Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 21: Waking Up From A Beautiful Day

"Why don't you drink this, Rhys?"

"Why... why are you doing this to me!?"

"Because you're a Lowborn."

Rhys was once again on the floor of the lavatory—the familiar smell of sulfur and ammonia, piercing his nose, but then again, it wasn't familiar back then. He wanted to lift his head, but every time, a foot stepped on his head to bring him back to the dirty floor.

"Drink it. Don't worry, we boiled it so it's clean."

"..." The only thing that Rhys could really do was watch as Lex spat on a glass filled with every dirty thing that one could find inside the school... and the lavatory.

"Drink it, or we break one of your bones."

"W... what?" Rhys could only hear the sound of his own heart as the glass was placed in front of his face—the smell, almost causing his stomach to implode there and then.

"Oh, don't vomit... we'll make you drink that as well."

"Please... please stop doing this," Rhys begged, but it seemed they liked it even more as they lifted him up—forcing him to chug the scalding liquid. He couldn't really taste it, not at all—he only felt it as it burned the insides of his mouth and throat.

Lex and his friends laughed, they laughed as Rhys struggled on the floor; his tears, now one of the smells on the dirty floor. And very soon, everything turned dark as Lex and his friends withered away—the lavatory, replaced by the familiar comfort of the living room of his previous home.

"Pathetic, Rhys. Very pathetic, you really drank that?"

"..." Rhys then quickly sat up as he heard a familiar voice, a voice he never wanted to hear again. He then very slowly looked behind him; his trembling eyes, not wanting to see what was about to happen.

"You think you're better than me just because more people like you!? Because you're taller!? Because you look good!? Do you see it now, the difference between us!? And you're even becoming close to my big sister!?" A white-haired boy was now screaming at him; the boy's hand, gripping the throat of Rhys's mother.

"Please... please, not mommy..." Rhys reached out his small hands, "Not mommy and Chloe! Let them go, please!"

"No, Rhys. I won't."

"Please, Sylas... Please! Why are you doing this!?"

"Choose. Your mother or your sister. Choose who dies because you overstepped."

"No...no," Rhys looked at the face of her mother, shaking her head as she pointed at his little sister, who was crouching on the floor and crying—not knowing what was happening.

"Well, since you're not choosing... then I will just kill the two of them."

"No... No!" Rhys wanted to rush toward his mother, but he couldn't... his feet were shattered and broken. The only thing he could really do was roar and watch as Sylas West placed his palm on his mother's mouth... filling it with water and making her drink all of it.

...All of it.

He forced all that water inside her until she couldn't anymore... and Rhys watched. He watched as his mother's stomach burst open; her blood and guts, showering and spilling right on his face.

And then he watched again... as Sylas West very slowly made his way toward his sister.

"Rhys... this is all your fault."

"No..." Rhys then watched as his sister's hands were pinned by Sylas.

"This... is all your fault."

"No!"

Rhys sat up, his voice now echoing throughout his empty, and dark room. He looked around, and the only thing he could really see was that he was alone. Once again, he was hounded by the dreams that were unfortunately memories for him.

He didn't really need to wake up from the nightmare as it was his life.

"..." Rhys closed his eyes again as he calmed his breaths; his mind, once again lost in thought. And after a few more breaths, he finally stood up from his bed... pushing away all the thick and stringy cobwebs that littered on the floor.

No, it wasn't only his floor. Now that his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could finally see the canvas he painted on—a room filled with webs.

While the rest of the students used their free time yesterday, Rhys went back to his room—checking and training his newfound abilities until his own mind just gave up on him; he didn't even realize that he fainted and fell asleep.

"Hm..." Rhys grunted as he stretched his arm, and with a flick of his wrist... the webs just withered away, dropping and melting to the floor until all that was left of them was some sort of... smooth residue.

"...Arise," he then whispered. And as soon as he did so, he felt his tired and exhausted body becoming instantly lighter.

Perhaps out of all of the abilities he gained from his Awakening, 'Arise' was the most useful in how direct it was. It instantly recovers his stamina and rejuvenates his muscles...

...but it also probably has the worst side effects—Rhys thought as he looked down, only to see a bulge on his pants.

Eros. The god was still a complete mystery for him; he had tried searching for the name throughout the internet, but nothing pops up, not even a single piece of information.

He had a lot to learn about his abilities—they say one would learn it instinctively when one Awakens... but aside from some blurry details, Rhys still had to discover what he could do.

He knows the information is inside his mind... he just doesn't know what yet. It was... weird. It—

And before Rhys could once again be lost in thought, the sound of the school's bell started to ring—signaling the start of classes.

"..." Rhys could really only sigh. For him to be going to class after everything that happened to him just a day ago was truly... mundane; bringing him back to the reality of everything.

And so, with his breaths still filling the room. He washed up and made his way to class.

And surprisingly, the class still went on just as normal—there was a mention and moment of silence for Lex, but that was it—back to learning and being told what to expect in college until the class was dismissed.

"...College," Rhys could really only whisper to himself as he stepped out of the class. As a Lowborn, the only thing he could really do to succeed in life was to work a normal job—a college degree would at least secure that.

...But that wasn't an option for him anymore—not now that he Awakened. The only path for him now was West, Sylas West. To make him pay...

...to make them all pay.

And almost as if in cue to his thoughts, Rhys once again encountered Rob and his friends in the hallway. And just like yesterday, they clearly saw him... but they chose to look away and continue walking past him.

And just like that, one of Rhys's problems was gone.

The bullies that once beat him were now just like the rest of the people that were in the hallway—avoiding his gaze. The only difference was that he could sense their fear, unlike the rest who were just disgusted by his mere presence.

He was used to this, however. Their straying eyes and whispers that were filled with prejudice were normal for Rhys. What was not normal, however...

...was the fact that he still hasn't been beaten today.

He wasn't being dragged to the lavatories, he wasn't being burnt, he wasn't being beaten half close to death.

This feeling of relief and freedom—is this what euphoria is?

A euphoria he achieved by killing and hurting those who hurt him. This is it...

...This is Justice.

Rhys could not help but smile as he thought of murder—causing the students that were walking past him to move further away.

But Rhys couldn't help it.

This... this is a beautiful day.

"!!!"

"What are you doing!?"

A student that was walking past Rhys could not help but scream as Rhys suddenly grabbed her arm.

"L... Let go of her, you Lowborn!"

"What... what are you doing!?"

"Huh...?"

And as the student and her friend screamed and asked—Rhys was also screaming in his mind and asking the same.

What was he doing? Why was he suddenly holding this girl's arm? Was he trying to be bullied again?

"..." Rhys then quickly turned to look at the window... before pulling the girl toward him, wrapping his arms around her as he pushed her and himself to the floor.

"Hey!" The girl's friend screamed, "Let go of he—Erk...?"

And before the girl's friend could finish her words, a sharp blade suddenly pierced through her neck.

"...Eh?"

The window then shattered as a woman leaped through from the outside, no... not a woman, a spider.

An arachne—one of her sharp legs, actually the blade that was pierced through the student's neck.

"D...Diane? No..."

"...Shit," Rhys then quickly sat up, dragging the female student he grabbed away from the arachne as they both watched as it started devouring her friend.

A beautiful day...

...of course not.