Part 1: Fate
Haruto continued reading.
The more he read, the more he discovered.
Besides rituals, people also used items and attributes to increase their power even further.
One of them was called Armoured Items.
Armoured items were special items that wielded unique types of power.
They boosted the user's power or abilities.
They could be extremely useful for becoming stronger.
There was also another kind of power.
But it was highly difficult to obtain.
Blessing.
A blessing was a special type of power granted by a powerful creature or superior existence.
Those who granted blessings were called blessing givers.
A person could only obtain a blessing when a blessing giver willingly granted their power.
That person could then use the granted blessing and become stronger.
But obtaining a blessing was not simple.
The blessing giver had to agree.
If the blessing giver was not satisfied or did not wish to grant it, then the blessing could not be obtained.
That was why blessings could not be taken by force.
Even some things that had no life could grant blessings.
Some examples of blessings were Sun Blessing, Dragon Blessing, and Fairy Blessing.
Haruto learned one more thing.
Ritual tools.
They were special tools that could be used to boost ritual abilities or help perform rituals more effectively.
Haruto's staff was also a ritual tool.
Because it improved both his power and his control over rituals.
Haruto understood many things.
And after understanding all of this, he began to think of a trap.
But before setting a trap, he needed to understand ritual tools and Eiji's power in greater detail.
He left the library.
Then he returned to his rented room in Logpost.
It was already evening.
They had dinner together.
During dinner, Ryuk kept looking at Haruto suspiciously.
Haruto noticed it.
He asked Ryuk about it.
But Ryuk said nothing.
The next day, Haruto went to the bar alone.
He sat there quietly.
Haruto spoke with the bar owner in coded language.
He asked about the spy.
After two or three minutes, the spy appeared in front of him.
They began their conversation.
"Are you the spy the bar owner was talking about?" Haruto asked.
"You guessed right, sir."
"So, may I know what you want me to do?" the spy asked.
Haruto showed the spy a drawing.
It was a drawing of Eiji that Haruto had made himself.
The moment the spy saw the face, his expression changed.
He became visibly shocked.
"You have to spy on this person and tell me what his powers are," Haruto said.
"Uhh… sir… the person you are talking about is extremely powerful."
"I am sorry. I cannot take this contract."
Haruto immediately understood something.
Eiji was more dangerous than he had first thought.
But if he wanted to hunt him, he needed proper information.
Because according to Haruto's trap, understanding Eiji's power was essential.
"Eiji is very strong, right?" Haruto asked.
"Of course he is," the spy replied.
"I am going to hunt him down," Haruto said.
"Are you crazy?" the spy asked.
"Not really."
"I have the power to defeat him."
"Although I may not look strong, do not judge me by my appearance."
"I have the power to bring him to his knees."
Haruto spoke calmly.
He looked directly at the spy.
His face showed no emotion.
Only seriousness.
"I can do it."
"If you assist me."
"Or I have other ways to get what I want."
The spy began to think.
He is not an ordinary person.
He might be some kind of hunter.
Someone who can really hunt Eiji.
He does not look that strong.
But the way he speaks… the seriousness in his face… it feels real.
Still… spying on Eiji is dangerous.
I can refuse.
But wait…
If I refuse, and if he truly is that kind of hunter…
He might come after me.
Or even the people close to me.
This boy does not look merciful.
He feels ruthless.
The spy remained silent.
"Tell me," Haruto said.
"Will you accept this hunt or not?"
"Because if you refuse… I do not know what consequences may follow."
Haruto's emotionless expression made the spy even more uncomfortable.
"If you fail to hunt him?" the spy asked.
"That is my work," Haruto replied.
"Not yours."
"You only need to give me information."
"And you still think I will fail?"
After that, the spy finally accepted the contract.
But because it was extremely risky, he demanded 3000 Reo.
Haruto thought for a moment.
Then he handed over 1500 Reo as an advance.
The remaining half would be paid after the information was delivered.
The spy agreed.
"You will know the full information this evening in this bar," the spy said.
Then he left.
Haruto thought quietly.
He had managed the spy somehow.
If he had offered less money, the spy might not have worked seriously.
Haruto did not want that.
Eiji was too dangerous.
That was why he did not bargain.
He decided to pay the full 3000 Reo.
But after paying all of it, he would only have 900 Reo left.
With 900 Reo, surviving even one month would be difficult.
So now he needed money again.
Haruto looked around the bar.
It was filled with adventurers.
Then an idea came to him.
He would hunt adventurers.
He could sell their items and earn money.
There was also a chance he might obtain ritual tools or armoured items from them.
And if one of them carried a bounty—
That would be a jackpot.
Haruto made his decision.
From now on, he would hunt people.
He stood up and began to leave.
But suddenly—
Haruto blacked out for a moment.
Then he found himself somewhere else.
A forest.
A dark forest in the middle of the night.
The atmosphere was cold.
Silent.
Heavy.
Then suddenly—
A strange giant worm-like creepy and ugly creature appeared.
It looked disgusting
Its body looked rotten and disturbing.
Its skin was like a intestine
Multiple Black marks covered its body randomly.
Some skin parts felt rotten in a disturbing way.
It gave off a deeply unsettling feeling.
Before Haruto could react, it rushed at him.
That worm crushed Haruto's stomach
Haruto's intestine parts spreaded everywhere randomly
And his pancreas got crushed
Everything happened too fast.
A sharp pain ran through his body.
Then darkness.
He died.
And in the next moment—
He returned.
He was back in the real world.
Standing in the same place.
But only for a few seconds.
Then he was dragged back into that dark forest again.
This time it was different.
A new horror appeared.
A figure emerged from his stomach by busting the stomach.
It looked like his younger brother.
Haruto froze.
The sight alone shook him.
Haruto's brother's body is covered with haruto's blood and his intestine was wrapped around his neck.
Then Haruto's brother bit haruto's chest.
And ripped out haruto's heart.
Then pain.
Again.
And once more—
Darkness.
He died.
Then returned.
Back to reality.
Then pulled back again.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each death was different.
Each time the terror changed.
Each time the pain felt real.
Haruto could feel every moment of it.
It was not an illusion.
It was as if his body and mind were both trapped inside that place.
The loop did not stop.
The forest did not release him.
At one point, even in the real world, Haruto's body began to react.
Blood started flowing from his mouth.
Then from his nose.
Then from his eyes.
Yet he did not die in reality.
But inside that dark forest—
He died countless times.
And every single time—
He felt the pain as if it were truly happening.
His breathing became unstable.
His body lost strength.
Then—
Haruto collapsed onto the floor of the bar.
And fainted there.