Ep.08 – Forest of Illusion: ⟪The March of the Dead Sperm⟫
[Trial of the Eye – Entering the Second Maze]
As I stepped through the white fog,
the world shifted into a forest glowing with fluorescent light.
The trees were twisted like strands of a DNA double helix,
and instead of leaves, fragments of memory hung and trembled.
And within that forest stood dozens—no, hundreds of figures before me.
They were all
the comrades I once fought beside during my sperm days.
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📍 [Hallucination Activated: Reproducing Sperm Memories]
📍 [Warning – Manifestation of Illusion: Physical Combat Possible]
📍 [Eight Guardian Sperms Appear]
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Each of them bore a weapon and a unique power—
and they were all aiming at me.
Blade Energy Class: Rastiel
Shockwave Class: Belos
Emotion Manipulation Class: Primuna
Phase Distortion Class: Kairon
Thermal Sensory Class: Tena
Time-Space Warp Class: Zerta
Memory Infiltration Class: Igvall
Self-Detonation Class: Morsius
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[Phase 1 – First Clash: Rastiel & Belos]
Two of them moved first.
Shwooom—!
Rastiel's tail scattered blade energy that sliced through my vision.
At the same time, Belos struck the ground, shattering my balance.
> "This one… betrayed the survival we sacrificed for."
"Prove why you were the one to live."
I unleashed both The Ember Fragment and Azure Dewblade.
The battle was pure chaos.
⚔ Zzzt! Boom! Fwooosh!
Blade energy, shockwaves, and emotional rebounds—my body nearly shattered.
But within that chaos, I read Rastiel's movement pattern:
Three steps left, a rightward dash, then an aerial slice.
I timed it—
and countered with Azure Dewblade. Slick!
Rastiel's form crumbled.
A glowing blue sphere entered my consciousness.
📍 [Ability Fragment Acquired – 'Deep Cut']
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Belos, seeing Rastiel fall, prepared to self-destruct.
But I moved first.
I amplified The Ember Fragment
and reflected his rising shockwave back at him.
BOOOOOM!!
Belos' energy core exploded, and his form vanished.
📍 [Ability Fragment Acquired – 'Resonant Reversal']
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[Phase 2 – Pressure Combat / Endurance Depletion]
The remaining six charged in at once.
Space twisted. My sense of time slowed.
My memories distorted, and emotions spun wildly out of control.
> "We are the possibilities you abandoned."
"Hundreds died for you alone to live."
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I endured.
Blades tore at me, emotions swirled,
and the energy core within my body neared rupture.
Then—
a small voice echoed from within.
> "I'll cover your back. Keep moving forward."
"This ability… was meant for you."
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[Phase 3 – Final Words of a Fallen Comrade]
That voice belonged to the sperm closest to me—
Primuna.
She willingly collapsed into nothingness,
leaving me with her emotional fragment.
> "Only through the eight gates… can you reach the higher realm."
In that moment, six fragments were absorbed into my body,
and my form was reconstructed.
📍 [Emotion Techniques Acquired: 'Sensory Distortion', 'Deep Cut', 'Resonant Reversal', 'Emotional Feedback', 'Phase Blink', etc. – 6 Fragments Total]
📍 [Caution: Emotional Overload / Use Limit – 3 Times]
📍 [Transferring to Final Maze – 'Maze of Truth']
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Let me know if you'd like this adapted into a full web novel format or narrated like a cinematic episode