Halo was trapped in his mind.
The library was spacious, with bookshelves stacked up to the towering ceiling as they lined the cornered walls.
Desks sat in the middle of the hall with comfy chairs behind them, providing a relaxing breeze for readers. However, the cozy atmosphere couldn't reach Halo.
Across from him sat Frey, light gleaming on his polished scalp while his eyes followed Halo's every micro-movement with an unblinking gaze that seemed ready to devour him whole.
Halo's mind bounced between possibilities, nervousness holding him captive. He'd arrived searching for answers, and while the dense, black-covered book had provided some worthwhile information, it was challenging to parse. Speaking directly with someone would be more effective.
Yet, Frey blocked his path, emanating an envy so intense it felt like it could devour Halo's soul. Fleeing seemed almost impossible, and reluctantly, he realized he had to confront the man to get the information he needed.
However, before his mind could spiral any further, Frey's lips curled into a sneer. "You are the first to come here…"
Halo blinked repeatedly, his confusion evident in his eyes. Seconds ago, he assumed Frey was a soul-seeking monster; the last thing he expected was for him to initiate a conversation.
"What are you reading?"
'Wait… he is human after all. He wants to help. That's a human trait, isn't it? Even in this world drowning in sin, some things never die.'
"Uhm… purpose?" Halo clutched tightly to the book's cover. "I was reading about purposes. What exactly are they?"
Frey gave Halo a confused look before massaging his forehead, as though he expected Halo to understand that much since he had already read it.
True, Halo had studied everything thoroughly. "A purpose is a task issued by the system."
This explanation, however, spawned more mysteries than solutions, and he recognized he'd be stuck in this loop without fundamental knowledge as his starting point.
"In the real world, when you wake, you choose your plans: what to fight for, what to leave behind. But here, though you may still grasp at small choices, the gods make the ones that truly matter."
Frey shrugged.
"A purpose in this world is like a goal in the real realm. Fulfill it, and you're rewarded. Fail, and you're punished. Just like a slave under its master."
Halo's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Frey lean his old bones back into his seat, the cracks of his joints audible, despite the distance.
He clenched his fist. This was indeed a relentless terror. Being dragged here wasn't enough, but now, they were robbed of their freedom?
His eyes found Frey once more. "You have powers, don't you? Then why stay in this hell? Why not walk away?"
Frey's experience grew soft, his aged skin shaking. Then, after a moment, he smiled. "Interesting… none of you have tried to run away yet. This year's batch really is something."
Halo raised an eyebrow. He couldn't tell whether Frey was going to answer his question, but he still chose to wait for him.
"They dragged me here when I was sixteen… forty years ago. And I'm still trapped."
Halo's eyes widened with shock. Frey's age wasn't the surprise; he'd figured that out, but his serene attitude was absolutely stunning. Forty years trapped in this nightmare? How could he not be furious?
"No one has ever beaten the system. Not in my forty years here, not in the centuries before me. No one has defied the gods and lived."
Frey's expression darkened. "Adapt. Learn to live with it. Grow stronger. And if death comes, meet it with a smile."
This was unjust, impractical, even. Fifty-six, and the smile on Frey's face was forced. He could have achieved a lot. Perhaps become a better person. And now, Halo wondered if Frey even had a family of his own. Was there someone he could return to in the real world?
"What drives you to survive? You can just die, and it will all be over."
A heavy silence followed Halo's words as Frey had his head tilted upward, his cheeks turning pinkish. Then, he spoke:
"Life is worth living: each breath, the bitter tang of drink, the lure of temptation. This is the realm of sin; here, no one casts the stone."
Halo sneered as he wondered why he had pitted Frey not long ago. Clearly, this world was Frey's sanctum.
However, he soon realized he had hurried to judge. Frey's expression shifted, turning more somber.
"With every life you take, the weight of sin deepens, twisting your sense of self. No matter if it's a human or a Sinner, slaughter leaves you the same. Monster.
"From Awakened to Knight, Assassin to Sovereign, and on higher levels, Lost Lord… every step is only another trial of your humility."
Halo's hands clenched into fists. He finally grasped the basic concept. It was like every video game he'd ever played… experience came through combat, kills, engagement.
But here, the psychological weight of each death clung to you like permanent stains, guilt that would torment you eternally.
This wasn't some simulation, though. This was the gods' twisted entertainment. There were deeper layers he couldn't fathom, but he understood his limitations: he was merely a player, incapable of comprehending the developer's true design. A child stumbling through an adult's nightmare.
The progression was unmistakable and chilling. From Awakened to Lost Lord and who knew what came after. Was there an incentive for reaching higher ranks? What happens if you can't advance? What if…?
While Halo was drowning in his thoughts, Frey sat there, letting out soft chuckles on repeat with hums. He was playing with his thoughts. Was boredom also a fatal element in this world?
"Ha… ha… I was far better looking at your age. None of your rotting hides could compare to me in my youth. Pathetic."
Halo's features relaxed into a lazy expression, but his demeanor changed instantly when he caught sight of Frey's smile. That's when he recalled the crucial discovery Aelia had made just yesterday.
'He is envious; not of wealth or fame, but of youth itself. That is his dominant sin… his tether to this cursed world.'
Yet Halo's frown deepened as he studied Frey more closely. He detected layers of loneliness, despair, and wounded pride.
While there were clear anger management problems evident from those early lectures, envy seemed to be the dominant emotion.
It struck him that Clever, the staff member who'd guided them here, displayed similar characteristics. Though in his case, explosive anger and irritability were more prominent. Wrath, perhaps?
Before Halo could analyze further, Frey launched into speech, instantly making him reluctant to interrupt with questions. But the man's words proved most of his theories correct.
Frey was elaborating on his apparent youth; essentially bragging about his superiority over everyone else.
He'd become not just a nightmare to Sinners, but so grotesque that even the most desperate women found him repulsive.
"As if any of you could've done this. Tsk. I was a god walking among insects."
Now Halo smiled genuinely. He couldn't fathom becoming so completely narcissistic. He shook his head in amazement, smile intact.
Still, cultivating a careful relationship with Frey, enough to earn the freedom to ask probing questions, seemed feasible.
If Clever truly embodied wrath, approaching him would be too dangerous.
But Frey… this inflexible man could be made to talk.
'Time to talk. Martial arts follows.'