[Activating Stealth Skill]
Under the influence of the Stealth Skill, Oliver was able to traverse quickly through the caverns in record time, without drawing attention from neighbouring parties lurking with deadly intent.
Thanks to his increased stats from leveling up twice, his top speed had been elevated by quite a significant margin… allowing Oliver to move like a blur.
The journey to finding the two was nothing short of treacherous, and if not for Oliver increasing the Stealth Skill, he would have been forced to battle against numerous scores of vile abominations—
Many of which he had no idea what they truly were.
Some were poor imitations of humans, their bodies fallen apart with decaying flesh, lacking facial features, and filled with rotting teeth that jutted out at unnatural angles.
Others were simply unexplainable—grotesque fungi, or some sort of red algae sprawled across the cavern walls, their entire mass pulsating like a living heart.
It looked… almost beautiful.
Or perhaps, what some would consider scientifically wondrous.
But Oliver's chest tightened at the mere thought of such a description.
Whatever that thing was…
It was anything but wondrous.
While passing through a section dominated by the red, beating fungus, Oliver witnessed something that made his instincts scream.
A humanoid beast had rushed forward, likely trying to protect a youngling that had strayed too far—only to unknowingly step into the range of that monstrous wall.
A mistake that cost them their lives.
Multiple razor-sharp tendrils lashed out from the surface, snapping forward with terrifying speed. They wrapped around both the mother and child, tightening with merciless force before ripping them apart into shreds within seconds—
Their remains dragged into the pulsating mass as though they had never existed.
A horrifying sight.
So fast… it almost seemed unreal.
Oliver needed no warning to hasten his escape from that section.
Not in this life, nor even his first, would challenging such a creature ever entice him.
Travelling deeper into the caverns, far from the flesh-eating walls of the massive red fungus, Oliver eventually took his first rest at an abandoned camp.
Not that it had been empty when he arrived.
Naturally, he had taken the place from a group of humanoid monsters, who at least had the decency to maintain a fire—one they used to protect themselves from the biting cold.
Oliver exhaled, staring at his slightly trembling hands.
It seemed he had arrived just in time, as only seconds ago his Stealth Skill had forcibly deactivated, a system notification appearing before him—
[You have run out of stamina. Rest to recover]
Oliver's lips curled faintly.
"Just as expected… there are no freebies in this game. Certainly not one with limitless advantages."
He rolled his eyes as he summoned the Dark Crow to his side.
At first glance, the crow turned its head away from him defiantly.
"Cocky bastard!" Oliver snarled. "I won't beg for your help, but just know, if I get killed by surprise, you die too."
The crow cawed at its master's nefarious tone, clearly displeased.
He would rather die than beg for mercy.
Letting out a low, irritated growl, the crow flapped its wings and took to the air.
Not long after, it suddenly dove downward.
Then—
A loud thud reached Oliver's ears.
Followed by a desperate yell.
"An ambush!" Oliver shot to his feet, ignoring his body's complaints for rest. His hand moved, ready to summon the heinous blade of his new dagger—Racell.
When—
He suddenly stopped.
In the moment he turned to face the supposed enemy, Oliver immediately lost all urge to attack.
'If the roles were switched… I doubt he would even want to fight. It's so… pitiful.'
Even thinking it felt strange.
Because the impression before him reminded him... Strangely, of himself.
Pinned to the ground beneath the Dark Crow was a man.
Scrawny.
Ill-looking.
At a glance, one could mistake him for a corpse.
Which raised the question—
Just how long had this zombie-like man gone without food?
Oliver waved a hand, gesturing for the Dark Crow to get off him.
The man immediately sat up, gasping for air the moment the weight was lifted. Had Oliver been even a few seconds later, he would have surely died from suffocation.
How pathetic.
"Are you… by any chance… The Crow?" the man muttered between hoarse breaths.
Oliver tilted his head, his presence turning cold and intimidating.
"And what if I am?"
At that, the man's face lit up with relief and excitement.
"I found your other companions, and they asked me to look for you—I'm so glad—"
Stump!
His words were cut short as a low humming sound passed dangerously close to his ear—
A dagger embedded itself into the ground beside him.
"Uhh—?"
His eyes locked onto the red blade—the weapon that had nearly taken his life.
"Why are you attacking me?"
"How sure am I that you're not some humanoid monster trying to deceive me?"
The man opened his mouth, ready to snap back in frustration, then stopped.
Seeing things from Oliver's perspective… he understood.
If their roles were reversed, he wouldn't believe himself either.
After all, with all the time he had spent in this horrid place, he knew there were fiends capable of imitating humans to lure prey.
"But… I can speak fluently," he defended weakly.
"Sure. I've heard monsters speak better English—certainly with a better accent," Oliver replied, deliberately stressing the last part as an insult.
The man's jaw tightened.
"Then what do I need to do to prove that I'm human?" he asked, frustration lacing his voice.
Then—
[You have been offered a Slave Contract]
[Warning: Crow's slave contract details cannot be read until accepted]
[Disclaimer: Accept it and I will save you]
Oliver smiled faintly as he watched the man's expression twist, his gaze filling with suppressed resentment and unspoken curses.
"This is the smartest option you have right now," Oliver said calmly. "A beast cannot sign a contract meant for players. This is the only way I can be sure."
His tone was so serious, it almost sounded reasonable.
Almost.
But his intentions were far from noble.
Oliver watched as the man fell into deep thought, weighing his options carefully.
'It's definitely surprising… meeting Zack in the Ruins of Ahpeh. This is a great find... If he signs the contract.'
Zhandera Kiyakoya—Zack for short.
Born into a powerful family responsible for creating nearly half of the world's technology.
Their influence in the game was even greater.
They built artificial societies, advanced weapons, and mechs, tools that would shape the future of the game itself.
Their ability was simple…
They could create anything they desired.
As long as they had the materials.
'In my first life, I met Zack too late… just two years before I died,' Oliver recalled. 'That was when he told me he had been trapped in these ruins as well.'
Oliver's lips curved slightly before fading into a sigh.
'Zack died in the ruins in that life… but somehow created a backup method he used to escape and a few years reconstructs himself a secondary body.'
Zack was smart.
Very smart.
And right now, he knew exactly what Oliver was doing.
In his eyes, Oliver was nothing more than a Talent Awakener trying to exploit his potential.
A fool.
Because as far as Zack believed—
There was no escaping these ruins.
[Zhandera Kiyakoya has accepted all conditions of the Slave Contract]
[Pen of Bonds: 3/5]
"Now do you believe me?" Zack asked coldly.
Oliver nodded.
"I am Crow."
Zack frowned. "Zack."
He stood up, dusting himself off.
"I don't know why you think taking me as a slave will do you any good. This is already hell… we're going to die here eventually."
Oliver remained silent, staring at him through the mask.
Unreadable.
And that silence only irritated Zack further.
"There is no escaping this place," he said again, this time, more defeated than angry.
Oliver stepped closer, closing the gap between them.
Then he patted Zack lightly on the shoulder.
"Don't doubt your master."
Zack's stomach churned at the sheer confidence in his voice.
'Just who is he beneath that mask?' he wondered, recalling how highly the girls had spoken of him.
Especially Yuki… after he had saved her and brought her back to his makeshift fort.
'Just who is he… really?'