Chapter 177: Dead World 2
The higher he ascended, the heavier the crimson aura of death became. An indescribable pressure weighed upon his consciousness, making even breathing feel difficult. The silence was absolute. There was no wind, no sound, only the endless presence of death surrounding everything.
Finally, he reached the summit.
Standing at the peak was a lone figure.
Its body was completely covered by a dark crimson aura that constantly drifted around it like living mist, concealing every detail. It possessed a humanoid shape, yet it had no facial features, no eyes, no nose, and no mouth.
The figure simply stood there in complete silence, facing the endless crimson world below, as though it had been waiting for someone to arrive.
The figure didn’t even turn toward the dragon, as though it wasn’t aware of his presence at all. The dragon quietly observed the mysterious being standing before him, yet the longer he looked, the more confused he became. He couldn’t tell whether the figure was alive or dead. It felt alive, yet at the same time it felt completely dead. The two contradictory sensations coexisted without rejecting each other, as though the very concepts of life and death had lost their meaning before this being.
The dragon instinctively took a slow breath and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. For the first time in countless years, he didn’t know what he should say. Back in the world of the living, he was the strongest existence. Every conversation had always been on his terms, and every being either respected him or feared him. But here... standing before this silent figure, he no longer possessed that confidence.
For the first time in thousands of years, the dragon felt like the weaker one.
After several moments of silence, the dragon finally made up his mind. He took a slow breath and, for the first time in thousands of years, discarded his pride. Looking at the silent figure standing before him, he spoke in a calm, respectful voice. "I don’t know who... or what you are. I entered this place out of curiosity. I had no intention of disturbing your rest or intruding upon your memories. If my actions have offended you, then I offer my apology."
He lowered his head slightly before continuing, "I only wish to leave this place."
The figure remained completely motionless. No response came. The dark crimson aura surrounding it continued to drift quietly, as though the dragon’s words had never been spoken. Yet that absolute silence was far more terrifying than any threat the dragon had ever faced.
After that, the dragon tried saying many different things, hoping for even the slightest response. He apologized, explained why he had come, and even promised that he would never intrude upon this place again. Yet the figure remained completely motionless.
Finally, after exhausting every thought he could think of, the dragon felt genuinely helpless. Then, almost instinctively, he spoke the very words that Asher still remembered even after death—the very foundation of his consciousness.
"Freedom... and Peace."
The moment those words left the dragon’s mouth, the figure finally reacted.
It slowly turned its gaze toward the dragon.
The instant that gaze fell upon him, the dragon’s entire body froze. He felt death standing only a single thought away. At that moment, he understood something terrifying. The being before him didn’t need to move or attack.
If it simply wished for his death,that alone would be enough to kill him.
The figure looked at the dragon for a brief moment before speaking in an indifferent voice.
"A dragon is still left?"
After another glance, he slowly shook his head.
"No... you’re too weak."
A faint trace of disdain entered his voice.
"You’re just a lizard."
The dragon felt a surge of anger upon being called a lizard, but he didn’t allow even the slightest change to appear on his face. He remained completely silent.
Before the dragon could say anything, the entire crimson sky was suddenly swallowed by endless black fog. It poured across the heavens like a living ocean, spreading in every direction until not a single trace of the crimson sky remained.
The figure glanced at the black fog overhead and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"It hasn’t even been a second since I woke up... and you’re already here."
The figure ignored the black fog completely before looking back at the dragon. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke in a calm voice.
"I don’t have much time, it seems." His gaze remained fixed on the dragon. "But you... what is a living being doing inside my consciousness? There is no reason for someone like you to be here, inside the consciousness of a dead person that is slowly fading away."
The dragon lowered his head slightly before replying, "I came here because of my curiosity. But now I’m unable to escape. Could you send me back?"
The figure looked at him for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle.
"Why are you asking a dead man for help?" He slowly shook his head. "I can’t even leave this place myself, let alone send someone else out." After a brief pause, he added, "But don’t worry. You’ll leave soon enough. When I finally disappear today... this consciousness will collapse on its own, and you’ll naturally be thrown back."
The figure looked at the dragon before speaking in a calm voice.
"Don’t worry. You won’t die."
He glanced toward the endless black fog covering the sky.
"That black fog can never completely kill a living being that hasn’t reached its destined death, especially when it isn’t even trying to kill you."
After a brief pause, he added,
"There is a chance you’ll be thrown into another consciousness after this one collapses instead of returning directly to your own body."
He shrugged indifferently.
"But you’ll survive either way... so don’t worry."
The dragon slowly let out a breath after hearing those words. The tension that had been gripping his mind eased slightly. At the very least, he now knew that he wasn’t going to die here.