The Cheat Seed

Chapter 18

Marcus sat slumped against the dungeon wall, his consciousness swimming back into focus. His muscles ached with a deep fatigue he'd never experienced before—not even during the worst of Gabriel's beatings.

"Hey System?"

[Yes?]

"Can I really clear this dungeon?"

[...]

The System remained silent, offering no reassurance, no guidance.

"Hah..Haha...HAHAHAHAHAH!"

Marcus laughed hysterically, the sound bouncing off the stone walls in hollow echoes. His laughter held no joy—only desperation and the creeping edge of madness.

He pushed himself up on trembling legs and staggered forward. After several unsteady steps, his movements became fluid again as determination hardened within him. With a primal roar, Marcus dashed toward the statue once more.

*Punch*

He pulled his arm back and channeled everything he had—all his rage, all his power, all his desperation—into a single devastating blow. His fist connected with the base of the statue, creating a catastrophic impact that sent cracks racing from foundation to crown. The fissures spread like lightning through the stone figure, splitting it nearly in two.

But the crown remained pristine, untouched by the destruction below it.

Before Marcus could follow up with another strike, golden light pulsed from the crown. The cracks sealed themselves, stone flowing like liquid to repair the damage. Within seconds, the statue stood whole again, as if his attack had never happened.

"GODDAMMIT!"

He struck again. And again. And again.

The cycle continued relentlessly. Marcus would unleash his full power, the statue would fracture dramatically, and the crown would restore it completely. What felt like hours stretched into days, though Marcus had no way to track time in this unchanging environment.

Unknown to him, the passage of time in this place followed different rules. While mere days passed in Marcus's perception, centuries flowed by. Seven hundred years had elapsed since he first began his assault on the unyielding statue—though outside this dungeon, time continued at its normal pace.

Dark circles formed beneath Marcus's eyes, his face gaunt with exhaustion. His movements, once precise and powerful, grew increasingly desperate and sloppy.

"I..huff...won't..huff...fall," Marcus wheezed, struggling to draw breath into burning lungs.

His legs wobbled beneath him. Despite his enhanced durability and strength, his spirit was breaking. His body pitched forward as consciousness fled, and he crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Huff...I...Want...to..go back," he gasped, sprawled on the dungeon floor.

Sweat and dirt covered his once-pristine outfit. His kimono was torn in places, and his mask lay discarded several feet away. Marcus stared at the ceiling, suddenly aware of how much he missed the respawn circle from earlier trials. That glowing safe zone had always rejuvenated him, erasing exhaustion within seconds. Now he had nothing—just the cold, hard ground beneath him and the mocking statue standing tall before him.

"I was supposed to....die anyway," he whispered, the words slipping out unbidden.

The thought crystallized in his mind, bringing with it a terrible clarity. "Yeah, I was supposed to die..Then why'd you guys bring me here??"

Silence answered him. The System remained as unresponsive as the statue.

"Am I being used as a lab rat here? Is that it? It's just an experiment, huh?" His voice rose with each question, echoing through the chamber. "You brought me here from my death, gave me hope that I could become strong, gave me false hope that I could bring smiles to the sad faces of my parents. You...YOU LIED TO ME, SYSTEM!!!!"

[.....]

The System's continued silence felt like a confirmation of his worst fears.

"Well if you won't let me pass, I'll kill myself here then." Tears welled in Marcus's eyes, one droplet breaking free to trace a path down his dirt-smeared cheek before splattering on the stone floor.

He pushed himself up, his body protesting every movement. "That would be better right? I'll kill myself and you can always choose some other i***t who's gonna die."

With trembling hands, Marcus wrapped his fingers around his own throat, squeezing with all his might. But his enhanced durability prevented any damage. Frustrated, he slammed his head against the dungeon wall repeatedly, each impact creating spider-web cracks in the stone while leaving him completely unharmed. His Almighty Regen negated any damage faster than he could inflict it.

"WoW...Now you won't let me die too?" Marcus's voice cracked with emotion. "f**k you System, f**k you Emperor!"

He slid down against the wall, curling into himself as sobs wracked his body. His tears formed a small puddle beneath him, the only evidence that he was still capable of feeling anything at all.

Eventually, exhaustion claimed him once more. Marcus's head lolled against the dungeon wall as sleep pulled him under, temporarily freeing him from his torment.

Though Marcus couldn't hear it, the System erupted in fury the moment he lost consciousness.

[f**k YOU OLD GEEZER!!!!]

The System's voice boomed through the chamber, unheard by its user thanks to an automatic mute function.

[f**k YOU!!!! BECAUSE OF YOU OLD MAN, MY USER IS GOING THROUGH HELL HERE]

[AND WHAT DID YOU SAY?????]

["To make him bond completely with you, he has to have the will to live and protect the ones he love"]

The System played back the Flame Emperor's words, the old man's voice echoing through the silent chamber.

[Yea.....NO f**k YOUUU]

[NOW HE'S DEAD SURE HE WANTS TO DIE]

[AAARGH I AM GETTING FRUSTRATED]

The System's voice softened as it addressed its unconscious user.

[I am very very sorry Marcus, this is something that I have to do..]

[Because being a Guardian is not for the light-hearted]

[And I am sure you'll become one, but it's still new to you, isn't it?]

[Even the otherworldly hero gave up at this point]

[And we sent him back home]

The System paused, its voice dropping to a whisper.

[But Marcus, time is almost up, we can't lose you. We don't have anyone else to depend upon anymore.]

A note of genuine fear entered the System's voice.

[Because..Because 'They' are coming...They are coming as they said they would be!]

As Marcus slept, unaware of the System's confession, something changed in the chamber. The statue's eyes, previously cold and unfeeling, now studied the broken young man with what might have been compassion—or perhaps merely curiosity. The crown atop its head pulsed once, twice, a rhythm not unlike a heartbeat.

Outside this timeless dungeon, beyond the veil that separated dimensions, shadows gathered. Ancient forces stirred from their slumber, sensing that the barriers between worlds grew thin. The time of reckoning approached, and the only one who might stand against the coming darkness lay broken and defeated, ready to surrender before the battle had even begun.