Lucian had no sliver of knowledge of what had awaited him.
When the clock struck a minute past midnight, a cloud of dark green mist abruptly emanated all over his body. His figure then disappeared from the very car he was driving, leaving the white ghost girl, Kim Sana, to stare at the now empty driver's seat with her lips sealed in momentary puzzlement.
Beforehand, Lucian stopped the car on the barely occupied road.
"Something will happen to me, stay here."
Kim Sana, as they slowly drove to reach Nami Island, was reminded of Lucian's certainty.
Thanks to the story of the Shadow Monarch's journey that Samantha had told him about, though it was blind faith and foolish on his part, Lucian somewhat hoped that this was the case... that the penalty of failing the [ Daily Quest ] would consume his being and be transported to another dimension.
He never expected that's what going to happen, though.
Now, as Lucian's vision undulated, with his mind momentarily fluctuating, he eventually found himself in the middle of nowhere.
Without the time to scrutinize his surroundings, as the fiery sky loomed over his existence, an alert from the [ Cosmic Fall System ] garnered his attention.
[ Ding! ]
[ You have failed the Daily Quest. ]
[ You will receive a penalty. ]
[ Penalty Objective: Survive ]
[ Duration: 2 hours ]
"Survive... what?"
Isn't this a piece of cake considering the impact of my [ Stigma ]?
When such a thought occurred to him, the system launched a countermeasure. It was as though it was waiting for him to have such conceited and foolish thoughts.
Reading the next message, Lucian's amethyst eyes seemed to have lost their previous luster; his face painted with horror.
[ In consideration of your immortality, your pain tolerance will be reduced by 1,000% ].
[ In case you are unable to endure it any longer, you can put an end to the penalty by surrendering. However, a stricter penalty will be imposed. ]
What's that supposed to mean...? Stricter?
Goose bumps spread all over his body; the last frame of the message sounded like a great mockery of his foolishness, who thought that being granted a sudden eternal life was all roses without thorns.
[ Do not get caught. ]
No sooner did the seeming warning shake Lucian's being than something erupted from a distance.
The scene from afar, where a seemingly volcanic eruption painted the scenery horrifyingly ethereal, as bolts of countless fiery lightning streaked on its mouth, could not be easily described by Lucian.
One moment, he finally surveyed the surroundings, processing that he was in a wasteland with nothing but red sands, crimson clouds, and a ghastly sky.
His expression was anything but calm.
The burning sulfur wafted through the air, eventually reaching his olfactory sense.
He believed he was sent to Hell.
That was the only thing, if that was even reasonable, he could call this very place.
In the next moment, Lucian saw indescribable entities crawling out of the mouth of this volcano, both miniature and gigantic alike.
Their shrieks and roars echoed, mixing with the smell of burning sulfur, along with the repulsive foul stench of burning flesh that Lucian could distinguish even from such a long distance.
What in the world are those...?
Lucian began to run in the opposite direction from where these monsters emerged; that's the only logical thing he could do at a moment's notice.
However, in less than five minutes since the system warned him, only then did Lucian realize that he was experiencing utter inequality.
Before he could even react, something tore through the air.
Yet with his puny stats, since it was mixed with the howling winds echoing the lands, he couldn't hear it.
And the next moment he knew...
Whoosh!
A blazing spear grazed his right shoulder, and his blood spilled, sullying the already tainted earth.
Unlike when Rowan's bodyguard of the Black Rose Guild struck him off of the hospital's rooftop with a spear, Lucian was still able to rationally think despite the excruciating pain.
But right now...
His mind suddenly went blank.
The pain was not excruciating but rather unbearable.
It was only a graze compared to being skewered through his abdomen.
However, the agony put a stop to his maneuver.
Ah...
"Aaaah!"
Lucian felt as though his veins were being dipped into scorching lava, his blood being boiled along with it. What's more, the sound of his flesh regenerating turned this physical pain into a mental one.
Immortality might seem a blessing, but at the same time, it was cursed.
Like a double-edged sword with a dull and sharp blade on either end.
[ Trait: Cold-blooded regulates your psychological state. ]
Thanks to this, however, Lucian didn't waste a second longer as he continued to run away without looking back.
Damn it! I should have at least exercised my body!
The chase continued, his breathing getting ragged, gravely so.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to outrun these monstrosities, Lucian racked his thick skull regarding what he could do.
Then to create a concrete plan, he needed to look at the nearest monster chasing him, which presumably threw the blazing spear from afar.
Steeling his resolve, he quickly turned his head to take a peek, seeing a burning creature that seemed to have not been witnessed by the world yet.
[ Main Skill: Eye of Death (EX) ]
Description: [ No secrets will be buried even until death... unless you cannot die. ]
Effect #1: [ You can peek at the Status Window of anyone with a Class Grade below yours. ]
Effect #2: [ Because death is near you yet you cannot die, you are granted the right to conceal your Status Window from the curious eyes of the living. It will be passively activated unless you will it to be revealed. ]
Effect #3: [ Depending on your level, you can precisely spot the ultimate weakness of any monster. ]
...
Upon using this skill, Lucian saw the information of the nearest monster chasing after him, focusing on its blood-red name and the corresponding rank.
What the...?! An A-rank monster?!
The gap was between heaven and earth, but it's not in any way laughable.
This monster sensed his gaze, and as though it became agitated, it stopped in its tracks; its burning flesh intensified.
It then vanished in front of his wondering gaze.
Lucian's heart was gripped with horror, seeing the sand earth caved in on its feet as the weight crushed the ground.
Where–!?
Thud!
The next thing he knew, a sizzling chain coiled his feet, causing him to stumble on the sand.
Lucian screamed, helplessly so.
Based on its nature and action so far, its role seemed to focus on pinning him down until the others arrived.
Death was not found.
Only torture awaited him.
With the Cold-Blooded trait, Lucian endured everything despite feeling his feet as though they were being soaked in flames like the old era's witches' trial.
"Y–You...! ARGHHH!"
The monster named [ Burning Catcher ] was a bit surprised, its scorching eyes momentarily flickered.
It was because...
"—ome here!"
With his burning flesh, Lucian tightened his grip on the chain and pulled the monster closer.
"Eat... Motherfucker!"
He then suddenly grabbed the very same chain that held him down, and since it's quite long, before stuffing a part of it into the mouth of the Burning Catcher!
Lucian neglected the physical hell.
His eyes were constantly being filled with frames reminding him about his trait regulating his mental state.
And because of that, like a suicidal maniac who couldn't die, with his mind as transparent as clear water, he chose to confront what couldn't be outrun.
"You are running with fire, your body as if one with it, and yet your insides aren't immune to it... What an irony...! Die!!!"
Upon using the [ Eye of Death ], Lucian couldn't initially determine why this monster's entire body was the weakness itself. However, when it got close, he managed to have a good look, making him wonder why its mouth was painted with purple mist that only he could see.
It was more focused on the mouth than anywhere else.
The Burning Catcher struggled, however, with its weakness touched, it remained helpless.
After some time, its blazing hot body then fell backward.
Thud!
[ Ding! ]
[ You have slain an A-rank monster, Burning Catcher! ]
[ You have achieved the impossible! ]
[ You have gained an enormous amount of EXP. ]
[ You have leveled up! ]
[ You have leveled up! ]
[ You have leveled up! ]
But amidst this good news, something caught Lucian's eyes as his gaze remained on the dead creature.
[ You can use the Skill: Summon Undead (F) on this entity. ]
[ Will you proceed? ]