I looked at it—
that thing.
"What the hell… is that?" I muttered, my grip tightening on the shield as the ground trembled under the Giant Ape's roar.
The creature stood there, suspended above the cracked earth like a shadow made flesh. Its body was black as ink, humanoid in shape yet wrong in every way—its edges shimmered like smoke and its wings unfurled wider than any beast's I'd ever seen. And those eyes… glowing red slits, staring down at us as if we were nothing but insects.
> 10th Seat of Paradox: LIMBO
Level: ??
The words appeared before my eyes through the system interface, but even the system itself seemed to stutter, glitching like it couldn't comprehend what it was reading.
"What is that?" I shouted again, this time toward Loiuse, who was still holding off the Giant Golden Ape beside me.
"A demon," he gritted through his teeth, slicing through the Ape's forearm. "And not just any its strong. Once a demon shows itself in the human realm, it means the Demon King is stirring. Every time it happens, an empire falls."
His words froze my blood. "You mean…"
He didn't need to answer. His silence said everything.
"Yeah," he muttered finally, eyes narrowing on Limbo. "We're fucked."
The air grew heavy, suffocating. I could barely breathe. Ian clenched his dagger, his voice sharp: "We need to run! Now!"
He activated his skill—C Rank: Smoking Scarlet—and a thick crimson mist exploded across the forest floor, covering everything in sight. We sprinted through the haze, hearts pounding, lungs burning.
But then—
A black flash cut through the smoke.
Schwiiik!
A hollow blade of pure shadow pierced everything in its path. I barely raised my shield in time, deflecting three slashes—but when I looked back…
They were gone.
Loiuse, Megan, Ian—all three lay on the dirt, their bodies still, impaled by jagged black crystals that pulsed faintly, feeding on their life.
It was a clear afternoon. The sun was bright. But for me, the world turned gray.
The sound faded. The air stopped moving.
And then I looked up—
The demon was watching me.
Its lips moved, forming words in a voice that echoed directly in my mind.
> "Interesting."
For the first time, I lost all composure.
Only fear remained.
My body trembled, my breath sharp and uneven. There was nothing in my mind anymore—no plan, no courage—just the desperate urge to run.
I activated my B Rank Skill: Flash Step.
In an instant, the world blurred around me. The ground cracked under the pressure, air exploding behind me as I dashed through the forest. Trees warped into streaks of green and black, distance collapsing in a heartbeat.
When the skill faded, I found myself standing at the edge of a cliff.
The ground disappeared beneath my feet—an endless drop, maybe forty, fifty meters down.
Behind me, it hovered in the air.
The Demon—Limbo.
It didn't chase.
It only watched.
Like a master watching his frightened hound run away.
My teeth sank into my lip until blood filled my mouth.
"Damn it…" I hissed.
And then—I jumped.
Wind roared past my ears as I fell. The world spun, sky and forest blurring together. The last thing I saw was Limbo, motionless, its crimson eyes locked on me until the very end.
Boom!
Cold.
Dark.
Pain.
The water hit like stone. The impact tore the air from my lungs. My body sank deep into the dark river, the sound of rushing water echoing in my skull.
Then—nothing.
When I opened my eyes again, the sun was already high. My body lay half-buried in sand, waves brushing against my arms. My armor felt like lead, and every muscle screamed in pain.
I coughed, spitting up water, and dragged myself onto the shore.
I was alive… somehow.
But as I looked back toward the distant forest, the only thing that filled me was dread.