'If I can push my comprehension of Death to 100%, I should be able to get something. Hell, maybe even before that.'
His visioned returned.
This time, he was a father in a medieval world. His wife lay on the bed, screaming in agony, blood soaking the sheets. Bruce's hands trembled as he tried to help, but he wasn't in control. He was forced to watch.
Her cries weakened… her breath grew shallow… and then both she and the unborn child went still.
"Fuck! My body's moving on its own." Bruce gritted his teeth. He hadn't given up hope on fighting this fate of death. If he could resist even once, then he'll definitely be able to gain an extraordinary title.
But he couldn't, the codex gave him no chance, no cards to control.
Without control, he watched in first pov as the body moved to comit suicide. His body lurched forward, sprinting toward a cliff. Then he jumped...
WHOOSH-!!!
The wind tore past his ears as he fell, gravity dragging him down mercilessly.
SPLAT-!!!
He landed on a jagged boulder, bones shattering, his body bursting apart into a mangled mess.
[You have died.]
"Damnit." Bruce cursed in his consciousness. The pain was too much but ended instantly, so he didn't care. His mind still haven't waver.
He was trying... desperately trying to comprehend death. But it was hard. Too hard.
He sighed, focusing his thoughts.
'So what does the Akashic Codex want me to learn from this?'
'…Is it that death can be liberation from earthly suffering?'
[Your Comprehension of Death has risen to 60%!]
"Damn! It really is that!"
Before he could savor the breakthrough, his vision shifted again.
This time he was a king, seated on a grand throne. His ministers bowed before him. A crown rested heavy on his head.
But the moment he became conscious, it tightened. Too tight. His skull cracked, his brain pulsed, and before he could even react...
CRUNCH-!!!
The crown crushed him instantly.
Dead.
From that death, Bruce understood something else.
'Life is unfair. Some are born kings, some are born slaves. But death… death is fair. It comes for everyone. Without bias. Without mercy.'
[Your Comprehension of Death has risen to 70%!]
[Your Comprehension of Life has risen to 50%!]
Bruce's eyes widened in his formless consciousness.
"What?! Life too…?"
He was shocked. He wasn't limited to death alone, he was can comprehend life as well!
Meanwhile, he noticed that some of these truths, he already knew as a surgeon. He had seen patients die unfairly, others survive miraculously. But here, in this trial, every time he proclaimed and accepted those truths, his comprehension rose.
His point of view shifted completely.
This trial wasn't just about death. It was about both.
Life and Death.
From that moment on, in every scene, Bruce forced himself to extract meaning.
He became a soldier on the battlefield. He watched comrades fight, bleed, and die. He felt the terror of holding a sword, the despair of being pierced through the chest. From this, he understood...
'Death gives meaning to courage. Without the risk of dying, bravery would be hollow.'
[Your Comprehension of Death has risen to 75%!]
He became a starving child in a famine-stricken village. His stomach ached, ribs jutting out as he clawed for scraps. His mother gave him her last piece of bread before collapsing dead beside him.
From this, Bruce realized—
'Life is sacrifice. Every breath, every heartbeat, someone somewhere pays a price for it.'
[Your Comprehension of Life has risen to 60%!]
He became a beast, hunted for sport. Arrows pierced his flank, nets tightened around his limbs. He roared, but no one cared.
From this, he grasped...
'Death can be entertainment for the cruel, tragedy for the weak… but release for the hunted.'
[Your Comprehension of Death has risen to 80%!]
He became an old healer in a remote village. His hands trembled as he treated the sick, failing more often than he succeeded. He died not by blade or poison, but by age itself, surrounded by patients he couldn't save.
From this, he understood...
'Life is fragile. No matter how much you heal, it slips through your fingers like sand. To heal truly, one must accept what cannot be preserved.'
[Your Comprehension of Life has risen to 70%!]
Bruce's consciousness trembled with excitement.
It wasn't about fighting death, or running from it. It was about accepting it. Learning from it. Balancing it against the truth of life.
And with every scene, with every death, he grew sharper. Closer. Closer to a revelation that would make him more than just a healer. A surgeon of existence itself.
...
Seven hundred deaths later…
Bruce's comprehension of death finally reached its peak.
[You have achieved an Extraordinary Feat!]
[You have fully comprehended the Concept of Death.]
[Unique Extraordinary Title Acquired: Death Surgeon]
DEATH SURGEON
[Effects:]
[You've gained absolute affinity with all death-type skills, curses, and energies.]
[You can sever the cycle of life and death, suspending a target between living and dying.]
[You can hasten death, enforcing absolute mortality — even against immortals. Your strikes now pose a threat to beings beyond mortality.]
[Each time you witness a death, your comprehension of life deepens.]
...
[Congratulations! Your rank has advanced!]
[You are now Rank E!]
A chill spread through Bruce's consciousness. But before he could savor the victory, more prompts flickered into view.
[You have gained the attention of a God.]
[The God of Death is watching you…]
[The God Of Death is stunned by your discoveries]
[The God of Death snubs you…]
Bruce blinked, stunned. More panels appeared...
[Exceptional!]
[You have gained the attention of a God as a mere mortal.]
[An additional Exceptional Title has been granted.]
"…Hah?! Are Exceptional Titles biscuits now?!"