A look of astonishment appeared on the Assassination Concept's face as he listened to Gowther's conclusion, then he ate a piece of candy that was in front of him.
"Well done, my dear Gowther McTeer! "Good job, and a perfect and amazing conclusion for an ignorant person like you."
Assassination Concept completed his words, ignoring Gowther's look filled with anger and indignation.
"Yes, this is one of the abilities granted by the Assassination Concept Wing. The higher the level of the assassination concept suite, the more control you have over the narrative, the more abilities you are granted, and the fewer conditions necessary for a successful assassination.
Signs of astonishment appeared on Gowther's face as he listened to the assassination concept, and he remembered what Leon had told him a while ago. So he decided to take advantage of the opportunity to ask the questions that were on his mind.
"What happens when the ward reaches Level 5?"
Signs of surprise appeared on the face of the assassination concept after hearing Gowther's question, but he felt some satisfaction, because he had proven that he possessed mental strength and unbending determination.
"When one reaches their ward to the fifth level, they are able to pass on their ward. However, the person who inherits the wing does not gain any of the abilities of that wing, the best example of which is the Baraka Wing."
"As for knowing what happened to Boutaleb, or the great outcast, so to speak, and what the disaster was, and why you do not remember what happened in our past lives, I will not answer these questions. My words are clear to you, aren't they?
Signs of annoyance appeared on Gawther's face for several seconds, before he remembered Boutaleb's words:
"Why are you shocked? In the end, we are just characters in a novel. Also, regain your composure before your narrative is assassinated."
Gowther turned his gaze to the concept of assassination again, looking extremely suspicious after recalling the Great Outcast's words.
"Did you narratively assassinate me while I was talking to the Great Outcast? yes or no?"
"You are rude in the way you speak, even though you are a part of me, you idiot."
"As for the question of whether or not you were assassinated narratively, yes, I assassinated you."
Amazement, shock, confusion and astonishment were mixed on Gowther's face after the assassination concept admitted it so easily. There was only one question left in his mind:
"Why did you do that?"
A slight smile appeared on the face of the assassination concept as he placed the tea cup on the saucer designated for holding cups.
"The best way to know something is to taste or experience it, right?"
"What next?"
Gowther's gaze was trying to catch any loophole in the way he spoke the concept of assassination, but he found nothing strange; His way of speaking seemed perfect, devoid of any detectable flaws.
"The reason I assassinated you, narratively, was to make you better understand the power of the wing of the concept of assassination."
"Because the best way to know how to do something is to try it or feel it. The best way to know what your suite is is to test its operation for yourself, and even on yourself. Isn't what I said logical?
«...»
Gowther opened and closed his mouth for several seconds due to the intensity of the shock caused by the response of the concept of assassination. Then he began massaging his temples, repeating the words of the assassination concept in his head:
The best way to live is to experience, and the best way to thrive is to benefit from experiences.
The weak experiment, the strong learn, and the great exploit every experience to obtain the greatest possible benefit.
"You are right, but it does not seem that you were the one who canceled the effect of my assassination. For you, my death was better than my survival; If I die, you will get two pieces of shrapnel in one hit. It's like killing two birds with one stone, and you will become stronger than you are now. Isn't what I said true?
"In addition, I do not think that an entity with your power will be affected for long, since you planned this a long time ago... a time exceeding tens of billions of years. Aren't I right again?
The assassination concepter had a look of astonishment on his face as he listened to Gowther's conclusion, which despite being extremely accurate in his conclusion, had largely incorrectly described the length of time.
"wow! An amazing conclusion for someone as ignorant as you about what's going on in his world. However, what you say is not entirely true. Fragments of narratives exist within the ruler's path, and you and your companions have not yet obtained their true power, or, so to speak, have not yet passed the stage of awakening. Therefore, killing you will do me no good. Rather, it will harm me more than it will benefit me. As for your staying, it has greater benefits for me and for us."
"As for eliminating the effect of the narrative assassination, yes, it was not me who did that, but rather it was Boutaleb, or the great outcast, who removed its influence from you. "It's kind of boring."
"Okay, let's get back to the important thing. Congratulations on reaching the rank of Boundless after ten years of training to reach this high level. I congratulate you, but remember that the real difficulty begins now; The foundation has been built, and it is time to become stronger and develop."
A slight look of doubt appeared on Gowther's face, as it seemed strangely smooth. However, he was sure of one thing: a raging hurricane was better than calm, still water, because sometimes the most dangerous things lurked in the calmest places.
Even in the real world, the oceans most vulnerable to natural disasters may appear calm, and some still waters may be so dangerous that they contain germs and bacteria capable of killing hundreds of people with just a single sip of them.
Therefore, Gowther's suspicion was reasonable; Nothing goes completely smoothly unless it is planned very carefully. However, setbacks and sudden changes may occur, so nothing is ever quite perfect, unless there is something wrong, or an orchestrated plot aimed at tripping them up.
The ordinary strategist develops a plan to defeat his enemy or to match him in strength, while the skilled strategist develops a plan to defeat his enemy with the least possible losses. While the veteran makes his enemy believe that he has won, by making things go completely smoothly, his caution decreases and his arrogance and arrogance increases, so that the veteran achieves his victory without incurring major losses.
Humans by nature always like easy ways. What is built inA day may be demolished in a day, and what was built in a hundred days may take a hundred days to demolish.
The easy path is beautiful, but it may end in blood or in nothing. It is a path without a summit or a goal.
As for whoever wants to reach the summit, he must follow the path of thorns with a solid will and determination of steel. Whoever wants to reach the bottom, let him take the path of flowers and roses.
Gowther was walking the path of thorns with a solid will and unwavering perseverance, seeking to reach the summit. He wasn't doing it for the responsibility or the passion or the excitement, but because he had nothing else he could count on in a world where every step was filled with a thousand calculations, and death lurked at every turn.
This was the life of the assassin; It's like walking on a sword blade, where every step could lead to death.
Throughout his ten years of life, plus the seventeen years of his previous life, he had learned one thing: nothing comes easy. Everything that comes easily may go the same way it came. He who does not work hard will not succeed, and he who does not sow will not reap what he sows.
A slight smile appeared on the Assassination Concept's face as he noticed Gowther's gaze filled with suspicion and wariness towards him.
This made him feel completely satisfied, because he saw that one of his shards had a mindset that knew that nothing came easy.
Some people lose their minds and feel good about themselves when they compare themselves to others, and that is foolishness.
Nothing in this world, whether imaginary or real, is perfect or has attained absolute perfection; Absolute perfection does not exist.
Every person is imperfect. Even the most beautiful people in appearance may be the ugliest on the inside, while the ugliest people on the outside may be the most beautiful on the inside.
Beauty is not the beauty of appearance, but the beauty of the self and the mind.
Even those who reach the highest levels of power in fantasy worlds, their fate remains tied to the writer's pen or finger pressing the keyboard buttons; They may die due to the whim of their authors.
Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen, and Rengoku from Demon Slayer, died due to their creators' decisions.
Gowther was aware of this, as in his previous life he had witnessed the death of fictional characters for trivial reasons.
In the past, he didn't care about this matter, but the situation was different now; He himself has become a fictional character, and death lurks at every turn, due to the whim of a writer who can kill him for any reason, or even without a convincing reason.
A person dies with the conviction that he died for a goal or something of value that makes his death meaningful. But knowing that his death was just a whim of the writer, or just a way to keep the story going, changes everything.
Even the greatest endings will become worthless, and the greatest beginnings will seem insignificant.
Gowther was afraid that he would be just a drop in an endless narrative sea.
Fear is not a defect, but the defect lies in those who see it as a defect. One cannot enter the hearts of others to know their feelings, and therefore the meanings and terms that express the mentality of humans or any conscious entity that possesses a dominant mind, such as superficiality, good and evil, love and hate, are only relative matters that change according to the situation.
It has no absolute stability; If a person kills a villain, he may become a hero to others, but if he kills just for fun, he will be considered a villain. Thus, the view on killing changes according to the circumstances and reasons.
However, murder is still murder, and the murderer remains a murderer, whether the murdered person is good or evil.
A deep sigh escaped Gowther's mouth after he gathered his scattered thoughts.
"Is that really all?...Aren't you going to do anything but congratulate me?"
"Is there anything else you want to say or do? You didn't bring me to this place just to congratulate me, did you? Wouldn't it seem kind of ridiculous if you thought about it from different angles?'
Gowther's tone of voice held a bit of sarcasm as he looked at the concept of assassination as he continued eating the candy bars, not seeming concerned with his mockery.
He was just ignoring it, because he knew from the beginning that Gowther would say that. After all, Gowther was an integral part of him, so how could he not know what was on his mind?
"Yes, you're right. There is something we must do. Just consider it a formality, okay?"
The concept of assassination was spoken in a tone that combined sarcasm and seriousness.
This made it seem strange, but at the same time it gave Gowther some comfort.
However, he became concerned when he heard the concept of assassination described as a mere formality; This means that it is just a normal procedure from his point of view, but that does not mean that it will be easy for Gowther.
What a person sees as normal may be impossible for others. Destroying or creating worlds, and manipulating concepts and laws, are things that may seem easy and natural to some entities, while Gowther sees them as impossible. The same applies to him; What the concept of assassination finds easy and normal may be impossible for Gowther.
"No, don't worry. It will be easy for you. "I'll just open part of one of the seals on you."
The concept of assassination brought Gowther out of his thoughts, and removed some of the anxiety that was simmering within him, because he realized what was going on in his mind.
The concept of assassination knew that excessive worry could often lead to death; There are things that require self-confidence and control to overcome.
"Uh-huh... well, when do we start?"
Gowther spoke calmly as he sipped the tea in front of him, without saying anything else.
"Sometimes the best thing to do is accept it... We'll start now."
"So, we'd better get the place ready."
A slight look of confusion appeared on Gowther's face as he sipped his tea, but he decided to remain silent without saying anything.
The concept of assassination snapped his fingers, and the world transformed once again from a beautiful garden into a hall that seemed to be designated for rituals.
In the center of the hall, there were several inscriptions forming a disk with an assassin in the middle placing two daggers in front of his chest, intersecting in the form of the letter X.
As Gowther looked at the center of the hall, he muttered in a low voice calling up his status window, to check his progress. "Status."
A transparent, crimson red system screen appeared as soon as Gowther said the word, displaying his complete information.
[Name: Gowther
Nickname: McTeer
Age: 16 years old
Gender: Transgender
Race: an absolute entity
Basic Suite: The concept of assassination
Suite type: Master suite
Level: 1 – Intermediate –
Sync Ratio: 55% [+40%]
Secondary wing: the pond
Sync Percentage: 100% [+40%]
Talent: ???????
Occupation: Narrative Assassin
Title: Prince of assassins
Rank: Boundless
Merit Points: ?????]
Gowther's face appeared in shock as he looked at the system window, then he spoke in an exclamatory tone, examining the synchronization ratios of his primary and secondary wings.
"amazing! The percentage has increased by 40%, and my secondary wing has reached perfection, and as for my primary wing, I am still at the middle of the first level."
"It seems that the difference between the secondary wing and the primary wing is very large, in terms of the difficulty of development and capabilities."
"Gowther, head to the middle of the hall, then activate your wing."
"Good".
"very good! "I have become a polite child."
The tone of the concept of assassination carried some sarcasm, which made Gowther feel annoyed, but he decided to ignore the matter, because the time was not appropriate for argument, and because the concept of assassination was still stronger than him by a margin that was impossible to close easily.
After taking thirty-four steps, Gowther reached the middle of the reliefs and the hall.
"Try not to die. "If you lose focus or stop, you will die and go into the fog of obscurity and turn into fog."
Although the tone of the assassination concept was calm, his words reached Gowther's ears clearly, making him feel a bit at ease. However, he knew that sometimes the most dangerous things could lie in the most comfortable and easy things.
[Assassination Concept Suite] — [Activate]
[Blessing Pavilion] — [Activate]
Once the Blessing Pavilion was activated, Gowther's power increased by two ranks, and his luck increased five hundredfold.
As for the Assassination Concept Pavilion, its strength and statistics increased by an additional two ranks, meaning its total strength increased by four full ranks.
The tattoo on Gowther's back began to glow a glowing crimson red, while his hair turned from blonde to bright red, rising into the air as it swayed in the wind, like seaweed moving underwater.
On the other side, the inscriptions radiated a faint crimson light. After several minutes had passed, Gowther's body began to turn into crimson rays once again.
These texts entered through the holes that formed the inscriptions, and then the writings began to turn into water composed of pure energy.
A powerful light shot out, causing the entire hall to light up in a beautiful crimson color.
A slight smile appeared on Assassination Concept's face as he looked at Gowther.
"Whoever stops in the river of ambitions will drown in the depths of oblivion."
The Assassination Concept's tone of voice was filled with sarcasm of existence, as he looked at the inscriptions.
In the real world, people's ambitions sink as they grow older, or their lusts increase, and they forget their basic goals and become preoccupied with other things, such as love, lust, the pleasures of life, envy, hatred, greed, vanity, laziness, and the desire for comfort.
In a strange world with a black sky, there was a black eye in the middle of the sky, with pupils similar to those of demons, looking towards Gowther, who was wearing loose white robes that waved in the strong winds coming from the river of ambitions stretching before him.
The river was moving in the opposite direction, like life; Anyone who tries to live in it goes back to death.
A deep sigh came out of Gowther's mouth as he remembered the words of the assassination concept:
"Try not to die. "If you lose focus or stop, you will die and go into the fog of obscurity and turn into fog."
"Then I must cross this river, which is called the River of Ambition."
Gowther began to walk through the river of ambitions, and suddenly endless thoughts flowed into his mind, like a raging sea.
Aspirations are as wide as the sea, but what one achieves from them may be as small as a narrow river.
A person dreams as long as he is alive, and his dreams are as wide as the sea, but he only achieves his ambitions as much as he can carry, like a river that only carries a specific amount of water without more. One walks through the river of ambitions to achieve his goals and dreams, in the name of perseverance.
When he loses his perseverance, due to his preoccupation with mortal, worldly matters, such as love, lust, the pleasures of life, envy, hatred, greed, vanity, laziness, and the desire for comfort, he drowns in the sea of forgetfulness.
Gowther continued to fight his dreams and ambitions from his current and previous lives, while physically resisting the winds of fate and pressure that the demonic eye was throwing at him, trying to shake his perseverance and push him into the depths of oblivion.