"What is this? Is this some kind of sick joke?"
Ash's voice trembled slightly, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at the words on the page.
"A Colossus... are you serious?" Ash continued reading.
{You may not believe it, but this is a truth confirmed by the lives of thirty-six of our people...}
"So, it's real then?"
Ash momentarily froze to compose himself. He leaned his spear against the desk and slowly raised a trembling hand to his face, pressing it against his skin.
Outside, the sun had begun to dip below the horizon, leaving a faint, lingering glow that cut through the room and illuminated his shivering frame.
"Kukukuku... hahahahahah!!!!!!"
A jagged, low-pitched laugh tore through the oppressive silence of the room. It was a sound Ash had never uttered—devoid of warmth, radiating nothing but sheer, unadulterated madness.
Yet, this surge of exhilaration was not merely a mental flicker; it was a violent systemic awakening.
Deep within his chest, his heart began to hammer against his ribs with a newfound ferocity, pulsing like a high-performance engine suddenly fueled by pure adrenaline.
The blood in his veins seemed to hit a boiling point, surging with a scorched heat that raced to his fingertips.
Beneath his shaking hand, a chilling, wide grin stretched across his face.
"To think that in a Place meant for a beginner, a high-level existence like this would actually appear."
"Ahhh~... for some reason, I feel absolutely ecstatic."
It was true; the emotion coursing through him was pure excitement. His body shook not from fear, but from an indescribable surge of joy.
If any other Chosen had seen him laughing like a maniac, they would have thought he had lost his mind.
How could someone who had just entered their first Door stand there laughing after discovering a terrifying existence like a Colossus was nearby?
"Phew... calm down. I need to keep reading."
He took a deep breath to steady himself, and his cold, stoic mask returned.
No one would have suspected that the man who had just been laughing so ghoulishly could shift his expression so rapidly.
His mind cleared as the initial rush subsided.
A sudden realization washed over him: the frantic flight of the birds he had witnessed earlier that morning must have been triggered by the Colossos's thunderous movements.
It became clear that Ash's arrival had disturbed the creature; for a beast of such a formidable rank, detecting his presence was not just possible, but inevitable.
A lingering question gnawed at his mind,
'But if it knew I was here, why did it choose to leave me untouched?'"
A few more questions surfaced in his mind, but he picked up the notebook to continue. Alberto likely had the answers within these pages.
{According to the records of the first Village Chief, they were originally explorers—a group of one hundred men and women.
During an expedition into a mysterious forbidden land, they were unexpectedly teleported to this island.
They planned to leave, but then they encountered that Colossus...}
He didn't need to read further to know how they discovered the creature's presence.
{Fortunately, only thirty-six perished there. The rest managed to escape quickly, though all sustained injuries of varying degrees.
From that point on, they were unable to leave.
They established a village and settled here. Each generation was taught the skills and techniques of the founders.
They tried various ways to find an escape route, but never succeeded.}
{By the time of the 11th Chief—my father—our village faced a dire crisis. From deep underground, a swarm of rats emerged.
They were giants, as large as grown men, possessing razor-sharp claws and teeth.
Hundreds of Spawn-level, dozens of Predators, and five Aberrations...}
Ash was speechless.
First a Colossus, and now five Aberrations. Was this truly a beginner's Place?
He continued reading.
{They launched a surprise attack on the village. We fought back immediately.
Because we upheld the founders' teachings, every Chief was required to possess Ascendant-level strength.
In my father's generation, we had three Ascendants and dozens of Descenders. The battle was fierce and horrific.
To avoid heavy damage to the village, our warriors lured the rats into the Gray Forest. I was just a child then; along with the other children and the elderly, I was hidden in a safe zone.
When the battle ended, we found that two-thirds of our people had been slaughtered. Only my father and a few others remained.
Mercifully, all the rats were killed. That night was the first time I felt the agony of true loss.}
'So that's why the village felt so small. This is the reason.' He turned the page.
{Though the battle passed, the consequences were too great to bear.
My father survived, but his wounds were so severe that he passed away a few years later.
At eighteen, I became the 12th Chief.
Losing him made me want to cry, but with the heavy burden of carrying the lives of the remaining villagers, I held back my tears...}
Looking at these lines, a flicker of empathy sparked in Ash's heart.
He, too, understood the weight of losing those closest to him.
{In the place where the rats had emerged, some wanted to venture down to explore, but it was too risky.
My father ordered the hole to be sealed and forbade anyone from approaching. I served as Chief for twelve years.
As I write this, I am thirty years old.
And it is the end of my life.}
He turned to the next page.
{The villagers are all DEAD.
I am the only one left alive.
For some unknown reason, the seal on the hole was broken, and two Aberrations climbed out.
I managed to hold one back, but the other bypassed me and slaughtered the fleeing villagers.
In a fit of rage, I killed them both.
But now, I am alone.
My wounds from the battle are mortal. Looking at the bloodied remains of my people, I am filled with despair and powerlessness.
I have screamed until my voice is gone.
After everyone died, I set up tombstones for each of them in the south of the village.
THAT IS THE CEMETERY OF OUR ANCESTORS. AND NOW, HEAR ME, YOU WHO HOLD THIS BOOK!}
Ash read the final lines with absolute focus.
{As I was dying from my wounds, I returned to the monster's carcass and realized something horrifying.
The creature was PREGNANT.
When I killed it, the offspring within were still alive and escaped while I was distracted. I am too weak to hunt them now.
I WARNING you: flee this place immediately, or it will find and kill you.
My time is almost up.
Before I go, I have left a supply box under my bed. I hope these items prove useful.
FAREWELL, AND FORGIVE ME, CHIEFS OF THE PAST.}
The notebook ended there.
Ash closed it, digesting the influx of information.
He realized his luck had taken another turn for the worse: a monster—likely a Spawn or perhaps even a Predator—was prowling this very area.
Ash looked out the window.
The light had faded completely. His second night had arrived.