CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64 - APOSTLE OF SPACE

The Dungeon collapsed like a world that had lost its foundation.

Black cracks spread across the air, as if space itself was being torn apart and devoured by the void. Broken stones floated for a moment before falling into bottomless rifts of darkness. The scent of metal and blood mixed with the hiss of wind that sounded like it came from outside reality.

Then I saw it.

The creature stood tall, around three and a half meters, with a dark brown chitinous body reflecting a dull gleam from the dying Dungeon light. It resembled a forest beetle. Six thin wings were folded tightly on its back, clear structures that looked fragile. Six long antennae curved forward like demonic horns.

Its hundreds of dark, compound lenses stared straight into me.

For a moment, I was frozen.

Every instinct screamed that I shouldn’t even consider fighting it. I quickly activated [Eye of Desire], and its information appeared.

_____________

NAME: Axis

RACE: Insecta

CLASS: Apostle of Space

RANK: EX

_____________

My chest tightened.

EX...?

"What..." I muttered under my breath.

I had never heard of Rank EX. Was it above SSS? My gut told me yes. Could something like this even be considered a creature that humans could fight? The strongest humans in the world only ever reached Rank SSS, and only five people in history. And right in front of me now... something beyond that.

I could die at any moment if it simply decided so.

I had to be ready to run.

My only hope was [Time Stop].

But just before I could give the mental command... that damned System slammed a new curse into my skull.

[Hunter Quest Generated]

_____________

[HUNTER QUEST]

OBJECTIVE:

Death of the Apostle of Space

TIME LIMIT: -

REWARD: 15000 EXP, 2 New Skills, 2 Random Items, Tower of Space Key

[Accept: y / n]

_____________

I cussed so hard in my head.

Of course. Of course that shitty System just woke up and chose violence today. Kill that? I was scared to even stand near it. How the hell was someone as weak as me supposed to kill this thing? Apostle of Space. Rank EX. Every word there screamed hopeless.

But... there was no penalty. No time limit. And the reward was insane.

Maybe... just maybe... I could kill it during [Time Stop]?

Honestly, even without the quest, I was already planning to try killing it. It clearly came looking for me. If I ran, it would just come back later.

I looked at it.

I didn’t know if it understood human speech... but a being like this had to be intelligent.

"...Who are you?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

It stared at me for several seconds. Still. Unmoving. Only its eyes pulsed faintly, as though analyzing every piece of my existence.

Then its mandibles split apart... and a distorted, buzzing voice crawled out. The sound was filtered through an insectile throat—yet unmistakably shaped into human words.

"How pathetic... that a frail creature like you is the Archon of Time..."

I raised an eyebrow slightly.

Archon of Time?

"But out of courtesy... I am Axis. Apostle of Space."

I tried to make sense of it.

I am the Archon of Time? What does that mean? Is it related to my Class? Or to the System I possessed?

Axis spoke again.

"I have... just descended from my dimension. In my weakest state.... yet it is still more than enough to kill you."

Chills shot down my spine. Cold sweat slid down my temple. My pupils narrowed as survival instinct screamed nonstop. There was no more time.

[Time Stop]

The world froze. Dust hung still in the air. Falling stones hovered, defying gravity.

And most importantly, Axis was motionless.

A wave of relief washed over me.

I glanced at the corner of my vision.

[09:56...]

Time was ticking.

I hurried—almost sprinting—toward Axis. My heartbeat thundered against my skull. Finally, I stood right in front of it. So close... my reflection appeared on its chitin armor.

I raised Mindrender, the cold metal crawling into my bones. Holding my breath, I put everything I had into a swing at Axis’s chest.

CLANG!

A dull clash echoed through the frozen world... leaving not even a scratch.

I gritted my teeth and attacked again—its eyes, its abdomen, its jaw, its seemingly glass-fragile wings.

TAK! TAK! TAK!

Nothing.

"...dammit..." I whispered, feeling despair crash down.

I was like a fly pecking at steel. Impossible. Completely impossible to damage it.

"Come on... COME ON!" I snarled, attacking again.

Same result.

Not a single mark.

Panting hard, lungs burning, I knew finishing the quest was hopeless.

I looked at the timer:

[07:23...]

Shit. I wasted so much time on a doomed attempt.

I quickly weighed my options. I could hide inside the Dungeon until it collapsed and forcefully expelled me. Or escape through the Dungeon gate. I was almost sure the creature could track me.

So I chose the only option that made sense.

I turned and ran full speed toward the gate.

Frozen dust scraped across my cheeks as I passed. Suspended rubble shaped a deadly corridor that looked ready to crush me the moment time resumed.

And at last, the gate appeared.

A dark brown vortex that usually spun slowly... now still as a glass painting.

[01:09...]

I didn’t know if the gate would work while time was frozen. But since things I touched came alive even in stopped time, the odds were good.

My hand touched the dimensional surface.

ZZT.

The portal stirred again. Just my presence made time move inside it. Without hesitation, I leaped through.

The world changed.

City air. Street lights. Tall buildings.

And... corpses.

All the officers I saw alive earlier now lay dead. Judging by the lack of backup, the massacre had just happened. A few civilians stood frozen in terror. Some looked like they wanted to scream.

Axis must have done this before I got out.

I cursed under my breath and sprinted toward a crowded area, hoping people around me could hide my presence, or at least delay the monster from acting openly.

I pulled out my phone, breathing unevenly, and scrolled to a contact.

Delilah.

And waited...

[00:00]

[Time Stop Has Ended]

The world breathed again.

Wind stirred. Car headlights flared. Shouts and horns pierced the night. The people who were motionless now chatted, laughed, and took pictures of the evening scene. Everything returned to normal...

I immediately hit call.

The dial tone rang and my heartbeat climbed with it.

I’d told her earlier not to leave her house and stay away from me. But I wasn’t sure she’d answer.

The call connected.

"Delilah. Pick me up now. Wellton Cross Street. Hurry! There’s a weird monster that can talk! Save me! Hurry up!" I said, a bit panicked. I called her just in case that creature followed me.

She hung up without saying a word. But I wasn’t worried. My command was absolute to her.

I walked slowly, trying to calm down. Sharp, fearful looks from everyone stabbed into me. Only then did I realize I was drenched in orc blood.

Their gazes reminded me of the past, fear and anxiety rising again. But then... a faint smile tugged my lips. I wasn’t the victim anymore.

I still wore the [Faceless Mask]. No one knew my real identity—what they saw was James Raffles. Looked like the guy was going to have some problems because of me. I’d apologize later.

Since this guy’s got an NTR fetish, as an apology I guess I’ll have to fuck his wife or his girlfriend right in front of him.

Some people raised their phones, watching me suspiciously. Probably thinking of reporting a murder suspect casually strolling around.

I tried to ignore them.

But—

Axis appeared right beside me.

And reality around us collapsed.

CRAAASH!

People and cars were thrown like cloth dolls and crushed into bloody paste before they could even scream. The air sliced open by incomprehensible power.

I froze.

Axis tilted its head, antennae vibrating.

Its droning voice came out, heavy and cold:

"Did you just... escape by stopping time?"

A heartbeat of silence.

"...How shameful."

Every hair on my body stood up. My knees trembled.

Axis raised one of its arms, sharp like a guillotine.

And I knew...

Death was two inches away.