Once I arrived back in my world, I instantly began to doubt myself and my decisions.
Had I made a mistake in deciding to befriend Lucifen?
I calmed myself down and reminded myself that regardless of the situation I was in, one thing was certain:
I needed to get stronger. Even stronger than Lucifen.
With gods now having access to the Nexus, it was almost certain that many would rise in power.
If Battle 003 came, and I was facing off against a god who had already reached the Second Tier, or maybe even the third, it was almost certain that I would die.
So, I made a decision.
I would enter an Abandoned World.
If I wanted to, I could allow myself to worry about what might happen in those worlds, but I knew that I couldn't afford to waste the time or opportunity.
Advancing my strength was too slow while in Unus.
I went around to the necessary residents and told them that I would be away for an uncertain amount of time, though I left Dante in charge.
He offered to come with me, but I knew I couldn't afford to leave my world without someone to take care of things, and Dante was now my most trusted after the loss of Zerlos, and battle 002.
Afterward, I collected my longsword that was made from arsenic-copper and headed back to the crystal in my room.
I tapped my finger against the cold surface of the Realm Crystal and simply spoke the words: "Tier 1."
The transportation wasn't instant, but after a while, reality began to shift around me, as it had so often done before.
However, this time, it felt as though there was a struggle, and I was pulled hard into an unseen portal.
Usually, I would lose consciousness completely, though this time, I felt like I could sense myself traversing at an unfathomable speed through inconceivable locations.
In what could have been an instant, or a year, I emerged from a large black tear in the earth and landed on my feet.
The world in which I stood was indeed corrupted.
I stood at the peak of a large mountain, looking down upon a cloud of fog.
The sky was an unnatural green color, which spewed sparks of lightning from black clouds.
The mountaintop where I stood was flat, and I heard a sound coming from behind me, distracting me from the view.
When I turned, I saw a man standing there.
No, it was a god, evident by his stature, attractiveness, and attire.
He was white, with long, silky blond hair flowing to his back. He wore black robes and was as tall and broad as me.
On his waist were two daggers made from what looked like copper, though it could have been arsenic-copper as well.
"I've come to do no harm," his tempered voice said, as he held out his hand to show innocence. "I just arrived moments before you, and I'm currently trying to make sense of things."
I was instantly hesitant, remembering what Lucifen said to me earlier.
Can I trust this man? Or will he strike me down with his daggers at the first opportunity he gets? And what is this world?
I decided to be friendly, or at least to act as such for now.
Crash
Green lightning struck from above, landing somewhere nearby.
"What is your name?" I asked him, keeping my distance.
"Zhet, and yours?" he responded, and I wondered whether I should tell him my true name or make up a fake one.
"Vale."
Silence hung between us for a few moments.
"I promise I'm not here to do you any harm. If you'd like, we can both be on our way and head in different directions," the man suggested, and I liked the idea.
"So be it. Good luck with your travels."
The man turned to head the other way, and I did the same, looking over the mountain peak again.
It was a steep surface, and at the bottom, in the direction where I faced, I saw nothing, as a misty fog covered whatever lay below.
I wondered what could possibly be down there, and where all the over gods were, if there was any.
Whoosh
With my enhanced hearing, I heard a sound coming from behind me and turned with speed.
I was just in time to see the copper dagger flying towards me, aimed at my head.
I stepped to the side and saw that Thomas was now rushing towards me, following the dagger he had just thrown.
However, as I had dodged the knife, I misstepped and felt my feet slip from under me.
I tried to keep my balance, but the rocks of the mountain began to crumble, and my foot slipped even further.
Then the rocks crumbled more, and my other foot lost its footing as well.
The next thing I knew, I was sliding down the face of the mountain, attempting to grab onto any surface that would prevent my decline, but failing.
Is this how I die?
My vision became obscured as I fell through the fog, my body banging hard against the cliffside, pain surging through me.
It was the most damage I had taken since becoming a god.
After what felt like an eternal fall, I finally crashed into the water below and was instantly submerged in its depths, and I felt myself sinking.