Chapter 29: The Pain of Regret
Jason stayed awake until the sun rose and clenched his fists, stabbing his nails repeatedly into his palms until they bled. His breathing was shallow and uneven and his voice hoarse, but even so, the black-haired vampire continued to scream. When his anger had finally dissipated, he put on a brave face and mumbled to himself,
"The second curse…How could the world be so cruel? Did Nemesis hate me that much to want to hurt my loved ones too?"
Jason tried to process all of the information at once, even thinking of potential ways to resolve the situation, but nothing came to mind.
"Where is the solution?!?" he screamed, his voice cracking, as he pulled on his hair in distress. 'How do I save them?'
Jason smashed his fist to the ground and looked at the notification for the hundredth time. Glaring with hatred into the corner of his eye, he read, this time more slowly than ever before:
"Second Hidden Curse Condition: Hater's Companions will be set ablaze by the flames of resentment once they have surpassed the necessary levels of affection for the hater. This condition will apply after three months in the Isles and will persist until full corruption.
Afflicted Targets: Alea Ilthogleam, Evelynn Alucard
Time until Full Corruption: 45 Days"
He whimpered and reflected back on his knowledge about the Isles.
"What are the flames of resentment again? Don't they attack the Spiritual Realm? If so, how can there ever be a solution?"
Jason closed his eyes and thought remorsefully back to his moments of joy and laughter on the Isles of the Gods.
"Why was I such a fool?" he screamed internally. "If only I never met Eve or Alea. If only I stayed alone, in a corner without friends, like I had always done. If only I could run away from reality and read happy novels, none of them would have needed to suffer."
He paused with a sigh before continuing.
'Why did I even try to change?' he wondered. 'If the goddess wants me to suffer so badly, what can I even do? Perhaps…I should just give her what she wants.'
Jason's seed of self-doubt blossomed into a withered black tree of hatred. With a determined look on his face, he swallowed hard and resolved himself, determined to make the only logical decision he could think of.
If he was destined to always hurt those around him, then he would be better off alone.
—
Eve awoke to thousands of brilliant sun rays peeking through her eyelids and groggily crawled over to Karl. She hadn't noticed when she had fallen asleep, but she finally felt refreshed, a rare occurrence after several nights of discomfort.
Grabbing the Doom Monkey by the tail, she violently shook him until he screamed.
"Yo, what the fuck?!? Get off me, you asshole!"
"Karl, it's morning. Come on," she coaxed with a gentle voice. "Get up."
The Doom Monkey snorted his reply in disgust.
"I'm not waking up today, and you won't be allowed to ruin my precious sleep! You think it's easy to look this handsome all the time?"
Eve's eyes glowed blood red and with a heavy flick to the Doom Monkey's forehead, Karl slowly got to his feet.
"Sorry. Sorry," he quickly apologized, scratching his head in shame. "Ermm…you know how grumpy I get when I'm woken up."
"Forget it," she replied coldly, thinking about her nightmare from last night. "Let's go wake Big Brother."
They glanced in Jason's direction and saw the hate reader on the ground, his back facing the rising sun. Noticing his raised shoulders and slumped head, Eve quickly ran over to her brother and drew him close in her arms. She tried to look him in the eyes as she had done before, but now, they were devoid of emotion, black and distant.
"Eve," Jason began slowly. "I'm going to travel alone from now on to look for the other ingredients."
"I've decided to leave."
The hate reader's emphasis on the final word shocked the silver-haired vampire, who stumbled backwards in fright as Karl supported her.
"W-What's wrong, Big Brother?" she replied hesitantly, her face falling immediately. "Did I do something wrong? I'll stop dragging you on trips, I promise! Just stick with me on this one please!"
Tears rolled down her face as she understood that her worst fear had just come true. She begged for the hate reader to stay, but his face remained cold and unmoving.
"You don't understand, Eve," he said in a berating tone. "You're irritating to be around, useless with directions, and slow. I'm tired of pretending like everything is okay."
He paused for a few seconds and cast his gaze downward.
"I hate travelling with you."
Eve gripped her aching heart and stared at Jason in horror. 'These were her brother's true thoughts?' she wondered with a gasp, collapsing to the floor. 'This is all he thought of their time together?'
"Leave me alone, Eve," he continued in a tone laced with hatred.
"SCRAM!"
Heavy wails and sharp cries filled the air as Eve buried her face in the ground and let out a piercing screech.
"Wait Master, you're being a bit too harsh. You —"
"SHUT UP!" Jason shouted, interrupting his servant. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING. You're just a shitty servant that trolls around and fucks everything up. I don't want to see you around either!"
Karl glared at Jason for a few seconds defiantly and sneered, his face full of rage.
"You useless ass pig of a Master," he screamed.
A thundercloud roared in the background, and droplets of rain began to fall heavily on the pasture.
"I always thought you were better than this. Even though you were weak, you were kind and treated everyone with respect, but now…you know what, never mind. I can't believe I once called you my friend. Come on, Eve. Let's go."
Karl grabbed the silver-haired vampire, who dangled helplessly in his arm, staring back at the black-haired teenager.
Droplets of water plopped on Jason's face gently, and he slowly turned his body to face his companions. As they slowly grabbed their travel packs and disappeared from his sight, he stretched his arms and legs and sprawled into a puddle of mud.
Jason stared blankly into the grey clouds and released a heavy sigh.
'It's over,' he thought to himself. 'It's finally over. I knew a fun journey like this couldn't last forever.'
His shoulders trembled, and he sobbed into his hands with a strangled scream.
Why was doing the right thing always so hard? He wanted to be selfish, explore the Isles with his friends, and stay forever by their sides, but he couldn't bear to put their lives at risk any longer.
Jason smashed his head against a nearby rock continuously, blood spurting from his forehead, until he heard the chimes of a familiar note.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Hate Counter: 508
Hate Counter: 507
Hate Counter: 506
He sat down on a nearby rock, his vision blurry. For the first time since he had transmigrated to the Isles, he was sad, alone, and empty, like a piece of his heart was wrenched from inside.
"Is this the retribution you wanted, you shitty goddess?" he yelled silently in his mind. "Congrats! You won, okay?"
Jason fell to his knees with an uncontrollable sob.
"Please…" he begged, clenching his heart.
"Please just let this humble man live happily with his friends."
He stared into the dark grey clouds and discerned Nemesis's happy smile through the rain.
"HAHAHAHAHHA... I suppose nothing I say will work anyways," he said, laughing hysterically. "I might as well go crazy."
With a droopy look on his face, he rolled over and lay in the mud, closing his eyes. He was certain that Eve and Karl would be safe now since they no longer met the requirements of a "companion," but what about…her?
He reminisced about her stunning emerald green eyes, her flowy dark brown hair, and her soft hands that he had accidentally touched. He thought about their fun times trolling Karl, their archery lessons, and the short but sweet kiss that they had shared. He had seen her weep once before upon the Spirit King's retelling of the Empire of Arwen, and it had torn his heart out.
But now, it seemed that it was his turn to hurt her.
Thinking about the various spirits that they had encountered in the Curious Grove, a sudden rush of inspiration flowed into the hate reader's mind.
'Wait,' he thought. 'Maybe he can help.'
Jason tapped into his memory and began to chant in the most sincere voice he could muster.
"O Spirit King, O Spirit King,
Lord of the forests and of the springs,
Please heed my cry and watch me sing.
DooDoo Ding. DooDoo Ding.
I wish to request you for something."
A long silence passed once more before a thundering voice roared across the sky.
"Little one," he said. "What is it you need?"
Jason's heart lifted instantly as he saw a familiar fluffy white spirit and felt the winds around him swirl in a cool breeze.
"Spirit King, I…" he stammered with hiccups, unable to get a coherent thought across.
"Because of me," he finally blurted, tears rolling down his cheek. "She's going through pain."
"Calm down Jason, I know," the Spirit King replied, a hint of anger in his voice.
"But you can save her, right?" he asked meekly.
The Spirit King shook his head slowly and with a pensive gaze, released a heavy sigh.
"Unfortunately, I can't prevent the corruption from happening, but I may be able slow it. Nemesis's powers surpass even my own."
"Then tell Alea to hate me, to forget about me, to leave me. Tell her that I never cared for her, that I cheated on her, that I never wanted to kiss her. Whatever it is…just make it stop," he screamed in a rush.
"Just. Make. It. Stop."
A short hiccup interrupted his rant, and minutes of silence passed before the heavy voice resounded once more.
"Jason, look at me," the fluffy white spirit said sternly.
The young hate reader turned his head and stared deep into the Spirit King's eyes that gleamed with wisdom.
"You said this once before to Alea in the Curious Grove, but now the same applies to you. Problems don't disappear because you run away," the gentle spirit said delicately. "They disappear because you overcome them."
He paused for a few seconds and waited for Jason to collect his thoughts.
"What I mean to say is that your plan is bound to fail if you approach it like this. Once companions are marked, the flames of resentment cannot be revoked. For your happiness and for the happiness of those around you, you must find a solution."
"But what can I do?" Jason screamed helplessly, lashing out at the Spirit King. "You know my secrets. I'm just a weak human with a lucky amount of extra lives. You know the truth about this world, and you know its reality. What the fuck can I do?!?"
"Jason," he repeated once more. "The gods are not untouchable. They bleed, they cry, and they suffer just as much as any other creature of their creation."
"You are a weak individual, yes, that is true. But therein lies your greatest strength."
"Because you are weak, you built friendships, overcame obstacles, and found love. Because you are weak, you pushed yourself to grow in ways that you had never done before, with nothing to lose. And because you are weak, you have the power to struggle and shape your own destiny."
"Never forget this, little one. Hate cannot ease one's pain; it merely spreads it. A person's weakness is their beauty, and only love enables that to flourish."
The wind blew heavier as the rain halted to a stop, a single ray of light beaming down from the sky.
"You will find the solution one day. I have full faith in you," the Spirit King said with a reassuring smile. "Until then, I will tell Alea that you love her dearly and slow the corruption to the best of my ability. Make sure you treasure those who bless your life with happiness."
Jason nodded quickly in understanding and jumped to his feet with a bounce in his step.
"Words cannot express my gratitude, but I'd like to thank you anyways," the hate reader said with a soft smile.
His eyes gleamed with hope, and he prayed that he could reach his friends in time. With a sprinter's start, Jason pushed off one leg and ran in the direction that Eve and Karl had gone. Despite not knowing where his friends were, Jason screamed their names in desperation and begged for their forgiveness, kicking up dust with every step.
Seconds later, he noticed a shining white orb of light beside him guiding the way and promised to repay the spirit whenever he could.
The Spirit King watched the hate reader's heart return pure and vanished with a smile.
With a final whisper resounding through the air, he echoed, "Go forth and conquer, little one. For there is nothing more painful than regret…"
Hate Counter: 506
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone