Reborn as an Extra Chapter 568: The Curse of Eternal Suffering. Part-7.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
Rio observed how the enormous dragon heads fixed their gaze on his blade, attempting to probe the intense sword intent radiating from it.
'Could it be mistaking me for King Allen, seeing that I carry his sword and wield sword intent just as formidable as his?'
In reality, Rio had long felt puzzled by this matter himself.
Whenever his mastery over sword intent advanced, his feelings began to dull, yet this didn't appear to happen to fellow practitioners of 'sword intent'.
Qi Meng, who served as Rio's disciple, never experienced a loss of emotions due to 'sword intent', and the tales of King Allen made no mention of him turning emotionless.
Indeed, accounts described him as merciful and deeply benevolent, suggesting his 'sword intent' never diminished his heartfelt nature.
'Given that every individual's legendary skill carries distinct soul vibrations and a unique aura, it ought to be straightforward to recognize that my sword intent differs entirely from King Allen's...'
Rio pondered why the dragon heads seemed to confuse him with another, yet since deception wasn't his way, he had laid out the truth plainly.
Those numerous heads began speaking in turn.
A few appeared bewildered, others exchanged stunned glances, and some recoiled in fear.
The massive shadow dragon head appeared lost in contemplation.
'For the first time, someone has captured my true nature so precisely... the 'laws' of the 'world' hold no sway over me except when I permit it...'
'In the end, this world has branded me an 'anomaly'...'
To be precise, calling Rio human would be inaccurate; he merely inhabited a human form. A better description would label him a flaw, a fundamental glitch in the fabric of this world.
His presence endured because the world proved powerless against him and unable to eliminate him.
Rio's eyes widened in utter astonishment as the shadow dragon king's telepathic voice echoed in his mind.
This marked the initial occasion when another being had pinpointed exactly what Rio truly represented and unveiled his authentic essence.
Rio had never voiced such revelations aloud to anyone, fearing that doing so would shatter yet another chain binding him to his human side.
Raika had sought precisely that outcome.
He repeatedly urged Rio to embrace a non-human identity, pressing him to admit he was no ordinary person but something beyond.
Yet Rio resisted, declaring openly that he remained a simple human.
The motive behind this was straightforward: Rio required constant reminders of his human roots. Accepting otherwise would sever those bonds.
His current 'Path', guiding him toward serenity and joy, would veer into an unforeseen direction!
His fundamental reason for being would transform entirely, a fact Rio fully grasped.
Rio's affection for Lia, his persistent affirmation of his humanity, and his relentless efforts for a tranquil, fulfilling existence formed the last restraints tethering him to his mortal essence.
Releasing them might erase the Rio he knew.
"Did King Allen understand what an 'Anomaly' entails? Given his extraordinary might and prowess, it'd be odd if he hadn't..."
Rio sidestepped the shadow dragon king's statement, shifting the conversation instead.
The dragon's remarks left Rio baffled.
"Entity? What exactly do you mean? Are you implying that within the sea of miasma lurks a being capable of harnessing its might?"
"That's inconceivable! The sea of miasma spans such vastness, engulfing almost a tenth of the universe at this point!"
"How could any force command such immense power?"
Deep down, Rio suspected the harsh reality, though he resisted facing it fully, until the colossal dragon head validated his suspicions.
The shadow dragon king continued, revealing how miasma had warped his very being, stripped away his reason, and systematically fractured the psyches of every shadow dragon.
Dozens of shadow dragons were compelled to fuse into his form, their souls then brutally combined into one chaotic whole.
The agony from those souls clashing relentlessly proved excruciating beyond endurance.
Regrettably for the shadow dragons, their bodies possessed such resilience that, despite the violent soul collisions within, death eluded them.
Miasma denied them release; it perpetuated their torment through ceaseless agony and relentless trials time and again.
It embodied a genuine, nightmarish hex of perpetual torment!
Far from allowing their forms or spirits to crumble, miasma forbade any semblance of respite in life.
Their entire being had devolved into an unending horror.
Much like certain flora that generate offspring via self-reproduction, miasma had crammed them together, compelling the birth of fresh shadow dragons without cease!
These newborn shadow dragon whelps would then pursue monstrous souls, only to perish from devouring too many.
Subsequent whelps would haul the fallen corpses back to the central tree form, where all those souls got devoured, fueling further turmoil within.
This cycle dragged on without end, a loop of unyielding torture and everlasting woe.
The horror overwhelmed the shadow dragon king to the point where he severed all awareness, sealing his last untainted soul shard in the profound depths of his consciousness sea.
With sheer 'determination', he endured in anticipation of King Allen's arrival to safeguard those remaining pure soul pieces.
He clung to hope that King Allen would deliver him from this fate someday.
But with King Allen vanished forever, his plight had solidified into genuine endless torment, devoid of any hope for redemption.