Chapter 67: 67: Returning From Zone
*****
Strength: 22
Agility: 24
Stamina: 25
Perception: 28
Mana: 23
*****
Reigns stared at his stats with a tired, helpless expression.
"This stat thing is really a headache. I have been trying to keep Perception up, and now the others have gone down the drain."
He scratched his head irritably before letting out a deep sigh.
"Hell yeah..."
After thinking for a while, Reigns finally started distributing his free attribute points.
*****
Strength: 22 >> 27
Agility: 24 >> 30
Stamina: 25
Perception: 28 >> 30
Mana: 23 >> 30
*****
He left Stamina untouched because something else had already caught his attention.
Reigns slowly pulled out the special reward he had received for clearing the dungeon.
The very next moment, a greenish, beating heart appeared before him.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
The thing kept beating wildly as if it were still alive.
Dark green veins pulsed across its surface while faint green mist slowly leaked out of it.
It wasn’t a gift from the dungeon; rather, it was something the Shattered Canopy itself had bestowed upon him.
Just looking at it sent chills crawling down Reigns’ spine.
A system window suddenly appeared before him.
[Do you want to consume the Green Heart?]
[Yes] [No]
"Of course I want to."
Reigns clicked his tongue before immediately selecting YES.
The moment he did, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Then suddenly...
THUD!
His heartbeat completely stopped for one brief moment.
But right after that...
BAAAANG!
An enormous heartbeat exploded violently inside his chest.
"GAHHHHHHHH!"
Reigns roared loudly as he grabbed his chest in agony.
A horrifying pain erupted throughout his entire body.
It felt as if a giant drill was tearing directly through his heart while ripping apart everything inside his chest.
"The hell is this?!"
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
His heart started beating wildly as if it was about to explode.
At the same time, a terrifying wave of heat spread through his body.
Reigns could literally feel the blood inside his veins being forcefully pumped through every corner of his body.
The pressure was unbearable.
His muscles began twitching violently.
Veins bulged across his arms and neck while his entire body trembled nonstop.
Then something horrifying started happening near the right side of his chest.
The flesh there suddenly bulged unnaturally, as if something alive was trying to force its way out from inside his body.
CRACK...
Reigns’ eyes widened in horror.
The sensation became even worse.
It felt like molten liquid metal was flowing through his bones and fingers.
The burning sensation spread deeper and deeper through his muscles while his joints twisted painfully.
Every movement of his body felt wrong.
His bones creaked loudly.
His flesh felt as though it was being torn apart and stitched back together repeatedly.
"AAAAAAARGHHHH!"
At first, Reigns screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing wildly throughout the dark, empty space.
But as the horrifying process continued, the strength behind his screams slowly began to fade.
His throat became hoarse and dry while his breathing grew ragged.
Eventually, his mouth remained wide open, but no clear sound came out of it anymore.
Only rough gasps escaped his lips.
Saliva dripped down the corners of his mouth while his body rolled helplessly across the dark floor like a broken man drowning in endless pain.
His fingers clawed desperately against the ground.
His body twitched violently again and again.
The pain had already gone beyond a level his mind could properly process.
It no longer felt human.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
His heart continued beating wildly inside his chest like a monstrous drum while the strange transformation tore through his body without mercy.
And so, time passed.
_____
Reigns suddenly jolted awake from the endless darkness.
His eyes snapped open violently while he gasped for air.
For a brief moment, his vision remained blurry.
Then slowly, his surroundings became clear.
Reigns found himself lying inside a strange sleeping pod.
Cold metallic walls surrounded him while several wires and mechanical tubes were attached all across his body and chest.
The moment he saw the machines connected to him, a strange sense of déjà vu instantly hit him.
His breathing became uneven.
"W... What the hell..."
Reigns quickly looked around in confusion.
The inside of the pod glowed faintly with blue light while mechanical sounds echoed softly around him.
Then his expression suddenly changed.
He clearly remembered falling asleep inside his own home before everything happened.
So how had he ended up inside this pod?
His heartbeat accelerated immediately.
’Did someone kidnap me?’
’The hell?!’
Panic instantly surged through his mind.
At the same time, warning alarms suddenly started ringing around the pod.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
Several red warning lights flashed above him.
Reigns narrowed his eyes at a small floating screen near the pod.
The moment he saw the numbers displayed there, his face twitched violently.
Heart Rate: 200 BPM
"Damn... what’s going on?!"
Reigns panicked even harder, wondering if someone would suddenly come rushing there.
Without thinking further, he clenched his fist tightly and slammed it hard against the glass covering the pod.
BAAAANG!
A giant crack instantly spread across the surface.
Reigns himself froze for a moment after seeing the result of his punch.
His strength had grown absurdly high.
Before the pod could react further, Reigns grabbed the cracked surface and forcefully tore it open.
CRAAACK!
Broken glass and metal fragments scattered everywhere as he climbed out of the pod.
His breathing remained rough while he quickly looked down at himself.
Thankfully, his clothes were still on.
Reigns immediately sighed in relief upon realizing that.
At least he wasn’t naked inside some weird laboratory.
But the next moment, his expression turned tense again.
Without wasting another second, Reigns dashed toward the nearby metal door.
He raised his fist, preparing to smash it open.
But before he could attack...
WHOOSH!
The door suddenly slid open by itself.
A tall man with grizzly beard immediately appeared on the other side.Before Reigns could react properly, the man suddenly grabbed him tightly by the fist.
THUD!
Reigns stopped instantly.
His widened eyes slowly moved toward the person’s face.
For some reason, the man looked strangely familiar.
Then a gruff voice echoed angrily.
"Reigns Luther what the hell is this nonsense?!"
Reigns froze completely.
His face turned ugly as he finally remembered the man.
In his previous life, he had been punished by that devil incarnate more than a few times.
’Damnation!’
’He had been my Maths Teacher...’
