Rayelle took a small step back and gazed toward the source of that presence.

Beneath the swaying tree shadows stood a tall, silent figure. Faintly visible under the hood were blood-red eyes and ink-black hair.

Rayelle could also sense a chilling trace of killing intent and malice.

Could it be a Chaos Cultist?

She secretly channeled her last bit of mana, using self-deception to alter her appearance while staying alert.

But the other showed no sign of attacking.

Seizing the chance, Rayelle changed her hair to cherry blossom pink and her eyes to blood-red.

After all, this made her look like a fellow Chaos Cultist!

The downside? Self-deception drained mana like crazy—nearly several times more than tricking others—leaving Rayelle kinda annoyed.

"Who are you..."

Rayelle lowered her voice and took the initiative to ask.

To her surprise, the other didn’t respond.

"Do you... know the way to Northview Road?"

"Huh?"

Rayelle blinked, suddenly recalling Northview Road was right next to the Chaos Sect’s meeting spot!

So this guy was probably a Chaos Cultist?

Rayelle narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the figure.

Malice clung to that tall frame, and those blood-red eyes were ice-cold—clearly no good person!

One glance told Rayelle this was a big-time killer.

Yeah, definitely.

A slight smile curled on her lips; she felt like playing a prank.

Tricking someone would refill her mana—and that stuff was super precious!

Rayelle’s mana bar was almost always empty.

Besides, fooling a bad Chaos Cultist gave her zero guilt.

"I know! I walk there all the time," Rayelle said, struggling to suppress her rising smile. She met the other’s eyes with earnest sincerity.

Her genuine act even shocked herself—when did her acting get this good?

"Hmm, how do I get there?"

The other nodded, completely convinced.

And she truly believed it.

Looking at the petite cherry-haired girl, Aerin felt an inexplicable urge to trust her unconditionally.

Probably because of her past encounters with little Rayelle and Chriss?

Both were gentle kids, so Aerin had a soft spot for petite girls.

Especially since this one’s tone was so sincere and friendly.

Sure, appearing in this forest at night hinted at Chaos Sect ties—but Aerin felt her own disguise was solid.

She’d deliberately leaked past-life malice and killing intent, making her gaze fiercely intimidating. Anyone could tell she wasn’t a good person.

Chaos Cultists wouldn’t betray their own, right?

"Let me see."

Rayelle theatrically pulled out a map, studied it seriously, then spoke earnestly.

"For Northview Road, just head north. You’ll see a huge tunnel—go through it to reach the road."

Rayelle’s sincere tone and soft voice made Aerin believe her almost unconsciously.

Of course, the real reason was Aerin didn’t know the way herself.

In her past life, she’d never visited Bonn City’s outskirts. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked a suspicious cherry-haired girl for directions.

But her fondness for petite girls overrode the doubt.

Could I be a lolicon?

Aerin thought for a moment, then silently shook her head.

No—I just happen to like lolis.

"Thanks."

Aerin pulled her hood lower and vanished in the direction Rayelle pointed.

Rayelle watched the figure disappear. After a few seconds, once the presence faded completely, she burst out laughing.

That guy actually believed it?

Her smile stretched wide and wouldn’t drop.

Because the directions she’d given weren’t to Northview Road at all—they were exactly the opposite way!

Still, Rayelle wasn’t worried about revenge.

Only she knew what lurked in that tunnel.

Years ago, she’d wandered everywhere to collect all the game’s defeat CGs—even triggering one from the flesh wall boss inside.

Its power was immense. Even Aerin, the current protagonist, would suffer there!

Tentacles, magic suppression... as a supernatural being, its tricks were terrifyingly varied.

And since it could trap the game’s hero, Rayelle doubted that Chaos Cultist could escape.

That guy seemed weaker than Aerin—just heavy on killing intent.

People who leaked malice like that were rarely truly strong. Real experts stayed low-key.

Humming a tune, Rayelle turned and hurried toward the Chaos Sect’s meeting place.

I wonder how much mana I’ll gain when she’s trapped by the flesh wall, realizes she’s been tricked, and gets furious?

Rayelle felt a flicker of excitement.

She’d wasted time and worried about being late—but soon, ruined ruins and swaying figures came into view.

Good, she made it.

Rayelle concealed her presence and crept closer.

From a distance, she counted dozens of Chaos Cultists gathered.

Two men stood centrally, their status clearly higher than the rest.

One was Seth—the guy she’d scared off earlier. The other was unfamiliar, but his aura matched Seth’s. Rayelle guessed their strength and ranks were similar.

After all, even cults valued strength above all.

"...The day after tomorrow? What do you think..."

"...Too late..."

Rayelle perked up her ears to eavesdrop.

They seemed to be discussing something, but it was too faint to hear...

She silently activated her ability, vanishing from sight.

But just as she crept closer, Seth whirled around toward her direction and bellowed, startling her.

"Who’s there! Come out—I’ve found you! Don’t think you’re hiding well!"