"Come out already! Don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Seth’s eyes turned sharp. He swept his hand forward violently.
A terrifying shockwave roared forth from his palm. Ripples tore through the surrounding darkness, shaking the entire forest.
The sheer pressure made the Chaos Cultists below shudder uncontrollably.
"What are you doing?"
The man beside Seth stared at him, utterly bewildered. Confusion thickened his voice.
Seth watched the forest settle back into eerie stillness—utterly unchanged. He waved dismissively and chuckled awkwardly.
"I just sensed something watching us from the shadows. Thought I’d test it."
"...".
The man beside him wore a look of utter speechlessness.
Still, he trusted Seth. After all, his Extraordinary Being ability revolved around shadows—his senses in darkness far surpassed others’.
"Nothing came out. Maybe it wasn’t human?"
Seth stroked his chin, muttering to himself.
He truly hadn’t detected any human presence—only strange movements.
"...".
The man shot Seth a silent glance, momentarily lost for words.
"Probably just some Extraordinary Being roaming nearby. Huh. Suddenly feels chilly. Let’s wrap up this meeting and bail."
"Really? Or do you just want to clock out early, Seth?"
The man fixed Seth with a knowing stare.
"Impossible! Don’t slander me! I’m a model employee of the Chaos Sect! I *love* overtime! It’s just... whatever’s out there radiates pure terror. It could wipe us all out without breaking a sweat!"
"...".
Seeing Seth’s tense expression and the slight tremble in his body, the man rolled his eyes but reluctantly believed him.
After all, this place lay far from Bonn City. Extraordinary Beings did prowl these wilds.
Beings capable of instilling such dread in fellow Extraordinary Beings were rare—but they existed.
"...Fair point. We’ve covered most things. One last note."
The man tore his gaze from Seth and swept it over the cultists below.
"Tomorrow night, we begin recruiting new members. Everyone report to the four prearranged locations. Also, within these next three days, secure all Sacrifice Ritual materials. We need at least four days to ensure the ritual activates smoothly on Crimson Moon Day. That’s all. Dismissed."
With a wave of his hand, he signaled the meeting’s end.
Seth nodded sharply. Shadows surged from his palms, engulfing every Chaos Cultist. In an instant, they vanished—scattered to distant points.
Seth and the man beside him dissolved into the darkness too.
"All gone?"
Rayelle, hidden nearby, finally exhaled as their figures and auras disappeared completely.
Seth’s little stunt had genuinely startled her.
She’d nearly leapt from the bushes to strike first.
But facing so many Chaos Cultists—and an unknown high-ranking member—she couldn’t be certain of victory.
After all, she knew nothing of the Chaos Sect’s deployment in Bonn City. Caution was wise.
"Recruiting tomorrow..."
Rayelle frowned.
Delayed on the road, she’d arrived too late to catch much intel.
Though... had she come earlier, Seth might have bolted anyway.
She’d noticed his reaction.
He’d clearly sensed her. His face had gone deathly pale, sweat beading on his brow, trembling like a leaf—still traumatized from their last fight.
*Once bitten, twice shy?*
...Was she really that terrifying?
Rayelle glanced at her own delicate, pale hands. *No. Seth’s just a coward.*
A pity—she only knew the time, not the locations.
She’d need to uncover those.
Rayelle scanned the ruins where the cultists had gathered. Finding nothing of value, she turned and strode toward Bonn City.
---
Deep within a cave.
A holy golden sword light erupted, cleaving the cavern in two.
The writhing flesh-wall shattered under the blow, screeching as it melted into unidentifiable liquid. *Plop. Plop.* It pooled on the ground like filthy puddles.
Amidst the thunderous collapse came a girl’s furious roar.
"That liar! There’s no path here!"
Aerin glared at the tunnel’s dead end, seething.
Not only was it a dead end—the "welcome committee" had been a horde of indescribable, squirming tentacles.
She stared at her half-corroded clothes, her exposed pale skin glinting under the cave’s dim light. Murderous fury flashed in her eyes.
That cherry-blossom-haired girl had *planned* this!
No wonder she’d heard faint laughter as she left earlier.
Aerin brushed debris off her ruined outfit and stormed out of the cave, fuming.
That flesh-wall had been stronger than she’d anticipated. Her past-life self would’ve died here.
Thankfully, this life’s early training had granted her the power to carve her way out.
Suddenly, Aerin froze. Her eyes narrowed with dawning recognition.
*Wait... this feels familiar.*
After a heartbeat of thought, her eyes widened in shock.
*In my past life... Rigmore pulled this exact trick on me!*
The same method. The same location... *Could it be her?*
Aerin’s grip tightened on her sword hilt until her knuckles whitened. Her teeth chattered—not from cold, but raw, seething rage.
"Lulu! Out! That cherry-blossom-haired girl—what aura did you sense?!"
Aerin summoned Lulu without hesitation.
As the Holy Sword, Lulu’s perception of dragon-kin far surpassed her own.
"Umm..."
Lulu fluttered out of the blade, hesitating as she met Aerin’s burning gaze.
She knew the girl was Rayelle—Rigmore herself. But Aerin’s altered appearance had hidden her identity.
Lulu had rarely seen Aerin this furious. This prank had clearly cut deep.
*(She doesn’t know about the past-life grudge...)*
"...Yes. It was her."
Lulu chose honesty. Aerin was her master, after all.
Besides, she wasn’t overly worried for Rayelle. Aerin was fundamentally good.
*At worst, she’ll just tie Rayelle up and scold her fiercely... right?*
Seeing the near-homicidal glint in Aerin’s eyes, Lulu swallowed hard and darted back into the sword.
*Rayelle... you’re on your own.*
"So it really was that scum..."
A cold smile curled Aerin’s lips.
After Rayelle and Chriss softened her up, she’d actually trusted a stranger—only to be toyed with by that worthless dragon, Rigmore!
"To mock me like this? If I catch her..."
Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper.
"...she won’t live to regret it."
