The fear that was already deeply rooted in Rovan's mind and body grew stronger as he faced the creature. It was a grotesque mix of a cow and a human, with the bovine upper body being the most shocking feature. However, it wasn't the strange anatomy that truly frightened Rovan; it was the eyes. They were empty, lifeless, like a candle snuffed out by a strong wind.
Before he could fully grasp what he was seeing, the half-cow creature lunged at him. Getting a better look revealed bloodshot eyes and trails of blood streaming down its face. Rovan's thoughts spiraled out of control, but the system's mental strength protection kept his expression neutral. Just as he started to calm down, a drop of blood from the creature hit his eye.
A wave of numbness engulfed him. But instead of the usual notification from the system, a different one appeared: Task Completed.
Using Mental Strength Level One more than five times activated! Reward: ???
The system's mechanical voice broke through his fear: Host, do you wish to know what's in the box?
Driven by curiosity and the urgent need to escape the creature holding him down, Rovan mentally clicked yes. A sharp pain shot through his eye, the one contaminated by the creature's blood. The creature also seemed confused for a moment.
Then came another system notification: Eye of the Above Acquired.
Suddenly, Rovan's vision in his left eye changed. It transformed into a computer-like interface, tinted red, showing information about the half-cow man.
Axcuria: Strength-based type. Intelligence: 3 pts, Weakness: Its Dumbness.
Multiple pop-up windows appeared, outlining escape routes and ways to defeat the Axcuria. A surge of excitement ran through Rovan. One window drew his focus: Use the man in the white coat as bait and the metal chair near the door to strike the Axcuria.
Rather than shock, Rovan felt a twisted satisfaction. "Looks like I'll be killing two birds with one stone today," he muttered.
Following the red pop-up screen's directions, he quickly acted as instructed after breaking free. Before escaping, he grabbed some documents and learned the place was called Intramurox—a facility for the highly unstable.
But before he could think more about this, the half-cow man's scream echoed, now intensified. A new pop-up window appeared, but only one option: Crawl to the vents, turn right, and exit the facility immediately.
Fear gripped him. Transmission was one thing, but this was too much. He cursed at the system, "Tsk, you couldn't have picked a worse time! I really had to fix this guy's problem?"
The system paused before replying apologetically, "Sorry, Rovan. I didn't see that coming."
His anger faded. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry."
The system went quiet, but Rovan sensed a hint of happiness. The multiple screams intensified, joined by the sounds of other tormented voices.
He remembered the vents and hurried to find one. Disappointed, he found it bolted shut. Cursing his luck, he searched desperately for a way to open it. As he opened a nearby drawer, he found a file with his own details:
Info: Mark. Aged 18. Birthday: November 1. Cause of arrival: Mentally unstable and charged with attempted murder.
Rovan realized the fragmented memories he'd experienced were real. But something still troubled him; he had only seen bits and pieces, and he couldn't evaluate without the full story.
He spotted a folder with "Confidential" printed in bold red letters. Without a second thought, he grabbed it and finally found a screwdriver. As he pried the vent open and crawled inside, heavy footsteps approached. Rovan quickly closed his mouth, feeling sweat trickle down his temple.
Instead of the half-cow man, it was the manipulative girl from his memories. He felt no hatred toward her, but a sharp pain struck his heart. A desire to harm her surged within him, but the mental strength protection held it back, leaving only an uncomfortable feeling.
He decided to crawl away without looking at her. He heard her cold, commanding voice ordering others to find someone with fluffy, wavy hair, sharp facial features, and blue eyes. Rovan wondered who she was searching for, then caught his reflection in the vent.
He saw a young man with fluffy, wavy hair and sharp features, but his eyes felt heavy, like they held untold secrets that would shatter everything if spoken. One thing was different: his left eye had turned bloody red, while the right remained blue.
He heard her voice again, cold and commanding, and shook off the thought, focusing on crawling. He accidentally knocked something, causing a small noise. The girl immediately stopped and looked at the vent.
"Just then she said, 'After looking in the vent, false alarm,'" she sighed, seeing only a squeaking mouse.
Unbeknownst to her, if she had looked closer, she would have seen him. Finally, he reached the exit and dropped to the ground.