Chapter 2
From the series -{ The Analysis of the Void hieroglyphs: The Timeless Rements of Ancient Graveyard }-
"... And he was chosen by 'The Light' to be the first among his kind or any other to break the bonds of time. " ( unknown )
....................................
Asher's heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears as he held his sweat-drenched head in trembling hands. His eyes darted to the holographic display, its eerie glow casting dancing shadows across the cabin walls.
[Time Remaining: 9 min]
The countdown mocked him, each passing second a reminder of his impending doom. He had exhausted every option, his mind racing through possibilities only to come up empty-handed.
[Time Remaining: 8 min]
Desperation clawed at his insides as he bolted for the cabin door. The cool metal of the handle offered a fleeting moment of relief before he yanked it open, stumbling into the alien landscape beyond. Yet even as he ran, lungs burning with each ragged breath, the merciless holographic screen pursued him, a constant reminder of his dwindling time.
[Time Remaining: 6 min 30 sec]
The blood-red light from the impossible moons above bathed everything in an otherworldly glow. Asher's gaze swept across the clearing, finally settling on the dense tree line that bordered it. A shimmering mist hung over the woods, pulsing with an unsettling, life-like quality.
With no other options, Asher plunged into the forest. The moment he crossed the threshold, an intense wave of dizziness washed over him. The world tilted and spun, trees blurring into a nightmarish kaleidoscope of crimson and shadow. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the forest floor, the scent of damp earth and something metallic filling his nostrils.
[Time Remaining: 4 min 29 sec]
Fighting against the vertigo, Asher clawed his way back to the clearing. Each movement was agony, his muscles screaming in protest as he dragged himself across the ground. By the time he reached the cabin, his clothes were soaked with sweat and clung to his body like a second skin.
[Time Remaining: 2 min 17 sec]
Inside the cabin once more, Asher's eyes darted frantically around the space. The smooth walls mocked him, offering no hint of hidden compartments or secret escape routes. Hope dwindled with each passing second, the weight of his impending fate pressing down on him like a physical force.
[Time Remaining: 1 min 10 sec]
In a last, desperate attempt, Asher turned his face to the ceiling and screamed. His voice, raw and primal, echoed off the walls as he pleaded with the unseen force behind the holographic display. But no matter how much he begged, no matter how his throat burned with the effort, only the merciless ticking of the countdown answered him.
[Time Remaining: 30 sec]
As the final seconds slipped away, a strange calm settled over Asher. So this was how it would end. Not with a bang, but with a whimper in a strange cabin in an alien world. How pathetic.
[Time Remaining: 5 sec]
In a final act of defiance, Asher squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to watch as the timer reached zero. His muscles tensed, bracing for... what? Oblivion? Pain? He wasn't sure.
But nothing happened.
One heartbeat passed. Then another. And another. The rush of blood in his veins continued, defying his expectations of death. Slowly, cautiously, Asher cracked open one eye.
The holographic screen had vanished.
He was alone in the cabin, illuminated only by the warm orange glow of a single ceiling light. The sudden silence was deafening, broken only by his ragged breathing.
"I must be losing my mind... Sigh," Asher muttered, his voice hoarse from screaming.
Had it all been a hallucination? Some cruel trick of his oxygen-deprived brain? Shakily, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled towards the door. His hand trembled as he reached for the handle, a part of him hoping that when he opened it, he'd see a normal, calm forest instead of the blood-red nightmare from before.
But the handle wouldn't budge. No matter how he pulled, pushed, or twisted, the door remained stubbornly shut.
"You can try all you want Ash-boy, but the door won't open."
The unexpected voice sent a jolt of ice through Asher's veins. Every muscle in his body tensed, fight-or-flight instincts kicking into overdrive. His breath came in short, sharp gasps as he slowly turned towards the source of the sound.
What he saw defied logic. The tiny cabin had impossibly expanded, stretching into a long corridor that seemed to have no end. But it wasn't this spatial anomaly that captured Asher's attention. His gaze fixed on a figure lounging in a chair some distance away.
The man – if it could be called that – sprawled across the seat with casual disregard. One leg dangled over an armrest, while his body tilted to the other side, an arm hanging limply. Despite his best efforts, Asher couldn't make out the stranger's facial features. It was as if a haze surrounded them, blurring and shifting with each blink.
"Who are you?" Asher asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes darted around, searching for any possible escape route.
"Me? I'm no one, just a man who has come to you with a deal, Ash-boy." The stranger's voice was smooth, almost melodic, yet it carried an undercurrent of something that made Asher's skin crawl.
"Deal? What kind of deal?" Asher took an involuntary step back, careful to keep his eyes on the enigmatic figure.
"Nothing big, just a small contract where you would have to complete a certain task I have. In return, I will help you out of your current predicament." Even through the haze, Asher could make out the curve of a sadistic grin.
"And what is this task, if I may ask?" Asher's mouth felt dry, his heart hammering against his ribs.
The man's relaxed posture stiffened almost imperceptibly before settling back into its languid sprawl. "There is just a person I would like you to find and kill."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Asher responded instinctively, revulsion rising in his throat.
"What if I told you that person was evil... well, not that it matters. The choice is yours, Ash-boy. I have already stated my conditions. Now it's up to you to accept... or not."
As he finished speaking, the man raised his hand lazily, opening his palm towards Asher. Before Asher could react, the entire corridor began to dissolve like mist in the morning sun.
"Wait!" Asher cried out, lunging forward. But it was too late.
The cabin snapped back to its original dimensions, but with one crucial difference. A wooden table now occupied the center of the room. Upon it lay a single sheet of paper, a small knife, and a burning candle.
The stranger's voice echoed in Asher's mind, "Sign the contract if you accept, and if not, burn it. You have time until the candle burns out, Ash-boy. Choose wisely."
As the voice faded, the dreaded holographic screen flickered back into existence. Asher's breath caught in his throat as he read the display:
[Time Remaining: 1 sec]
Asher held his breath, eyes fixed on the timer. When it didn't move, he exhaled slowly, his shoulders sagging with relief.
Turning his attention to the table, Asher approached cautiously. The dancing flame of the candle cast flickering shadows across the contract's surface as he bent to read it.
[Contractee is to find and end the being {Malachi Darkborne}. Failure of the task will result in the death of contractee]
The silence in the room was shattered by a burst of hysterical laughter. "Haha HaHa HAHA!" Asher's voice echoed off the walls, tinged with a note of madness.
As the laughter subsided, Asher leaned over the contract, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "To be powerless is truly a sin, right?"
A manic gleam appeared in his eyes as he seized the knife. Without hesitation, he slashed his palm, blood welling up from the cut. "Very well, let's play this game of yours then."
With a resounding smack, Asher slammed his bloody palm onto the contract, sealing his fate. As he stepped back, his gaze remained fixed on the name of his target: {Malachi Darkborne}.
Before his eyes, the contract dissipated into mist, vanishing as if it had never existed. In its place, a series of system messages appeared:
[Error]
[Administrative key has been used]
[Timer has been stopped]
[Data regarding host is being altered]
[Qualification as a pioneer seed has been reassigned]
[Mark of seed has been given]
[Host fate has been hidden]
[Administrative access is used]
[Sealed file: 'Immortal' is being run by administrative access]
[Scanning host]
[Input from Lord life not received transferring judgment to creation engine]
[Qualification denied]
[Administrative access used]
[Qualification denied]
[Error]
[Unstable fragment has surfaced in creation nucleus]
[Input from Lord life received]
[Host has been approved for Experiment 'Immortal'.]
[Host is being granted a serial number]
[Experiment No.2: Asher Whitlock]
[Experiment: 'Immortal'
No.1- {Malachi Darkborne}
No.2- {Asher Whitlock} ]
[Special features Unlocked]
[Administrative key used]
[Details have been hidden from host]
Relief washed over Asher as he realized the soul destruction had been halted. However, the string of messages that followed sent a chill down his spine. It seemed the mysterious man was far more than a simple messenger – he wielded significant power.
Once again, the name Malachi Darkborne appeared before him, raising more questions than answers. Asher's gaze drifted upward, as if trying to peer into the uncertain future that lay ahead.
"Just who are you, Malachi Darkborn..." he murmured, the words hanging in the air unanswered.
Exhausted by the ordeal, Asher decided to stop fighting against the current and go with the flow, at least for now. His mind drifted to the countless isekai system stories he'd read, and on a hunch, he muttered, "System status."
To his surprise, a translucent screen materialized before him:
[Name: Asher Whitlock]
[Race: Human] [unawakened]
[Quests: 2 active quests]
His eyes were drawn to the quest section. "Quests?"
[Quests:
Initiate tutorial
(Quest Hidden) ]
Asher had a sneaking suspicion about the nature of the hidden quest, but the system tutorial was a mystery. "Initiate tutorial?" he asked tentatively.
[ Quest No.1: 'Initiate tutorial'
The host will be sent to a special space. A pioneer seed host is to go through guided training, increasing their skill set and understanding of the system. Once the tutorial is finished, host will be sent back to the integrating world so that they may stabilize and counteract negative changes brought about by the system's integration.
Start quest? (Yes/no) ]
The mention of Earth's integration with the system raised even more questions in Asher's mind. Concluding that he needed more information, he decided the tutorial quest was his best option.
"Yes," Asher said, reaching out to touch the hovering screen. His finger passed through it as if touching a cloud, yet the system seemed to understand his intention, locking onto the 'yes' option.
[The tutorial will begin in 5 minutes]
Using the remaining time, Asher quickly checked his backpack. His uneaten lunch, spare clothes, and med pack were still inside. He tightened the straps, ensuring it wouldn't slip off during whatever lay ahead.
As the final seconds ticked away, Asher took a deep breath, trying to center himself for the unknown challenges to come.
[The tutorial has begun]
[Please step into the portal]
A portal materialized before him, its edges sparkling with ethereal blue energy. The center was an abyssal black, offering no glimpse of what lay beyond. With a mixture of trepidation and hidden excitement, Asher stepped forward into the unknown, leaving behind the cabin and the world he knew.
As the darkness enveloped him, Asher couldn't help but wonder what this new chapter of his life would bring.