Chapter 174: Ch 173: Defying fate

-----------flashback

Anjou was a normal human without many ambitions, and he lived an ordinary life with ordinary duties. He would have continued living like that if not for one fateful encounter.

One day, he went out grocery shopping when he noticed a suspicious-looking shop. Thinking nothing of it, he stepped inside.

Inside was a lady covered from head to toe in cloth, but the fabric did nothing to hide her figure.

In fact, it only made her seem even more mysterious and enchanting in Anjou’s eyes, and before he knew it, he was sitting in front of her.

"My dear, what brings you here today? What would you like to know about your future? Your love fortune? Investments? Or perhaps, about a loved one?"

The woman asked in an enchanting voice, and Anjou wanted to decline her services, knowing he did not have the money to pay her.

But he could not bring himself to do it.

The beautiful lady reached out, took his hand, and placed it on the glass in front of her.

"Don’t worry! You look like someone in need, so I won’t charge you for my services. Just take a deep breath and allow yourself to relax. You will finally catch a glimpse of your future."

The lady was not only beautiful but compassionate as well. Even if this was a scam, Anjou could not stop himself from following her instructions.

He placed his hand on the hourglass and closed his eyes.

Anjou did not expect much from this party trick, and he was about to pull his hand back and open his eyes after the pleasant experience when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his temple, causing him to let out a groan.

It continued for a few seconds before scenes started flashing before his eyes.

Anjou was on his knees, looking up at the face of someone he could not see. The man was clutching his throat, saying something about using him.

He tried to get away, only to be torn apart by monsters as someone laughed.

"What a pity! He was an incredible experiment I had my eyes on for a long time. He even put up a good effort trying to run away. Unfortunately, it was his fate to fall into my hands."

His abuser spoke so casually while Anjou continued to suffer in silence. He wanted to do something, but his body refused to listen. It refused to move no matter how desperately he commanded it to.

’This is...not good. I cannot...fall here now. I need to...head back...’

His body twitched, making his abuser smile.

"So, you are still awake? That’s good. I guess that experiment to read people’s fate was not wrong after all. It led me to you, my perfect experiment. If you are going to resent someone, then resent your fate. It led you here-"

The sharp burst of pain woke Anjou up, and he looked shaken. Memories of what had just happened flashed through his mind.

"Are you alright?"

The beautiful lady in front of him asked, but Anjou could no longer hear her. He needed to calm himself down and think about what he had just seen.

"I-I-"

"It seems like you are quite shaken. Many people are often confused when they see their future. But there is no need to panic. There are ways to avoid your fate and find solutions."

The beautiful lady spoke before taking something out.

"Here, take this. It will guide you toward what you need to do. I hope you break free from your chains."

She spoke, and Anjou nodded. He took the offered pendant and walked out of the shop. By the time he turned the corner, he realized he had never asked the beauty for her name, so he turned around.

But the shop he had just entered had disappeared.

"Was that...divine intervention?"

He questioned, unsure. But what he did know was that he had a direction to work toward now.

----------present

"And that pendant led me to you."

He told the old man, who nodded.

"I see. So you had an encounter with fate. What a lucky man you are. Now, shall we proceed to the last part? To ensure you are able to break free, we need to break the seal on this artifact and have you absorb its power."

The old man explained, and Anjou nodded with determination.

"I know. I am ready for it."

He agreed, and the old man quickly began to chant. The artifact in his hand started to glow. He could feel how warm and powerful it was in his grasp.

It hummed with power, making Anjou feel as though he were growing stronger. Just a little more and he would finally break free...

"W-What is going on? M-My insides...they are boiling! It h-hurts! No! Stop!"

He suddenly yelled, clutching his body to stop himself from shaking. He could tell that something had gone wrong.

But the old man merely smiled as he looked at him.

"Don’t worry. The artifact is working just fine. In fact, it is working even better than I expected. I have to thank you for it, Anjou."

The old man smiled, making Anjou’s blood run cold. He had a feeling he had made a terrible mistake.

"W-What do you mean by that? What did you make me do-"

"Relax. I did not make you do anything. You corrupted the artifact all on your own. In that sense, I suppose I can consider this a success."

The old man spoke, and Anjou felt even sicker. He had a feeling he had fallen into a trap.

"You-!"

"Shhh, don’t be so aggressive. This is all for your own good. Your fate...it is now time to fulfill it. Now, become a part of my experiment and give in. Allow me to return to this world."

The old man yelled, and Anjou was finally unable to endure it any longer. His body began to transform under the pressure.

The old man smiled before suddenly turning to look to his side.

"What are you looking at? It’s not good to pry into things that do not concern you. But I am in a good mood, so I’ll spare you this time. Next time, you will die."