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Chapter 238: Private Beach

Wait, what?! Maggots?! That\'s when Josh felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He fell forward, his gut constricting. How was he supposed to deal with this?!…

What kind of perverse curse was this? It felt as if someone was gouging his belly out piece by piece. Whatever was in there began absorbing the ambient mana at a crazy rate. He could even see it getting sucked with his naked eye!

Then he felt the wriggling. He tried using his mana manipulation, but it wasn\'t his mana that was the problem. He tried leaving the lake, but the water had become a prison as it enveloped him.

His regeneration ability ensured that the torture didn\'t stop. He felt his flesh be devoured and regrow at an unbelievable rate. Would this ever end?!

But then, suddenly, his stomach rumbled. Fighting had made him hungry, and there was food. He heard a sharp screech coming from inside him, but it quickly stopped as he felt a warm current invade his body.

The water became still, and his body finally stopped twitching. As he lazily floated, Josh swore he\'d get revenge on this fucking god. He had to spend so much effort to defeat the worm Boss only to get unjustly cursed by this fucker!

Once more, his gluttony bloodline he had saved him. Funny how he had gotten it on Floor 6 by doing a 100% optional side-mission. He had survived thanks to his efforts! He couldn\'t help but feel a tinge of happiness. She would have been proud, for he had never given up.

Still, after this whole event, he felt slightly different. It was as if his mana was easier to control. He slowly inspected his status screen before laughing out loud.

HP: 4500 —> 4700

Mana Manipulation: E —> D

More bonus stats! It seemed like he had stolen the vitality of the magical maggots that the worm god had used to curse him. How would it react if it knew?

Josh couldn\'t help but give a wry smile. He would soon become invincible if he could find a method to turn every godly hex into a tonic. Was he the only one meeting gods left and right? Perhaps everyone just remained silent.

But, the best was the increased mastery of his skill. While he couldn\'t feel that much of a difference, he guessed how amazing it was. It seemed to be a core skill, just like his weapon mastery that had carried him all along.

He glanced at his surroundings: the fallen rocks, the dead-looking lake, and the obscurity. The magical ambiance was long gone. Now what? He searched the huge cave without finding anything, then went back to the surface.

There was only endless sand to be seen, endless heat to be felt, and a silent world. He had the feeling to be the last living being in this realm. He began roaming and even went back to the spawn area.

But, there was nothing worth noticing. This was so dumb! He had obviously defeated the last Boss only to get stuck because he was lost. How ridiculous was that! Now that the worm was dead, he could teleport with the dimensional belt, but it would be such a waste.

Josh began chuckling loudly at the gorgeous sky as he laid on the sand, his fingers digging into it, feeling every grain rubbing his skin softly. He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pictured the ocean waves.

Just like back then…

****

In a small playground, two weirdos could be seen: one big and one small. They wore cheap but great-looking shades as they laid on the sand next to each other. Josh slowly spoke to the little one in the most soothing voice he could muster, akin to a meditation guru.

"Now, close your eyes and picture that we\'re at the beach. Feel the warmth as your fingers and toes sink into the hot sand. Hear the waves crashing unto the shore. Listen to the cries of the seagulls. Can you picture it?"

"Of course! They are circling above our heads playfully. It must be the salty hot wind that\'s making them energetic. They know how beautiful a day it is!"

"Can you feel the wind on your skin? Can you hear how quiet it is? It\'s like we are the only ones in the world. How do you like this private beach? It\'s amazing, am I right?" Josh exclaimed exaggeratedly.

"It\'s great! I understand why all my classmates kept bragging about private beaches now! But I feel quite bad for them. They kept talking about how expensive it was. It seems they didn\'t really enjoy it properly." The little one remarked.

"Of course. Often, just enjoying the moment is the key to happiness. Hard work is great, but one needs to learn to live too. Otherwise, what\'s the point, am I right?"

"Hehe, we\'re living right now! This is awesome!" The little one chuckled.

That\'s when a disdainful scoff was heard. "That broke bastard, he\'s just making that poor little girl delusional. Little girl, when you grow up, make sure you marry a proper man, not this kind of loser."

There was a middle-aged woman that was outfitted from head to toe with brand clothes. She didn\'t exude wealth but instead felt like the kind that just cared too much about her appearance. It was quite a shame considering how boring and ordinary she looked.

Josh was about to retort when the little one beat him to it. "Ah, I understand, lady. I\'ll remember it!" She politely said as the lady showed an arrogant expression. But the little one wasn\'t done.

"Lady, I\'m sure you\'ll be a wonderful mother. How many months have you been pregnant already?" That seemingly naive inquiry made the woman\'s face turn red. She obviously wasn\'t pregnant and was barely fat, but it was a critical hit to her ego.

Just as she was about to retort angrily, Josh chimed in with a reproachful tone as if reprimanding the little one. But, she knew what was up from the twinkle in his eyes and the playful wink he sent her.

"Hey, you can\'t stay stuff like that! You have to be careful. Sometimes people are just fat, not pregnant. Then again, I guess it\'s fine just this once since this woman is obviously carrying a child in her belly." He said, sounding extremely serious, the little one about to crack a laugh.

By now, the woman was about to erupt in anger and seemed as if she was seriously considering murder. What made it worse was that the two fools had closed their eyes once more as they pictured their private beach. They were looking down on her!

"Oh? What is happening here?" an inquisitive voice rang. As Josh heard the newcomer, he couldn\'t help but smile softly. She had such a sweet and disarming tone: he loved it, and he loved her!

The lady regained a semblance of calm as she began insulting them. "These two unruly peasants are extremely rude. Can you believe these blind, ignorant people dared to call me pregnant?! I know it\'s silly, but they should be taught a lesson!"

"How unforgivable! Yes, they need to be taught better!" The lady was oozing confidence as she now had someone to back her up. But Josh\'s lover kept going. "You two should be ashamed to call a man pregnant!" She declared righteously.

That\'s when the lady lost both her shit and her wits. She could only stand there grimacing as she pointed at the offenders. "Y-y-you! All of you! You\'re crazy!" She then left, thumping her feet. She probably wouldn\'t come back to this neighborhood for a while.

That\'s when the big fool and the small fool began laughing, eyes still closed. That woman had been so stupid! What did she expect after badmouthing someone\'s sister and boyfriend at once?!

Josh heard a small chuckle as the woman he loved laid right beside him, grabbing his hand lovingly while whispering with a sigh. "It\'s a wonderful day for the beach, isn\'t it?"

The two nodded happily with huge smiles adorning their faces. In a small playground, three weirdos could be seen….

****

Josh awoke to an earth-shattering sound. The entire realm seemed to split open as an enormous thing emerged from the sand. It was so goddamn huge! It was a rusty colossal elevator cage.

Enough reminiscing, it seemed that it was time to go.

Creator\'s Thought

Feeling myself becoming stronger always was a source of joy. But, an even greater source of joy was reminiscing about them. I would limit myself for I had a goal to accomplish, but a man is not a machine. Remembering\'s one past is necessary to be able to look forward to the future. It gave me the resolve to keep going, no matter what.