Chapter 2: The Other World.

[System Synchronised.]

[Foreign Language Detected, Initiating Decryption.]

[Decryption Complete.]

Drip!

Dawn's eyes jerked open as a droplet of water splashed onto his face, and the first thing that greeted him was an unfamiliar stony ceiling.

[Congratulations! You have successfully crossed the ripples in your space and been reincarnated. Welcome to the other world!] A mechanized female voice echoed in his head.

'What? Who said that…?'

A pounding headache and aching body slowed his movements. All he could manage was a slow turn of his head to evaluate the environment.

'Where the...?'

He found himself in a cave, dimly illuminated by flame-lit torches mounted on stone pillars... And he wasn't alone. Surrounding him were several children, all about eleven or twelve, adorned in ragged clothes and bound with wooden cuffs. 

Their eyes held a hollow hopelessness. Some wept, while others attempted to engage in muted conversation. Their common threads were fear and confusion.

"I want to go home..."

"How long are they going to keep us here..."

Just then, a fiery sensation seared in his chest. Lowering his gaze to investigate, his eyes widened in surprise. Like the others, he was also garbed in tattered rags that barely covered his frame. But that wasn't what shocked him.

The surprise was that his once muscular and scar-ridden body, honed from rigorous training, had become skeletal. It had also shrunk considerably and looked uncannily childlike.

What was even more shocking was the crimson glow of the crystal embedded in his chest. The very same crystal gradually sank into his flesh, eventually disappearing altogether.

'What the hell!? That thing just now... that was the prototype! Did it just enter my body? It definitely entered my body just now… Also, did I hear something about another world-'

[Merger Complete.] 

Dawn's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the automated female voice resonated in his head again. But before he could fully comprehend the message-

[Dawn Goldblood.]

[Race: Human.]

[Core Rank: Undeveloped.]

[Level 1 (0/50)]

[HP: 69/100%]

[Energy: 65/100%]

[Strength: 2]

[Agility: 2]

[Stamina: 2]

[Sense: 5]

Dawn's confusion only deepened when a screen suddenly appeared in front of him. A glowing, translucent panel displayed a series of text, including tabs with various icons at the top.

[Skills] (4)

[Ability] (1)

[Shop]

[Quests] (1)

[Mail] (1)

With a deep inhalation, Dawn stared at the screen, exhaling slowly. Normally, such a situation would have left him flustered, but the chain of bizarre events had dulled his capacity for surprise.

'This and the merger thing... is it because of the prototype...? It doesn't make any sense... but for now, let's just focus on deciphering this system interface... for starters, why does my name show up as Dawn Goldblood? Dawn isn't even my real name, it's a codename and there's no goldblood in it-'

"Silence!"

An abrupt, authoritative command reverberated throughout the space. Dawn turned towards the source of the sound and saw two men entering the vast room.

The first was an elderly man with slicked-back grey hair and brown eyes, carrying the mark of a dagger tattoo on his neck. Despite his lean and short stature, he carried a formidable aura about him. 

Standing next to him was a middle-aged man with neatly trimmed short black hair, dark eyes, and a well-built physique, providing a stark contrast to the older man. Both donned black uniforms, with the muscular man having a sword securely attached to his waist. 

The children's chatter was suddenly replaced with a palpable silence, their bodies shivering in fear.

'They look scary… my body still won't listen to me so let's just avoid gathering attention and observe for now.'

Dawn watched as the pair stopped before the children, casting scornful looks at them as though they were no better than vermin.

"I believe I told you all to remain silent, did I not...?"

His voice rang out smoothly, but contained a compelling power that made the children cower in fear. It was clear that disobedience would have severe consequences.

Even so, one child refused to stop crying and slowly started crawling towards him. A black-haired boy, no older than twelve and dressed in tattered rags much like Dawn.

"Please... I want to go home... I don't want to be here any..."

Before he could finish his desperate plea, the boy's chest grotesquely ballooned out of proportion.

Splatter!

He didn't even have time to scream before his body violently burst, spraying blood on the horrified onlookers and staining the floor a sickening red.

"It appears you don't understand your situation. Allow me to clarify..." The man's voice trailed off as he started to levitate, his brown eyes glowing bright. "Disobey my orders and you die."

Stricken with fear, the children longed to scream and run, but their legs just wouldn't respond. The most they managed were muffled whimpers, their terror of death freezing them in their tracks.

Meanwhile, Dawn could hardly believe what he was seeing. The man was floating before his eyes, but it wasn't just that. The corpse of the boy was mysteriously propelled away by the very same phenomena.

There was no doubt about it; this wasn't a trick. The man was genuinely defying the laws of physics before his very eyes.

'This might actually be another world...' The reality of his circumstances was finally starting to dawn on him.

"Now," the man continued, "some of you were burdened orphans, while others were sold by your families. Regardless, you have no homes to which you can return. A parasite has been installed deep within each of you. Any attempts to escape will result in your end, much like that boy there."

He paused before adding, "Are there any questions?"

...

Complete silence engulfed the room. None dared to speak out, fearing they might attract the unwanted attention of the ruthless men. Most seemed too traumatized to even form a coherent thought.

'A parasite that kills someone in an instant…? What kind of shitty world is this…?' thought Dawn, his entire body trembling.

"As there are no questions, we'll move on. From this point forward, you belong to our organization, and you will all be trained as spies."

"Those who prove to be worthless will be discarded, whereas those who prove useful will be rewarded."

"I'll ask once more, are there any questions?"

...

The silence that ensued was deafening. The air was thick with fear, making even breathing a difficult task.

"Good. Those of you who have reached the first stage of awakening, raise your hands. "

...

Not a single child dared to raise their hand; fear of drawing attention was a powerful deterrent. Seeing their hesitation, the man's expression turned into one of visible disappointment.

'Awakening? What does he mean by that?' Dawn pondered.

"Lying is unacceptable. If there's one thing I detest more than disobedience, it's deception. I can see that several of you have awakened. Don't make me kill you to set an example."

His words and tone were heavy with authority. Slowly but surely, one by one, the children began raising their hands. Among the dozens of children present, approximately thirty responded, forming a relatively small group.

"The yield this time appears satisfactory. Those who have awakened, stand and follow me. Those who haven't, follow the man beside me... and, I realize I haven't introduced myself. You will address me as Xylon, and the man beside me as Rek."

With that, Xylon turned towards the entrance and exited the room, followed by the children who had raised their hands.

As they departed, it was clear that fear had taken a severe toll. Many of the children had soiled themselves in their terror and could hardly walk, their knees shaking uncontrollably. Despite this, they followed Xylon, aware of the grim consequence of defying his order.

Once the others had departed, the remaining children were left with Rek, who exited the room silently. They understood the implicit instruction to follow him. Dawn, now able to move, stumbled along. His body felt strange - weak and unfamiliar, with smaller limbs that made walking feel diffferent.

Bound by the wooden cuffs around his wrists, Dawn shuffled after the group in a single file. As they left the cave, he threw a backwards glance at the lifeless body of the boy.

'...I didn't become a spy to save people, I only ever looked out for myself.' Dawn thought, looking up at the man leading their group. 'That's how it's always been... and that's how I've always survived.'