World of Insanity

Chapter-Four: Human cultivator

Both young men appeared to be about the same age as Zander, somewhere around twenty-five or twenty-six. One of them, dressed in ragged clothes, had dark skin and was trembling uncontrollably, his face a picture of sheer terror.

In stark contrast, the other youth, dressed in an immaculate white robe, exuded an air of mystery. 

Zander noticed that the white-robed youth's attire was in remarkably good condition compared to everyone else in the cell, with no visible signs of wear or damage. 

His eyes were tightly shut, fists clenched, and his expression twisted in ferocity—entirely at odds with the fear-stricken faces of the others. 

Something was distinctly unusual about this person. 

Under different circumstances, Zander might have taken the time to investigate this anomaly further. Perhaps there was some hidden plot to uncover. Unfortunately, his current predicament left him no room for curiosity.

The approaching footsteps of the demon creatures came to a halt outside the cell door, followed by the ominous clinking of iron chains. Moments later, the heavy prison door creaked open.

Red and yellow firelight spilled into the dark cell, casting flickering shadows on the grimy walls. Standing in the doorway were two monstrous figures, their oppressive presence so intense that it made breathing difficult for everyone inside.

As foreseen, both creatures had two ugly heads atop humanoid bodies, towering over two meters tall. Their sharp, exposed fangs and grotesque features gave them an aura of primal terror.

These were Soul Demons.

"Please... don't let them choose me!" 

The trembling, dark-skinned youth beside him was muttering prayers under his breath, while Zander held his own breath. Even though he knew this was just a game, the tension of the moment felt all too real. 

The two Soul Demons stood at the doorway, scanning the room with their malevolent gazes as though choosing prey.

Initially, everything played out just as the foresight had predicted: the Soul Demons' eyes fell on the right corner of the cell first. 

But just as Zander started to feel a brief sense of relief, something unexpected happened—their gaze shifted toward his side of the cell. 

Before Zander could react, one of the Soul Demons stepped into the cell and made its way straight toward him.

A chilling realization struck Zander—he was the target.

This was completely different from what he had seen in the foresight.

"Was the foresight wrong?" Zander's expression darkened as doubt crept in. But he quickly pieced together the likely reason. 

"I see now. In the foresight, it wasn't a matter of bad luck that the Soul Demons picked me—they were always targeting me."

From the very beginning, Zander had been their prey.

The most plausible explanation, he thought, lay in the numbers. There were five prisoners in the cell, split into two groups of two in the corners, with one corner inevitably holding three. No matter which corner he chose, his presence tilted the odds toward being chosen. 

Of course, he couldn't entirely rule out other unknown factors, but speculating further didn't matter. 

What mattered now was survival—he needed to figure out how to overcome the immediate danger. 

The heavy, echoing footsteps of the Wolf Demon reverberated ominously as it closed in on Zander's corner.

For the first time, Zander found himself face-to-face with one of the game's monstrous creatures, and the sheer pressure of its presence was suffocating. Beside him, the dark-skinned youth collapsed to the ground, paralyzed by fear, his face drained of all color.

"Quit game." 

Facing the terrifying Soul Demon, which could kill him with a single blow, Zander attempted to quit the game, knowing escape was impossible.

The game only allowed players one life per day. Once dead, they wouldn't be able to log in until the next day, so survival was always the top priority. 

[You are currently in a dangerous environment, and you cannot quit the game temporarily. Forcing an exit may have unknown consequences. Please choose a safe place to exit.] 

[Complete today's task for a chance to exit without restrictions.] 

"Unable to exit?" 

The game prompt appeared, and Zander's heart sank, though he wasn't particularly surprised. 

If players could exit the game anytime, the notoriously difficult Novice Task might have been completed by more players already. 

"I'll just have to take it one step at a time—and if necessary, continue tomorrow." With a resigned sigh, Zander mentally prepared for the forced exit upon death. 

His Talent, "Blessed by Fate," still had one remaining use, but at this point, it hardly mattered. 

Even if the cooldown had ended, Zander doubted another foresight would reveal any meaningful solution—it would likely lead to the same grim outcome.

As predicted, the Soul Demon reached Zander's corner, its dark, glinting claws extending toward him and the raggedly dressed youth beside him.

"Don't grab me! Don't grab me!" 

The dark-skinned youth screamed in terror, frantically struggling to resist. 

The Soul Demon, evidently enraged by this defiance, swung its furry arm, slamming the youth against the cell wall with bone-crushing force. His chest collapsed inward, and blood spurted from his mouth. 

"Incredible strength!" 

"No wonder this mission is classified as at least Rank-1 difficulty. Against such beings, novice players stand no chance of escape." 

Zander inhaled deeply, trying to suppress his fear as he imagined the devastating consequences if that blow had been directed at him. 

The Soul Demon paid no further attention to the battered youth's lifeless body. After grabbing the dark-skinned youth, it turned its cold gaze toward Zander and reached for him. 

Zander chose not to resist. 

The foresight had already made it clear—resistance would only result in certain death. 

Rather than dying in the cell, Zander decided to let the Soul Demon take him and see where it intended to go. Perhaps there might still be a slim chance of survival elsewhere.

That was his plan, at least. 

But in that moment, the unexpected happened. 

The white-robed youth suddenly rose to his feet, whether provoked by the Soul Demon's actions or for some unknown reason, and let out a guttural, hoarse roar. 

Then, in an instant, the white-robed youth's clothing tore apart as his muscles bulged grotesquely, pushing against his skin until it split open. His height surged, reaching two meters thirty or forty—slightly taller than the Soul Demon itself.

But it was his eyes that were truly horrifying. They swelled grotesquely, far beyond the capacity of his sockets, protruding outward as though they might burst at any second.

Simultaneously, the white-robed youth's human-like teeth fell out, replaced by thick, inward-curving tusks that grew rapidly, tearing apart the corners of his mouth. 

The sudden and monstrous transformation left everyone stunned. 

The two remaining prisoners in the cell were paralyzed with fear, their wide eyes and slack jaws reflecting their shock. Standing closest, Zander felt as if his mind were drowning in madness. 

Even knowing this was just a game, the visceral horror of the scene assaulted his senses like nothing before. 

"A human Cultivator? And an uncontrolled one, at that!" The Soul Demon's gravelly voice carried a hint of surprise as it processed the grotesque transformation. 

"Excellent. The lady *adores* uncontrolled human martial artists." After its initial shock, a sinister grin spread across the Soul Demon's furry face. 

"Uncontrolled?" 

The Soul Demon's words snapped Zander out of his stupor, and his mind quickly began piecing things together. 

The term "uncontrolled" had been prominently mentioned in the game's introductory background. Upon entering the game, the narrative emphasized the inherent risk of losing control.

Human players could enhance their strength by merging with the bloodline of Soul Demons. However, the merging process carried a grave risk—clashes between bloodlines could lead to total loss of control. This was one of the fundamental aspects of the game's mechanics. 

Zander also recalled one of the three tasks available to him at the start: *Kill the Uncontrolled Cultivator.* 

That infamous Rank-5 mission!