I woke up in a pit.
Inside the completely empty, dark space, there was now a pit. And at its center was I.
I slowly sat up and locks of black hair fell in front of my eyes.
As my gaze shifted, I noticed Eugene with white hair sitting at the edge of the pit, completely out of breath.
"You finally woke up."
"I was asleep?"
"A few years, nothing big."
No that was certainly something big.
Why was he out of breath in the first place?
"Your body was about to collapse the moment it began. Since then to about a few hours ago, I have been using whatever of Preservation I had left to keep you going."
Nodding at his words, I looked around.
Preservation worked on the same principal that Alfheim and Spirit Magic did. They were both what kept those realms going.
And in the same sense, this place was a realm too. That there was a deep pit here meant.
"This place will disappear."
Eugene nodded.
He had used the energy that preserved this place to instead keep me alive.
He could… only live in this place. If it was no more, then he would disappear too…
Eugene had used his own life to keep mine up.
"Don't look at me like that, brat. Who do you think you are?" He spat on the ground. What a fucking tsundere. Was this how I acted with others? I would reflect on my behavior, I promise, I would apologize, I promise.
"How long?" I asked.
"Another thousand years? We'll finish training you before then."
I nodded at his words and stood up. It was then did I notice that the locks of black hair were stuck to my head.
"What's this?"
"Your body underwent some marvelous changes. I've heard of having your hair turn white if you put centipedes in your ears, but never of them turning black."
I crossed my arms and glared at the bastard.
"You have also lost your horns, so you can party in Bermuda freely."
"I'd like to try Bali next."
Eugene shrugged and pointed at my chest.
"There is no core."
I looked down. Even if I tried to focus my energy, I couldn't."
"D-did it… fail? Did we fail, Eugene?"
Eugene shook his head.
"Your entire existence has become the core of Cataclysm. I think. That's why the black hair and eyes."
I could definitely feel my body to be extremely strong.
Eugene disappeared from my sight then, or I thought he did. I could barely make up stand up, dust his clothes, stretch, and then come hitting my sides all in the time it would take me to react.
His feet slammed against my hand and a gust of wind flew behind us, but there was very little pain.
"Did you… grow weaker?" I asked.
"No, you grew immensely tougher. I can't break your hands with a few attacks anymore."
"That's great news."
"Why!? I thought you liked getting beat."
"Go kill yourself."
Eugene smirked and stood up.
"Alright then, why don't you try moving around a little? Should we spar for practice?"
I was to get back to running anyway, so this was fine. I guess.
I nodded at Eugene and he stepped a bit away. He stretched his hands and back.
Didn't he just finish keeping me safe? Just what kind of monster was this guy?
Maybe he would be weak now. I was looking forward to it if that was the case. I took in a deep breath and spread my senses around. Just as I thought.
Everything was incomparable to before. I could see much more, feel much more.
But I still sensed none of the energy within myself.
No, I had become it.
I had become the advent of Cataclysm. It was only natural that I don't notice it.
Eugene took a stance.
"You ready?" He asked. The guy was still looking down on me.
But things were very different now. Just as I had before, I could see him now. That alone was enough to make it much more advantageous than it was ever before.
I was certain that he wouldn't be able to one-sidedly beat me anymore.
"I am ready."
"Alright."
Eugene said, and disappeared.
I could only blink as he suddenly appeared in front of me, faster than ever before. His hands were coated with the same malicious energy that I had created.
His punch came hurtling toward my gut. I barely managed to bring my hands to the front in time and blocked it, almost getting thrown away from the sheer force.
But I blocked.
Finally, I blocked.
As soon as those thoughts entered my mind, another punch appeared in front of my eyes. I couldn't react, I was simply unable to.
The punch shoved itself into my face, and in the next moment, I was flying through the skies.
I fell far, far away and was knocked out again.
When I woke up after a momentary fainting, I saw Eugene standing atop me.
"Not bad. But I think you won't heal up anymore if I kill you."
"Bitch…"
"Your authority is intact, but you aren't exactly a demon lord anymore, you know?"
I rolled over on my back and pushed myself off the ground. The black hair falling to my eyes was slightly tough to get used to.
After a sigh, I started running.
"What? What are you doing?"
"I'll finish the running training and then kick your ass."
"FINISH it?" Eugene asked, exasperated. "Are you crazy? Even if it takes you a month, heck or even a week to finish a lap, you won't be getting anywhere close to a million in 100 years."
My feet came to a stop.
Wasn't this guy…
Wasn't he the one who put me up to this…?
"What do you mean…?"
"Even I can't do that. It would take ages. I use teleport to get around myself. Don't bother with an impossible task."
"Y-y-you…! YOU!!" I screamed. "You put me up on an impossible task!?"
"Yup."
"FUCKKKKK!"
I started running, in pure rage, I managed to up my pace greatly.
The anger took fifty years to dwindle. I ended up with a little less than three thousand laps on foot and two hundred on hand.
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