Entering the gray gate, Ellis found himself overwhelmed by unbearable pressure. Luckily, it came and went just as quickly, leaving him gasping for air in another place.
Cough, cough.
Kneeling on the ground with his chest heaving up and down, Ellis coughed his lungs out, struggling to shake off the discomfort that had assaulted him. It took him a moment before he could finally catch his breath.
Then, raising his head and looking around, he discovered he was in a barren land. There was nothing at all, just plain, endless ground stretching as far as the eye could see. And most strikingly, the world around him seemed to have lost its color entirely.
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[You have entered an area not supervised by the Twilight Codex.]
[Being outside the reach of the Twilight Codex for a long period of time is dangerous. After a certain duration, you risk losing access to your system window.]
[You are recommended to return immediately.]
Before he could look around further or check things in more detail, system messages suddenly appeared before him. Reading them carefully and recalling how the system messages were usually notifications sent to everyone, while this time, they were addressing him specifically. Ellis immediately understood that his situation was even more abnormal than his initial assessment.
He tried once more to scan his surroundings, hoping to find at least a gate that could take him back. But in the end, he found nothing.
Aside from the gray sun, or perhaps it was more accurate to call it a gray moon, as it emitted a faint, distant light that barely illuminated the horizon and everything around him, there was truly nothing else in sight.
Ellis couldn't help but feel his resolve wavering. With everything around him seemingly screaming that his choice had been the wrong one, from the desolate surroundings to the absence of a gate to return through, and finally, the Twilight System's ominous warning.
Still, knowing there was no turning back now, he steeled himself. He checked his backpack to make sure everything he had brought was still there, then set his sights on the distant light. With nothing else to guide him, he decided to make it his goal, the only thing that seemed to offer any hope in this bleak situation.
…
An hour passed without him coming across anything along the way, not a single change in the barren landscape, and not even the faint light seemed to grow any closer. Still, he continued his walk.
Three hours went by, but once again, nothing changed. Seeing how the light didn't appear to move at all, Ellis became convinced that this place really wasn't just another world but a dungeon. The light wasn't a sun or a moon; it was something unique to this dungeon, as it held the gray color… the same color of the gate he had entered through.
Six hours passed. After walking continuously for so long, and not being accustomed to this kind of physical strain, Ellis finally began to feel the exhaustion setting in. Realizing he had no idea how long he might end up staying here, he decided to take a rest.
Ten hours passed. After filling his stomach with some food and drinking a little water, Ellis realized the light was still far out of reach. A creeping sense of panic began to settle in, but knowing there was no other way forward, he gritted his teeth and pushed on.
sixteen hours passed. Though it seemed like the distance had closed slightly and the light had grown a little brighter, Ellis still didn't feel reassured. Deciding to rest and prepare himself for what seemed like an endless journey, he chose to sleep for a while.
Nearly a full day had passed. When Ellis woke up, feeling somewhat refreshed, he resumed his march once more.
A day and a half passed. Taking breaks along the way, Ellis felt like he was on the verge of losing his mind from the eerie silence that enveloped the place.
Even as he sensed himself making progress, he couldn't shake the feeling that this entire situation was far too abnormal.
Two days passed. Finally, Ellis could tell he was getting closer to the light. This realization sparked a glimmer of hope, and with renewed determination, he kept walking.
Two and a half days passed. Ellis began to feel a strange pressure emanating from the light, but instead of fear, it filled him with joy. To him, it was a sign that the journey was nearing its end, after all.
Nearly three days had passed, but instead of joy as the light, the goal he had been striving toward, seemed to grow closer, Ellis felt despair.
His food, water, clothes, and so much more were deteriorating, corroding, or more accurately, disintegrating slowly right before his eyes.
But worse than that was the pressure.
It weighed on him relentlessly, and he couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that if this continued, he might never reach his goal.
Sitting on the hard ground, Ellis first filled his stomach with all the remaining food and drank every last drop of water.
He had tried his best to ration everything at first, but had he known it would come to this, he wouldn't have bothered.
After finishing, Ellis opened his status window.
[Status]
Name: Ellis Miller
Race: Human
Title: (Unique Monster Killer)
Level: 13 (EXP: 11,500/40,000)
[Attributes]
Strength: 29
Agility: 27
Stamina: 26
Vitality: 27
Mana: 61
Charm: 25
Luck: 23
Unassigned Points: 65
[Blessings:] Subtle Soul Rebirth (☆☆☆)
[Innate Talent:] Evolutionary Pathways
[Skills:] Basic Spearmanship Lv.2, Basic Knife Mastery Lv.4
Fortunately, the system was still working despite the earlier warning when he entered the gate. So, while hoping nothing would go wrong, Ellis finally decided to invest his Unassigned Points.
[Stamina: 26 -> Stamina: 41]
[Vitality: 27 -> Vitality: 77]
As the changes took effect, he could feel his body strengthening, and for the first time in a while, he felt relieved. The oppressive pressure that had been eating on him now seemed almost negligible.