Hidden Dungeon (2)

[The Constellation, Stella of Eternal Twilight, looks at you suspiciously.]

After reading the System message, he suddenly prostrated down, feeling goosebumps all over his body, and his heart thumps faster as though he has overdosed with caffeine.

'…A-ah, sh*t, sh*t! I-I'm going to die.'

Derek's thoughts were already clouded by death. He never anticipated or accounted for the presence of the Constellation as he didn't elaborate or had written thorough details about the Hidden Dungeon.

If he dies at this moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry or if he should blame how failed he was in writing his unpublished novel.

'…F*ck Untouched Elements!'

He screamed in his mind, waiting for his life to be ceased or erased from existence, but at that moment, a few notifications sounded, prompting him to skim through them.

[The Constellation, Stella of Eternal Twilight, laughs at your sudden action.]

[The Constellation, Stella of Eternal Twilight, knows what you are looking for.]

[The Constellation, Stella of Eternal Twilight, wants to make a contract with you.]

…

"W-wh-what? A c-contract!?"

[The Constellation, Stella of Eternal Twilight, is patiently waiting for your answer.]

"A-ah, w-what's the condition?"

After some time of disordered thoughts, he tried his best to calm himself down from the extremely unexpected and sudden situation he was thrown into.

He asked for the condition because making a contract with a Constellation could not and must not be done impulsively.

This was where the Stella Academy, along with any other academies for players, exists. It serves as a learning and training ground for candidates or future champions of Constellations, which means that NOT everyone could have a contracted Constellation because of the sole reason that the moment the champion dies, it would deal a massive blow to the Constellation's power that could threaten their existence.

With his pathetic and weak self, along with his rank, it's very suspicious why Stella of Eternal Twilight wanted to make a contract with him.

– Ding-!

Numerous sounds of notifications entered his ears, sending his thoughts back to the reality of the situation.

[The Constellation, Stella of Eternal Twilight, is materializing.]

[You have gained the Title: The Witness of Twilight.]

[You have gained the Title: The One Who Embraces Shadows.]

[The Constellation, Stella of Eternal Twilight, has shared a fragment of her transcendent knowledge.]

[Your body will feel relaxed, and you will not die in her presence.]

Derek's deep blue eyes widened in shock at the extremely unexpected notifications he ever received since he was reincarnated into this world.

The space was torn apart as a crack appeared near the center of the circular hall where the stone table altar was situated, and then a majestic figure emerged from it. "She" moved with grace and elegance, her steps exuding an aura of deep blue, reminiscent of the depths of the night.

Derek's mouth hung open in awe as he witnessed the figure walking out of the torn fabric of space. Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, a thick, dark blue barrier enveloped him, depicting a sea of stars and swirling galaxies. It was the cosmic skill, beyond his qualifications, that the celestial being had cast upon him.

The skill not only provided him with a sense of tranquillity, calming his mind to prevent him from fainting, but it also served the purpose of protecting him from being inadvertently harmed by the sheer presence of the divine figure.

Without the barrier, even a momentary exposure to her essence would have resulted in instant death.

However, despite being shielded, a small amount of blood trickled from Derek's mouth. The skill ensured his survival, but it couldn't completely shield him from the physical consequences of standing before such overwhelming power.

Suddenly Derek heard a chime.

[

Skill Name: Unknown

Skill Type: Unknown

Effect: Forms a protective aura around the user, providing a shield and instilling tranquillity. Calms the mind and soul, enhancing mental and emotional state in the presence of powerful beings or overwhelming situations.

Unable to Use Currently

]

Derek, still bewildered, mustered the courage to address the constellation directly. "Stella of Eternal Twilight, did you hear the notification?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

As Derek mentioned the notification about the recorded skill, he realized that his words fell on deaf ears.

It was as if an unseen force had prevented his voice from reaching Stella of Eternal Twilight. Despite his attempts to communicate, his words remained inaudible to the constellation, leaving him perplexed and uncertain.

...

After a minute or two of Stella's materialization, she reached into her Dimensional Inventory and retrieved something.

The object hovered in the air, capturing Russell's attention and causing his eyes to follow its movements.

As he focused on the floating object, a perplexed expression formed on his face when he recognized it as an egg.

"It's an egg," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. He deliberately shifted his gaze away from the floating egg and redirected it towards the ground, which was composed of thick roots.

From his peripheral vision, he caught glimpses of Stella's majestic figure, her feet visible as he maintained his kneeling position.

"The Mistress of Twilight looked at him with a gentle expression, but he knew very well that a wrong move or words could lead to his demise.

Without directly meeting the Mistress of Twilight's gaze, Derek kept his head bowed, fixating on the ground beneath him, composed of thick, sturdy roots. In that moment, he heard her dignified yet soothing voice.

"Fear not."

Her words, spoken in a calming tone, washed over Derek, inexplicably relieving his soul and easing the tension in his heart.

'Wh-what do you mean don't be afraid…?'

Derek inwardly thought. Although he's calmed down due to the mysterious, cosmic skill that the Mistress of Twilight had used on him, he still couldn't think straight with the above-heavenly presence standing in front of the puny man like him.

"Stand up, mortal. I don't need such polite acts."

Russell stood up from kneeling, feeling a slight pain in his knees as he didn't know for how long he's been doing it.

With the words that came out of "Her" mouth just now, and with his calming state of mind, he gradually remembered the characteristics and details about the Goddess of Night based on his unpublished novel.

|| "She" didn't need any praises or worship as some of the existing Constellations didn't even know "Her" existence. ||

|| The Goddess of Night was born out of Chaos itself and was the ruler of it for countless years. ||

|| "She" barely to seldom took an interest in the business of the other Constellations, which "She" even considered as kids, so how much more in taking an interest in a human? ||

"If you are asking for the reason why I wanted to make a contract with you, making you my champion in the process…

"It's simply because… You are a strayed soul, and at the same time are not."

The Mistress of Twilight said in a way that seemed to indicate something mysterious about Derek's existence.

He felt goosebumps all over his body as he realized the possible indication of "Her" words.

'D-does "She" knows I'm a reincarnated person…?'

"W-what do you mean?"

He asked with resolve, appearing to not have any guesses about "Her" previous words.

"…You know very well what I mean, mortal."

The Mistress of Twilight, still observing the bowing Derek, presented him with the conditions. Her voice carried an air of authority and determination.

"Look at the Egg."

Compelled by an unknown force, Derek's gaze was irresistibly drawn to the Egg. Enigmatic symbols adorned its shell and an inexplicable connection formed between him and the object.

"My condition is simple: you must nurture and protect this Egg until it hatches.

"Furthermore, during your journey in your world, you must carry this Egg with you.

"By fulfilling these terms, our contract shall be sealed."

"…What's your answer then, mortal? Will you accept my offer or not?"

After weighing everything down in his head, Derek responded firmly.

"I accept… I accept the conditions."

"A wise decision.

"Here, take the Egg, take care of it, and travel with it around your world.

"You will know the reason why it should be that way, eventually."

"The contract shall now be made, mortal."

The moment she spoke those words, a mix of purple and dark blue aura emanated from "Her" hands, which then pervaded his chest.

'T-this is not how a contract is done…'

"You are correct, this is not an ordinary contract... not by mortal standards.

"It is a brand, a mark that I have etched deep into your very being."

As if the Mistress of Twilight had glimpsed into his thoughts and fears, Derek's voice caught in his throat.

"W-what...?"

The pain that followed was excruciating, surpassing any words he could utter.

"This is a contract, but one of great strength.

"Now, rest, mortal."

The Mistress of Twilight's face held a mix of nonchalance and solemnity. Her words seemed to fade into the background as Derek felt an onslaught of pain as if a thousand needles were piercing his heart without mercy.

"Aargh!!!!"

His agonizing scream echoed through the depths of the Dungeon before he succumbed to unconsciousness.

After an unknown period of time, the dungeon seemed to co-exist with the Chaos Aura that exudes from the Mistress of Twilight.

"She" looked at the face of the mortal, Derek Raven, whose head was sitting on "Her" lap as "She" sat on the ground. A faint smile was painted on her beautiful lips.

"…Derek Raven…

"##########."

"She" muttered his name, and said some words in a language unknown to humanity, then "She" grabbed his left hand, took out a certain seed from "Her" Dimensional Inventory with "Her" right hand, then placed it on Russell's palm before clenching it.

"She" gently placed his head on the ground, then snapped "Her" fingers.

After some time, "She" vanished from inside the Hidden Dungeon through the same, torn fabric of space, where "She" earlier came from, leaving the passed-out Derek on the ground.

Silence then covered the entirety of the dungeon.