Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System-Chapter 235: One Second to Run

The room was completely white.

No color. No sound. No shadow. Just endless, blinding white.

Liora had been here for what felt like forever. Maybe days. Maybe weeks. She couldn’t tell anymore. Time didn’t move in this place. The light never changed. There was no sun, no night, no sign of the outside world. Only the same smooth white walls, floor, and ceiling.

There were no windows. No doors she could see.

She couldn’t even tell if she was underground or in the sky.

She sat in a strange chair in the middle of the room, her wrists bound in metal cuffs that are coded with suppression—powerful markings meant to keep her weak. Her ankles were strapped too. The chair was cold, and her body was sore from sitting for so long.

Even breathing felt harder here. The air was heavy, like it didn’t want her to stay alive.

Her head hung to the side, her eyelids barely open. She was somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. Her body was too tired to move, but her mind refused to rest.

Sometimes she thought she might be going mad.

Then suddenly—

[Ding!] System booting... Connection established... Host, are you there?!

Liora’s eyes flew open.

She blinked. Had she imagined it?

"...System?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse.

Yes! Host, it’s me! I finally reached you!

Her heart skipped a beat.

It was real. The system in her body—her companion, her guide, her only real ally—had come back online. It had been quiet since the day she was captured. She thought it was gone.

No time to explain. That man—Kazren—he’s gone for now. He had placed interference fields that blocked my connection to you. The suppression field almost destroyed me. But now that he’s left the facility, even for a short distance, I can finally act.

Liora felt a flicker of hope for the first time in days.

"Can we escape?" she asked, barely louder than a breath.

Yes, but only if you act quickly. I’m hacking into the control systems of this room. I will disable the suppression field and unlock your restraints for a few seconds. That option is all we have. When the door opens, you must run. Do not hesitate. Use your teleportation ball and get out of here. Once you cross the threshold, your abilities will return.

Her fingers, numb and weak, twitched slightly.

"I understand," she whispered, her voice steadier now.

Initiating override... bypassing encryption... suppressor shutdown in 10... 9... 8...

The cuffs on her wrists began to move.

She could feel tingles of energy returning to her limbs. It was weak, but real. Her legs, stiff and cold, started to come back to life.

3... 2... 1...

With a sharp click, the cuffs released.

The straps on her ankles unfastened themselves.

The door—hidden in the white wall—slid open with a soft hiss.

"Now, Host! RUN!"

Liora didn’t waste a second.

She forced her body to move, staggering out of the chair and into the hallway. Her legs wobbled, but she caught herself against the wall. The hallway was darker, lit with dull blue lights. It was narrow and cold.

As soon as her foot crossed the doorway, something powerful surged through her.

Her powers returned in a rush—like a wave crashing into her soul.

Now she could access her space. She reached inside with her space and pulled out a small crystal ball, no bigger than her palm.

Her teleportation ball.

She clutched it tightly and try to put a crystal core in it, just as the first warning came.

"HEY!!"

A deep, angry voice echoed from around the corner.

Liora turned her head quickly and saw him.

A large guard in black armor. His helmet glinted under the hallway lights. His eyes widened when he saw her, and then he charged.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Too late.

She spun to run, but the guard was already upon her.

He slammed into her with full force.

She gasped as the teleportation ball flew from her hand, skidding across the floor, glowing faintly with blue light.

Her heart sank.

She had come so far—and now it was slipping through her fingers.

But Liora didn’t panic.

She growled under her breath and summoned her most powerful shadow to deal with him.

Dark mist poured out from her back like a living storm. The temperature dropped.

From that mist, a creature appeared. It was Large, powerful and terrifying.

Its body was made of shadow. Its fur was black as the void, its muscles sleek and sharp. Red glowing eyes locked onto the guard.

A Mutated Shadow Beast. it was the sould of a Level 17 Obsidian Panther King.

It stepped forward with a deep growl, and the ground seemed to shake beneath its paws.

The guard froze. "W-What the hell is that?!"

The beast answered with a roar.

In a single motion, it lunged—its claws swiping with deadly strength.

The guard was thrown back, slamming into the wall. His armor cracked from the impact. He coughed up blood and struggled to move.

Liora didn’t wait.

She dove forward, rolling across the floor, and grabbed the teleportation ball.

She immediately put the crustal core into it.

VWOOM.

The Obsidian Panther melted back into her body as mist, returning to her spiritual sea.

The last thing she saw was the broken, panicked look on the guard’s face.

And then she was gone.

Teleported away in a flash of light and shadow.

But teleportation was never perfect—especially not when done in such a weakened state.

Her body was too tired. Her energy was unstable. The coordinates she entered weren’t complete. She didn’t land at her base like she hoped.

She landed somewhere else.

A cold wind brushed against her cheek.

The smell of grass and wild plants filled her nose.

She opened her eyes briefly—just enough to see tall trees and mossy ground. Strange plants surrounded her, and the sky above was hidden by a twisted canopy of leaves.

It was a forest.

But not one she knew.

Her legs gave out.

She collapsed onto the grass, her fingers still curled around the crystal.

The shadow panther flickered beside her one last time—watching her with glowing eyes—before fading into mist.

And then Liora fell forward, unconscious.