Information appeared in Neo's mind, and he felt he had somehow formed a 'connection' with Tartarus.
"Hmm?" Tartarus looked at his hand. He could not regenerate it. "What kind of Darkness is that?"
"It matters not. We will resume your punishment, and this time this filthy woman will be punished too."
Tartarus accessed his River of Time.
Just as he was about to snap his fingers, Neo took hold of his River of Time with mimicked Tyrant.
"Your mastery isn't high enough to use that Concept without physical touch. But you aren't touching me... is it because of this 'connection' I feel with you after you devoured my arm?"
Tartarus bombarded his Death into Neo through their connection.
However, it didn't work.
"I see. It's a one-way connection."
Despite knowing now that Neo had a way to directly attack him regardless of their distance, he was relaxed.
After all, Neo was weak.
"Neo! What happened!?"
Ava and Zera stormed into the room.
Before they could say anything, Neo used Hydraulic Movement technique with Pseudo Gap to appear before them.
He was about to take them and run away when suddenly Ava's body exploded.
"As I said, you should warn her to not turn back time from the next time."
Neo gritted his teeth. He took Zera's hand and bolted out of the room.
"What is happening?" Zera asked hurriedly yet calmly. "We sensed a huge presence of Death. Who is that man?"
Neo used Intent to send information into Zera's mind, and bring her up to speed.
"So that man is Tartarus?"
"A part of it," Neo answered. The information he gained from devouring Tartarus' hand told him a lot.
Tartarus used a Concept of 'Shadow Core' to create multiple bodies. They met one of the bodies here.
These bodies could be made similar to the real body, or be optimized.
Neo did not learn everything, since he had devoured only a part of Tartarus' Shadow Body, and all he got was a basic rundown of Shadow Core.
'If it's a Concept, I might be able to copy it,' he thought to himself, then spoke to Zera. "Tartarus turned back time 189 times. He must be reaching his limit.
"If we fight properly, we can-"
"No we can't defeat him." Zera said. "The fact that he is letting us run, even though he should be faster than us, is proof enough that he has confidence in his victory."
"Then, what are you suggesting we do?" Neo's voice was a tone higher than he would've liked.
His emotions were starting to go out of control, and he was having a hard time thinking straight.
There was only so much numbness could do to suppress his madness.
He used his newly gained Concept of Life, Happiness, on himself.
His mind started to replay his happy memories as if he was experiencing them for the first time.
It didn't reduce the madness, but it gave him calmness, thanks to which, he could function while his mind was being constantly shredded by madness of True Darkness.
"Is what you told me about True Darkness true?" Zera questioned him.
"Then, you defeat Tartarus. Use the Nightmare World in Layer 4 to grow stronger before you come back to Layer 5 and fight Tartarus."
Zera suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Her action took Neo by surprise, and he was late to react.
She used Void to break down the energy within his body, leaving only the bare minimum, and rendered him immobile.
"What... are... you doing..."
"By the time you regain all of your energy, you won't be able to return as far as this moment."
She used another Spell to put him to sleep.
"I'm sorry. But this is our only way."
She put his unconscious body against the wall.
After a few seconds, Tartarus appeared, walking towards them with calm steps.
"You must be thinking of self-destructing yourself like last time to break this Nightmare World, and send Neo out," Tartarus said. "But the same trick won't work twice."
"I wonder about that," she said with a calm smile.
"There is no need to hide your fear. I see it as clear as day."
"I should be the one saying that. Aren't you frustrated Neo is still holding your River of Time.
"I reckon you also think the child is quite stubborn, not to mention he has quite the arsenal of unique abilities." Zera's smile became a coy one. "Isn't that why you are afraid of him?
"You don't want to let him grow, or else he would topple your dystopian world."
"Dystopian? This is the world of justice. A world where the evil is punished, and kept locked away, so that the society can live in peace."
"Who might you be to judge what is right, and what is evil."
"The Undeath's Shadow."
Neo appeared next to a giant tree on an island.
Confused, he looked at his hands.
They were transparent.
One look was enough to make him realize he was not here physically.
"Neo?" Percival called out to him. "Hahaha, it worked. It worked!"
Neo stared at Percival. His mind was in chaos. He was having a hard time recalling what had happened just now, as madness made everything inside his head a mess.
One moment, he could think clearly, the other moment, rage bubbled within him. Next, he suddenly became hungry.
Concept of Happiness was the only reason he could maintain some sort of calmness, and sanity.
"Neo?" Percival called out to him again. Neo forcefully focused on the issue at hand.
He hated how Zera had sent him here, but he knew this wasn't the time to cry. He had to deal with Percival.
"With your Fate Vision, you should be able to sense this isn't our first time meeting," Neo said. "I...
"I need you to deal with Layer 1. As for the other Layers, I will deal with them by my own."
Neo explained everything he had understood about Tartarus.
"Tartarus is a Shadow that Hades created through his Concept?"
"Yes, it was why he had the same Intent as dad, and why I mistook him."
"Then it's impossible for us-"
"Then leave," Neo said. He was in no condition to motivate Percival.
Percival stared at Neo.
He could tell Neo was in great pain.
He clenched his fists, and unclenched them.
After thinking for minutes, he punched the tree with full force.
"Dammit, I'm not leaving you or others here!" he shouted. "I'm the Great Percival! I'm not someone who loses and runs away with their tail between their legs!"
Normally, Neo might've smiled faintly at Percival's declaration.
With the madness burning his mind, and the Concept of Happiness artificially calming him, he did not have any space left for proper emotions.
"Then, we will do as I told you," Neo said.
The pull increased, and he was brought back to his physical body.
His eyes snapped open, and he looked at the giant empty cave.
He ignored his physical pain that seemed to increase with each second.
His body had barely any energy. By the time he activated Ouroboros, too much time would've passed.
Last time, he barely reached the moment where he was talking with Elizabeth.
Now, he doubted he could go back there anymore.
No, he was sure he couldn't go there.
Time wouldn't allow him.
He bit his lips, and looked around, focusing on his surroundings.
"Is this the same place I appeared last time? Or something that looks similar?"
The lack of spider monsters made him believe it was the latter. But the place was too similar to the location where he fought the spider monsters.