Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 50B1 - The Patron?

David gasped for air, but his lungs refused to obey. Again and again, he tried, but nothing happened. He braced himself for the end, yet the lack of oxygen didn’t seem to matter.

He tried to move, push his body upright, and get back. An increase in all of his stats should grant him some power. It ought to be enough to get up and fight. Even if it wasn’t enough, David was certain the increment should give him enough strength to use the Healing Serum.

It might tear him apart—he’d already consumed three Serums in the past hours—but it was his only chance at survival.

However, no matter what David tried, he couldn’t move. Nothing moved.

“You’re weaker than expected. To think you would lose an arm to such weak creatures,” An unfamiliar voice filled with mockery reached his ears. “Then again, you had a lot to do. Cleansing your allies’ corrupted Souls, eliminating dozens of cretins at or above your Rank, and healing and protecting your allies at your Essence’s expense isn’t easy for a newborn. But you managed to do everything and to hunt a Bronze Rank Mini-Boss without dying.”

A chuckle rang out, “I take back what I said earlier. You’re impressive. You didn’t disappoint me, newborn!”

Who the hell are you?

David wanted to shout, but his body disobeyed. He couldn’t even control his eyes to find the voice’s owner. Instead, the source of the voice came to him.

A cloud formed above him. It expanded, shifted, and compressed into the shape of a humanoid creature. The cloud’s form reminded David of a human, but it might as well be an Elf or another humanoid race. It wasn’t important.

Crimson-red mist. Is that a cloud of blood?

He was reminded of the bloody mist his body emitted when he first used the Fragment of Blood. Was this related? Did he start hallucinating now that he was on the verge of death? Was that what dying felt like?

“You’re still alive, newborn. Luck is on your side. Or maybe you want to call it a blessing in disguise,” The mockery tone returned, “The System rewarded you for achieving something extraordinary. Then again, I might have influenced the reward a little. You took longer than expected to meet the requirements.”

Requirements?

Confusion gripped him. Nothing made sense—the voice, the mist, his unmoving body. He couldn’t even feel scared. He was just…numb. Despite that, hazy vision turned crystal clear. His body wasn’t moving, but his mind was rattling. His brain appeared unaffected by the restraints of the rest of his body.

And then there was the crimson human-shaped cloud.

“The requirements to do all of this. To slow down time for a bit. To manifest here, though, this form is weaker than expected. And, of course, I want to help you with your First Class Advancement!”

Can he read minds?

"Yes and no,” the voice replied. “I wouldn’t call it mind-reading. If anything, I’m reading your blood.“

That’s even weirder.

“You’re odd,” Another chuckle resounded, “I like that. You are just like me!”

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David didn’t think so, but he remained silent. He was certain questions would flood him anytime, yet his mind remained clear.

“Hmm. I thought you would have some questions, newborn. Or that you would curse me and my colleagues like you did in the temple.”

He hadn’t been certain before, but now he was. The human cloud belonged to the Pantheon.

Do we have time for that? You didn’t stop time; you slowed time. Either that means you cannot freely control time or don’t do it for whatever reason. Plus, the dead don’t need to ask any questions. Asking questions on the deathbed feels like a waste of time.

“I found a smart one. A clever nutjob!” The crimson cloud giggled. “But you’re not going to die. You know that, or you wouldn’t have been thinking about consuming the Healing Serum since the System rewarded you for your suicidal achievement.”

He knows that too? Bastard! If you’re here to mock me, you might as well go away!

“Your temper is adorable,” The cloud came closer and shifted, revealing a human-like face smiling vibrantly at him.

“But I’m not here for no reason. Nobody would waste Essence to come to a wasteland like this for no reason, but I’m guessing you already figured that out. Your blood is quite the chatterbox.”

If he could move, he would have cursed at the cloud and showed him the golden middle finger. Instead, he had to endure the crimson cloud’s mocking tone.

Calm down...This must be the First Class Advancement Ritual. It’s supposed to happen somewhere safe, not in the middle of a battlefield. So, he slowed time... to buy me that safety?

He didn’t feel like wasting any time. Talked to the crimson cloud god: or whatever he was: and went straight to the point.

You’re offering your help to become a Patron. My Patron.

“Ding, ding, ding. Newborn, you got a full score!”

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Let’s stop that nonsense for a moment. There is no reason to pick you up, is there? You said I won’t die. Once I consume the Healing Serum and use the Attribute Point to increase Body, I will be strong enough to fight the last Mini-Boss head-on and–

“Your Holy Sea is damaged beyond repair. You forced your Life Essence into a vessel that can only contain holy power. It would have been alright if it had only been a few traces of Essence. It’d cause some damage, but nothing permanent. But you flooded the Holy Sea with Life Essence and consumed too much. You burdened not only your Holy Sea, but you nearly extinguished your existence simultaneously.”

The crimson cloud shaped into a shrug, “You can reject my offer and use the Healing Serum. Maybe your body can overcome the potency of four Serums used in quick successions, but your Holy Sea won’t heal. It will not recover your used-up Life Essence either. The Herculean Darkai will tear you to shreds before you fully recover.”

“You will die. Is that what you want? Is that how you want your journey to end?”

David didn’t like this. He hated it. If the god hadn’t arrived, he would have died, but swearing servitude to one of those bastards of the Pantheon? That didn’t sit right with him. Even without an oath, there would be a debt. A favor to repay. Maybe something worse.

Still, it seemed like his only chance at survival. He couldn’t throw it away.

You want to become my Patron? And what do you want in return?

The crimson figure smiled a slow, vibrant curve of its lips, but gave no immediate response. No words reached his ears. Instead, the crimson cloud didn’t say anything. It rippled and expanded like it was about to destabilize.

Suddenly, the surroundings shifted. David’s vision dimmed as a wave of darkness swept over him. For a moment, it reminded him of the demonic shockwave from earlier. He half-expected a notification to materialize, but none came.

Instead, something stirred within him. Strength. His body began to respond to it. He couldn’t move yet, but vigor coursed through his veins, tangible and undeniable.

The darkness engulfed everything. It covered the sky and threatened to wreath the crimson cloud but it retaliated, glowed, and repelled the darkness. David eyed the crimson cloud god’s struggle for a moment. He watched as the god was forced to use his power to repel the darkness. David watched as emerald-green light streams cut through the darkness, like veins forming on skin. The sight was both mesmerizing and unnerving.

“Why are you here? The newborn is my Champion!” The voice belonging to the crimson cloud bellowed.

“Your Champion?” A hoarse laughter resounded, “Nonsense. I marked this kid.”

“The newborn doesn’t have your Rune, meaning you never marked him! You must have gone senile to think the System would allow an Iron Rank to bind [Draining Touch!” The crimson cloud hissed, “If you wanted him dead, you could have done it differently!”

The darkness snorted, “He would have withstood it.”

David listened intently, but he had a hard time comprehending everything they said.

Even so, he could add snippets of their dispute to expand his picture of the Pantheon, the System, and everything that had happened to him.

The god in the darkness must be Bereth.

David concluded, unsure if Bereth’s words made any sense. Would he have withstood binding and using [Draining Touch]?

[Holy Touch] had already been dangerous enough when he first used it. He couldn’t fathom what it would be like to use a Tier-2 Skill Rune for the first time. On the first day, he learned about the Pantheon, magical creatures, mythical energies, and Skill Runes.

David felt a shift in the darkness, and it was almost like Bereth had started straight into his soul: though he couldn’t see Bereth.

“Do you want to become my Champion?” Bereth asked while the vibrant green streams in the darkness intensified. They expanded and flooded the darkness, replacing it for a few seconds before the darkness returned.

Bereth loomed over him. He was everywhere, yet nowhere.

David shivered. The darkness felt oppressive, yet oddly welcoming—like two forces pulling at him, one deadly and the other strangely comforting."

“What you’re feeling is Death,” the man in the crimson cloud said, “Precisely, this is the Cycle of Life and Death. And you can sense it…That’s why he must be interested in you. That’s–”

“Silence!” the darkness thundered.

So…you’re the God of Death?

David wondered, trying to recall what he’d heard about the God of Death before diverting his focus in an attempt to look at the crimson cloud.

And you…I really don’t know who you are or what you’re capable of.

A sonorous laughter rang out from the crimson cloud. David couldn’t tell if they were allies or enemies. The way they spoke felt strained, yet not entirely hostile.

“See. Everyone thinks you are the God of Death. Nobody knows you, Bereth!”

That confirmed. The darkness was truly Bereth, the god who’d been stalking him.

“I’m Asmodeus, by the way,” The crimson cloud snickered, “Your new Patron.”

“I won’t accept–”

“I don’t care. You don’t have to swear loyalty or servitude. Taking you away from Bereth is worth it.”

Bereth didn’t seem to like that. Time around him slowed further, and David lost the tidbits of control he had just regained. He was forced to watch the horrifying scene unfolding before him.

Everything around David blurted. The vibrant green streams and the darkness flooding the sky shifted and merged above him.

He didn’t know what awaited him, but his instincts warned him.

This is going to hurt.

David shuddered inwardly as a pillar of green light and searing darkness crashed down. The sheer force of it sent waves of panic through him, his instincts screaming that this wasn’t normal—nothing that happened in the last few minutes was.

However, there was another pillar: a crimson glistening light: that crashed down and hit David at the same time.

A moment later, notifications flashed before his eyes.

[The User has been granted access to Asmodeus’ Law of Blood to commence a custom Class Advancement.]

[The User has been granted access to the Cycle of Life and Death to commence a custom Class Advancement.]

[Custom Classes have been created with access to the Law of Blood and the Cycle of Life and Death.]

[Warning: Several threats have been detected. Class Advancement will be terminated upon sustaining damage!]

The cogs of time resumed their work. It was a slow process, but David could clearly feel it. He regained control of his limbs but didn’t move an inch.

There was no time and energy to waste on moving. He had a decision to make.