"So it's an independent space that they made theirs using 'Corruption' energy and is set as coordinates for the spatial artifact that the demon used?"

Since it was called a 'Corruption Space', and it was directly processed by the demons unlike the supposedly naturally created 'Corruption Gates', this was the first possibility that came to my mind.

[Exactly! It sure is nice having a 'smart' partner!]

'...'

By this point, I wondered whether Long really did feel sad for me to begin with or was his current persona simply unable to stop being naturally irritating…

"So, what I went through was the process of being 'Corrupted'...?"

[Mhm, thanks to being processed into a 'Corruption Space' this land immediately projects its foreign visitor's mind into a mental illusion where it's eroded through various approaches depending on the visitor. Those whose spirits are broken in the process naturally succumb to the Corruption energy and become puppet-like 'Corrupted' that could be masterfully controlled by the demons.]

"Does that mean… I overcame the Corruption Space's erosion just like that?"

It wasn't like I took what happened during that month of illusions as something simple now that I passed it, but I found it hard to believe that something worthy of being named a 'Corruption Space' was that 'simple' to crack.

[In reality, it shouldn't have been that easy. Even if one were to defeat the eroding illusion once, they would be immediately sent back to one that is more suitable or one that is harsher. However, thanks to your identity as a player, you snapping out of it once allowed the system to purify your body and expel the Corruption energy from coming into contact with you easily.]

'So, it's like that…'

It naturally made sense that this was the case. It seemed like I simply came too close to death this time.

[There is no need to overthink it. Actually, according to what I know, the number of people that even manage to overcome one illusion can be counted on one hand. You not failing once is already a great achievement.]

Naturally, even if Long didn't say what he said, I didn't dwell on it too much, I only reminded myself to try and avoid danger like this as much as possible. However, what actually surprised me was Long being so supportive...

"So… What now that I 'overcame' that erosion? Does that mean I am stuck here?"

Though it wasn't an independent space pocket prison, it was still a secluded place that I couldn't leave depending on my ability so it wasn't that much different in reality…

[Nope, it's actually the opposite. It's thanks to the fact that you didn't succumb to the 'Corruption Space' that you have the chance to leave it. It's just that it might take some... time.]

It was a bit of a relief since exiting wasn't impossible, but I didn't let my guard down as I noticed the strange tone of Long's voice…

"And how can this be achieved then?"

[It's related to the ability of the artifact that the demon used. As it isn't a perfect space transportation artifact since it can forcibly transport the target, it only works according to certain rules whereby the first one is that both the user and the target would be transported once it's used, and the second is that both would be returned to the same spot they were transported from once one of them crushes the artifact's core...]

"So I have to find the demon that is currently within this space and retrieve the artifact's core?"

[Yes…]

"...And how long would finding him take?"

[Well, judging from the low grade of the piece of fragmented space, and going by the speed of sound, it would only take you less than three months if you were lucky to chance on him or a maximum of six months to scan through the whole space at the very most!]

"Only three to six months?"

I already knew that something was wrong, but it was still a bit irritating.

[Of course! Didn't I tell you that the situation was a bit special? You should open the system panel first to understand what I mean.]

[ Warning! You have been transported forcibly under the influence of a spatial artifact, please take caution of your unknown destination! (As the destination isn't a 'Stage', your current stage run is still in progress) ]

[ Warning! Corruption energy is invading the User's body! ]

[ User has managed to overcome the first wave of 'Corruption'! Initiating the automatic purification and energy repulsion process… ]

[ The process has been carried out successfully! User's state is recovering to normal… ]

As I opened the system panel to check what Long meant, the notifications that had piled and disappeared naturally when I was still half-conscious appeared in front of me in turn, proving what Long said before to be true.

Though the special note attached to the first notification was somewhat enlightening, I dismissed them all after giving them a quick read as I focused on the system panel to see what difference there was…

'Huh?'

While I didn't notice anything different for the first few seconds, I quickly understood what Long meant as I looked intensively at the clock on the system panel, it was actually moving five times slower!

"Could it be that time here runs faster?"

[Bingo! As this is nothing but a fragmented space, its 'Laws' are quite messy so its time is different. The system's current clock that is bound to your current 'Stage', which is the Fire Domain works according to the time there, so it doesn't really matter if you spend a long time here to get out, even the maximum amount of time would only be three weeks back there!]

If that was the case, then the situation was at least a bit better, but…

"Even then, wouldn't the demon notice that something is wrong if I take that long to be 'Corrupted'?"

[You don't need to worry about that either. After all, the demon who brought you in should be entering a 'Corruption' slumber similar to the one that you should have entered…]