An overwhelming pressure crashed down on him without warning.
His muscles tensed, rigid and unyielding.
He tried to turn his head — but his neck refused to obey.
Ding!
[Warning!]
[Unknown entity approaching!]
[Win Percentage: 0%]
[Note: Never attempt to fight back]
His eyes widened at the system's chilling alert.
He felt death breathing down his neck.
A terrifying presence fractured the air around him like shattered glass.
"I ask, who are you?!"
The shrill voice echoed loudly.
Shattering reality like shards of glass.
He tried to calm himself, then slowly turned his head.
"!!!"
A creature with a pitch-black scythe stood behind him.
It wore a black jacket that covered its entire body, with dripping ink that vanished before reaching the bottom.
Its eyes glowed a menacing yellow, as if issuing a stark warning.
His throat tightened; words caught in his mouth.
"I... I... "
He forced down the dryness in his mouth but the sentence failed to form.
The pressure emanating from the creature was too strong.
"How did you get in here?"
The creature approached him.
"No one has ever entered this place besides me. Who are you?!"
The creature roared—a sound so loud it shook his bones and drowned out his thoughts.
The creature's words sounded like a real threat.
If he didn't answer this time, he was sure he would be annihilated from this world.
It was dangerous.
If he died here, his transmigration would be completely useless.
He swallowed his saliva, then answered.
"I'm just a lowly creature."
His voice trembled, but his gaze remained calm.
Each word was spoken carefully.
He mustn't reveal even a little of his secret.
"How did you get in here?"
The creature's voice changed.
The terrifying black scythe it held vanished, transforming into liquid ink.
The intense pressure suddenly disappeared.
Hastora could feel his body no longer trembling.
With newfound courage, he answered.
"I don't know… The last thing I remember is being attacked by a horde of monsters. When I opened my eyes, I was already here."
It was a lie.
However, it was also his only way out.
He couldn't tell the truth.
If the creature knew, it was certain he would die.
No one had ever entered this place.
Of course, Hastora's presence here was an undeniable anomaly.
He was sure the creature would immediately know he wasn't human if he told the story of how he ended up here.
The creature tilted its head.
"This is strange. Something like this has never happened before."
Hastora's words truly made the creature think.
He didn't expect this to happen.
Initially, he thought the creature wasn't the type to listen to others.
But, it turned out he was wrong.
The creature was better than he thought.
The proof was that he was still alive.
If the creature was evil, he would have ceased to exist from this world long ago.
Again, he was incredibly lucky.
Suddenly, a voice appeared in his head.
Ding!
[A quest!]
[Gain Reapshade's Trust]
[Reward]
—Flamma Infernus: level 2
—Control over Darkness: level 2
—Level: Enlightenment (intermediate)
[Penalty]
—Reapshade's wrath
—Poor negotiation skills
[Will you accept this quest? Y/N]
He stared at the glowing screen, brows furrowed.
'So its name is Reapshade?'
He couldn't recall ever writing such a creature into the novel.
In the novel, no one was able to enter the Nihility Collapse.
Even the main character, Auren, never entered this dimension.
And now, he should be the only one capable of entering this dimension.
But… How did this creature get in here?
'Aplot change, no doubt. This is getting troublesome,' he thought.
The given quest was also very complicated.
How could he make such a terrifying creature trust him?
He could be killed if he misspoke.
However, the penalty was also terrifying.
If Reapshade was enraged, it was almost certain that he wouldn't be able to leave here alive.
His life was threatened.
There was no other choice.
'Aftera moment's hesitation, he made up his mind. I have no choice. I'll accept it.'
Ding!
[Quest accepted!]
[Quest: Gain Reapshade's Trust (incomplete)]
[Reward]
—Flamma Infernus: level 2
—Control over Darkness: level 2
—Level: Enlightenment (intermediate)
[Note: Reapshade is a creature with immense power. It has incredibly sharp instincts. Be wary of your words]
"Alright. Time to act."
He took a few steps back.
His gaze was calm, emotionless.
He had to act like this if he didn't want to be suspected.
"Why are you thinking so hard?"
He asked with a flat expression.
Reapshade flinched, its yellow eyes blazing brightly.
"Know your place, lowly creature. The likes of you don't deserve to ask me a single word."
The creature's voice sounded calm, yet threatening.
This was a little dangerous.
However, he also didn't want to make Reapshade angry because he failed his quest.
"Sorry."
He bowed his head.
"I didn't mean to anger you."
"I forgive you."
"Huh? So you're kind, huh?"
"I'm not kind. I'm simply benevolent."
Reapshade's attitude changed 180 degrees.
It seemed like a different person.
This was a golden opportunity; he couldn't waste it.
"How did you get in here?"
Intense pressure suddenly appeared when he asked.
He froze, unable to move an inch.
However, he also didn't expect to feel fear.
"Am I really not allowed to ask?"
"You've talked too much. You should just get to the point."
The creature brought out its pitch-black scythe.
"Don't play games with me."
The pressure intensified as the scythe reappeared, black as void.
He collapsed—but forced himself upright.
Slowly, he rose again, eyes locked on the creature.
"I… I just want you to trust me," he said.
Suddenly, the intense pressure disappeared, the pitch-black scythe dissolving like ink.
"What does that mean?"
The creature approached him.
"Are you tired of living?"
"I'm serious. I'm not lying at all."
The creature was silent, then observed Hastora with its glowing yellow eyes.
It observed him in detail, then asked.
"You have to do it yourself," the creature said.
"How?"
"It must be something that can capture my attention."
Hastora had anticipated this.
He knew the creature would say that.
If he knew, of course, he already had a plan.
"I can get you out of here. Would you like that?"
"...!!! How do you know about that?"
He had suspected it from the very beginning.
In the novel, the only way to enter the Nihility Collapse was by using the grimoire stored in the astral dimension.
There was no other way.
Reapshade's presence here was due to a plot change.
It was impossible for him to get in here without the grimoire stored in the astral dimension.
And, only one thing was certain…
He was trapped.
How, he didn't know.
But, it was an unavoidable fact.
Hastora sensed hesitation beneath the creature's terrifying exterior.
"How? Are you interested in that?"
Hastora smiled slightly.
"If you're interested and trust me, I'll help you get out of here."
"How? Don't try to trick me."
"I'm not tricking you. I know how to get out of here. Actually, I came here on purpose, not accidentally."
"…?"
"Sorry about before, I lied to you then. I was forced to do that to save myself."
Before, he didn't dare say this.
But, now it wasn't a problem anymore.
He was very sure that Reapshade had been trapped in this place for a very long time and had been constantly looking for a way out.
Saying that he would help it get out of here was the right choice.
He closed his eyes, voice steady.
"If you kill me now, your only chance of escape dies with me…"
Reapshade was silent, not answering.
It desperately wanted to get out of here, but it was ashamed to accept the offer.
It had been trapped here for a long time; if Hastora knew, it would feel ashamed.
It wanted to show that it was strong.
However, if it refused and killed Hastora, its hope of getting out of here would vanish.
There were only two choices: being trapped here forever, or getting out and being free from this place.
Reapshade turned away, hiding the turbulent thoughts twisting inside him.
Could he trust this stranger? Could he afford not to?
To be continued in the next chapter…