Night Journey

Chapter 99 Bliss
Tania dared not look at Cillian, nor did she intend to answer anything.

After she regained consciousness, she remained silent, as if she had resigned herself to her fate and offered no resistance.

Faced with the arsenal of instruments that Cillian had laid out, Tania knew exactly what these horrifying knives were for. Thinking about what was about to happen to her, her body trembled intermittently.

But Tania remained silent.

Cillian ignored her cold attitude and asked her kindly.

"How long has it been since we last met in White Cliff, Tania?"

Tania mustered her courage and looked up, meeting those smiling eyes.

Tania never imagined that someone could survive that night in White Cliff Town, and that person was Ciri.

An indescribable sense of horror permeated Tania's heart, a thousand times stronger than when she glimpsed the power of evil.

"Hmm? You can't remember either?"

Cillian wasn't annoyed by Tania's silence. "I remember every single moment of the past. It's quite disappointing that you've forgotten so easily."

As he spoke, Cillian drew a knife with a long, narrow blade and a hook at the end.

Tania instinctively held her breath.

Surprisingly, Cillian did nothing to Tania, simply played with it for a while, and then put it back in.

Cillian guessed what she was thinking and said jokingly.

"Do you think I would torture you with these devices?"

Tania took a deep breath, enduring the pain coursing through her body, and finally spoke.

"Is not it?"

“No, no, no,” Cillian replied earnestly, “I would never do that.”

He reached out and touched Tania's face, feeling the sticky sweat from her skin and the rough texture of her scars.

“I’m not a monk of suffering. If I hurt you, I won’t be able to heal you.”

Cillian said frankly, "I just like to put them here to create a scary atmosphere."

"It's like..."

Cirien pondered.

“I told you I wouldn’t torture you with a knife, but you wouldn’t believe me. You’d keep wondering when I would actually bring the knife down, but as time went on, I really didn’t hurt you…”

But you'll still have doubts, won't you?

A smile crept onto Cillian's lips.

"This ebb and flow of doubt will constantly torment your mind, keeping you living in constant fear. Even if I fully confess the conspiracy, you still won't be able to stop the catastrophic thoughts from running through your mind..."

Ciri whispered in her ear.

"one two Three!"

His voice suddenly rose a few decibels, and he raised his hand to strike Tania's chest.

Tania's pupils constricted, her body tensed, and even her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

But the expected pain did not come; Cillian's hand stopped at her chest, and he was not holding a knife.

"Hahaha!"

Cillian burst into laughter.

Tania was in a daze, and just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a sharp pain shot through her thigh.

A thin, sharp knife was stuck in it, and blood was seeping out.

Cillian said gently, "You believe men's lies?"

Tania's eyes were filled with confusion, then a resolute glint flashed across them.

Cillian grabbed Tania by the throat and punched her in the face. The bruise spread rapidly, blood filled her mouth, and she spat out a few broken teeth.

“I told you, Tania, I won’t let anyone kill you, not even yourself.”

Cillian roughly shoved the bite guard into her mouth to prevent her remaining teeth from biting off her tongue.

Blood dripped incessantly, and before the pain had subsided, Tania felt that burning phantom pain return to her mind.

"Ha ha……"

She groaned in pain.

Ciri was unusually patient, sitting opposite her and admiring the tragic scene.

After calming down for a while, Tania perked up and murmured to herself.

"I don't think you'll let me live."

Throughout, Cillian maintained this smiling expression, muttering about love and how he wanted to survive.

Kotania was well aware of what she had done in White Cliff.

Although she didn't stay until the end that night, she could sense the horror of that night from Cillian's current manic state.

What a tremendous turn of events it must have been for Cillian to be twisted into this state.

"Stop toying with me," Tania mumbled. "Kill me."

Cillian's smile gradually faded, and he said calmly, "I'm not toying with you, nor am I joking. I will let you live, Tania... even if everyone's end is death."

Cillian moved his chair forward and said seriously.

"Therefore, the real problem in life is not death, but how we live before death comes."

Tania was stunned for a moment, and faced with Cillian's serious and earnest appearance, a huge sense of absurdity erupted in her heart.

He was just torturing himself morbidly, and now he's suddenly talking about philosophy.

Is there something wrong with this person...?

Thinking of this, Tania laughed at herself and repeated the same sigh.

I actually tried to understand Cillian...

"Tania, at first, I truly hated you and only wanted to tear you to pieces."

Cillian got up and moved the IV stand. "But I felt that this result was not satisfactory, and it bothered me for a long time."

Tania remained silent, only feeling that Cillian's words were full of contradictions.

"Fortunately, I met a monk named Gavin who inspired me and caused a huge shift in my thinking."

Cillian tidied up the IV bag and inserted the IV needle into the indwelling needle that had been implanted in Tania's body beforehand.

"He made me realize that only when a person is alive can they repent; death is simply death, and it becomes a kind of liberation."

One IV line after another lay haphazardly behind Tania, as if it were heavily enveloped by the mycelium she admired.

"In other words, I need you to live, Tania. If I could, I'd even hope you live to be a hundred..."

Cillian smiled sincerely.

The smile sent a chill down Tania's spine. Cillian didn't finish her sentence, but she already knew what was going to happen next.

"These are all medications I specially prepared. This is a nutrient solution to ensure that you will not suffer from malnutrition or organ failure due to long-term fasting and water restriction."

Ciri explained considerately, "This is a healing potion, but I spent a lot of money to buy it from the Centipede Merchant Guild. It can continuously heal your injuries."

"And this one...this one..."

As Cillian recounted the story, numerous medicinal liquids were injected into Tania's body, gradually easing the pain that had been lingering in her mind and healing her fatigue.

"Oh, right, this is the most important one."

Cillian shook the IV bag, which contained a dark red liquid that looked like fresh blood.

“Soul Essence Elixir, a large dose of Soul Essence Elixir, made with my blood as the base.”

He excitedly inserted another needle under Tania's skin, saying affectionately.

"Don't worry, I've tested it many times and adjusted the concentration to the perfect value."

The crazed voice echoed in Tania's ears.

"It will seep into your bloodstream little by little, along your arteries, veins, and capillaries, until it spreads throughout your entire body. Then, it will react with the chaotic forces within you, and a burning sensation will slowly rise from the depths of every inch of your flesh."

Cillian reassured him further.

"Rest assured, Tania, I have calculated it many times. The damage the Soul Essence Potion will cause to your body will reach a delicate balance with the healing effects of other potions."

In other words, this will be a silent, smoldering, and protracted self-immolation.

After explaining everything, Cillian sat back down in his chair with great interest, crossed his legs, put his hands in front of him, and looked expectantly at Tania without moving an inch.

Soon, Tania felt a burning sensation spreading throughout her body. It was so real and intense that every drop of blood and every cell screamed in despair as it was being roasted.

The dense soul essence in the air had suppressed the chaotic power within Tania's body, but now, the chaotic power was being devoured piece by piece, inch by inch, until nothing remained.

"Ha ha……"

Tania's breathing became rapid, and even stopped intermittently.

Tears blurred her vision as Tania looked at Cillian, expecting him to force her to reveal some secrets. But he didn't; he simply sat there quietly, appreciating her struggle and pain.

Time ticked by, minute by minute, ten minutes, half an hour, an hour...

An hour and a half later, Tania's lips were dry and cracked, her skin was as rough as sandpaper, and her throat was dry and hoarse.

Despite her superhuman physique, Tania's body could still hold on for a while, but her spirit, in this endless furnace of purgatory, had reached the brink of collapse.

She looked at Ciri with hope and roared.

"What do you want?"

Cillian remained silent, only smiling.

After a brief silence, Tania spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Regarding the Deathbird... we, the Claws, are merely cooperating with its actions."

Cillian remained silent, then switched legs and lifted one up.

"It all started with that rumor!"

Tania screamed in despair.

"The sun is rising! The sun is about to rise!"

(End of this chapter)