The first time his sanity stat went down, he ran, fighting his thoughts. He hadn’t noticed any difference then, but this time was different. Seeing the loss of that one point, he felt as if any desire to live was flowing away with it. What was happening didn’t matter anymore.

  Do they think he’s some kind of demon?

  Okay.

  Will they torture him again?

  Fine.

  Will they kill him?

  So be it.

  Instead of worrying about such things, he looked at the luminescent marble floating just below the round vault of the room. Even though it made no sound, he could almost hear the quiet buzzing of light bulbs lighting up his face. Like the last time.

  For a moment, he could have sworn that on the chair across from him was sitting his reflection, staring at him with contempt. If that’s what the difference between two and one point of sanity looked like, having zero, Orion would most likely just cut himself off from the world, simply losing his mind. He didn’t even notice when the door to his round cell opened and a group he knew entered.

  “You… woke up.” Egill said hesitantly.

  He heard a voice, but at that moment it might as well have been the rustling of leaves. Orion really had to strain his willpower to start thinking again. When he did, the first thing that came to his mind was: Why? Was it fate? I was destined to die this way. Since I somehow survived, fate is making sure it will work this time. Yeah, that sounds… uh, I don’t care.

  His thoughts once again went into disarray, but he forced himself back to consciousness. Orion had to admit that he felt ashamed to allow himself to fall into such a state. He had always given priority to his mind, but now it was adamantly refusing to cooperate.

  “What, you didn’t think we’d figure it out? At least you could’ve come up with a better story.” Avir said. Although Orion didn’t catch the first sentence, with each word, his focus returned. “By the way, you forgot something.”

  Having said that, the shadowy lizardman smiled, then tapped his finger on the cheekbone, pointing to his eye. Not understanding the gesture, Orion raised his eyebrow.

  Seeing his reaction, Eyharnis sighed, and an oval shape appeared in front of her face. She walked up to the table and placed a mirror on it, pointing it so Orion could see himself.

  Seeing his reflection, he immediately understood. His eyes have changed. Now they looked like Neru’s eyes… but not quite. Yet, he had seen this version somewhere before. His irises were silver and, like his friend’s, gave the illusion of a delicate glow, but it was their structure that stood out more.

  It looked as if they were made up of thousands of shards of broken glass. He had to admit that just looking at it felt quite disturbing, but at the same time he somehow knew why their texture looked exactly like that. It was said, after all, that the eyes are the windows of the soul.

  Looking back, it occurred to him that apparently he already had those eyes the moment he got out of quarantine. That’s when the System, taking the form of his double, showed it to him first. However, by adding the blue robotic lines on its skin, Orion interpreted them as another difference from the original.

  Driven by this thought, he realized a certain connection. The System told him that his soul looked like ‘an unstable fusion of buildings, through which a flood first passed, and into which someone decided to throw a grenade’. It was then that he realized how meaningful the comparison was.

  The fusion part didn’t need much explanation: it was the result of eating all the beasts, being basically the naked soul itself. The flood part reminded him of the moment of his death. As he was drowning, he wanted to embrace the water, waiting for the blissful relief it brought. It’s also possible that it was a metaphor for the time differences within him. Although this part was not entirely certain to him, the last one seemed to clearly relate to a specific event.

  There was a moment when he felt as if a grenade had literally exploded inside him. It was when Neru tried to inject his strength into him. He had this feeling then that if he stepped on the ground too hard, his ‘body’ would fall apart.

  But he dismissed those thoughts, remembering again the friend he’d seen only minutes ago. Though Neru’s eyes were cold silver, Orion could not associate them with anything apart from a kind, warm look. ‘Find them and tell them.’ That was the task Neru had left for him.

  How am I supposed to find them if I’m in some other world? Besides, if what they said is true, this world has some kind of blockage, he thought. Though the turmoil in his head threatened a sudden return, he rejected it again. He promised himself he would return a long time ago. Orion promised that he would avenge Martha and Byton. No matter what obstacles fate decides to throw at him. He’ll use them to make himself stronger.

  “Hey, System. Why did you throw me into another world? Didn’t you say that after tutorials everyone goes home? And yet here I am, chained to a chair, in some goddamn foreign world?” he said aloud, hoping that the being that defined itself as the supreme law of reality was listening. “You said you scanned my memory, so you know what has been my main goal for some time now. And yet, you took that opportunity away from me. Why?”

  As he finished, he barely restrained himself from shouting the final words. Silence followed, broken only by Avir’s laughter in the background, which he simply ignored. The moment dragged on without a response, but finally, a message appeared before his eyes.

  [Essence pattern inconsistent with the original record of the integrated beings.]

  This message confirmed only his suspicions. He had changed during his stay in the universe’s garbage dump and was no longer recognized as an Earth native. He even had to come up with a name for the race. Lowering his head, he sighed, resigned.

  Although he received an answer, it wasn’t what truly mattered to him. The thought that, among the corpses present in the tutorial, could’ve been someone from his family still weighed heavily on his mind.

  [Do you consent to share your personal data, on a one-time basis, to establish a connection? Y/N]

  His eyes widened and he exclaimed.

  “Yes!”

  [Waiting for a response]

  ***

  These pathetic excuses of humans had only gained a few levels on simple missions. They hadn’t seen a single monster in three whole months, and now they expect to be treated as equals?

  No.

  Jack and his bunch had worked hard enough. Each of them had entered the combat tutorial, and although they hadn’t participated in the same instances, upon completion they were back together. Now was their day to live their new lives and take what was rightfully theirs. Kicking down the door, they found the entire family inside.

  “Mommy’s pretty good too.” Terry said with a laugh.

  Jack walked in, and in a fit of excitement, he started smashing the furniture with his mace, causing the women to scream. “Muuusic to my ears!” he said happily.

  He savored the moment. Four people huddled together, fearful of his power. Each step filled him with satisfaction at what he had accomplished and anticipation of what was to come.

  Yet, something else came. Before he laid his hands on his prey, he felt his hair stand on end. Out of pure instinct, he turned around and saw a figure in the doorway who had just pulled the katana off his friend’s back.

  According to Jack, only seconds had passed, and now he was the only one left alive. The newcomer was moving like lightning, probably even having around a twentieth level. He desperately tried to decide: jump out the window or try to run past this monster.

  They were supposed to have a great time, but instead, a young man appeared, dressed in what looked like a hybrid of light leather armor with gilded elements and a brown robe. His green eyes and mostly black hair gave the impression of an ordinary young man, but a few stray strands of bright yellow suggested he was something more.

  Bursting into the room in the blink of an eye, he killed, like he had a lot of experience in it. Walking towards Jack, the man stopped suddenly, staring at the blank space in front of him. The last whispers of hope told him that perhaps the man saw Jack as the leader he truly was. He was about to speak up and say he’d give him a chance and let him live, maybe even make a deal, but the man beat him to it.

  “Orion? Is that really you?” said the man, with an undisguised hope in his voice, still looking up into the air.

  What fucking onion? Jack thought, confused.

  ***

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  A new element appeared in the lower left part of his vision.

  [03:56]

  His brother’s voice echoed in his head. It was a rather peculiar feeling, but he ignored it, overcome with relief. He was genuinely worried that Robert might’ve been among those corpses. But hearing it, despite being chained and in another world, made him happy.

  “Yeah, that’s me. It’s good to hear from you, little brother.” Orion said, smiling. His voice was trembling. “I was afraid that… something might have happened to you.”

  “I should be the one to say it! Aah, wait. Give me a sec’. You, get the fuck out. You have a lucky day. What… not through the window, you idiot! Go. I’ll walk you outside, and if I see you again…”

  “Is everything alright?”

  “Yeah, I had to take care of something. I have so many questions. First, are you okay? What the hell happened to you? Where have you been? And where are you now? I’ve been looking for you for so long.” Robert said, hurriedly. “We’re home. I’m with Mom and Emma. I mean, they’re a few floors down. They’re fine. Me too. We don’t know where you and Dad are yet.”

  “Hah, slow down. How am I supposed to answer all this?”

  “One by one!” Robert shouted, joy clearly audible in his voice.

  “I’m glad you guys are together. As for your questions… Well, I’m good. I think you may have a pretty good idea, what really caused me to disappear.”

  “I saw that presentation, they were bragging about your program.”

  “Yeah, they showed it to me, too. I was in… uh, let’s just say where I was, it wasn’t very nice. Anyway, it’s all right now.”

  “You sure? You sound different. And you speak differently. Not as robotic as before, but also weird.”

  “Robotic? What? Weird how? Ah, it doesn’t matter, we don’t have time for this. I have some bad news about where I am now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a long story, but I’ll make it short… a few things happened, and it seems like the System kinda threw me into another world.”

  “What?”

  “I’m serious. I don’t know how long I’ve been up, but I haven’t seen any sun here. The sky looks odd. There’s a giant planet out there, a bit like Mars, but very close to us… or maybe far away, but then ‘giant’ would be an understatement. This could be the main light source. Ah, it doesn’t matter now. Listen, because it’s very important: there are many races here. From weird shadowy lizardmen to floating crystals that throw jokes. But there are also demons that can take over people’s bodies.”

  Orion paused for a moment, partly to catch his breath, partly to quickly think about his next words. He still wasn’t sure if he was being told the truth, but he couldn’t pass up this chance to warn the people of his world.

  ”Supposedly, when this world finished its integration, these cunning bastards took human form and drove away other forces from the multiverse who wanted to help here in some way. “ Orion continued. “People I’ve met have told me that there really is such a thing as The Adventurers’ Guild, and they supposedly help newly integrated universes. I don’t know what you’re going to do with this information, but perhaps it can be spread somehow and prevent a tragedy.”

  “Aah, wait, that’s a lot… But… Ugh, okay, never mind. I'll digest it later. So, in short, demons bad, guild good?”

  “Yeah. Apparently there are also some churches that help with this, but if I understand correctly, it depends on what they are faithful to.”

  “Ugh, I’m gonna have to think this through more carefully, but don’t worry. I’ll try to get the word out. But why didn’t you end up with us? The System said that family members should be teleported rather closely together.”

  “Like I said, a few things happened. Looks like I might have trouble getting back. Because of these demons, I’m told this planet has some kind of blockade, so I don’t know when or if I’ll even make it.”

  “It’s alright. Some day, we’ll see each other. The important thing is that you’re all right. Man, I was so worried. Did you know they hired your double who played a prison break?”

  “They had indeed said something about it. Robert, I need you to listen to me. We’re running out of time. Take care of yourselves, and be careful. It could get very dangerous.”

  “Just chill, Ori. Your little brother’s strong now. We’ll manage. You, too, be careful.”

  “I hope you find Dad.”

  “Uhm, we’ll find him for sure.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I kinda promised someone I’d tell you. I met the sexy Lord of Dreams.”

  “Uh, what? What do yo…”

  The connection cut off, and Orion couldn’t stop smiling. Even though it was only four minutes, he managed to find out that most of them were intact, and Robert knows everything he needs to know. He also wanted to know what was going on with his workmates, but he would rather not burden his brother.

  [Sanity +1 (2)]

  Huh, he thought, noting that the overwhelming listlessness with which he had been fighting fiercely a moment before was now like a distant memory. No longer having to devote his full attention to keeping focus, he heard Zaiah speaking.

  “I am not a crystal! Well, in a way, I am, but that’s like calling you just a meat.”

  “Ugh, sorry about that.” Orion said, feeling as if a giant burden had been lifted from his shoulders. “Actually, what’s the name of your race?”

  “I’m proud to be an Eliko. They say we are the children of mana itself. Which, by the way, suits me very well. I don’t know how you can live, knowing what your parents had to do to…”

  “Don’t waste your words.” Avir interrupted. “What were you trying to accomplish with this show? Besides, I’m not weird.”

  “I had to take care of something.” said Orion, still unable to stop smiling. “So, what are you guys planning to do with me? I thought you were just gonna examine me when we got into town.”

  “Oh, you’re gonna be examined. Deeply.”

  “Is this some kind of proposition?” Orion asked, moving his eyebrows suggestively.

  “Guys…” Egill started but paused, looking towards the oval door. Noticing this, Orion followed his gaze and saw a man of considerable age standing there.

  His two-meter-tall body and skin covered with many scars warned people to stay away from this man. It didn't help that one of his eyes had an ugly scar across it and was noticeably paler than the other, healthy one. His other, cold blue eye stared at him with a searching gaze. His image was somewhat softened by his short gray hair and old beard.

  A rather distinct posture and elegant robes, a combination of blue and white, decorated here and there with silver linings, suggested a high position. The gleaming armor visible under the robes and the thick pauldrons hinted at the nature of his profession.

  Even though Orion didn’t sense anything a second ago, now he felt like he was looking at death itself. The man emitted a pressure so strong that he thought that it would crush him. If it weren’t for one fact that contradicted everything, Orion would probably have lowered his gaze already, driven by pure fear of looking directly at him. This terrifying man was holding a donut in his mouth.

  “Do not mind me.” the man said, after chewing for a moment. His voice was quite rough but clear.

  “Grand Inquisitor!” the group exclaimed, bowing their heads. Well, everyone except Zaiah, who only briefly levitated a little lower.

  “I apologize for being late. They have some rather delicious mudles here.” the man stated as he walked in. Seeing that the group had no intention of continuing their conversation, he said. “Well, then let us not waste any time. I have already reviewed the presented information. Leave us alone.”

  The group began to leave. It seemed that Egill wanted to say something more, but finally, he didn’t dare. After they left, the man closed the door and pressed against it a flat, hexagonal stone with strange symbols inscribed on it. A second later, the symbols flashed, and the stone emitted lines that circled the walls of the room. The man took his hand away, but the object remained in place.

  “My name is Saun Otter. I am the Inquisitor of the Church of Liberty.” said the man calmly.

  “I’m Orion. I’m… I used to be a programmer.” he replied, smiling slightly.

  Amid the suffocating aura surrounding Saun, he had to admit that it was difficult for him to speak. But he would rather not show his fear. As for revealing his profession, he had already told the others that he was from another world. The man before him probably knew that, too.

  “Oh? And what is that?” asked Saun, as something appeared before him that looked like four miniature globes, but instead of a planet, in each was a crystal coin with mysterious symbols engraved on them.

  While Orion was explaining roughly what a programmer does, the man arranged the objects around him and then sat down in the chair opposite. A moment later, another object appeared from the air, looking like a giant magnifying glass with many gems sticking out of its frame.

  “How interesting. Do you know why you are in this situation?”

  “Well, I’ve learned the history of demons in this world, so it’s logical to suspect others. I didn’t expect to be knocked unconscious and wake up in handcuffs, though. Oh, and I didn’t even know I have different eyes now.”

  “An unusual coloration or eye fracture, though rare, is not uncommon. However, the look of yours… I have never seen anything like it.”

  “Uhm, actually, I shouldn’t be surprised that something like this may happen. All this news about magic, mana and so on hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”

  “Some factors related to our classes or skills may affect our overall appearance. The problem is, you just do not have a chance of getting it at the first level. These are things that you acquire by following a path that defines who you are to some degree.”

  “Oh, so they probably thought I was cheating on my status or something.” he said, reminding himself that the System was saying something about identification skill.

  At the mention of skills, Orion glanced at the icon and opened a window. He soon noticed a change in the list. The question marks have finally been replaced. Immediately focusing on it, he extended the skill description.

  This… he thought, but was pulled away when the Inquisitor spoke again.

  “However, I know that the world is not that simple.” said Saun, after nodding in confirmation. “That is why we are here, and I will find out if the claims from the young ones are true.”

  “What will it be like? To be honest, I was expecting an interrogation with a beating and maybe some other fun stuff, but it doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen.”

  “It will not be painful, but the process is not comfortable.” Inquisitor said, running his fingers over some gems. “In short, I am going to look into your soul.”

  That said, the coins in the globe-like objects placed around Orion began to spin. This rotation accelerated, making the now blurred coins look as if they were actually spheres in their place. Soon the objects began to emit a delicate milky glow, causing his body to look as if it had paled.

  The Inquisitor raised an object resembling a magnifying glass and looked through it at Orion. The gems on the frame also lit up, looking like Christmas lights. Orion felt as if the very essence of his being was being viewed. At this point, he had no secrets from the man in front of him.

  A moment later, the Inquisitor’s skin also turned pale, and he frowned.

  *1. Eliko – The name of the Zaiah race, inspired by the Hungarian words ‘él? k?’ meaning living stone.

  *2. RIP Terry.