Silence.
It should have been silent.
But it wasn't.
It never would be again.
Ryuzen sat still.
Yet the world screamed.
A pulse.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Too loud.
Too close.
"…My heart…?"
No.
Not just his.
More.
Scratching.
Far away.
Something crawling.
No—
Many things.
Walls away.
Stone away.
Distance didn't matter.
He could feel them.
Every movement.
Every vibration.
Like needles—
Pushing into his brain.
"…Stop…"
His fingers dug into his head.
"…Make it stop…"
It didn't.
It sharpened.
Clearer.
Closer.
More.
A flicker.
『 WARNING: SENSORY INPUT UNFILTERED 』
『 ADAPTATION IN PROGRESS... 』
"…This isn't a power…"
His voice trembled.
"…This is torture…"
He forced himself to stand.
His body obeyed—
But wrong.
Click.
Step.
Click.
Every movement echoed inside him.
Loud.
Too loud.
Then—
Stillness.
A pool.
Black.
Dark mineral water, unmoving.
For the first time—
Something didn't scream.
"…Quiet…"
He moved closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like approaching something fragile.
He looked down.
And froze.
That wasn't him.
The reflection trembled.
Distorted.
Broken.
His skin—
Pale.
No—
Gray.
Sickly.
Almost translucent.
Dark veins crawled beneath it.
Like ink spreading through paper.
Up his neck.
Across his jaw.
"…No…"
His hand rose.
Touched his face.
Cold.
Wrong.
His fingers—
Sharper.
The nails—
Black.
Hard.
Not human.
"…This isn't me…"
His eyes lifted.
Met his own gaze.
One eye—
Brown.
Shaking.
Alive.
The other—
Didn't blink.
A vertical slit.
Deep.
Abyssal red.
Watching.
Hungry.
"…Stop looking at me…"
The words slipped out.
But the reflection didn't obey.
It just stared.
Unmoving.
Knowing.
A whisper.
From nowhere.
From everywhere.
"…This is better."
"…No…"
His voice cracked.
"…Shut up…"
Silence answered.
But the feeling stayed.
Clinging.
Like it belonged.
"…I'm still me…"
He stepped back.
Breathing uneven.
"…I am…"
Think.
Remember.
Home.
A face.
A voice.
"…Ha…ru…"
His throat tightened.
"…to…"
The sound broke.
Twisted.
"Ha…rr… t… shh…"
His eyes widened.
"…What…?"
He tried again.
Harder.
Forcing it.
"Ha…RU…to…!"
It came out wrong.
Metallic.
Distorted.
Inhuman.
"…No…"
His hands trembled.
"…Why can't I say it…?"
His tongue felt heavy.
Cold.
Like it didn't belong in his mouth.
"…Why does it feel… wrong…?"
His breathing grew sharp.
Fast.
"…Why does his name…"
Pause.
"…feel like someone else's?"
Silence.
No answer.
Only the sound of his own pulse.
Louder now.
Too loud.
Something moved.
Behind him.
A small vibration.
Weak.
Fragile.
A scavenger.
Low-tier.
Alive.
He didn't turn.
Didn't need to.
He could feel it.
Its heartbeat.
Fast.
Panicked.
"…I can hear you…"
A whisper.
Calm.
Empty.
His body moved.
A short burst.
Sharp.
Wrong.
CRACK.
The creature died instantly.
No struggle.
No sound.
Just—
End.
His wrist snapped.
"…!"
Pain surged—
Late.
Delayed.
"…Again…"
His arm hung loosely.
Broken.
Useless.
"…I'm breaking…"
His voice lowered.
"…every time…"
Silence.
Understanding settled in.
Cold.
Heavy.
"I'm not getting stronger…"
A breath.
"…I'm falling apart."
Time passed.
Or maybe it didn't.
He sat again.
In front of the black water.
Staring.
Not at his reflection.
At nothing.
A flicker.
『 NOTICE: EGO STABILITY COMPROMISED 』
『 HUMANITY STATUS: 79% … 78% … 』
『 STATUS: DECREASING 』
He watched.
The number dropped.
Slow.
Unstoppable.
"…I should be scared…"
Silence.
"…right…?"
Nothing answered.
No fear came.
No panic.
No resistance.
Just—
Empty.
"…why…?"
The number continued to fall.
78% → 77%
His eyes didn't move.
Didn't react.
Didn't care.
Somewhere deep inside—
Something understood.
The fear wasn't gone.
It was being removed.
Piece by piece.
To make space.
For something else.
Hunger.
[ END OF CHAPTER 4 ]