11 Welcome to Kynar (1/2)
The exact moment the mountain breeze carried away the remains of the old man, a portal opened by the side of the gorge. Seconds later, it ejected the mangled corpse of a youth. Because of nasty burn marks on the face of the corpse, it was not possible to determine its identity or gender. But, from its miserable appearance, one could tell the gruesome torture it suffered when alive.
Meanwhile, James continued to fall at a frightening speed. As the wind assaulted his face, it distorted the livid expression he had on his face. Since the gorge was pitch black, the system activated the night-mode. To Jame's surprise, he saw nothing. He only felt the strong winds on his body, and its loud howling sound ringed in his ears. The walls of the mountain seemed to have magically disappeared, and it caused a chill to run down his spine. He felt as if he had been through into the nothingness of the abyss. Since the old man did not remove the barrier restricting his Mana, he fell like a ragged doll.
'If I survive this fall, that bastard better pray I don't find him alive! System, what are my chances of survival?' James mused.
Although he was still angry that the system did not aid him with the old man, he knew he had no choice but to ask for its help.
<Ding>
Scanning…
Scanning Completed!
Warning! Warning! Warning!
Estimated time till impact:???
I have updated the user's Status.
{Status}
Mana Restriction forcefully enabled (Temporary).
Estimated time till effects wear off: 45 minutes.
Someone has placed unknown Mana in the user's body.
Effects: Mana can forcefully teleport the user.
Limitation: Teleportation can only happen once.
The user's Level is too low to expel this Mana.
<Ding>
'What?! So, that bastard placed his Mana in my body. Forcefully teleport the user? Is that even possible, what sort of sorcery is that?' James mused. Since the wind distorted his facial appearance, it covered the stunned expression on his face.
'System, why can't you determine the estimated time until impact?' James asked. A theory brewed in his mind, but he prayed he was wrong.
<Ding>
I cannot detect any end to the gorge…
The user might fall for a considerable amount of time, estimated at 45 minutes; or, will continue to fall forever!
<Ding>
Asan's heart sank after he heard the system's response. It confirmed his ominous thoughts. The seriousness of his situation dawned on him, and he regretted he was powerless in front of the old man.
'System, why is there a great disparity between the time estimates?' James asked. Although his situation looked grim, he noticed the shocking difference in time estimates.
<Ding>
I can detect the feint undulations of a barrier thousands of miles below. Because of the user's Level, I can't confirm its presence.
<Ding>
James's heart sunk for the second time. He knew what the system meant by its earlier response. If the faint barrier turned out to be a dud, then he would fall forever in the gorge.
'I can't accept this! There has to be a way to escape. I can't fall for the rest of live. So… that bastard wanted to torture for the rest of life,' James mused as he continued falling.
'System, can you detect the barrier when we get closer?' James asked.
<Ding>
If the barrier exists, I'll detect it when the user approaches its perimeter.
Warning! Warning! Warning!
If the barrier exceeds the user's Level, the user could end up with fatal injuries. Death is also a possibility.
<Ding>
James was tired of being surprised with bad news. The more questions he asked, the grimmer his situation looked.
'Well, since I can't do anything, I might as well expect the worse while hoping for the best. Maybe, I would have gained control of my Mana before we reached the barrier,' James mused. All he could do at this point was hope for the best. Unlike most people, James neither screamed nor cried as he fell. He only closed his eyes while racking his brain to find a solution to the imminent disaster. While he did this, the howling winds ceased, and only James's clothes flapped as he fell.
Because of the presence of Mana and the Necromancer System in his body, one could not regard James could as a normal or regular human. Although he stood above mortal men, he suffered the same symptoms as those who fell from a great height and at a frightening speed. Although he did not vomit or anything of the likes, he became muddle head because of the random manner in which he fell. Although he tried his best to think of a solution to his predicament, he did not think of any workable solutions, and it infuriated him.
The best idea that drifted into his head, was to summon the dead bodies of the Moonlight Wolves. He wanted to use them to break his fall. But, the moment he attempted to summon one from his Inventory; he felt a splitting headache greater than that caused by the Hell-Fire Manipulation from back in the cemetery. Unlike before, when blood only trickled out of his nose when he tried to use his Mana. James felt blood rising from his throat towards his mouth while his eyes became bloodshot red and his ears made a strange ringing sound. At that moment, the system told him he would suffer permanent damage to his body if he continued.
The only reason he did not pass out from his futile attempts, was because of his high - Endurance stat. Coupled with the strong mentality he got from experiencing physical and mental pain from his past life as a soldier and a royal prince. If any other person in his Level had attempted to do what he did, they would have passed out on the spot while their seven orifices bled out like a fountain. With his attempts ending in failure, James had no choice but to wait for the inevitable. Although he was no stranger to pain, this did not mean he welcomed it with open arms.
'System, how long has it been, and can you detect the barrier?' James asked. He lost his sense of time since he entered the gorge.
<Ding>
The user has been falling for 35 minutes. I cannot detect a barrier. The user's Level is too low.
<Ding>
James did not flinch after the system's response. He was already expecting the worse, so more bad news meant nothing to him. Seconds after the system's response, a sudden turn of events occurred. Since he entered the gorge, he fell at a constant but frightening speed. But from nowhere, the velocity of fall tripled. Before, James could complain. The system's notification rang in his mind like an alarm.
<Ding>
Warning! Warning! Warning!
The user's body has entered a Dumat Region!
Effects: it amplifies the speed of the user's body.
Limitations: None!
<Ding>
'What?! This is not good! If it amplifies my speed…'That means certain death for me,' James said within his mind. He had never heard of anything like the Dumat Region. He wondered how such a thing existed. The imminent fall could end up being more fatal than he had expected. With his situation delicate, James did not have the luxury to choose whether he wanted pain. He could only prepare himself for what was coming.
With his situation dicey, James's mind seemed to slow down while his brain worked on overdrive. Because of this, he remembered the statement of the old man. Saying that, he would only break a few bones or lose one or both arms as he fell. He did not know why he remembered such words at such a critical moment, but it infuriated him it was the only thing that occupied his mind.
<Ding>
Warning! Warning! Warning!
I have detected a barrier.
Estimated time until impact: 5 minutes.
The user has a 0.0012% chance of survival!
<DIng>
For the first time since he closed his eyes, James opened them to look at the barrier which could end his life. There was no sign of fury, hatred, or regret within them. Instead, it looked like the eyes of someone who had come to terms with their death.
Even though five minutes separated him from the barrier, James felt and saw nothing. With his mind prepared for the inevitable, he controlled his breathing while purging all negative thoughts away from his mind. Although he looked like someone who had lost all hope of survival, he hoped for a miracle within the depths of his mind.
<Ding>
The user is 30 seconds away from impact!