Spectral Dimension and Reuniting

"No, we need more eyes. I'm sending my people too" Russel intervened strongly.

A look of stubbornness can be seen on his face.

Russel was the one that personally gained the lead for them, he knows exactly what that person, the suspected Roman's avatar looks like, and he wanted to make sure that the person would not be missed when he came back to the Trading Center.

It would be foolish for them to not go all out in searching for Roman.

Giving no chance for the other three to rebut, Russel then continues, "I have more people inside the game compared to all of you, so I'm not going to sit this one out. Moreover, you should all station your men in the Trading Center to quicken the process of identifying Roman's avatar and retrieve back the Limited PK VR Helmet"

"I have no qualms with that, but you can't be there, Russel" The figure on the left replied.

Upon hearing this, Russel frowns as he doesn't like this.

But knowing his personality, the figure on the left then added to deal with the hot-headed Russel, "Roman also saw your avatar. If you're there, then he would know and we'll miss the chance to ambush him. Do you understand?"

"Hmph! If I'm there, he won't have the time to escape" Russel refute arrogantly.

Not intending to argue with Russel any further and would instead notify his father later, the woman figure on the right then said, "I'll check if I can find him in the real world, he must've left digital traces that I could use while you and the others searched for him in-game"

After saying that, the woman's holographic figure disappeared as she disconnected.

"We'll talk about this at a later date, there would need to be an official meeting before we could move to suppress. We can't afford Roman to go berserk and kill a lot of people" the figure at the center added before he too disconnected.

It was a brief call, yet it was a very important call.

Leaving the empty room from earlier with a glass-like gadget on the wall that shoots the hologram earlier, Russel went over to the living room and sat on the sofa, facing the beautiful metropolitan scenery from the 50th floor.

But then, his eyes landed on the report papers on the table and grabbed them.

Russel looks at the reports that were only a couple of days old, there was a clear 'Classified' written on the black envelope. He then takes the papers out of the envelopes and scattered them on the table.

The reports seem to be involving an entity called the Witch Hunter Organization.

On top of the written article explaining the incident regarding the Witch Hunter Organization, there are also photos inside the black envelope. Destroyed buildings and dead bodies are in the photos, grotesque for untrained eyes.

At the bottom of the article was written in red bold, the suspect of this incident.

'Five Apocalyptic Horsemen'

Looking at the photos and report, Russel massages his forehead in deep thought, "The WHO has been doing their jobs for centuries, how could their branches all over the world got wiped out in a single night...? Right at the launching of the Lunaris game to be exact, is it a coincidence or there's something more here?"

Shaking his head lightly, he then reaches for another envelope on the table.

Compared to the ones before that were black, this one is colored red. Taking the papers from the inside, Russel saw a biography report for a highly classified person. But there was no photo of this mysterious person.

Identifying Information

Name: Roman Krauss

Height: 6'4

Hair: Black

Race: Vampire

Early Life Background:

Suspected to appear around the 1700s but possibly substantially older in Haerdean Town, massacred the entire town that host more than 2000 people, leaving only dried-up corpses. Per the recorded incidents, has converted more than 50 people into Vampires to join his family.

Current Status and Location:

Last incident, taking down the Witch Hunter Organization branch located in Canyonland's Maze District. Suspected of garnering an army of Vampires. His current whereabouts, are unknown.

Reading the biography report, Russel clenched it tightly with his hand.

"That Roman should be here, in America. If only I can identify the Privileged Player's name tag that I met, then I could start searching for him in real life and take him down so that I could focus on the other Five Apocalyptic Horsemen"

"If not, then our survival will be at stake. Such a mess, this situation is a mess..."

~

Meanwhile, inside an empty void filled with nothing but blackness and hollowness.

'Where am I...?'

'My wounds... I can't see my body and I can't feel my body. But I think it's still there. What is happening to me? Am I in hell...?"

Currently, Tara was in a state of nothingness, she could only think inside her head. All of her senses were already completely numb, she tries to speak but nothing came out. It was then, he attributed this to being in hell.

If it's heaven, then it shouldn't be this dark.

Tara was at a complete standstill, it seems her soul was the only thing left of her.

An unknown amount of time has passed, she was only floating in this darkness with no power to do anything. It started to take a toll on her mind, and her memorable memories flashes inside her head.

Just then, a jarring voice can be heard.

Raahh!

It seems her senses were blocked, not numbed. Now, she could hear this jarring voice. It came from the right first, but then it came from the left, almost as if the thing that produce this voice is moving around her.

But soon after, more similar voices started to ring inside her ears.

Despite the scary voices, Tara doesn't seem to be much affected at all. But then, the voices started to hurt her ears, stabbing her eardrums and threatening to rip them apart. A pain that surpasses her pain tolerance.

Gradually, the foreign voices started to change into a familiar voice, BlueBlade's voice.

"Linthia is mine now, she would become bait for Grandmaster Mallory"

"Hahah~ You failed to protect her, Tara"

With each word that BlueBlade's voice utters, an emotional strain attacks Tara like a raging tsunami, threatening to ear her mind whole. She wanted to scream, yet she couldn't, nothing came out.

It keeps on going for God knows how long.

But it's safe to say that it's long enough to put Tara on the brink of passing out.

Following that, she now can feel something grab ahold of her feet before climbing up.

Tara couldn't explain the sensation, it feels sticky and solid at the same time. But she was glad that this thing grabbed onto her as the mental pain started to ease away, reducing the pain that she suffered.

Albeit it was a gift at first, it turns out to be another test that this blackness provides.

Upon the sticky thing reaching her waist, the lower part of her body started to be hit by a powerful pain, it was sucking the blood out of her body and causing her legs to shake violently.

Due to this constant pain, Tara really believed that this is actually hell.

Compared to earlier, the pain she was inflicted with succumbs her entire being and she passes out. Even though that is the case, the sticky thing keeps on going, letting Tara's body experience a whole wide variety of pain.

Another unknown amount of time passed.

Tara has been regaining back consciousness and passing out multiple times already, she was tortured beyond measure, and her mind was threatening to break as she couldn't put up with the pain anymore.

It was then, she woke up again and got hit by the same amount of excruciating pain.

Instead of giving up and letting herself succumb to the pain, Tara tries to fight back, she grabbed the sticky thing and tries to peel it away from her skin. Surprisingly, this technique works.

Even the spots that she couldn't reach, she somewhat can force the sticky thing away.

Albeit she doesn't know how she was able to do that, she could feel that she can command some sort of energy inside this dimension of blackness. A cold black energy, something evil beyond comprehension.

Despite managing to do that, the sticky thing keeps on coming back.

Tara was then locked in a hefty struggle against this sticky thing that feels like countless hands grabbing ahold of her, this keeps on going for quite some time, the battle inside this darkness is vicious.

But then, her attention was suddenly pulled to a bright light coming from above.

Glancing upwards, Tara could see that there was a portal opening, the light coming from it made her entire body desperate for its warmth. Almost like a moth to a flame, she desperately tries to swim to that portal.

Of course, the sticky thing tries to drag her back into the depth of the abyss.

Even then, Tara didn't give up and slowly made her way to the portal with everything she has. Nothing is more important than reaching that portal, she swam towards it as if her life depends on it.

~

Blake looks at the black portal and waits for Tara to come out.

It was then he saw a hand grab ahold of the edge of the portal before a figure tries to climb out. Grabbing ahold of that figure were countless black souls, Specters of the damned, clinging to life desperately.

Such a sight is horrifying, even the figure's face was grabbed by the black souls.

"T- Tara...? Is that you?" Blake called out in surprise.

Knowing that it must be her as there was nobody else inside the Spectral Dimension, Blake quickly grabbed onto her hand and tries to pull her out. But he finds it very hard, the black souls are very strong.

With his help, he could see Tara's face starting to resurface as she slowly got pulled out.

Tara's eyes were sparkling in surprise when she saw Blake's face, an insurmountable feeling of gladness swelled inside of her. It was so good to see a familiar face and could also feel something, contrary to the numbed senses in the dept of the Spectral Dimension.

Realizing that the black souls wouldn't let go, Blake could feel something inside him burns.

It was then the Shadowblood came out and wrapped around Blake's arms, the air around him instantly changed and at that instant, the black souls growled and got pushed back into the Spectral Dimension.

Brak!

Blake fell back with Tara beside him before the black portal closed again.

Sitting up, he quickly went to check on Tara but was surprised when her arms suddenly wrapped around his neck. She hugged him very tightly in her embrace, almost as if she was fearing to be apart again.

"I thought it was over for me, Blake..." she uttered.

Upon hearing this, Blake was surprised before she hugged her back.

"I'm also glad that you're fine..."