'Now, what should I ask?' Nate thought deeply after signing.
He had three questions, but knowing the wrong ones would ruin his fate, he chose to act wisely.
Curiosity could wait; what he wanted now was information capable of nudging the future in a different direction.
'Hidden advancements?'
He remembered Mundus's words, granting him access to that.
But he believed he couldn't do anything alone. He needed to know that it's achieved without being an apostle.
His fingers drummed on the chair's armrest.
Nate was sweating, feeling nervous due to having to be quick. Otherwise, the current Earth would be laid to waste.
"How are hidden advancements unlocked by normal awakeners?"
Mundus smiled. It was a good question, but it led to another inevitable one.
He chose to answer both as one in an attempt to earn more trust from Nate.
But first, he had to see his precious reaction.
"Every class is different. But if you achieve the first advancement during the Grace Period then you unlock them automatically."
Nate's fist struck the table, feeling the anger erupt within.
"Damn it," He muttered. It was a trap, forcing him to ask more questions.
He couldn't afford that, not with the time ticking like a bomb.
Reach level fifty before the Grace Period ends? Madness. An impossible endeavor!
The Grace Period was a six-month-long tutorial, but humans had to enter Infernum during it.
Now that's where the rigging became extremely obvious...
Infernum's time ran three times faster than Earth's, limiting humans to a short period of two months.
"Allow me to ease your doubts. Reaching the first advancement in time can be achieved through achievement speed running."
Mundus's words brought Nate's interest. His eyes flickered with sparks of hope.
Achievement speed running meant one had to complete achievements in succession.
Nate knew how it's done, but lacked the information to support him in doing it.
Mundus pointed his index finger at Nate's head, shooting a ball of dark, swirling energy.
Pain exploded in Nate's skull as the dark energy struck.
An avalanche of knowledge, so much that it almost blew up his mind.
He gasped as the pain receded, exposing him to something he failed to notice until now.
'Why would he give that for free?' Nate asked himself, attempting to figure it out on his own.
But even if he tried, Mundus knew it was impossible until Nate became his apostle.
He wasn't exactly a god, and neither could he reveal it casually.
"You will understand very soon, dear Nate." Mundus smiled, murmuring softly.
'Again? Why?' Nate wiped the sweat off his face. 'Since when was Mundus this kind?'
Since signing the contract, Mundus had changed.
His menacing nature was gone, replaced by a mask of kindness.
But it was too sudden. Too suspicious. Nate refused to accept it.
It was unsettling, creeping him out.
'It's fine, it has to be fine...'
Nate repeated the thought like a mantra, trying to drown out the doubts he had.
Paranoia wouldn't help here, he needed clarity, focus, and answers.
So what if Mundus had changed? He had knowledge. Power. A long path forward.
That's all that mattered for now!
He shoved the unease aside, skipping to the next question.
"I want to shut down the Rifts. Is it possible?"
Nate spoke, referring to the space tunnels, gates, and fractures.
He assumed Mundus would have a method given his vast knowledge. How hard was it? It crossed his mind, but knowing wasn't important for now.
As long as he was given enough time, he believed he could do it effortlessly.
"The rifts form due to world collision. To remove them, you'd need to push Infernum."
Nate nodded; the answer was enough for the time being.
'If Magnus can freely push Infernum toward Earth, then I must sever the gap between us.' Nate thought.
He initially planned on choosing the summoner class due to its unleashed potential.
Raising an army strong enough to rebel against the invasion was important, but it birthed another thought.
Summoners had no combat skills at all and were completely dependent on their summon.
The best thing he could do would be to go for an attack build to empower his physical strength.
'Hmm, but how?' He thought, frowning deeply.
Did Mundus even mean physical strength?
Suddenly, his thoughts were cut as Mundus announced bitterly.
"I'm afraid that our time is running out, so pardon me..."
Nate understood what he meant. The Earth was nearing total annihilation.
He nodded, accepting the result. There was nothing on his mind to buy extra time.
He surrendered willingly, letting go and impressing Mundus with his decision.
Mundus's human form exploded, stretching into darkness once again.
"Be warned, your apostle status, the skills you receive, and my existence must remain a secret. I will answer your third question the next time we meet, don't disappoint me!"
Nate smiled, knowing it only gave him plenty of time to think carefully until they met again.
The furniture slowly faded before his eyes. The darkness swirled, shooting at him.
He found his jaws and eyes split wide open.
The darkness didn't enter; it claimed him. It slithered into every pore, like a thousand serpents invading his veins and nesting deep within.
An extremely wrenching pain, but he could do nothing but listen quietly.
"I can't send you back in the time before it began due to certain confining restrictions, but I can send you precisely after it began."
Mundus' ancient voice sounded as the space below Nate started cracking.
It expanded, eventually shattering completely as he fell through.
His soul was speeding through the pit, toward a brightly lit end as the system notifications sounded in his ears.
[Congratulations, you've become an apostle.]
[Your title has changed to 'Prince of Darkness.']
[Skills: Soul Brand(MAX), Divine Grudge(MAX), and Wither(MAX) were unlocked.]
Nate heard but couldn't see, as if he were blind.
He continued falling for a good while until he unknowingly returned to Earth.