Inas walked slowly through the pitch-black darkness. To Nigel, it was nothing but a sea of shadow, but Inas seemed to see something—he navigated with practiced ease.
But unlike his usual composed demeanor, Inas wandered more than expected. He circled back, hesitated, and paused often, visibly uncertain. Nigel, lying limp and listless from the fever, finally lifted his head when Inas passed the same spot for the third time.
“You keep getting lost…”
“My apologies.”
“No, I’m not blaming you… I just thought maybe you couldn’t remember clearly.”
Inas nodded without protest.
“Yes. The Eye of the Abyss is a rare artifact and not something I ever needed, so I haven’t had much exposure to it. The only times I’ve seen it were when some fools who dared challenge me managed to get their hands on it. Even then, it’s so difficult to activate that you almost never see it fully functional like this.”
“What kind of conditions does it require?”
“You need to offer 666 sacrifices. It doesn’t matter if they’re humans, animals, or monsters, but the ritual is extremely strict. Even the direction you walk during the ceremony must be exact. But since none of the surviving records detail it precisely, it’s easy to make mistakes. And if you mess up even once, the artifact becomes completely useless for several years.”
So that meant Kay had somehow fulfilled those brutal requirements and successfully activated The Eye of the Abyss. But based on what Nigel remembered of Kay’s personality in previous Loops, there’s no way he would’ve slaughtered 666 monsters just to trigger an artifact. Which meant this had to be his first time using it in this timeline.
As Inas explained, Nigel began to entertain a theory that had been forming in the back of his mind.
“Don’t tell me… Kay made a deal with Glarus?”
The only being that could know this much about The Eye of the Abyss even without proper intel—the one who overlooks all from above—was the god Glarus. Inas seemed to agree with Nigel’s hunch and nodded at once.
“It’s highly probable. Kay’s grown body is also likely the result of using another artifact, and that one is just as hard to come by as The Eye of the Abyss. The odds of him stumbling upon both by chance are near zero. With their goals aligned, it’s only natural they’d join forces.”
“Their goal…”
“They both want me dead. No matter what it takes.”
Inas replied calmly, but Nigel felt a cold chill of dread.
Glarus couldn’t directly harm the world. But feeding information to Kay, who was protected by the status of Protagonist, was a different matter entirely.
If Glarus had intervened, it would also explain why the god had remained silent until now. Deviating from his original role as the passive observer of the world would have triggered penalties from the System.
Seven years ago, when Nigel visited the temple, Glarus couldn’t even manifest properly in his own sanctuary due to penalties. He must’ve already overextended himself back then helping Kay. He’d probably done it multiple times—no wonder he hadn’t spared any attention for Nigel.
“If Glarus gave Kay information, he might be carrying an artifact that lets him control monsters. He wouldn’t be able to issue detailed commands, but specifying a target for them to attack is well within possibility.”
“Then the monster incursion into the fortress just now—that was probably because of the artifact too.”
“Most likely. I was already suspicious. The monsters descending from Intusnica have been far more violent than usual.”
“Violent how…?”
“They usually display a certain level of intelligence, but lately they’ve been charging in without thought, and some have shown extreme cruelty. It’s excessive.”
This was the first Nigel had heard of it. It was understandable that the information had been suppressed to avoid causing panic among the people—but if he were still Duke, this would have been reported to him without question. The situation had changed drastically since he gave up that position, and the gap was beginning to chafe.
When Nigel fell silent, Inas stopped walking too. Judging by his expression, they’d taken another wrong turn. Nigel stared at his stiff face, and Inas, noticing his gaze, bent down and gave him a brief kiss before resuming his pace.
“Once we get out of here, I should check what’s still around. I should’ve retrieved a few useful artifacts in advance if I knew this would happen.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t think that far ahead.”
Nigel had expected a better excuse, but Inas’ answer was frustratingly empty. Seeing Nigel’s blank stare, Inas immediately apologized.
“My apologies. If I’d been thorough, you wouldn’t be in danger right now.”
“No, it’s okay…”
If Inas had a weakness at all, it was the ennui born from living too long. Nigel had escaped him before by exploiting that carelessness.
Of course, Inas had no reason to be on edge. If he were alone, there would be no threat worth worrying about. But if someone was targeting Nigel specifically, the situation changed. Not that Nigel doubted Inas’ ability to protect him… but his worry lay elsewhere.
He’s not going to lock me up somewhere again, is he? Inas had a habit of flipping out over minor things and confining Nigel in several past Loops. The fact he was letting him walk around like this was practically a miracle. He always claimed it was “for protection,” but locked up was locked up.
Nigel glanced sideways at Inas, trying to gauge his mood. Sure enough, the man seemed deep in thought, and Nigel hurried to change the subject.
“You must’ve cleaned up a ton of artifacts over the past seven years.”
“Most likely. But some should still be left. If Kay wanted to monopolize them, he probably couldn’t use others to collect them. Doing it all alone would’ve taken too long.”
“If there’s anything useful left, grab one for me. I’ll give it to Schumacher.”
Given Kay’s stats, Schumacher wouldn’t stand a chance—but still, better than sending him in unarmed. That was all Nigel meant by it, but Inas’ eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I told you not to talk about other men in my presence.”
“Don’t start. Schumacher treats me like some kind of nephew, okay? And if we’re going there, I talked about Kay and Glarus too.”
“Nigel.”
Nigel had been trying to explain rationally, but Inas—true to his lunatic self—never responded well to logic. His voice turned icy, and Nigel just shrugged. Was he actually jealous? Lately, the man had been getting a little too bitey. Nigel didn’t want to get bitten again, so he wisely shut up.
Inas walked on in silence, carrying Nigel in his arms. Clearly a bit sulky after being poked the wrong way.
But as they continued, Inas’ pace quickened. He stumbled less too, suggesting that once he focused, navigating became easier.
Nigel, limp in his arms, simply waited. The fever from his real body must’ve been bleeding into this place too—he was growing more and more exhausted.
When Nigel let out a labored breath, Inas moved even faster—twisting through corners, sprinting in straight lines, covering great distances with each step.
And finally, Inas found the true exit.
“This is the way out, Nigel.”
Nigel raised his head and looked toward the exit. A single white line shimmered atop the dark void, and even without being told, he instinctively sensed that something else lay beyond it.
With a worried look, Inas brushed aside the hair clinging to Nigel’s forehead.
“I can’t go with you past this point. Be careful, Nigel.”
“Is there something on the other side?”
“Before you leave, this place will show you an illusion based on your memories. It’ll be long—and vivid.”
“Okay.”
“Whatever you do, don’t let it sway you.”
Nigel recalled the earlier explanation of The Eye of the Abyss.
It traps the target in darkness and reveals the abyss within their soul.
There was nothing remotely positive about the word “abyss.” He was certain it would show him something deeply unpleasant. Nigel nodded stiffly. He was nervous, sure, but he didn’t think an illusion would be enough to truly shake him.
“Got it. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes.”
Though he responded obediently, Inas still looked unconvinced as he gently lowered Nigel down. Nigel swayed a little but managed to stand upright. He wanted to get this over with and check the situation outside.
Inas stepped aside to let him pass. Nigel paused before entering and glanced back at him.
“You said you haven’t been through this much before—but you have been here before, right?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of illusion did you see?”
What lay in the abyss of a man as mad as Inas?
Nigel assumed it had something to do with him, but couldn’t imagine the details. Usually, the abyss of a lover would mean seeing them die—but Inas had already killed him countless times, so that hardly applied.
Inas seemed to have expected the question. He didn’t answer right away, only staring at Nigel. When Nigel refused to look away, Inas finally opened his mouth slowly.
“It’s a secret.”
“Oh, come on…”
He usually answered questions so easily. The fact he refused this one only made Nigel more curious. When he scowled, Inas gave him a gentle smile.
“If you tell me what you see past this point, I’ll consider sharing mine.”
“You want to make a deal?”
“Rather than use such a harsh word… let’s just say I don’t want to talk about it. Even I have a few things I’d rather keep to myself.”
He looked genuinely conflicted, and Nigel lost the urge to press him. He wasn’t outright refusing—just asking for something in return. There was no rush, so Nigel decided to let it go for now.
“Alright. I’m going.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Whatever happens, don’t be swayed. Please come back to me, Nigel.”
He’s worrying too much. Knowing it’s an illusion, how could he possibly fall for it? Nigel gave Inas a bright, silent smile and stepped forward.
The moment he crossed the white line, light began to seep into the blackness. Then in a flash, everything turned blinding white.
It was as if all color had drained from the world. In that pure-white space, golden flecks floated through the air like petals. They fluttered and scattered, then gathered, piling up into a shape—then vanished in a blink, leaving behind a dull gray.
Beneath the radiant gold lay a bleak, monochrome world. As Nigel lifted his gaze, the first thing he saw in that gray landscape was the bright blue sky.
He looked around awkwardly.
Gray asphalt stretched beneath his feet, with a stark white crosswalk painted across it. A red traffic light blinked across the street, letting cars pass freely over the intersection.
Signs written in both English and Korean. Nigel read them all effortlessly, which felt strange. He hadn’t remembered even a single letter before. But the acrid smell of exhaust, the heavy breeze, the sound of cars and ambient noise—all of it was familiar. Incredibly familiar.
Turning slowly, Nigel looked down at his own hands. They looked the same as always—but could he really call these the hands of Nigel Grau Montstein?
Either way, there were no noble cuffs around his wrists, just the plain, short sleeves of a shirt ending halfway down his upper arm. It felt shamelessly revealing.
His blue pants were made of some stiff, unfamiliar material, but at least they were long enough to cover his legs. The shoes on his feet were bizarre white things—but surprisingly comfortable.
“What are you doing?”
As he examined his body, someone spoke to him in a curt voice.
