Point of View: ???
I slowly stepped away and let him think.
The snow continued falling around the crater.
The wind was intense, and the darkness of the night was the only thing accompanying us.
The silence was deep.
Heavy.
The only sound was Tharok's ragged breathing.
I whispered to myself:
—"Just a little longer…
—Only a little more…"
A small smile appeared on my face.
How inexperienced you are, Tharok.
Did you really think I stabilized your wounds just to avoid wasting time?
Mockery filled my eyes.
—"You're far too easy…"
I lowered my gaze toward my hand.
Corrupted energy.
Dark.
Cold.
—"There's a reason it's called that…"
The ritual would fail if I forced him.
That was why I needed something more subtle.
A distraction.
A mistake on his part.
And he had willingly handed it to me.
—"You could have expelled my energy after stabilizing yourself…"
My smile widened slightly.
—"But you assumed it wasn't necessary."
Snow slowly fell over Tharok's bloodied body.
He remained silent.
Staring at the ground.
—"I can't lie to you…
—But that doesn't mean I have to tell you the entire truth."
I slowly walked around him.
—"I only needed to keep your attention occupied while the corruption slowly spread through your body."
I observed his exhausted expression.
His mind was too focused on pain.
On guilt.
On hatred.
And precisely because of that…
He noticed nothing.
—"From the moment you accepted my energy into your body…
—You had already lost, Tharok."
The wind blew harder.
Snow crunched beneath my feet as I approached him once more.
I narrowed my eyes.
—"It's time for the final push…"
I stopped in front of him.
Then I spoke coldly.
—"In the end, you rejected my offer…
—And I ended up wasting my time."
His shoulders tensed.
—"You know what's going to happen now… don't you?"
I could feel his fear.
It was intense.
Real.
But even so, he slowly raised his face and stared directly at me.
Even now, he was still trying to resist.
He bit his lips before asking:
—"Are you… going to kill me?"
I didn't answer.
I simply placed my hand against his chest.
For a few seconds…
Everything fell silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop moving.
Then I slowly pulled my hand away.
—"I'm not going to do anything to you."
Confusion appeared on his face.
Disbelief.
—"Why…?"
I snapped my fingers.
The screens reappeared around the crater.
Their bluish light illuminated the snow.
—"Because I want you to live."
I pointed at the images one by one.
—"I want you to watch the people who destroyed your life continue moving forward."
—"I want you to see them grow richer… obtain everything they desire… live happily because of the deaths of your mother and grandfather."
Then I pointed directly at him.
—"I want you to watch the ones who tried to kill you."
I could see the impact in his eyes.
The despair.
The helplessness.
And I continued speaking.
Calmly.
—"You will watch them…
—And you won't be able to do anything to stop them."
I smiled broadly.
—"After using Overload in that condition… you destroyed your body."
I paused briefly.
—"And your cultivation foundation as well."
His pupils violently contracted.
For the first time since our conversation began…
True fear appeared on his face.
Not fear of me.
Not fear of death.
Something worse.
He tried to feel his energy.
His breathing became unstable.
Again.
Desperate.
Empty.
He found nothing.
His body trembled.
—"No…"
His voice came out broken.
Weak.
I stepped back and silently watched as he desperately searched for origin energy inside himself again and again.
But there was nothing stable left.
Overload had destroyed too much.
And the corruption finished the rest.
I slowly approached him.
I placed both hands on his face.
His skin was freezing cold.
I smiled warmly.
As though trying to comfort him.
—"But don't worry…"
He trembled slightly.
—"When I stabilized your body, I made sure to protect your mind."
I slowly stroked his head.
—"It doesn't matter if you lose your cultivation…
—It doesn't matter if you become a cripple incapable of fighting ever again…"
I leaned close to his ear.
And whispered softly:
—"Your consciousness will remain intact."
His eyes slowly widened.
He understood what that meant.
He understood the true punishment.
To live.
To live while seeing everything.
To live while remembering everything.
To live without being able to do anything.
My smile widened.
—"You're fortunate, Tharok…"
I slowly stepped away from him.
—"I'll order all the abominations to protect you."
Fear appeared on his face once more.
—"They'll prevent you from dying."
I took another step back.
—"Whether by accident…"
Another step.
—"Or even if you try to end your own life."
His body trembled more and more.
Not from the cold.
But from despair.
Finally, I turned around.
—"Live happily, Tharok."
I slowly began walking away while counting in my mind.
3…
2…
1…
—"Wait!"
I smiled.
Right on time.