Varian couldn't feel anything.
Right when the white light enveloped him, he teleported.
However, unlike the usual times, as he was about to step into the gap between Inner and Outer space, the space shook.
He heard some breaking sounds and everything went dark.
He didn't know how he could even think right now.
Did that mean he was still alive? Or was there an afterlife?
Where was he?
Varian felt like a soul without a body.
There was only darkness and silence.
It continued for periods he didn't know.
'Why do I try to save others?' He questioned himself in the silence.
Perhaps it was his childhood mission. Perhaps because he didn't know there was such danger.
'No.'
Despite all the lies he told himself, Varian at that time was fully aware that it was dangerous to enter the site.
He was risking his life. Having experienced the 'treats' by System, he knew that better than anyone else.
However, he still dived in. He still wanted to save them, despite the risk.
Of course, he wasn't trying to be reckless. He brought all of them to safety. He, too, could've escaped.
The white light was an unexpected variable.
'I threw Sarah away at the last moment. Even if the explosion covers them, I hope they can live.' He sighed inwardly.
But he knew their chances of surviving that explosion were slim.
In the endless darkness, without any external stimuli, time lost its meaning and his thoughts became his only source of amusement. They were also the only proof that he was still alive.
Varian didn't know how long or short it was, but he 'felt' something at last.
'It hurts.'
'It fucking hurts!'
Even though he couldn't see or hear, Varian felt like a sharp blade was cutting every part of his body. Inch by inch.
'Damn!'
As he struggled incessantly, the pain intensified.
Along with the pain came the light and sound.
Varian's eyes snapped open, and he instinctively gasped for air.
He tried to breathe, but his lungs seemed to be pressed by something.
"Ha. Ha." Varian's breathing slowly adjusted.
The air went back from being the sticky liquid to normal.
'What was that?' He wondered.
He slowly stood up, flinching in pain as new wounds threatened to worsen.
However, he noticed that his body was healing quickly. It was likely the work of the healing potion.
'If the healing potion is still working, then it shouldn't long before I entered this place.'
Then he began to assess his location.
It was day. He was surrounded by tall trees. There was no creature in sight.
He glanced through the canopy and found no suns.
'I ended up somewhere in the Virgin dungeon. I think the rescue team would arrive soon.'
He focused his hearing and heard no dangerous sounds.
He was about to relax, but he noticed one slight detail.
'Aura…'
The aura in the air had a higher concentration than Virgin dungeon. Of the three areas, Outer zone had the least aura and the core zone the highest.
But even the core zone of Virgin dungeon did not have this concentration of aura.
Varian's breath stopped for a moment.
'Did I, by any ridiculous chance, end up in a mid dungeon?'
Mid Dungeons started with Level 4 Monsters and ended with level 6.
For a level 2 him, this meant a 100% death.
At the same time, the System flashed a message.
[+10 Xp
+10 Xp]
'Status'
[Body path Level 2: 180/200
Space Path Level 1: 100/100]
'Is that a consolation prize, System?' He cautiously stepped forward in the woods.
[No host. Your body was subjected to pressure beyond its limit. It fought the pressure and your chi increased. So you made progress.]
'Thanks.' Varian smiled and got to the main issue.'Where am I?'
[This System is not a GPS, host.]
Varian cursed it without holding back.
'Do you know how useless you are? In every novel I read, System can do everything. It can tell location, find treasures, open stores, give missions, and sometimes even assume the form of a beauty!' Perhaps to vent the tension from earlier, and anger at its rules, Varian didn't hold back.
[....] The System was silent.
'Haha! Even you have days you can't make a comeback.' He smirked and kept walking through the woods.
The density of trees was decreasing and if the forest wasn't a weird one, then he would reach its end soon.
[Host, if everything is done by the System, why would it need you?] It gave an unexpected reply.
'Indeed.'
If it could do everything, then why pick a host at all? If everything was so easy, then the host was just a product of the System's greatness.
It could literally mass produce them.
[Your destiny is not decided by this System. It is entirely up to you. This System is but one major element, but the player is yourself.]
Perhaps, because it felt Varian was thinking that his destiny was beyond his control, it clarified. He couldn't be blamed when every adventure he went on ended up in great danger.
'Hm? Aren't you omnipotent of sorts? Shouldn't you also be able to predict my future and where I will end up?' Varian sneered.
After all, this System did proclaim that his mom would still die even if he awakened early.
So what was this System pretending to be?
[If this System was omnipotent, then it wouldn't be sealed in that bracelet by those bugs. It wouldn't have to wait for thousands of years to gain freedom.] It replied curtly.
Sealed.
Why? How? What?
[Host, this System is not the strongest entity in the Universe. Earth, Solar System, even the Abyssals are not even bugs to the truly strong.]
'Alright. Now, I am not even a bug.' He shook his head and reached the edge of the forest.
In front of him was a vast grass ravine. Only if the grass was not orange, it would've looked like good Ol earth.
[Just survive. Survive all the threats and one day, you could stand on top of everything. Beyond this System, beyond the primordial tribes.]
'Just survive...wait, why is your timing so accurate?' Varian felt his hair stand up and he immediately turned back.
A large creature, no, a large rat the size of a lion, stared at him.
Its skin was covered in red scales, and it had four eyes.
Behind it was a larger rat. This was one was the size of an… elephant.
Varian felt their aura.
The smaller red-scaled rat seemed to be an early Level 3. The latter was higher.
'So this is why you said Survive! Fuck you System!' Varian cursed and without hesitation, channeled his chi.
He ran for it.