A System That Beats Death

"This is just a dream", they would say.

"It's just a bad dream", they would say to themselves.

Despite all the blood and clear lucidity through which their minds operated, their sanity willingly broke down as they constantly denied the reality that mocked them. Each step forward required one to trample on the path covered by the blood of those left behind and those who were meant to care for and love them instead sent them to this hell. In the end, it did not matter what they thought as their true selves would be whittled away until all that remained was a vulnerable core that could be easily exploited and molded in whatever way they d.e.s.i.r.ed.

Once again, he felt that shock. Upon awakening, he knew he would return to that place.

Getting up from the blood-soaked rocky terrain, he stared indifferently at the others who also began to stir.

Upon awakening, their eyes went wide in shock and the screaming began.

"Is this blood?!"

"I want to go home!"

"It hurts"

And he imitated them in order to survive.

'Then again, what is the point in surviving?', an intrusive thought suggested.

Unlike them, he knew the truth. They have been here multiple times before. They just forgot. They always forget. After that shock, they would forget about everything here and return to their homes as if they did not witness murder, they were not beaten, and they had not been starved. Their bodies and subconscious become thoroughly traumatized but they remained unaware. That was their objective and the people who they considered parents, guardians, loved ones, or even older siblings let this happen just so they could be molded into what they deemed perfection.

Two people then arrived. As they were a.d.u.l.ts, the more capable children stopped panicking and were about to go ask for help. He laughed inwardly.

'Once again, they forgot'

----

They weeded the weak, the incompetent, those who could not uphold the rules of the family. Death was an inevitability of these sessions which they exploited to the fullest. Often, blood would pool behind someone's head, but it would no longer shock them. Even though it had been less than a week, their subconscious remembered that this was a regular occurrence. Even if they screamed in fear or trembled, they did not vomit like they once used to.

This time, they led them to the outside for the first time. However, it was not to be released. Instead, it was to greet the deadly frost. What people usually described as beautiful was now dangerous and indifferent.

As he followed the rest into the white tundra, he briefly glanced at the people. Despite committing these atrocities, he could tell that they had once been inflicted upon them as well.

Trudging through the deep snow, he shrugged off the biting cold and the numbness that began to settle deep within him. Some of the others even began to collapse never to wake again.

---

Stuck in a cave, he indifferently and calmly waited for death.

'The end is nigh', he thought as sleep began to tempt him. As he subconsciously shifted to try to keep a semblance of warmth, he discovered something out of place. A book of all things.

[A World of Wonder and Majesty by Ardyr]

"Forgive me but I'll have to leave you. Now escape while you still can"

"This is what you get for being a good person... You take on the burdens of others, but it means nothing to them. You aid them in the time of their greatest need, but they will turn your back when you are even slightly weak. And at your death, only I remain at your side... I will right these wrongs and let them suffer!"

"The people are angry these days, my lord. The people are getting desperate and craving violence now. As I have always stated, they are merely beasts. To think of people as inherently good... Ha.. You never change"

"You say that you are my father but all I see is a depraved beast. You possess no legacy worth preserving other than the most pathetic gambler and most frequent patron of the brothels"

"I am prepared to die. Then I can leave this bleak world"

Upon closing the anthology, he heard footsteps and hid the book. Moments later, a shock went through his brain and he fainted.

He awoke in the arms of his mother who smiled lovingly. As always, he could see through the facade and couldn't wait for her end to come.

'If only I could make fiction into reality'

---

[Intrinsic Ability Unleashed: Resilient Mind]

_____________________________________

Being forcefully removed from the memory was surprising to her. But she soon regained her bearings and felt sad for the soul which possessed the vessel. Even though she only had glimpses into his past, they were enough to understand that it was far worse than the rest she had seen.

His eyes then opened. Peering at her silky aquamarine hair and magician robes, he inwardly smirked. Despite Da Lan and the tiger, the previous world had been quite normal. The appearance of vivid and fantastical colors that did not originate from hair dye sparked his imagination.

"Are you- a mage?", Atlas asked tentatively.

"I am. Is there something that you request of me?"

'Unlike the others, he has persevered', she thought, slightly relieved.

With eyes that seemed to sparkle, he said, "I want to explore the depths of magic"

Her lips curved upwards. It had been quite a while since she had last taught someone else but now she looked forward to it.

She released the magical chains binding the vessel and watched as it began to assume a human form. Preemptively covering it in a robe, the vessel took on a unique appearance. The features were a mix of his original body's, Wei's, and Shen's. It seemed to represent the culmination of all his experiences.

"Your name?"

"Atlas"

"A fitting name", she said in a mysterious manner.