Second World Novel

Jack couldn’t get a clear view of Euphosine. His perception during the incorporeal state was all relying on mana sense. If Euphosine currently had God-level power, then she was undetectable by mana sense like the other Gods or eternal-grade beings unless they purposefully released their energies.

All he perceived was void in the shape of a woman.

“An outworlder who can get into the spirit form… Impressive,” Euphosine said. “But what’s more impressive is that I sense God’s powers inside you… Hm… A divine treasure and… Hope’s sanctification. Who are you to Hope? Does he know what happens here?!”

Euphosine’s voice turned edgy upon her last sentence. Hearing that, Jack seized the opportunity, “Of course, Hope knows! You have better let everyone go now, or else, you will suffer his wrath!”

Euphosine was silent for a while, she then spoke again. Her voice had returned to the playful tone the same as when Jack heard her the first time.

“You naughty child. You tried to trick me, didn’t you? Nice try. If Hope knows what happens here, I won’t be alive anymore. I very much want to reduce you to ashes for scaring me for a second there, but I’ve seen your matches. They were very entertaining. I can also see that you had a lot of fun playing my games.”

Jack wanted to think, ‘Fun my ass, you b*tch,’ but he remembered what he was thinking about could be heard in this incorporeal state. He instead asked, “You are watching me…? In real-time?”

“No, silly. Even though I have become a Goddess, I can’t be everywhere at the same time. All the matches were recorded. I watched them after the matches. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing… Just curious…”

Euphosine chuckled. “At first, I want to just erase the trespasser who has been so bold to intrude my sanctum and disturb my sister. But after finding that the trespasser is you, I change my mind. You are just too fun for my game. You have to continue playing it.”

“Uh… So, you are letting me go?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” Euphosine answered. “But… I still have to give you a punishment.”

After she finished speaking, Jack felt a great void enveloping him.

“You… What are you doing…?!” Jack shouted.

Jack sensed Euphosine’s presence magnified. Something that seemed like an orb was floating beside her. This orb radiated divine power similar to when Gods released their energies.

The void blanketed Jack tightly. He felt as if he was completely wrapped. As if he was encased in concrete. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t feel anything. He could still hear Euphosine’s voice, though.

“Mana sense and mana manipulation are the very essences of one’s being. They are very difficult to seal. But this is my world. As long as I exert enough will and if it is only for sealing one person, it is still possible. You are now no longer permitted to use this ability.”

No mana sense? Then how could he return to his body? When he was worrying about that, he suddenly felt something again.

He opened his eyes. He was back in his body. He looked around and found himself back in the dungeon with the others.

𝗇𝑶𝗏𝖊𝓵𝑛𝐄xt.𝗰𝒐𝐦

“Your Majesty, are you all right?” Kramer asked. “You… You look pale.”

“Nightmare?” Stefan asked.

Jack realized then that he was also sweating. “Ye… Yeah… Nightmare.”

“Must be one hell of a nightmare to scare someone like you,” Stefan said.

Jack was silent. He was back in his body but he felt like a naked person. He could no longer sense the mana around him. He tried using mana manipulation. He was unable to. Without mana sense, he could no longer do his incorporeal state.

Euphosine must have been the one who sent his blind spirit back to his body. Otherwise, he would have been lost forever outside his body.

‘Damn it!’ Jack cursed within. ‘Without mana sense, I won’t be able to detect the exit…’

‘… We will find another way,’ Peniel tried to console.

*

The next day, the match was again another standard Olympic competition. This time it was archery.

Someone else took the first place in this match. Kerry, the native ethereal. Turned out she was an excellent marksman.

Jack was in second place while Master was in fourth. Stefan, the draconian player with the hidden weapon specialist class, scored third place.

Everyone, except for Kramer and Naomi who no longer need to participate in the match, was a decent marksman. None of the arrows failed to hit the circular targets. Aglea informed them that the first one to fire their arrows outside the circular target would instantly be nominated as the sacrifice.

Everyone fired ten arrows. Everyone hit the target. So, the winners and losers were determined by their scores.

The last place fell to Dina, who got the lowest score. When the decision was announced, she glanced at Jack before the space around them was rearranged.

Jack understood the glance. She hoped that Jack could save her like he did the others. But this time, Jack wasn’t confident. He could no longer sense or manipulate mana. He felt that he was now back to being a normal person.

As the space around them reorganized itself, Jack found that he was alone in what looked like a room of a house.

“Where are the others?” He asked no one in particular.

Aglea didn’t show up like she used to but her voice boomed around the room.

“The sacrificial round starts now. You are to navigate the maze of this manor to reach the room with the sacrifice. As usual, you have ten minutes. Beside you are your weapon and ammunition. Since I’m feeling generous today, I will let everyone in on a clue. You may not miss your shot more than ten times, and… Uh, I think this is pretty clear already after previous sacrificial rounds. It is not just the sacrifice that can die in this round. Those who try to save the sacrifice, bear the risk of dying as well. If you want to be safe, then just stay in your room until ten minutes passed. Otherwise, good playing! Hahaha…”

Jack looked to his side at the weapon Aglea mentioned. It was a slingshot. Next to the weapon was a bag of small metal balls. Jack counted the balls. There were twenty. So, everyone had to score at least fifty percent accuracy, but on what?

Jack picked up the slingshot and tied the bag of metal balls to his pants. He then took out one of the balls and armed the slingshot.

“Maze, eh…? This would have been so easy if I can still do my incorporeal state,” Jack sighed.

“You can still conquer this maze without it,” Peniel encouraged.

“Yeah,” Jack uttered. He had played multiple maze games in the past. He didn’t rely on mana sense then, he didn’t need one now.

After reassuring himself into a proper mindset, he took a deep breath and walked to the only door of this room. He opened it and saw a long hallway.

The interior was neoclassical design but with poor illumination. The dim lighting only came from the candles fixed on the walls along the hallway. The moving shadows that were created every time the flame flickers gave Jack the sense that he might not be alone in that hallway.

Jack looked back at the room. It was safe back there. It was just a glance. The thought of safety left his mind as soon as it appeared. Even if he was back to a normal person, he couldn’t leave a comrade to die.