The World Of Illusion.

The World of Illusion is a realm of dark magic, where reality is distorted and corrupted. As Kae and the others enter this land, they were greeted by an eerie, hellish landscape. The sky was a deep, burning crimson, with clouds that twist like living serpents.

The ground was dry, cracked earth covered in sulfurous ash. The air was thick with the stench of brimstone and decay. In the distance, twisted, nightmarish trees made of blackened bone reached towards the sky like skeletal fingers.

"Everything is an illusion." A young man with black hair spoke out as he gripped his sword firmly, prepared to face whatever may come their way.

"But death is a certainty. Even in this world of illusion, once you pass away, it's final!" Another man added, his tone grave.

"Let's stay united and face whatever challenges come our way together. Trust me, it's better to have two heads than one." Tharros suggested with a deep breath.

Kae could only agree with his proposal. He was unfamiliar with this world and sticking with someone who knew more about it seemed like the best option, especially since the other men had already formed teams.

As they delved further into the World of Illusion, Kae and his companions encountered increasingly unsettling sights: cities constructed from melting flesh, rivers flowing with blood, and forests filled with wailing souls. The very ground seemed to twist and squirm beneath their feet, as if the world itself was alive and antagonistic.

"This feels like a terrifying horror movie. What exactly is the task at hand? I hope we're not facing a dangerous monster." Kae pondered to himself as he nervously swallowed, continuing to walk while tightly gripping the sword in his hand.

"Welcome to the world of illusion." A voice suddenly pierced through the men's ears, causing them to halt in their tracks. They immediately recognized the voice as Commander Aethera's.

"She can see us." One of the men said with a shocked expression, which quickly turned to anger. "What are we supposed to do here?!"

"Now that you're here, I can reveal the tasks you must complete. You are all up against the formidable beast Malumbra, which means evil shadow with a thousand years of dark magic cultivation." Commander Aethera's voice echoed through the air, instilling fear in the men.

"You are not familiar with magic or its practices, but I trust you understand the concept from your studies and I believe you're also skilled in swordsmanship." Commander Aethera's voice carried a confident tone, even though the competitors could not see her, but only hear her words.

"Are you saying that we are up against a beast that has cultivated dark magic for a thousand years? Just admit that you want all of us to be food for this beast you're talking about." A man shouted with anger evident in his voice. "What can our simple swordsmanship achieve? I'm certain we'll be dead before we even attempt to fight."

Disregarding the men's fear, Commander Aethera continued. "All you need to do is locate the core of the beast and destroy it, and then the beast and this illusionary world will vanish. But remember; if you are killed by this beast, you will become its food as it feeds on human flesh and drinks their blood like water. I wish you all the best of luck!"

The men exchanged fearful glances, their minds overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. A thousand years of dark magic cultivation? It was a daunting challenge, to say the least.

"Hey! Lady!" a man called out, trembling with fear, but received no response from Commander Aethera. "She has already abandoned us to our fate. Now I understand why out of a hundred men sent to the palace, only a few pass the test of the illusionary world, and even those who survive end up being killed by the queen or sold as slaves to those rich families. No matter how much I think about it, I regret being a male."

"I feel like I'm losing my mind. How are we supposed to defeat a beast? It's not like the beast will come to us and allow us to destroy its core. Even though this world is just an illusion, death is real. Being eaten by a monster would be the worst way to die." Tharros expressed his fear, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

"The beast has not yet appeared. Should we wait for it to find us, or should we explore this world while we still can?" one of the men suggested. "I mean, we can't just sit around and wait for death to come for us."

'Dying might just send me back to my world, but being eaten alive is not how I want to go,' Kae thought to himself, his face twisted with anger.

The others agreed, their hands gripping their weapons tightly, ready for any danger.

The group began their journey, their footsteps echoing in the eerie landscape. As they ventured further into the World of Illusion, the sights around them became more and more unsettling.

"Is that river really made of blood?" Kae asked nervously, his body shaking with fear as they passed by the crimson stream.

"I heard that the river is actually the blood of past competitors who died in the illusion world. Their flesh forming the structures and their souls trapped in the screaming forest we just passed," Tharros confirmed. "I always thought it was just a myth, but seeing it with my own eyes has made it all too real."

Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the ground beneath their feet. The men turned to face the source of the sound, and their blood ran cold.

A beast, its massive body a twisted amalgamation of dark magic and corrupted flesh. Its skin a dark deep purple like a bruise that had never healed, shifting and writhing like a living shadow. It's form was vaguely humanoid, but its limbs were long and spindly, ending in razor-sharp claws that gleamed with a malevolent light.

Its face was a nightmare visage, with eyes that glowed like embers from the underworld, burning with an inner fire and a fierce, malevolent intent that seemed to pierce through the men's very souls.

Kae quickly recognized the monster as the same one he had seen in his world before getting transmigrated.

'What the hell is going on?' he thought to himself, his gaze fixed on the monster. He and the other men wanted to run, but their legs felt like they had turned to tofu, refusing to move.

The beast charged, its claws swiping through the air with deadly precision. The men stood frozen in terror, their swords trembling in their hands.

Malumbra began feasting on the flesh of its captor, savoring their blood. The sound of wails and pain filled the air.

Kae and Tharros sprinted with all their might, the distorted landscape seeming to shift and writhe around them, making it impossible to maintain a straight course. They stumbled and staggered, their breath coming in ragged gasps. The roar of the Malumbra echoed through the air, growing fainter but still sending shivers down their spines.

Suddenly, Tharros spotted a grotesque structure in the distance - a house made of melting flesh, its walls pulsing with a sickly, greenish light.

"In there!" Tharros yelled, grabbing Kae's arm and pulling him towards the house.

They burst through the door, slamming it shut behind them. The interior was just as twisted as the exterior, with walls made of writhing, pulsing flesh. Kae gagged, his stomach churning with revulsion.

But they had no time to hesitate as the Malumbra's roar grew louder, causing the house to shake and tremble.

"It's going to destroy this place!" Tharros shouted, scanning the room frantically.

Kae nodded, his mind racing. They needed to find a way to escape or a place to hide. But where?

The house was a maze of twisting corridors and rooms, each filled with unspeakable horrors. They stumbled through the darkness, desperate to find a way out.

Every door they opened led to more terrors, and the Malumbra's roar grew louder and closer.

Suddenly, the floor gave way beneath them, sending them tumbling into a dark, abyssal pit. Kae's scream was drowned out by the sound of the collapsing house, consumed by the Malumbra's dark magic.

The Malumbra then grabbed Kae by the neck, opening its mouth with thousands of sharp teeth, its disgusting breath making Kae retch from the terrible smell.

"It's over," Kae thought as he closed his eyes, ready to be devoured. But then...

[Ding!]

[Initializing ...]

[Evil System unlocked!]