Digitize: Rebirth of the Silver Death God
Chapter 144: A Sinister Change, An Unknown Party

Within a dark room with many different corridors leading to other areas, Crooked stood in silence as he stared at an orb before him, gazing at the scenes that flashed across its screen as if searching for something.

His different sized eyes had a teasing look at which the battles occurred within the labyrinth, but they soon turned a bit sharper as he noticed a few individuals.

These were none other than Crazy Blade, Thunder's Daughter, and Delkan, who had progressed much farther than everyone else, pushing further and further towards the core area of the labyrinth.

'The master will not be pleased if they keep progressing like this; they're one step from entering the labyrinth's core; it looks like I might have underestimated the power of these external lifeforms. I-I must crush their spirit more thoroughly.'

Crooked thought to himself with his strange accent much like that of someone dragging his speech. As if he made up his mind on something, Crooked's eyes glowed in a sinister light as the skull face on his staff shone in an ominous ray as he tapped it against the ground.

With a resonant sound, the stone-paved floor rippled with energy as a diagram formed. Not long after, the orb before Crooked shone in a bright ray before returning to normal.

Crooked smirked at this showing a grin on his hideous face, angling his large nose upward with a smug look as he spoke with a tone of satisfaction, "Huhu... all paths will eventually converge, so even if you do arrive at the labyrinth's core. You will have to struggle against that special pet I summoned. Hehe, once the master is finished with that song, everything will change… I can't wait to play with these new slaves for another eternity."

Crooked had a menacing look on his face as if he could already see their fate, but right at this moment of his satisfaction, his eyes widened as he noticed something different on the orb.

There, he saw that at the most central circle, depicting the labyrinth's core, four figures had somehow appeared near its exit, two of which were hurrying towards the others as if being chased by something.

'Oh, intruders at the core, could it be that bunch?'

Crooked thought for a while, but as if he already knew the answer, he smiled as taking on a more series manner as he spoke, "Perfect, I can personally retrieve them, even though one is missing, maybe that boy is somewhere amongst the batch. Huhuhu... master will be pleased!"

Crook's insidious laughter sounded through the gloomy room, such that it was capable of filling anyone with a surge of fear. He tapped the ground with his staff once more before a diagram formed before opening a passage to the side. He then started to walk through this passage with sifting movements.

The room was now silent and gloomy, but unaware to Crooked, who left, there was a familiar silhouette right in the corner of this room. A beauty clad in a red robe facing the direction of the orb before looking towards the passageway.

Red Rain's dazzling eyes from beneath the hooded robe flickered in a series of complex symbols as she contemplated.

'The elders said that he would be here, then I should double down my search to replace out the clues; it's hard enough as it is to track each and every one of these 'Voiders' down, even more so for two who could rise amongst humankind. Yet, now it would seem that I might have to focus on a more important threat.'

When Red Rain's thought's reached here, she couldn't help but glance towards the ceiling as if peering through the walls to the outside sky that had a red hue, the sinister moon looming above, vaguely hindering what seemed to be the silhouette of a Universe Ring that was slowly accumulating cracks.

'If the ring breaks completely, this will be no different from an actual upper zone dungeon. I might need to truly act if necessary, but then again, if there is indeed a Voider amongst everyone else, I could only replace him if he acts firsts.'

Red Rain frowned as she concluded her thoughts. Not wasting a moment, she hurried into the path that Crooked opened, trailing behind swiftly and stealthily.

***

Within the Novice Zone, within the Winfrey Village, Village Chief Pan, and even the greedy Old Monk Nalud, stared towards the sky with a serious look on their faces.

They noticed that the giant portal in the sky that shone over a majority of the Novice Zone was flickering with a reddish light from its standard, blue-colored light as if it was encountering some issues.

'What's going on here? Why is it behaving like this? It's almost as if it's trying to become an upper zone dungeon, breaking its constraints from the Novice Zone rule.'

Village Chief Pan thought with a stern look on her wrinkled face; she had a bad feeling just by staring at the sky, even Monk Nalud, who had thought to same, muttered with a serious tone.

"The power of the Universe Ring is unquestioned, so no simple power could easily deter it, even more so for a place like considered as a weak dimensional world. Not unless there's something dangerous in that world that doesn't want to be discovered."

As if a few people shared similar thoughts, all the most powerful and strangest figures within the Novice Zone stared at the portal with different expressions. Some had eyes filled with worry for the newly arrived geniuses while others had looks of fascination.

They all knew that this ordinary dungeon event would more likely turn out to be one to be remembered, and those on its inside would have an exceedingly terrifying experience.

***

Within the Transmission Zone, inside of the sea of colorful lights that stretched beyond an endless horizon. The grandest star of all remained at its center aloof to all things. On its surface, the All-Seer sat in meditation with his staff resting atop of his legs.

Suddenly, he opened his large eye that shone in a divine-like light from underneath the hood of his robes, gazing towards a tiny star at the edge of this horizon. His eyes curving into what seemed like a smile as he spoke in a resonant voice, "Well now, it seems that I've encountered a special world, to think such a being would reside inside of it, I wonder, just who... hmm?"

The All-Seer was a bit interested in the change and didn't even think much of the Universe Ring showing signs of losing its influence. Instead, his manner grew solemn as upon inspecting the edge of that very world in a separate dimension; he saw a strange being.

It was a man with long half brown and half crimson hair that reached down to his knees, garbed in an ancient kind of armor below a torn cap that wrapped around his figure. On his back were two odd swords, one looking like a black claymore and the other being a blood-colored executioner style blade with a sinister edge. His handsome face carrying an indifferent look as his red and brown eyes gazed at the world before him in silence.

Suddenly, his chest area flowed in red lights as the man's eyes shifted upwards, looking towards the All Seer's position with an odd look before he flickered and vanished.

When the All-Seer felt the man's gaze, his entire world instantly became black as even the colorful space seemed as if it was in disorder, filling him with a surge of panic, but as the man vanished, the world had instantly returned to normal.

"That man... who is he?"

The All Seer's voice sounded across the empty world as if trying to seek out his answers, but sadly for him, he would never replace him again.

1. Huhu... only a few 'certain fans' will naturally know who this man is :)