Chapter 427 I Am Sisyphus

There is no light, only an abyss of rancid blood.

A so-called "companion" who can't even speak.

It's a hell of nothing.

Apart from the extremely fragile spider silk, there is nothing to borrow.

- A real, inescapable desperation.

Only one second of time elapses every time you "fail and fail".

Beyond that, there's nothing to interact with, nothing to investigate; no power to use, not even a level goal given.

Just let him fail repeatedly.

Just like what Sisyphus suffered in the past.

Annan was convinced that this was indeed a very good trap.

Because even here, with unlimited physical strength - even if you fall from a height, you can be resurrected immediately, but the human spirit will eventually be exhausted.

Not sleepiness.

It's numbness to despair...to directly mentally destroy the entire sanity of a soul.

The difficulty of this fear fragment does not lie in the fragile spider silk itself... but in the unknown.

The unknown brings endless fear.

It was the fear of "how many more times will I fail here".

A completely different rule from the previous fear fragments - other fears, you only need to "resolutely escape" or "bravely enter" that fear, you can leave it.

Because, whether it's "sudden nullification of power", "unstoppable sacrifice", or something else... it's just a momentary, short-lived fear.

Only the "fear of constant failure" can last a lifetime - you can't rely on the idea of ​​"hold on and it's over".

After the failure, will not continue to suffer failure?

"Think about it rationally and know that it's impossible."

This is just a fairy tale for adults.

To add value to one's own failure, to make it less "failure"... just to comfort oneself as a placebo.

Annan didn't need that kind of thing.

- Failure is failure.

Unable to succeed, so fail, that's all.

No excuses, no reasons, no false value attached to failure—

Because people should not be afraid of failure in the first place.

"People shouldn't stand still in the face of failure."

Annan clenched the spider silk again.

Alone, in the abyss without light and sound, struggling to climb up.

Those people have long since given up following Annan.

They were just silent, looking up at Annan.

Looking at Annan who keeps failing.

Wishing he would succeed?

Do not.

More... I'm afraid I'm looking forward to, waiting for when Annan will give up.

However, on Annan's face, there was no pain or struggle they wanted to see.

only happiness.

Focus. serious. Stay focused.

Do your best - to fail.

"I'll do what no one does."

—Three hundred times.

"No one will sacrifice, it's up to me to sacrifice."

- Five hundred times.

"No one persists...let me persist to the end."

- Seven hundred times.

That is no longer the perseverance that a normal human being can have.

Just like the practice of an ascetic... Although it is towards victory, failure is also one of the precious gains.

Those who rejoice in misfortune.

Those who waited for Annan to give up.

... They have even given up the emotion itself, and gradually look forward to and worship Annan as a god and a symbol.

And Annan remained unchanged.

Not suffering.

but enjoy the pain.

Do not……

In this seemingly eternal hell, Annan gradually captured his own essence.

To be precise, he was enjoying "being alive".

Just like when you are bored, you can read the words on the manual and the advertisements in the newspaper carefully several times.

He didn't know how long he had been here.

Even his original purpose, his intention to kill Denton, faded with the passage of time.

It was as if he had lived through a hard life in a dream.

- but even in the most desperate of times.

When Annan had completely turned into a blood man... in his icy blue pupils, pure brilliance still shone.

"Have you had enough rest?"

Annan shouted again: "As long as you can lift your spirits and crawl with me--

"Just follow!"

There are no lofty promises.

There is no warm atmosphere.

Only silence.

Only silent followers—

Not all, but dozens of people.

But after Annan fell again, new people joined and others stepped back from the ropes.

That is not meaningless following and imitation.

Just, you can't turn a blind eye to it.

Even though it has long been known that the end of the goal is failure...

But looking at people with such bright eyes who are trying to climb up, how can they stop in place and remain motionless?

Attempt failed.

Habits fail.

Adapt to failure.

then--

"—to conquer defeat."

This is the fate of mankind.

Annan held the spider silk slowly, six hundred and sixty-sixth times.

"Is someone coming with me!"

His eyes shone brightly.

More than ten minutes have passed outside.

But in Annan's mind, there was no thought of "delaying time and waiting for Salvatore" at all.

Like a captain who starts an expedition with a laugh at the sea of ​​defeat.

From the first few times, Annan did not look down at those who followed him.

In other words... Annan was convinced from the very beginning that someone would follow him.

Because striving for heights—the fact itself, is enough to fill a person’s heart.

Annan has never needed anyone to follow, in order to provide the determination and confidence to move forward.

But he noticed... this time, no one followed Annan to crawl up.

It's not like they've given up again.

Instead, he raised his head and watched Annan silently.

As if I had a premonition of something——

Only this time.

Alone, Annan climbed out of the narrow mouth of the bottle.

He woke up again between the rubble and the wall.

Everything I had experienced before seemed to be just a dream.

But that bright smile remained on Annan's face like a brand mark left by the flames.

He opened his eyes slowly.

That dazzling brilliance also shone from Annan's eyes.

"... Six hundred and sixty-six, the number of beasts?"

Finally climbed out of hell and completed the impossible task, Annan was very happy.

— but what pleased him even more was that Denton had succumbed.

Yes, this nightmare itself has no end.

It just repeats meaningless failures.

However, Annan, who has been experiencing failures constantly, has not flinched... But Denton, who designed this level and tried to murder Annan here, was instead afraid in front of Annan who was unchanged and even more and more excited.

It is the fearlessness that he fears of Annan.

It's a lunatic, a lunatic.

But it seems to have some kind of divinity...

Like a butterfly that had just broken free from its cocoon, it struggled to lift its wings.

"—you conceded again, Denton!"

Annan laughed loudly, laughing happily: "You have all my memories, and you can't beat me!

"You think you can kill me?

"I am a loser! I am a madman! I am Sisyphus!"

What can't kill me will make me stronger!

Annan was very sure.

Today, he is different from before being tortured by the infinite fall to hell.

Although the change may not be very big, it has indeed changed and has changed.

"You have one last chance, Denton."

Annan opened his eyes and looked at the portrait in front of him.

His eyes were as bright as stars.

Brilliant, thin flames ignited at the bottom of the frozen lake.

This is another death trap, which was also transformed by Annan into a trial to cleanse his heart.

"What kind of gift will you... give me?"