeper – J #48 – stood in front of Jack.
She noticed A #22 had shifted the space and taken over her job.
J #48 left after giving a nod to A #22.
A #22 also disappeared for a short while, giving Neo and Jack some space.
“Hey,” Neo called out.
Jack flinched.
He raised his head slowly and looked at Neo.
“Y-you?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me? Dude, sure I have some scars, but my face is more or less intact,” Neo joked.
Physical appearance was the last thing one would think of after looking at him.
His presence had grown considerably since he last met Jack.
“Ahhahaha.”
Jack covered his face with trembling hands.
The shadows around him seemed to pulse with his despair.
A look of helplessness appeared in his eyes.
“This darkness is starting to take over my mind. Ahahaha, I’m seeing hallucinations—”
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“Hey, you fucking bitch.”
Neo crouched.
He looked Jack in the eye.
“After you left, I activated the World Time Spell. Then, the world went back in time.
“I helped other Awakeners grow quickly before the end of the world arrived.
“They were people who would become Gods. There is no need to say how great their talent and potential is.
“With my guidance, they grew stronger far faster than our timeline and we were able to save the world,” Neo explained.
There was no need to reveal the truth.
Telling Jack how much Neo suffered would only make Jack more miserable.
“You… are not a hallucination?”
“I just told you what happened.
“If that is not enough for you to believe me, I can always slap the shit out of you.
“The pain will help, if my words don’t.”
Jack froze.
The light in his eyes seemed to flicker as he opened his mouth slowly.
“It’s really you. Only Neo can make such bad jokes.”
“…Can I hit you just once?”
Before the duo could talk more, A #22 returned.
“You have been entertained in this place for enough time. Please return and converse in your own world.”
“Sure.”
Neo stood up.
He turned to Jack, who, still unsure if everything was truly happening, returned to his feet.
Jack’s complexion improved, but not by much.
Neo had survived.
So did their world.
But it did not mean Jack’s incompetence changed.
“Your family name is still Hanma,” Neo said, reading Jack’s Intent. “I changed the timeline, and Emma never met you.
“I wonder if she later met a guy whose family name was Hanma or if there is another reason.”
“What are you trying to say?” Jack asked.
“Nothing. Just wondering aloud.”
Neo shrugged.
His words were meant to give a goal to Jack.
Jack was in a dangerous mental state right now.
Neo worried if he did not give Jack another thing to focus on, the thing that happened with Kane would repeat with Jack.
Jack would give up on living.
A #22 created a portal for them.
The shimmering circle of energy radiated a soft hum.
“You can leave through this.”
Neo and Jack stepped towards the portal.
Neo stopped just before entering and turned back to A #22.
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can, but we cannot guarantee you will receive an answer.”
“Who saved the Child of Mana in the original timeline?”
“We apologize, as we cannot answer your question.”
Neo nodded.
He had expected it.
‘I wonder if Kronos and Zeus somehow managed to upgrade the World-Time spell and make it work with corrupted Time elementals, then they asked for Daniel’s help.’
‘Or if my current actions are what makes the original timeline.’
He pursed his lips.
‘I guess I’ll never know.’
With a chuckle, he stepped into the portal.
It was time he returned.
To home.
…
End of Volume 1: Damned Shadows