Vô danh

Apologies for the delay in posting the chapter. I had an appointment today and didn't expect it to take so long, so I didn't set a timer.

Next chapter: January 13th.

[...]---[...]

I could still feel the sensation of "holding" Marchel's soul with the Shadowflame. It was as if I had grasped it with my very own hands.

A part of me disliked that sensation—a smaller part…

Another, larger, darker, more sadistic part of me was utterly satisfied and delighted to know the destination to which that soul had been sent. Marchel was bound to end up there eventually, of course, but knowing I had expedited his journey to the flames—and not just that, but ensured he would spend every single year he was meant to down there—was something I couldn't deny pleased me.

I could still recall it vividly. It lasted only a brief moment, but when I directed the soul, I felt a subtle, fragile connection to what I was certain was hell. Being linked to such a place was beyond abominable—even though it wasn't directly me connected, but rather through an intermediary connection, using the Shadowflame as a mediator.

In that fleeting moment, I "looked" around. I probed hell with my senses through that tenuous connection. I could claim I'd never go there, but I knew it was a lie—that it would happen sooner or later… So I wanted some frame of reference for what the place was like, beyond what I knew from the game. Any information would be useful… Just a brief "glimpse"…

Even an hour later, my head still throbbed. Burned—that was the most fitting word.

I wasn't sure if the place truly had a "limit." It probably did, but I couldn't find it. I could tell it was a dimension "below," even though, for all intents and purposes, it wasn't really below. Still, the act of digging and descending, as I knew, should lead there due to the concept of it "being beneath."

I brought my hand to my face and rubbed my eyes. Ignoring the stares I was receiving from others in the hospital's private room, I briefly organized my thoughts and memories.

The fire was the least of it. Heat, lava, and sulfur too. Hell, I was certain everything there was toxic and would—most likely successfully—try to kill any living being that ended up there prematurely.

Everything, from the ground to the "air," the very "environment," the flora—if anything could truly be considered flora—the fauna, which I knew was horrifying, and the "concept" of the place itself, would aggressively attack anything that didn't belong there.

Even I, wielding the Shadowflame and being literally a damn dimension away, was attacked merely for "looking." That was what my headache signified.

The best comparison I could think of was when I had "looked" into Alalia's depths. Her connection to the planet.

I didn't know if the magnitude was the same; to an ant, a hill and a mountain were the same thing. The real difference was that Alalia and the planet hadn't attacked me. My headache, in that instance, was merely caused by an overload of information. Hell, on the other hand, attacked me. It attacked like a starving beast.

"Fucking miserable place…" I muttered.

"What place?" Alalia lightly tugged my hair. "The prison, or what you 'saw'?"

"You know the answer." I huffed, which made my head throb. I stifled a laugh as the thought of "all you're missing is a chef's hat" crossed my mind. "And how do you even know I 'looked' at that place, anyway?"

"By the smell. Well, not exactly a smell, maybe a vision? Or would it be by touch?… How do I explain?" She grumbled. The air lightly swirled around my body.

The dryad had perched on my head some time ago, shortly after I burned all the prisoners in that prison. Neither Charlotte nor Helena protested—either because I had listed enough crimes to justify two or three death sentences or because I was literally sending them to hell with a touch and a chant.

Curiously, her presence on my head had significantly eased my headache. Well, it wasn't exactly surprising. If the Purification Powder made with her hair by Dylan had the effects it did, Alalia's presence—even contained within the wooden doll's body—was bound to be at least equivalent, if not much greater.

Considering I had taken a Purification Powder pill and it hadn't helped at all, but her mere existence atop my head was soothing my pain, yes, it was much greater.

"I'll explain by touch. It's easier, I think… Imagine a ripe apple. The skin is smooth but firm to the touch." She began after a few seconds, running her hands through my hair.

"But if it's a partially rotten apple, one that's suffered some kind of impact or fallen to the ground, part of the skin will be soft and sticky. It's very noticeable and unpleasant." I could feel the doll nodding her head even though I couldn't see it. The air moved as if it nodded too. She continued, "The whole world around you is like the skin of a ripe apple, smooth and firm to the touch, but around your head, right now, it's soft and sticky."

I felt I should be slightly offended by this comparison but refrained from commenting. After comparing the dryad's words to something from Rin's world, I asked, "Did the world's texture change?"

"World's texture?" Alalia asked next.

I felt Dylan, who had been lost in thought for some time, suddenly focus. Charlotte and Helena, who had been waiting in the room with us, had already been paying attention.

"Like a wallpaper. It's supposed to be all blue, but a part of it, for some reason, is yellow or has turned yellow."

"Ohhh! Yes, that's exactly it!" Her voice grew excited. "Everything is supposed to be green, but around your head, it's kind of brown and red. It smells like sulfur too! It stinks!"

I blinked. "It smells like sulfur?" I couldn't smell anything. And why the hell hadn't she just said that instead of the apple analogy?

"It does and it doesn't. Like I said, it's a 'smell,' but not really a 'smell.' It's hard to explain. Let's just say it's because of my connection to nature and leave it at that, shall we?" She laid back on my hair and gave two quick pats to my forehead.

"You can't explain it, can you?" Dylan finished jotting something in his notebook and commented.

"…Of course, I can."

"Huff."

"What kind of huff was that!? I can explain it; it's just complicated!"

Before Alalia and Dylan could start some sort of debate, Melissa entered through the door, bringing three others: a man with slightly pale skin and a flushed face, his nose sniffing and running with mucus—which he wiped with a handkerchief he carried—wearing very thick clothing, and two women, one blonde and one brunette, all patients from the hospital, with the man appearing to be the sickest of them.

The three widened their eyes upon seeing the princess and quickly knelt.

"Please rise. You're ill; I don't want you to strain yourselves on my behalf," Charlotte swiftly stepped forward and helped the three to their feet, especially the man, who seemed frail.

"I've brought the patients, Princess Regent." Melissa formally addressed Charlotte, bowing slightly, as we weren't the only ones in the room. After the patients sat down, she took their charts and began reading.

The first file was the pale-skinned man's.

"Juan was admitted to the hospital almost three weeks ago, and we decided to keep him under observation since then. He presents symptoms of a severe cold, with excessive mucus, high fever, headaches, body aches, slightly erratic mana, and trouble sleeping. We've been unable to find any cause beyond the usual suspects for his current condition. Even after all this time, his state hasn't normalized."

Three weeks of high fever and cold symptoms? If it weren't for Terraria's magical means, I was certain this guy would've died a long time ago. Did he look utterly wrecked? Yes, but not as close to death as he should be.

Melissa quickly swapped the papers, scribbling on each one for a few seconds before reading the files of the two women. She started with the blonde.

"Micaelle came to the hospital a little over four days ago and has been making recurring visits since then for monitoring. Aside from mild body aches and flu-like symptoms, she's normal." The Oakwood heir glanced around at everyone before adding, "The patient also complained about mild headaches at random times during the day."

"And lastly: Luciena." The brunette woman. "She was being seen when I fetched her. She arrived at the hospital just a few minutes ago and shows no symptoms but preferred to get a check-up just to make sure she's fine."

After reading the three brief files, Melissa handed me the man's and gave the women's files to Charlotte, who was standing next to me. I noticed the patients' surprised looks at Melissa's actions but ignored them, focusing instead on the words the nurse had written on the pages.

[Juan was the one who had the most exposure to the rain. He lives in a village far from the kingdom, and everyone who traveled with him in the carriage shows a similar or worse state of fever and flu symptoms. Similar conditions. They traveled for about a week and got soaked multiple times. He is also a Silver-ranked contractor.

Micaelle had significantly less exposure, living in a village relatively close to the kingdom. When asked, she admitted to only briefly getting wet. Half a day's journey to the kingdom. She's not a contractor.

Luciena is a resident of the kingdom. She hasn't been exposed to the rain, only to the patients affected by it, but to a nearly insignificant degree. She's not a contractor.]

This… This said a lot.

Even though it seemed like an "ordinary" cold—if such a word could even apply, considering how it lingered and fluctuated without truly subsiding—the fact that the people most exposed to the rain were the sickest spoke volumes.

Even without anyone in the kingdom identifying an apparent cause, this information alone should have been enough reason for the alerts to be as high as they were.

("Staying in the rain for that long tends to make people sick,") Ozma reminded me, her voice echoing in my mind. ("Flu and cold outbreaks are also relatively common… But I've seen enough to know that the ordinary is often the rarest of occurrences.")

("Wise words. Any idea what it could be?") I asked, more out of habit than expectation. I tapped into my connection with Jinn so she could listen in on the conversation too.

She was at Proto-A, which was relatively far—several kilometers away. But ever since the bond with my mark had strengthened, my ship had been teeming with Nightmares, hiding in every shadow. My nightmare energy served as a beacon.

("My first guess would be some kind of Dust infection. There have been instances of storms carrying microfragments of Ice and Earth Dust, primarily. The body doesn't react well to exposure, especially when absorbed internally. It might be something similar.")

("That would explain why Luciena hasn't been affected. She lives in the kingdom, and the protective matrices must be filtering the air. I haven't had time to analyze them, but that's what I would do.") Jinn chimed in. ("Selina is fine, by the way. She didn't break anything.")

("Keep her away from anything explosive,") I told Jinn before pondering Ozma's words and Jinn's follow-up comment.

(Mana Stone fragments?) I hummed mentally. Ozma's theory held merit, but I doubted it was the case. ("Maybe, but it's unlikely. The storm's mana is strange, yes, but if it were just that, Melissa or Alalia would've already identified the cause.") At least, I hoped so.

("Mana or some kind of foreign energy?") Jinn speculated. ("No one in WinterHord seemed capable of sensing the Deerclops' energy. Maybe it's something similar. The kingdom's protection wards repel it but don't detect it.")

("And Miss Alalia seems to have some difficulty with that too, based on what we know.") Ozma pointed out.

While mentally conversing with the two voices in my head, I handed the paper in my hands to Charlotte, who passed it to Helena and then to Dylan. After a few seconds, I closed the connection with Jinn and Ozma and stood up.

All eyes turned to me as I moved. Charlotte seized the moment to introduce me—or something close to that.

"This is Devas, a crown official specializing in analysis magic." She looked at me and gave a brief nod. I returned the gesture and approached the three patients. Neither of us so much as blinked at the lie that rolled off her tongue.

The princess's explanation seemed to spark an understanding in the patients' eyes, and they smiled faintly at me. The man's smile, however, appeared more tired than cheerful, and none of them asked questions.

Not that they'd asked anything earlier.

I ignored the two women for now and focused on Juan. I would analyze them later anyway, just to be sure, but if I had to start, it would be with the sickest one.

He didn't require a high price to be analyzed—around fifty thousand SP. The information started basic: an ordinary Terrarian, thirty-three years old. … I skimmed through his description before moving on to what really mattered: his current state. As I read the data, I instantly realized why no one had discovered anything yet.

[Current status: Cold (High), erratic mana flow (Minimal), headache (Medium), muscle pain (Medium), flu (Medium), sleep deprivation (Low)…]

Physically, he only had a severe cold and the flu, as Melissa had noted and as stated in his patient file. His mana also seemed normal. Whatever was affecting Juan wasn't in his soul—something Alalia likely would have detected—but in his mind…

It could never really just be nothing, could it?

[… Exposure to: The Outer Foreigner Presence: The Eye That Brings the Bloodied Cloud Beyond the Sea of Stars. (High-Extreme) (Dormant)]

I tried, with considerable effort, to keep my expression neutral. But judging by the concerned and alarmed look on the man's face, I hadn't succeeded. A quick glance around the room confirmed that everyone had noticed my reaction, whatever it had been.

"Alalia." My voice echoed.

Curiously, the dryad understood exactly what I wanted with that single word. Without any warning, the three patients before me collapsed, caught before they hit the ground by branches that grew from the doll perched on my head.

I circulated my mana around the room. The walls were already marked with Mystic Symbols to prevent sound from escaping, but I added an extra layer of muffling just to be safe.

After that, I let out a slow, deep sigh before finally yelling the words that had been caught in my throat:

"Fuck!"

[…]

POV: Dylan Oakwood

Today, just like yesterday, was a day full of surprises.

Finding out that my friend—whom I thought was a Fae—was actually an alien from another universe was just the beginning. Then came the revelation that he had been sent here without even being warned. I never thought I could hate something without form, something I didn't know or couldn't see, but apparently, I could.

I was also grateful, even if that feeling made me feel guilty...

Knowing that the same entity broadcasted everything happening here to other worlds was both disturbing and morbidly comedic. Devas seemed used to being observed by thousands of people. I, on the other hand, avoided thinking about it to keep from having some kind of mental breakdown. I've never liked crowds, much less being on a stage.

The discussion about the storm surrounding the kingdom was another matter entirely. Everyone knew it was bad, but Devas seemed to have a guess—or several. And from the tone in his gaze and his explanations, all of them were horrifying.

Today was relatively calmer. My thoughts were more organized as I tried to process everything I had learned yesterday. In the morning, we went to find Devas. He had left the mansion right after speaking with Alalia, and the plants in the house spent the entire morning literally dancing.

Funny... Thinking about it now, I realize I'd seen that before, a few times, but it had always been so quick that I thought I was imagining things or it was just the wind. Maybe it was something no one ever told me about. Well, it doesn't matter.

The information about the Aura excited me. I was already brainstorming ways to better use my small amount of mana and even started designing something along those lines. But knowing I could awaken something to help me become stronger and protect everyone was motivating. Not that I was abandoning my armor project.

Finding out Devas had one—or, depending on whether Alalia was lying, and she didn't seem to have a reason to—the literal flame of hell was less surprising. Maybe I'd already gotten used to it. The leader of our group tended to do impossible things and just shrug them off, as if they were normal. He'd even stolen the deer's powers once. Having a hellflame just seemed to... fit.

I didn't dwell too much on what happened afterward. Devas merely sped up the death of a monster that should have been dead ages ago. There are reasons for someone to commit crimes. Stealing to eat is one thing. Killing to protect yourself or someone else is another. But those people?...

Devas listed their crimes, and every one of them disgusted me deeply. I didn't know exactly where they had gone or what hell was like beyond tales and stories. But from what Devas and Alalia discussed, it couldn't be pretty. Not even close. I wasn't happy, but knowing they had paid for their crimes gave me some relief.

Then we went to the hospital...

The look on Devas' face as he touched that man was something I won't forget anytime soon. Rage, fear, disgust, hatred, bitterness, joy, something sadistic... So many emotions flashed across his face in a single moment that, frankly, I don't know if I imagined them or if they were really there.

"What did you find out?" my mom was the first to speak. She was good under pressure—I'd known that for a long time. "It's not good, is it?..."

Devas stayed silent. His eyes moved rapidly through the air, as if he were reading something invisible. The shadows in the room grew darker with each passing second. After about five seconds—during which his irises became practically a blur, perhaps reading and rereading whatever he saw—he stopped. Froze.

The room grew cold, or at least it felt that way. It was like the deer's presence, but less predatory. Then he sighed, and the cold gave way to a nearly soothing warmth.

"No, it's not good..." Devas finally replied before waving his hand, making a large machine appear by his side. "Thanks for the typing and translation, Jinn." He thanked the 'air' before connecting the phone to the machine. Seconds later, sheets of paper began emerging from it. He handed one to each of us.

I was a fast reader, but those words... I couldn't read them quickly. I simply couldn't.

-//-

[The Outer Foreigner Presence: The Eye That Brings the Bloodied Cloud Beyond the Sea of Stars]

Description:

It is not a curse. It is not a disease. It is corruption caused by exposure to the Outer Foreigner Presence.

Something unnatural to this world. Something unnatural to life. Something unnatural to exist within the 'world.'

An anomaly so aberrant that it becomes almost undetectable. Something subtle, present in every raindrop. Something that resides in every 'tear' shed before the blood clouds appear. Before the moon stains the world red with its presence.

An anomalous phenomenon triggered by contact with water from the recurring rain, originating from the 'Gray Clouds: The Night When Eyes Fly', or, as the Terrarians and Devas call it: 'The Storm.'

An alien rain mimicking ordinary rainfall, yet born from the influence of 'The Eye That Brings the Bloodied Cloud Beyond the Sea of Stars.' It spreads like an infection as long as 'The Eye's' presence remains active in the world.

While it is technically not a conventional disease, those affected by 'The Storm' suffer from a progressive condition that combines debilitating physical symptoms with devastating psychic alterations.

The initial symptoms are almost indistinguishable from a severe flu: throbbing headaches, high fever, intense muscle pain, ocular sensitivity, and difficulty sleeping. However, the true danger lies in the subtle yet destructive effect carried by every raindrop: 'The Memories of Forgetting: Salvation of the Eyes.'

Each drop contains the presence of 'The Eye', carrying a 'memory' of something that never existed. A recollection of something without origin. An end to something that never even began.

This corruption manipulates the patient's memories, implanting artificial experiences they cannot consciously recall. Memories their minds cannot record. Dreams heavy enough to make sleep anything but restful.

Patients are unaware of the false memories or the loss of real ones, which are swallowed by the void. The void creates gaps in the mind—a futile, desperate attempt by the brain to preserve itself. This renders the true 'disease' almost undetectable by conventional means.

[..]

Effects:

Total loss of mental sanity.

Fragmentation of the mind.

Paranoia (Eye).

Corruption of the soul.

Weakening and destruction of the physical body.

Weakening and fragmentation of the soul.

Weakening and ruin of the will.

Insanity (Eye).

Auditory hallucinations (Eye).

Visual hallucinations (Eye).

Severe migraines.

Irregular mana flow (Eye).

Stagnant mana flow (Eye).

Loss of eyeballs.

Emergence of 'Demon Eyes.'

Emergence of 'Zombie' (Eye).

Death.

Note:

The phenomenon affects not only the physical body but also the individual's mental "resonance." In advanced cases, reversal may be impossible.

Note:

The phenomenon will persist until the presence of 'The Eye' is terminated.

-//-

It took me minutes to read it all. It took everyone minutes. The room fell into absolute silence. It was too much information to process—or rather, too much bad information to process.

Knowing Devas was an alien and had the hellflame was one thing. He was an ally, a friend I trusted completely. But this?...

I hadn't even noticed when my innate magic activated. My head throbbed from the strain, as did my eyes. Something that, frankly, worried me far more than it should have. I made sure to store every bit of information in my memory, comparing it with everything I already knew.

Nothing remotely resembled what I was reading.

"I think I'm going to throw up..." Charlotte murmured beside me.

"Don't, we're swamped with wor—" my sister began but cut herself off, growled, and continued, "Actually, do it, I don't care. Screw it. Just clean it up afterward so it doesn't stink."

Normally, my mother would have reprimanded Melissa for the language, or at least made some kind of comment. But not this time. Her expression was as tense as my sister's. The veins on her forehead bulged, visible.

It wasn't the first time I'd seen her like this, but it was one of the rare ones. And I hated it.

I hated seeing my mother scared. I hated seeing my sister scared. Charlotte scared.

...I hated being scared.

"Devas... Is there a way to fix this?" I carefully placed the paper on the table beside me and stood up. "Actually, forget that question." I shook my head and pointed at the page, focusing on the last sentence written on it. "That eye... does its presence stop when it dies?"

My friend looked around for a moment. His eyes wandered through the air, probably reading something only he could see, before turning back to me.

"I don't know. But if I had to guess, I'd say yes."

"So it can die," I pointed out.

"I don't know that either. This case is very different from the Deerclops..." His expression didn't change, but I knew him well. I could see something cruel pulsing in his eyes. He looked like he could barely hold himself in place. "But if there isn't a way to kill it, I'll find one."

"…Even if I have to carve the concept of 'death' into that thing's retina myself."

I couldn't hold back the smile forming on my face. Devas wanted this thing dead. So did I.

"For now, back to my ship."

After picking up the old man and Robyn, we returned to Proto-A in no time. I was the first to awaken my Aura.

...The chant he used was different.

[...]

POV: Devas Asura.

"The Aura should help them contain whatever this… disease is." Jinn frowned. "Seriously, what a miserable description…"

"Regretting making a deal with me?" I asked, looking at the dark horizon. It was night. We were on top of the Proto-A. The rain hadn't let up at all, nor had the lightning.

I could hear the rain clearly, even from a distance. Smell the blood, the stench of decay.

"Regret coming to Terraria?" I nodded in agreement. "Not for a second, and it's not some eye-monster that'll change my mind."

I snorted, amused. I knew she'd say something like that—or at least I hoped she would. But it was good to have confirmation. I hummed to myself before asking Alalia:

"Do you know what runes are?"

The three of us were there, with the rest of the group inside the ship, getting used to their newly awakened Aura.

I didn't even try to awaken the dryad's Aura. I didn't think my soul could handle the 'weight' of Alalia's soul and bring it out. Not only that, but she was connected to nature—plants could also awaken Aura.

My title could help, but I wouldn't risk it. Awakening the Aura of all the plants, either around the kingdom or the entire world, would probably make me explode or melt. Whichever came first.

"Of course I do. I'm surprised you know." She retorted, smacking her doll-hand against my forehead. "Where did you find one? They're something old... very old."

I pulled out the chains binding the Mother Slime from my VoidBag and showed her.

"Found this here. I've learned a lot since then. The barrier around the kingdom, does it have runes?" I asked.

Alalia inspected the chains for a moment, jumped off my head, and hung onto the metal. After a few seconds, she climbed back up the golden chains and perched herself on my head again.

"It's well-crafted. Looks like Fae work; they were the best at using runes." She hummed. "Yes, the barrier has runes—I placed them myself. Why?"

"Why doesn't any Terrarian use runes?" I asked, before adding: "I have an Anti-Foreigner rune. Did you use it on the barrier?"

"Anti-Foreigner?"

I simply pulled the Ice Blade from my inventory and held it above my head to show her.

"This… is strange. How do I not know this rune?" She questioned herself. I could feel the wooden doll go still, Alalia's presence vanishing from that body before returning. "It's listed, I just never paid attention… Strange. No, the barrier doesn't have that rune. I'll fix that soon."

"Just remember to exclude Jinn and me as targets," I commented. I didn't think it was necessary, but given everything, I thought it was better to be sure.

"I don't need to. If I create the rune, it'll automatically exclude you as a target and everyone connected to you," Alalia responded. I didn't need to mention Ozma, Luci, or my Nightmares. Perfect.

"As for your question: Terrarians lost the ability to use runes. Or rather, that ability was sealed. I didn't even bother telling little Lena or ChaCha about the existence of runes because of that."

...Of course. And there goes my plan to teach Dylan and the others.

Damn wall. Damn seal. Damn broken world, where everything that could help me is either faulty or sealed. Damn eye.

After a few more words, I jumped off Proto-A. I'd already said my goodbyes, but Dylan was still waiting for me in the distance.

I enjoyed the fall for a brief moment before landing and walking over to the guide.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"I need help, that's why I awakened your Aura and left Proto-A with Jinn to speed up the repairs." I pointed behind me. To Jinn. "But if it's about me going into the storm, no, I don't need help."

"You could wait for Proto-A to be ready," Jinn pointed out, following me to the edge of the storm with Dylan. "Or take me with you."

"You're my eyes and ears in the kingdom. If anything happens, just let me know, and I'll be back in seconds with the Wormhole potion."

She was also the 'key' to the Dungeon. We'd tested it minutes ago—she could open the dungeon since she was considered part of my 'party.' If something serious happened and I couldn't return, she'd pull as many people as possible into the Queen's Garden and lock everyone there.

Millia was with her too. The little slime hadn't woken up yet, something that worried me a bit, but I was almost certain it was due to the assimilation she'd done with Pink's body. Something like that should take time.

"I still think the idea of that potion existing is ridiculous. You said you have its recipe, didn't you?" Dylan asked.

"I do. The ingredients are a pain to gather. Especially the fish that swims in space." A fish that swims in space. It still amazed me. "Jinn knows it too. Just ask her later."

"Huh? Those are rare. I know a place where they're found, but it's… hard to reach." Alalia, who was in Jinn's arms, spoke up. Everyone looked at her.

"…I want the location of that place later. Actually, I want the location of many things. I'll collect on that when I get back." A month was short—at least in this case—so that would have to wait.

We also had to figure out a 'cure' for whatever the storm was doing. Alalia, Jinn, and Melissa would be working on that while I went off to do my part—basically, running around trying to find any survivors, clues about where the Eye was, the cultists, or the Eye itself.

Alalia mentioned she had an idea of how to cure them now that she knew what was affecting them. Jinn said something similar. The two had discussed it for a while, while Melissa just listened and scribbled down notes like a madwoman.

She could talk about Selina all she wanted, but they were identical in many ways. Dylan agreed with me on that.

"Why isn't she going with you?" Dylan pointed to the wooden doll.

"Because of the barrier." I gestured toward the kingdom. "She powers the whole thing. If she leaves, it all collapses."

And also… for a brief moment—it was subtle—but I could feel that the dryad was scared, shaken. Honestly, it was kind of messed up to realize that. If Alalia, who could pinch me to death, was scared of the Eye—or at least I thought it was the Eye—then what the hell was I supposed to do?

…Actually, the answer was obvious. It always had been.

"Well, that's it. I should be back in a few days. Talk to Jinn if you need to reach me." I patted the guide on the shoulder. He gave me a solemn look and nodded before I said goodbye to Jinn and Alalia.

I walked to the edge of the storm, one step away from stepping into the rain. I stopped just shy of the torrent, staring at the lightning that had suddenly shifted from yellow and blue to a dense red.

The air felt heavier. The shadows darker. I could feel something watching me, even though there was nothing there. No eyes existed… A smile crept across my face.

How familiar. Was it WinterHord? Or was it even before that? The dark had always scared me… Always…

("You know, there's still time to change your mind. There's no reason for you to go looking for whatever we'll find, not when we know they'll come to us.") Ozma's voice echoed in my memory. The (CHAT) agreed with him. I agreed with him.

Waiting might be the better option, sure… But I was tired of being reactive. I'd been caught off guard by the goblins, waited for the Deerclops to reach WinterHord, waited for Salem to reach Vale, waited… Always waiting…

…No more.

It was time to be proactive and go hunting.

"Afraid?"

("No. Not of this. And you, Devas? Are you afraid?")

"Yes."

I stepped forward.

Let's see which 'Thing in the Storm' was stronger.

[...]---[...]

You know those 'different titles'? They exist simply because I reread some Japanese Visual Novels while traveling. The naming style was something I found really cool, so I decided to use it. Let me know what you think—did you like it or not?

As for the chapter, well: the right thing to do would be to wait, prepare Proto-A, and fortify, maybe even take a risk and go to another world while this '1 month' passes. But, you know, Devas is tired of just waiting.

Being proactive in this case might be good. Who knows... Anyway, we're back to action!

As for the description of the 'disease' and everyone's Aura: the description is something I thought about carefully before writing. I liked the result. As for the Aura, well, I didn't show everyone's awakening because it would just be word filler, and, of course, I didn't want to reveal which 'chant' Devas used.

Something for the future.

I didn't rush in the first few minutes. I walked, feeling the gazes of Jinn, Alalia, and Dylan on my back, until the trees did their job of hiding me. I walked with slow steps, simply feeling the small, rapid drops of rain falling on my skin.

My casual clothes quickly became soaked, as did my hair, making the water trickle down my already wet face and drip from my chin.

The first thing I noticed was that the smell of blood and rot didn't come from the rain itself—or at least not from these drops. It was something farther away, much farther, but somehow it managed to reach me even through this curtain of water that stretched for dozens of kilometers.

I glanced around for a moment. The ground absorbed the water well, even after so many days of rain. The soil was muddy, flooded. The trees seemed shrunken, their twisted branches almost as if trying to shield themselves from the cold rain and wind.

Ignoring the loud noise of the rain, I closed my eyes as I continued walking.

I knew there was something in the storm. I wanted to know if it affected me and, if it did, whether I could detect it. I paid attention to my body's functions. I focused on my memories. I honed in on my mind. Finally, I examined my soul and my Spiritual Realm.

Nothing. I couldn't sense or discover anything. Everything seemed in order. I opened my eyes and pulled up my status screen.

[Current Status: Healthy (High-Extreme), evolving (High-Extreme), adapting (High-Extreme), headache (Minimal), wet.]

Apart from the fact that the stream found it amusing to point out that I was wet—something I absolutely wouldn't have known without its help—everything was normal.

The statuses "Healthy," "evolving," and "adapting" had always been there. Well, the first one had since I used the status screen for the first time; the other two appeared shortly after Jille but never disappeared since, only growing.

As for my headache, it was due to my "glimpse" into hell and the situation that followed. Figuring out what "The Eye," as the stream called it, was up to stressed me out—not going to lie. Still, it was already passing and was minimal.

"No The Outer Foreigner Presence," I muttered, then raised my voice: "Ozma, everything clear on your end?"

("Nothing unusual, at least nothing I can detect.") The response came a second later. ("The Nightmares are normal too.")

I licked my lips. The taste of rain was slightly salty. "That is... I can't tell if that's good or bad."

A small explosion appeared in my vision, triggered by a missile that fell like one of the raindrops.

[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]

I'm just going to ask to be sure, even though I already know the answer. In what kind of messed-up logic is not being infected by the Outer Foreigner Presence—or whatever this disease/corruption/thing is—a bad thing?! ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

"For the same reason you get vaccinated," I shrugged, resuming my walk. "Poison in small doses builds resistance, maybe even immunity. That was my plan... I don't know why I'm not being affected."

Adapting to whatever this was seemed like the best-case scenario. That's why I entered the storm unprotected. It was risky, sure, but if I couldn't resist whatever the rain carried, forget fighting the Eye—just existing in its presence would be a problem.

Maybe it was some natural resistance of mine. I could tell it wasn't my title, so it wasn't the stream. Being near the Realm wasn't ruled out either; the rain might be different deeper into the storm...

My thoughts were interrupted by several messages, all delivered by a yellow fish walking on two fins, carrying a sack on its back. It tossed the sack into the air before continuing its path until it disappeared.

The stream really liked making me look insane, didn't it?

[MagicalGirlSera-Tan]

I didn't know you were a masochist. Well, it's not that uncommon, to be honest. I've got some whips if you're interested.

(Emote of a devilish magical girl in a latex outfit)

[Darkness]

A comrade? I could teac—

[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]

Ignore her. Darkness hasn't been well mentally for a while. Aqua tried healing her, but it didn't work. Good luck with your fetishes, DS!

(Emote of a generic guy giving a thumbs up)

[AsuraLady]

When you return to my world, you have an appointment with a psychologist, and depending on how things are, a psychiatrist. It's already scheduled; she's a sweet lady. I've talked to her a few times—you'll love her!

(Emote of a lion with a pink mane smiling mischievously)

"I'm not a masochist. Glynda's the one who likes whips." I felt a vein in my forehead twitch. Maybe it was just a raindrop. "And if you come near me with one, I'll start praying in ancient Hebrew. The stream will help me perfect the pronunciation."

Even though Serafall was a Satan, I was sure it would affect her.

I ignored Darkness's and Kazuma's messages, but not before flipping off the latter, and replied to Saya: "I don't need a psychologist, but thanks for the concern."

[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]

Amazing—he doesn't even flinch… ¯\(ツ)/¯

I brushed Stark's message aside with the back of my hand and summoned the Angel Greaves to my body. The minimap showed no red dots. Given the name the stream had given the clouds above, that was surprising.

I jumped and began running upward. Within seconds, I reached the first layer of clouds. The moment I plunged into the sea of gray, I felt the air grow heavier. The atmosphere darkened—not just from the lack of light but as if darkness itself was right.

The stench of blood and decay was stronger too. I could still tell the source was distant, whatever it was, but the clouds seemed to carry— transmi t—the scent more effectively.

It was disgusting. I looked around. No eyes...

"It's worse up here," I said aloud. "What an unpleasant feeling..."

...But I still felt like I was being watched.

The sensation of being watched always existed whenever I stared into the storm. When I entered it, it worsened. It felt as if something were watching me from the shadows. Up here, in the clouds?… It was as if something were observing the back of my neck, just a few steps behind me.

With a thought, I turned and guided my mana around my body. Several lightning bolts from the storm, as if finally noticing I was up here, came straight at me. None of them were red, much less had any 'intention' behind them. I was simply the highest point and the best conductor around.

I didn't fight or resist the electricity. I just shaped my mana, creating my own bolts, intertwining them with those from the clouds, and guiding them toward the ground.

I let my body drop near where the lightning had struck and pulled out the map Dylan had given me. It was a map of the villages closest to the kingdom.

Thinking about it, I hadn't compared the world map I got from the Dungeon with Dylan's map. Something to do later.

After quickly analyzing the map and finding my location, I took off, a thin layer of Shadowflame covering my body to prevent everything around me from being destroyed.

It didn't take long to reach the first village. It was more of a small settlement, to be honest. It was empty—of both people and domestic animals. I confirmed this by circling the area and scanning everything with the Minimap.

I quickly noted it on the map, alongside Dylan's annotations. The guide had made notes based on information from the crown that Charlotte had provided him. The numbers matched. All the residents of this village had either entered the kingdom or were in its vicinity, in the newly established 'city.'

Alalia also gave me an approximate number of living beings she could sense. "The storm slightly disrupts my senses, so I might be off by a small margin," were her words. Even so, she also confirmed that there was no one here.

"Well, I guess it's better than finding a body…" If I'd found the body of someone listed as being within the kingdom, then we'd have a real problem.

The next village was in the same condition: only empty houses, no Terrarians or animals. I made notes as I did with the first and moved on.

The deeper I ventured into the storm, the stranger the environment seemed. The smell of blood grew stronger, though not as much as the stench of rot. The latter was so overwhelming I could taste it in the air.

The rain became heavier, almost as if it were falling in anger upon me. The clouds darkened further, turning to a dark gray, almost black. Lightning strikes became more frequent, moving like snakes. Red bolts began appearing closer.

It wasn't until the twenty-first village, considerably far from the kingdom and its barrier, that the environment shifted significantly. It became oppressive; the shadows between trees and the corners of houses darkened. The wind howled, like screams.

It was in the next village that I found the first body: a man—or something that resembled one. He was bloated and swollen, trapped in a flooded drainage ditch.

The corpse had clearly been there for days. I didn't know who he was, but not all the residents of this village had been accounted for, so deaths here were expected. I didn't need to get closer to notice the man's green skin—an unnatural green. When I turned the body over, facing it upward, I confirmed what I'd already suspected.

"Eyeless…" I frowned at the sight, sighed, and pulled the body into the VoidBag. "Fucking bizarre… They look like they burst from the inside out, just like Gilbert said."

A green corpse, which I was almost certain was a failed zombie, shouldn't have seemed so strange, eyeless or not. But with everything I knew, the simple absence of eyes made the body seem far more unsettling than it should.

On the way to the next village, a chill ran down my spine. I stopped the moment it happened and looked around. Something was wrong; I could feel it clearly. It took me a few seconds to realize what.

"What time is it?…" I murmured. A quick glance at my watch confirmed it was half past two in the afternoon. "Not much time has passed, so why does it feel like?…"

With a swift movement, I leapt into the air. I drew my mana around my body, creating paths for the lightning to follow into the ground, avoiding me. Then I ran through the air, heading toward the sea of black clouds above.

The stench of blood and rot hit me even harder as I entered the clouds. I also noticed something different. The sensation I felt upon entering the clouds was similar to when I entered the Vault in Remnant.

I frowned, wondering what it could mean, and swirled my mana between my fingers, shaping the wind, before slashing at the air with clawed hands.

Dozens of meters of cloud layers were torn apart effortlessly, revealing the landscape they concealed for a brief moment. Strangely, the clouds moved almost like a living fabric, writhing and quickly stitching up the tear my hand had made in their 'black canvas.'

They weren't fast enough. I still caught a glimpse of the sky behind them… A sky I hadn't seen since coming to this world.

Extinguished stars in a black sky. I probed the 'void.' My head ached…

"Of course it does…"

… Terraria's night sky.

It was night.

[...]

POV: Jinn

I looked out the hallway window aboard Proto-A. The sky was clear, the sun shining high, just shy of its midday peak. Terraria was beautiful, reminiscent of Remnant in an older era. It was nostalgic.

"He said it's nighttime?" Alalia's melodious yet serious voice came from beside me.

I glanced away. The dryad stood in her true form—the same one she had used during the conversation with Devas, or almost. Her height was different now; she was taller, nearly Glynda's height, with white hair and more modest curves. The air around her was cold.

"Winter?" I asked. "The other was summer?"

She nodded. "One of the facets I possess. It helps me think more calmly and clinically, but I don't like it much…" Her brow furrowed, and I saw frost forming at the edges of the window. "Did Devas truly see the night sky?"

"Something like it. There were no stars—or if there were, they were dim." He used that word himself, for some reason. "No moon either. At least, he didn't see it."

Not that he had searched for it. Devas had looked away the instant he realized what he was seeing.

Alalia closed her eyes, and I felt the environment around us shift, becoming an extension of her. I looked at the window again. The grass on the ground rippled, matching the pulse of mana emerging from both the earth and the dryad, blending into waves. Branches and leaves swayed, resonating with the nature around them.

Even the Terrarians who were training Aura were affected. Devas's group — along with Charlotte, Helena, Melissa, and Darnell — had their mana momentarily disrupted. I noticed a faint smile appear on each of their faces. The only one who seemed to perceive something more was Dylan, who glanced around before fixing his gaze, glowing with a blue aura, in our direction.

He observed me briefly before turning his attention to the left, where Alalia was — or at least where she should have been, were it not for the illusion projected to conceal her presence in case someone looked through the window. Dylan's brow furrowed slightly more before he shifted his focus back, closing his eyes once again, still seated cross-legged as he trained his Aura control.

He was skilled. Far better than Jaune Arc by a considerable margin. It took him no more than five minutes to start using his Aura effectively in battle.

Everyone there was highly talented, in truth. Dylan was by far the most proficient, followed by Charlotte and then Helena. The princess and the duchess grasped how Aura worked just minutes after the guide. Melissa came fourth, followed by Gilbert and Darnell, who were roughly tied. The "worst" — at least within this anomalous group — was Robyn.

Selina had not yet begun training her Aura, so I didn't include her in the list. She remained locked in the room Devas had assigned to her aboard the Proto-A, caught in a manic state of insight and inspiration.

However, if ranked by the amount of Aura, the order would shift slightly. The first and last places would swap. Robyn possessed, by far, the greatest amount of Aura. She didn't come anywhere near Devas, just as Dylan couldn't compare to him in skill, but the fox-woman had as much Aura as two or three ordinary Huntsmen or Huntresses combined.

The second-largest Aura belonged to Helena, followed closely by Melissa. Mother and daughter were practically tied. After them came Charlotte, then Gilbert and Darnell. Dylan had the smallest amount of Aura in the group, though that was by no means insignificant.

I scanned each of them before pausing momentarily on Robyn.

I had also figured out her secret within about ten seconds of meeting her in person. Aside from the distinct movements — especially in instinctual situations like fear, happiness, or excitement — inorganic materials reacted differently to mana compared to organic ones.

Being extremely sensitive to mana, it was all too easy to tell the difference between a real tail and an anal plug.

Did Devas know? … Probably — I hummed internally. He had plenty of ways to figure that out quickly. If I had to guess, it was thanks to the VoidBag. I'd have to ask him later. This was the first time I'd uncovered a secret like that without the relic telling me, and I wanted to talk to someone about it!

I turned my attention to Alalia when she opened her eyes. She blinked three times before her pupils focused.

"It's daytime… Even in the storm, I can tell it's daytime…" she murmured to herself.

"I'm sure Devas wasn't lying." I had also seen the dark sky in the broadcast. The phone was propped against the window frame.

"...I'm not saying he's lying. It's just that..." Her brow furrowed, and her gaze unfocused for a moment as she turned toward the storm. "This shouldn't be possible… Unless..."

She abruptly turned to face me. Her long white hair rippled, bringing a breeze down the hallway.

"Ask Devas how that sky felt. Just ask if it seemed like a fake sky, like a painting!"

I typed her exact words into the broadcast's (CHAT). Devas was moving as he read them. He'd resumed running the moment his feet hit the ground.

I'd thought he'd come back after seeing the night sky, but he remained within the storm.

His response came a second later, his voice serious and slightly tense:

"It wasn't a painting. Tell Alalia that fucking thing was as real as it was fake."

A low, guttural sound escaped his throat — a growl. He placed a hand on his head, a faint look of pain crossing his face, and continued:

"It wasn't the sky of this world. It was something separate. A kind of distinct dimension, or something close to it. The natural sky of this world is different from that starless sky above the sea of gray clouds..."

I relayed his words to Alalia as he spoke. With each syllable, the dryad's face grew more tense. Her brow visibly furrowed. I was sure I was mirroring her expression.

"That's why the night wouldn't end..." Alalia's words left her lips like a gentle breeze. Her gaze was shaken, teetering on the edge of terror. "An endless night"

"The only upside is that I could sense that sky had a limit... A border...." Devas's voice came through the phone. As I passed his words to Alalia, her expression hardened further. He added with a furrowed brow:

"Fuck it, what a headache. Can't Alalia destroy that sky? It'd make things a lot easier."

"Can you?" I asked.

"How would I even do that?!" Her voice rose. The air around us and the Proto-A grew colder and more agitated. "I can't even feel that sky!"

I quickly typed her words to Devas. He stopped running, stared at the broadcast screen, and blinked, confused.

"Is she messing with me?!" He shook his head, incredulous, before resuming his run. He was the only point of light and color in the storm; everything else was dark and gray, while he glowed purple, wrapped in Shadowflame.

"Throw Terraria's natural sky into the storm's sky! Push one sky against the other, create a bigger storm to swallow this one, or toss a damn star into that starless sky! Any of those options should work. Tell her to pick the easiest."

I admit it took me a few seconds to pass on the message this time. Creating a storm to swallow another was one thing… but throwing a star into the sky? Forcing Terraria's natural sky against the storm's sky?

"He wants me to create and throw a star into the sky?!"

"Or create a storm to swallow the other."

"He wants me to forcibly push the world's sky?!"

Alalia shook her head, incredulous. Where her hair touched, a thin layer of frost formed. She closed her eyes for about ten seconds before opening them again.

"I don't know if I can create a star, so forget that. Pushing the world's sky against the storm's sky is possible, and so is creating another storm, but…" She murmured to herself, biting the tip of her thumb. "I'll need more power than I can handle in my current state. That will weaken me or put me to sleep… and I won't be able to suppress those two. They'll start spreading again..."

So she could actually push the sky... I didn't even know if the sibling gods could do something like that.

I pushed my tumultuous thoughts aside and typed Alalia's response into the (CHAT) for Devas.

"Of course, if someone's keeping those two biomes in check, it's her..." Devas muttered aloud, stopping in another village. "Fine... Forget it. Tell Alalia to keep doing what she's doing. Hold those two things steady, protect the kingdom, and find a way to unfuck the sick. I'll figure something out on my end."

The look of relief that spread across Alalia's face when I relayed Devas's words was almost tangible in the air. She really didn't want to go near the storm, did she? Why?

"He knows about the Red and the Purple? Of course, he does." I heard Alalia murmur to herself before a faint smile appeared on her face. She glanced toward Devas for a moment, then turned to me.

"The matrix protecting the kingdom won't be deactivated. The barrier can be activated at any time. Are you free?" Her eyes flicked to the relic at my waist before locking onto my face. "I want to purge that eye's influence from everyone's minds. With your help, it'll be much faster."

"Devas said curing the sick is a priority. I can work on the Proto-A later." I nodded before slapping my thigh. I lifted my dress, revealing a palm mark with an eye at its center, showing it to Alalia. "And I think I know where we can start…"

The eyes in the shadows around us slowly opened. Alalia watched them with curiosity.

"It really is similar to the stag's energy… Fire against fire?"

"Insanity against insanity. I think that's the best way to describe it."

Eye against Eye.

[…]

POV: Devas Asura

I threw the green bodies into my inventory and marked the location on the map. Another village, no survivors. No animals, no Terrarians. I stored the map and kept running.

Even the number of corpses was small. One or two at most, and that was only every five villages…

("How's your headache?") Ozma's voice echoed in my mind.

("I'm fine. It's not as bad as it was after Jinn's question. A little worse than when I 'looked' at hell, that's all.") It wasn't anything serious. More shock than actual pain.

A false sky above the clouds. Well, not exactly false, but… unnatural. Damn, I hadn't expected to deal with Type-Moon-level problems so soon. Infecting Terrarians just by existing was one thing. Creating zombies and demon eyes, another. But distorting reality and creating a starless black sky? Now that was ridiculous.

Ozma spoke again a few seconds later.

("What's the plan? I have to admit, this is the first time I've faced something like this. Normally, I'd be pleasantly surprised to encounter something new, but the feel of this storm and the sight of that sky disgust me.")

("I'll explore the storm for a few days before heading back to the kingdom. I want to see if I can find anything useful.") The information I already had was good, but the more, the better. ("After that, we prepare. I want the Proto-A ready, the kingdom fortified, and everyone protected for when the shit hits the fan.")

("We'll wait?")

I shook my head. ("No. I'll return to the storm later. Alalia can't do shit against it, and I don't want her trying. Suppressing the Crimson and the Corruption is more important. I want to weaken all of this first.")

("The storm you created against Salem?") He guessed.

("That too. The Hallucination Storm is an option, but it's not the only thing I'm considering.") My storm was too small to handle this on its own. ("Killing the Eye is the main goal. Once it's dead, the storm and the starless sky should disappear.")

("You're hiding something.")

("You know me so well already?") I joked.

He scoffed. ("I'm in your mind, or almost. It's easier to notice things here. Besides, I'm old; I've learned to read people.")

("Fair enough. I have an idea that could weaken the starless sky, but it's risky. I'll need to do some calculations with Jinn when we're back.")

("Math and magic. This will either go very wrong or very right.") Ozma hummed. ("What happens in each case?")

("If it goes wrong, I'll screw myself over or die. Probably the latter, if it goes very wrong. If it goes right, the Eye dies and… well, all's well that ends well. At least, I hope. At the very least, the storm and the starless sky should weaken.")

("And this is just two days into our time in Terraria.") He pointed out.

("Crazy, isn't it?")

The connection went silent before he snorted and laughed. Then he replied, ("I'm here for whatever you need. I might not be the greatest magic expert in Remnant, but I'd say I'm in the top three.")

("I'll count on your help later, then.") I replied, ending the conversation and focusing on my surroundings.

I kept heading toward the coast. I should reach BlueHarbor in a few minutes. Gilbert had asked me to check on Simon and the village if possible, so I would, even though it wasn't a priority.

As night fell—the real night—the environment grew even darker. The sky became a black canvas, illuminated only by lightning, which now flashed entirely red.

I knew it was water raining down. I made sure to analyze the droplets with Analyze: Item every few minutes. But whenever the surroundings were lit by the red lightning, it looked like it was raining blood.

"Paranoia-inducing hellhole," I muttered, checking my status.

Still normal. No The Outer Foreigner Presence.

Nothing appeared on the minimap. No red dots. Only the occasional yellow ones representing animals—a setting I had activated. But even those dots began disappearing until no life remained apart from vegetation.

I stopped in place. A shiver ran down my spine. I scanned the area using all my senses and the minimap, but nothing. No insects, no small or large animals. Nothing. Life had simply ceased past a certain point.

The farther from the kingdom, the less life, until there was none…

Absolutely fantastic.

The worst part wasn't the absence of life but the absence of bodies. No corpses, no traces. Just a silent, empty forest, save for the incessant sound of rain.

I had the sudden urge to burn this entire place—forests, villages, mountains. Everything under this rain…

I circulated mana through my body and took a deep breath, activating Sun Breathing to the max. I looked around again. I could still feel gazes coming from above and the shadows of the trees. I resumed running toward the shore.

It didn't take long to find the fishing village we'd visited on the way to WinterHord.

The optimistic part of me still hoped to find people. Terrarians alive, hiding, even if marked and infected by the presence of that thing... The pessimistic part—the realistic part—knew there wouldn't be anyone.

That's why I hadn't hurried. Why I hadn't rushed full speed to this village, even with Gilbert asking me to check it.

There was no point in rushing. Visiting a graveyard didn't require urgency, even when it had no bodies.

BlueHarbor was empty too.

[...]---[...]

An arc I wanted to post some time ago, just like Village Jille and WinterHord. I really like Terraria's arcs.

Well, regarding the chapter: a lot of stuff has been discovered, a lot of stuff is about to happen, and 'The Eye' is stronger than expected by many people.

I won't go on for too long, as always: good Night and happy reading! Comment, and I will reply with my best, without giving spoilers.

Finally, the storm. Devas has finally stepped into it—some things will happen, others won't. I've read some comments and theories, some good, others more far-fetched. Interestingly, this is the first time no one has a solid guess about what's going to happen.

Feel free to comment if you want—share a theory or whatever comes to mind. I'll reply as best I can, as long as it's not a spoiler.