The Dungeon collapsed like a world that had lost its foundation.
Black cracks spread across the air, as if space itself was being torn apart and devoured by the void. Broken stones floated for a mont before falling into bottomless rifts of darkness. The scent of tal and blood mixed with the hiss of wind that sounded like it ca from outside reality.
Then I saw it.
The creature stood tall, around three and a half ters, with a dark brown chitinous body reflecting a dull gleam from the dying Dungeon light. It resembled a forest beetle. Six thin wings were folded tightly on its back, clear structures that looked fragile. Six long antennae curved forward like demonic horns.
Its hundreds of dark, compound lenses stared straight into .
For a mont, I was frozen.
Every instinct scread that I shouldn’t even consider fighting it. I quickly activated [Eye of Desire], and its information appeared.
_____________
NA: Axis
RACE: Insecta
CLASS: Apostle of Space
RANK: EX
_____________
My chest tightened.
EX...?
"What..." I muttered under my breath.
I had never heard of Rank EX. Was it above SSS? My gut told yes. Could sothing like this even be considered a creature that humans could fight? The strongest humans in the world only ever reached Rank SSS, and only five people in history. And right in front of now... sothing beyond that.
I could die at any mont if it simply decided so.
I had to be ready to run.
My only hope was [Ti Stop].
But just before I could give the ntal command... that damned System slamd a new curse into my skull.
[Hunter Quest Generated]
_____________
[HUNTER QUEST]
OBJECTIVE:
Death of the Apostle of Space
TI LIMIT: -
REWARD: 15000 EXP, 2 New Skills, 2 Random Items, Tower of Space Key
[Accept: y / n]
_____________
I cussed so hard in my head.
Of course. Of course that shitty System just woke up and chose violence today. Kill that? I was scared to even stand near it. How the hell was soone as weak as supposed to kill this thing? Apostle of Space. Rank EX. Every word there scread hopeless.
But... there was no penalty. No ti limit. And the reward was insane.
Maybe... just maybe... I could kill it during [Ti Stop]?
Honestly, even without the quest, I was already planning to try killing it. It clearly ca looking for . If I ran, it would just co back later.
I looked at it.
I didn’t know if it understood human speech... but a being like this had to be intelligent.
"...Who are you?" I asked, not expecting an answer.
It stared at for several seconds. Still. Unmoving. Only its eyes pulsed faintly, as though analyzing every piece of my existence.
Then its mandibles split apart... and a distorted, buzzing voice crawled out. The sound was filtered through an insectile throat—yet unmistakably shaped into human words.
"How pathetic... that a frail creature like you is the Archon of Ti..."
I raised an eyebrow slightly.
Archon of Ti?
"But out of courtesy... I am Axis. Apostle of Space."
I tried to make sense of it.
I am the Archon of Ti? What does that an? Is it related to my Class? Or to the System I possessed?
Axis spoke again.
"I have... just descended from my dinsion. In my weakest state.... yet it is still more than enough to kill you."
Chills shot down my spine. Cold sweat slid down my temple. My pupils narrowed as survival instinct scread nonstop. There was no more ti.
[Ti Stop]
The world froze. Dust hung still in the air. Falling stones hovered, defying gravity.
And most importantly, Axis was motionless.
A wave of relief washed over .
I glanced at the corner of my vision.
[09:56...]
Ti was ticking.
I hurried—almost sprinting—toward Axis. My heartbeat thundered against my skull. Finally, I stood right in front of it. So close... my reflection appeared on its chitin armor.
I raised Mindrender, the cold tal crawling into my bones. Holding my breath, I put everything I had into a swing at Axis’s chest.
CLANG!
A dull clash echoed through the frozen world... leaving not even a scratch.
I gritted my teeth and attacked again—its eyes, its abdon, its jaw, its seemingly glass-fragile wings.
TAK! TAK! TAK!
Nothing.
"...dammit..." I whispered, feeling despair crash down.
I was like a fly pecking at steel. Impossible. Completely impossible to damage it.
"Co on... CO ON!" I snarled, attacking again.
Sa result.
Not a single mark.
Panting hard, lungs burning, I knew finishing the quest was hopeless.
I looked at the tir:
[07:23...]
Shit. I wasted so much ti on a dood attempt.
I quickly weighed my options. I could hide inside the Dungeon until it collapsed and forcefully expelled . Or escape through the Dungeon gate. I was almost sure the creature could track .
So I chose the only option that made sense.
I turned and ran full speed toward the gate.
Frozen dust scraped across my cheeks as I passed. Suspended rubble shaped a deadly corridor that looked ready to crush the mont ti resud.
And at last, the gate appeared.
A dark brown vortex that usually spun slowly... now still as a glass painting.
[01:09...]
I didn’t know if the gate would work while ti was frozen. But since things I touched ca alive even in stopped ti, the odds were good.
My hand touched the dinsional surface.
ZZT.
The portal stirred again. Just my presence made ti move inside it. Without hesitation, I leaped through.
The world changed.
City air. Street lights. Tall buildings.
And... corpses.
All the officers I saw alive earlier now lay dead. Judging by the lack of backup, the massacre had just happened. A few civilians stood frozen in terror. So looked like they wanted to scream.
Axis must have done this before I got out.
I cursed under my breath and sprinted toward a crowded area, hoping people around could hide my presence, or at least delay the monster from acting openly.
I pulled out my phone, breathing unevenly, and scrolled to a contact.
Delilah.
And waited...
[00:00]
[Ti Stop Has Ended]
The world breathed again.
Wind stirred. Car headlights flared. Shouts and horns pierced the night. The people who were motionless now chatted, laughed, and took pictures of the evening scene. Everything returned to normal...
I imdiately hit call.
The dial tone rang and my heartbeat climbed with it.
I’d told her earlier not to leave her house and stay away from . But I wasn’t sure she’d answer.
The call connected.
"Delilah. Pick up now. Wellton Cross Street. Hurry! There’s a weird monster that can talk! Save ! Hurry up!" I said, a bit panicked. I called her just in case that creature followed .
She hung up without saying a word. But I wasn’t worried. My command was absolute to her.
I walked slowly, trying to calm down. Sharp, fearful looks from everyone stabbed into . Only then did I realize I was drenched in orc blood.
Their gazes reminded of the past, fear and anxiety rising again. But then... a faint smile tugged my lips. I wasn’t the victim anymore.
I still wore the [Faceless Mask]. No one knew my real identity—what they saw was Jas Raffles. Looked like the guy was going to have so problems because of . I’d apologize later.
Since this guy’s got an NTR fetish, as an apology I guess I’ll have to fuck his wife or his girlfriend right in front of him.
So people raised their phones, watching suspiciously. Probably thinking of reporting a murder suspect casually strolling around.
I tried to ignore them.
But—
Axis appeared right beside .
And reality around us collapsed.
CRAAASH!
People and cars were thrown like cloth dolls and crushed into bloody paste before they could even scream. The air sliced open by incomprehensible power.
I froze.
Axis tilted its head, antennae vibrating.
Its droning voice ca out, heavy and cold:
"Did you just... escape by stopping ti?"
A heartbeat of silence.
"...How shaful."
Every hair on my body stood up. My knees trembled.
Axis raised one of its arms, sharp like a guillotine.
And I knew...
Death was two inches away.
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