NOVPUBWith a gulp, Daniel swallowed hard, feeling the movement in his throat.
Beside that colossal eye, as vast as the Earth itself, spread a pair of even larger wings.
The pristine, white feathers on those wings appeared profoundly sacred, resembling the wings of an angel, forming a stark contrast to the terrifying eyeball in the middle.
With such an arbitrary appearance, what kind of creature was this, Daniel couldn’t help but wonder.
Yet, there was a nagging sensation.
That massive eyeball seemed somewhat familiar.
It bore a striking resemblance to the Enchanted Eye that he held in his right hand.
Perhaps one could say, the Enchanted Eye appeared to be a miniature version of this vast orb.
However, by comparison, the gigantic eye seemed more sinister, its gaze consistently radiating a mysterious red glow, tinged with chaos and terror.
In the distant expanse of space floated a peculiar planet.
Its size, when compared to Earth, was slightly diminished.
It bore a rusty hue, a deep reddish-brown that dominated its surface.
Apart from the spherical mounds that mimicked hills, there seemed to be no other discernible features.
But as Daniel narrowed his eyes, he realized these weren’t ordinary hills. No hill could be that vast.
Could they be tumors? Massive growths, each rivaling the size of small asteroids, dotted the rust-colored planet.
Faintly, he believed he heard sounds emanating from the planet. But no, this was space - a vacuum. Sound was an impossibility.
Instead, it must’ve been the overwhelming presence of the planet, roaring silently, akin to the muffled roll of distant thunder.
Yet... for such a phenomenon to be associated with a planet was undeniably bizarre.
Moreover, the planet’s crust seemed to crack and fuse in tandem with this silent roar.
Each fissure, spanning thousands of miles, revealed a pale, luminous substance from beneath.
Daniel suddenly froze, his gaze sweeping over the other colossal creatures around him.
A startling thought flashed across his mind: That was a rust-red planet creature!
Having witnessed the celestial entity with wings rivaling the Earth, even the Sun, and an eyeball at its center, the existence of a creature the size of a planet no longer seemed that shocking.
It was the almost mundane appearance of this planet-creature that sent shivers down Daniel’s spine, every fiber of his being tingling with unease.
Among the other sights, there were creatures that left Daniel even more astounded.
One had a plump face, kind and benevolent eyes, its entire form radiating a golden light that imparted a tranquil aura - reminiscent of deities from the Eastern world.
Yet, a closer look revealed unsettling black tumors pulsating on its head, expanding and contracting as if breathing, setting anyone on edge.
Then there was a creature that resembled a deep blue cloud, with a singular eye that burned like a flame, deceptively beautiful.
Yet within that tranquil blue mist, intermittent flashes of black hinted at millions of eyes lurking within, as if constantly watching.
Each creature was terrifying in its uniqueness, exuding a forbidden horror that defied comprehension.
Together, they painted a visceral tableau in space.
Every moment, bizarre murmurs whispered in his ears.
Daniel felt profoundly uneasy; these weren’t sounds any human could produce.
Each note held the potential to drive one to utter madness, plunging them into the depths of chaos.
Had Daniel not been blessed with immunity, he might have lost his sanity the very moment he found himself amidst these beings.
Daniel took a step, drawn towards the ethereal monsters in the void.
It wasn’t madness that propelled him, but an irrepressible curiosity, a desire to get closer and discern the nature of these enigmatic beings.
But as he moved forward, his legs gave way, and darkness, as deep as the night, enveloped him.
When he awoke, he found himself back inside the pyramid.
Susanna, upon seeing Daniel stir, exclaimed with palpable relief, "Daniel! You’re awake. Are you alright?"
The suddenness with which he had collapsed before her had left her in shock, her distress evident.
After all, in this precarious moment, Daniel was her sole pillar of support.
Holding his head and trying to shake off the lingering pain, Daniel inquired, "What happened to me?"
Susanna shook her head, "I don’t know. We were preparing to leave, and you just fainted out of the blue. It gave me quite the fright."
From what Daniel could gather, it seemed as if he had experienced a form of astral projection, with only his spirit encountering those creatures.
Rising to his feet, Daniel made a startling discovery. His level had advanced from level 2 to level 3.
All his abilities had undergone significant enhancement.
The silk thread, Enchanted Eye, and Skeletal Armor all bore notable improvements, with their powers greatly amplified.
Now, even without any stratagem, he could easily overcome the Memory-Altering Monster with his current strength.
He surveyed his surroundings.
After collecting the Memory Strands from the Memory-Altering Monster, he had grown intimately familiar with the inner structure of this pyramid.
Drawing on his recollection, he approached the wall inscribed with Atlantean script.
Scanning the writings, he crouched and prised out a semicircular stone from the bottom right corner. It was a fragment of the Atlantean teleportation stele.
The instant Daniel grasped the fragment, a peculiar beam of light emerged beneath him, radiating a wondrous energy.
Susanna, sensing something amiss, moved to intervene.
But it was too late; the blinding brilliance of the light made it impossible to look directly at it.
Shooting skyward, the radiance vanished, and with it, Daniel was gone.
Left in the now-empty chamber, Susanna felt her world collapse around her.
In the end, she was left alone to face the mysteries that awaited.
...
After a brief bout of dizziness, Daniel steadied himself.
Surveying his surroundings, it mirrored the seventh floor of the Trojan Pyramid – utterly barren. But Susanna was nowhere in sight.
It dawned on him quickly that this was not the Trojan Pyramid; the walls surrounding him were immaculate, devoid of any carvings.
Had he been teleported elsewhere?
Glancing at the teleportation stele fragment in his hand, his suspicions were confirmed.
He pulled out his satellite phone and dialed.
It took an uncomfortably long moment before someone answered, "Daniel?"
It was Julia’s voice on the other end.
Daniel instructed, "Check my current location, and the location of the Trojan Pyramid."
"Okay!"
"Sandy, initiate global satellite tracking and use the highest-priority investigation channel."
Busy noises ensued on the other end.
After a short while, Julia picked up again, "You are currently at longitude 28 degrees west and latitude 18 degrees north. The Trojan Pyramid is located 380 kilometers due west of you."
"I understand," he replied.
Ending the call, astonishment took hold of Daniel.
That single beam of light had transported him over three hundred eighty kilometers away.
Then a more pressing concern gripped him: how was he to leave this place?
Based on Julia’s coordinates, he deduced he was deep within the Sahara Desert.
The nearest inhabited area was nearly a thousand kilometers away.
Making his way on foot would be a deadly endeavor.
At that moment, Daniel heard it.
From a nearby corridor, faint footsteps echoed.
Tap, tap, tap…
The steps were soft, rapid, and somewhat chaotic.
It didn’t sound like the tread of a human.
Unfazed, Daniel subtly brandished two silk thread daggers in his downturned hands.
Then, with utmost stealth, he positioned himself to the left of the corridor entrance.
A single finger brushed against the wall, creeping around the corner.
Pop!
It sounded like the cork of a glass bottle being removed.
The Enchanted Eye emerged from his fingertip. In Daniel’s mind, an image of the corridor materialized.
Strangely enough, it was devoid of any presence.
Withdrawing his finger, he then heard it again.
Tap, tap...tap, tap...
The footsteps resumed!
It seemed the creature had detected his subtle maneuver.
This being was evidently no ordinary foe.
Daniel listened intently, the footsteps growing fainter, as if they were moving farther away. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
Yet Daniel knew, the owner of those steps stood at the entrance of the corridor, separated from him by just a bend in the wall.
He held his breath, striving for utter silence.
Then, from his feet upwards, he felt an intense, penetrating cold.
It wasn’t a physical chill, but rather a mental one.
A bone-deep shiver!
It felt as though he was being watched by an incredibly sinister creature, a feeling of danger pervading every fiber of his being.
Before he could react, an overwhelming force gripped his neck.
Snap!
His vision jerked left, spinning a full 180 degrees.
Daniel’s head had been twisted halfway around.
Only then did he truly comprehend the gravity of his situation.
A creature, reminiscent of a long-armed ape, stood there. Its face was menacing, covered in fiery red fur, with a body as solid as an iron tower.
Two enormous hands, each nearly the size of a tire, held Daniel’s head in a vice-like grip.
The immense strength pressing against his neck hinted that with just a bit more force, he could be crushed into oblivion.
Daniel’s immense vitality prevented him from succumbing immediately.
Controlling his body, he raised his hands, allowing the daggers to flash like lightning, aiming for the creature’s arms.
However, with a resounding thud—
The daggers felt as if they had struck steel. The moment they made contact, they were halted, rendered immobile, unable to inflict the slightest damage.
Daniel’s brow furrowed slightly.
He had a clear estimation of his own strength. Even a level 4 Evolver would be wounded under the strike of these silk thread daggers.
But against this simian creature, there wasn’t a scratch to be seen.
The defensive prowess of this monster was astonishingly formidable!
