After Sven squeezed the black heart, he set it aside and picked up another jar. This jar contained many small, pink scales. They didn’t look like fish scales, more like the scales of some reptile.

Sven took a mortar and pestle from the shelf and began to turn these scales into a fine dust as if he were preparing spices for some dish. Then he took a small flask of amber liquid and poured it into the crushed scales.

At the exact moment, the dust mixed with the amber liquid. Sven then took the strange, purple triangular-shaped berries and squeezed their juice into this mixture. He then took out an engraved lighter and lit this mixture. After a couple of seconds, the liquid turned green, and he added it to the purple liquid in the glass.

Wain was surprised by the resulting cocktail, but that wasn’t the end of it. The glass was only half full. Sven took the whiskey bottle and poured this into the glass, filling it. The cocktail was almost ready, and there was only one last move to make.

Sven opened a small box and took out a tiny, white berry that looked like a snowball. He tossed it into the cocktail, after which the temperature all around went down, and the top layer was covered with a thin icy crust.

Sven moved the glass toward Wain and calmly said, “Please, Dead Star Cocktail, ready.”

Wain smirked and said, “Interesting name, but the ingredients and method of preparation is something out of the ordinary.”

Sven said nothing and just waited for Wain to try it. Once all the ingredients were mixed, the color of the cocktail turned a gentle blue. But, the closer it got to the bottom, the darker the color became.

Wain slowly took the glass and saw his hand slowly begin to ice. Wain quickly brought the glass to his mouth and drained it in less than ten seconds.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” Said Wain. He was pleased with the cocktail he drank.

The Dead Star was a very strong drink with a unique flavor that Wain had never seen before. It meant a lot, as he was an expert in good and rare liquor. But, the taste was not the most important part of this cocktail. The main effect Wain saw after a couple of seconds.

“Wow, my wounds are healing on their own with incredible speed.” Mumbled Wain looking at his leg. The torn tissue was healing quickly, and there were no scars or bruises left.

Sven smiled and said, “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Of course, you couldn’t wish for a better cocktail. Would you be so kind as to pour the strongest whiskey possible?” Said Wain.

Sven did as he said, and seconds later, Wain enjoyed the amber liquid.

“Okay, we’re done with the foreplay. Tell me, what is this place, how did I get here, and how do I get out? Moreover, how do you know my name? We’ve definitely never met before,” said Wain seriously.

Sven smiled and calmly said, “I recognized your name because of my special ability. I can recognize a little bit of information about who I’m looking at.”

Wain nodded and thought, ‘Not a bad skill, but I think he recognized more than just my name. That would be too easy.’𝐛𝐝𝗼𝐯𝐞𝐥．𝐜𝐨𝗺

“Mr. Wain, before I answer the other questions. I want to ask you something. You got the Seal of Darkness, didn’t you?” Sven said calmly.

‘I see. He knows about this seal. So everything that happened before has to do with this place and maybe personally with Sven.’ Wain thought.

‘Yes, after I went through the creepy door, the splinters came into me, and I saw a message to that effect.’ Slowly Wain said.

“Good, then I must tell you the purpose of this seal and what the meaning of this place is.”

Sven continued, “This place is in the World of Darkness. It’s not a real world like the one you live in. The World of Darkness is the name of a space that consists of several other confined spaces with their own functionality.”

Wain took a sip of whiskey and continued listening to Sven.

“You got here by going through a special ordeal. I don’t arrange these trials. It’s the will of the World of Darkness that does everything. Trials can appear anywhere, but more often than not, they are dangerous or hidden places that are very difficult to get to.”

“A trial…” Wain muttered. “What happens if someone doesn’t pass a test? What’s more, how does pass them?”

Wain managed to survive and get out of the trap, but he didn’t understand how the system worked. He didn’t know exactly what he had done to get out of the room with dozens of jaws.

“Trials are tailored to each person individually. So whether a person passes the test or not depends not on their luck but on their spirit and their desire to survive. The test is different for each person. Moreover, the same applies to the conditions for passing the test. In the end, the participant must receive the Seal of Darkness.” Sven explained in detail.

Sven sighed and said, “Naturally, if you don’t pass the trial, the only outcome is death. Furthermore, your souls will be devoured, and the very essence of your existence will be destroyed. You will never be able to return to this world again.”

“I see,” Wain said briefly. “I got the seal, but what do I need it for? What is its function?”

Sven said calmly, “The Seal of Darkness is a reward for passing a test. With it, you can enter the World of Darkness areas without first passing the test. These areas are briefly referred to as Void. However, each of these territories is incredibly dangerous. Compared to this, the trial is an easy walk.”

‘Hmm, when you think about it, what I recently experienced can hardly be called a full ordeal. It was short, and it was over in a few actions. That doesn’t change the fact that I could have died there, though. I wonder what dangers will await me in the Voids?’ Wain thought.

“What useful things are in the Voids and how to get there?” Wain asked.

From Sven’s words, he understood that these areas were very dangerous. But, where there was danger, there were incredible opportunities.