Leveling Endlessly with the Strongest System

"Marty's departure is a blessing in disguise for me. If he had stayed, I would not have survived. However, it's my quick thinking and courage that allowed me to put up a brave front and scare the hell out of him, which ultimately saved my own life." Augustus thought to himself.

Skreeeech!

Suddenly, a deafening roar pierced through the thick, murky air of the swamps, sending shivers down the young man's spine. The hair on his neck stood on end as he recognized the telltale screech of the monsters of the swamps.

They were on his tail, closing in fast.

Badump! Badump!

Augustus's heart hammered against his ribcage, threatening to burst through his chest as he struggled to catch his breath.

His eyes darted frantically around, searching for an escape route.

But it was too late.

The black beasts with wings and horns had blocked his escape route, their sharp claws and teeth glinting menacingly in the dim light.

'Fuck! I jinxed myself!'

With a curse under his breath, Augustus fought to steady his trembling limbs and stand up. However, his body betrayed him, and he stumbled and fell back onto the ground with a dull thud, panting heavily.

Skree! Skree! Skree!

The monsters let out a deafening roar, their cry of victory echoing through the air as Augustus crumpled to the ground, weak and defenseless.

Initially, they had been cautiously stalking him and eyeing him from far away as they were intimidated by the display of raw power he had exhibited when he faced off against Marty, but now, as they saw the once-mighty warrior reduced to a feeble state, their fear melted away, replaced by an insatiable hunger to feast on his flesh and absorb his strength. They were chaotic beings, and thus, they could become powerful by absorbing the flesh of an awakened.

They descended upon him from the nearby cliffs, closing in for the final, deadly blow.

"Move! Move, damn it!"

Augustus's mind screamed for his limbs to move, to save himself from the inevitable fate that awaited him. But his body remained still, paralyzed with fear and exhaustion. The look of helplessness on his face only served to entice the monsters further, their hunger for his flesh growing stronger with each passing moment.

"Fucking hell! I fought off an undead king, only to be devoured by a pack of wild beasts. What rotten luck!" Augustus cursed, feeling bitter at the cruel twist of fate that had brought him to this point. He had hoped to cheat death once, but it seemed that death had come calling for him in a different form.

With a resigned sigh, Augustus braced himself for the inevitable end, knowing that there was no escape from the jaws of these bloodthirsty beasts.

In his moment of darkest despair, a black figure materialized by his side.

Seeing who it was, Augustus couldn't help but feel a surge of relief and gratitude wash over him.

It was Black, his trusted familiar.

With its reappearance, a chance to survive this ordeal had also appeared.

"Black, get me out of here! Teleport us to the County, to safety!" he said urgently.

Without a moment's hesitation, Black swallowed Augustus whole, and in a flash, they vanished from the scene, leaving the greedy monsters behind.

When Augustus opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a soft bed in Count Constantine's Manor, safe and sound.

"Once again, Black came through for me - saving my life just in the nick of time!" Augustus exclaimed, his heart racing with adrenaline.

However, something felt off.

Augustus looked around, expecting to see his trusted companion by his side, but Black was nowhere to be found.

"Where did he go?"

Augustus wondered aloud.

Suddenly, a sinking feeling hit him.

He knew that Black's disappearance without his approval could only mean one thing - it was time for him to pay the price for using a Force that had an Ego!

As if on cue, his power level plummeted rapidly. From someone with strength rivaling Realm Lords, he became as weak as an aura master. The Ego of his Reality-Shaping & Distortion Force had started to collect its due!

The exchange began, and Augustus felt a sharp pain in his chest, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to hold on to his consciousness.

He clutched his chest in agony, trying to squeeze out the pain that wracked his body, but it only seemed to intensify, spreading through his body like wildfire, making him feel as though every fiber of his being was being pulled apart at the seams.

In the blink of an eye, his tears started pouring down like a mighty waterfall, carving their path through his cheeks. It was as if the very essence of his being had been violently stripped away, leaving him feeling empty and incomplete.

What made it even worse was that he had no idea what his special-type force had taken from him. Was it his memories, his emotions, or a part of his soul? The thought of not knowing only added to his growing sense of terror.

Desperately, he tried to focus on something to distract himself from the excruciating pain that had engulfed him. But every thought that came to him felt hollow, like a shadow of what it used to be.

Augustus shut his eyes, attempting to quell the rising emotions within him. Yet the more he fought to keep them under control, the more they seemed to grow, consuming him with their intensity.

It was as if he was drowning in a sea of darkness, with no sign of a lifeline to save him.

In the end, he could bear it no longer.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

He screamed out in agony, his voice reverberating with pure anguish. It felt like he was plunging into an unending abyss with no hope of ever emerging.

He let out a few more primal roars, feeling the remnants of his anguish slipping away with each one. Slowly, he regained his composure and opened his eyes which were full of indifference.