The Fool's Paradise

A cold, unnerving sensation gripped Zeris, a shroud of chilling silence that filled every corner of his being.

All around him was a stark abyss, an expanse so empty and void of light, it seemed to swallow all thoughts and movements.

As Zeris drifted aimlessly in the obsidian void, a sense of timeless eternity seeped into him.

It felt as though countless ages had passed while he was suspended in this vast, formless expanse.

Finally, his world transformed, he was no longer floating in the darkness but found himself enveloped in a verdant sea of tall grass.

He stood at the heart of a meadow, a solitary figure in an expanse of waving emerald blades that swayed gently in the breeze, painting an undulating carpet against the inky canvas of the void.

An imposing wall of dark oak trees, their gnarled branches clawing at the skies, encircled the grassland like silent sentinels.

They towered high above, a fortress of nature, their dense foliage blotting out the heavens, leaving the skies an ominous grey.

Their brooding presence added an element of solemnity and quiet foreboding to the serenity of the grass field.

"What just happened..." Zeris pondered, a grimace quickly forming on his face. "Is this the system the royal family had briefed us about?"

"But if that's the case," he continued, "Why would it announce that I've obtained the seed?"

His mind whirred in confusion, wrestled with the puzzle before him, but the pieces remained frustratingly elusive, failed to yield any tangible sense of understanding."

Suddenly, he heard a movement near him, there was a group of people fighting a giant creature with many legs and two giant claws.

It was like a mixture of a centipede and a scorpion.

Zeris's heart instantly pounded as if it wanted to escape his chest. Sweat flowed down his cheeks but he managed to hold on. He quietly observed the fight.

The one that was leading the group was a tall young man with bright blonde hair and a well tone body. He was clad in metallic armor and wielded a sharp blade that he continuously used to stab at the creature.

Suddenly, an abrupt rustle snapped Zeris from his thoughts. Not far from him, a tumultuous battle was in progress, with a group of people desperately fighting a monstrous creature with numerous legs and two gargantuan claws.

The monster was a grotesque amalgamation of a centipede and a scorpion, an embodiment of nightmarish terror.

Zeris's heart pounded fiercely against his ribs as if it sought an escape route from the horror before him.

Sweat beaded on his brow and trickled down his cheeks, yet he willed himself to remain still, silently observing the unfolding chaos.

The group's leader was a tall, blonde young man with a sculpted physique, encased in gleaming metallic armor.

He wielded a razor-sharp blade that he thrust repeatedly into the beast with determined courage.

Zeris watched, his gaze riveted on the dire struggle. The odds were evidently stacked against the group; the creature seemed to dwarf their efforts with its overwhelming power.

"How are they gonna survive this?" Zeris pondered.

Escape was futile – the monstrous creature had them effectively cornered. The distant sounds of their shouts echoed in the otherwise silent field.

"Rey! We need to make a run for the woods! It won't keep up if it has to tear through the trees!"

The voice was strained and desperate, a feminine cry from the rear of the group. She was a woman of evident grit, launching arrows with a desperate pace at the rampaging beast.

Zeris watched them desperately fight, but he didn't reveal himself. It was too dangerous and he knew he didn't have the ability to even help them.

At this thought, he suddenly remembered, he had heard that you can summon a status-like panel to show the abilities that you've acquired.

With that, he focused hard on his mind and it instantly materialized in front of him.

*

Name: Zeris.

Rank: Apprentice

Authority: —

Soul Essences: —

Soul Abilities: —

Seed of Corruption: Status: 0%

Uniqueness: [The Fool's Paradise.]

[The Fool's Paradise] Uniqueness Description: "You have the ability to create illusions to fool others. If no one is fooled during the duration of the ability, whether it's your enemy or allies, the Seed of Corruption within you will sprout by 10%."

*

His eyes widened as he scanned the screen.

There it was again: Seed of Corruption. But what was it exactly? What significance did it hold? Questions whirled around his mind, but answers remained elusive.

Zeris needed more information—a deeper understanding.

Simultaneously, he glanced back at the group.

They were locked in a fierce struggle, barely managing to hold their own. Perhaps their 'Uniqueness' was keeping them afloat in this dire situation.

Hiding quietly, Zeris knew he needed to get away. Yet, he also wanted to join the group, to learn more about this strange place.

Abruptly, the female archer's arrow found its mark, lodging in the creature's eye.

The ensuing shriek of agony split the air as the monstrosity thrashed in pain, sending grass, dirt, and pebbles flying in all directions.

The turf erupted in a storm of debris, some of which found its way straight to Zeris.

In a devastating counterattack, the creature's tail whirled around with lethal force, crashing into the group and sending them hurtling toward a tree. The impact knocked the breath out of them, their bodies slumping into unconsciousness.

"Damn it," Zeris blurted, his voice a coarse whisper.

His hiding place was blown, the beast's wild movements had inadvertently unearthed him from the sea of tall grass.

A jolt of fear-driven adrenaline coursed through him, propelling him towards the towering dark forest. "One chance, I have one chance at this," he muttered to himself.

The beast, now single-minded in its pursuit, chased after the fleeing figure of Zeris. His disappearing act behind a tree did nothing to deter the monstrous predator.

With another mighty sweep of its tail, the beast laid waste to four stout oak trees. However, its target was nowhere in sight.

Undeterred, the creature pressed on deeper into the forest, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

Moments later, a figure cautiously emerged from the tall grass at the edge of the now-desolate battlefield. It was Zeris, panting heavily, clutching his head in pain.

[The Fool's Paradise has been activated.]

[You have Successfully Fooled the Gluttonous Centipede.]

[Penalty will not apply.]