Transmigrate inside a Web Novel as a Side Character.
Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Liberated.

Soma, whose consciousness had been swallowed by entire darkness, was enveloped by a soft embrace of death. His body was pulled by strange force down toward a deep unknown. Then it plunged into a deep body of water that kept drowning him deeper, deeper and much more deeper into the abyss.

In his hazy consciousness, that could be gone for any moment. Soma could see fragments of his memories from the two people that replicated in his eyes like a monitor showing his life flashed before his eyes.

Seeing the memories that replicated before his eyes, his thoughts melted for the comfort that it gave. Slowly, the amber of life that lit in his heart dimmed until it left only a tiny bit of fire that could be gone in a single breath. The comfort that embraces his body and mind keeps dragging him down to the abyss below him.

Soma is aware of what is happening to him. But his mind already wears out. In a time like this, he hopes for a light of salvation to come and guide him back toward the water's surface, but nothing happens as he keeps submerged.

{So you are giving up like this? Hehe, Good then!}

Instead of salvation, Soma's nightmare was the one who appeared with the spreading joy he got. A black, eerie voice pierced his ear, and he looked at Soma with sneers. Soma, who faintly saw the black figure floating in front of him, said nothing as he just let the devil ramble.

{...Well, it was a good thing for me, though. Because if you die, I will have that body of yours and finally be freed}.

Soma's eyelid gradually got heavier each time a moment flashed in his mind. Slowly, his eyes began to get closed, and he let himself be submerged in this void for all eternity.

{Don't worry about the girls. I will make sure to treat them better}

Upon the mention of the girl, Soma's closed eyes halted for a brief moment and stopped halfway. The amber in his heart dimmed, leaving only a spark that kept burning bright, refusing to let go.

Then, from his dimmed gaze, Soma could see a glimpse of a thin thread that kept attaching itself toward his body to the water's surface.

"...Ma!"

{...}

A faint cry that echoed in this space shook his consciousness. Slowly, that voice seeped through his being, and the spark that stubbornly lit began to emit a bright glow, turning itself into a tiny flame.

"Please, Soma".

The cry that began to reverberate inside his consciousness shook his heart, and his heart began to thump, bringing life to his lifeless body.

"...Soma, wake up!".

Soma's body twitched upon hearing those cries that resonated deep within his consciousness and shook his lifeless body. The amber that lit with tiny flame began to a bright light. The thin thread that connected him toward the water's surface gleamed in yellow color, giving him a path to come back toward the person who awaited his return.

{..Why bother to continue? With your current condition, even though you managed to regain consciousness. You can't defeat that copy. In the end, you are just wasting your futile effort. Just let me take care of the rest!}.

"...Shut, up!".

A crack began to form inside the dark space that drowned him deeper toward the abyss.

{Like I said, just surrender yourself to your fate}

"Fate, huh?". Soma, whose consciousness slightly regained its freedom, began to recall the first time he came to this world, being transmigrated by the author. From there, he took his first step in changing the course of the story until the author himself decided to change some of the plot, making him unable to predict what would happen in the future.

Then, after the arduous exploration inside the trial gate. Soma discovered that he was being manipulated like a marionette with invisible strings pulled by the unseen hand of fate, which is by the author.

"...Shut up!".

[Extra Skill Puppeteer activated]

Soma's resolute tone brought a bigger crack that spread through all the space. The shadow that haunted him disappeared, and the cracked space shattered into a hundred pieces, creating a blinding light that almost swallowed Soma's body whole. Before disappearing, Soma clenched his right hand and reached out toward a translucent window that appeared in front of him before his body vanished.

***

{Finally, a path has emerged. Before it's too late, I must hurry and help, Soma}

"...Martial Saint!".

{?!}

Martial Saint, who saw a straight path toward possessing Soma, stiffened in his place as he saw the figure of Soma who stood in front of him with a resolute expression.

{Soma?!}

Soma, with his serious expression, reached out toward Martial Saint and spoke.

"Lend me your power, Martial Saint!".

***

"Ukh, Soma, wake up!".

Hina is still determined to try to wake Soma. Then, all of a sudden, Soma's body, which lay unmoving on the ground, emitted a divine glow that made the copy and Hina's eyes open in shock.

experience-MvLeMpYr-content

The golden light that exuded from his body was so comfortable and warm that Hina wanted to embrace Soma's body and let herself buried in his chest, submerged in comfort.

However, the same thing didn't occur to the copy as the warm light that emitted from Soma's body purified the ominous aura around his body and made him distance himself from Soma.

Soma's eyes, which were closed, suddenly jolted open as the golden aura around his body intensified, making Hina close her eyes.

Upon the subsided light that pierced her eyesight, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Soma, with a gentle gaze, kneeling in front of her and extending his right hand before caressing Hina's left cheek.

"Thank you, Hina".

Tears that had stopped began to pour down her cheeks. She recalled this figure when she was inside the trial gate. At that time, someone was in control over Soma's body, but the current Soma in front of her feels different, even without telling her. Hina could feel it. Those gazes, and the familiar voice that called her name resonated in her heart, telling her that He was indeed the Soma she knew.

"Rest for now! I will handle the matter from here".

Soma, for the last time, wiped away the tears that streamed from Hina's cheeks before raising his body and looking toward Xiao Lian, who was absentminded, looking at his figure. It seemed there were no severe wounds or injuries in her body, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Xiao Lian, don't force yourself to move. Just rest there. The fight will soon be over".

"...So, ma".

Xiao Lian, who stammered upon her words, wanted to speak more, but the figure of Soma already turned his back from her approaching the copy.

Soma looked toward the copy, who still used the devil's appearance and exuded an ominous black aura around his body. He stopped in his tracks, and then Soma clenched both fists before the golden aura around his body intensified, making the submerged light in the world brighten.

Two opposite powers clashed in the face of the blackened world. Soma readies his stance, and the same also happened to the copy.

[Martial Saint First Technique - Three Steps of Heavenly Lightning Tribulations]

"First Step - LIghtning Scatter".

Thousands of tiny golden bolts began to crawl on Soma's skin, letting out a crackling shriek. Soma, who stood in the face of crawling bolts, spoke.

"Second Steps - Lightning Descent".

The crackling of bolts that permeated from his body began to condense and create a protective thin layer that wrapped around his equipment.

"Third Steps - Lightning Strike".

A thundering roar began to resonate across the land, making the surrounding air shake.

"This time, for sure. I will end this shitty Trial once and for all".