CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36 : THIRD EYE

Earlier, after they had entered the labyrinth’s central chamber, Deon suddenly felt uneasy for some reason. He had the impression someone was secretly watching him.

"Have I become too sensitive after pushing my senses so much? Or maybe it’s because we’re in a cemetery? Hmm... since this is a mausoleum, maybe the owner’s body rests here," he thought, scanning the dim room whose only light came from a crystal orb.

"But... that’s strange. Isn’t this where we’re supposed to find the portal boss?" he wondered — and then he felt a strange presence behind him.

He wasn’t the only one who felt it. Everyone did. When they turned, they saw it: a dark silhouette. In shape and build it didn’t look like a monster — it looked human.

Yet they couldn’t say whether it was a man or a woman.

"Is this our final opponent?"

The silhouette’s sudden appearance surprised Deon. What bothered him most, though, was that he hadn’t sensed its approach.

"Maybe it was here from the start, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. That would explain why I felt watched when we entered," he reasoned.

After it appeared, the dark figure said nothing. It simply passed them and took the strange crystal that glowed with a mysterious light at the center of the room.

Meanwhile, Theo tried to question the silhouette, but after its first response his — and Amelia’s — expressions changed abruptly. Alexia, who noticed, seemed about to intervene...

But things moved too fast.

Suddenly the light from the crystal dimmed, plunging the chamber into endless darkness.

At that same instant, Deon’s system emitted a notification that surprised him.

---

Ding!

[ You have been exposed to an illusion. ]

[ Your skill Third Eye activates. ]

[ Your Third Eye sees through the illusion. ]

---

"An illusion? How is that possible? I didn’t sense anything... Third Eye, huh? Looks like I unlocked this skill at the perfect moment," he thought.

A small mark appeared at his forehead: the sign of the Third Eye.

Although most of his skills were harmless, their usefulness often exceeded expectation — and Deon was proud of that.

He knew the Third Eye was no different. That eye was so powerful and coveted that every spiritualist in his previous world desired it.

From what he knew...

The Third Eye, also called Ajna, is an energy and consciousness center located between the eyebrows, slightly above the level of the physical eyes. It’s considered a gateway to higher consciousness and extrasensory perception.

Abilities associated with the Third Eye include:

Intuition and extrasensory perception: perceiving information beyond the physical senses, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, or precognition.

Inner vision: seeing beyond appearances and understanding the true nature of things, including others’ thoughts and emotions.

Awareness and illumination: deep understanding of the self and the universe.

Perception of aura and energies: sensing the auras and life forces surrounding beings and objects.

"What sense-related skill will I unlock when I reach Rank C?" he wondered, looking thoughtful.

But Deon quickly snapped back to attention: he couldn’t afford to daydream.

---

When the light returned, Deon realized his friends were frozen, their eyes vacant.

Looking at Alexia’s beautiful face — usually so lively but now drained of its spark — Deon felt his chest tighten.

"She’s not dead. They’re alive... and this woman doesn’t seem intent on killing us," he murmured to reassure himself.

Right after the crystal’s glow came back, the dark silhouette — confident it had trapped the group in a large-scale illusion — was about to vanish when it heard a voice.

---

"Uh, miss... why am I the only one who isn’t frozen?"

"Huh? You can see me?!" the dark figure yelled, shocked.

"Yes," Deon replied, nodding.

If Amelia and Theo could see her now, they wouldn’t recognize her. All the coldness and mystery that had surrounded her had vanished.

"How did you pierce through an illusion of that level? Hmm... it looks like I can’t even access your mental realm like I did with your friends."

She sounded excited — it had been a long time since someone had managed to see her.

"I just used my Third Eye."

Deon could have refused to answer, but he saw no reason to. When they’d first arrived, she had seemed like a terrifying monster. Now she gave off something completely different.

"Third Eye? What are you, kid — a mystic master?"

"No, just a mage."

"A mage? What’s that?"

Hearing this, Deon realized she probably wasn’t from this world. But he needed to be sure. For now, he had to keep the conversation going and extract information.

"Uh... are you the portal’s final boss? Do you plan to kill us?"

"Hahaha, not really. Thanks to you, all your friends will be saved."

"Huh?" Deon furrowed his brow, unable to make much sense of what the woman was saying.

"Young man, see? You’re my ticket out. Since you seem troubled, let me tell you a little story," she said, pausing to glance at Amelia, Alexia, and Theo, still frozen.

"They’ll wake up soon. Follow me. I wouldn’t like to be disturbed during our conversation."

Deon hesitated at the idea of leaving his comrades and following a stranger, but he knew he wasn’t in a position to refuse.

"Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to them," she said to reassure him.

Seeing Deon still uncertain, the woman added:

"Even if that’s true, I don’t plan to trust you. Isn’t there a way to stay here and talk without being disturbed? Can’t you create an illusion in this place so they wouldn’t see us once they wake up?"

"You insolent brat! If you were the old me, you’d be dead already for such an affront! Argh... do you even know what it costs me to use my powers in this state? If you weren’t useful, I wouldn’t even acknowledge you. I would’ve left you and your friends wandering in the maze until you died," she growled under her breath.

Nevertheless, not wanting to waste more time than necessary, she finally agreed to Deon’s request and erected a barrier around them.

The barrier’s function was simple: those inside could see what happened outside, but those outside could neither see nor approach them. Upon entering its range, their senses would be deceived and drive them away without noticing.

"Where do I start, kid?"

"Deon. My name is Deon."

"Haha, so cute. Deon... what do you think dungeons are? No, rather... what do you think portals are? Where does mana come from?"

Deon shivered at her questions. Since transmigrating into this world, he’d often wondered about these things, never finding answers. The information in books was conditioned and restricted.

"Will she be able to satisfy my curiosity?" he thought, swallowing hard.