I WAS The Rank–1 Hero-Chapter 172: Act 1: Not Enough

Warning: This chapter contains some scene which would be disturbing for some readers. Read at your own risk.

...

The Domain faded, and my vision returned to normal.

Cristine—or, to be precise, Nyth's body lay still beneath my foot. Blood coated my knuckles, and the head of warm blood lingers on one of my feet.

Her face was crushed, the pieces of flat muscles and membranes were stuck on the floor, and some even on my boots.

I moved back slowly, away from her body.

"This is not right," I murmured for me to hear.

Wasn't she supposed to be a formal Authority Holder, and wasn't I supposed to be powerless?

How could she die with such an attack? I didn't even use my weapons.

This can't be happening!

No, I wouldn't let it end like this.

My eyes flickered towards one of the skill.

— — — 「Skill: Resurrection」— — —

Rank: S

Effect: Can revive the target within 12 hours of their death.

Warning: Causes faint recall of the last hour before the target's death.

— — — — — — — — — — — — —

"Would it work?" I asked myself, gazing at the corpse below me.

What would happen if I used this on her?

It hasn't been 12 hours, and the side effect wasn't harmful either.

A faint recollection of one of her pasts, it didn't sound bad.

I didn't feel any guilt, my emotions were quite, like someone rearranged them and left me with the wrong set.

I should have felt something, right? Anything?

But the thing was, "I am not satisfied."

If that was the case, then—if I brought her back… would I feel it then?

I didn't hesitate.

Just as the thought finished forming in my mind, I reached toward the interface hovering beside me.

— — — 「Skill: Resurrection」 — — —

Target: Nyth Valeshade

Status: Eligible

Time of Death: 6 minutes ago

Warning: The caster will experience a faint recall of the target's final hour of memory.

Would you like to proceed?

[Yes] [No]

— — — — — — — — — — — — —

I tapped [Yes].

A soft ripple spread from my fingers, and in the next second, her body twitched.

The blood pooled around her face shifted slightly as her scattered bones pushed upward beneath it.

The crushed side of her jaw slowly reshaped, her bone aligning, and her cheek filled in.

I watched silently as her chest began to rise again.

Then a warning popped up.

[Alert: Caster will experience a flicker of her memory.]

I was ready for it. No kind of memories would help me to show her mercy.

I will make her suffer more painfully this time, such that she will beg me to finish her.

In an instant, a foreign memory forced itself into me.

My body shuddered.

I nearly dropped to my knees before I managed to hold myself up. I was huffing, breath ragged, but it didn't stop the flashes.

And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop recalling it. It kept playing over and over.

I found myself seated beneath an old tree. It was nighttime, and the howling of wolves could be heard in the distance.

I was constantly rubbing my eyes, wiping away my nonstop tears.

It wasn't my body, the build was too small, as if this body hadn't eaten for days. The hands wiping away tears belonged to a ten-year-old.

And as the memory unfolded, I realized... this child was hiding from someone or something.

"Sniff… sniff…"

"Where did she go?!" Someone shouted from the left. It was an adult male's voice.

And as it reached this child's ears, her body stiffened, and she started darting around for a way out.

'What's the situation here, exactly?' I thought, taking note of the surroundings through this child's eyes.

"Over there!"

"Ah!" The child darted to the right as heavy footsteps thundered behind her.

"Offf!" She stumbled over a tree root and fell, but didn't stop. Within a second, she was up again.

She didn't care for more bruises and blood, which were dripping from her ripped skin on her hands and legs. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

There was only one thought in her mind.

"I must survive." The child whispered.

And then I realised, it was a girl. Her long black hair was falling over her eyes as she ran with all her might.

'Wait, is this Nyth?'

It must be one of her pasts.

But why was she running?

It was a memory from her childhood, and at that age, I don't think she was capable of doing anything.

"Got you!" A man jumped in her path.

"Ahh!" She screamed, abruptly halting her steps.

Her tiny figure fell face flat on the ground.

"Stop running now." The man commanded, his tone was frustrated.

She turned around to run away, but two other men came near her.

She was now surrounded.

"...aahh, please don't. I don't want to go." She begged each one of them.

One of the men sneered, "Look, young miss. Pfft—Hahahaa!"

For some reason, he started laughing.

Nyth's eyes locked on that man.

"Young miss, what a joke! That's the sole reason you're receiving such treatment."

Another man joined in. "Curse your whore of a mother, for letting you out in this world."

Is this the way three grown-up men talk to a 10-year-old child?

"Stop… I don't want to see that person, he is bad." Nyth murmured weakly.

The third man gripped her by the wrist. "Don't say that, you have to make your mother proud."

"N-No. Let me go!"

They dragged her inside the villa.

She was shaking.

The first thing I saw inside the villa was a lavish sofa in the middle of the hall. Seated on it was a fat man with black hair and red eyes.

He seemed to be around 40 years of his life.

And just on the lap of that man was a lady wearing nothing but a maid's skirt. Her top dress was missing.

She was breathing heavily, and sweat could be seen on her face.

I instinctively averted my eyes.

"Mother!" Nyth called that maid.

'Huh?'

What did she say? That's her mother?

"Sir Drake Valeshade, we found her."

Drake said, withdrawing his hands from the maid's chest.

"What? Oh…"

He glanced at the little girl with disgust.

The maid's eyes widened. "N-No, Nyth, please don't look at me." She begged her daughter.

Slap—

A slap echoed inside the room. The man slapped Nyth's mother.

"Didn't I told you to not say a shit! You fucking whore!"

The room fell silent.

Nyth's hands clenched.

I can feel her anger bubbling up, ready to burst any moment. But she was scared at the same time.

"You." The black haired man addressed Nyth, "You will be working for Sir Dorf, starting tomorrow."

"No!" The maid screamed, and she flapped her hand at the man. In the process, her nails scratched at his eyes, which left a soft cut.

"Huh?"

"No! No! Forgive me, my lord!" She begged him.

I witnessed all of it happening, no matter how cruel the situation was. I can't seem to either close or avert my eyes, because it was a memory of Nyth.

"You dare…" Veins popped on his forehead. "You—you should be praising your luck to spend all your nights with me, but you dare hit me."

"I am sorry, I am sorry…" She repeated, bawling her eyes out. "Please let Nyth go, I will do anything tonight."

Drake licked his lips as if he were enjoying it.

'What the hell is happening here?'

Does this bastard not have a wife?

Drake said in a playful tone. "Then, so be it. I will not harm your daughter, and neither will I send her to that creep, but in exchange, you have to agree to do something for me tonight."

His grin kept getting wider.

Covering her chest, she glanced at Nyth. Her lips quivered before she mustered enough strength.

"I'll do anything, but in exchange, I want you to give Nyth the same treatment as your other child."

"Hahahahaha! This fucking whore," He laughed harder, "alright, I agree… don't go back in your words now, alright?"

The maid nodded.

"Alright," He pointed to the table in front of him, and with a grin, he said, "Remove all of this and lie down there."

'Fucking psycho.'

I don't want to see all of this, it's disgusting enough.

Nyth kept her mouth closed, but the entire time, she painted Drake's face inside her mind.

It was bone-chilling for me, the rage inside her was so great that it felt like she would burn the world in any minute.

The maid did exactly as she was told, removing her skirt, she lay on the table.

I don't know what I felt that time, but it must be the same as Nyth's feeling.

Right now, there's nothing I wish more than to smack that ugly face off his body.

"Haahh… Look at that, your little Nyth was staring at her whore mother. Aww… she must be disgusted by you, you know."

He said, as he stood up from his sofa, undoing her zips, he stood behind the maid.

"Nyth, please go outside." Her mother requested.

Nyth followed, turning around.

Not before she did, Drake stopped her.

"No, she must watch."

"...?!"

"...?!"

"...?!"

Even his guards were shocked.

Nyth's skin crawled.

I, on the other hand, was stunned.

There are humans. Then there are monsters. Then demons. And beneath all that... there's this.

It doesn't deserve a name. Disgusting isn't enough. Filth would be too kind.

He was… he was…

I don't have the right words!

He made her watch.

His own daughter, barely old enough to understand what she was seeing—

"NOOOOOO!"

My vision broke, and I found myself staring at a body with a nearly regenerated face.

She—Nyth slowly opened her eyes.

And as she did, I found tears dripping out my eyes.