There was not even light, just an abyss of putrid blood.
The so-called "companion" who can't even speak.
That is a hell where nothing exists.
Except for the extremely fragile spider silk, there is nothing left to borrow.
——Real, desperate situation from which there is no escape.
Every time you try your best and fail, one second will pass.
Apart from this, there is nothing that can be interacted with or investigated; there are no powers that can be used, and there is not even a goal to pass the level.
Just let him fail again.
Just like Sisyphus suffered in the past.
Annan was convinced that this was indeed an incomparable trap.
Because even here, with unlimited physical strength - even if you fall from a high altitude, you can be resurrected immediately, but the human spirit will eventually become exhausted.
It's not sleepiness.
Rather, it can lead to numbness and despair... directly destroying a soul's entire sanity mentally.
The difficulty of this fragment of fear does not lie in the fragile spider silk itself... but in the unknown.
The unknown brings endless fear.
That's the fear of "how many more times will I fail here?"
A completely different rule from the previous fear fragments - for other fears, you only need to "decisively escape" or "bravely enter" that fear to escape from it.
Because, whether it is "sudden invalidation of power", "unstoppable sacrifice", or anything else... it is just a temporary, short-lived fear.
Only the "fear of constant failure" can last a lifetime - it cannot be overcome by relying on the idea of "just hold on and it will be over."
Is it true that after you have failed, you will not continue to suffer failures?
"If you think about it rationally, you will know that this is impossible."
This is just a fairy tale for adults.
In order to add value to your own failures and make them less "failures"...it's just a placebo to comfort yourself.
Annan doesn't need that kind of thing.
——Failure is failure.
It can't succeed, so it fails, that's all.
No excuses, no reasons, no false value attached to failure——
Because people should not be afraid of failure.
"People should never stand still in the face of failure."
Annan clenched the spider's thread again.
Alone, in the lightless and silent abyss, struggling to climb upward.
Those people have long since given up following Annan.
They were just silent, looking up at Annan.
Looking at Annan who keeps failing.
Are you praying that he will succeed?
No.
More... I'm afraid I'm looking forward to when Annan will give up.
However, there was no pain or struggle on Annan's face that they expected.
Only happiness.
Focused. Serious. Concentrated.
Try your best to fail.
"If no one does it, I will do it."
——Three hundred times.
"If no one is to sacrifice, I will be the one to sacrifice."
——Five hundred times.
"No one persists...just let me persist to the end."
——Seven hundred times.
That is no longer the perseverance that normal humans can possess.
Just like the practice of an ascetic monk... Although we are moving towards victory, failure is also one of the precious gains.
Those who rejoice in misfortune.
Those who are waiting for Annan to give up.
...They have even given up on this emotion itself, and gradually admire and worship Annan as a god and a symbol.
But Annan remained unchanged.
It's not about enduring pain.
But enjoy the pain.
No……
In this hell that seemed to last forever, Annan gradually captured his own essence.
To be precise, he is enjoying "being alive".
Just like when you are bored, you can carefully read the text on the manual and the advertisement in the newspaper several times.
He didn't know how long he had been here.
Even his original purpose, the intention to kill Denton, has faded with the passage of time.
It was as if I had lived a difficult life in a dream.
—But even in the most desperate moments.
When Annan had completely turned into a bloody man... his ice blue pupils were still shining with pure brilliance.
"Have you rested enough?"
Annan shouted loudly again: "As long as you can cheer up and crawl with me -
"Just follow me!"
There are no high promises.
There is no warm atmosphere.
There is only silence.
Only the silent followers——
Not all of them, but a few dozen people.
But after Annan fell again, new people joined in and some stepped down from the rope.
That is not meaningless following and imitation.
It's just that you can't turn a blind eye to this.
Even if you already know that the ultimate goal is failure...
But looking at a person with such bright eyes trying to climb up, how can he stay still?
The attempt failed.
Get used to failure.
Failure to adapt.
then--
"——To defeat failure."
This is the fate of mankind.
Annan slowly grasped the spider silk for the six hundred and sixty-sixth time.
"Is anyone coming with me?"
His eyes sparkled brightly.
More than ten minutes have passed outside.
But in Annan's mind, there was no thought of "waiting for Salvatore".
Like a captain who laughs and launches an expedition into the sea of defeat.
From the previous few times, Annan never lowered his head to look at those who followed him.
In other words... Annan was convinced from the very beginning that someone would follow him.
Because struggling towards heights - this thing itself is enough to fill a person's heart.
Annan never needed anyone to follow him to provide him with the determination and confidence to move forward.
But he noticed...this time no one followed Annan to climb up.
It's not like they gave up again.
Instead, he raised his head and watched Annan silently.
As if he had a premonition of something——
Only this time.
Annan climbed out of the narrow mouth of the bottle alone.
He woke up again between the gravel and the wall.
Everything I had experienced before seemed like just a dream.
But that bright smile remained on Annan's face like a mark left by the flames.
He slowly opened his eyes.
That dazzling light also shone from Annan's eyes.
"...Six hundred and sixty-six, the number of beasts?"
Finally crawling out of hell and completing a mission that was originally impossible, Annan felt happy.
——But what pleased him even more was that Denton gave in.
Yes, this nightmare itself has no end.
It just repeats meaningless failure.
However, Annan, who continues to experience failure, has not retreated yet... But Denton, who designed this level and tried to murder Annan here, was afraid in front of Annan, who remained unchanged and even became more and more excited.
He was afraid of Annan's fearlessness.
He is simply a lunatic and a fanatic.
But it seems to have some kind of divinity...
Like a butterfly that has just escaped from its cocoon, it struggles to raise its wings.
"—You've given up again, Denton!"
Annan laughed loudly and heartily: "You have all my memories, but you can't defeat me!
"You think you can kill me?
"I am a loser! I am a madman! I am Sisyphus!"
Whatever can't kill me can make me stronger!
Annan was extremely convinced.
He is different now from before he was tortured by the infinite fall into hell.
Although the change may not be huge, it has indeed changed and changed.
"You have one last chance, Denton."
Annan opened his eyes and looked at the portrait in front of him.
His eyes were as bright as stars.
A brilliant, thin flame ignited at the bottom of the frozen lake.
This level is another level of death trap, and it is also transformed by Annan into a trial to cleanse the heart.