Chapter 30.2: Not everything is as simple as it seems

Nathaniel's point of view:

I felt a gentle nudge on my side. My consciousness was once again clouded by pain, and fatigue was becoming more apparent. From the depths of my unconsciousness, a distorted voice approached. I was too tired to think; all I wanted to do was sleep, but the voice calling my name got closer. I just wanted it to go away so I could sleep.

"Young master." A familiar voice, tinged with urgency, whispered.

My eyelids fluttered open as I recognized the voice. It was still dark, but there was a glint of white light from the entrance to the room, sending its uneven rays across the room. A figure in front of me was also slightly illuminated by the light. My entire being was filled with relief.

The dried blood-stained armour on Novem's abdomen drew my attention, but after a brief glance, I smiled and resisted the urge to hug her. "Novem, you'll be fine." I was overjoyed because the wound was no longer bleeding.

"Young master, I appreciate your concern, but now is not the time." She said this as her figure approached me. "Enemies are approaching." Novem alerted.

My relief was replaced by a frown. We were still in enemy territory, after all. I didn't remember much other than collapsing after a fight. I wanted to pause and search for my dimensional ring, but it was most likely broken or lost, and there was no time for that. It was a shame, because I had my actual year's savings inside.

"It's about six people; we can't fight." Novem reported.

My gaze remained fixed on the floor as I noticed the light from the room's entrance becoming brighter. I quickly came up with the only viable option, though I wasn't thrilled with it. "Should we use the shadow dimension?" I inquired, my voice coming out lower than I intended.

"It appears that the shadow dimension is the only viable option." She admitted it. "However, young master, that is not a long-term solution. We must maintain contact in order to keep you from being expelled, and even then, the shadows will reject you after a little time." Novem explained.

"I understand; we need to find a secure place." I pondered. At the same time, I let my gaze dart around the room, but there was no sign of the bandits I had killed; Novem had probably taken care of it. It was strange how the shadow dimension ejected the living while swallowing the dead.

I felt a hand on my head, attempting to comfort me, but it had the opposite effect. "Is everything okay, young master?"

"Yes." I sighed, my gaze shifting from the ground to the entrance, where I could already hear at least a battalion of people running this way." (Charlotte)." I tried my luck, but there was no response. It was obvious because the maximum distance of the skill was around 300 meters, but it didn't hurt to try.

"Are you ready, young master?" Novem inquired. I could feel her concerned gaze on me. I nodded, and she dragged her body in front of me, a slight grunt of pain in her throat; she wasn't completely healed, but I knew she'd be fine. Novem wrapped her arms around me and drew me into her body. The hug was pleasant, but it did nothing to lift my spirits. She gave me one last warning as I returned the hug, being careful not to touch her wound. "Try not to breathe too heavily; oxygen is scarce in the shadow dimension."

I nodded only slightly. The shadows began to meet in the corner of the room, and I felt discomfort I hadn't felt before as I watched Novem emerge from the shadows, probably because I was now part of the effect of her bloodline.

The shadows dragged the broken lamp. The light that flooded the room was swallowed. The shadows grew thicker as they approached us, and my first encounter with them was unpleasant. It was as thick as tar, but it suffocated me. I felt the shadows tugging at me as our torsos sank, as if trying to separate the intruder from Novem. Although I knew from the novel that the shadow dimension was safe — at least if I was accompanied by a shadow servant — a slight nervousness overcame me.

The shadows finally reached out their tentacles to completely envelop us. The ties that held us down were cold and hazy. It was as if I had touched a barely discernible substance. I instinctively closed my eyes as I felt a sinking sensation. Novem had pressed me against her body despite her pain to reassure me. I had no idea why she went out of her way for me. I was moved, but also perplexed.

We quickly finished immersing ourselves in the barely tangible substance. The pressure around me increased, as if I were underwater, and footsteps were muffled. For a few seconds, my body seemed to float, and I kicked as if trying to swim, but there was no resistance. When I felt something solid crash against the soles of my feet, I opened my eyes.

'Stranger'

The room was the same, but faded and lifeless. It was as if we had simply flipped to another page where reality appeared colorless. A reflection would be an apt description; a reflection of reality. In this dimension, everything seemed to ripple slightly like a mirage, and there was the strange sensation of being watched by something.

When I felt Novem hold me tighter against her body, I let out the air I was holding in. But it wasn't until I tried to breathe that I realized she had downplayed the oxygen situation.

My lungs sucked in every available oxygen particle, but it wasn't enough. My body began to breathe faster and faster in an attempt to catch as much air as possible, but I felt a strange pressure in my chest and my breath was wheezing. "N-Novem." With great difficulty, I managed to articulate.

It was a terrifying sensation to inhale while not feeling the refreshing sensation of oxygen in your lungs. I began to panic, but then a thin, warm hand caressed my cheek from behind.

"Breathe slowly, Young Master." Slender arms moved from my cheek to my neck, eventually wrapping around my chest. "I'm here."

Instead of taking short breaths, I tried to take longer ones, as if Novem's warm hands were all the courage I needed. It was a little better, but I was already dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and the uncomfortable feeling was growing stronger in this dark dimension. Someone seemed to be watching me and disliking my presence; the only thing keeping me from being spit out was Novem's firm grip on me.

Novem patted my head affectionately after my breathing returned to normal. "Well done, young master."

I heard distorted voices that reflected agitation after Novem caressed me for a few seconds.

Novem and I stood there watching as a battalion of men in cheap brown leather armour marched in, carrying various weapons ranging from swords to daggers. When I saw them all running in our direction, I tensed for a split second. I assumed they had noticed us because we were standing in the middle of the room. However, when the first man was about to touch us, we ran right through him. No, we did not pass through. It was as if we were going around him in an unusual way. As if we had moved through the shadow that surrounded his body, rejecting the reality that had no shadows.

Novem stepped forward, sliding his hands from my arms to my hands, as I was absorbed in how the men cursed and lit up the entire room trying to trace the blood traces of their comrades.

"Young master." Novem said as she took my hand in hers. The way her chest moved, she was breathing normally, which I was beginning to miss; the lack of oxygen was a stumbling block. "Don't say anything; we'll find a way out quickly." She must have noticed.

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the shadow dimension's dark floor. Novem began walking slowly, but I lost my balance when I took a step. Novem gripped me tightly to keep me from falling. I was taken aback. The floor was a viscous but firm fluid, similar to walking on a non-Newtonian fluid. It caught me off guard at first, but I quickly adjusted when I took another step.

I admired Novem's slender back as she moved through this dark world with ease. As we exited the room, the enemies who had been searching the entire space were left behind. We accelerated our pace as we heard people in the background. With me in tow, Novem gripped my hand tightly. The discomfort of the shadow dimension's rejection of my presence, combined with the lack of oxygen, was excruciating, but I persevered.

We were greeted by three corridors leading in different directions. Novem surprised me by walking straight into a wall, even though there was no visible way to pass. Novem came to a halt and closed her eyes. She took a long step forward after that, and it was like seeing the world in fast motion; before I knew it, we were on the other side. What exactly did she do? I considered asking, but when I noticed a small window with bars on top of the wall, everything made sense. We'd just gotten through it. This confirmed it once again; the Novem bloodline was overpowered.

Novem was not satisfied with just passing through one wall. She would go through a every wall as if it were nothing She took advantage of every window, hole or crack for us to pass through like shadows. However, every time I passed through a new wall, my body felt heavier, as if the dimension refused to let me take advantage of it.

We were greeted by a large room lit by some lamps with luminous stones, many more wooden boxes covered in cloth, and some tables on the other side of a new wall; it appeared to be a wine cellar. However, I didn't have much time to admire the passage because I quickly realized that spending more time here would be detrimental to my health. I put my free hand to my mouth in an attempt to keep my dinner inside my body.