Secret World of Occultists-Chapter 20: Nameless Monster

Luke felt as if he was submerged in water, yet strangely enough, he found himself able to breathe.

It was dark all around him, with the only source of light coming from above.

However, he was in no mood to even look around. He floated in a fetal position, trying his best to endure the pain from the beating he'd just received.

Why?

A question emerged.

Why must I go through all of this?

I just wanted to live a little, visit places I'd never been, and enjoy all that this world had to offer.

Is that too much to ask?

Did I... die again?

He looked at the darkness around him. It reminded him of that unknown period he had spent after dying in his first life and before he transmigrated.

No, this... This feels different. I can feel my body. I can move my body. I can... see my body.

This place... This feels like...

Home.

Luke raised his head, trying to see where the light was coming from. The next moment, he was stunned.

The light was coming from the moon and the stars themselves!

What?! Where... am I?

He floated upwards, closer to the source of light. Suddenly, he touched the surface of whatever this dark place was.

It was like a soft membrane, and he instinctively knew that if he wanted to, he could emerge from this dark place like a fish jumping out of water.

Suddenly, his gaze landed on the burly man who had pummeled him a few moments ago. He seemed to be just above the surface of this dark place.

When Luke saw him, he instinctively felt fear in his heart. But the next moment, the fear was replaced by anger.

This fucker! He really tried to kill me!

All of a sudden, he saw the man point his trembling finger in a certain direction. Luke couldn't help but look in that direction.

There, he saw the woman from earlier. Her clothes were drenched in blood and so were her hands.

Once again, Luke was filled with rage.

This batshit crazy woman! She's the one who instigated all of this! Wait... blood? Could it be that she killed that bearded guy?!

Before Luke could think further, his eyes suddenly widened in horror.

Is that...

A towering figure, over two meters tall, suddenly appeared behind the woman like a ghost.

The light of the moon and stars illuminated its terrifying body. It was gray and looked emaciated. Its limbs were unnaturally long, its fingers thin, and its claws sharp.

It was a creature of unsettling emptiness, a void given form.

Where a face should have been, there was nothing. There was only a smooth, featureless space of almost translucent flesh!

Luke instantly knew what this creature was.

The nameless monster!! But how?! How did it get inside the campsite? What happened to the blessed torches?!

It was only then that he realized that all the torches around the campsite had been snuffed out.

Fuck! Luke cursed inwardly.

Suddenly, he thought of something and his heart sank. He turned his head and looked towards the ground behind the burly man.

There, lay the silver-haired little girl unconscious, unaware of the horrors unfolding around her.

Luke was instantly gripped by a heart-wrenching dilemma.

He didn't know what this dark place he found himself floating in was, but he knew that it was the safest place for him at the moment.

As long as he didn't leave this place, he knew he'd be safe from the nameless monster. All he needed to do was patiently wait till the sun rose.

Then, he would journey to the peak of the mountain and finally complete the first trial.

But... what about the girl?

He knew that once the nameless monster dealt with the woman and the burly man it would soon be the little girl's turn.

Luke's teeth started clattering and he clutched at his hair.

No, no, no, no! This is not the time to be playing the hero! I've already done enough for the girl!

Whether she lives or dies is not my concern! Right, right, right! I've already done enough—I know I have!

Just... just hide in here until sunrise and then climb the mountain. Yeah, that's it. That's it! That's all I need to do!

Yet, the feeling of his heart viciously twisting never ceased.

"FUCK!!" Luke screamed as his eyes turned bloodshot. "I don't even know the girl! She's not even real! Why! Why! Why are you making me go through this?!!"

His throat gave out and he silently started to sob. He cast one final gaze towards the unconscious little girl and murmured, "Please... forgive me... I must complete this trial. I must survive. So, please..."

Luke turned around, gazing at the depths of this dark place, unable to look at what transpired above the surface.

"I'm a coward..."

...

On the surface, the woman slowly turned around. Her body trembled uncontrollably as her gaze landed on the tall, gray figure.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

The moment she saw the plain, translucent face of the nameless monster 'staring' at her, her legs gave away. "No!! Stay away from me!"

The nameless monster tilted its head ever so slightly as if amused by the woman's futile actions. Then, it slowly and calmly reached out with its long hand, its claws tightly gripping the woman's neck.

"No! Please! Please! Let me go!!" The woman screamed in horror as she looked at the 'face' of the monster, begging for mercy.

Then, under her terrified gaze, the monster's face split open from the center, unveiling rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth that seemed to reach into infinity.

The monster drew the woman closer, its mouth splitting even wider. From the gaping maw, a terrifying suction force emerged, devouring her very essence—her identity!

Not a single scratch inflicted, not a drop of blood spilled.

Yet, when the nameless monster was done with her, the woman limply fell to the ground, her identity devoured and her eyes devoid of any signs of life.

When the burly man witnessed this scene, he screamed at the top of his lungs. He cast a fearful glance at the nameless monster, then got to his feet, turned around, and ran for his life.

Yet, the moment he turned around, he saw the nameless monster standing right in front of him, waiting for him.

The creature effortlessly grabbed the burly man by the neck, drew him closer to its abyss-like maw, and devoured his identity.

A moment later, the man's lifeless body lay on the ground.

The monster looked around the campsite, searching for prey. Finally, his gaze landed on the unconscious little girl.

It made its way toward her. A few moments later, it stood over her. Then, it slowly reached out for the girl, its gaping maw widening, ready to devour yet another identity.

...

Luke floated silently inside the dark place. He was able to hear the helpless and terrifying screams of the woman and the burly man before they died.

When he heard them scream, he resolved himself to remain in this place. There was no way he was going to be able to take on the nameless monster.

Whatever this dark place was, it kept him safe from the horrors above.

When silence descended, Luke knew that it was now the little girl's turn. And after the monster devoured her identity, it would leave.

Then everything would work out just as Luke planned. He would wait till the sun rose, then journey to the top of the mountain with the treasure chest, complete the objective, and finally pass the trial.

He would then become an Occultist and his life would return to normal. He would no longer have nightmares, no longer hallucinate, and no longer feel lethargic despite sleeping more than sixteen hours a day.

Everything would return to normal.

So then why... Why do I feel so shitty? He thought to himself in misery.

That girl, she... she's not even real! And neither is that monster! So then why do I feel this way?!

Just let it go... Just... focus on the trial! I must complete it! I must survive... I must...

He exhaled a helpless sigh, his lips curling up into a bitter smile.

I can't do it... I can't.

"So what if I survive this trial? So what if I become an Occultist? Will I be able to live with myself if I let her die?"

The twisting feeling in his heart alleviated ever so slightly.

"As I thought..." he murmured.

He recalled Henry's words about the First Trial of Ascension.

Burning away the unnecessary and revealing the truth... revealing the true self!

He turned around and gazed at the surface of this black place. Beyond the surface, he could see the towering gray monster reaching towards the little girl.

Luke was afraid. Truly afraid.

But fear has always been a necessary ingredient for courage!

...

On the surface, the nameless monster caught the little girl, tightly gripping her neck. At once, the girl woke up when she felt a searing pain around her neck.

When she gazed at the monster right before her, fear gripped her heart, and she couldn't help but scream for help.

Right at that moment, near the corpses of the burly man and the woman, the ground at the campsite's edge—where the wooden torch had been staked—suddenly rippled.

The starry sky's reflection on the black ice covering the ground suddenly wavered, disrupted by the magical ripples.

Then, a hand seamlessly passed through the surface of the black ice, followed by the emergence of an entire body.

Suddenly, a surge of information flooded Luke's mind, and at that moment, he knew that he had finally awakened his Hallmark!

But now was not the time for him to dwell on such matters.

He crawled out of the reflective surface of the black ice covering the ground, and silently made his way toward the corpse of the crazy woman nearby.

Luke then grabbed the dagger she had on her, and then slowly got to his feet. With trembling hands and a heart gripped by fear, he pointed the dagger at the nameless monster.

"Hey!"

The creature was about to devour the little girl's identity but suddenly stopped. It slowly turned around and faced Luke.

Seeing the dagger being pointed toward it, a primal instinct awakened within the monster. It tossed the silver-haired girl aside and roared in anger, baring its claws at the bloody-faced youth.

Luke felt a chill crawl down his spine when he saw the monster up close. Seeing its gaping maw filled with jagged teeth, he was filled with unprecedented terror.

Despite his body screaming at him to run away, he stood his ground.

For some strange reason, suddenly a memory surfaced—an iconic wrestler from his past life, a man whose words carried him through many dark days.

Despite being scared to his core, Luke stared at the nameless monster and roared in defiance, "You want some?!

"Come get some!"