I awakened slowly, my senses piecing themselves back together while a dull ache spread across my body. The first thing I became aware of was the weight. A suppression that made even the smallest movement feel delayed, as though my body and will were no longer fully aligned. My eyes opened after a moment, adjusting to the dim light of a large enclosed space, and as my vision steadied, I realized I was no longer in the streets of Ture.
I was in a hall.
It stretched wide, built from dark stone that shone from time to time with strange lights, the ceiling rising high above with pillars lining the sides in symmetrical order. Chains held me upright, wrapped around my wrists and anchored behind me, keeping me fixed in place. When I tried to shift, even slightly, the restraints did not simply resist; they seemed to suppress, draining strength before it could fully gather.
In front of me stood five figures.
Each of them wore the same black robes I had seen before, their tall, thin frames unmoving as they held out one hand each, a strange flame burning above their palms. It was not fire in the usual sense. It burned black, consuming light instead of producing it, the edges of the flame distorting faintly. All five flames were directed toward me.
My gaze shifted beyond them.
At the far end of the hall, slightly elevated, a throne stood, carved from the same dark stone as everything else, but far more intricate in design. Upon it sat a man.
Tall even while seated, his posture relaxed, one arm resting against the side while the other lay across his lap. His skin carried that same faint bluish tint, his emerald eyes fixed on me with full attention. There was no hostility in his expression, but simple curiosity.
I focused briefly.
[Believer Gin– Level 99]
"...Great," I muttered under my breath.
The man rose slowly, stepping down from the throne with ease before stopping a short distance away, his gaze never leaving mine.
"I am Ubai Hefu," he said, his voice smooth, carrying clearly through the hall without needing volume. "Commander in charge of this city."
He studied me for a moment longer before continuing.
"Tell me," he said, "who are you, and where do you come from?"
I let out a small breath, tilting my head slightly as if considering the question.
"I’m a human," I replied. "Male, around 20 years of age. Been walking around. Thought I’d visit."
One of the figures behind him shifted slightly, but Ubai didn’t react. If anything, the corner of his mouth curved just faintly.
"Interesting," he said. "You choose to answer, yet provide nothing of value."
I shrugged as much as the chains allowed.
"You asked."
His eyes narrowed just slightly.
"We already know your identity, prince," he said evenly. "We also know that you should be dead by now. But operations can fail so that is alright but that raises the question... why are you here, and not in the tutorial?"
I held his gaze.
"How would I know?" I replied.
There was a pause, brief but noticeable, before he continued.
"You entered this city alone," he went on, his tone still measured. "You broke through a reinforced barrier and fought against forces far beyond your level. You injured one of my elites. That is not something an ordinary participant does. So I will ask again... how did you grow so strong so fast?"
I let out a small breath.
"Gym," I said casually. "You know, lifting weights and all that. I used to do a lot of squats too. Not sure if you’d know about those though, considering all of you are so thin and lean... legs like candles."
This time, one of the robed figures stepped forward, his eyes boring holes through me, but Ubai simply watched me, the faint curve at his lips fading as he regarded me with a more focused gaze.
"And why attack this city?" he asked.
"I did not attack the city," I replied. "Did you see me do that?"
Silence stretched for a moment. Then he turned slightly, glancing toward the others.
"It seems," he said calmly, "that cooperation is not something we will receive voluntarily."
He looked back at me.
"In that case, we will proceed differently."
He raised one hand slightly.
"Take him," he said. "And ensure he receives proper treatment."
The chains tightened briefly, then released from the floor, though they remained bound around my wrists as the five figures stepped forward in unison. I didn’t resist. Not because I couldn’t try, but because there was nothing to gain from it right now.
They escorted me out of the hall, moving through corridors built in the same dark stone, the architecture consistent, and devoid of any unnecessary decoration. Eventually, we reached a chamber where an old mechanical lift stood, its metal frame worn but functional, cables running upward into darkness.
They stepped onto it, pulling me along.
The descent began.
The lift creaked as it moved, lowering us slowly, the light from above fading as we went deeper underground. After what felt like a long descent, the space opened up into a large chamber carved beneath the city, the walls lined with rows of cells, each one enclosed by thick bars.
It was quiet. So quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.
They led me across the chamber and stopped at one of the cells, opening the door before pushing me inside without ceremony. I stumbled slightly as I caught my footing, turning back just in time to see the door close, the locking mechanism engaging with a dull, final sound.
Without another word, they left. I stood there for a moment, letting the silence settle.
Then I looked down at the chains.
I tried to pull.
I focused, trying to gather strength, to force it through my body the way I always had, but the moment I attempted it, the same suppression kicked in. The energy didn’t respond the way it should. It faltered, as if something was interfering with the connection itself.
"...That’s annoying," I muttered.
I glanced around.
Every other cell was empty. Not a single occupant in sight.
It was just me. I assumed even the prisoners must have been whisked away to the tutorial.
I exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly against the wall as I began thinking through options, running through what I knew, what I could try, what I might have missed but suddenly I heard a whisper.
"Billion... is that you?"
My eyes widened instantly.
I pushed myself off the wall and stepped closer to the bars, scanning the space.
"Yes," I said quickly. "Who’s there?"
There was a slight distortion near the edge of the cell.
And then someone stepped through.
Not from the door. He passed through the bars themselves and collapsed forward onto the ground inside my cell.
For a moment, I just stared. The man’s condition was bad.
Really bad.
His clothes were torn, barely holding together, his body covered in wounds, some fresh, some old, his skin marked with patches of infection that bubbled unnaturally. His breathing was uneven, weak.
"Knight?" I asked, dropping down beside him.
"...yeah," he replied hoarsely.
My mind kicked into motion instantly. I opened the system window and purchased the highest-grade healing potion I could afford. The vial appeared in my hand, and without wasting time, I opened it and poured it into his mouth.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then everything did.
The change was immediate. The infection receded first, the bubbling patches flattening and fading as his skin restored itself. The wounds began to close, torn flesh knitting back together while his breathing steadied. Even his hair, patchy and uneven before, grew back into place, dark strands settling around his shoulders.
He exhaled deeply and pushed himself up slightly, looking down at his own hands.
"Fuck..." he muttered. "I thought I was dead."
I leaned back slightly, letting out a small chuckle.
"Not yet."
Now that he was stable, I got a proper look at him. Lean build. Tall. Black hair falling to his shoulders. Dark eyes steady now that the pain had faded.
I checked.
[Defier Human – Level 32]
"...How did you end up like this?" I asked.
He exhaled slowly, leaning back against the wall.
"Bad luck," he said. "I got reincarnated right in the middle of a fight. Took over a body that was already dead, big wound across the torso."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"I was born as a prisoner. Apparently, the guy whose body I took over had killed the city mayor’s family."
I frowned slightly.
"And?"
Knight gave a small, tired laugh.
"They were believers," he said. "But they were starting to turn. Becoming defiers."
He tilted his head back slightly.
"So he killed them before they could switch sides. This guy was a hardcore believer you know. The crazy type."
He looked at me again. "And now here we are."