15. Suffering is a privilege to the living

Seiito sat in the cold, oppressive darkness of the abyss, his body trembling as he grasped the wound in his chest. His fingers, slick with blood, pressed desperately against the torn flesh, but it was futile. The pain was relentless—an agony that throbbed with each beat of his heart, pulsing in vicious waves that refused to relent. No matter how much he healed it, no matter how many prayers he whispered to whatever gods might be listening, the wound remained. It haunted him like a curse.

Why? How did he end up here? What had he done to deserve this?

His breath hitched, a cold gasp escaping his lips as he slumped against the jagged stone wall, eyes narrowing against the sharp sting of pain. His mind raced, replaying the events that led him to this hellish hole. The questions gnawed at him, tearing at his sanity. Was this my fate? Was I meant to die here?

But he wasn't dead. Not yet. Somehow, he still clung to life, too terrified to let go. A flicker of hope lingered in the back of his mind—a stubborn, fragile thing that refused to die, even as the darkness pressed in around him. He couldn't give up, not now. Not when Saka... not when the others still needed him. If they even cared...

A growl echoed in the silence, startling him. It took a moment to realize it was his own stomach, reminding him of a more primal need. He stared down at his gut, his face tightening with concern. He was starving. How long had he been down here? Hours? Days? There was no way to tell. Time had lost all meaning in the depths of the tower.

What do I do? His thoughts spiraled. There was no food, no sustenance in this pit of despair. Am I supposed to hunt? The idea was laughable. The monsters down here were far stronger than anything he'd ever faced. He was on the 20th floor, far beyond his own capabilities. Even Takemi couldn't defeat the creatures here—none of them could. Not Reivain, not the whole party combined. And now he was alone.

Alone.

The word echoed in his mind, reverberating through the hollow cavern of his thoughts. A crushing weight settled on his chest, heavier than the pain from his wound. His heart pounded as fear began to seep into every fiber of his being. I will die here...won't I?

His body shuddered, and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to suppress the rising panic. But it was no use. The despair, the overwhelming sense of helplessness, it was all too much. The isolation gnawed at him, ripping apart the fragile hope he had clung to.

No one's coming.

His breath quickened. He couldn't do this. He wasn't strong enough. He never was. He wasn't a hero. He was weak. Weak and powerless. Why was I ever chosen?

Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision as the reality of his situation crashed over him like a tidal wave. He had tried to be strong, to stand tall in the face of adversity. He wanted to protect Saka, to be someone others could rely on. But now, it was all so meaningless. He was a failure.

Father...what do I do...? I'm scared...

His tears fell freely, hot against his cold skin, as he curled into himself, sobbing quietly in the dark. This was the only release he had left, the only way to express the suffocating emotions that clawed at him from the inside. The tears flowed, not because he had hope, but because he had nothing else.

Alone.

Weak.

Helpless.

And no one was coming to save him.

Days passed, and he wandered solemnly, slowly, and carefully to not alert any monsters that lurked close to him.

With his luck, he found many herbs and mushrooms growing on the rocky formations around him, he had read about them before, in the royal library, and he was glad he could put his knowledge to the test, he had barely survived his hunger; was it another miracle at hand?

Just let me die already...

Seiito slapped his cheeks, hard enough to leave a stinging red mark on his skin. He couldn't afford to think like that—he couldn't give in to the despair clawing at his mind. Death wasn't an option, not now, not ever.

His hand instinctively moved to his wound, where the burning sensation still lingered. More days passed, and though he had cast Heal repeatedly, the injury refused to close fully. It was healing, yes, but so slowly, it was maddening. In a few more weeks, it might be completely gone. But Seiito didn't have a few more weeks. His patience was thinning, and so was his resolve.

"Why am I still this weak?" he muttered bitterly, eyes narrowing in self-loathing. The frustration gnawed at him, festering like a wound he couldn't seem to mend.

Just as he was about to lose himself in those dark thoughts, the air grew heavy and sour, a warning—just before the mist struck, burning his lungs with every breath.

His eyes widened, panic setting in as his lungs screamed for air. The toxic cloud choked him instantly, his throat burning as if a molten lead was being poured down it.

"My throat...it burns...!" he gasped, stumbling backward, away from the swirling purple mist. His vision blurred, but he managed to cast Heal on himself, forcing the poison from his body, though the relief came in slow, torturous waves.

"Krrrggghhhh..."

A strange clicking sound reached his ears, unfamiliar and unsettling. The noise was rapid, like someone cracking their knuckles, or popping corn kernels over a fire.

Confused, Seiito scanned the fog, and then he saw it—a lizard, its scaly body as large as a labrador, eyes glowing with a malevolent glint.

Before he could react, the creature opened its mouth and spat a purple orb directly at him. The vapor hit his arm, and at first, he felt nothing but the dampness of the attack. Then it hit him—searing, unimaginable pain. His veins darkened, turning a sickly shade of purple as the poison coursed through him, and his skin began to blister and burn.

"I can't...see...!" Seiito gasped, his vision rapidly deteriorating into a distorted blur. Desperately, he cast Heal once more, but it was taking too long, too slow to combat the poison spreading through his veins. His words slurred as his body trembled.

"I have to...get out of here..."

The realization hit him like a dagger to the chest—his mana reserves weren't infinite. He couldn't keep healing himself forever. If his magic failed, he was as good as dead. Survival was his only option.

His body convulsed, a violent cough escaping his lips, and to his horror, he saw a spray of purple blood splatter the ground. His time was running out.

"Damn it..." He forced himself to move, pushing past the agony and the dizziness, knowing if he stayed any longer, the poison would claim him. He stumbled through the labyrinth, his mind teetering on the edge of panic, the sound of his ragged breath echoing through the darkened halls.

But even in his desperation, a fire still burned within him—he refused to die here.

Your life shall not end here.

The voice, soft yet commanding, echoed from the depths of the World Tower, reverberating through Seiito's weary mind. His vision blurred from the poison, but there, just beyond his reach, something impossible glimmered in the shadows.

Astralvita.

A legendary herb. One that every book had declared a myth, an unattainable relic whispered about in ancient tales. It was said to heal any injury, cure any poison, even bring the dead back from the brink. Entire kingdoms had collapsed in their pursuit of it, wars waged over a single blossom. And now, it appeared before Seiito in the heart of this forsaken labyrinth.

He couldn't waste time questioning it. With a trembling hand, he snatched the silver-blue petals and ate them, his mind swirling with desperation. The taste was sharp and bitter, but the effects were immediate. A rush of energy surged through his veins, and the searing pain from the poison dissipated instantly.

Seiito felt his body grow lighter, as though the weight of death had been lifted. His mana, which had been almost completely drained, replenished to full capacity in an instant. "No wonder they called it legendary…" he muttered in disbelief, watching as his wounds knitted themselves closed, the poison vanishing without a trace.

Then, a soft chime echoed in his mind.

Heal Touch upgraded: D-class. Heal upgraded: D-class. Level up: Level 10. Status Rank upgrade: E+.

Name: Seiito
Class: Healer
Level: 10
Title: None
Vitality: 80
Strength: 95
Endurance: 95
Magic: 185
Agility: 90
Status Rank: E+
Skills: Heal (D), Heal Touch (D)

"From a single herb?" His eyes widened in awe. But before he could check his status, a thunderous crash erupted behind him—the lizard was still on his trail, its eyes burning with primal hunger.

Seiito sprinted forward, deeper into the labyrinth. He stumbled into a vast, breathtaking chamber. A grand waterfall cascaded from above, creating shimmering pools of water that stretched across the floor. The walls sparkled with crystals, illuminating the cavern in an ethereal glow. It was a hidden paradise, a sanctuary lost in the depths of the tower.

But there was no time to admire it.

The lizard caught up, hissing with fury. Its tail swung with brutal force, catching Seiito off guard and sending him flying. He crashed into a shallow pool, the icy water shocking his system as he gasped for breath.

"Gah! Cold!" he cursed under his breath.

But an idea sparked in his mind. He submerged himself deeper into the frigid water, knowing that reptiles like the lizard tracked heat. In the cold, his body would be hidden from the beast's senses.

The lizard slithered closer, its gaze scanning the cavern. Seiito held his breath, motionless beneath the surface, hoping that his gamble would work.

Seconds felt like hours as he waited, the cold seeping into his bones, but he remained still.

The Lizard soon lost interest as it couldn't find Seiito, Seiito got out as he let out a loud gasp.

"The water...it's too cold..." Seiito's voice trembled as his body shivered uncontrollably, his teeth chattering in the freezing air. His limbs were stiff, his skin pale and numb from the icy depths of the pool he had submerged himself in to avoid detection. He dragged himself to the shore, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He found a small alcove hidden within the labyrinth's rocky walls—barely a refuge, but it would have to do. With shaking hands, Seiito stripped off his soaked clothes, his body quaking from the chill that had set deep into his bones. He tossed his garments aside, hanging them on jagged rocks in hopes they would dry. The cold bit into him relentlessly, and for a moment, he feared he would never be warm again.

But then, he noticed something—a strange, glowing ore embedded in the cavern walls. Gentle but unmistakable warmth radiated from it. Seiito reached for it, rubbing the ore across his chilled skin. The heat seeped into his flesh, a faint relief from the biting cold.

His body trembled, not from the cold now, but from sheer exhaustion. Every fiber of him was worn, bruised, and aching. The constant running, the endless battle for survival, had pushed him to his limits. His limbs felt like lead, and the tension that had coiled tightly within him since the moment he fell into this wretched abyss began to unravel.

His eyes fluttered shut despite himself. He couldn't fight it any longer—his body demanded rest, his mind screaming for reprieve. In that tiny, makeshift shelter, the warmth from the ore lulling him, Seiito finally surrendered to sleep. For a fleeting moment, all the chaos, fear, and pain that haunted him dissipated.

In the stillness of that brief slumber, the weight of the world left his shoulders. For now, he was free from the tower's endless torment.