Villain: Ultimate Mutation System in the Alternate World

'I can't stay here. There has to be a way out of this godforsaken place,'

He turned to Aika, trying to keep his voice calm

"Hey, I apologize for what I did earlier, trying to eat you and all. It was just a test, and you passed with flying colors. Now, can you help me get out of here?"

She was his only chance to figure out how to escape , so he had to swallow his pride. Besides, it didn't look like she wanted him dead right away.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Onii-san. Why are you talking like this? Are you mad at me?"

Tears started to fill her eyes again. She didn't seem like she was lying, but since he was trapped in some kind of memory, he couldn't be completely sure.

'How am I supposed to get out if she doesn't know what's happening? '

'No, I need to make her remember something,'

Reign gently grabbed her shoulder, his voice softening.

"Look, I need you to stay calm. This place is not real! This are just fragments of your memory. "

"You speak true! This realm is but a fake; we are trap in a nightmare!"" a disheveled man with a foul odor, as if he hadn't bathed in months, suddenly stood up and dashed towards them.

Reign took a step back instinctively.

The man's unkempt appearance and wild behavior made him look like a lunatic.

His long, unkempt hair was thick and matted, clearly a result of not bathing for a long time. The sight alone was enough to make anyone shudder in disgust.

But it wasn't just his appearance that was troubling. The stench was overpowering, a mix of mildew and rot.

Reign's usual tolerance for foul smells did not work in this place.

"Get away from me, you stink!" he shouted.

"Do not worry," the man said with a laugh, as if it were a joke "This filth and stench are mere illusions. We are trapped in a nightmare!"

"Onii-san, don't listen to him. He's crazy!" Aika said, tugging at Reign and hiding behind him.

'I can clearly see that,' he sighed.

No matter how he looked at the man, only one word came to mind: "Lunatic."

"Little one, I'm delighted you grasp what's happening!" the man exclaimed in excitement. "This place isn't real, but these fake people think I'm mad.!"

The man began to laugh uncontrollably, twirling around the floor as if he were in the middle of a joyful dance.

His erratic behavior only reinforced Reign's initial impression.

'This guy has a lot of screws loose.'

Reign decided to ignore the madman and glanced at Aika, who was trembling behind him.

The man also noticed her and grinned widely, revealing his rotting teeth.

"Do not worry, little girl," he said, pressing his fingers to his lips.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Your Onii-san shall find a way to escape this place. You are real as well, are you not? Be sure to behave, for all others here are but illusions, save for us."

"Then what is the plan? How might we escape this dreadful dream?" the man asked, sinking to his knees and leaning in closer.

His breath was so stinky that Reign had to cover his nose to block out the stench.

Aika also looked unsettled as the rancid breath reached her small nose.

"Get the hell out of here. I don't have time for games," Reign said firmly, trying to ignore the unpleasant smell.

"Yes, indeed. We have no time for idle games," the man declared, his voice getting louder. "We must seek out the very core of this torment and shatter it. Only then can we hope to escape!"

He kept yapping, his eyes filled with excitement . "This realm is filled with illusions and deceit. Trust no one but me, little one."

"Keep quiet and stop bothering me!" Reign snapped.

Then he turned to Aika, his expression serious. "Tell me what to do."

She looked up at him, her face still streaked with tears.

She seemed to struggle to find her words with all this confusing questions.

"I… I don't know. Onii-san don't talk like that , please.. You're scaring me."

Reign took a deep breath, trying to stay calm before speaking even though he was frustrated by how unhelpful she was.

"Think carefully. Is there anything about this place that stands out to you? "

"Indeed, ponder more deeply, little girl. You are the key to our escape from this place!" the madman interjected.

Because of all the shouting, everyone's attention was now on them.

"Poor child, it seems he's a lost cause already," a thin woman nearby whispered, her voice filled with pity.

"Look at him, engaging with that mad man," another muttered under her breath.

"He is like the others, unable to endure. It drives people to madness," a voice echoed from the back.

Reign could hear the whispers getting louder but he just ignored them.

However—

The madman sighed heavily and grabbed Reign's frail shoulder.

"Little one, pay no heed to them. They are but illusions; we alone are real in this place."

'Fuck you!' Reign cursed inwardly

This lunatic was also not real, but he acted like some kind of wise old hermit, shunned for knowing some hidden truth. "

The madman only grinned wider, unaffected by Reign's judgmental gazed.

"Ah, so you see it as well, do you?" he said, his eyes shining with pride. "They believe us to be mad, yet we know the truth, do we not?"

'Damn it, I didn't even say anything. And why am I even bothering with this crazy person' he thought, feeling that the old man's madness was starting to be contagious .

Reign clenched his fists, really wanting to go for a punch, but he stopped himself.

He knew he couldn't take that chance—if he died here, he might die for real.

'I need to figure out how this place worked first and follow the rules until I can escape.'

Taking a deep breath, he tried to stay calm and collected.

'I need to be smart,'

'There's always a way out. I just have to find it.'