"So… what is it that you want me to do?"
Instantly, the instructor's voice thundered inside my mind—so vivid it felt as though he were whispering directly into my ear.
"What I want you to do is—"
He paused, drawing a long, deliberate breath.
Then, with a chilling calm, he spoke.
"We want nothing from you… except to devour them."
…Hah?
For a moment, I couldn't process his words.
Did he really say… devour them?
These revolting monsters?
They wanted me to eat them?!
Without thinking, the protest escaped my lips.
"Impossible."
Before the situation could escalate, I forced myself to calm down and shut my mouth.
The instructor fell silent for a brief moment, then replied curtly:
"In that case, consider your survival impossible as well."
He continued in a frost-bitten tone.
"And do not think we are the only ones who will profit from your consumption of them. You, too, shall benefit. Do not fret over the taste—here, you possess no sense of flavour."
I cursed inwardly.
No.
First of all, regardless of how hideous they looked, one of them had originally been human.
Did they truly expect me to become a cannibal?
The thought alone made my stomach churn.
And why did he keep speaking in the plural… *we*?
Noticing my silence once more, the instructor attempted to persuade me.
"First, you are not in the physical world, Russell. You are within the space of your own consciousness."
"You do not need to eat them physically. This space is your private domain. All you need to do is command it to consume them."
Despite the urgency in his voice, I didn't believe it was that simple.
If it were…
Why hadn't they done it themselves?
Why search for others?
Why subject countless people to long, agonising experiments?
Because they were afraid.
Afraid of risking their own skins.
Only a fool would believe his words blindly.
"Don't even dream of it, Instructor," I snapped. "I won't do it. My life is on the line here."
With the same hauntingly calm tone, he replied:
"We will not merely kill you, if you think that is all."
"We will make you crave death—physically and mentally."
"We will shatter your dignity, strip you of your humanity, and turn you into a vessel of humiliation… even after your life is spent."
I was speechless.
What kind of wretch could utter such words—
With this much poise?
With such a steady voice?
A cold shiver raced through my body.
My face darkened as the memory of that cursed orphanage director flashed before my eyes.
Rage surged within me.
So did the crushing weight of my own weakness.
Would they have dared to threaten me like this if I were strong?
Of course not.
"At least," I said, my voice bordering on surrender, "tell me the risks… if the experiment succeeds."
With his habitual coldness, he answered:
"By consuming them, you risk losing control."
"You may transform into a beast… like Instructor Bam."
As expected.
I wasn't shocked.
Nor was I afraid.
Everything I had endured since my kidnapping—the academy, the experiments, the relentless traumas—had dulled my emotions to an eerie degree.
Something like this couldn't be without danger.
"Then," I asked, "what are the expected benefits?"
"The goal?"
"By consuming these beasts and overcoming the madness," he said, "your chances of passing the rituals will soar."
"Upon passing the Awakening Rituals, you will immediately ascend to the Veteran Level…"
"…even while you are still at Level Zero."
My breath caught.
Veteran Level?
Instantly?!
That was nearly impossible.
Reaching that rank normally required at least twenty years of slaughtering monsters.
Then where was this power coming from?
Power sufficient to elevate me so far, so fast?
"Instructor," I said carefully, "forgive me if I sound sceptical… but that is impossible."
With this deliberate doubt, I was trying to extract information—anything that might reveal the true purpose of this trial.
Minutes passed.
Then his voice returned, colder than before.
"It seems your arrogance has gotten the better of you, Russell."
"Do you truly expect us to reveal the secrets of our research to you?"
"Enough with these delusions."
"You are not that precious to us."
"There are other specimens."
"And if you die… we lose nothing."
"So do not test our patience."
Silence followed.
I weighed my options.
There was no other path.
Either a death that would delight my enemies—followed by endless desecration…
Or compliance.
And the faintest sliver of hope for future survival.
I chose the latter.
Without hesitation.
After he explained the method of assimilation, I acted.
I bound them first.
Then I ordered my consciousness to consume them.
Before my eyes, the two beasts began to disintegrate into raw energy.
Gradually, they merged with the void itself.
The moment the assimilation was complete, my vision blurred.
Nausea surged violently through me.
Time passed.
The sickness slowly faded…
Only to be replaced by a searing headache that felt as if my skull were splitting apart.
Insane thoughts flooded my mind.
Great waves of madness crashed against me without mercy.
I was like a small boat trapped in the heart of a massive tsunami—fighting relentlessly to stay afloat.
Then, suddenly, my thoughts imprinted themselves onto reality.
I found myself inside that very boat.
The wood groaned.
Splinters cracked apart.
The waves grew more violent.
The storm intensified with every passing second.
The boat began to break apart.
Cracks spread beneath my feet—right to where I sat.
The sun of hope neared its setting.
The despair of night crawled in, inch by inch.
And just before the world succumbed to total darkness…
Something strange happened..