Chapter 97 Eternal Darkness (2)

"Give it back! My Artifact! Give it back to me right this instant!"

"Huh?"

Feeling startled, Raven wished to speak, but the only thing he could force out of his mouth was a painful groan together with a large amount of blood.

"You like to play games, huh?" the Rotrid's eyes flashed menacingly, raising Raven's body even higher.

"Do you really think I won't kill you just because of your little trick?"

'...What the fuck is she talking about? It was not me but the thing behind me!' Raven clenched his teeth firmly, struggling to get free of Paloma's iron grip.

However, taking into consideration how he was unable to move both his arms and how the silver spear was still drilled through his abdomen, it was just a futile dream.

Hell, it was already a miracle that he was still alive and breathing! Any other human would have died, there was no question about it.

'It seems both my Constitution and Vitality are showing their true worth now, huh...?' Raven laughed with a wry grin, only causing even more blood to flow out from both his wounds and mouth.

"So you really think this is funny." Paloma narrowed her eyes, her grip tightening before her furious expression turned into a wicked grin.

'I don't like where this is all going...'

"Fine, as you wish. I will not kill you... Instead, I will torture you until you won't give what rightfully is mine."

With that said, Paloma grabbed Raven's right hand, which was already crippled but weirdly he could still feel, and with a swift move twisted around more than a hundred and eighty degrees!

"AAAARRRGGGHbbleergh!! Cough! Cough!" screaming as the pain assaulted his body, just a second before the blood came rushing up into his mouth and forcing him to cough wildly, Raven stared at the Rotrid and wished to rip her apart.

"...Cough! ...You fucking... Cough! Bitch! I don't know wha-... Cough! Cough! I don't know what you are talking about, but it was not me... It was the thing behind me!"

Raising a brow, Paloma glanced behind Raven before she said, "What? That large pit? Do you really think I am that dumb!?"

After she said that, she went and grabbed Raven's other hand, and just as she had done with the other one, she twisted that also!

"What are yo-, AAARRRGGGHH!!!"

With a yell that could send shivers through any living being's spine, Raven watched with both teary and bloodshot eyes as both his arms now were bent in angles that no human could mimic unless they tried to break their limbs.

'Fuck this! Is she a psychopath or what? I am telling the truth! It was not me but the...'

As Raven reached that point, suddenly his eyes widened, realization dawning on him like a heavy curtain.

'Don't tell me... Does this mean she can't... She can't see it? But how is that possible?'

Glancing over his shoulder, Raven looked at the massive pit behind him. And just as he thought, there it was, the large pillar of blackness, soaring toward the sky in its full glory.

'...Only I can see it?'

Raven was dumbfounded, which only grew a level deeper when suddenly a voice sounded in his head, one that he was awfully familiar with.

'Jump...'

'Do... it...'

'Jump? Where? In there!?' Raven's eyes widened before he shook his head and almost laughed, 'Hell no! Whatever that pillar is, it killed this bitch's copy in seconds! There is no way I am doing it!'

'No... Instead, it is better to say that I can't! After all, I am being strangled to my death!'

'Safe... do... it...'

Upon hearing the whisper in his head once again, Raven frowned and shifted his gaze back at Paloma.

Maybe he really will be fine if he is doing just what the voice is telling him.

Thinking about the possibilities, Raven slowly felt unsure about what to do.

'...Oh, to hell with all this! What is the worst thing that can happen to me? Die? I am already dying, so I have nothing to lose!'

With renewed determination, Raven's eyes flashed with a hint of hope and started straight into Paloma's eyes.

'Although I hoped to use it in another situation, obviously I have no other choice...' Raven thought, and after a small while he began to speak.

"Sure... I will give it back to you..."

"Oh? So you have finally decided to speak, huh? Good. Now give it back or you can also say goodbye to your right leg."

After saying that, Paloma raised Raven even higher, to the point where she could grab his feet, ready to either tear them off or twist them just as she did with his two hands.

"Argh... I... Can't like... this..." struggling to get air, Raven struggled to speak as he swayed his free leg.

"What the fuck does that mean, trash?" lowering Raven slightly to allow him to talk without any hindrance, Paloma narrowed her eyes menacingly.

"I... Cough! Cough! I can't give you your Artifact back this way... cause for that I need my hand... or at least needed it, however as you have broken both, you need to use yours."

"Speak in a way I can understand! Or perhaps you wish to lose your leg too?!" Paloma squeezed Raven's leg firmly, earning a groan from him.

'You will kill, either way, bitch!' Raven clenched his teeth before he explained, "In my left pocket... I have a Relic... It's a little object which activates and seals other's Artifacts the moment my life is in grave danger."

"It can be deactivated if you press the button on it..."

Paloma raised a brow and directed her eyes at Raven's left pocket. Then, after pondering for a while, she used her free hand and put it into there, quickly taking out a small item from there.

It was a small, perfectly square box akin to that of a container of a wedding ring. The only difference is that it couldn't be opened and the only thing on it that was functional was a tiny triangle that could be pressed.

"You really think I have no brain, huh? This definitely is a trap. There is no way I can get back my Artifact this easily." Paloma narrowed her eyes with deep killing intent, her grip ready to twist Raven's leg.

"Urgh... It is not... It is not a trap! There are all kinds of Relics in existence, each weirder than another! I am pretty sure you have met with some too!"

Paloma frowned softly, seemingly because she agreed with Raven. However, she soon added, "I will believe you if I see this thing's description. Share it."

'Fuck... So she is smart...' Raven thought but his mouth slowly curved upward.

'But unfortunately, it is already too late!'

And with that very thought, with a mental command which was one of that Relic's unique traits, he activated it.

In an instant, the small object in Paloma's hand exploded and crimson chains broke out of it, enveloping Paloma's whole body while a small part of it was attached to Raven's chest.

"Do you really think these chains will save your ass!?" seeing the sudden change of events, Paloma sneered coldly and grabbed the chains around her neck, ready to shatter it.

As for Raven, who was still held in the air, just laughed and said, "I don't think, I know!"

After he said those words, Raven coughed massive amounts of blood onto the chain attached to his chest, causing them to glow up with deep crimson light.

Whoosh!

"Wha-!"

Paloma felt dumbfounded when she saw how she was unable to shatter the chains, no matter how hard she struggled. Furthermore, it seemed the more she struggled the together the chains around her got, sealing her movements more and more.

'It worked!' feeling joy the moment Paloma's grip loosened around his collar, Raven kicked at her hand and got free in a flash.

Of course, with both his hands crippled and with the spear in his abdomen, such a sudden movement sent massive waves of pain through his body and forced blood out of his wounds, but it was all worth it in the end!

'Life Blood Chains... In exchange for my blood and a large amount of my Mystique, it can seal the movements of others for a limited amount of time.'

The only downfall of it, however, was that this Relic of his possessed a "special" ability called Life Bond, which meant he couldn't kill the one he used this on or else he would get killed too.

Initially, he wished to use this Relic to just simply drag Paloma to an area filled with abominations, where he could deplete her strength to the point where he could kill her with ease.

After deactivating his Relic, of course.

However, as things have escalated to this point already, there was nothing he could do but...

"Move forward..." mumbling, Raven turned around and faced the pillar of darkness, staring at its massive form with both awe and fear.