What Evan witnessed made him screech at the top of his lungs as he fell back and retreated repeatedly.
His eyes were wide with horror at the scene before him, which was unbearably cruel and gruesome.
The sight made him want to vomit, but nothing emerged from his body, which seemed like transparent gas.
He saw two men in such critical condition that a normal person might have died from a quarter of the injuries they had sustained.
Both were clad in different types of fantastical armor, one wielding a large, game-like sword and the other a bow just inches shorter than himself.
Their faces were etched with sadness, pain, a yearning for someone, and finally, a hint of anger for revenge.
The swordsman had numerous cuts on his face, one eye slashed away, and a deep gash across his torso that nearly split his body in two.
The other individual was in no better condition; his body was riddled with holes from back to front, and many parts of his leather-like armor were burned, his face marred with dark spots resembling some kind of poison.
Both were screaming in agony before Evan, and as he approached them, they vanished. Two lights emerged from where they had been and merged with Evan's body, which became more visible. To his astonishment, he began to experience a variety of pains.
His body, or perhaps his soul, seemed to weep with pain. At times, he felt as if thousands of slashes were being made across his body, yet there were no marks; at other times, he felt an overwhelming desire to die as every pore in his body ached as if needles were continuously piercing them. Occasionally, one of his eyes felt as if it had been targeted by an arrow.
Throughout this ordeal, he felt as if he were in hell, experiencing the same emotions as the two individuals—sadness, anger, madness, sorrow, and many indescribable feelings were overwhelming him.
He harbored a desire to harm others but did not understand why. After a while, the sensations ceased, and he found himself lying on a dark floor, staring into the darkness above with an empty gaze.
It was as if he had lived two different lives, the memories of which were absent.
He also felt a peculiar sense of loss for someone he did not know or had never spent even a second with.
He felt an inexplicable need to find this person and hold them close, never to let go, a sentiment he could not comprehend.
His eyes were red, and tears were falling from his real body lying on the bed, visible to anyone who might see him now.
He looked around, found nothing, and began to feel trapped when a loud bang sounded, and the blackness in one direction vanished as if it had never been there.
He was relieved to be out of that hellish place when he turned around and saw the ten beings who had first appeared before him.
"Oh come on, was it all just a dream? Now must I face that ordeal every night?" Evan said, a pained expression on his face, but before he could process his thoughts further, something happened.
"Hello #####, I hope you're prepared," said one of them, startling Evan.
"Huhhhhhhhhhhh~~~~~~~," Evan shouted in shock, for it was the first time he truly understood what they were saying.
"Can you hear us, R####? It's crucial, as this will be our last communication before you reach #### # (####) for ascension," one of them said, while Evan struggled to hear.
"Yes, I can hear you, but who are all of you?" Evan asked, noticing they all deferred to the larger figure standing among them.
Evan realized this central figure held a higher status.
"We are the ten thrones, #####, here to inform you of your destiny, which will determine our downfall or ascent," said the one Evan had named One, for ease of recognition.
"Huh, what do you mean by destiny? What's all this about, and why can't I hear some of your words? Can you tell me why I keep having this strange dream, why those two guys were in such a dire state, and why I felt their emotions and pain as if it were my own?" Evan bombarded with questions, his eagerness fueled by the recurring dreams that had visited him every night since birth.
"It's not a dream, Evan. Oh, they shouldn't have let you get involved, huh? Well, listen... You are destined to save our world, and this 'dream' is actually a means of communication with us. It has been reaching you from the beginning because your world is in the midst of a mana invasion, which is why we can connect with you. As for those two individuals, they are your past incarnations, or what you might call 'you' before regression," one explained, attempting to address all of his questions.
"Huh, like those concepts in fantasy worlds? Like regression, transmigration, and many others?" Evan's eyes shone with excitement, as he was a fan of such narratives.
"Yes, Evan, but the tales you've heard aren't mere fiction or man-made stories; they are real. Every single thing is possible, including teleporting you to our world, just like in those stories," one clarified as the others nodded in agreement.
"But why me? Can't you choose someone from your own world to do it?" Evan inquired, aware that if he left now, he would have to leave his family and friends behind, causing them sorrow.
"It seems you're mistaken, Evan. It's not our choice but yours. The first time you came to our world was when your world was already in the first phase of awakening. You escaped from there and discovered that you could return from here, strong enough to save the world. Unfortunately, you died trying to aid us and promised to come back with the help of our artifact. Now, it's the third and final phase, which will be decisive for our future," one explained.
"But it's not the time of awakening, or anything you say, right? Why did you come here so quickly?" Evan asked, thinking they had arrived much earlier than expected.
"No, Evan, the invasion is going to happen sooner than previously thought, and your world's mana level has already surpassed the threshold for open communication," said the one standing to the right of the leader, who was holding a large book.
"Huh, but isn't it too early for the invasion according to your information?" Evan inquired, under the impression that the invasion would occur four to five years later.
"No, Evan, it seems something changed after you were regressed in time twice, and now, for the third time, you should be ready. It may be our chance to get a head start," the same person explained, and although Evan was displeased, he nodded in agreement.
"So listen, Evan, your day of return is now just three days away. Be prepared, because on that day, a large influx of mana will invade the area you reside in, which could help you teleport to our world at the world level. Be ready, as we will lose this connection until the invasion begins," One explained to him.
"Okay, but am I going to save your world without any cheats, like the main characters of novels?" Evan asked, indicating his agreement but also his reluctance to proceed without an advantage.
"That's fine, we have already consolidated the hard work from both of your lives to help you gain the maximum benefit and achieve the goal in this life," another voice from the group, including the book holder, said. After that, the space trembled, and they all teleported away to another place, a tale to be continued in the next chapter.