“Good morning, everyone! How was your weekend? Did you manage to catch the game the other day?”

“Oh, long time no see. Where have you been? I thought we wouldn’t be seeing you around here anymore.”

“In the whisper of twilight, echoes the song of stars, weaving dreams in the tapestry of time, where shadows dance with light, and destinies intertwine.”

“You’re always so obsessed with these things. Take a break, man!”

“The mind burns while the soul perishes; the body yearns while the soul fulfills. With my eyes, I shall see no evil; with my mind, I shall cleanse all sin, and with my might, I shall smite all evil!”

“What the hell is wrong with you? I told you to get the data back to me as soon as possible. Why are you doing what no one asked you to do?”

“Peace has forsaken me; death avoids me. My heart is still, but sorrow overwhelms me. I desire repentance, but for eternity, shall I suffer!”

Scott drifted through the void, whispers racing through his mind as he descended weightlessly through the darkness. Orion and the asura floated nearby, seemingly frozen in time, their discomfort palpable.

Peering through the darkness, Scott could only discern formless wisps, the origin of the stray voices that invaded his thoughts. Though he couldn't pinpoint their source, he sensed they emanated from the minds of his companions.

This is different from what I saw earlier, Scott mused, a crease forming on his forehead. We should have escaped by now. The void had swallowed his sense of time; though only moments had passed since they leaped into the well, it felt like an eternity.

“The tower of champions? I want to know what this is about,” echoed another stray wisp before vanishing into the darkness.

Scott turned toward Orion, surprised that the data-possessed mage hadn't awoken yet.

This should be a good time to contact everyone, he thought, realizing there might never be a perfect moment.

Extending his right hand toward Orion, tendrils shimmered endlessly, racing toward the motionless mage. Wrapping around Orion's arm without resistance, they embedded themselves deep into his skin, forming an intricate tattoo in the process.

Do you wish to form an Imprint of Madness? Yes! No!

Without hesitation he clicked on [Yes], and a new system window appeared.

A being blessed with obsession has received the Imprint of Madness!

No wonder he couldn’t stop obsessing over everything, Scott thought as read the system window. He lowered his hand while turning away from the mage. Would it be possible to form an imprint on Llorva and Fi-Fi despite being so far away?

As the thought seized the mind of the eldritch knight, a fissure in his right eye flickered, and the space before the masked man warped. A distinct crack followed, and the fabric of space shattered like glass. A portal materialized before the eldritch knight, forcefully pulling him in before he could muster a reaction.

A splash reverberated through the air as Scott found himself submerged in water. What the hell was that? Where am I, and how did I get here? Scott's thoughts raced as he swam toward the surface, his drenched hair partially obscuring the mask.

A pristine forest unfolded before him, bathed in the gentle rays of the noon sun. Butterflies flitted near the grassy shore, while various creatures drank from the crystal-clear waters. The occasional bird song drowned out the whispering wind that rustled the surrounding foliage.

Where is this? Scott furrowed, his anxiety mounting at the absence of anything out of the ordinary in the tranquil setting. At that moment, another splash reached his ears, and before he could turn, a familiar sensation pressed against his back, accompanied by the embrace of two delicate arms wrapping around his shoulders.

“I didn’t realize you had a naughty side to you too,” Llorva giggled, squeezing the eldritch knight tighter. “I've missed you,” she whispered into Scott's ear.

Meanwhile, shock contorted Scott's features as a myriad of questions raced through his mind. How can this be real? He pondered, discerning no traces of an illusion.

He swiftly turned toward the elf; the emerald-eyed beauty greeted the masked knight with a radiant smile while nestling her head against his chest. “I feared I might never see you again. If it were up to me, I would abandon this foolish game and come to you. I despised seeing you weakened by their illusions,” she confessed before fiddling with Scott's neck. “Did you miss me?” she inquired.

“No.” Scott's response was immediate and resolute. Then, he placed his right hand on the elf's forehead.

Do you wish to form an Imprint of Madness? Yes! No!

Scott clicked on [Yes], and a new system window appeared.

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A being blessed with madness has received the Imprint of Madness!

Llorva shuddered involuntarily, feeling Scott’s arm nestled snugly between her ample bosoms. Ecstasy twisted the features of the elf's face as she tightened her grip around Scott’s arm.

“Where are we?” Scott inquired.

“This is the thirteenth floor, the calming woods,” Llorva replied, her right hand idly toying with Scott’s neck.

Scott raised his eyebrows, surveying their surroundings closely. He was surprised that Llorva had not only traversed the eleventh floor but had also ascended two floors higher.

“How did you navigate the shifting steps valley?” Scott voiced his skepticism.

“The shifting what?” Llorva questioned, raising her head. Simultaneously, she instinctively released Scott’s arm, fear contorting her features. It was the first time she had truly looked into his eyes since the eldritch knight’s arrival.

“What's the matter?” Scott asked, a hint of amusement in his tone. He had attempted various tactics to distance himself from the elf in the past, but this was the first time she had willingly let go, and he was determined to discover why.

Llorva pointed toward his right eye, her lips trembling. “What happened to your eye?”

“What about it?” Scott asked as he instinctively lowered his head. His brows furrowed behind his mask, and his mouth slightly parted. So, this is why my eye felt weird. But what on earth happened? Scott pondered silently. Despite his grotesquely altered right eye, he felt no different than before.

“Are you alright?” Llorva inquired softly, wrapping her arms around the masked man from behind. “Does it hurt?” she added.

Before Scott could respond, a sharp pain surged through the back of his head, and a crackle shimmered across his vision. An immense force pulled the eldritch knight away from Llorva's embrace, sending him plummeting into the depths of the pristine waters. Llorva stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just occurred. She submerged herself in the waters, but all traces of the eldritch knight had vanished.

Meanwhile, in the abyssal darkness, a portal materialized, ejecting Scott before promptly vanishing. The eldritch knight clutched his chest and right eye simultaneously as his chest heaved uncontrollably.

It appears the transfer wasn’t permanent, Scott thought, turning toward the motionless Asura and Orion, who lay still as corpses.

If my guess is right, the transfer happened because I thought of granting those two an imprint, Scott speculated. But why exactly did it take me to Llorva and not Fi-Fi? The naked beauty and the calming scenery flashed across his mind, but he quickly discarded the thought.

Would it repeat itself again if I think of bestowing the imprint to Fi-Fi? He pondered.

As the eldritch knight's mind entertained the thought, another crack illuminated, and the space before the masked man contorted. With a snap, space shattered once more, and a portal forcefully dragged Scott into its depths.

Mid-air, the eldritch spawn spun wildly before crashing onto a bouncy, almost gelatinous surface. Where am I now? Scott mused, observing his surroundings. His jaw dropped beneath his mask as he beheld hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of slimes sprawled across a mountainous terrain. Slimes of varying sizes and affinities, including rare mutated and indigenous species, bounced synchronously as if partaking in a massive rave, while rain drizzled from the sky.

What's happening? Scott wondered, attempting to free himself from the massive purple slime he landed on. Yet, with his movement, a feminine scream pierced his ears, and the slime quivered. “Eww, get it off!”

“Look, there’s something on Mipi-Mipi,” several slimes chorused in unison, rushing towards the purple mass as it forcefully dislodged Scott.

“Is that a human?” a curious slime remarked.

“No, doesn't smell like one,” another countered.

“Sure looks like one, though,” a third added.

Though surrounded, none of the slimes approached the ominous champion.

“Who brought a human here? Who lost their human?” a gray slime interjected.

Then, a luminous lavender slime bounced towards Scott, gradually assuming the form of the masked man. “Who are you, and did you come here seeking for someone?” it inquired, adopting Scott's likeness.

“Fi-Fi,” Scott replied, eyeing the curious slime.

Instantly, the surrounding slimes echoed the elemental slime's name as if on a quest to locate it.

“I’m here!” a familiar voice called from the east, prompting Scott's gaze in that direction. The slimes cleared a path, revealing a turquoise slime advancing rapidly. Mere meters from the eldritch knight, it hurtled towards him with astounding speed. Scott merely extended his index finger towards Fi-Fi, and several tendrils shot out, enveloping a section of the slime, and turning it pitch black.

Do you wish to form an Imprint of Madness? Yes! No!

Scott clicked on [Yes], and a new system notification appeared.

A being blessed with madness has received the Imprint of Madness!

Fi-Fi crashed to the ground with a docile thud, prompting several nearby slimes to bounce toward the elemental slime as if to check on its well-being. Meanwhile, a few slimes distanced themselves from Scott, fearing they too might fall victim to the corrupting tendrils.

Scott shifted his focus from Fi-Fi to the humanoid gray slime. “What floor are we on?” he asked in a soft tone.

The slime took a cautious step back. “The fourteenth floor. The Slime Party,” it replied warily. “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

It was unusual for anyone other than slimes to attend the party, leaving the slime puzzled by Scott's presence.

“I'm Scott,” he answered, his gaze drifting upward toward the sky. Before the slime could inquire further about Scott, a strange force yanked the eldritch knight upwards toward a portal, and the masked man vanished as mysteriously as he had arrived.

The gray slime reverted to its original form. “What's a Scott?” it muttered softly, perplexed by the unfamiliar term.

Just then, a low roar resonated through the area, drawing the attention of the slimes toward Fi-Fi. The elemental slime, adorned with black patches on its blue exterior, emitted a continuous roar that filled several slimes with amazement and awe.

“Fi-Fi will participate in the slime contest!” the elemental slime declared proudly. “Take me to the queen,” it added, its voice resolute.