An Additional Effect

"Countless choices gave birth to countless paths. Among those countless paths, there would always be one that led to truth. My visit—was it to clear away the wrong forks in your road, or to steal your correct choice? Boy, this is a multiple-choice question."

The figure standing on the far shore of time looked over with a beaming smile.

It was also at the instant that his gaze fell upon him that Sanders suddenly opened his eyes.

Before him lay a scorched black expanse of earth. The ruins of broken walls and shattered remnants were enough to reveal how prosperous this place had once been. This was the heartland of the Abyss, an outpost city humans had once built here to resist Abyssal invasions.

Unfortunately, demons had attacked this place thousands of years ago. The city had become ruins, humans had become bones, and all of it had slowly been worn away by the power of time.

"Sanders, what's wrong?" A white-browed old man in plain attire, wrapped in a robe the color of night, emerged from a Magic Cottage.

For a moment, Sanders was dazed. "Nothing. I just had a dream."

After a pause, Sanders said, "Kant, we haven't gone deep into the Abyss yet. You still have a chance to leave. The people from Gravity Forest have already retreated. There's really no need for you to stay."

The white-browed old man was Sanders's close friend, the current head of House of Lilith, known as Kant of Ruye.

Kant shook his head. "The wizards from Gravity Forest blocking you were just a side dish. The people from Deep Sea Song are the main course. Since Maya sent me a message, she must have foreseen some danger... But it's rather strange. Why hasn't Deep Sea Song shown themselves at all?"