"Lakyus, that bastard disappeared around here, right?" A girl dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask walked behind a blonde girl clad in full red armor and carrying a massive black greatsword on her shoulder.
"Yes. He vanished right here. If we search carefully, we'll definitely find his trail." The girl named Lakyus scanned the surroundings warily as she answered.
"We finally found him. Snatching prey from a tiger's jaws—how disgusting."
The black-robed girl's voice was strange, both hoarse and crisp at the same time, making it impossible to determine her true age. Only her petite frame offered the slightest hint.
"That bastard was injured when he fled. He couldn't have gone far. Most likely he's hiding in this forest. Let's go in and find her."
When Lakyus said "that bastard," she practically ground her teeth, clearly still furious over the trouble the other party had caused them.
"Tia, Tina, you two scout the surroundings. See if you can find any traces."
Lakyus turned and issued orders to the identical orange-haired twin girls, both dressed rather revealingly, both wearing high ponytails tied straight upward.
Without a word, Tia and Tina vanished from the spot at once, heading off to gather information.
As for the one who dared to steal the spoils of their mission, whether it was Lakyus, the black-robed girl, or the twins, all of them harbored endless resentment. The sheer arrogance of it—who had ever dared to snatch benefits from the Blue Roses? That was courting death.
"And what do you think, Evileye?"
Walking at the very back was a powerfully built woman carrying a long-handled weapon resembling a war hammer. Each step she took caused the surrounding grass and flowers to tremble faintly.
"Gagaran, what is there to think about?"
Evileye—the black-robed girl with the mask—turned her head to look at the muscular woman.
"Of course we kill the bastard."
"Wouldn't it be better to leave something like that to me?"
Gagaran lifted her weapon proudly, showing off her strength as she volunteered.
"Hmph. Whoever finds him first gets to fight him. Kill him and take back what's ours—that's the proper way to handle it."
Evileye was somewhat dismissive of the enemy. She simply hadn't used her full strength. If she had, how could a mere hero-class opponent have stolen what belonged to her? It had only been a moment of carelessness.
"Fine, just be careful."
Gagaran had no choice. She only wanted to take on the dangerous tasks for these girls, but they always seemed too stubborn for that.
"Found it. The traces head in that direction."
As they were speaking, Tia and Tina returned. Standing side by side, they were almost impossible to tell apart.
"Found you..."
Lakyus narrowed her eyes dangerously. Gripping her greatsword, she dashed forward, heading in the direction the twins pointed.
"So we've found him?"
Hidden beneath her long sleeves, Evileye's hands clenched tightly. A flicker of excitement rose within her. If they caught that guy and tortured him to death, wouldn't that be... quite interesting?
"Honestly..."
Gagaran shook her head. Seeing the others already charging ahead, she lengthened her stride and quickly followed.
Under the full moon, beside a clear pool, Chu Lian was bathing alone. As for Ayase, she had already returned to the system space to rest.
Recently, the system had been brewing a major overhaul. She needed sufficient energy to prepare certain hidden matters, so she couldn't stay with Chu Lian for too long.
A faint rosy flush lingered on Chu Lian's fair cheeks, carrying an expression that made one's heart stir. It seemed she had just experienced something rather memorable.
She gathered a lock of her long hair into her hand and washed it slowly. Her snow-like skin shone under the moonlight, her graceful figure faintly visible beneath the water. At this moment, Chu Lian didn't want to do anything else—she only wanted to wash herself clean.
At her current level of strength, it was difficult for her body to become dirty at all. Bathing products were often unnecessary. Like now, the pure water of nature was more than enough to cleanse her. She didn't need anything extra.
"Ayase really... She just pushed me straight to the bottom of the pool. Good thing it wasn't very deep, and it's all stone down there—no mud. Otherwise I'd be filthy right now."
As she spoke, she wore a gentle smile. It sounded like a complaint, yet it felt more like reminiscing about that unforgettable sensation.
"Honestly, every time she bullies me, I end up losing. Next time, I have to win at least once. And we both don't even have any experience, so why is she always the one on top? I just don't get it."
Letting her hair slip from her fingers, she allowed it to spread across the water's surface. Leaning against a stone, she rested her chin on her hands and gazed at the moon.
"The full moon is overhead... Looks like it'll be a late night."
She had already sensed people approaching from afar. She just didn't know whether their target was her.
Of course, no matter who they were after, Chu Lian had no intention of letting anyone see her body.
She rose from the water. With a circulation of magic power, all the moisture on her body—except for her hair—evaporated instantly.
Stepping lightly, she stood upon the water's surface. Taking out the clothes she had removed earlier, she began to dress.
Silver moonlight, a tranquil pool, cascading waterfall, a pale girl—like a painting brought to life. Yet no one witnessed it.
"Stop. We might have come to the wrong place. It feels like he deliberately lured us here."
Several kilometers away, the Blue Roses halted. They had followed the trail of the one who dared to steal from them, only to realize something was off. This place felt... too dangerous.
"Damn it. We've been tricked."
Lakyus raised her hand, signaling her teammates to retreat. But it was already too late.
Around them, pairs of crimson eyes opened in the darkness. In the trees, blue lights flickered as though something lurked there.
"We're surrounded by unknown enemies..."
Caution filled Lakyus' eyes. These foes were absolutely no ordinary opponents. The dangerous aura emanating from them was so overwhelming that even she lacked the confidence to face so many at once.
"Damn it... why does it have to be these things..."
Compared to Lakyus and the others, Evileye's knowledge was far broader. She recognized the creatures at a glance and shouted to her teammates, "We have to leave—now! These enemies aren't something we can handle. The ones with red eyes—unless they're killed instantly, as long as they remain within darkness, they'll fully recover in the next second. And the blue-eyed ones will endlessly regenerate within light. If you can't kill them in one blow, it's useless."
"They're that terrifying? What exactly are these things?"
Lakyus' eyes filled with panic. If the enemy was truly like that, then they might very well be wiped out here.
"I don't know their exact name, but in the past they were called the Shadows of Taboo. Horrifying creatures that have lived in certain parts of the forest since who knows when. Normally they won't provoke anyone. Many times they even ignore intruders who trespass unintentionally. But if someone attacks them first—or if they deem you a threat—they will come to eliminate you..."
Evileye quickly explained what she knew while scanning desperately for an escape route. Yet no matter where she looked, there was no way out. She hadn't expected to encounter these enemies. If she had warned them earlier, none of this would have happened.
"We probably can't escape."
Gagaran gripped her weapon tightly and stepped in front of Lakyus and the others. "You all run. I'll hold them off."
"Even if you hold them back, we won't get far. The forest is their home ground. Unless we're at the very edge of it, there's no escaping their pursuit."
Evileye shook her head. She understood these monsters' nature all too well. This time... there was no way out.
In the distance, a thin figure stood upon a tree branch, looking down at the surrounded Blue Roses with a low sneer.
"In front of a transmigrator who knows the plot like me, you're nothing but a bunch of fools being toyed with. Ignorant trash—just die already. How dare you interfere with my target? You deserve it."
"Oh? So you're a transmigrator?"
Just as he was gloating, a voice like silver bells rang out behind him. Startled, he reflexively drew the dagger in his hand and stabbed backward.
"How foolish, big brother..."
The girl's voice was alluring beyond words—but he had no mind to appreciate it. The dagger he thrust forward was lightly pinched between two delicate fingers.
He tried to yank it free, but it wouldn't budge. Realizing he had encountered a true powerhouse, he immediately abandoned the precious dagger and leapt backward. His figure blurred, about to melt into the darkness.
"Interesting..."
Chu Lian shook her head lightly. Having already discovered her enemy, how could she possibly let him leave so easily? Using Teleport, she appeared instantly behind him and kicked him down to the ground.
"Pff—!"
How immense was Chu Lian's strength? That single kick sent the barely hero-class man coughing up blood, his entire body paralyzed on the ground.
"Well, if you had just spoken nicely earlier, wouldn't that have been better? You insisted on making things difficult. See? Now you're seriously injured."
Chu Lian smiled faintly but did not step in front of him.
At this moment, she realized that with the high slit of her qipao, it would be far too easy to reveal something if she moved carelessly. She had no intention of letting a man glimpse her body.
"Pff... Who are you? Why didn't you appear in the original story? Are you... also a transmigrator?"
The self-proclaimed transmigrator struggled to prop himself up, only to realize many of his bones were broken. He gave up the attempt—but not his question.
If the girl before him were a character from the original story, he couldn't possibly not know her.
There were only two possibilities. Either she was like those monsters he had accidentally discovered—the so-called Shadows of Taboo—beings that existed outside the original plot. Or she was someone like him, a person who had transmigrated from another world.
But judging from her strength, how could she be a transmigrator?
He had only gained his current power because of the game. When facing true powerhouses, he was still crushed effortlessly, forced to rely on tricks to obtain what he wanted. How could she be this strong?
"Me?"
Chu Lian clasped her hands behind her back and looked at his half-dead state elegantly.
"You may call me the Princess of the Great Tomb of Nazarick—Deloris."
"The Princess of the Great Tomb of Nazarick? Deloris? That... cough... that doesn't exist at all!"
He clenched his teeth, refusing to believe she was from the original story. The protagonist's group was already fixed—there was no way an extra person like her could appear out of nowhere.
"Oh, I forgot another introduction. I'm also a transmigrator. But I'm far luckier than you. Born with overwhelming strength and a stunning appearance. My identity? The younger sister of Ainz Ooal Gown—the future Supreme One after him."
Chu Lian blinked and bit her finger, as though casually revealing this information.
"Ah! That's not fair! We're both transmigrators—why do I have to struggle and grow on my own, while you're born with everything?!"
The shock was too great. He pounded the ground unwillingly, coughing up another mouthful of blood.
"Since we're both transmigrators, you must be from Earth too, right? Hah... and wearing a qipao—that world item, Downfall of Castle and Country? What an enviable identity. Since we're the same, could you spare me? Liu Chu will repay you generously in the future."
No matter how unwilling he felt, it was nothing compared to his life. Since she had confessed her identity, he revealed his own circumstances in hopes of moving her to mercy.
"Earth, hm? Heh... what a nostalgic place..."
Just as she expected, once the young man realized that someone of similar origin had far better treatment than him, his heart had become unbalanced. Now he sought every chance to survive. He was probably thinking about growing stronger and returning to trouble her later. How naive...
"Sorry. You're no longer of any use."
The Devourer's Soul Orb appeared. Ignoring Liu Chu's terror, Chu Lian unleashed Demonic Foxfire, burning him into ashes before absorbing his soul into the Devourer's Soul Orb.
"Before long, your soul will be cleansed. After that, only a memory will remain. Then I'll learn what I want to know."
Her earlier words had merely been to confirm where he had transmigrated from. Once confirmed, she killed without hesitation.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with that. Her heart had already begun to grow cold—why cling to a sense of lost kinship? In her eyes now, aside from friends and subordinates, there were only two kinds of people: those who were useful, and those who were not.
As for transmigrators? Their origins were unknown, their reasons for crossing over countless. It wasn't impossible for them to appear here. She didn't care how he came.
"Don't you want to know what Earth is like now?"
Ayase's voice sounded. She wanted to know Chu Lian's thoughts.
"And what difference would it make if I did?"
Chu Lian shook her head. Indeed—what difference would it make? Her home now was no longer that Earth.
"Suit yourself. What about them? Are you going to save them?"
Ayase understood her immediately and did not press further, instead asking about the Blue Roses.
"Yes. But I'll wait until they're at their most desperate before stepping in."
Chu Lian nodded. The Blue Roses adventurer team was exactly what she needed.