World's Last Hope

As Eric let go of the girl, she ran toward what he presumed were her parents.

"Is this really the time for a chat, though? Houses are burning, and people are dying. Shouldn't we help them first?" he asked.

Aria looked at him, her expression unreadable.

"Once you've lived here long enough, you'll understand: you can't save everyone." She paused briefly before continuing. "From what I've seen, you care deeply for the lives of strangers. But that way of thinking will get you killed here."

The truth was, Eric didn't really care for people he didn't personally know. The only reason he'd rushed here was that he mistook the girl for his own sister.

But he was the last chosen by the gods—a person destined to lead the world against the ravaging corruption. So it was probably better if people thought he was righteous.

That's why he didn't correct her.

And because he wanted to look cool in her eyes—but that wasn't something he'd ever admit.

"Not to mention," Aria continued, "you just got here. Do you even know what miracles you possess? How many you have? Or how they might work together?"

"I have only one," he interrupted her.

"What?" Aria's eyes widened in horror. "How is that possible?! You're the last chosen by the gods, gifted with a powerful system! Didn't you have the chance to choose which miracles to buy before you were summoned by us?"

"That's the problem. I am the last. From what I know, every god is in a deep slumber due to their lack of influence, meaning they're not technically alive. And I can't access miracles from gods that aren't alive."

He paused for a moment, the absurdity of his situation finally sinking in.

"The only miracle I could access was 'The Cursed Set.' Everything else was locked. I think I'm supposed to increase the gods' influence and wake them up somehow, but I don't know how."

Aria thought for a moment before responding. "So, what you're telling me is... every single god is gone? That we're alone?"

"Yes." Eric's frustration was clear. How was he supposed to accomplish anything without the help of the gods?

Regaining her composure, Aria offered, "About increasing the gods' influence—why don't you ask your system?"

Eric gritted his teeth. "I can't. It uses my soul essence to communicate with me, and I'm afraid of wasting it on questions."

"This… I've never heard of something like this before. Which god gave you that system?"

"I don't know. She didn't tell me, and the system referred to her as 'ERROR' when it mentioned her. All I know is that she appeared as an old woman about six meters tall."

"I see… We'll take shelter in a nearby empty house. In the meantime, I want you to study your miracle and get a grasp of your abilities. You'll be useless if you can't control them," Aria said firmly.

"And to answer your question: if we take back the catheters, we could increase the gods' influence. But most of them are home to truly powerful abominations, so for now, we're unable to."

*****

Now that they had entered an abandoned building, Eric was able to breathe a sigh of relief. He was supposed to examine his miracle more closely, but he found himself unable to look away from Aria.

She sat on a chair, staring into the distance, likely contemplating the grim reality that all the gods were now gone.

Her chest rose and fell slightly as she breathed, her hair shimmering like strands of gold, and her skin, smooth as a divinity ascended to the mortal realm. Eric felt his face growing hotter and hotter. He tried to look away, but he couldn't—it was like he was trapped in some kind of trance.

His breathing grew erratic, his heart pounding as if it might burst.

What… what the fuck is wrong with me? he cursed himself. Why couldn't he control his feelings and emotions? He'd spent his whole life mastering restraint, yet now he felt like some average teenager, powerless to keep himself in check.

[WARNING]

[Host is experiencing the side effects of the cursed sword. It is recommended to dissolve it.]

'My sword?'

The system's message snapped Eric out of his haze. He immediately commanded it to display the information about his weapon.

 -----

[The Cursed Sword, [1/3] of The Cursed Set]

Desperation: Everyone desires more power. The question is, how many are willing to pay the price?

Positives:

The more it cuts the sharper it gets

Negatives:

The sword greatly amplifies the desires of its wielder, growing stronger the longer it is held. These amplified desires persist until the sword is dissolved.

 -----

As soon as Eric finished reading, he dropped the sword as though it were burning his hand, dissolving it into nothingness with a thought. The sudden movement caught Aria's attention.

"What's wrong?" she asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"It's… the side effect of my sword," Eric answered. "It significantly amplifies my desires."

Her lips curved into a gentle smile. "Oh, I see. That explains everything."

"What do you mean?" Eric asked, confused.

As she shifted her gaze to Eric, her blue eyes locking with his, his heart skipped a beat—even though he wasn't holding the sword anymore. "I mean, this explains why you were looking at me like that." Her smile never left her face as she spoke.

Embarrassed, Eric quickly looked away. "I… I'm sorry." It was all he could manage to say.

"Don't be," she replied gently. "To be honest, I'm impressed. Being able to resist the significant amplification of your desires for so long shows how much self-control you have."

She turned back to the window, her expression shifting to one of quiet contemplation as she stared out, likely thinking about their next move. Or perhaps she was using her own system, checking the miracles she possessed—only she would know.

'Well at least I can think clearly now.'

Trying to push the awkward moment from his mind, he decided to check the other two parts of The Cursed Set.

-----

[The Cursed Armor, [2/3] of The Cursed Set]

Desperation: The embrace of a loving entity can be a blessing, but also a curse.

Positives:

Grants powerful protection

Slightly enhances strength and speed

Slowly heals received injuries

Negatives:

Taking the armor off is like peeling apart your own skin, filling you with unimaginable pain.

 -----

"Fuck."

Aria turned around, her expression curious.

"What is it?"

"Taking the armor off is like peeling apart my own skin, filling me with unimaginable pain."

"That's unfortunate… but you can also look at it from the bright side," Aria replied, likely trying to keep his spirits up.

"There's a bright side?" Eric asked, unable to see one.

"Yeah, think about it. It only causes you pain, not real damage. You can train by putting it on and taking it off. That way, you'll train your pain receptors. After all, pain could cause you to panic for a moment, and in the middle of a battle, that moment could be your last."

"This makes sense actually."

"Sure, it does!" she proclaimed suddenly. "Do you know how long I've been living here, battling for my life every day?"

Eric was taken aback by the unexpected display of emotion. Scratching his head awkwardly, he answered,

"Umm… I don't know. Maybe 20 years?"

Upon hearing that, Aria burst into laughter. After a while, still giggling, she managed to respond,

"Oh gods, you weren't supposed to answer the question!" She paused for a moment, then added, "Close, but not quite. It's been 21 years."

Eric was momentarily stunned. He was about to ask how days and years worked here when Aria interrupted.

"Before you ask, time functions here the same as where you came from. Don't ask why, I don't know, and neither does anyone else."

With no way to respond, Eric turned his attention to the last part of his miracle.

-----

[Soul flame, [3/3] of The Cursed Set]

Description: A beautiful fire lasting a lifetime.

Positives:

Once cut, the target's soul will burn until it dies or until the user of the Soul Flame dies

Negatives:

You can't control the fire… so make sure not to cut yourself!

 -----

Eric wasn't sure how to feel about this. The effect was undeniably powerful, but what if he cut himself? Could he control when the fire ignited, or would every wound he inflicted be deadly?

Now that he had finished checking out his new abilities, he was about to ask Aria what the plan was, but then the gem she had placed on the table glowed with a faint blue light.

"It seems like the battle is over," she said, getting up.

"So, what now?" Eric asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

Aria locked eyes with him, causing him to blush in response. She smiled as she looked at the man before her and spoke.

"You're about to meet the most powerful and influential individuals in this city, which houses 12 million people."