With a piercing sound emanating from the hinge, a yellow-dyed passage appeared on the other side of the iron gate.

The floor, walls, ceiling... everywhere was stained with a rusty yellow color.

A row of incandescent lights lined one side of the wall, and the surrounding rust looked even more like bloodstains under the dim yellow light.

The ceiling was low, as if one could reach out and touch it, creating an oppressive feeling of suffocation for Sara.

"Oh my, another dead end?"

Although this passage extended further into the depths, a metal lattice stood in the way not far ahead.

Just as Sara approached, intending to test if she could open it, the lattice immediately roared and retracted into the ceiling.

As she continued forward, when she reached a junction on the right side, this time a metal lattice descended from above to block her path. It seemed she could only take the right fork in the road.

Although this maze-like place had numerous forks, these automatic lattices would selectively open or close, as if guiding Sara.

Ahead, something appeared...

A huge, ominous figure wielding a spiked bat slowly walked by, looking extremely sinister and terrifying.

Jeana had encountered this thing many times before, and although it was moving slowly now, once it launched an attack... hmph, it would be difficult to escape!

Although feeling greatly confused and clueless, Jeana had no choice but to continue forward.

She entered a dimly lit passage without any incandescent lights, and then passed through the door at the end.

On the other side of the door was a narrow space resembling a staircase passage that was about two stories high, and the bloodstains on the walls became even more prominent.

There was nothing else here, only a ladder that was broken beyond repair.

Jeana began to climb upward, but when she was a short distance away from the metal grid surface on the upper level, she suddenly stopped.

Awoo...!

That sound—it appeared!!!

It was hanging on the inside of the metal grid, restless.

Although it might launch an attack, Sara had to go up.

She calmed herself down as usual, gripping her shotgun tightly with one hand, and slowly moved the barrel upward.

The line of sight overlooking from above gradually aligned with the same horizontal line, but... a strange gaze turned towards her inappropriately.

As the distance between her and the Evil Entity got closer, Jeana seemed to smell its disgusting stench.

Although she was already nervous and sweating profusely... this time she still couldn't see any signs of the Evil Entity launching an attack.

It just stared at her with a voyeuristic gaze, finally, Jeana stared back at it with contemptuous eyes from above her jeans, then turned and left.

After leaving the space resembling a stairwell, although the place she was in still seemed to be inside the hospital, the surroundings were completely different from when she arrived just now.

Blood red!!!

Under the illumination of the lights, the walls, floor, and ceiling that emerged from the darkness were all a very intense deep red.

The surface of the interior walls of this concrete building was covered with frightening undulations that made people's hair stand on end. It felt like sulfuric acid was eroding it from the inside, and it seemed like it could collapse with a single touch.

Of course, there is something even more terrifying - the Evil Entity crawling on the ground.

With sharp, beast-like mouth, its body scarred as if burnt by fire, it easily brings to mind demons wandering in hell.

Even if you use a gun to attack it, all you will see is a disgusting scene of blood and flesh, right? Jeana decided to avoid unnecessary fighting as much as possible, looking at the opponent lying on the ground, planning to cross over it.

But...

The actions of the Evil Entity were astonishingly fast, and it quickly grabbed Jeana's ankle, forcefully pulling her to the ground.

Helpless, Jeana had no choice but to aim the muzzle of her shotgun at its head.

"Don't touch me!"

Boom!

The bullet smashed the head of the Evil Entity, accompanied by a painful whimper as the foul-smelling green liquid splattered everywhere, sticking to Jeana's face and hair.

For a young and beautiful girl, this was a great humiliation, causing Jeana to lose her previous composure and become somewhat unruly.

"Damn it!!!"

Boom!

"Ugh!?"

A violent shake woke Juxi up from his dream, and as he became alert, he looked around and realized there was no shaking sound.

"I...I actually fell asleep?"

Only then did Juxi react, realizing that he had been sitting in the room and had not gone anywhere.

"Really, I fell asleep unconsciously..."

Rumble~!

Before Juxi could grasp what was happening, the building started to shake, and the shaking grew more intense.

"What on earth is happening outside?"

Just as Juxi stepped out of the room, everything outside startled him completely.

"Am...Am I still dreaming!?"

Immediately, Juxi felt dizzy, and his legs began to feel uncontrollable.

At this moment, in his eyes, he was alone in the sky, with dust flying everywhere, as if there was a huge figure below that was gradually getting bigger...bigger...

Wuwuwu... Juxi, have you ever experienced the loneliness of ultimate despair?

I have been living in such a space, day after day, year after year.

You know?

I have forgotten who I used to be; the alternating memories have gradually turned into sadness for you...

From sadness for you, it gradually turned into hatred for you...

And from hatred for you, it finally turned into despair.

"I don't know! I have already forgotten! Don't...don't come for me!"

Juxi felt that the giant figure was getting closer, as if it wanted to swallow him alive.

"Ahahah..."

When Juxi saw clearly the giant figure, he let out a scream of fear.

"What kind of monster are you!?"

Before Juxi's eyes, there appeared an octopus with a wide open blood-filled mouth, large enough to swallow an aircraft carrier in one bite.

I see, so in your eyes, I am just a monster?

"I...I didn't mean it." Juxi tried to argue.

Don't deceive me, I can see through your heart, I know everything you think!

"But you should also know that I am Juxi from a hundred years later, so how could I remember something from over a hundred years ago? I am just a human, different from your Core Spirit. Human memories fade over time if not deliberately ingrained. Many things will be forgotten in a hundred years!"

Um... Will many things be forgotten?

The monster still seemed unwilling to believe, but the movement of its teeth had clearly stopped.

In this momentary gap, Juxi heard a woman's voice in his ears.

"Calm down, none of what you see is real!"

"..."

"Black Fox, you have to find a way to relax. The Core Spirit is currently eroding your body. If you don't wake up soon..."

"Who's there?"

Juxi could vaguely feel as if his forehead were being touched by a cold jade hand.

Good... feels so comfortable!

Juxi felt a significant improvement in his physical condition, and even his boiling blood gradually calmed down.

No! No---!

The giant monster's body began to collapse... No, it should be said that the whole world began to collapse!

As the illusion crumbled, Juxi gradually woke up from his slumber. Although the dream had already ended, the woman's voice still rang in Juxi's ears, feeling unusually real.

The first thing Juxi saw when he woke up was the golden-haired woman taking care of him.

"Remarkable willpower, to be able to escape from the illusions created by the Core Spirit."

"How did you get in?"

"Of course I came in with a key card. The Twelve Divine Generals have such privileges, you know."

"The Twelve... Divine Generals? What's that?"

Juxi had no idea. He had never even heard of the Twelve Divine Generals. Were they the strongest twelve individuals here?

"Black Fox, could it be that your memory is damaged? How do you not even know about the Twelve Divine Generals?"

The golden-haired woman felt somewhat strange and looked at Juxi distrustfully.

Honestly, if it weren't for the powerful core energy fluctuations in Juxi's body, she would almost think that the black fox in front of her was fake...

In fact, it was indeed fake, but it seemed that Hei Tong had warned him...

"So, you must accept all of this. They are only exchanged for your life!"

"Hey, what if I escape?"

"Hehehe, that's hilarious. After leaving Gerte City, you won't survive for even a week outside."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let me tell you this, outside there are only the Resistance Army and the Imperial Army. Let's not talk about the Imperial Army; they absolutely won't take you in. But the Resistance Army is different. They'll take you in, yes, but do you know where they are?"

"Where are they?"

"I don't know either. Since the Resistance Army was defeated a few days ago, they've been missing. Even if you want to join them, you have to find them first..."

"..."

"By the way, whether they'll take you in or not, I don't know. So, for now, you can only stay here, or you'll have no way out."

Hei Tong's meaning was clear, telling Juxi that besides this place, he had nowhere else to go.

Juxi sat up quietly from the bed, and he noticed that the mask on his face had already been removed, he didn't know when.

Is... this woman in front of me?

"Hahaha, I always thought you were an annoying young idol with a mask on... but I never expected you to be so manly."

"...No way!"

Juxi actually blushed a little because he hadn't been in contact with women for a hundred years, and he was feeling shy.

"But on another note, you just said you're one of the Twelve Divine Generals..."

"The fastest Divine General of the Twelve, Kislinmira!"