I was falling.

  A pitch-black void stretched endlessly around me, swallowing everything in its depths. It was as if I were drowning in nothingness, weightless yet plummeting at an alarming speed. And I wasn't alone. Marax, the Greater Demon, the source of my dread was falling alongside me.

  We tumbled through the abyss, lost in its emptiness until a faint glow appeared beneath us. A glimmer of light, distant yet growing, beckoned me forward.

  I wanted to reach it faster, to escape the suffocating darkness. If I had longer limbs, I would have stretched them out, clawing my way toward the light.

  Then, finally, I did.

  The moment I broke through, I curled inward, retreating into the safety of my shell, bracing for impact. A loud crack rang in my ears as my shell collided with something solid, followed by a heavy thud as I crashed onto a sturdy surface.

  You Have Entered The Material World!

  You Have Killed A Level 25 Human!

  A Massive Amount of Experience Has Been Acquired!

  You Have Leveled Up!

  Demon Larva Lv. 9 → Demon Larva Lv. 10

  4 Stat Points Acquired!

  1 Skill Point Acquired!

  [...]

  Notice!

  You Have Reached the Level Threshold!

  Condition for Evolution Has Been Fulfilled!

  You Have Opened the Evolution Slot!

  Would You Like to Evolve?

  (Yes) - (No)

  The intrusive messages filled my vision, but I had no time to be bothered by them. My focus was on the voices echoing around me.

  "Leader, I think he's dead!"

  A voice, male, uncertain, yet oddly casual about the statement.

  "Are you sure?!"

  This one was sharper, demanding, and laced with scepticism.

  "No doubt. He's not breathing, and there's a bleeding wound on his forehead. I think… I think the shell's landing on his head killed him!"

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  A pause. Then—

  "Idiot. How would a shell kill a Level 25 mage?! In what world do you think that's possible?!"

  "But… Leader—

  "The leader is right." Another voice, calm and analytical, cut through the argument.

  "Summoning a Greater Demon is no easy feat, especially one with an already established reputation. He must have exhausted all his life force just to complete the summoning. Dying from a mere shell knock to the head? Absurd."

  Yeah, I had to agree with that one. Even I would find it ridiculous if someone told me a shell killed a full-fledged mage. But… the system notification had stated it clearly:

  You Have Killed a Level 25 Human!

  Coincidence? Maybe. But if it wasn't, then I really had to question how someone reached Level 25 only to die in such an embarrassing way.

  "His death is not in vain. Our objective has been achieved."

  Their attention shifted elsewhere, discarding their fallen comrade as if he were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

  I took the chance to peek. Carefully, I nudged my eye just beyond the lip of my shell, revealing only enough to observe without drawing attention.

  What did I see? A circle of figures, tall, cloaked in dark robes, their hands raised and connected above their heads in an intricate formation. They surrounded him.

  Marax.

  He stood at the centre of the ritual, unmoving, his head bowed. His expression was unreadable, shadowed by the dim lighting, his thoughts an enigma.

  "Oh, Wretched Reaper! Greater Demon of the Underworld! We call upon you to bestow your favour upon us!"

  The leader's voice rang out in reverence, his words dripping with devotion. The others echoed his plea, their chants rising in intensity.

  But Marax remained silent.

  As for me?!...

  I needed to know where I was. Tearing my attention away from them, I surveyed my surroundings. The vast open plains I had grown accustomed to were gone, replaced by towering rock formations enclosing us in an underground chamber. The air was thick and heavy with an unnatural energy.

  A temple? A crypt? I didn't know. But one thing was clear, I did not belong here and I have no intention of staying too long.

  "Oh, Marax the Greater Demon! Grant us your might!"

  Their voices became more urgent, yet the demon remained still.

  I had seen enough.

  I had no interest in waiting for Marax to awaken and go berserk. My priority was simple. To escape.

  Scanning the chamber, my gaze landed on a barely visible opening near the far end. An exit.

  I moved.

  Slowly, carefully, I inched forward, my slimy body making no sound against the cold floor. Stealth was key. If they noticed me, I had no doubt they would crush me without hesitation. Progress was slow, painstakingly so, but I'd rather be slow than dead.

  As I walked, or rather as I crawled, I felt a slight shift on the hard surface. It goes without saying that shouldn't be possible, at least not naturally.

  A tremor.

  Faint at first, another subtle shift in the ground beneath alerted me. Danger was near! Death close by.

  "What was that?!"

  I wasn't the only one who noticed. The figures stirred, unease creeping into their ranks.

  The tremor escalated. The very foundation of the chamber groaned in protest.

  And then—

  CRACK!

  The ceiling split open.

  Before we could take in the absurdity of the moment, massive chunks of rock broke free, crashing down with a deafening roar. Dust exploded into the air, filling the space with chaos.

  I scrambled, instincts kicking in, dodging debris as best as my sluggish body allowed. The chamber quaked violently, the ground beneath us shifting as if the very earth was rejecting our presence.

  "Are we under attack?!"

  Panic spread among the cloaked figures as they scrambled to shield themselves from the falling debris. Their once-unified presence broke into disarray.

  Now amidst the destruction—

  Another crash.

  Something else fell from above.

  Not a rock this time,

  Something heavy.

  Something alive.

  The impact sent a shockwave through the floor, dust billowing in every direction. And when the air finally cleared—

  I found myself staring at it.

  A presence.

  A being.

  And from the dust, a voice murmured in disbelief—

  "Uhu… A snail?"