Night gradually descended upon the northern region, leaving behind a chilling breeze that pierced through the skin. Torches had been placed at several corners of the village, illuminating the ground still stained with monster blood and the remnants of battle.
Eve stood among the gathered villagers, her breathing still slightly ragged. The villagers surrounding her, who had been injured earlier, now seemed... perfectly fine.
"This is... really strange," Eve murmured.
A middle-aged man hurried forward, his face filled with gratitude. He clasped Eve's hand tightly.
"Thank you, miss. If it weren't for you, our village would have been destroyed."
Other villagers began approaching as well. Some bowed respectfully, others even knelt, while a few wept as they repeatedly expressed their gratitude.
Eve was momentarily stunned, not by their words, but by something far more noticeable.
"Your wounds..." Eve stared at the arm of a woman whose flesh had been severely torn earlier that afternoon. "They're healed?"
The woman nodded eagerly.
"Yes! It's all thanks to that young lady named Kim. She gave us some medicine earlier."
The name immediately made Lei click his tongue.
"Kim again? It's always Kim," he remarked, folding his arms across his chest. "Instant medicine that can heal wounds that severe? Sounds more ridiculous by the minute."
"Lei," Liam reprimanded briefly, although his expression was just as serious.
"Let's think about it. Where could she possibly get medicine like that?" Lei's expression grew increasingly irritated. "She's been suspicious from the very beginning."
Eve let out a weary sigh. She had no idea how much longer Lei would continue suspecting Kim.
Liam stepped forward and looked at Eve. "By the way, wolves also attacked the eastern side of the village. Lei and I handled that area. There were more of them than we expected."
Eve looked surprised. "Really? So that's why you didn't come earlier. I had a feeling something was wrong."
"You're right. Their movements were unusual, too."
"Maybe that crazy woman was controlling them?" Lei chimed in, immediately earning a sharp glare from Eve.
"What? Why? I'm just making a guess." Lei raised both hands indifferently. Eve clicked her tongue and smacked him on the head in annoyance.
"Just shut up!" Eve sighed.
Before they could continue their conversation, hurried footsteps echoed from the darkness. A tall figure wearing a dark cloak emerged from between the village torches.
"Where is Kim?"
It was Kael.
His question immediately made the three of them exchange glances. An unpleasant feeling began creeping into Eve's chest.
"What do you mean?" Eve asked. "Isn't she with you?"
"No."
Kael stopped walking. For a brief moment, the air around him seemed to grow colder.
Before anyone could respond, a little girl came running toward them. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with tears.
"P-Please..." she gasped between breaths. "She's in danger. The pretty older sister with long hair... I saw someone taking her toward the forest."
Kael immediately turned his head toward her.
"Where?"
"T-Toward... the cave," the girl answered, her voice trembling.
Kael clicked his tongue in irritation. Without another word, he disappeared in an instant, leaving behind a cold gust of wind and an overwhelming sense of unease.
Eve clenched her fists. "We have to follow him."
Lei snorted softly. "I told you from the beginning. That crazy woman was suspicious."
Liam immediately smacked Lei on the head. "We need to hurry."
Lei turned his face away in annoyance. "Tch."
The three of them left the village and ventured into the dense, dark forest. Even the moonlight barely reached through the thick canopy.
They ran at full speed without riding horses, while Lei carried the little girl in his arms.
××××××× ××
[Kim's POV]
Darkness continued to swallow the night. I couldn't even tell whether midnight had already passed. By now, Eve and the others must have been searching for me. Before they found me, I wanted to purchase a better weapon.
There were several types of swords listed in the Item Shop, ranging from cheap to expensive ones. Their levels and effects varied as well.
Of course, the better swords came with ridiculously high prices. And right now, I didn't have much gold.
"Hm?"
I spotted a sword that looked rather promising.
+
[NAME] Gravemarch
[LEVEL] 20
[UNIQUE EFFECTS]
• Armor Fracture
Each strike leaves behind gray energy cracks in the enemy's armor.
• The next strike reduces the armor's durability or causes partial armor destruction.
[PRICE] 7,900 Gold
+
This sword would be quite useful against the Second Calamity. Although it was rather expensive, I didn't have much of a choice. I wanted to buy a weapon from an actual weapons shop, but I didn't have any money for that.
For now, I could only rely on the gold I had.
[What are you doing?]
I jumped in surprise when I suddenly heard Sylvara's voice inside my head.
"You startled me."
[You've been quiet for quite some time. I was wondering what you were thinking about.]
...!
Could Sylvara really not see the system screen despite residing inside my body?
That was surprising. Did that mean I was the only one capable of seeing the system?
[I'm curious. Your behavior when you arrived here was rather strange. Did you deliberately allow that little girl to lure you into a trap?]
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I stepped out of the cave.
"You're right."
[Ha! I knew it! So you already knew the little girl's true identity, didn't you?]
"Yes."
[You're truly strange. I've never inhabited a human body before, but I can tell that you're different from ordinary humans. You're...]
Sylvara continued rambling inside my head, making my temples throb. I wasn't used to having someone constantly talking inside my mind.
Was she always this talkative?
The novel hadn't described her personality in much detail. I'd always assumed she was a calm and stern individual. Who would've thought she was actually like this?
A few moments later, my footsteps came to a halt. Something was moving rapidly in my direction. Not just one presence, but several. Their auras overlapped, although one of them felt considerably heavier than the others.
[Someone's coming. They're strong.]
I smiled faintly.
"Ah... They're finally here."
[Eh? Who?]
Several figures soon emerged from between the trees.
Eve, Liam, and Lei were running at full speed without hesitation. Ahead of them, a figure in a dark cloak was moving faster than the rest.
It was Kael.
"Kim!" Eve's shout echoed through the forest.
In an instant, her figure disappeared from my sight. Less than a second later, she was standing right in front of me, gripping both my shoulders tightly.
"Are you hurt?!" The others soon caught up, stopping with ragged breaths and worried expressions.
Everyone was looking at me, except for one person. A little girl being carried in Lei's arms had frozen in place. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide open. She looked like someone who had just realized she'd made a fatal mistake.
"I heard you were taken by a monster!" Eve's voice trembled. "What exactly happened?!"
I offered a small smile, barely noticeable. "That's right. A monster really did drag me into a cave earlier."
"What...?" Eve and Liam exclaimed simultaneously.
"What kind of monster?" Kael asked curtly.
What was that expression? Kael always wore the same cold expression, but somehow, he seemed different this time. He looked angry, though I had a feeling it wasn't just anger.
"S-Sister!"
The little girl suddenly jumped down from Lei's arms and rushed toward me. She wrapped her arms tightly around me, her entire body trembling.
"Thank goodness... Thank goodness you're safe..." Her sobbing sounded genuine.
Too genuine. But I knew it was all an act. This kid was probably thinking fast, desperately searching for a way out. She must have assumed I wouldn't say anything about her true identity. After all, she was convinced no one would believe me.
Who would believe that a little girl was capable of setting up such a trap?
"You guys..." I looked at them calmly. "You believe me, don't you?"
They fell silent, none of them answering immediately. I knew my sudden question had caught them off guard.
"Of course!" Eve answered without hesitation.
"No. I've never trusted you from the beginning." Lei glared at me irritably.
As usual, Liam immediately smacked him on the head. "We believe you."
I smiled faintly. Slowly, I released the little girl's embrace and crouched down in front of her. Her sobbing stopped the moment I gently brushed her cheek, wiping away the tears still clinging to her face. She stared at me in confusion.
"Stop crying..." I whispered softly. A crooked smile formed on my lips. "Because your identity has already been exposed."
[You have activated a Unique Stigma.]
The ground trembled. A root suddenly emerged from beneath the girl's feet and pierced straight through her chest—right through her heart. Her eyes widened. Her mouth fell open as fresh blood trickled out, dripping onto the ground.
"Kim! What are you doing?!" Liam shouted.
"Crazy woman!" Lei exclaimed.
The girl remained silent for a few seconds, her body still impaled by the root.
Then... She smiled.
A crooked smile that was entirely inappropriate for a little girl.
"Ah... Damn it," she muttered softly. "I've been found out."
Black smoke erupted from her body, engulfing the surrounding area. The air grew heavy, pressing against our lungs. An unfamiliar and terrifying pressure spread in every direction. The little body began to change shape.
"Die."
"Kim! Watch out!"