Sora began descending toward the clearing, leaving his friends concealed behind the veil.
His left foot touched the ground first as he released the effect of the concealing technique, revealing himself a few dozen meters away from Rachel.
Noticing his sudden appearance, Rachel’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting someone to get so close without her noticing. Straightening up, her gaze locked onto him, and her face froze the moment she fully registered what she was seeing.
He appeared as a level 49 player, sword in hand, every piece of his equipment identical to what he’d worn in the past. Even the way he moved was a perfect replication of his past self. His face and the name above his head had been altered, ensuring she wouldn’t mistake him for anyone else.
He pushed the disguise further, feigning injury. Blood seeped from his stomach, as though he’d been stabbed in the back.
"Am I having the same fucking nightmare again?" Rachel cursed, her voice shaky. Her expression twisted as if she believed she was seeing a ghost from her past come to haunt her.
Sora fought the urge to smile as he sensed her activating her mental defense skill. ’She really thinks she’s dreaming...’
"This has to be an extremely high-level illusion," she murmured, her voice barely audible but clear to Sora’s sharp ears. "Or someone is trying to mess with me…"
Frowning, she unsheathed her sword, taking cautious steps toward him. "Who are you?" she demanded.
Sora had replayed this moment in his mind thousands of times. He had dreamed of it, prepared for it, and planned dozens of responses to the questions she might ask.
But to her first question, his answer was silence.
Her frustration visibly grew, her veins bulging as she closed the distance between them.
Spitting her anger, she snapped, "Who the hell sent you here? Do they think sending a nobody disguised as him is funny? That they can mess with my nerves like this?" Her tone turned venomous. "To imitate his appearance and even display a fake name above your head, you must be using an Innate or Supreme Skill, right?"
Sora stayed silent, keeping his expression neutral. He didn’t want to risk missing any information she might unintentionally reveal.
"Don’t throw your life away. Tell me who sent you. It can’t be one of the witnesses. Those clowns would never have the guts to come after me."
’Witnesses?’ Sora thought, intrigued by the term. He decided to prod further. "Witnesses?" he asked simply.
"You don’t know about them?" she scoffed. "It doesn’t matter. Most of them are already dead." Her sword was now fully raised, ready for combat.
"There’s no one who could know about your appearance except for him," Rachel said coldly, her eyes narrowing. "Admit that he sent you, and I might spare you. Otherwise, you’re dead."
Sora sighed softly and raised his sword, swinging it slowly in her direction. ’I’m curious... Who are you referring to ? It’s a shame I’m not planning on chatting with you. Not while you’re this arrogant.’
Rachel reacted instantly, her sword slashing through the air toward him—but it met nothing. Her blade cut through empty space, and she stumbled slightly as the momentum carried her forward.
Her eyes darted around, searching for him. "Nightmares aren’t enough? Now I’m hallucinating?" she muttered under her breath, frustration evident. Shaking her head, she sheathed her sword. "What the hell is wrong with me today?"
Still unsettled by the strange encounter, Rachel turned her thoughts toward leaving. "I need to get back to Tokyo," she muttered under her breath. But as she took her first step, a chill ran down her spine.
A sinister aura filled the clearing, and she turned around to see a skeleton spearman emerging from the shadows at the far edge of the clearing. The creature’s empty eyes glowed faintly, its large frame wielding a spear crackling with dark energy. Rachel’s eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on her sword as she assessed the monster.
"A level 180? Here?" she murmured, disbelief written all over her face. Her gaze scanned the clearing, searching for an explanation. Monsters above the zone’s level were exceedingly rare, usually only appearing during announced events in the [Adventurer’s Guild]’s main hall. She hadn’t heard of anything happening in this area.
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Dismissing her confusion, Rachel activated her buffs, her aura rising as she readied herself for combat. Confidence radiated from her as she said, "Whatever. A low-tier undead can’t stop me."
Hidden nearby, Sora floated in silence, watching her with detachment. ’You can already take on max level monsters? I really can’t let you grow.’ he thought.
The battle was intense. The skeleton spearman’s strikes were strong and brutal, forcing Rachel to defend for a while. Every thrust of its spear sent shockwaves through the ground, making her footing unstable. She parried and counterattacked, her blade cutting through bone, but every swing left her arms trembling. The monster’s higher stats tested her limits.
Rachel fought fiercely, using every skill and tactic in her arsenal to turn the tide. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she delivered a decisive blow, shattering the spearman. The undead crumbled into a pile of bones at her feet. She stood over it, panting heavily, her sword trembling in her hand.
"Too easy," she muttered, trying to steady her breathing. However, her expression changed almost immediately.
Sora’s lips curved into a faint smile as he observed her closely. ’She noticed it. No notification. No experience points. No reward...’
Rachel’s unease grew, her gaze moving to the remains of the skeleton. She turned on her heel, ready to leave the clearing. But before she could take more than a few steps, another surge of energy halted her. Two more figures emerged from the trees’ shadows—skeletal swordsmen, their blades glowing with a faint purple light.
"Two of you now?" Rachel cursed under her breath, frustration clear in her voice. Noticing their equipment, she was taken aback, "And why do they have epic items? Aren’t they supposed to be common monsters?"
The second fight was difficult. The two undead moved in tandem, their strikes coordinated, forcing Rachel to fight defensively. Despite her skill, she took several hits, their blades slicing through her armor and leaving deep cuts.
Yet, survival instincts were strong, and her talent in combat impressive. Fighting on a thin line between recklessness and control, she managed to dispatch one of her opponents. The second fell a few minutes later, her blade severing its spine.
Rachel staggered, blood dripping from her wounds. Her hands trembled as she held her sword. For a moment, a flicker of triumph crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced with fear.
’She’s starting to panic,’ Sora thought, watching her body language closely.
Rachel didn’t waste time tending to her injuries. She turned and ran, her movements fueled by fear. But after flying a few hundred meters, she collided with an invisible wall. The impact sent her flying to the ground.
"What the—?" she gasped, her hand reaching out to touch the barrier. Her bloodied fingers pressed against the smooth, impenetrable surface, and her heart began to race. She pounded against the wall, her strikes growing more frantic.
"No, no, no…" she whispered, her voice trembling. She activated skill after skill, but nothing worked. The barrier remained intact.
Spinning around, she tried another direction, but the same barrier stopped her again.
"Who the hell is doing this?" She muttered under her breath. Her hand shook as she retrieved a teleportation scroll from her inventory. Activating it, a faint glow enveloped her—but nothing happened. The scroll disintegrated into ash, leaving her in the same spot.
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Coughing a few mouthful of blood, but she did not even try to wipe her mouth, her gaze looking for whoever was targeting her. "What did I do? Let me out!" she screamed, slamming her fists against the barrier.
Sora watched her from his hidden vantage point, his cold gaze unrelenting. ’Let’s see how far you’ll fall, Rachel,’ he thought, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.
Sora watched as a dozen skeletons materialized from all directions, encircling Rachel.
Her chest heaving, Rachel screamed in frustration, "Get away from me!" She activated an area-of-effect skill, her blade releasing a shockwave of energy that staggered a few skeletons. But the effect was short-lived; they advanced again, unfazed.
Feeling her impending doom, her panic reached a breaking point. Rachel fumbled through her interface, opening her friend list. Her trembling finger scrolled desperately through the names, muttering under her breath, "Roger... Stella... Pedro... Clémence... Asia... Maxwell… Emily... Anyone, please respond."
Sora’s cold gaze narrowed, his lips forming a small, cruel smile as he recognized some of the names. ’So those are the ones you still rely on. And begging for Emily’s help after leaving her guild? Already that desperate?’ he thought.
While Rachel frantically tried to call for help, Sora summoned several clones. He methodically began customizing their appearance, his efficiency and calm contrasting with Rachel’s panic and despair.
Rachel’s trembling hand closed the interface as she gritted her teeth, her sword raised in defiance. She activated another skill, releasing a burst of radiant light that briefly blinded the undead. Seizing the moment, she escaped the encirclement and started treating her injuries.
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