Chapter 315 Trapped in a world where time had Stopped

Chapter 315 Trapped in a world where time had Stopped

.

.

.

—-------------

/Shuaaa!!!/

"?!"

[DING]

[You have completed the Special Event Mission]

[Skill, Manifestation of the Perfect Self 1-??? has automatically deactivated]

/Shiiin.../

/Flooop!/

"!"

"What the..."

Dale woke up in a silent dark world.

There was no sky, nor ground, but there seemed to be faint light emanating around him.

Raspy winds flew around his body, coming from seemingly nowhere.

"..."

Paying close attention to where he stood, Dale noticed how the ground seemed to wobble whenever he moved, creating ripples with every step as if he were standing in a faint layer of water.

/Step.../

He took a step forward and the ground shook, transmitting weak waves that quickly moved into the distance, vanishing in the darkness.

Despite that, the ground was rather solid, and as he crouched to touch it, he felt a watery sensation...

But it wasn't wet as his hand remained dry.

With that, he focused on his body.

He could see his hands and body, while his mind felt clear... Unusually so.

In fact, he felt great... Strangely so.

His clothes were standard, but he couldn't quite tell ever putting them on... Inside Azimuth that is.

A simple shirt and a pair of shorts, the kind of attire he used whenever he left home to go the bakery a few streets down the road.

But the strangest thing about all of this was the state of his body.

There were no injuries, he did not feel tired.

The mental exhaustion from his Skills wasn't there, the pain was gone and the physical strain he felt from constantly pushing himself had utterly vanished.

And if it wasn't for what he remembered... About that...

'How did I get here?...' Dale thought as he looked around, but the only thing that replied to him were the cold winds of this strange plane

'... I remember entering the door and being thrown into a white world...'

'And then being sucked inside a glimmering light.'

'From there... I'm now here?'

"... Something's missing..." He mumbled to himself as he looked at the trembling groundn)-OVelBIn

Dale had the faint impression something within him was missing.

His right hand closed instinctively as if wishing to hold onto something.

His heart beat in an unknown rythim, and albeit it was slowly coming returning its usual performance, the fact it was trying to maintain it alluded to a physical effort he did not remember doing.

With it, his muscles contracted.

His entire body was ready for something... Or better put, it used to be.

Not anymore.

When he realized this, Dale became certain that not until too long ago, his body had been subjected to an unbelievable degree of physical work, one he could not remember.

It was almost as if his body was screaming at him, telling him to remember something he didn't even know where to begin.

It wasn't like his mind had gone blank, because, for that, one had to know what they were trying to think about to begin with.

And wasn't as if Dale had an effect on his actions either, as the most he had was a faint feeling in his body, one he could not trace anywhere.

It was weak, as weak as one could get, to the point he began to think his mind was playing tricks on him.

But he knew full well where he was, undermining his own feelings and senses wasn't something he should do...

Otherwise, he would truly become an NPC, saying "It must've been the wind"...

[Hidden Achievement: Acknowledged by the True Ruler]

[You have been awarded the Worn Envelope]

[Hidden Achievement: Seed of Begginings]

[You have been awarded the Old Seed]

"Hm?"

Amidst his thoughts, the System played by his ears once more, but this time, it was much tamer.

No overwhelming messages about Achievements and whatnot, just two achievements and their rewards, not really what he expected to see from this task.

The previous Skill Level Ups couldn't have been included in the calculation.

It felt... Rather underwhelming.

Dale had already grown tired of hearing countless notifications, but this didn't mean he had grown tired of getting rewards.

And especially now that he had used most of his last moments of Babylon in this mission, not receiving any sort of Favor rewards had severely limited his final choice of items from the shop...

If he even had the time to think that is.

Dale had no idea how much time he had left, at any moment now, he could be pulled away from the Event without being able to spend the massive amount of wealth he had accumulated.

If anything, he only wished to go to the shop, even if he had to beg whoever controlled the tower...

Whenever he checked the System Clock, it showed only a single number: 23:59.

However, this time couldn't be correct, because, in the first place, Babylon was supposed to close well after noon.

He had been brought somewhere, outside of time...

And in here, it was as if time had stopped...

'In any case... Another envelope? What are these even meant for?'

'I previously got these together with some badges, but those I know their purpose.' He thought as he remembered his previous rewards

A Red Envelope, a Blue Envelope... And now, a Worn one.

Was he supposed to make a choice in which to open? Or was he allowed to open all at his own discretion?

The most important detail of those, however, was how they all came with the same notifications, that he had been acknowledged by someone.

'Aside from the envelopes, the two Golden badges were exchanged in the shop for Golden Boxes, while the Red badges were exchanged for a Crucible Chest... Whatever that means.'

'It's just more gambling, and knowing my luck, I reserved them for later... Since I was planning on meeting Ermin one last time.'

'Now... I'll have to open them on my own.'

Dale opened his inventory, checking it for the envelope.

He had decided to take a closer look at them, and potentially make a choice.

Anything to get out of this strange place...

/Shua.../

"?!"

But the moment he touched it, the entire world began to change and ripple chaotically as a dark pale hand reached out from the darkness, grabbing the envelope directly from his inventory!

...

.

.

.

Notes