The Huntsman Of Death:A Gamer's POV As Side Character

Chapter 15 17:The Game Of Choice

"Despite having a body that is much faster and better in reflexes than my previous life, I was almost beaten by my mother."

"Maybe her physical attributes have also improved."

"As for skills, she was more adept than me."

In the midst of the thinking, I saw a small hill appearing before me, covered by a faint layer of mist hiding the peak.

On looking up, I felt a beckoning ringing in my ears.

[Climb up.]

As I ascended the steep slope, the air grew colder and denser, sending shivers down my spine. The ground behind me faded, consumed by a creeping darkness that enveloped me.Each step became heavier as if the very ground sought to weigh me down.

Suddenly, a chilling wind swept through the area as though signifying my despair. I paused, feeling my heart pounding in my chest as the temperature dropped further.

From the shadows, a figure emerged.

A figure unlike anything I have ever seen.

The figure had a human-like body wrapped in a dark cloak. Its face was like a bird's beak lined with sharp teeth, and its empty eye sockets stared blankly. A necklace made of squirming eyeballs hung around its neck, and a crown of feathers jutted out from its back.

"Welcome," the creature intoned, its voice echoing like a distant chime, warped and unsettling. "I am the Keeper of Death, and I await your arrival. You have traversed the Thorny Path, proving your resilience, but the true trial begins now."

A wave of dread washed over me as every instinct screamed to turn back. Yet, I stood my ground, eyes narrowing slightly in preparedness to confront whatever challenges lay ahead.

"For the last and final trial, you simply need to choose."

"A simple yet quite arduous task. And let me give you a warning. Before, many may have reached here, but everyone failed, and from their ashes arose the hill."

The moment I heard that, my eyes widened with horror. I looked down and only then noticed bones erecting out from the soil all around me that seemed to have been hidden by mist.

"Now for your final task, you need to choose one of the doors."

The Keeper presented three distinct paths, each choice resonating with a different aspect of existence.A low rumbling voice, echoed in the vast emptiness around us.

As he spoke, three shadowy doors materialized behind the Keeper, each swirling with a different hue of darkness.

"First," he began, gesturing toward a radiant figure cloaked in light, "do you want to be a saint? A beacon of kindness, someone who helps others and radiates compassion. Your life would be dedicated to serving those in need, lifting them from despair, and spreading goodwill wherever you go."

He paused, letting the image of the saint linger in my mind. The warmth of that choice was tempting, filled with the promise of a life devoted to love and benevolence.

"Walking on a fixed path might grant you ideal strength, but it won't be ideal for your survival because it's inflexible."

"I will show kindness where it is needed. I will fight to protect my people when danger strikes and be selfish when I need to. Bear others' mistrust and fight alone when I need to."

SWISH!

The next moment, I saw a pair of voracious dark eyes staring at me as if peeking straight into my soul, attempting to know the truth.

"Oh! You are certainly an amusing kid. But you should know that if you don't adhere to this rule, you might be disqualified."

"So?" I sneered.

'Damn! Is this the wrong answer?' I clicked my tongue to control my uneasy pounding heart.

Taking a breath, I grinned. "Do you want me to bend my rules and sell my soul for some legacy which I didn't know about? If I can't walk a path true to myself and my wish, then I can even walk a path others laid for me."

These were my own words.

Truest to the core.

I don't know what fate had set for me, and I don't know what the person who pulled me here wants, but does that give me a reason to follow the defined path set by a stranger I don't even know?

I hate this.

The Keeper looked at me with an amused expression, seizing me, and then put on a serious expression.

"Before we conclude, I want you to answer me one thing."

"Yes?" I asked, tilting my head, wondering.

'Did I pass?'

'I think I did.'

Here it comes.

The question of confirmation.

"Tell me..."

"Who is the greatest hunter in the world?"