TLWD 64

Chapter : 64. The Meaning of Nothingness (1)

Pitch-black darkness swallowed the entire space.

Not even the slightest outline of what lay before my eyes could be seen.

Strange, incomprehensible noises drifted from every direction, and the floor beneath my feet felt soft and spongy, stirring an instinctive disgust.

Just then—

“Are you all right?”

Kai’s voice came from somewhere to the side.
But though I could guess the direction, I couldn’t make out his figure at all.

“I’m fine. What about you?”
“No serious injuries here, but…”

His reply trailed off, and silence stretched between us. Both of us knew we needed time to adapt to the darkness.

The squelching sound around us grew louder, and something like the throb of a grotesque heart reverberated up through the soles of my feet.

How long did we wait?

No matter how much time passed, my sight refused to return.

Even when I raised my palm directly in front of my face, I couldn’t see it. At this point, I wasn’t even sure whether my eyes were open or closed.

There was only one explanation for such darkness.

It meant that no light existed here at all.

Fortunately, I had prepared luminous stones in advance. I reached into my inventory to retrieve one—

◆ Error: Inventory not responding. ◆

…But for some reason, the inventory didn’t answer.

At that moment—

Sparks!

A blue radiance burst forth, illuminating the space for an instant.

Kai’s sword glowed with azure aura, spreading outward and gradually driving back the blackness.

Only then could I truly see this place—

The floor, the walls, the ceiling—everything was made of revolting lumps of flesh. Bulging muscles and clinging fat filled every surface.

When Kai pressed his blade closer, sluggish veins squirmed into view, pumping dark-red blood through tangled knots. Around them, mucus oozed, slick and sticky like damp skin.

“What is this place…?”

Kai’s face, lit by the blue aura, was painted with shock. It was obvious this was no ordinary space.

‘Don’t tell me…’

I sharpened the Dragon’s Claw [A] and slashed at the wall—

Screeeech!

A shriek erupted from within.

Through the torn gap, I glimpsed disjointed arms and legs, and distorted faces all tangled together.

And then—a writhing mass shaped like an eyeball squirmed out.

Grin.

A mouth with no lips spread wide, teeth bared in a soundless smile. Then the flesh churned, sealing the gap shut once again.

“What was that?”
“…Better not to ask.”

It was something I never wanted to see again. Typical of a worshiper of corrupted souls—disgusting even in taste.

Still, it confirmed that the Dragon’s Claw [A] effect worked properly.

‘At least the Devourer’s ability is functioning.’

I summoned the Player Information window.

== [Player Information] ==
[Name] = Adrian Whitewolf
[Title] = Ruler of the North
[Level] = 53
[HP] = 2,550
[MP] = 0
[Stats] = Strength: 33 | Agility: 60.95 (+7.95) | Vitality: 24.15 (+3.15) | Mana: 6
[EXP] = 55.8%

Everything displayed normally. Which meant my unique skills—Solo Level Up [EX] and Player’s Will [EX]—were still intact.

But the effect of the title Ruler of the North wasn’t applying.

Without it, the +15% to all stats was gone. Only the bonuses from Accelerated Metabolism [B+] remained.

That could only mean one thing—this wasn’t the North.

Yet I had just been in Baron Veneron’s territory, firmly within the northern tundra. The title should have applied.

◆ Error: Inventory not responding. ◆

‘And still, the inventory fails.’

I checked again, but the result was the same. According to the description:

Inventory is classified as a subspace where the player’s belongings are stored.

If the subspace wasn’t responding, this place wasn’t aligned with the real dimension. It was a separate realm altogether.

In other words—

“This is probably a barrier’s domain.”
“A barrier? You mean this flesh… is a barrier?”

Kai’s disbelief was plain. Truth be told, I felt the same.

‘A barrier, huh?’

Barriers are usually areas that impose restrictions—not entire dimensions.

And Abarus had never used something like this before. In my past life, he relied solely on Infinite Silence.

Extensive investigations back then revealed no record of him wielding such barriers.

Which left only one explanation.

‘The elixir.’

That mysterious elixir he detonated at the end… That had to be it.

This was the barrier created by that elixir.

And to break a barrier, the first step was always to understand what kind it was.

I activated Devourer’s Instinct [S].

◆ ??? of ??? ◆
: This ⬚⬙⌺ is [⨳⨊▧▩]. ⦓⧆⬒⧍ is ⧳⌿[⨀⦜⦏] …

The information was corrupted—unreadable symbols in place of words.

Not even the Devourer’s Instinct could parse it.

‘The power of the Lord of the Abyss.’

An unknowable fear—the Lord of the Abyss. A being beyond the explanation or resistance of this world.

And Abarus… was his worshiper.

—I offer my soul to the Great One!

His last cry. That “Great One” must have been the Lord of the Abyss.

It made sense now—why no information could be read.

Even so, a barrier was still a barrier. And barriers had weaknesses.

Not only did I have Devourer’s Instinct, I also had my past life’s knowledge—what the great archmage of the Alliance had taught me.

Barriers differ depending on their purpose—defense, sealing, suppression, imprisonment, control, curses, rituals, soul-binding…

Infinite Silence was a suppression barrier.

Yet here, Kai’s aura still functioned, and my powers weren’t restricted.

So it wasn’t suppression.

And we hadn’t been attacked yet. Which meant—

‘An imprisonment barrier.’

A barrier designed to isolate and confine.

Its name, though broken—The Meaning of Nothingness. Almost as if to declare that whatever we did here… was meaningless.

◆ Sub-skill acquired: Find Weakness [U] ◆

I activated it, and suddenly, something glowed red in the corner of my vision.

Kai must have seen it too.

“There’s something here.”

He aimed his aura-clad sword downward, revealing a pale, square object.

It looked like paper—but on closer inspection, it was made of… human skin.

‘Human parchment…’

Flayed and dried until it resembled leather. A grotesque hobby of the black market cults.

When I picked it up, a foul stench stung my nose. The surface was disturbingly smooth, yet faint wrinkles beneath my fingertips turned my stomach.

As Kai’s aura bathed it, veins across the hide writhed like worms. Then letters burned into its surface.

[Rulebook]

‘Rulebook?’

The words twisted, and new writing emerged.

This Rulebook is a guide to surviving here. Fail to follow its rules, and all hope will be lost.

Again, the parchment shifted, veins writhing into longer sentences.

1. Before exploring, secure a source of light.

: You must first realize you are trapped. This place has no beginning, no end. All walls and passages connect, rendering direction meaningless. Leaving marks may help—but remember, this realm can erase or distort your traces.

“What is this supposed to mean?” Kai muttered, confused.

I couldn’t be certain either. Even Devourer’s Instinct gave only broken fragments.

But if Find Weakness pointed to this Rulebook, then—

“Following its rules may be the only way out.”

That seemed to be the implication.

And right then—

Rumble…!

The fleshy walls trembled violently.

Kai shone his blue aura, and faces emerged from the walls, ceilings, and floor—eyes glaring, mouths twisted in silent watchfulness.

From the walls stretched grotesque limbs and tentacles, slowly consuming the space.

New words carved themselves onto the parchment.

2. When this realm begins to shift, never stop moving.

: Sometimes the walls and passages will rearrange to trap you. If you stop, your time will stop as well, leaving you unable to move again. Whatever path you choose, keep moving. Remain still, and this place will devour you.

The flesh parted, opening a new corridor. Almost as if inviting us forward.

“Well, shall we?”
“I’ll go first.”

Kai stepped boldly into the passage, his blue aura lighting the way.

I followed, each step squelching on the obscene floor—forcing myself to ignore the sound of tearing flesh beneath my boots.