As Derek fell through the darkness, he felt lost and vulnerable. The weightlessness made him feel like he was adrift in an endless expanse of nothingness.
The cold, damp air enveloped him, sending shivers down his spine, intensifying the eerie atmosphere of the unknown realm.
His mind was filled with questions. How did he end up here? What was this place? Was it all a dream or something more profound? But he couldn't find any answers in the darkness that engulfed him.
Just as despair threatened to consume him, a glimmer of hope appeared in the distance.
A faint light emerged, far off in the darkness, like a distant star in a night sky. Derek's heart skipped a beat, and he focused on the light, drawing strength from its presence.
As he moved closer to the light, it grew in intensity, revealing more details of its source.
The figure of a man came into view, bathed in a radiant golden aura. Derek's eyes widened in astonishment and confusion.
It was as if he was looking at himself, but not quite.
The man bore the same facial features, the same body posture, but his eyes held a profound wisdom and depth that Derek felt he lacked.
The man's golden aura seemed to seep out from the surrounding darkness, casting a warm glow around him.
He had an aura of serenity and power, a presence that commanded respect and awe.
Derek couldn't tear his gaze away, feeling a strange connection with this mysterious figure.
The man spoke, his voice resonating within Derek's mind, "The bearer of first light." His words were cryptic and left Derek with more questions than answers.
What did it mean? Was he the bearer of this "first light"? And if so, what responsibility did that entail?
Before Derek could gather his thoughts or respond, the world around him shifted, and he felt himself being pulled away from the golden figure.
Panic surged through him, and he instinctively reached out, but it was futile. The darkness swallowed him again, and the golden light faded into the distance.
Moments later, Derek's consciousness returned to his body lying unconscious on the ground.
He groggily opened his eyes, his mind still reeling from the encounter. The memory of the golden figure and his words lingered, etched in his mind like a haunting enigma.
He felt surprisingly clear-headed as if the encounter had awakened something within him.
Determination swelled in his heart, a newfound purpose driving him forward. He looked around, and there, on the ground, was the golden ball he had touched earlier.
It seemed to emit a faint, reassuring glow as if confirming the reality of his otherworldly experience.
But there was no time to dwell on the mysteries that surrounded him.
The ground trembled and shook violently, signalling that the purpose of this place had been fulfilled. Derek realized he needed to escape before it was too late.
As Derek clutched the golden ball tightly in his pocket, he felt a strange warmth emanating from it, comforting and reassuring in the midst of chaos.
The ball itself was a mesmerizing sight to behold. It was about the size of his palm, perfectly spherical, and crafted from a material that seemed both familiar and otherworldly.
Its surface was adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and dance as if alive with energy.
The golden glow it emitted grew stronger as Derek's sense of purpose intensified.
With his heart pounding in his chest, Derek pushed his body to its limits, determined to escape the crumbling realm of Chaos.
The ground trembled beneath him, and chunks of rock and debris rained down from above, making his escape all the more treacherous.
He weaved through the obstacles with practised agility, driven by a mix of adrenaline and fear.
His eyes never left the closing exit ahead of him. The darkness seemed to press in from all sides, threatening to swallow him if he faltered even for a moment.
Each step became a desperate struggle, the exertion weighing on him like a heavy burden.
Yet, Derek's will remained unyielding, fueled by the knowledge that the exit was his only chance at survival.
The golden ball's glow intensified as if responding to his determination, illuminating his path in the darkness.
Its soft light cast intricate shadows around him, giving an ethereal quality to his desperate flight.
Derek's focus was laser-sharp; he blocked out everything but the goal of reaching the exit.
As he ran, his breath came in ragged gasps, and his muscles screamed in protest. But he ignored the pain, the world around him fading into a blur as time seemed to distort with the urgency of the situation.
He leaped over cracks in the ground and somersaulted beneath falling debris, each movement precise and efficient.
The closing exit loomed closer, its boundaries tightening like a vise. Derek felt a surge of panic, knowing that the consequences of failure would be dire. He summoned every ounce of strength he had left and sprinted with all his might.
In the final moments, it felt as though time had slowed down. The world seemed to hold its breath as Derek propelled himself forward, stretching his hand toward the dwindling opening.
The golden ball in his pocket seemed to pulse with energy, urging him on.
But just as he reached the exit, a big piece of rubble fell from above, pinning Derek down.
Panic surged through him as he struggled to free himself. He could hear the sounds of the chamber collapsing all around him, the walls closing in, and the exit fading from view.
With all his strength, Derek pushed against the rubble, but it was no use. He was trapped, unable to escape as the exit closed in on him.
A surge of desperation and frustration washed over him. He knew that failure now would mean being trapped in this collapsing realm, forever lost in the darkness.
As he contemplated the scene before him, a spark of realization ignited within me, and he understood the true power of Transcendent Knowledge.
...
[Transcendent Knowledge]:
- Transcendent Knowledge is a skill exclusively possessed by those who have unlocked the Author profession.
- It grants a deep understanding and control over the written word, allowing the Author to recall information with clarity and precision about the worlds, characters, and events they have created.
- This skill functions similarly to status detection abilities but cannot be sensed or detected by others.
- With Transcendent Knowledge, an Author can access a vast array of information and concepts, including details that may not have been explicitly written in their works.
- It is a power that allows them to truly understand and connect with their creations on a deep level.
- This skill enables Authors to gain insights into the motivations, personalities, and desires of their characters, allowing them to create more complex and nuanced stories.
- In addition, Transcendent Knowledge allows Authors to manipulate and shape their creations.
- They can change the direction of a story, flesh out a character's backstory, or alter the rules of the world they have created.
- With this power, they can create truly unique and unforgettable narratives.
- Transcendent Knowledge is a skill that requires a deep understanding of the craft of writing, as well as a strong connection to the stories and characters that an Author creates.
- By unlocking this skill, an Author gains a level of mastery over their craft that is unparalleled, enabling them to create works of art that will stand the test of time.
...
After using the skill "Transcendent Knowledge", Copy Derek focused on Luna Raven's skill "Short Blink". This skill would allow the user to teleport over a short distance.
With Copy Derek's huge mana pool of D+ Rank, He could perform it more than 50 times.
But what appeared inside his mind sent chills down his spine and his brain stopped working.
Copy Derek's heart pounded in his chest as he processed the shocking message that appeared in his mind.
As Derek basked in the glory of his newfound power, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
He tried to access Transcendent Knowledge to gain insight into a particular character, but the skill couldn't be accessed.
This meant that he didn't understand the character completely, or worse, the character didn't exist in the novel.
Derek was the author, so the first option was out of the question. He wasn't a reader, so he couldn't have missed anything about the character. That left only one possibility.
A character existed in his story that he had no knowledge of, no control over, and no understanding of.
The implications of this revelation sent a chill down his spine. What kind of character could it be? And what role did they play in his story?
Derek knew that he had to find out, but he also knew that danger lurked around every corner.
The mystery of the unknown character filled him with a sense of unease and dread, but he knew this was not the time to mule over it. he needed to get out of his predicament.