As they both turned to look at Lethis, his entire body froze in shock. He didn't even know what to say.
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. He just stared at them in silence while they stared back, their expressions cold and unreadable.
Panic surged through him. He tried to steady his breath, to think of something—anything—that could make them change their minds. He opened his mouth to speak, to defend himself, to beg—
But before he could, the mysterious man lunged forward with almost inhuman speed.
A split second later, Lethis was yanked off the ground, his throat caught in an iron grip. He flailed desperately, his hands clawing at the man's wrist, his legs kicking uselessly in the air. His choked gasps filled the air as he struggled against the inevitable.
The mysterious man gave him no chance to fight back. His fingers tightened like a vice, cutting off every last breath.
His lifeless body swinged in the air; his eyes still wide with terror.
Lethis's thrashing weakened. His movements slowed, then turned sluggish, and finally… stopped.
Mortis watched, silent and still. A deep fear crept into his heart as he realized something chilling—if another problem arose on their way to the aptitude test, he might end up just like Lethis right now.
Right now, he was nothing but an ordinary mortal. A bug that could be crushed at any moment by this mysterious man.
This strengthened his resolve once again.
'I will do anything… even if I have to burn the entire world to ashes. If that's what it takes to gain power, to reach my ultimate goal—true immortality—then so be it. Let it all burn.'
He felt not the slightest bit of remorse for Lethis. He had just transmigrated into this world a few days ago—why should he care? Lethis had been nothing more than a stranger to him. And even if he had been his closest friend, his brother, his lover, or even his own blood, it wouldn't have mattered. If they stood in his way, he would dispose of them without a second thought.
Whether by choice or by sheer misfortune, those who obstructed his path would be erased.
It was that simple.
Clearing his thoughts, Mortis carefully asked, "Sir, how should we handle the body? We need to make it as bloody as possible to at least slow the monster down for a while."
"Just wait a moment. I'll take care of it," the mysterious man replied.
With that, he grabbed Lethis by the collar and vanished in an almost inhuman speed, heading in a different direction.
Mortis stood alone for only a moment before the man reappeared, as if he had merely gone for a casual stroll.
Only now, his robes were stained with fresh blood.
"We should hurry," he said nonchalantly. "If we don't put enough distance between us and that thing, our little distraction might not work. And if that happens, we'll have no choice but to fight again… and this time, we'll probably die."
Mortis gave a respectful nod. "Yes, sir."
With that, they turned and sprinted toward the bottom of the mountain, moving in complete silence.
After a while, the mysterious man finally spoke.
"If you successfully make it through the aptitude test, I suggest you join our organization. Normally, I wouldn't make such a recommendation—I have no reason to care about some random mortal—but I have to say… your mentality and intelligence are exceptional."
"If you'll successfully make it through the aptitude test, I would recommend you to join our organization. In normal situations I wouldn't recommend like this too anyone, after all why should I care so much, but I must say your mentality and intelligence to be really good on mortal. Someone with your ruthlessness without even a second of hesitation of killing of another mortal would fit greatly into our organizations."
Mortis glanced at him, slightly surprised.
"Someone as ruthless as you, who doesn't hesitate to sacrifice others, would fit in well with us," the man continued. "You'd do well in the Myriad Demons Academy."
Mortis felt a flicker of interest.
"Sir, may I ask more about this academy?"
The mysterious man smirked. "We specialize in fire and dark magic. Our only rule? Strength is the only thing that matters. You can do whatever you want—as long as you don't kill fellow members. Injuring them, though? That's fine."
A twisted philosophy… but one that resonated with Mortis.
"Thank you for the recommendation, sir. If I get the opportunity, I'll definitely consider it," he replied with a polite smile.
But inwardly, his thoughts churned.
'I'll weigh my options first. I need to see what else is available before making a final decision.'
Still, he had to admit… the academy's ideals aligned quite well with his own.
|>>======|✦|======<<|
As the sun set, the sky was bathed in hues of orange and red. Night was creeping in, but fortunately, they were nearing the bottom of the mountain.
The monster was nowhere in sight.
Thanks to Lethis—who had very voluntarily stayed behind as a corpse—their plan had worked. The chaos the monster had caused at the mountain's peak had driven all the weaker creatures into hiding, leaving their path mercifully clear.
In the end, their descent had been smooth.
By the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, night had fully fallen. Thankfully, they were now outside the mountain and the danger zone. Here, monsters were very rare, and those that still lurked in here were so weak that, even mortals could kill them.
The night air was bitterly cold, so instead of heading straight for the testing grounds, they put more distance between themselves and the mountain, ensuring their safety before searching for shelter.
They found the best refuge available in the area—a massive tree with a wide, dense canopy. While it didn't shield them from the cold wind, it at least offered some protection from potential rain.
Using dry branches they had gathered along the way from the bottom of the mountain, they built a small bonfire, its flickering flames providing an illusion of warmth against the night's chill.
Sitting by the fire, Mortis stared into the calm, dancing flames, trying to ease the stress that had accumulated from all the running and near-death encounters.
Across from him, the mysterious man did the same, his expression unreadable. It was impossible to tell what exactly he was thinking.
Mortis reflected on the events of the past two days.
'If I had made just one wrong decision… I would have died right on the mountain.'
This world was truly terrifying, but strangely, despite the constant danger, he found it exhilarating. Back on Earth, a threat of this scale was unheard of—unless war broke out.
But here? Danger was constant. Death lurked around every corner.
And yet… despite its horrors, the advantages of this world outweighed its drawbacks—at least for him.
Magic. Power. Endless possibilities.
Perhaps, in this world, he could truly achieve his ultimate goal.
Still, something felt… off. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like this world was drowning in madness.
'Mortals are treated like insects. Simply walking outside can get you killed by a monster—or a Magus. Death is everywhere.'
'This entire world is insane… but why?'
'Could it that this world has some kind of will? A force that ensures the balance of the world through this insane settings?'
He knows too little. There are too many unanswered questions… The missing memories from the day of his transmigration, the existence of poker and now the potential existence of something like world's will… There is too many mysteries and unknown factors.
With a quiet sigh, Mortis turned to the mysterious man, who remained motionless, gazing into the flames.
"Sir, may I ask you something?"
"Talk." the man replied.
Mortis hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had haunted him since that dangerous encounter on the peak of the mountain.
"Do you know what that monster was? The one we saw at the mountain's peak?"
It had been his most desired question ever since he first laid eyes on it—watching as it slaughtered all the candidates, the carriage personnel, and nearly him as well. If not for the mysterious man's quick thinking, they would have surely been torn apart and made into monster's snack.
The man let out a slow breath before answering.
"Well… I must disappoint you. Even I don't know exactly what that thing was. But I can tell you this—if there's anyone who could face it and survive without suffering fatal wounds, they'd have to be a Rank 2 Magus. Or maybe even Rank 3."
His words carried a weight of experience, and for the first time, there was a faint trace of melancholy in his eyes.
"Rank 2… Rank 3…"
Mortis mulled over the significance of those words.