Somewhere in the west of the Undergarden.
Deep within the Inksworn region.
There was a colossal cave hidden beneath a massive mountain.
The cave belonged to a titan, a personal domain.
Inside, it was overgrown with dozens of mushrooms and other spore-spreading plants born of fungi. They spread everywhere, and the deeper one went, the more suffocating and terrifying the scenery became. This cave hosted mushrooms of all kinds and sizes. The one who had grown them wasn't currently present. But someone the titan had brought into the cave long ago was still inside.
Descending deeper, thousands of large and small flowers appeared. Unlike the mushrooms above, these flowers looked disturbingly pleasant, their beauty corrupted by the yellow spores wrapping them. Though different in size, they all shared a single trait: their petals were tightly closed, each one harboring a monster within. Once, these monsters may have belonged to level 1, 2, 3, or even 4.
These sleepers floated in spore-filled liquid within the flowers, their minds being shredded, groaning, and losing their sense of self.
But today, one flower was different. The creature within was not groaning.
As it drifted in the spores, it was dreaming.
Ever since Yuel sacrificed his ability to speak, he couldn't talk even in dreams. That silence was maddening at first. He didn't know why, but he was sure that whoever he sacrificed it to was exceedingly greedy—they wouldn't even let him speak in dreams. Ah, but inner voice didn't count, and he could still whisper into others' minds using his blood inheritance. So even though losing speech was a significant price, it had little practical impact on him—especially since he hadn't seen another human in over four years and didn't plan to for a long while. Right now, speech was the most expendable thing he had.
Still… the quiet sometimes made him feel like he wasn't human anymore.
He remained in pitch-black emptiness. Since he'd turned off the recording, his silhouette wasn't in front of him. Instead, there was a small black owl before him. The owl's presence made Yuel's heart tighten—it felt powerful enough to tear this void apart, like a god descending into the mortal realm. The air itself bent toward it. It felt as if the sky and earth were being pulled around the owl, the horizon forming a circle around it.
The owl flapped its wings quietly a few times and moved behind Yuel.
Yuel spun around, startled—But it was gone.
His chest clenched with unease. He wanted to say, "Where did you go?" but since he couldn't speak, only silence escaped his mouth.
Then came another voice—a man's. Yuel froze. The voice was warm, optimistic, steady. He was sure the man was older than him, but not in his thirties. More like in his twenties. If this man were a musician, Yuel believed people would have loved his music. The sound somehow comforted him, even as fear gnawed at his gut.
"Hello, heir. I don't think anyone else has the chance to talk to us, so I'd say you're quite lucky."
"…" Yuel's throat tightened. Lucky? This didn't feel like luck at all.
"It's ironic that you gave up your ability to speak just to talk to me… Actually, considering our situation, you're not that lucky."
Yuel's pulse quickened. So it really was because of him…
"Seems like I'll be having a long, one-sided conversation with you…"
The voice went on, calm yet unnervingly direct:"First, don't question what I am. Learning that would kill you, so it's better not to know…"
As the words flowed, Yuel felt cold sweat prickle his skin—even here in a dream. Each sentence was like a weight pressing against his mind. The more he listened, the more he realized: this being knew things Yuel couldn't even grasp.
The explanation continued—memory erasure, the loop, the guardian owl, the titan's terrifying abilities. Yuel's eyes widened in disbelief. His stomach churned. All of that… really happened to me? The thought that his mind had been toyed with, shredded and patched over again and again, nearly made him sick.
When the voice mentioned he had only survived because he'd fallen into a dream, Yuel's whole body tensed. So I should already be dead?
He clenched his fists helplessly. Even if he wanted to scream, his sacrificed voice wouldn't allow it. All he could do was listen as the truth sank in like icy water.
…
The owl eventually perched on Yuel's shoulder, whispering incomprehensible runes into his ear. The sound was so sharp and alien it made him flinch.
Then he woke up.
He had exited the loop. But what greeted him was far from pleasant.
He was inside a yellow fluid, with slimy, algae-like tendrils brushing against his skin, trying to latch onto him. Yuel panicked, thrashing instinctively. They had failed while he slept, and still couldn't now. A brilliant white flame burned around him—one that seemed like it would never extinguish. Luo must have created this. What had happened to him? Was he nearby?
He could think again now. That alone was relieving. But the owl's words still echoed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine.
Whatever had done this to him was a terrifying being—one he could not face at his current level. Worse still, the memories stolen hadn't returned. It was as if they were erased forever.
Yuel struck the algae with all his might, breaking free with a single blow—it wasn't even firm. The yellow fluid dispersed. He gasped as he looked down—most of his clothes had dissolved, clinging to him in tatters. Likely, most of the damage had happened before, during the fight with the creature that had done this to him.
He now understood the situation. His gut sank like stone. This was undoubtedly the den of a level 5 titan—one strong enough to be considered elite for its tier.
Its abilities: memory erasure, mental manipulation, sleep… and infection. That last word made his heart race. Infection meant the spores all around him weren't just background—they were weapons. And he was standing in the middle of them.
Level 5 titans claimed regions and became territorial. The balance among Dhunes was somewhat stable, but titans… titans were monsters. Every level up made them exponentially more dangerous. A single elite level 5 titan could surpass dozens—or even hundreds—of level 4s. Yuel swallowed hard.
Looking around, he saw hundreds of flowers. His stomach turned. There were surely others like him, trapped, shredded, maybe already gone.
How could he escape unnoticed? Worse, since he'd emerged from one of the flowers, someone may have noticed. Even if not, the titan would soon realize he'd escaped. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Then the voice came again."Come on, Yuel. Don't fall for the illusion that you're alone on this path…"
Relief and unease mixed in him. At least he wasn't completely alone.
…
When Null revealed the map, Yuel nearly staggered. Three level 5 titans. Six level 4s. Hundreds more… all inside 10 kilometers? His mouth went dry. It was like staring at a death sentence drawn in dots and circles.
"Hey, this shows I can't escape. Leaving this room is suicide."
Null disagreed, explaining the one exit not guarded by a level 5. Yuel's fear didn't ease."But even if no level 5s are there, I'll still die on the way. I'm too weak for level 4s—or even 3s." His thoughts tumbled into panic.
When Null suggested using percentages to drive the enemies mad, Yuel's eyes widened again. "If we can do that, why not use it all and kill every titan here?" His voice—his inner voice—shook with both hope and desperation.
The answer crushed him. Percentages, once gone, never returned. The thought that he could waste his entire bloodline's legacy in one reckless move made his chest tighten painfully.
And then Null's final words came sharp, urgent, undeniable:"It's already started. You need to run. I'll guide you. You have 5 minutes—if you're not out by then, you die. Run for your life!"
Yuel's heart pounded. His legs trembled. But he forced himself to move. Because if he didn't—he knew this nightmare would swallow him whole.