Author's Note:
This chapter should be read BEFORE Chapter 6.
-----
"Comes after?" Maxwell asked, his voice shaken.
"Yes," the mysterious voice replied without missing a beat.
"What could possibly be more terrifying than the world cleansing itself?"
"You will naturally know when the time comes, so no rush," the mysterious voice said leisurely.
"Otherwise, it won't be entertaining for me when you finally encounter them."
It chuckled, clearly enjoying Maxwell's predicament.
'If you don't have anything useful to say, then don't talk, hoarse voice!' Maxwell cursed inwardly.
"Whether or not you get a good laugh from my performance later doesn't matter to me," Maxwell said through clenched teeth. "All I want is to not be cleansed."
"And you naturally will," the mysterious voice replied casually. "With me here, you don't have to worry about anything. Just sit back, relax, and wait to be cleansed."
The voice burst into laughter.
At this point, Maxwell felt that if the mysterious voice had a body, it would probably be clutching its stomach and rolling on the ground in amusement.
"Wait to be cleansed? Like hell I will!" Maxwell snapped. "I'll get out somehow—just try me!"
"You get nine points from me for confidence, if nothing else," the mysterious voice said approvingly. "Even knowing you can't do anything, you still talk big. But make no mistake—being brave and being stupid are two entirely different things."
'Tell me something I don't know. I hope you choke on your spit and get run over by a car—nine times, you damned voice!'
And yet, the voice still had the gall to laugh.
When I get out, I'll skin you alive!
Maxwell paused. Wait… does he even have a body? Whatever, I'll figure something out.
Such was the inner turmoil raging within Maxwell at that moment.
"What's with that expression?" the mysterious voice asked. "Naturally, you won't die here under my watch. Just listen to me without interrupting, and if I ask a question, answer it properly. Understand?"
The voice paused briefly before continuing.
"Where you came from, were you taught about where neovano creatures are formed, or where they come from?"
"Of course I know where neovano creatures—wait, what are neovano creatures?"
Maxwell stopped mid-sentence, only realizing too late that he had no idea what they were.
'I've followed my studies diligently. How could there be something I don't know?'
The thought frustrated him deeply.
"I naturally expected you wouldn't know, so don't fret over it," the mysterious voice said. "If I'm not mistaken, where you came from, they should be called dimensional creatures or broken spawn."
"Wow, I almost flipped there," Maxwell muttered. "Who would've thought those abominable creatures had more than one name?"
"I naturally would have thought so," the mysterious voice teased.
'What do you mean by that? Never mind—this guy's a weirdo.'
Maxwell returned his attention to the display panel, waiting for the mysterious voice to continue. That was when something unexpected caught his eye.
Bloodline Heritage (Locked): Passive Healing — Stage (1/5)
"Hmmm… Bloodline heritage?" Maxwell mused. "Isn't that something only people with super special bloodlines have? Those two definitely didn't have any outstanding talent."
His thoughts drifted to the past.
He remembered a time when his father had been cooking, cutting onions carelessly, only to slice his own finger. When he yelped, his mother rushed over—only to grab the knife and continue cooking, promptly cutting her own finger as well.
The memory put Maxwell in a nostalgic mood.
'If anything, those two definitely had outstanding talent,' he sighed inwardly. 'Just… not the kind most people talk about.'
"Hey, are you listening?" the mysterious voice snapped. "I said it's possible to be smart if you actually read your books and engage in intelligent conversation."
'Great, this guy is still here.'
Maxwell considered asking about the bloodline, then shook his head.
Never mind. I'll figure it out myself. Might as well treat it as a challenge.
"As I was saying," the mysterious voice continued, "neovano creatures are also known as dimensional creatures. Just use whichever name fits the situation—and try to use the term people around you are familiar with, unless you want to make things awkward."
"Neovano creatures come in many types and sizes, possessing a wide range of abilities and appearances. But in the end, just like humans, they are ranked based on strength."
"Humans are ranked Dormant, Diamond, and Legendary. The key difference is that, unlike humans, these creatures have little to no self-control. They will attack on sight—hungry or not—so be careful. Avoid places that seem dangerous, and don't tempt fate."
As the mysterious voice finished speaking, Maxwell heard a sound—like a lock clicking open.
Behind him, a door appeared.
It was brown, plain, without any strange fluctuations or aura. Just an ordinary-looking door—like one you'd find in any normal house.
Yet there was something different about it.
The door radiated an irresistible pull, compelling Maxwell to reach out and touch it—much like how a child feels upon seeing a toy they desperately want for the first time.
"Try to survive, boy," the mysterious voice said softly. "I have high hopes for you."
Maxwell tried to say something more—
SNAP!
In the next instant, he found himself in a completely different place, his senses reeling.
"What the hell is this place?!"