Tatsumi felt dazed, as if his head were full of mush. He had no strength anywhere in his body.
It was like a nightmare. Though his mind was relatively clear, his body seemed to have lost all control and could not move. It felt as though a massive boulder were pressing down on his chest, leaving him unable to breathe.
A fear he had never felt before rose from the depths of his heart. He panicked and tried to move, but he could not. It was as if a hand were tightly squeezing his heart.
At last, Tatsumi suddenly sat up, gasping for air. His eyes were wide open, sweat pouring down his forehead. It was as if he had just awakened from a horrifying nightmare, and his whole body began to tremble.
"Phew... Thank goodness it was only a nightmare."
Tatsumi let out a long breath, but when he looked around, his pupils shrank.
The room was in ruins, covered in blood. Blood had splattered across the gilded walls, the exquisite furniture, and even the soft, smooth carpet bore scarlet stains.
Not far from him lay several people sprawled in disarray. He remembered that they were the guards of this mansion. When he had first entered the estate, he had sensed that these people were extraordinary and had marveled at their strength.
Now, their bodies had been torn apart. Their arms had been severed, exposing ghastly white bone, and blood had sprayed across the floor.
"What... happened here?"
Tatsumi was quite strong and had slain many Dangerous Species, but these were people! It was his first time seeing such a bloody scene, and he found it deeply unsettling.
When he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped. What met his eyes was a headless corpse, blood scattered everywhere. The once-bright