Marcile thrust his hand deep into Milo amidst the shock of Kris and Cody. The sound of tearing flesh and breaking bones was distinct; Milo's corpse was literally being destroyed amidst all that blood. Marcile grabbed an intestine, pulled it out, and tore it open, extracting a tapeworm one and a half meters long (59.06 in).
It writhed in the air like a snake before he killed it. Then, in a manner akin to magic, the effect of his strike reversed slowly.
The intestines returned to knit themselves together, the bones set as they were, the flesh was sutured, and the skin returned to its natural state as it was before the blow. Milo fell and staggered. The tattooed girl grabbed him, acting as if he had merely fainted, trying to deceive him:
"What is wrong with you?"
Milo tried to scream, but his mind was shut down by that treacherous move, of which he felt every detail of pain. In fact, he could still feel some of its traces inside him; he had smelled death and returned.
Kris said with fascination:
"This is the amazing hacking ability of the Number 6 holders. This is the first time I've seen it in my life."
The tattooed girl asked him:
"Where are you from?"
"I am from Morvaska."
"Ah... the Maldini mountain villages. Yes, you do not have reality programming abilities because they require permission to purchase their uncopyable functions from auctions at astronomical prices."
"Yes, our spiritual Number 6 Transcendants suffice only with abilities similar to Number 3... but we have good synthetic Transcendor and Artitranscend elements."
Marcile told Kris and Cody:
"He will be fine. I only extracted that tapeworm which was the cause of his body's frailty. If I hadn't performed this sudden move, he wouldn't have agreed to my method. Try not to change your behavior towards him and consider him your friend."
Milo regained his perception and screamed in the girl's face, then broke free and ran away. He then spoke in his English language from Earth, which none of those present understood:
"I must be dreaming! Get away from me! Leave me alone!"
He began closing his eyes, squeezing them shut, and hitting himself to wake up, but all he achieved was an embarrassing spectacle. This world was the true reality.
Upon realizing this, his face turned red, and he shrank like a snail retreating into its shell under the gaze of people, some of whom were laughing in mockery of him. He hid his face and tried to run far away.
Kris said, suppressing his laughter at Milo:
"If you run, the monsters will hunt you, or you will pass through nets that tear your body apart, and Marcile will be forced to treat you again."
Milo got scared and returned.
The laughter intensified.
The girl who had dodged the attack before spoke in a feigned feminine voice:
"That's enough, don't laugh."
Her beautiful voice was like an arrow that made Milo's heart bloom with happiness.
Milo looked at her, his gaze transfixed, possessed by astonishment before her allure. Her skin was not merely white; it was an edifice of ivory polished with divine skill, revealing the daylight as if it emanated from her pores rather than reflecting off them—a purity that transcended the limits of material reality. Upon that expanse of whiteness, her cheeks flourished with a faint redness, a charming blend of ripe peach and dreamy pink, a flush that awakened an instinctive hunger in the soul to sip their nectar and kiss them. Her figure was a poem of symmetry, sculpted with geometric precision, where every curve and detail was drawn to ensnare the beholder in the nets of seduction.
As for her hair, it was a pitch-black night of soft darkness, flowing in captivating waves before gathering in an artistic mess behind her head in a bun, leaving rebellious strands to caress her face, framing it like a precious frame for a rare painting. Despite all this splendor, the greatest dominion belonged to her eyes; two lakes of deep crimson, faded and dark with captivating mystery. When Milo drowned in their depths, he felt as though he were sipping vintage red wine, stored for long years in the cellars of time, to intoxicate his senses to the point of melting.
But Milo was too cowardly to initiate a conversation with her, even if his accent were perfect. He was certain that his attempts to be social would only bring him more embarrassing situations and a waste of energy.
He preferred only to watch from afar and be content with the little things; the important thing was that he was alive now.
The remaining Incendia fled, leaving the travelers with only minor injuries not worth mentioning.
Some people proceeded to cut the nets and continued their way...
After hours of walking in the huge Crimson Forest, where the reddish-black trunks of trees reached hundreds of meters in height, with some even entering the kilometer range, Valric spoke:
"Let's set up camp here. The sun is close to setting; it is dangerous to be out in the open."
Milo managed to pitch his tent after great effort; it was large in size... He sat inside it and stared at the girl's tent opposite his. The majority of the migrants gathered around the fire. Milo tried to blend in with them and took his things, hoping to hear any useful information.
He saw that some began cooking food, while others wore metal legs that unfolded to form chair legs, which they used to sit around the fire, while others sat on the ground.
Some of their tools were strange, but their function could be guessed, like a cylinder-shaped pressure cooker suspended on a small platform at its poles. When the pressure inside increased, it vented steam and began to rotate, stirring the food inside to distribute the flavor well, or a clay pot filled and buried under the embers to cook slowly and evenly depending on the type of food, or glass cooking tools as if they came from a science lab...
They began exchanging conversation and grilling some meat, some of which appeared purple. Even Milo took a piece of meat from his food container, which looked like a safe filled with ice. He did not know how to cook, so he just grilled it without spices or anything, merely throwing some of it onto the hot embers while the others excelled in their cooking. They were like wizards with purple and blue steam that had a scent making the stomach twist and squeeze itself, growing hungrier for that food.
.....
Finally, it seemed the piece of meat was almost done. Milo was confident it would be bad, tough in texture, and lacking salt and spices. His expectations for the taste were in the gutter. He took a bite. That bite isolated him from the world and silenced all sounds. Proteins of life literally flowed into his taste buds and invaded his mouth, forcing him to focus on its explosive deliciousness and its honey-sweet juices, with a bit of non-intrusive smoky taste, as if the spices were present in the meat itself. This flavor was a second world; its clarity, spread, and concentration in the mouth were unlike any food he had eaten on Earth. In fact, Earth food was garbage, dog filth compared to this burnt piece of meat.
"Wow... enjoying a burnt piece of meat? Here, taste this,"
one of the travelers said.
Milo took it and tasted a little... The taste was a billion times better. Milo lost his mind and began eating ravenously and quickly. This food was addictive and delicious, and the more he ate, the more he felt there was always room for more. Their food flavors were strange and very tasty; a burnt piece of meat was more delicious than all the food he had eaten on Earth, so imagine well-prepared food.
Meanwhile, a man with a black beard, plucked as if it were armpit or pubic hair, with curly long head hair wrapped around a needle, and wearing loose clothes, had the nervous look of a religious extremist of some sort on his face.
He looked at Milo for a long time, contemplating him, then said to him:
"I heard you are a Transmigrator, is this true?"
"M-M-Maybe, w-why?"
"We, the followers of Hexaconia, are brothers. Each of us helps the other as you have seen, and it is impossible for us to harbor evil against one another as our true religion commands us. In fact, sometimes and in special circumstances, we prioritize the interest of others over our own. Especially the interest of those new to this religion, to endear it to them and save their souls. So, as a Hexagonian, you would have precedence with your brother of the same religion compared to a stranger..."
< A religious extremist, that's just what I needed. >
".... Currently, being a stranger who does not follow our religion surrounds you with much doubt, and we are not reassured by your presence. You might harbor evil. Therefore, I ask you to do a favor for yourself first and for us second, to make us reassured of your intentions, by joining this religion of ours which is the symbol of our shared brotherhood despite us being strangers to one another."
"Haha, thanks, I ddon't wamn join."
The bearded man raised his eyebrows and pulled his mouth downwards without opening it as an expression of sarcastic wonder, then said:
"You must be joking... why don't you want to? We want to save your life now and even after your death. It is the deal of a lifetime."
"No, no, don't save me. Thanks. I just wa-wam to reach safety, and you won't s-see me a-again."
Signs of annoyance appeared on the old man's face, and he continued, saying:
" throw him in the fire."
Two people grabbed Milo and carried him to the fire.
"Waah! Let go of me! No, don't throw me in the fire!!!"
The old man continued:
"You fear the fire of this world only, which causes simple pain compared to the torment you underestimate and do not want to be saved from after your death. Prove your stance and endure sitting in the fire and do not care about the pain just as you do not care about your fate after death."
"No, no, I don't want to prove anything! Leave me alone! The matter is my choice! Why do you want to save me against my will?!"
"Throw him in to learn a lesson."
"Okay, okay! I s-surrender! I will join your religion!"
The old man's features changed to friendly ones.
"I knew it. I knew your instinct would tell you to join the true religion."
The old man took out a paper and wrote something on it that looked like a contract in a strange language. He gave it to those present to verify, then took out that needle with which he wrapped his hair and said:
"Take this needle, prick your thumb, cover it in blood, then stamp this contract."
Milo did what the old man asked of him.
....
The old man said:
"Are you witnesses to the validity of the contract?"
Almost everyone replied:
"Yes, the contract is valid."
The old man replied:
"Good, I testify that the number of witnesses to the contract has exceeded the number six.
[The old man threw the contract into the fire]
Welcome, my brother and son, to our religion... My burning and destroying of the paper is a symbol of the permanence of your loyalty to our brotherhood in faith and your non-exit. We will consider your blood lawful immediately if you turn against us and decide to leave the religion."
"You tricked me! We didn't agree on zis!!"
The old man replied with a tone containing a hint of mockery:
"Don't get me wrong, I didn't trick you. This is to protect ourselves; you could plot against us while we trust you, and you could reveal our secrets and form an alliance against our unity. We have a religious rule that says: 'A moment of wisdom closes doors of regret.' It is just a precaution by which we correct the problem before it develops."
< Ughhhh, damn it. >
"why didn't you use your tricks on those who killed your brother? Y-Your brotherhood is just empty words."
One of the people with a provocative face and sharp angles spoke, a smile rising higher and higher on his face.
"And how do you know they are alive now and that the boat of those traitors didn't explode? In our religion, the penalty for murder is murder."
The old man replied:
"Hahaha, it seems they didn't just get poisoned."
Others replied:
"Or burned."
"Or the ship sank with them."
"Or a Megalodon attacked them."
...
"You see, my son, the extent of our commitment to justice and the sense of duty to preserve the rules of our religious brotherhood. Excuse my rude manner in inviting you, but it is the only way for peace. We all share the same reference and sense of responsibility, and no one deserves our bounty except the sons of our brotherhood. Our religion is the key that obligates every Hexagonian to lend you a helping hand. Anyway, welcome. You have honored us, and we are honored by you."
The applause of those present began, and expressions of congratulations poured down on Milo, who started looking at them with wonder and shame. He looked at Marcile, who was clapping and muttering inaudible words, making gestures as if apologizing to Milo.
Meanwhile, the girl Milo had fallen for was uninterested, then looked at him when she felt he was looking at her and smiled at him. He couldn't bear the eye contact with her and averted his eyes. Milo almost lost consciousness from the rise in his blood pressure and the dopamine flowing in that body of his.
Kris and Cody sat on either side of him and said:
"We miss our friend, but we are not worried. He was religious and diligent in his duties, and we are honored by your joining as well, Milo. You could be at his level of piety or even better. We are sorry for anything that might have caused you annoyance."
Milo lifted his chin in a quick movement and looked away as if telling them to get lost.
Suddenly.
BOOM!!!
The sound of a powerful explosion accompanied by a strong earthquake and air currents shook the great trees, causing some of their leaves to fall.
However, no one got tense except Milo. The old man looked at him and said:
"It is just that huge creature you might have seen behind the horizon. It is one of the Megalophobia creatures from the First Extinction. This is just one of its steps, so don't worry. I agree, the sound of its footsteps is annoying. We must find a solution to eliminate it, but it happens once every Terravastian month."
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Time on Terravasta is radically different from Earth's. This planet is so enormous that it rivals the size of stars. Compared to Earth, its time is divided in the following way:
1 Terravastian Second = 1 Earth second
1 Terravastian Moment = 10 Earth seconds or Eternal
1 Terravastian Minute = 60 Eternal moments = 10 Earth minutes
1 Terravastian Hour = 60 Eternal minutes = 600 Earth minutes = 10 Earth hours
1 Terravastian Day = 36 Eternal hours = 360 Earth hours = 15 Earth days
1 Terravastian Month ≈ 80 Eternal days on average = 1200 Earth days
1 Terravastian Year = 1440 Eternal days = 21600 Earth days ≈ 59 Earth years
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One of the people uttered:
"Even if we eliminate it, its huge corpse will rot and become a source of diseases."
Another said:
"By the way, boy, the term 'Phobia', which means fear according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Beings, refers to a creature that humans cannot deal with. In this case, this creature cannot be attacked literally, let alone cleaning up its corpse which is 6000 kilometers long (≈ 3728.22 miles)."
"You m-mean 600 meters?"
"No, 6000 kilometers by our standards. In other words, about 6 million meters, haha. I know it is huge, illogically so. How does it not sink into the ground with those slender legs of his?"
"Wait, how d-did you know the unit of meters and kilometers and also the t-term Phobia?"
"We learned that from the heretics who call themselves scientists on this continent in the archipelago. According to their claims, these are units brought by Transmigrators like you, and they adapted them to our planet... but planet Earth does not exist. This is just a collective psychosis caused by the intersection of strange ideas with your avatars in the Noosphere."
Another person spoke:
"Speaking of the Noosphere, which of you has seen dogs that resemble humans?"
The majority of people raised their hands, including Milo. The old man noticed him and then said in his mind:
< I expected that. >
Then he said in a loud voice:
".... That is just a legend. Because of the stress, you have started seeing things that don't exist. Only the Lord knows when you will die. As for hairless dogs and the superstitions of the ancients, they are meaningless. My daughter had seen them, and here she is today, an employee at our embassy in Maldina printing visas. Just mention to her that you are from Vaska, and she will take care of everything."
Some travelers told stories while Milo listened to learn about the culture of the world.
While others, like that girl he defended, wandered around the camp. Milo watched her from afar; she was alone, but he was too shy to keep her company and initiate conversation with her. He just watched from a distance, waiting for her to start talking to him—an exhausting wait, for who was he for her to choose him among them? Some were more beautiful than him.
He only thought about putting her in situations that would make her say anything, but he was too cowardly to initiate for fear of embarrassment...
"Hello Milo, do you want us to speak to her for you?"
Cody saided to him.
Milo remembered his previous life, where bullies would drag him into embarrassing situations with the opposite sex.
Milo continued with a flushed face:
"No, I-I-I'm just ch-checking that no monster attacks her while she wan-wanders over there..."
The old man interrupted him unintentionally, saying:
"Son... let me warn you. The Crimson Forest is very dangerous at night.
At night, everything becomes as if it wants to kill you. The light, the air, the sound—everything is deadly here during the night. That's why border security here is weak."
One of the people spoke:
"Statistics say that the Crimson Forest kills on average 90% of everyone who enters it."
"No, Liv, don't say that. We will succeed. Just stick to the rules:
1 Draw a circle around your tent.
2 Isolate yourselves and all your senses from the forest.
3 Do not contemplate the sounds of the night; they are spells that might make you go out to your death.
4 Every human voice is a trick; it is impossible for humans to wander in the Crimson Forest alone at night, so do not perform heroic acts.
5 Do not reply to any voice speaking to you, no matter how much it provokes you.
In short:
Sit alone only, distract yourselves inside your tent, and consider yourselves unable to see or hear anything happening outside your tent.
It is the turn of the night creatures to go out, and your turn as a diurnal creature to hide."
As night approached, a very terrifying sound was heard from out of nowhere, of a person screaming in agony in the middle of the forest, his vocal cords on the verge of tearing. Everyone got up and started entering their tents. The Sheikh laughed and said to Milo:
"Get ready, boy ... for the most terrifying night of your life."
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"The character pics are down in the comments."