Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 419: Different Perceptions

Fate possessed a truly peculiar nature.

It relentlessly guided individuals down predetermined routes, regardless of how improbable those routes seemed. Moreover, it accomplished this with an almost effortless precision.

Kaden had started sensing this phenomenon ever since his ordeal in the Ruined Death dungeon alongside Asael.

Back then, he had pondered the concept of fate, yet at present...

Presently, Kaden scarcely had the opportunity to reflect on it, as he was inexorably drawn—like a puppet on invisible strings—into unforeseen circumstances.

Similar circumstances were unfolding across the barren terrain of Frosted Bridge.

From dawn until noon, Kaden and Rea had traversed the Eight Small Mountains in haphazard sequence.

By now, they understood the reasoning behind this approach.

The creatures dwelling within those mountains proved straightforward to eliminate.

Each type focused on a single sense, wielding it with terrifying proficiency. Kaden found their mastery impressive, as it represented something entirely new to him.

However, precisely these abilities rendered the Eight Mountains a formidable challenge to navigate.

Should someone enter the third mountain without sight and encounter the sightless beasts—those fluffy beings adorned with eyes across their pale pink coats—demise would be inevitable, and in the most gruesome fashion imaginable.

Such was the structure of the mountains.

As one prepared to proceed to the subsequent mountain, it would deprive them of yet another sense. This operated as an unyielding principle.

Furthermore, the sense forfeited was exactly the one essential for enduring the following mountain.

Consequently, the initial mountain posed little difficulty, while the rest descended into utter torment. At least, that held true when adhering to the proper sequence.

By proceeding in random fashion, Kaden and Rea could dispatch the beasts with comparative ease, despite the loss of their senses.

Admittedly, Kaden clung to faint remnants of his senses through his transcendence and Unique Will. Rea, on the other hand, surrendered them entirely.

Observing Rea's vulnerability proved an amusing spectacle. Kaden relished the experience, marking the first occasion he heard her grumbling, chattering, and swearing without holding back.

Nevertheless, her profanities paled in intensity compared to Inara's typical outbursts, coming across as rather mild.

Beyond the challenges of the Eight Mountains themselves, another issue arose after noon: exposure in the open, visible to anyone who might observe.

During those periods, the mist would emerge, and invariably, Kaden experienced a chilling unease.

He sensed the presence of watchers—numerous eyes upon him—whenever it appeared. An inner part of him quivered in response. Not from terror, but from a sensation that whispered,

Though subtle, Kaden perceived it clearly. Intrigued one day, he extended his perception to probe the mist, only for a sound resembling a moan to overwhelm his awareness.

He swiftly withdrew his perception, gripped by an intensified revulsion and oddity toward the mist.

From that moment onward, Kaden refrained from employing his perception and instead sought refuge in a simple tent crafted by Rea herself.

She also handled the cooking duties.

That topic warranted separate discussion.

Rea's culinary attempts were utterly disastrous. Kaden had never imagined stomach troubles could arise for him until sampling her dishes.

The urge to expel it all surged within him. Yet he refrained.

Rea fixed him with intense, unblinking eyes, challenging him to refuse what she had prepared, as Kaden recalled her words:

How could he decline under the gaze of those crimson, empty orbs? Kaden resigned himself and consumed it.

Remarkably, he did not awaken in Death’s Timeless Space afterward. Briefly, he toyed with the notion of what power he might have acquired.

A foolish musing, yet Kaden occasionally permitted such distractions.

Nonetheless, following that incident, Rea appeared somewhat more approachable, prompting Kaden to share his cooking expertise with her.

She expressed genuine joy at the chance to master cooking, a skill absent from the Church's teachings.

Regardless of her enthusiasm, Kaden received only a brief, tight-lipped smile from her that vanished quickly.

At last, the engaged pair had conquered all eight mountains, acquiring nothing but lingering scars from encounters with grotesque monstrosities.

Rea's features twisted in burning frustration in particular.

She had been utterly bereft of every sense until emerging from the final mountain. Only then did the God-Touched truly appreciate their value.

"That was...strange." Rea murmured, positioned next to Kaden atop the hill blanketed in pale grasses, "I knew senses mattered. But I never realized they mattered this much."

She donned her usual attire, her locks flowing like drifting embers, emitting faint snaps as the breeze stirred them.

"I agree." Kaden affirmed with a nod, arms folded across his torso, "Though I managed to preserve fragments of my senses, they were greatly diminished. It was as if a vital fragment of existence had been severed from me."

Rea's eyes expanded in surprise, her gaze whipping toward Kaden before she nodded vigorously,

"Exactly!" She exclaimed, her tone unusually lively, "I experienced the identical sensation! As though a portion of reality had vanished. One I'd grown accustomed to engaging with and overlooked entirely."

Her voice softened afterward, adopting a contemplative quality, her forehead creasing,

"Without sight, the visuals and hues disappeared. Nothing remained but void. It tormented me to be unable to behold my lovely rings."

Kaden's mouth quirked at the reference to rings. But Rea pressed on undeterred,

"Next came my hearing. Then, the whispers of the wind, your words, and even my own utterances ceased..."

A shiver coursed through Rea at this point. The ordeal had scarred her deeply. Voicing thoughts without awareness of one's speech left her profoundly powerless, uncertain of her phrasing, intonation, or the subtle nuances she had instinctively monitored...

During that mountain, Rea had teetered on the brink of insanity. Luckily, early traumas inflicted by a particular goddess had inured her to such distress.

Rea composed herself, concluding her thoughts while eyeing the odd vista before them.

"...losing each sense exceeded mere deprivation of a natural faculty we possess from birth..."

"It severed our capacity to connect with a distinct aspect of the surrounding world." Kaden extended her sentiment, then grinned, "This abruptly sparked my curiosity about...individuals who are sightless, or hearing-impaired, or deprived of touch or taste..."

He shifted to meet her gaze intently,

"...do they inhabit the identical reality we do? And what of those endowed with additional senses? Does possessing more avenues for comprehension enhance their grasp of the world?"

"Or perhaps those with extraordinary senses? Might they access realms of existence hidden from our awareness?"

Kaden couldn't pinpoint the reason for these musings, but the trials of the eight mountains had ignited a crucial spark in his mind.

He teetered on the edge of deeper insight into perception. Yet it fell short.

'Perhaps total sensory deprivation would have illuminated it more clearly?' He pondered, fingers curling gently, though the moment had passed.

Rea yearned to press forward and access the dungeon swiftly.

"All those inquiries hold merit. But it's unexpected..."

She cast him a sideways look,

"You're not entirely foolish, it seems." Rea remarked, "You're truly unlike a typical Warborn."

Kaden shrugged dismissively, "Such notions are old news. Everyone's aware by now."

Rea rolled her eyes at his presumptuous demeanor. She turned her attention ahead, fixating on the Frosted Bridge shrouded in mist.

Both contorted their expressions in distaste.

"This damned mist once more..." Kaden grumbled.

"Are you prepared?" Rea inquired tiredly. Even she despised the mist, despite lacking Kaden's acute perception.

"Yes," Kaden answered, running a hand through his hair, "let's finish this."

—End of Chapter 419—