— This seems to be it.

After running down the vine-infested corridors of the building, away from the horrific scene they witnessed, the trio stopped in front of a set of doors that seemed to be the origin of the slimy appendages.

— What’s the plan? — Asked Kyle

— No time to waste — Nina stepped forward and kicked the doors open. Looking inside the large lecture hall, at the base of the stairs, two people could be seen. One was a girl stuck to the wall with her limbs restrained by tentacles and what appeared to be an older man walking in her direction. From the man’s back emerged several tentacles that pierced his skull.

Seeing the state of her sister, Nina’s scream echoed through the room causing slight vibrations in the atmosphere.

— GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SISTER, YOU CREEP!!!

At the same time, a chill ran up Dale’s spine. He couldn’t pinpoint the source, but something inside the room shook him inside enough to bypass his Trace of Insanity. This existential dread he felt was different from the previous encounters he had with this world’s anomalies. The previous battle mostly involved the fear of death, but this was something undiluted, genuine. The presence of an existence that defied logic, a primal horror that made one’s soul tremble.

A sudden feeling that the girl in the wall was in indescribable danger crept up in the back of Dale’s mind. Before his mind could form a concrete thought, his body was already moving. The sword in his hand vibrated as if trying to decide on what shape to take. Dale launched his sword at the Mr. Oliver-shaped creature with every intention of shattering it, denying its existence.

The weapon zoomed forwards, cutting through the air with breathtaking speed. With its limited range of expressions, the thing looked rather surprised before it jumped backward out of the way. The wooden sword struck the ground with unexpected force, causing a small crater.

The creature’s unsettling smile grew — Interesting, Using void energy so soon. This group seems to have a lot of potential.

— We have to run! — Exclaimed Dale, with rugged breathing and cold sweat running down his face. — That thing isn’t like the others.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Nina called for Kyle before dashing in Hazel’s direction with a silver aura emanating from her hair. Picking up on her sign, Kyle touched Nina’s back before she moved, creating a shimmering protective barrier around her. In the meantime, Dale grabbed one of the chairs in front of him and threw it in the creature’s direction, but this time there was no supernatural force in his throw, so the creature simply deflected the chair with a tentacle sprouting from its arm.

— You can’t control it yet, can you? Strong enough to be interesting but not enough to defend itself. The perfect kind of food.

Raising its arm in Dale’s direction, the creature prepared to launch its attack before being interrupted by him.

— Wait a second. Why don’t we talk about this? We didn’t have a chance to speak with the other ones, but you can communicate. I’m sure we can reach some sort of agreement.

The creature stopped, cocking its head to the side in confusion.

— Talk? — It laughed — You’re an interesting one. Is that what you call desperation? Do you really think that buying a mere few seconds will make any difference? I might have detached from my body, but if I concentrate I can still feel your friend hacking at it to free her sister. Pointless effort. I’ve spent too much time trapped in this place being used as a toy, teaching their children how to walk. I’m fed up, and you’re my ticked away from this place.

A glint of rage could be seen in its eyes. The air in the room suddenly grew heavier. The chill in Dale’s spine intensified. His mind started racing in search of a way they could leave that place alive. Several tentacles could be seen coming out of Mr. Oliver’s body, the view was menacing. The fear brought by this scene exacerbated the sense of urgency, pushing Dale to land on something the creature said.

They? If it’s been trapped here, it was by whoever built this place, and if they’re related to the organizers of this mission, Amy might be involved. It’s time for you to somehow finally be useful, Amy.

— By ''they'' you mean Amkorathotep and her friends?

The creature froze. A mix of fury and surprise flashed in its eyes.

— That despicable child. It took me from the greatness of the veil and trapped me in this horrible place, starved me, forced me to split myself, and reduced me to a mere parasite. I’ll never forget what’s been done to me. When I recover my strength, that pest and all who created this miserable situation will pay.

Picking up on its resentment, Dale stepped in.

— I know what you mean. She grabbed us from our homes and threw us into this place without explaining a single thing, gave us wooden sticks to defend ourselves, and forced us to kill those creatures. All we wanted was to find a safe way to reach the reception, but she laughed at us when we proposed a peaceful approach and kept sending messages saying that the only way was to slaughter as many creatures as we could or else we’d never find the exit.

Somewhere beyond the veil, Amy felt wronged.

Listening to Dale’s story, the creature looked down and fell into its vengeful thoughts.

— Yes! She’s like that, all of them are. Selfish bastards who think that just because they spawn from this dimension’s creators that gives them the right to step on its inhabitants. No respect for the elder beings. They live to fulfill their own wishes and whoever steps in their way is a mere pawn to be used and discarded on a whim. Boy, I’ll use your body well. Together we’ll get our revenge on that child and-

Looking up again, the creature realized Dale wasn’t at the top of the stairs anymore. In fact, the only company it had was the bodies of its previous prisoners, sitting in their chairs with their jaws dislocated in what seemed a mocking smile. The room trembled and the creature growled.

— BOOOOOOYYY!!!!

At the end of the corridor, a system prompt filled Dale’s vision

STATUS UPDATE

NEW TITLE: COSMIC LIAR