I Am Here

Endless dizziness nearly swallowed Lynch's perception.

The moment he realized the reflections of the railway design maps formed strange patterns from ancient times, it had already happened.

A continuous stream of blood-red fog seemed to pour from his soul, turning into an endless vortex that swallowed Lynch's will in an instant.

Lynch felt as if he had been thrown into a centrifuge, spinning at high speed. Extreme agony repeatedly assaulted his soul, pushing him to the brink of madness. He could only grit his teeth, clinging to the final thread of his sanity as he desperately waited for the torment to end.

Bang.

In the next instant, everything around him shattered like a mirror. Lynch's consciousness shuddered, the dizziness abruptly receding as he felt solid ground beneath his feet once more.

He was no longer inside the sealed room in the mansion's basement, but in an open-air area. Yet before he could even process his surroundings, Lynch discovered a grave problem.

He could no longer sense the entity within his soul.

Ever since his transmigration, the crimson moon had been with him day and night in his mind. It was only because of her voice, which would whisper "I am here" at any moment, that Lynch had found the courage to face this new world.

It could be said that she was the closest existence to Lynch. No matter how bizarre or dangerous the situation, whenever that gentle female voice echoed within his soul, his heart would fill with courage.

But at this very moment, that familiar, intimate connection was suddenly gone. Lynch felt as though a piece of his heart had been hollowed out, leaving him utterly empty.

‘Neighbor?’

His consciousness remained dead silent.

What was happening? A profound sense of disappointment—bordering on despair—welled up in Lynch's heart. For a moment, his mind went completely blank, leaving him at a total loss.

It was as if the pillar supporting his beliefs had suddenly vanished.

No, I'm a transmigrator. Transmigrators are capable of anything. How can I panic like this just because my neighbor isn't home?

It must be the doing of that mystery document. There's a solution to everything. I need to figure out my current situation first.

Taking a deep breath to force down the panic in his heart, Lynch observed his surroundings. He found himself in a very strange environment.

Under the night sky, a red fog representing mysterious filth drifted all around, filling the environment with an unspeakable, eerie distortion. Within the red fog, rustling whispers drifted in and out, sounding now distant, now close.

Shrouded in the red fog was a bizarre city exuding a dizzying atmosphere. Its buildings blended the architectural styles of his hometown and the Victorian era, carrying a highly unique charm.

It was luxurious, ostentatious, and bustling, filled with flashing lights, wine, and a dizzying display of wealth and indulgence.

Melodious music drifted through the air. In the shadows of the buildings, neatly dressed gentlemen and ladies walked to and fro, laughing and chatting in low voices.

Everything felt so real, as if he had transmigrated yet again. The pedestrians, in particular, moved with such lifelike grace that they seemed entirely human.

Standing on the bustling street and watching the carriages and pedestrians passing by under the night sky, Lynch was momentarily dazed. His rationality reminded him that the reason the mystery document possessed such powerful eroding force was that it connected to this place. He had only been dragged in because he successfully withstood the first wave of erosion.

The question is, where is this?

The surrounding area was filled with mysterious filth, proving that this was definitely not the mortal world. It was hard to even tell if it was reality. Lynch even suspected that the state of this place was somewhat similar to a relic's memories—merely a fragment of memory from the Dreamlands.

So, the true purpose of the mystery document that Prince William and the others went to such great lengths to create—killing over a hundred people in the process—was just to enter this place?

Then they must have a goal. Unless they were incredibly bored and just wanted to screw me over, even if this place isn't safe, it shouldn't be a guaranteed death trap. I can wait and see, and try to figure out what those people are after.

But first, I need to find a way out. I'm soaked in mysterious filth every single second here, and my body is feeling worse and worse. If this continues, no matter how strong my will is, I won't be able to hold out.

Quickly organizing his thoughts, Lynch noticed that the attire of the people around him wasn't much different from his own. He stepped out of his dark corner and walked openly into the crowd.

The pedestrians on the street spoke an unknown language. Lynch had never heard it before, yet he could somehow understand it perfectly. When he stopped by the roadside to buy a cup of coffee and a sandwich, the vendor had no trouble understanding his Lande language either. Not only that, but his currency actually worked here.

Taking a bite of the food, the taste was incredibly realistic, as if this were a completely normal world. Everyone around him had their own lives. Lynch even witnessed a thief pocketing someone's belongings and a couple arguing on the street. This made him increasingly bewildered, as if... Hm?

Just as Lynch was walking along with a coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other, looking around like everyone else, a sudden voice reached his ears.

It was Lande, standing out like a beacon among the surrounding unknown languages.

A fellow traveler. Most likely one of Prince William's people.

A prickling sensation on his back made Lynch's hair stand on end. Forcing down the urge to look around frantically, he continued to stroll and eat, casually drifting his gaze toward the source of the sound.

It was an unassuming building with a monastery sign hanging by the entrance. A suggestive purple light occasionally shone through the windows. Accompanied by melodious, hazy music, men went in and out of the place from time to time.

It clearly wasn't a respectable establishment.

What caught Lynch's eye were two men in formal wear stepping out of the building. Dressed as Lande gentlemen, one of them was Walker of the Rangers, a rank four Soul Severer. Lynch didn't recognize the other, but judging by Walker's exceptionally respectful attitude, his status was definitely not low.

Escorting them out was a gorgeous young lady in a yellow gown. She was tall, with beautiful skin, holding a fan that covered half of her face. Her eyes peeked over the top of the fan, radiating an indescribable coldness.

Hiss... Just looking at this woman sent a shiver down Lynch's spine. Alarms blared wildly in his mind, as if he had laid eyes on something he shouldn't have. However, the woman merely saw the two men off, closed the door, and returned inside, without sparing Lynch so much as a glance.

The other two men strolled away from the building and quickly blended into the crowd.

“Are you sure you completely cleaned up the documents this time? I don't want that detective you mentioned breaking in here. Who knows what he might do. I don't want to turn around and suddenly find him lurking nearby, watching us.”

“Please rest assured, Your Excellency. Following your arrangements, I dispatched men to burn those materials. There won't be any issues this time.”

“You said the same thing about the duplicates, and look what happened,” the other man sneered. “I've cleaned up everything for you this time, so don't let any more problems arise. Be extremely careful after you return. If any issues come up, come find me as soon as possible. Use the portal whenever necessary, and don't worry about the sacrifices that die each time. Otherwise, if our plans are delayed, all our previous efforts will be in vain, and you won't be able to bear that responsibility.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The two spoke no further, quickly departing into the crowd. Lynch intended to tail them and listen in some more to find out their purpose here and their next move. However, before he could take a step, the two figures in the crowd suddenly flashed and vanished into thin air right before everyone's eyes.

Yet the people around them acted as if they had seen nothing, continuing on their way as usual. Only Lynch was left standing there dumbfounded, his foot frozen mid-step.

How... how did they leave? I want to leave too!

But Lynch's silent cries could not bring the two back. He could only sigh helplessly on the street, turning his gaze back to the monastery building they had just exited. Realizing that their objective was likely inside, he knew he had to sneak in and take a look. Perhaps he could find a way back.

Yet the thought of the bizarre, gorgeous young lady inside made him shudder. It was as if she weren't a young lady at all, but some terrifying monster.

Should I go in or not?

I have to check it out.

Steeling his resolve, Lynch walked toward the unassuming entrance of the monastery. But the closer he got, the more anxious he became, and his heart yearned more than ever for Lady Luna.

Just before stepping through the door, the anxious Lynch instinctively turned his head to look up at the sky. Yet the air was filled only with red fog, and the night sky was completely empty.

‘Where on earth did you go? Please come back, neighbor.’

In the next instant, a gentle voice suddenly echoed in his ear:

【I am here.】