Prologue

When the man opened his eyes and saw the scene before him, he stood frozen in place.

In front of him was not a warm bed and room, but a cold, dark ruin.

What happened?

The man looked around curiously and uneasily. He clearly remembered that he should have been sleeping at home, so how did he end up in this strange place when he opened his eyes? Where was this? Why was he here? With these questions, the man slowly moved forward. He cautiously leaned against the wall, trying to find the exit of this place, but no matter where the man went, all he saw was a cold, dark, and silent world.

Is this a nightmare?

Slapping his cheeks hard, the intense pain dispelled the man’s last doubts. He began to feel anxious and uneasy. This wasn’t a dream, nor was it an illusion. What exactly was this? Why was he here? What on earth had happened? Although he had many questions in his mind, the man still chose to continue moving forward. He pressed his hand against the cold wall and continued walking along the corridor.

The man didn’t notice that not far behind him, the dark, dense shadows were churning and rolling, gathering like poisonous snakes hidden in the shadows, ready to strike.

Then, a cold, pale blue flame lit up.

“Whoa!”

Faced with this inexplicable scene, the man jumped in fright. He pressed himself tightly against the wall, his eyes darting around. Just then, an elegant and gentle voice appeared in his ear.

“Welcome to my space, esteemed guest.”

“Huh?”

Hearing these words, the man was stunned. He reflexively turned his head and was surprised to see a person standing not far in front of him. The person was wearing strange and magnificent clothing, looking at him with a gentle smile. His thick black hair and eyes appeared so mysterious in the firelight. Although he didn’t know how this person had appeared, seeing another human immediately made the man feel relieved deep inside.

“Who are you? This place is…”

“My name is Julian, you can call me that.”

Julian bowed slightly, greeting the man. Then he raised his head and looked at the man before him.

“So, can you tell me your name, esteemed guest?”

“My name is Lin Feng…”

Under Julian’s inquiry, the man gradually calmed down. However, when he turned his gaze to Julian, he still showed a hint of confusion and bewilderment. “Excuse me, what exactly is this place? And who are you? Why am I here?” After relaxing, the man immediately fired off a series of questions. Although he quickly realized this was impolite behavior, Julian obviously didn’t mind his questions. He just shrugged and made an inviting gesture.

“It’s tiring to talk standing up, isn’t it? How about we eat while we talk? You’re the first guest to visit my space in fifty years, you should receive a warm welcome.”

“…Thank you.”

After hesitating for a moment, the man nodded, then followed Julian into the room behind him.

Elegant, beautiful music began to play. White tablecloths and steaming food immediately caught the man’s eye, instantly relaxing his previously tense mood.

“Please, have a seat.”

Julian smiled and made an inviting gesture. After watching the man sit down nervously, he shrugged and raised his wine glass.

“I know you have many questions, and I’ll answer them for you… So, what would you like to know first?”

“What exactly is this place?”

The man immediately asked.

“I was sleeping at home, how did I end up here?”

“This is my space,” Julian said.

Julian took a sip from his wine glass before looking at the man again.

“As for why you appeared here, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s because the dimensional barrier is relatively weak here, making it easier to attract visitors from other worlds.”

“Other worlds?”

Hearing this, the man’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You mean this isn’t Earth? Oh no, how unlucky, how did I…”

Watching the man sigh in distress while holding his head, Julian didn’t show any reaction. He just looked at the man with a gentle smile until he accepted this fact and raised his head to look at him again, then continued to ask.

“So, who are you? You said you created a space… Are you a magician?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not a mage,” Julian said.

Julian raised his wine glass, a gesture that made the man pause before hastily raising his own glass in response.

“In fact, I think I can understand how you feel, Mr. Lin Feng,” Julian said.

Julian leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression softening a bit.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a fellow countryman from Earth. To be honest, I’m very happy to see your arrival.”

“Huh?”

Hearing this, the man was stunned. He carefully examined Julian in front of him and realized that, like himself, Julian had black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin. This amazed him. It was then that the man finally noticed that Julian had been speaking to him in his native language all along, which surprised him greatly.

“You mean, you’re also…”

“That’s right,” Julian nodded, then picked up the wine bottle beside him.

“Like you, I inexplicably came to this world a long time ago. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a way to leave this place.”

“So that means I can only live in this world from now on?” the man asked.

Hearing this, the man’s expression became somewhat complex. He sighed and held his head in his hands.

“Theoretically, that’s correct,” Julian said.

Julian put down the wine bottle, and a strange light flashed in his pitch-black eyes. But the man didn’t notice. He lamented his fate helplessly, and after organizing his chaotic thoughts, he finally looked up.

“So, this isn’t a dream? I really crossed over? What should I do? What can I do?”

“You don’t need to do anything,” Julian said.

Julian’s voice was low and gentle, with a certain charm that soothed the heart.

“I will help you leave this space.”

“But I remember you said you weren’t a mage. Isn’t it only mages who can do this kind of thing? Like spatial magic, transformation magic…”

“I can indeed do this, and I’m indeed not a mage,” Julian said.

Hearing the man’s words, Julian shrugged and showed a relaxed, smug smile.

“I am a knight, the Knight of Demise.”

“Knight of… Demise…?” the man repeated.

The man involuntarily repeated the title, which seemed to possess some strange magic. When Julian uttered this title, the previously warm space suddenly became viscous, making one feel dry and scorching. The man gripped his wine glass tightly and unconsciously took a sip of the fine wine. A cool sensation immediately entered his body, driving away the uncomfortable heat. He stared intently at Julian in front of him, waiting for his explanation. Whether it was the man’s imagination or not, as he gazed at Julian, he always found it difficult to clearly grasp his location, as if the man’s very existence was something unreal and ethereal.

“That’s right,” Julian said.

Julian elegantly put down his wine glass and picked up a napkin to wipe his hands.

“After coming to this world, I became one of the most powerful knights on this continent. However… later there was a small problem. Some people didn’t like my way of playing the game, so they united to try to eliminate me. It was a battle that lasted for several years. Although I won in the end, it came at a considerable cost to me.”

As he spoke, Julian pointed at his own body.

“Although I got rid of all those troublesome fellows in one fell swoop, I lost my physical body as a result. Now I can only appear in my own space in this soul form. I must say, it’s a very unpleasant thing for me.”

“Oh…” the man swallowed a piece of medium-rare beef and nodded in confusion. He felt that he didn’t quite understand what the other person was saying. Although it seemed to be about something important, his brain seemed unable to comprehend the meaning. However, at this moment, that scorching sensation appeared again, forcing the man to pick up his wine glass.

“But honestly, it seems fate is still on my side,” Julian said.

Julian interlaced his fingers and leaned back in his chair, looking at the man before him with a gentle smile.

“I originally thought I would have to stay here for a long time, but I didn’t expect to get a sacrifice so quickly…”

“Huh?”

The man looked up. His brain was now fuzzy, but he instinctively felt that he had just heard a very dangerous word. However, Julian didn’t change at all. He still wore that gentle smile, looking at the man before him. Only this time, a cold and joyful light flashed in his eyes.

“Mr. Lin Feng, you’re willing to help me out of my current predicament, aren’t you?”

“…Huh? Of… of course.”

The man was momentarily stunned, then reflexively responded.

“Very good, thank you for your help.”

Julian’s smile grew brighter, and the originally brightly lit banquet hall suddenly dimmed. The beautiful music had stopped at some point, and even the sumptuous food and dining table had completely disappeared. The churning darkness once again became the master of this world. The man sat dumbly in his chair, his hands and feet now completely bound by dark chains. When the cold, dark aura appeared again, eroding the man’s flesh, his previously confused and chaotic mind suddenly cleared.

“What, what are you trying to do?! You…”

The man’s questioning received no answer. The pitch-black mist enveloped him like a poisonous snake. At this moment, Julian stood up and walked in front of the man. He stretched out both hands, and with this action, a miserable scream erupted from the man’s mouth. The dense black mist enveloping him began to slowly writhe, contracting as if digesting food. Then, in the center of Julian’s hands, a weak, desperately struggling soul light appeared.

“This is part of the deal. I’m sorry, fellow countryman.”

With a cold smile, Julian closed his hands. With this action, the fragments of the man’s soul that had condensed in his hands completely turned into specks of dust in the void and disappeared.

The black space began to tremble and collapse. The rolling waves of darkness surged, bursting forth with unparalleled power of death. The illusory space completely collapsed. Accompanied by death and finality, a terrifying existence returned to this world.