Where am I?

Rama immediately noticed the effects of his enhanced stats. His body felt revitalized, his muscles less strained, and his HP had risen to 70%, giving him a renewed sense of confidence. Determined to explore, he carefully stepped out of the room.

Each step was measured, and he kept his senses alert.

The darkness seemed to play tricks on his eyes, making every shadow appear more ominous. The air was thick with a foul, musty odor that added to the unsettling atmosphere.

The walls were partially covered with dark, twisting roots that seemed to pulse with a faint, eerie glow. This bioluminescence provided just enough light for Rama to navigate his way through the dank, oppressive space.

As he continued, he encountered a fork in the path. He paused, feeling a slight, chilly breeze. Trusting his instincts, Rama followed the cool air, which led him to a set of stairs. He ascended cautiously, the anticipation growing with each step.

At the top of the stairs, he emerged into a larger room bathed in an ethereal light. The source of the illumination was the starlight filtering through a series of high, narrow windows. 

Rama cautiously peered into the room, his eyes adjusting to the dim light that filtered in. The room's dimensions and layout struck him as oddly familiar, though he was certain he had never been here before. After all, he would surely remember a room where trees occupied nearly a third of the space.

He remained still, listening intently for any sounds that might indicate the presence of danger. Soon, he heard a low, menacing growl. His heart raced as he realized another Shadow Drake, almost identical in size to the one he had just fought, was prowling the area.

Determined not to be cornered back into the basement, Rama moved with deliberate caution. He carefully navigated through the rooms, evading the creature with stealth and precision. The situation reminded him of those old dinosaur movies he'd watched as a kid, where the protagonist had to outmaneuver the roaming raptors.

Thanks to his enhanced vitality and high dexterity, Rama was able to slip through the space with calculated judgment, almost as if he were playing a real-life version of "Metal Gear Solid."

However, as he continued to explore the building, the layout began to seem increasingly familiar. The shapes, the sizes of the rooms, and the overall architecture resonated with something he had seen before. The realization struck him with a mix of surprise and recognition.

"This is the old guest house!"

The building was unmistakably part of the Purnama family estate where Rama had lived, though this guest house had been abandoned for ages. The eerie familiarity of the place was unsettling.

It felt as though he had stepped into a dark, parallel version of his reality—a multiverse cloaked in shadows and danger. The whole concept reminded him of the "Upside Down" from Stranger Things, and suddenly, it clicked.

"I'm so stupid… of course, this is the Shadow Realm!" he muttered, finally grasping the full implications of his situation. The Shadow Realm, as depicted in the novel, was an alternate dimension tied to the real world, yet shrouded in darkness and steeped in mystery.

This was the downside of reading novels compared to comics: while he had absorbed the words and their worlds, his imagination couldn't always fully capture the author's vivid visual descriptions.

Rama's abrupt revelation came with a price. In his shock and distraction, he accidentally stepped on one of the ominous roots that stretched across the floor.

ROARRR!!

The creature's keen senses detected the disturbance immediately, and Rama could hear the creature's growl growing louder as it moved toward his location.

Reacting quickly, Rama darted into the kitchen. With a burst of adrenaline, he squeezed into a small, hidden spot behind the doorway. He held his breath, eyes fixed on the entrance as he waited for the creature to enter. 

Thump. Thump.

Rama's heart pounded in his chest as he heard the creature growl closer, each sound drawing nearer. The moment its head pushed through the doorway, he struck. With a swift motion, he drove the obsidian dagger into the drake's skull.

SPLLAATT!

The sudden, brutal attack caused the creature to scream and thrash, but the narrow doorway held its body in place. Fueled by adrenaline, Rama unleashed a flurry of fierce stabs. His high dexterity granted him precise coordination, and this time, there was strength behind his blows, a strength that brought an unexpected rush of satisfaction.

One stab! Two stabs!! Three stabs!!!

Before he could land the fourth, the creature's head swung wildly, slamming into him and sending him crashing to the ground. For a moment, Rama lay dazed, but as he looked up, he saw the drake collapse, lifeless, on the kitchen floor.

"Haha… I did it!... I did it!" he exclaimed, a mix of relief and exhilaration flooding through him.

As he savored the victory, he noticed his Spirit Points (SP) slowly climbing.

40%... 60%... 80%...

[You have leveled up.]

The surge in his Spirit Points provided a clear indication that the SP was functioning as his experience bar. However, based on the Avatar of God novel, Rama speculated that he was actually absorbing the spirit energy of the dead creature to enhance his own strength.

"Haha... I think I get it!" 

Though the Avatar of Gods novel has a very different system, Rama felt increasingly confident that he could soon unravel the connection between the two.

[You received one additional stat point.]

Without hesitation, Rama allocated the point to strength, raising it to 8. But instead of celebrating, he stood still, his senses heightened, ensuring no other creatures were drawn to the noise of his battle. Only after confirming that the area was clear did he step outside.

As Rama stepped out, the familiar sight of the yard, the statues, and the various buildings confirmed his suspicion—he was standing in the Shadow Realm's twisted version of his family estate.

The sky above was veiled in thick, dark clouds, throbbing with the ominous energy of a storm brewing just out of sight. Strange, shadowy creatures flitted through the air, their silhouettes barely discernible against the swirling gloom. The entire landscape was distorted, twisted into a nightmarish version of the place he once called home.

Rama stood frozen, a mix of terror and excitement coursing through him as he tried to piece together the reason behind his presence in this eerie realm.