Noah, Sirius, and Neriah stayed in the room with Enel until he drifted back to sleep from mental exhaustion. Sirius and Neriah dozed off on chairs beside Enel's bed, while Noah, unable to sleep in the uncomfortable position, stepped out onto the balcony to get some fresh air and relax.
"I've been through a lot today, huh? Enel being kidnapped and tortured by Derek... beating Derek half to death and sending him to the hospital... finding out that September is a member of the Fourfold Council—a group I know nothing about but seems important... way too much has happened in just 24 hours. I also need to look into that gospel, 'Litany of the Psalm'... If I'm right, the book I found—'We Are Not Human'—might be a copy of that gospel," Noah thought to himself, recalling the day's events, especially the book he discovered in the library.
"A lot of crazy stuff is happening. And on top of that, there's a killer wandering the university freely. My relationship with Luo Yan… and then there's Kali. I can still use her, but maybe I should tell her the truth—that I'm just a piece of trash trying to exploit her... I promised I would change, didn't I?" he reflected anxiously, remembering the growing weight of his problems.
"But if I want to change, what direction should I take? Should I pretend to be a hero trying to help those around me? Or should I act like a villain trying to destroy everything? Either way, I'm just pretending. Do I really need to change? What does change even mean? I still don't know what I want, or which path I'm going to take. Every road looks blurry and closed off…" he thought, lifting his head to look at the glowing silver moon lighting up the night sky.
"...Derek was right when he called me the delusional actor. All I know how to do is pretend. Everything I'm chasing is just an illusion... I'm just a stranger to this world—or maybe that's all I am. A stranger. A side character. Maybe that is my path..." Noah mused, growing more unsettled the more he thought.
"...I need advice from old man Eldon to figure out who I really am," he decided, then forced himself back into the room and sat down on the rough wooden chair, trying to fall asleep.
[Would the host like to activate special training?]
"Ugh... please."
Noah closed his eyes and drifted into sleep. His body relaxed so much it felt like it vanished. He suddenly found himself in a thick, inky black space. In the far distance behind him, stars shimmered faintly like specks of light. Though his mind could process what he saw, he felt like he was slowly sinking—as if falling into a bottomless sea. The deeper he sank, the darker his mind became, and his awareness dulled with each passing second.
Then, Noah opened his eyes and found himself in the "Other Realm"—a vast green plain stretching to the horizon, beneath a clear blue sky with the sun shining brightly overhead. As always, the same towering tree stood proudly in place.
[Welcome to the "Other Realm," Host.]
"Is the system getting more friendly? Maybe that's because of the progress in our relationship. Looks like it's paying off," Noah thought, remembering when he was rewarded for strengthening his bond with the system.
[Mission: Kill Nocthyrs 0/10 (Incomplete)]
[Rewards: Full physical restoration, 1000 Gacha Coins, A-Rank Skill 'Aegis of Elysium']
"No need to remind me about the mission every time, you bastard," Noah thought, irritated, and sighed.
"Everything should go fine... right?" he wondered, glancing sideways at the floating screen.
[Mana Sensitivity Proficiency: 37%]
Suddenly, from nowhere, a thick black fog like smoke spread out across the area around Noah, blocking the sunlight. A chilling cold ran through his body, making him shiver. At once, he lost all his senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, taste—everything was gone.
[The host's calm is maintained by the passive effect: Frozen Mind.]
Noah took a step back and turned his head, though all he could see was the same black screen you see when falling asleep.
"Last time, the Nocthyrs didn't move until I did. It's their way of terrifying prey—stripping away senses to make your mind imagine there's someone nearby. When nothing happens, you start questioning yourself: 'Why is nothing here? Am I exaggerating? Is this a dream? A nightmare?' Their hunting method is truly terrifying. Staying calm is the only defense, and luckily, I've got a passive for that," he thought, analyzing the situation, though his body still trembled from cold and fear.
The Frozen Mind effect has its limits—it calms confusion, anxiety, fear, and mental noise—but if the fear itself is what Noah is thinking about, the skill can't suppress it. It's like he was inviting the fear by focusing on it.
Noah held his position and took a deep breath, even though he couldn't feel the air. His senses were completely dead. Then, a thick, white, rippling aura surrounded his body.
"This... this is my mana field," he thought in a mix of anxiety and awe. To his shock, he could feel the mana surrounding him—its density, its pressure. Despite its lightness, it brought a strange comfort.
"I can't believe this!—" he thought excitedly. But the mana field vanished immediately, though for a moment, his senses returned. He saw light replace darkness and looked up—one of the Nocthyrs, cloaked and hooded, charged toward him, swinging a scythe. Noah narrowly dodged it, thanks to his 'Foresight' skill.
He raised his eyes again, but darkness returned, and all his senses vanished once more.
"W-What just happened?!" he thought, alarmed.
For a moment, using Mana Sensitivity had caused his field to appear, and his senses returned—but just for a second.
"Could this be a loophole? Or a trap? I shouldn't get too excited... These monsters are smart. There's no way they'd let something like this slip... unless this is their limit!" he thought, smiling faintly and nervously.
"The Nocthyrs steal physical senses with black fog. But physical senses are tied to the material world. Mana, or rather mana techniques—often called the 'extended hands of the spiritual world'—are tied to a completely different plane! What if that's the key?! What if they can't steal both because they belong to entirely separate categories? Maybe they have to return the physical senses to steal the spiritual ones… This... this is a loophole!" Noah thought, thrilled. He had found a flaw in the system—an opening he could exploit to win.
"It's worth trying again," he decided, then summoned his mana field once more. Instantly, it disappeared, and his senses returned. In that fleeting moment, he saw a group of Nocthyrs standing before him, watching from under their tattered black cloaks. Just for one second, both sides stared at each other. But Noah caught their confusion as they saw his crooked smile.
It didn't last long. Noah's senses vanished again.
"I can do this!" he thought, grinning in tense excitement.
Then, he cast a wide, invisible mana field around him using the "Influence Field" skill, covering up to 500 meters. He couldn't feel the field extend, but he knew it was active.
"I can't move while casting the mana field—it requires too much focus. But I can attack from afar," he thought. He placed both hands behind his back, summoning a flame in his palm—then noticed something odd.
"Wait, why can I feel heat—" he thought. Suddenly, a blade pierced his shoulder, and a wave of sharp, electric pain surged through him.
"AAGHHH!" he screamed, though he couldn't hear his own voice. He swung wildly in front of him, but someone grabbed his arm. He felt something strange—slimy, soft, and wet—as if someone was licking his hand like it was a piece of tender meat.
Noah gasped in a strange, sharp "HICK!" sound, paralyzed by terror. He tore the blade from his shoulder and jumped back in a panic, clutching the wound, feeling the hot blood flow. But the sensation faded just as quickly—the pain, the blood—gone.
"They won't let me act freely, huh? I should've expected that… Fine. Honestly, I'm a bit grateful I have no senses right now—that pain was unbearable. But this is a problem—I don't know how bad my injury is or what my limits are... Maybe retreating and coming up with a new plan is the smart move..." he thought, turning his head left and right despite his lack of orientation. Then, he smiled faintly.
"But I'm just a stranger. And strangers pretend to be strong... and that's what I'm good at," he thought. He stayed in place and summoned the mana field again. His senses returned. A Nocthyr swung a scythe at him, and Noah reacted instantly—punching the creature in its metallic gut, which felt like iron. Flames exploded from his palm, blasting the Nocthyr away. But before he could see it fly off, his senses vanished again.
"This is what I'm good at—acting, lying, deceiving, faking… heh… If a lie is what keeps me standing, then let it be stronger than your truth," he said, smiling into the void, even though he saw and heard nothing. The words echoed in his thoughts.
Suddenly, his sense of touch returned. The Nocthyrs were about to move again. Before they could strike, Noah used "Influence Field" to teleport himself into the air. Above the fog, his senses fully returned. He could see the Nocthyrs glaring up at him with confused, angry faces, their expressions exposed under the sunlight.
"Look at you—your confusion, your frustration, your anger. I can see it all! I wish I could show you how pathetic you all look right now! But you won't live to see tomorrow!" Noah shouted, grinning madly as he tore off his cloak and wrapped it around his arm like a fist while descending.
He dropped into the black fog, surrounded by Nocthyrs. His senses vanished again, but he had memorized their positions. He punched one, sending it stumbling. Then, ice burst from the ground around him in sharp spikes.
"This is Rael and Akoloth's technique I saw in their memories," Noah thought. The ice scattered the fog and restored his hearing—he could hear it cracking and shifting.
"They're coming!" he thought. His right hand ignited in flame. He swung it in a circle to ward them off. It worked—he heard shrill, almost bleating female screams. The sound pierced his ears. He heard fire burning, ice melting. Then he felt the cold water dripping on his skin, and the sharp pain from his earlier wound returned.
[Strength stat gained]
[Level Up]
[Agility stat gained]
[Intelligence stat gained]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Strength stat gained]
[Level Up]
[Speed stat gained]
[Level Up]
[Luck stat gained]
Noah clutched the wound, gritting his teeth from the jarring pain. He tried to cast his mana field again, but it vanished immediately—not because of the Nocthyrs' fog, but from his own weakness and lack of focus.
[The host's mind is shaking violently]
[Negative effect "Frozen Mind" is intensifying]
Noah staggered, gripping his shoulder, glancing around to find any sound source. All he heard was the wind ringing in his ears as he turned.
"Did I kill them all? Is the mission over? ...No, if it were, the system would've told me. Some of them are still alive," he thought, anxious and confused.
Then, suddenly, all his senses vanished again—including hearing and touch. His heartbeat thundered in his chest from fear. No matter how many senses he lost, fear always found a way into his heart. Yet he stood his ground, defenseless, waiting for the enemy's move.
His sense of touch returned—he bet the Nocthyr would attack from the front left and leaned right to dodge. He was wrong. The strike came from behind. His senses returned just in time to see a long, curved blade impale his chest. The pain was so sharp, his eyes filled with tears. The Nocthyr ripped the blade out and lightly kicked him, sending him falling forward.
Noah's eyes turned red from the blood. It dripped from his mouth, soaking half his face. Yet he could see—he saw the Nocthyr, half its body burned, flesh peeled back to reveal its teeth. It grinned in fury.
Noah laughed faintly, breathing through the blood.
"You son of a bitch... I can see you!" he said, smiling through bloodstained teeth.
[Mission: Kill Nocthyrs 9/10 (Incomplete)]
Then, a pure violet point of light appeared in the air. A moment later, it shot a beam straight through the Nocthyr's body, dropping it to the ground. Its body slowly turned to crumbling ash.
[Level Up]
Noah collapsed, limbs splayed, trying to circulate blood to ease the pain. But it didn't help.
[Mission: Kill Nocthyrs 10/10 (Incomplete)]
[Would the host like to receive rewards?]
"Yes... please."
[The host's physical and mental quota has been restored]
A green aura surrounded Noah, healing and regenerating his wounds as if they never existed. The blood vanished from his eyes. His injuries closed seamlessly, leaving not even a scar.
[1000 Gacha Coins received]
[A-Rank Skill "Aegis of Elysium" received]
[Name: Noah Grace | Age: 18 | Gender: Male | Level: 20
Strength: 41 | Speed: 41 | Agility: 39 | Intelligence: 47 | Luck: 28
Skills: Foresight (C-Rank), Influence Field (S-Rank), Thermokinesis (S-Rank), Aegis of Elysium (A-Rank)]