"Alright, Rayelle, time for bed."
Aerin patted Rayelle’s little head and draped a large towel over her slender frame.
Rayelle still hadn’t fully snapped out of her daze.
After all, she’d been wound tight with tension the whole time, terrified Aerin might notice something off about her.
But in the end, nothing seemed to happen.
Maybe Aerin hadn’t found enough to suspect her—or maybe Rayelle’s current adorable appearance had lowered her guard?
Rayelle had even caught the faint upward quirk of Aerin’s lips.
*So Aerin’s got a soft spot for little girls too, huh?*
*Did I just uncover the protagonist’s secret side?*
Rayelle gave a tiny, inward nod.
*Finding a fellow enthusiast… maybe we can swap tips on liking little girls later—*
*Wait, no! I’m the little girl now!*
*Yeah… better not.*
Aerin’s voice cut through her thoughts.
"Rayelle, this is your room."
Rayelle blinked and followed Aerin’s pointing finger.
Right next to Aerin’s own room—just a few steps away—was the room prepared for her.
"Thank you, Sister Aerin."
"Mm."
Aerin gave a soft nod at Rayelle’s tender gratitude, ruffling her hair.
"Sleep early. We rise at dawn—the Adventurers Guild doesn’t coddle slackers."
"Goodnight, Sister Aerin."
"Goodnight."
After bidding Aerin farewell, Rayelle hurried into her room, shut the door, and locked it.
She dashed to the bed in three quick strides and *plopped* herself down.
The soft, springy bedding swallowed her tiny form whole.
"So… tired…"
Rayelle stretched her limbs limply, exhaustion crashing over her.
Ever since waking up in this world, she hadn’t caught a single break.
The moment her eyes opened, she’d faced a human army’s crusade—nearly getting a game over right at the start.
After barely wiping them out while badly wounded, she’d been dragged by Hero Aerin onto her "bandwagon," hauled to Bonn City’s conference room, and almost died *again* on the spot.
Rayelle sighed. Life was brutally hard.
Now she just had to hide her identity and quietly eliminate anything that might trigger Aerin’s dark turn.
*That should avoid the tragic bad ending… right?*
But the *how* of hiding and eliminating? Just thinking about it gave her a splitting headache.
*Screw it. When life gets tough… sleep it off!*
---
"Morning, Vera."
"Morning, Aerin. Long time no see."
A girl in a maid uniform sat gracefully at the table, smiling at Aerin as she ate breakfast.
Aerin returned the greeting with a faint smile.
"V-Vera… *pfft!*"
Rayelle, still half-asleep, jolted fully awake at the name—and spat out the hot milk she’d just swallowed.
Aerin, sitting beside her, got drenched in white liquid, droplets clinging to her cheeks.
"…"
Aerin froze, fixing Rayelle with an unreadable stare.
"Little one, are you alright?"
Vera stepped over, patting Rayelle’s back and handing Aerin a handkerchief.
But Rayelle couldn’t help it.
In her memories, Vera was a *major* player in this storyline!
On the surface, Vera was a top-tier adventurer and maid-servant at the Adventurers Guild—and one of Aerin’s closest friends.
But to Rayelle, she had another identity:
A lapdog of the Chaos Sect.
Rayelle recalled the climax of this arc: when Aerin rushed to save her friend Chloe from being sacrificed to a demonic god by the Chaos Sect, Vera ambushed her from the shadows. Aerin nearly died to her chaos magic.
That battle cost Aerin the chance to rescue Chloe. She’d arrived too late, forced to watch as Chloe transformed into a twisted Demonic Offspring—and then cut her down with her own sword.
Afterward, traces of Chloe’s desperate fight against Vera at the scene revealed her as the true mastermind.
"Vera," Aerin wiped her cheek with the handkerchief, eyeing the girl who leaned on her elbow, smiling enigmatically. "What brings you here? You must be busy."
Vera’s gaze lingered on Rayelle, clearly intrigued.
"This child—you found her?"
"Mhm."
Aerin nodded lightly, stroking Rayelle’s puffy cheeks.
"Mmmf?"
Rayelle blinked up with wide eyes, her chipmunk-like cheeks squishing as she nibbled bread—a tiny, fidgeting creature that melted both girls’ hearts instantly.
"She’s adorable."
"Isn’t she?"
Aerin puffed her chest out proudly, like showing off a prized pet.
But beneath her smile, a sliver of ice glinted in her eyes.
"By the way," Vera shifted tone, studying Rayelle thoughtfully. "Is she an Extraordinary Being? I sense a unique magic radiating from her."
"Hm?" Aerin blinked. "You don’t feel it?"
Aerin shook her head. Vera understood—Aerin had only just become the Hero, still young and less attuned than a veteran adventurer like herself.
"With the Chaos Sect growing bolder," Vera continued smoothly, "and Extraordinary Beings so scarce among adventurers… finding more could bring stability." She smiled. "This child shows awakening potential. What do you think, Aerin?"
"Hmm… her choice."
Aerin pulled Rayelle into her lap, wiping crumbs from her face.
"What’s an Extraordinary Being?" Rayelle asked softly.
She knew the world’s power system in theory—but practical details? Games and reality were worlds apart.
"Haven’t you told her?" Vera turned to Aerin.
"No."
"Then allow me." Vera beamed at Rayelle. "Extraordinary Beings are humans who’ve awakened Extraordinary Power. Unlike Dragon Kind or Skywing clans—born with magic—humans are naturally weak. Only by awakening can we stand against them."
"Awakening requires contact with an Extraordinary creature… and dancing on the edge of life and death. Only then does the soul’s true power ignite."
"Long ago, gods divided all Extraordinary Power into thirty-six Paths—Paths 1 through 36—for study and order."
Rayelle nodded. That matched her knowledge.
"What’s the difference between the Paths?"
"Paths near the middle—like 17 or 18—are common, granting standard powers." Vera explained. "But Paths at the extremes—1 or 36—are rare, bestowing truly transcendent abilities."
"Paths 1-4 and 33-36 are called Divine Paths. Mortals can’t tread there. Only Extraordinary creatures wield them—beings who can twist reality itself. But they’re vanishingly rare… none seen for millennia."
"How do I know my Path?" Rayelle pressed.
The game never revealed Rigmore’s power—only that it involved lies and deception. And she still had no clue how to *use* hers.
