Timas
couldn't comprehend it.
The power before him wasn't magic. It wasn't a combat skill. It wasn't anything that should exist in this world.
The frail man hadn't dodged his attack. He hadn't countered it.
No
he had erased it.
It was as if
Sever
had never even been cast. As if the concept of his power simply
vanished
within this chamber.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Timas' mind raced, yet no answer surfaced. He had spent decades mastering his abilitiess. He had stood at the peak of combat, above monsters and men alike.
Yet now
he was powerless.
His fingers twitched. A sharp, unpleasant sensation crawled up his spine.
Timas felt it
Doubt.
Lucas' breath caught in his throat. His pulse thundered against his skull.
What just happened?
His eyes darted between Timas and the frail man, his mind scrambling for an explanation. But before he could process anything
A cold, mechanical voice
echoed in his mind.
[Warning! You are facing an entity beyond known power classifications. Immediate retreat is advised.]
His body stiffened. The system
his system
had never issued such a message before.
Lucas swallowed hard.
The message continued.
[Analyzing detected entity...]
[Name: Unknown]
[Classification: S++++++++++++++++]
[Threat Level: Unmeasurable]
[Recommendation: Survival is impossible.]
A sharp chill
pierced his chest.
"Survival is impossible...?"
His fingers curled into fists. His breathing became uneven.
They were standing before
something incomprehensible.
Timas gritted his teeth. His golden eyes darkened.
This... whatever this was...
it couldn't be real.
His hand
shot forward.
"Sever!"
Nothing.
His power
vanished
into nothingness, devoured by the very air around them.
His veins burned. He tried again.
"Blood Absorption!"
No response.
Timas' heart pounded. He felt his control slipping. Every skill, every ability it was all being
negated.
"What... is this?"
A slow, deliberate sound echoed through the chamber.
Footsteps.
The frail man was moving.
His thin frame barely made a sound, yet with every step forward, an unseen
pressure
filled the room.
It wasn't the weight of mana. It wasn't bloodlust.
It was something...
greater.
Timas forced himself to stay still, but his fingers curled into fists. His instincts were screaming.
Then
The frail man stopped, only a few feet away.
He tilted his head slightly, crimson eyes studying Timas with something between amusement and
pity.
"You think power is about killing, Timas?"
His voice was soft. Almost... disappointed.
Timas' jaw clenched.
"You think the world revolves around those with the strongest abilities?"
Timas
didn't answer.
Then
The walls of the chamber
blurred.
The ground beneath him twisted into darkness.
Timas' breath hitched. His vision blurred, colors melting together like wet paint.
And then
He was no longer in the chamber.
He was
somewhere else.
A vast, infinite void stretched before him. The air was thick, suffocating.
And then he saw it.
Himself.
Dying.
Once.
Twice.
Hundreds of times.
Torn apart.
Burned alive.
Drowning, screaming, decaying while still conscious.
The agony was
real.
The deaths were
real.
He could feel
everything.
His body breaking. His mind shattering. The unbearable pain of a hundred endings.
He
collapsed
to his knees, fingers clawing at his own arms as if trying to ground himself. His breathing turned ragged.
He tried to move.
He tried to think.
But his thoughts were drowning.
He could
still feel himself dying.
Again. And again. And again.
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Somewhere, in the depths of his collapsing mind.
Lucas
froze.
He could only
watch
as Timas
the strongest man he knew
fell to his knees, his breath ragged, his hands shaking.
Timas'
eyes were empty.
He wasn't looking at the room anymore.
He was seeing something else.
Something
horrific.
And then he
screamed.
A sound
not meant for this world.
It tore through the chamber, raw and agonizing.
Lucas' hands trembled. His system chimed again.
[Analyzing...]
[Entity's abilities cannot be measured.]
[Probability of survival: 0%.]
Lucas felt it.
True, absolute fear.
The kind that seeped into his bones.
The kind that told him
We're going to die here.
Timas' screams
stopped.
His body trembled violently, his skin pale and drenched in sweat. His mouth hung slightly open.
His
eyes were void of light.
He was gone.
Not dead.
Just...
empty.
Like a puppet whose strings had been
cut.
The frail man
sighed.
"Oh... already broken? How boring."
He lifted his hand.
And with a single flick of his fingers
Timas
collapsed.
No sound. No resistance.
Just
silence.
Lucas
couldn't move.
His heart slammed against his ribs, his throat dry.
Then
The frail man
turned to him.
His crimson eyes locked onto Lucas.
And then
He
smiled.
"You... have something interesting inside you."
Lucas
stopped breathing.
Lucas' breath was unsteady, but he forced himself to keep his posture firm. Across from him, the frail man observed him with an expression that was neither hostile nor friendly just... curious. It was the kind of gaze one might give a peculiar insect crawling on their palm, deciding whether to crush it or let it live.
Then, in a voice devoid of urgency but layered with something far deeper, the man spoke.
"Oh... The Lord of Systems granted you a system too?"
Lucas felt his stomach tighten. The mere mention of the "Lord of Systems" sent a sharp jolt through him.
Before Lucas could gather his thoughts, the frail man continued, his words now laced with something akin to mockery.
"Hmm... But it seems strange."
His gaze pierced into Lucas, analyzing him as if searching for something hidden beneath his skin. After a short pause, his lips curled slightly.
"And also... why are you so weak?"
Lucas clenched his fists. He knew he was weak. He had barely scratched the surface of what his system could do, and even then, his abilities were rudimentary at best. But hearing it from this man, in such a casual yet belittling way, ignited something in him a spark of defiance buried beneath his fear.
Before he could speak, the man's attention suddenly shifted. His head turned toward another figure.
Andre.
A man stood motionless, his expression unreadable as always.
The frail man stared at him for a long moment, then issued a command.
"Come here."
Silence.
Andre didn't move. He didn't blink. It was as if the words had never even reached him.
The frail man's brow furrowed slightly. Confusion flickered across his face before he turned back to Lucas, his voice carrying a strange mixture of curiosity and amusement.
"Strange... why doesn't he obey me?"
Lucas bit the inside of his cheek, suppressing a smirk. Even in this perilous situation, a sense of satisfaction swelled within him.
"Andre only listens to my orders."
That was the truth. Andre wasn't just some puppet—he was bound to Lucas alone. Whatever this man was, however powerful he claimed to be, it didn't change that fact.
Taking a deep breath, Lucas straightened his back and spoke firmly.
"Andre... come."
Instantly, the towering figure moved. His heavy steps echoed across the chamber as he advanced toward Lucas, stopping beside him like an unbreakable guardian. Not once did he acknowledge the frail man.
Lucas glanced at his opponent, watching for a reaction.
For a second, there was only silence. Then soft laughter.
It was quiet at first, almost thoughtful. Then it grew, filling the chamber like an eerie melody.
The frail man chuckled, shaking his head.
"Well... I don't think we need the others."
Before Lucas could process what he meant, the man simply raised his hand.
And in the blink of an eye
Everyone else vanished.