Outer: Return of the Tenth Commander

"It isn't a planet…"

In that one instant, Case knew the plan he desperately formed that didn't consider thorough thinking and proper logistics failed miserably.

But at the back of his mind, even if he tried to believe this so-called plan, Case already considered it a failure.

However, if he stopped trying to think of a way out, even if it was desperation, Case knew it was tantamount to accepting his death in this world.

He couldn't forgive himself for something as little as that.

As long as his brain and body could work, Case knew he must struggle to survive in the forsaken Universe.

"But… how do I survive this?"

Case muttered under his breath.

It didn't take long before an answer resurfaced in his head.

"I can't…"

Cillian swiftly sprang up into his seat and ran towards the space suit he was saving for this kind of situation.

"Oh fuck!"

Fully balancing himself as the spaceship goes full throttle into the 'eye', Case removes the oxygen mask from his face and immediately goes into the capsule where the suit is stationed.

Breathing heavily as the dangers of having almost no oxygen began to take effect, Case was at least successful in making it into the chamber for oxygen suits.

Tap—!

Clicking the buttons meant for the chamber's password, Case swiftly entered inside and wore the space suit, ignoring the other ones that were already damaged or unavailable.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!!"

Checking the status of his suit from the suit watch, Case glances into the very core of the ship once more, where he can see the 'eye' continuously staring into his ship.

Gritting his teeth, Case turned around and slapped the red button from the very rear of the chamber.

"You are in the Dead Zone. Are you certain you want to leave without proper attachment? If no, just say—"

Case didn't even let the AI finish its wording before he shouted angrily and hastily.

"Oh for fuck's sake! I don't care! Let me go of this ship in this instant!"

Just as he commanded the ship to do his orders, Case instantly flew outside from his broken ship alongside the other space suits that began to hover through space.

Case skillfully used the oxygen suit to slowly back and witness his ship still fully diving into the once-planet that became an eye.

However, for some reason, this 'eye' didn't seem to mind the ship.

Case felt like it was still looking at him, scaring him out of his wits.

'How is this possible? That is only an eye and the planet is huge! Hugeee! Why does my digital scanner examine it as a habitable one and not track it as a Stranger?! Is it because the ship's broken? Impossible! The scanner could've realized it was a Stranger even if the clue was too small!'

There was nothing to doubt about his findings.

Case knew the entity he was looking for was a Stranger.

The 'eye' and the 'pupil' that seemed to hold strange secrets of the Universe staring down at him imposed insurmountable pressure.

It was nothing he had ever experienced in life.

'This threat is at the highest level of danger, Cosmic Disaster Level,'

From the Kingdom's books, there are seven danger levels of threats.

The disaster level known as Cosmic was the highest, and there are only a few cases about it if Case refreshed his mind about the knowledge he knew.

But judging how threatening the eye was, Case was having second thoughts.

'No way… This pressure that was released is too much, and it is only an eye! Where the fuck is its body though?! Are you telling me there is a higher disaster level than a cosmic threat?!'

Gulping a chunk of saliva down to his throat, Case realized how powerless his situation had become.

Without a ship, Case knew he was nothing.

He had become a commander because of how he handled a ship and his quirk of being able to 'balance' himself in any given plane.

But remove the ship part, he was utterly useless.

Case began to envy those people who could use 'authorities' that could probably help them escape the situation he was in.

Alas, such treasures rarely come by.

"Wait a moment, why am I being jealous about them right now? I'm facing death for goodness' sake…"

Case let out a ridiculous laugh that ended with a scoff meant for himself.

His mind was racing, knowing he could die at any moment—either if his oxygen tank ran out or if the Stranger decided to kill him.

There were so many instances he could've died, but because he was pushing his luck too far, it was beginning to reap back its power.

It might not be soon till his luck runs out.

"Puny human,"

And it begins to start when Case hears a voice, something he shouldn't be hearing in the first place.

"Yes, you in the strange suit,"

Case averted his head through everywhere in the dark expanse until a small realization made him stop his gaze right into the pupils of the 'eye'.

"What did you even do to come here? Did 'They' banish you?"

Case's heart throbbed uncontrollably as his mind raced into different levels that he couldn't distinguish, no matter how hard he tried to comprehend.

'Shit…'

Upon realizing that the 'eye' was indeed talking to him, Case was beyond surprise at this point.

He never even imagined making contact with one of the Strangers that he could only hear and read about in the books.

As for the reason why he hadn't met one, who would want to meet the Death Reaper and willingly give their lives to it?

Anyone sane knows the best way to survive the Strangers is to never encounter them at all.

Case has been a captain and a commander for a very long time because he has avoided problems such as this.

But now, he couldn't avoid it like he used to and was forced to meet and even communicate with it.

'Shit… do I have to answer it?'

In that moment of nothing but misshapen, Case saw a chance.

'Can I use this entity to escape my way out of here? There is one in a million—no,'

Case revised his calculations in an instant before coming into another set of possibilities.

'There's a slimmer chance that one percent should not even be considered… However, if ever, even if it's only a single strand of chance across this whole universe, it's worth risking my life for,'

Case calmed his wits down, coming back to thinking of 'going back or not going at all'.

He moved even further back and remembered the question that the 'eye' posed just earlier.

-What did you even do to come here? Did 'They' banish you?

Upon remembering those words, Case let out a short calming breath.

"Banished? No, I was stranded. Well, technically, I am? My shitty superior that I've put my loyalty to which is gone now, have betrayed me. Guess what, I've lost everything."

Case paused.

"What about you? Did 'They' forsake you to this place so far and so dangerous? Is there any chance of coming back if you are here?"

Case seriously had no idea about 'They' that the eye was mentioning, but he could use it to procure some answers from the same entity as well.

He didn't need to make it obvious that he was in the unknown in terms of knowledge, but the eye can provide for it.

However, it seemed the eye had already seen right through his trick.

"Hahahahaha!"

First, it let out a piercing laugh that almost tore through Case's ears before ending it with a set of words that seemed to ridicule him.

"Human, tricks like that won't work."

It paused.

"Just who do you think you're talking to?"