Cia's revelation.

[Quest: Survive. Rewards: ???]

"Why is there a quest for survival?" Harry asked, panic creeping into his voice. He had a vague idea of what it meant, but he hoped he was wrong.

"Because, according to this system, your chances of winning are close to zero.".Krish answered with a hesitation.

Before Harry could question Krish further, the door swung open.

A middle-aged man in a white robe entered, followed closely by four others. Even at a glance, Harry could tell this man was powerful. Beneath his flowing robe, he wore reinforced armor, making it clear he wasn't just some ordinary interrogator.

Adjusting his robe, the man stepped forward and took a seat across from Harry. The others positioned themselves strategically in the dimly lit room.

Harry steeled himself and asked, "Who are you, and why did you kidnap me?" He was nervous, but he refused to show it.

"It's unfortunate that you'll never know who I am, but what matters is what we want from you," the man said in a measured tone. "So, let's not waste time. Start talking. Give us all the information you have."

"What kind of information?" Harry asked cautiously. If all they wanted was knowledge, maybe he could say something to secure his freedom.

"We want to know why that girl is in the normal world. Answer truthfully, or we have other ways of making you talk."

Harry frowned. "What girl?"

"Don't play dumb. We've seen you with Maria. It's surprising that someone as weak as you is associated with her, but it works in our favor. Now, tell us everything you know."

"Maria? I've never heard that name."

The man shook his head, unconvinced. With a sharp clap of his hands, the door swung open again. A woman in a similar white robe entered.

She sized Harry up and asked, "Are you sure we won't need him later?"

"I only need the information. You can proceed," the man said, motioning to one of his subordinates.

A burly man stepped forward and grabbed Harry's wrists. He struggled, but his resistance was pointless—the man's grip was like iron.

The woman placed her hand on Harry's forehead. Her expression remained neutral as she channeled some kind of energy into him.

White, mist-like particles seeped from her hand into Harry's head. A moment later, her face twisted in alarm, and sweat beaded on her forehead. She gasped for air, as if something had drained her strength.

Seeing her reaction, the middle-aged man moved swiftly, striking her elbow to break the connection. "What happened?" he demanded.

Still trying to steady her breath, she replied, "I couldn't access his memories. It's as if a supreme power is already protecting his mind—something far stronger than anything I've encountered before."

Before the man could respond, the door burst open. The guard restraining Harry collapsed, unconscious.

Standing confidently over his body was a familiar figure—Cia.

The speed of the attack left Harry stunned. He barely had time to process what had just happened.

Cia met his confused gaze and said, "Sorry, you got caught up in this because of me."

Harry had countless questions, but he knew this wasn't the time to ask them.

After confirming that Harry was unharmed, Cia turned to Python and ordered, "Take care of them. I'm heading back."

Python nodded, swiftly knocking another enemy unconscious.

Cia and Harry left the warehouse, revealing a secluded area in the middle of a dense jungle—nearly 50 kilometers from Princeton University.

They drove back to the city and stopped at a restaurant. Python joined them shortly after, though Harry couldn't understand how he arrived at the same time despite them leaving first.

"Did you find out who sent them?" Cia asked Python.

"No, madam. They are bound by some kind of oath, but I've put our sources to work. We should know soon.

"Also, it's not safe here anymore. Your father has ordered us to return to the academy as soon as possible."

Cia's expression darkened. "Who told my father about this?"

"Pardon me, but I did. I needed his resources to track down the people behind this, and naturally, he found out."

Cia pinched the bridge of her nose. After a moment of thought, she sighed. "Fine, we'll leave. But first, I need to talk to Harry."

"Understood. I'll book a private room."

Once inside the private room, Cia met Harry's inquisitive gaze and began explaining.

"I don't know how much you heard from those men, but I'll tell you everything I can."

"My real name is Maria, and I'm from a place called the Domain. It's a world normal people can't access, inhabited by powerful individuals with abilities beyond human limits."

Harry's expression shifted as he tried to process this.

"If you think the whole world is unaware of this, you're only half right. High-ranking officials in the government know about the Domain. There's an agreement between them and our people—neither side interferes with the other's affairs."

"People from the Domain aren't allowed to leave unless they have a good reason. I came here because we detected an unusual energy in the normal world, but we haven't located its source yet."

Harry felt overwhelmed. He had suspected Cia and Maria was same, but the existence of an entire hidden world? That was beyond anything he had imagined.

"Where is this other world?" he asked, though he doubted she'd answer.

Cia hesitated before speaking. "You've been friendly with us, so I'll tell you. It's not that big of a secret anyway.

"The world is called the Domain, and there are different gateways to enter. The closest one to us is in Mount City. I can't tell you more, but if you do some research, you'll find plenty of clues."

She stood up, signaling that the conversation was over.

"Thank you for saving me. I'd like to meet again," Harry said, extending his hand.

Cia shook his hand warmly. "We will," she said before leaving.

Now alone in the room, Harry's attention was drawn to a floating screen.

[Congratulations on completing your first quest. You survived without injury.]

[Rewards: Your awakening will begin.]

A sharp pain coursed through his body. It felt as though every cell was being reconstructed from the inside out. He groaned in agony before blacking out.

Some time later, a knock at the door roused him.

"Sir, your time is up. Could you please vacate the room?"

Dazed, Harry got up and opened the door, only for the staff member outside to recoil in disgust, covering their nose.

Confused, Harry looked down at himself and realized his body was covered in a black, sticky substance. The stench was unbearable.