Chapter 100: Chapter 100
The faint smile vanished from the mysterious man’s lips just as fast as it had formed. His pitch-black eyes rested on Leo. After a long moment, he shook his head.
"...Weak."
Another pause.
"...Pitiful."
There wasn’t a trace of mockery in his voice. Only disappointment.
Before Leo could respond, a distant rumble echoed through the endless darkness.
BOOM!
Another explosion followed. Then another. It sounded as though an enormous battle was taking place somewhere far beyond the dark void surrounding them.
The mysterious man turned his head toward the noise. His expression never faltered. He reached up to stroke the black raven resting upon his shoulder.
"Gill."
The raven affectionately rubbed its head against his palm.
"I have something to take care of."
"Please deal with the disturbance."
"Caw."
The raven let out a soft cry before spreading its enormous wings. With a single powerful beat, it shot into the darkness like a black bolt of lightning.
Moments later, both the bird and the echoes of battle faded from Leo’s senses. The heavy silence returned.
The mysterious man brought his attention back to Leo. He closed the distance between them, his footfalls making no sound at all. When he stopped barely a meter away, he raised a single hand.
The surrounding darkness rippled like water. Two elegant chairs, woven entirely from black shadows, rose from the void. They appeared solid, yet constantly shifted as though made from living darkness.
The man gestured toward one of them.
"Sit."
Leo paused for a heartbeat, then took a seat. The chair felt surprisingly real. The mysterious man took the seat opposite him.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Finally, the man broke the silence.
"Originally..."
"I was supposed to train you."
A spark of hope lit up in Leo’s eyes, only to be crushed by the very next sentence.
"But after seeing your current condition..."
"...you are unfit to receive my guidance."
Leo frowned.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like."
The man’s expression stayed blank.
"You are not qualified."
His voice remained steady.
"There is nothing more to discuss."
He stood.
"I will send you back."
"After you return..."
"...live however you wish."
His pitch-black eyes met Leo’s.
"My advice..."
"...is to leave every conflict behind."
"Stay away from revenge."
"Stay away from power struggle ."
"Find somewhere peaceful."
"With the abilities you’ve obtained..."
"...living a comfortable life shouldn’t be difficult."
He turned his back.
"Consider it..."
"...my compensation for dragging you into all of this."
He began walking away. Each step carried him farther into the endless darkness.
Leo clenched his fists. Something deep inside warned him that letting this man walk away would become a lifelong regret. He sprang to his feet.
"Wait!"
The man paused, glancing over his shoulder.
Leo took a deep breath. This time, he lowered his head respectfully.
"I don’t understand any of this."
"I don’t know where I am."
"I don’t know who you are."
"I don’t know why I suddenly appeared here."
He paused before continuing.
"But if everything you’ve said is true..."
"...then I believe you owe me an explanation."
The mysterious man remained silent. Several moments passed. Finally, he let out a quiet sigh.
"...Very well."
He returned to his seat and folded his hands together.
"I cannot answer why you came here."
"Nor can I explain how."
"Not yet."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Just know that this place..."
"...was meant to be an opportunity."
"An opportunity reserved for whoever inherited the system."
His gaze settled upon Leo once more.
"But unfortunately..."
"...you are unworthy of it."
Leo’s brow twitched. He had kept his manners in check until now, but hearing the same rejection over and over drained his patience. He took a step forward.
"What does that even mean?"
His voice rose.
"And who exactly are you..."
"...to decide whether I’m worthy or not?"
The man’s face stayed like stone.
"I have no issue teaching a saint."
"I have no issue teaching a murderer."
"I have no issue teaching someone the world calls evil."
His tone deepened.
"But..."
"I refuse to teach someone destined to become a mindless monster."
Leo froze.
"What...?"
The man continued.
"My concern isn’t who you are today."
"It’s who you’re becoming."
He looked directly into Leo’s eyes.
"The path you’re walking..."
"...will eventually lead you to become exactly like your friend."
The words hit Leo hard.
William.
His face grew stiff as memories of William losing his mind—the twisted features, the blinding rage—rushed through his head.
The mysterious man shook his head.
"What I need..."
"...is someone whose resolve cannot be shaken."
"Someone willing to do whatever it takes "
"Someone who continues walking..."
"...even after losing everything."
His gaze remained fixed upon Leo.
"But standing before me..."
"...is merely a man drowning beneath guilt."
"A man buried beneath self-blame."
"A man who has no direction..."
"...and no purpose truly his own."
Leo tightened his fists.
The man pressed on, offering no pity.
"You are like a blank sheet of paper."
"The slightest breeze changes your direction."
"You believe your choices are your own..."
"...when in reality..."
"...you’re simply reacting to whatever life throws at you."
Leo opened his mouth to argue, but failed to find the words. The mysterious man delivered the final blow.
"You believe the power you’ve obtained has placed everything under your control."
He shook his head again.
"But you’ve misunderstood something fundamental."
"You should be controlling your power."
"Instead..."
"...your power is beginning to control you."
Leo’s pupils shrank.
The man pointed a finger at Leo’s chest.
"Your Epic Mental Skill."
"Your Regeneration."
"Even your growing strength."
"They aren’t saving you."
"They’re merely delaying the inevitable."
His pitch-black eyes seemed to pierce through Leo’s soul.
"Right now..."
"...you’re standing at the edge of an abyss."
"One more push..."
"...and you’ll fall so deeply..."
"...that you’ll never climb back out."
Silence. Complete silence.
Leo opened his mouth, then closed it again. Because, deep inside, he knew every single word was true.
Since his arrival in this world, events had blurred together in a chaotic mess. The deaths. The endless battles. The nightmares. The guilt. The constant pressure to survive.
Little by little, something inside him had been changing. He simply hadn’t wanted to admit it.
Leo bowed his head. For the first time in a very long while, he accepted his own weakness. When he looked up again, the defiance in his eyes had melted away. In its place was nothing but pure sincerity.
"...Can you help me?"
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