Logan stood before the barren patch of land inside his newly upgraded space. The ground was a desolate expanse of gray-black soil, devoid of any life. The potential of this new area intrigued him, and he was eager to test its limits. However, Logan wasn't willing to risk using Max Knight for the experiment. Max had become a trusted companion, and if anything went wrong, Logan knew he would never forgive himself.
Stepping out of his shelter, Logan scanned the snowy wasteland surrounding him, but there was no sign of life in sight. With a slight grin, he turned his attention toward the villagers living at the foot of the mountain.
Dragonrest Village
Hank walked through the snow-covered streets, frustration mounting. He entered one of the village homes, hoping to talk some sense into the locals.
"Uncle" he began, trying to keep his voice calm. "The world outside is falling apart. Don't you think we should postpone the funerals for the elders or at least keep them simple?"
The older man responded angrily, "Postpone until when? What if another blizzard hits? You want me to leave my father in the house for weeks? That's not going to happen! The dead must be buried properly, and we've already simplified the ceremony by holding a joint funeral for all the elders. How much simpler do you want it to be?"
Hank gritted his teeth. "The dead are gone! We, the living, still have to survive, don't we? We can't jeopardize the future of the living just to honor the dead!"
The elder's face darkened. "Your father did a lot for this village, but so did mine! We've all lost someone, Hank. Don't talk like that! Are you suggesting I let my father rot in the wild? Stop saying such heartless things!"
After visiting house after house, Hank received similar responses. Frustrated, he stormed out of the village, fists clenched. Hank had always been the village chief's protege, destined to take over leadership one day. But the chief's sudden death left Hank without the authority he needed, and the villagers wouldn't listen to him.
Now, with funerals being held in the midst of a crisis, Hank felt a growing sense of dread. The village still had reserves of food and supplies, unlike the chaos in the city, but he had seen the desperation outside. If they didn't come up with a plan soon, they would face the same fate as everyone else—starvation and violence.
Kicking a pile of snow, Hank muttered curses under his breath. "It's all because of that bastard on the mountain…Let me see you one more time, I'll definitely knock you off with my fellows and flay you alive! And we are feeding your flesh to your damn dog" He cursed Logan and Max Knight, venting his frustrations as if that would make him feel better.
Suddenly, Hank noticed a shadow looming behind him. Before he could react, a hand landed on his shoulder.
Logan, having just descended from the mountain, spotted Hank walking alone. He had been looking for a villager to test the space's abilities on, and Hank seemed like the perfect candidate.
Hearing Hank mutter curses about him only sealed the decision. Logan smirked, placing his hand on Hank's shoulder, attempting to activate the space.
Hank turned around and locked eyes with Logan. Both froze for a moment.
Logan: Why didn't the space activate?
Hank: This guy looks familiar…
Realization hit Hank first, his eyes widening in terror. But before he could react, Logan swiftly chopped him in the neck with a knifehand strike, knocking him out.
This time, the space responded, and Hank vanished from Logan's grasp.
"So, they need to be unconscious first," Logan muttered as he checked the space. Sure enough, Hank lay unconscious inside the newly formed soil of the space.
Satisfied, Logan summoned Hank back into the snowy landscape. He dragged the unconscious man to a secluded spot, stuffing snow into his clothes to wake him up.
Hank groggily opened his eyes, panic setting in when he saw Logan standing over him. He tried to scream, but Logan silenced him with a brutal punch, knocking several teeth loose.
"Don't make a sound, or I'll kill you," Logan warned coldly. Hank, terrified, nodded frantically.
Now that Hank was conscious, Logan tried to store him in the space again. However, he felt resistance—Hank's awareness was preventing the process from completing.
"I'll say this once: don't resist, or I'll kill you. Understand?" Logan's voice was icy, leaving no room for defiance. Hank nodded quickly, his fear palpable.
Logan attempted again, but the resistance, though weakened, was still present. Realizing Hank's consciousness was the problem, Logan acted swiftly. He grabbed Hank by the throat, slowly tightening his grip. Hank's eyes bulged in terror as he struggled to breathe, clawing helplessly at Logan's hand.
With a casual twist, Logan snapped one of Hank's arms to stop his struggling. Logan's strength, enhanced by unlocking the second phase of the gene lock, made it effortless.
As Hank neared suffocation, Logan suddenly felt the space accept him, and Hank disappeared, pulled into the space just before losing consciousness.
Inside the space, Hank woke up gasping for air, disoriented and confused. But Logan quickly retrieved him back into the real world.
Logan repeated the process several times, experimenting to understand the space's limitations. He confirmed that live subjects could only be stored when they were unconscious or otherwise unable to resist. Inside the space, time flowed normally, and people could still breathe and move.
Though the restriction on conscious individuals was disappointing, Logan reasoned that animals, with their weaker consciousness, might be easier to store. He now had a new plan.
Satisfied with the results of his experiment, Logan snapped Hank's neck with a swift motion. Hank's eyes, even in death, reflected a sense of relief—as if he had been freed from the torment.
By the time he finished, the sky had darkened, and most of the remaining villagers had retreated to their homes for the night.
The village, which originally had around 400 people, had already lost half its population to the cold and starvation. And with the military arriving soon to distribute supplies, Logan anticipated more conflict.
On his way back, few villagers who were at Logan's door the day saw him. Their eyes filled with hatred at the sight of Logan, and immediately started to attack...
Knowing that the villagers still harbored deep resentment toward him, Logan decided to preemptively eliminate any future threats. Using his thermal sensor, he tracked down few of Hank's fellows who had been threatening and trying to lynch him before and tested the space on them for thoroughness, storing their corpses in there.
When Logan returned to his safehouse, the scent of death clung to him. His eyes, gleaming with residual bloodlust, settled on Max Knight, who eagerly approached him.
In a low tone, Logan whispered,
"Max Knight, let's play a game, shall we?"