Chapter 34: Pleasant Conversation, maybe?

"Hey, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! What's it been, 4 years?" Hunson said, but his words fell on deaf ears as I quickly backed away. I couldn't bring myself to listen, overcome by the fear instilled in me by what I saw when I used [Scrutinize: Lv 6].

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

[Hunson Abadeer]

[Tier: 5(weakened)]

[Danger: Beg]

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Not only was Hunson four tiers higher than me, but he was also weakened, indicating that he could be Tier 6 or Tier 7 for all I knew. Even the effects of Scrutinize were lessened, a fact that only served to scare me further. I desperately wanted to put more distance between us. Sadly, before I could even shift my body to run away, I felt a firm arm over my shoulder, anchoring me in place as Hunson continued to speak.

"I never expected to see you here," Hunson remarked casually, his voice unnervingly friendly. "And I noticed you dropped a few pounds, hey. I understand how you feel—flesh is just too constricting!" I didn't respond, obviously because of my undead nature and Hunson seemed to notice as he removed his hands from around my shoulder before coming to stand directly in front of me.

"Look into my eye," Hunson commanded, his words carrying the weight of an order. Though hesitant, I complied, only to regret it immediately. His eyes glowed a bright yellow, with crimson cat-like pupils that left me momentarily stunned.

Suddenly, I found myself in my Mindscape, surrounded by the familiar shelves filled with my memories. But there was no comfort to be found in this familiarity, as Hunson stood before me, holding a book that seemed strangely alive, shifting in his grasp. Despite my unease, he appeared unperturbed, casually observing his surroundings.

"Nice work here, quite cozy," Hunson remarked, his tone almost casual. "But I must say, it was pretty easy to get in here," he added, plucking a book from a nearby shelf and flipping through its pages, much to my annoyance.

"Who are you, Hunson?" I asked, my annoyance evident. Despite my frustration, I couldn't let it cloud my judgment. The last thing I needed was Hunson lobotomizing me, a feat made all too easy now that he was in my Mindscape.

"Oh, no one special, just the ruler of the Nightosphere," Hunson replied nonchalantly. His words left a deep crease on my forehead as the name struck a chord, resonating with familiarity. I couldn't quite place it, but I had heard of it before.

"What is the Nightosphere, and what are you? Because I doubt you are human," I pressed, my curiosity piqued.

Hunson's eyes seemed to gleam with excitement as he closed the book he was reading and turned to face me, his gaze piercing. "The Nightosphere is basically the home of demons and all manner of nightmarish creatures," he explained. "It's a realm where chaos reigns supreme, and order is considered disorder. In a place like that, a demon like me is considered average."

His words sparked a cascade of memories in my mind, and suddenly it clicked

'I'm in freaking Adventure Time!' The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of disbelief and amusement. How had I not recognized it sooner? Everything suddenly made sense, and I felt a twinge of embarrassment for not recognizing any of the characters themselves. But I didn't dwell on it for long.

I refrained from beating myself up over it, understanding that expecting someone to recognize cartoon characters in real life would be incredibly challenging, especially without any major defining features. Plus, it had been three years since I last watched Adventure Time before my death, so it was understandable that the details had slipped my mind.

"Hmm, strange. I can't hear your thoughts right now," Abadeer remarked, his confusion evident as he held his chin in contemplation. His statement sparked a flurry of thoughts in my mind.

"Could he hear my thoughts before?" I wondered, but before I could dwell on it further, Hudson's next words cut through the silence.

"You guessed it, but right now I can't even feel your emotions," he revealed. His words brought me a sense of relief, as I inferred that he could not hear a single thought I had, whether about my past life or Adventure Time. Now that I knew who I was dealing with, my body relaxed, and I became much calmer.

"What brings you to the human world Hunson?"