Ryuk's eyes widened, understanding the voice as he turned his head beneath him, and immediately, his jaw dropped to the ground.
Beneath him was what seemed to be a bonker area, one he had never seen before. There was a door—a glass door that led to the ground.
"Open it and come in, Bloody Mutt." The voice called out to him once more.
Without wasting a second, Ryuk turned the knob on the door in the ground and slowly peeked his head through.
Immediately as he did so, he felt a force tug on him, suddenly pulling him down.
The sudden force caused him to slip down the hole, disappearing into the darkness beneath.
The opened glass door shut back with a bang, reducing the area to absolute silence once more.
Looking around while brushing his shoulders, white smoke repeatedly puffed out of Ryuk's mouth. He stared into the pitch darkness, unable to see even his own right hand.
He called out, his voice echoing through the darkness.
But like some sort of command, the light bulbs immediately switched on, brilliant and powerful rays of white light flooding the area.
Ryuk winced and closed his eyes tightly.
"You're late, Bloody Mutt."
The gentle masculine voice echoed through the space.
Ryuk snapped his head to the side and found a grey-haired man standing there, a prominent walking stick in his white palms.
Even though he tried to keep a hard face, Ryuk easily noticed the relief in his expression.
Unconsciously, tears burst from his eyes as he rushed toward the man and gave him a tight hug.
"You're alive, Uncle Bob."
"Outside... everyone..." Ryuk choked out, half in tears, recalling the sights he had witnessed earlier.
"I know, Ryuk. I know..."
As always, Uncle Bob's voice was calming and soothing to the nerves.
Ryuk felt his fear dissipating like ashes in the wind, and once more, he regained his composure.
But his eyes quickly narrowed when he looked around and witnessed something strange, something bizarre.
There were ashes all around Uncle Bob, and they came from him.
His skin was releasing ashes that dispersed into the wind.
Ryuk's fingers unconsciously stretched forward as he waved through the ashes surrounding Uncle Bob's body.
However, his attention was soon diverted by a question.
"You fought an Enhanced Beast... like I told you not to." Uncle Bob asked.
Ryuk took a few steps backward, staring at the man whose face had turned cold and serious.
"I accidentally stepped on a Mutated Rat's butt, and it wouldn't let me go. In the end, the only choice I had was to fight."
"Thankfully, I won, and I got this!" Ryuk called out, dipping his hand into his pocket and bringing out a bag of coins.
Uncle Bob stared fixedly at him, seemingly dazed.
Ryuk wanted to smirk in pride, believing his uncle was shocked at the bag of coins. But he quickly realized Uncle Bob wasn't looking at the coins at all.
Instead, his gaze was fixed on Ryuk's severed left hand.
"Your arm?" Uncle Bob asked, advancing toward Ryuk and taking the arm into his cold palm.
"It's no big deal. It doesn't even hurt," Ryuk claimed.
But all he received was Uncle Bob silently staring at the sparking electricity in his arm before letting out a deep sigh.
"Do you know why I asked you never to cross paths with an E-grade creature?" Uncle Bob suddenly asked.
Ryuk's eyes narrowed.
"Because you think I'm nothing but a scared, weak, Bloody Mutt!?" Ryuk barked, feeling a twinge of anger in his heart.
How insulting was it that he, who had the power to go toe-to-toe with an E-grade creature, would still be warned not to cross paths with them?
His uncle never saw his capability, never acknowledged that he, Ryuk was strong!
He always treated him like a child, something Ryuk despised and only tolerated because he had no choice.
"I asked you never to fight an E-grade creature because, in every fight, there's a sacrifice."
"This fight you had—you lost an arm. It could have very well been your head or your heart."
"Before you get into a fight, assess well the extremity of the sacrifice you may have to pay. If it's too great, then never get into the fight at all."
"This is the only way you will survive in this world!"
"Do you understand, Ryuk?" Uncle Bob asked, his shining blue eyes fixed on Ryuk's face, exposing an extremely powerful glow that cast a bit of light on Ryuk's features.
Unknowingly, a pressure descended on Ryuk. Even though he felt unwillingness in his heart, he was forced to bow his head and give a nod.
"Now, now. I have a thing or two to inform you about."
"I bet you noticed the ashes outside in the streets and the burned-down buildings on your way here, didn't you?"
Uncle Bob asked, turning his back to Ryuk as he walked forward toward the center of the glass-like room.
"Yes, I did. I also saw that weird bird creature. What type of Mutated Beast is that?"
Ryuk asked, still reeling in shock from the sight in his memory.
"That is no Mutated Creature," Uncle Bob replied, his eyes flashing as he arrived at the room's center and tapped the butt of his walking stick twice on the ground.
Immediately, a whirring sound filled the area, and strange, runic patterns began appearing on the ground.
But what caught Ryuk's attention the most were his uncle's words.
"If that wasn't a Mutated Creature, then what is it?" Ryuk asked, furrowing his brows.
"That is a... Knull."
Ryuk screamed unconsciously, stopping in his tracks as he stared at his uncle, who slowly turned his gaze to him.
When Uncle Bob's lips opened, the next words he spoke gave Ryuk the shock of his life.
"And it came seeking none but you, Ryuk!"