Chapter 2119: Shall we begin now? "Just what is this place..." Neremoth growled. His voice couldn’t be more frustrated as he looked around. Nothing was clearly visible. As far as his eyes went, he could only see darkness. Normally, this environment was where he was at his strongest, when he was the most comfortable. But here... Something felt different. The darkness around him was familiar, but at the same time... it was unfamiliar. Neremoth stood at its center, his eyes staring at the storm of swirling shadows around him. It was strange. These shadows, or whatever they were, came crashing into his body like waves, but it didn’t have any effect. Almost as if this place did not follow the Laws he was familiar with. It was... eerie. And when a being from the Supreme World of Darkness thought this... then it meant something. After all, these beings represented the word eerie back in the Main Universe. They saw and relished things that most people’s stomachs wouldn’t be able to digest. This place, however, was dangerous. Neremoth realized it as well. Actually, he had been trying to escape this cursed place for what felt like days, maybe even weeks. Yes, time here didn’t flow normally. There were no stars, no anchor points, no sense of direction. Only him... and this strange place that refused to let him go. His hand stretched forward, cutting through a tear he had carved in space but— Nothing happened. He tried again, forming a gateway with his core energy, using the raw essence of despair to anchor his escape. It worked—for a moment. Then the tear closed on its own, folding into a spiral and twisting itself into a mirror. That same mirror reflected his failure right back at him, almost as if the very place was trying to mock him. "LET ME LEAVE!!" Suddenly, Neremoth screamed at the top of his lungs. A scream that would have made most beings in the Universe tremble in fear, but here—it felt different. More than fear, one could feel Neremoth’s desperation. "I AM DARKNESS, DAMMIT!" He shouted again, releasing more energy, trying to overwhelm this place with his energy. He raised his arms, black claws of energy stretching into the distance, warping space as they moved. But the warped space repaired itself on its own. Neremoth didn’t even get the chance to sense the space the tear was opened to, let alone move into the warp himself. With another failed attempt, he tried reshaping his form—became smoke, then shadow, then formless hunger. He did everything he could but... Still nothing. Every path he created crumbled under him. Every exit unraveled the moment he reached it. Worse still—sometimes it felt like the very Universe itself was laughing at him. Once, he’d found a portal. He’d reached into it with everything he had. He saw stars beyond it—real stars. He even touched the edge of something familiar. Then... a single blink later... the stars turned to eyes. Dozens of them, watching him. He even heard a conversation between people he did not know. ’That’s him?’ ’Yeah.’ ’And you are keeping him here?’ ’It is not very difficult. He is quite dumb.’ ’Can he listen to us? He seems to be reacting to our words.’ ’Hmm? Oh wait—’ And just like that, the conversation ended, the eyes vanished, and the portal closed like it was never there. "LET ME LEAVE OR THIS WILL NOT END WELL!!" He threatened, releasing more energy, as if trying to overwhelm whoever it was doing all this to him. But he didn’t receive any answers. No matter how many threats or curses he hurled, there was no answer, almost as if those people were no longer interested in him. It was... humiliating. After cursing, threatening, and shouting for he didn’t know how long, Neremoth stood completely still. Breathing heavily, his shoulders rose and fell and his hands shook at his sides. He wasn’t tired—he was... frustrated. Every time he got close to understanding this place, it changed. Every rule bent the moment he learned it. Every crack healed just before he could slip through. It was almost as if someone was purposefully making sure he didn’t leave. And whoever it was... he was watching him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. "Enough games..." He spoke in a low, hoarse, and cold voice as he clenched his fists, more and more darkness dripping from his hands like ink. "Show yourself, you miserable little insect..." He threatened again. But once again. Nothing answered. "I SAID SHOW YOURSELF, YOU BASTARD!! FACE ME IF YOU DARE!" He screamed again, his words reverberated throughout the space and then— "Holy fuck, you are angry." He suddenly heard a voice. For an instant, Neremoth froze. He had gotten so used to the silence that his mind couldn’t react to an answer. He slowly turned his head and there— His eyes fell on him. The Anomaly. Standing calmly, hands in his coat, hovering in the air with a smile on his face. "Chill dude, it has only been a few hours. Stop acting like you have been trapped for centuries. Aren’t you an Eternal? Shouldn’t your mentality be much stronger than normal people? Why wou—" Before Nux could even complete his lecture, Neremoth launched himself towards him, intending to capture him alive and crush every part of his body. An act that obviously did not work. Nux willed himself away from Neremoth and... Well, the attack failed. This, however, did not calm Neremoth. He glared at the Anomaly, his crimson eyes shining with absolute hatred. "You... you did this," He said, voice trembling with anger. "You made this... this maze... this lie of a Universe!" "It is not a lie, trust me." Nux nodded in an assuring manner. "You..." Neremoth’s anger rose even further. It almost seemed like he was going to explode. Nux shook his head in disappointment. Then, "Anyways, Shall we begin now?" Nux asked, as he stretched his body. "Begin what?" Neremoth growled. Nux’s smile widened just a little and— "Your end." He answered.