Jake's trembling legs finally found their strength. He had done it—he had stood up against the crushing weight that could break even the strongest souls. His body screamed, his mind burned, but his will... his will stood unshaken.
For a moment, a surge of triumph welled inside him. He wanted to yell—to roar at the heavens, to tell the universe he wasn't done yet. But something inside whispered, "Not here." This wasn't a place to scream. It wasn't a place that welcomed joy.
Then, silence cracked.
From beneath the black hood, a deep, twisted laugh echoed—
"Hahahahahaha…"
The sound wasn't just laughter; it was like the walls of that dark hall themselves were mocking his victory. But Jake didn't care. Excitement rushed through him. That laugh—it meant something. He accepted me. I did it. I'll live again.
But the cloaked figure tilted his head slightly, crimson eyes gleaming through the shadows.
"Heh… I got the right person this time."
His voice was calm, yet every word dripped with malice. Jake froze.
The man continued, his tone shifting to a dark whisper that seeped into the walls—
"Hehehe… now I'll finally achieve my goals. A thousand worlds… just wait. You're already in my grasp."
And then came the second laugh—
"Hahahahahahahaha…"
It was no longer human. It was the kind of sound that made even souls shiver—a sound born from chaos itself.
Jake's instincts screamed at him. Something's wrong.
But the thrill of being granted a second life blinded him to the danger.
He ignored the warning, his heart thundering with wild hope.
Unknowingly, he had just stepped into the hands of something far darker than fate.
Time slowed.
Each second stretched into eternity as Jake waited for the cloaked figure's reply. His heart pounded so loudly that it almost drowned out the silence. He wanted to scream for the answer, to make time move faster—but the darkness around him refused to obey.
Then finally, that deep, cold voice spoke—
"Good…"
The sound echoed like thunder in an empty abyss.
"You proved your worth."
Jake's eyes widened, his breath trembling with relief. He accepted me…!
But before that hope could bloom, the figure's next words came like a blade—
"I'll give you the chance to live again… but you'll have to do something for me."
Jake's body stiffened. The euphoria faded.
"Work…?" he asked slowly, his voice shaking.
The man's presence grew heavier. Shadows twisted and crawled around him as he continued,
"Yes. Once you complete the task I give you, I'll return you to your world."
Jake swallowed hard. He didn't care what it was. God, demon, or something beyond—if this being could grant him a second life, then he'd take the deal without hesitation.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, desperate.
The cloaked figure chuckled, the sound reverberating through the dark hall.
"Before that…"
He raised his hand, and the air itself rippled.
"You should know the price I'm paying to give you this life again. Your human body—destroyed. Your soul, fragmented. To rebuild what was lost, I must shape you a new vessel… and use the power of space itself to send you safely to Earth."
Jake could barely comprehend the scale of what he was hearing. The complexity of it, the sheer power behind those words—it was beyond anything mortal.
Yet his resolve didn't falter.
"I understand… I'll do it. Just tell me the task."
A chilling silence followed. Then, beneath the hood, a faint curl appeared on the man's lips—a smile that was not human, not kind, but purely evil.
Jake couldn't see it, but he felt it—like ice running down his spine. His instincts screamed again, whispering warnings he refused to hear.
Because this time…
He didn't want to lose his second life.
"Very well," the cloaked figure said, voice dripping with satisfaction.
"Now, let me tell you… your task."
The cloaked figure's deep voice echoed through the void, calm yet carrying a weight that bent even space itself.
"Before I tell you the task," he said, his tone grave and deliberate, "you should know—it's not something ordinary. It's complicated… and it will take a very, very long time. Make sure your mind is ready, mortal."
Jake's lips twitched. Complicated? Long time?
He clenched his fists, thinking, I've already made up my mind… whatever it is, I'll do it.
But the moment the word time entered his ears, he hesitated. His resolve flickered.
"How… how much time are we talking about?" he finally asked, his voice uncertain. "I… I need to return to Earth as soon as possible."
The cloaked being turned his crimson gaze upon him. Though his face was hidden, Jake felt the weight of that stare pierce through his soul.
"Time?" The figure chuckled—a low, ominous rumble. "You need not worry about time. When I send you back, only one day will have passed on Earth… no matter how long you spend in my task. Whether it takes you years or eternities, your return will not disturb the timeline."
Jake's heart pounded. So… time doesn't matter? Then…
The air trembled. The dark figure's aura expanded like an ocean, swallowing the hall in shadow.
"My task is simple," he finally declared, voice like thunder tearing through the dark. "I will send your soul across a thousand worlds—each one different, dangerous, and alive. You must find and collect the Core of each World… and bring them to me."
Jake's breath caught.
"A thousand… world cores?" he whispered, disbelief mixing with awe.
After hearing those words, Jake stood frozen in disbelief.
Until now, everything he knew was just theory—mere speculation that other lifeforms could exist somewhere beyond the stars. But suddenly, fragments of images flickered in his mind… visions he couldn't comprehend.
And then it hit him.
There really was another lifeform—right in front of him.
The weight of those thousand worlds and endless time pressed down on his thoughts, twisting his sense of reality. The figure before him wasn't something mortal eyes were meant to witness.
Jake's breath trembled. This... this existence—it's beyond anything I've ever imagined.
It felt like he was standing before one of those godlike beings mentioned only in myths and novels—an entity that defied reason, radiating a presence that could shatter his very soul.