Kuro's vision blurred further as the poison ravaged his body. Through the haze, he witnessed the intimate display between Kami and Mira - their passionate kiss, the way their bodies entwined in a display of lust.
A bitter taste filled Kuro's mouth as he realized the truth - Mira had been using him all along. Her affections, if they could be called that, were reserved solely for Kami. The revelation stung more than the poison in his veins.
After what seemed like an eternity, Kami pulled away from the heated embrace, saliva connecting their lips as they separated. A smug smile stretched across his features as he looked down at Kuro, satisfaction evident in his eyes.
"Well, goodbye then, Kuro"Kami murmured, amusement dancing in his gaze.
"Oh, and before I go... I think it's only fair that I share a little secret."Kami chuckled softly, as he bent down and whispered something in Kuro ears.
"While you've been busy cleaning up dungeons each day, I've been thoroughly pleasuring Mira on your very own bed"Kami whispered into Kuro's ear, a wicked grin stretching across his face.
"She's taken my thick cock like the wanton slut until her pussy has grown accustomed to my thick cock, craving the pleasure only I can provide."Kami said before pausing savoring the moment as Kuro's eyes widened in shock and betrayal.
"She's taken my cock with such abandon, moaning and screaming my name like a prayer as I pound her into submission. And when I asked her to compare, to admit which cock truly satisfies her, Mira confessed without hesitation that yours pathetic, undersized cock can't come close compared to mine to satisfying her cunt."Kami said those final words as he straightened up, his smirk growing even wider as he admired Kuro's anguish.
Kuro's mind reeled as Kami's lewd confession echoed in his ears, the venomous words searing themselves into his consciousness. His vision blurred, the cave spinning wildly as the weight of the betrayal crushed down upon him.
Together, the traitorous pair turned their backs on Kuro's crumpled form, disappearing into the shadows of the dungeon. The sound of their footsteps faded away, leaving only the soft patter of Kuro's labored breathing and the steady drip of blood pooling around him.
As the last echoes of Kami and Mira's mocking laughter faded into the darkness, Kuro's strength finally gave out. The Duskfall poison had done its work, spreading through his body like wildfire and setting every nerve alight with excruciating agony.
With a final, shuddering gasp, Kuro toppled sideways onto the cold stone floor. His limbs twitched spasmodically as the poison ravaged his body, muscles seizing and organs failing one by one.
Blood continued to ooze sluggishly from the two daggers in his chest and his back, forming a growing crimson halo around his prone form. Kuro's eyes, once sharp and full of life, glazed over as consciousness slipped away.
As the life drained from Kuro body, the pendant around his neck began to glow with an eerie, pulsating light.
This pendant was an item Kuro received from his constellation Lord Of The Netherworld. He received it on the day, the constellations bestow him the class Shadow Monarch.
The pendant worn by Kuro was a mesmerizing sphere, its surface bisected by a stark contrast of colors - one half gleaming pure white, while the other plunged into deep, foreboding black.
The pendant is called 'Dao of Life and Death' but it's grade and effect remained shrouded in mystery, marked by a perpetual question mark hovering around the pendant's properties. Only Kuro knew of it's existence because his constellation instructed him to not tell anyone about this pendant and always keep it close to yourself.
But Kuro never thought that before he die, the pendent would react like this.
As soon as the pendent stop shining, a shimmering interface materialized before Kuro's fading vision.
[Good to see you again, Kuro. I am your constellation, Lord Of The Netherworld.].
Kuro's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the notification on his screen, hardly daring to believe what he was reading. His constellation, Lord of the Netherworld, had initiated communication after so many years.
For years, the constellation had remained silent, no matter what he did. But today, amidst the chaos of betrayal and heartbreak, the constellation chose to speak to Kuro for the first time since granting him the Shadow Monarch class and pendant.
After few seconds, new system interfaces appeared before his eyes.
[Kuro, I am going to give you two choices before your death.]
[In the first option, I will grant you 24 hours to live. In this span of time, you may do whatever you wish like exact revenge, find solace or do something that brings you fulfilment. However, once these 24 hours end, you will die.]
[In the second option, I will grant you another chance to live, with your memories intact.]
Kuro's thoughts raced as he considered the options presented by his constellation.
A minute passed before Kuro finally made his decision. But before he say something a new system interface appered before him.
[Kuro, I know you're afraid of death. It's natural to fear the unknown. But if you choose the second option, I must warn you - it won't be easy. This path will test your limits, push you to the brink of sanity, and subject you to unimaginable torment. Your physical and mental endurance will be stretched to breaking point. But if you manage to persevere, to endure until the very end, there's a chance you might become the new Lord Of The Netherworld.]
Kuro swallowed hard, his throat dry and constricting as he contemplated the daunting choice laid before him. The temptation to seize the fleeting reprieve of the first option, to spend his remaining hours exacting vengeance or finding solace, was overwhelming. Yet, the allure of the second path, however perilous, proved impossible to ignore.
He thought of all the times he'd struggled in the dungeon before the constellation Lord Of The Netherworld chosen him. He was the weakest hunter in the world, but he always clawed his way back from defeat and despair. The determination that had driven him to rise above his circumstances, to forge his own destiny despite the odds, felt like a flickering flame within him now. Could he really let it be extinguished so easily?
Kuro took a shuddering breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead.
"I... choose... the second optio..."Kuro's voice cracked, barely audible as he forced the words out.
But before he could finish the sentence, a sudden, jarring sensation ripped through his chest. His heart, already weakened by the Duskfall poison, seized and convulsed violently in its chamber.
Kuro's heart gave a final, pitiful thud before stilling completely. His body went limp, the life draining from his eyes as the darkness closed in. Blood pooled beneath him, slowly soaking into the stone floor. And then, just like that, he died.
As soon as Kuro died, the spherical pendant around Kuro's neck start shining once more. And without warning, the pendant burst free from Kuro's neck, rising into the air with a gentle hum.
As the pendant hovered above Kuro's corpse, the atmosphere in the cave shifted. The air seemed to vibrate with an otherworldly energy, making the hairs on the back of Kuro's neck stand on end, even in death.
Then, a low, resonant voice reverberated through the dank air, echoing off the cave walls and sending chills down the spines of any who might have been listening
"We don't have much time. I hope you don't disappoint me and become the Lord of the Netherworld as quickly as possible."the mysterious voice echoed off the damp stone walls.
The words were laced with a sense of urgency, a hint of expectation that weighed heavily on the atmosphere.
After that the pendant hovered for a moment, then shot upwards with increasing velocity, piercing the rocky ceiling of the dungeon. As it broke through the surface, the pendant burst forth into the open sky, leaving behind a trail of glittering stardust in its wake.
With a blinding flash, the Dao of Life and Death pendant surged upward, propelled by an unseen force. Its descent into the starry expanse was meteoric, leaving a glowing contrail in its wake as it pierced the celestial veil.
The pendant's trajectory arced gracefully across the night sky, tracing a perfect parabola against the backdrop of countless twinkling stars. It moved with an almost liquid ease, defying gravity's pull as it soared higher and faster than any mortal object should be able to.
Within moments, the pendant vanished from view, swallowed up by the infinite vastness of space. The stardust trail it left behind gradually dissipated, fading into nothingness.
[Author Note - From tommorow one chapter will be uploaded everyday.]