Chương 38: From Within the Chains (1)

Rowan's terror was quickly replaced by surprise and confusion as whatever lurked within his chains awakened. But those feelings quickly turned back to sheer terror as he realized something: he was no longer in control of his own body. His eyelids snapped open, forcing himself to stare up at the fist descending upon him. Everything moved unnaturally slowly as he watched, forced to remain as an observer in his own body.

Throughout his life, he'd heard many people say that when one found themself on death's door, it would almost seem as if time itself was slowing down for them. Whether or not that was real, he didn't know, because if Rowan had ever known something for sure, it was that what was happening to him at that moment was not what those people were describing. No, this was something entirely different. With the rest of the world slowed to a crawl, he kept watching, and a split second later, he felt his body begin to move.

His fist whipped upwards, ignoring whatever it was that slowed everything else down. But then, as Rowan felt the muscles and tendons in his arm ripping and tearing, he realized that his body wasn't ignoring the effect; it was just moving faster than whatever was slowing the world down. But it was too fast. He tried to scream in pain, but no sound came out. After all, his mouth was no longer his to command.

His body was wracked with agony as more and more of his arm was torn apart, moving at speeds beyond even his stat-enhanced flesh. The moment his hand reached the hammer-arm of the bloodspawn, Rowan felt mana bursting from his fist. Fighting through the pain in his arm, he focused on the pathways within his body, only to find them empty. Somehow, whatever was controlling his body had managed to take control of every last ounce of compressed mana in his body in a split-second. All without him even noticing.

The energy burst from his fist in a single, unimaginably powerful wave, smashing into the bulbous tumor that was the beast's hand. Rowan had a brief moment to watch in awe as the entire lump of flesh exploded, sending chunks of flesh flying in every direction. Then, the pain hit. Rowan felt the bones in his hand and forearm shattering from the sheer backlash of the mana being released from his body. It was worse than anything he'd felt before. So much worse.

And just like the rest of the world, his body was slowed down as well, forcing him to feel everything as the damage traveled through his arm, slowly ripping apart one muscle and tendon after another. Every second was agony as he felt his bones slowly fracture and crack, experiencing each lance of pain in slow motion. But, just as he felt as if he were about to break, time resumed its normal pace, and the worst of the pain faded.

His body was still screaming in protest, but in contrast with what he'd experienced just moments earlier, it was nothing. If anything, it was like a warm, comforting hug compared to before. Before he could relish the feeling of being able to think straight, his body was in action once more. He rushed at the massive brute that was still reeling from losing its greatest weapon, but that wasn't what Rowan was paying attention to. No, he was watching what was going on within his body.

The swirling mass of mana in his chest was being rapidly depleted as it was pulled into his pathways. But the moment the energy entered them, it was compressed, far more quickly than anything he'd managed before. Rowan watched the process with rapt attention, watching as whatever was controlling him did things so complicated that they would've taken him minutes in less than a second.

Soon, every last drop of mana had been pulled from him and compressed into something denser than anything he'd ever done, despite the task being performed in a split-second. And, as he observed the energy, Rowan knew that it was different, beyond anything he could create. Even the way the mana was moved throughout his body was masterful and efficient, the technique allowing it to move at several times the speed he could normally manage. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen.

Please report the violation. Then, the mana spewed out of him, not concentrated at any one point. And, to his great surprise, it flowed into his chains rather than being directed as a blast towards the brutish bloodspawn. Immediately, his chains became stronger, faster, better in every way. Rowan simply watched everything unfold before him in awe, his fascination easily overwhelming the pain of his injuries. The chains sprang forward, moving with practiced ease.

By now, though, the massive humanoid had recovered enough to fight back, and it did so with vigor. As chains swarmed around it, the beast swung its arms around wildly, trying to force them back. With each swing, the arm that had once held the tumorous growth sent sprays of blood splashing across the room. There was a primal fear to its actions, as if the chains terrified it more than anything else in the world. But nothing it could do would stop the chains.

They danced around the bloodspawn's attempts at defence, snapping and striking in concert. Still trapped in his own mind, Rowan watched as two chains whipped against each other, emitting a large crack. The sound distracted the beast for a split second, and that was its downfall. Lengths of steel links danced about, moving in ways that he couldn't even comprehend. Rowan's attention lapsed for a fraction of a second, but when he focused back on the bloodspawn, he found it bound in chains. Completely bound.

Not a single spot remained uncovered. And then, they squeezed. [You have slain Fungal Bloodspawn - Level 14] The chains wrapped around the beast retracted, revealing its crushed body. For a few seconds, the corpse stood. Then, it fell to the floor with a crash. As he stared at the now dead creature, Rowan thought. Perhaps whatever was within his chains wasn't so bad. After all, it'd saved him from a certain death. Had the anger and terror he'd directed towards it after he'd first felt its presence been misguided?

His body continued moving, walking right past the massive creature and turning down a side tunnel. Then, Rowan began to panic. This wasn't the right way! He wanted to get to the surface, not go away from it! But whatever possessed his body paid his protests no heed, continuing on its way. With each tunnel it went through, he felt himself being dragged further and further from his destination. As his body moved, he could swear he saw a gray, insect-like form in the corner of his eye. But it was no matter.

After all, he was being pulled away from his only hope of reaching the surface. Desperate, he tried to enter back into his body. He didn't know what to do, so he just willed himself to regain control over himself. And to his surprise, it worked. He felt himself slowly regaining—then, something blocked him. He felt any progress he'd been making come to a screeching stop as the presence within his chains stopped him. Then, as it turned its attention to him, Rowan knew that none of his fears had been misguided.

He felt sheer, animal terror beginning to take him over, and tried to scream. But his body didn't belong to him any longer. It was just his mind against that of whatever had emerged from the chains. But the mere act of the presence taking notice of him was too much, as Rowan felt his thoughts begin to fade beneath the horror. Then, he noticed something. The presence exuded the feeling of something all-powerful, unstoppable. But if it was so mighty, why had it needed to do so much to defeat the bloodspawn?

Why had it needed to exert his body so much that his bones shattered? Why hadn't it done anything to him? Concentrating, he pierced through its facade, and beneath it, Rowan could sense the being's true strength. It was powerful, but not almighty. And he wasn't sure how, but he could feel how it was weakened, reduced to a mere shadow of whatever it had once been. Even more, the presence was growing weaker by the second, as if whatever it had done to possess his body and defeat the brute was too much.

Not letting it regain its strength—if it even could—Rowan tried to force the being out and allow himself back into his own body. And it worked. Slowly, he felt himself winning the war over his own body. A moment later, he regained control over his own mouth. But the presence wasn't making it easy. Rowan could do nothing but scream with pain as the being assaulted his mind, trying to break him. And for the briefest of moments, he considered giving in. But no, how could he? How could he give this all up?

As he fought a war within his own mind, Rowan realized something. Despite everything the System had done, all the pain and suffering he'd endured, he couldn't give this up. Because, despite it all, it had given him power. And, in turn, freedom. His life back on Earth hadn't been good, and even at his best, he hadn't had true freedom. The ability to do what he wanted. All his life, he'd been controlled by something, whether it be his boss or the strangers he begged to on the street.

And the System had put an end to all of that. It had given him a chance to forge his own path, to leave his old life behind. And Rowan wasn't just going to give that newfound agency up. Not now, not ever. Pushing with all he had, his screams of pain became a roar of defiance. Then, he felt his will crash against that of the presence. They pushed against each other for a second before he felt it. Amusement. The being was laughing at him.

Gritting his teeth, he fought even harder, but after sending one last wave of pain through his mind, the presence simply faded away, not granting him the satisfaction of victory. Even as it retreated, it continued projecting its amusement. Its utter contempt for him. Feeling control over his body return to him, Rowan tried to take a step forward, only for his legs to give beneath him. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.