"One,"
"Three,"
"Five,"
"Eight,"
"Nine,"
In an abandoned building, a man is seen arranging nine hearts he has collected. He places these nine hearts on a circle drawn with blood, resembling a star or demonic symbol but with a different shape. The symbol is quite intricate, requiring a special skill to create.
The man appears to be in his forties, dressed in a black robe with a black armband indicating his membership in a cult. The armband blends with his black attire.
After arranging the nine hearts in what he believes is the correct position, he takes out a large, thick book and starts reading from it as if following a ritual guide.
"I have collected nine hearts over nine days, including hearts from civilians, knights, nobles, and a virgin woman,"
"These nine hearts should be enough to summon the demon Sorrorath,"
The man is confident in his knowledge of the requirements for summoning the demon Sorrorath. Soon, footsteps are heard nearby, and he uses a special skill to conceal himself.
[Special Skill: Hide]
His body turns transparent like a chameleon camouflaging itself. He holds two daggers, ready for a fight.
"I hope this kingdom falls into the hands of the cult soon so I can perform any ritual I desire,"
Two warriors enter the abandoned building, chatting as if they were close friends.
"Wow, this place is creepy,"
"Are you sure about coming here?"
"It's fine; isn't this a good place to test if we're afraid of ghosts or not?"
"You're crazy; this place is haunted!"
"Don't worry; it's still daytime, and we're imperial soldiers."
One of the warriors suddenly gets a bad feeling, wanting to leave.
"Hey... I just want to go home; I feel uncomfortable here."
"Hahaha! Are you a baby? You're twenty-seven, married, and an imperial soldier. Why are you scared of a place like this?"
"Really, but I have a bad feeling. I want to get back to my post and home. I'm sure my wife is waiting for me."
"Don't worry; we'll go back to the post after a little fun. I have a wife and a few months old baby."
"Alright then."
Meanwhile, the man in the black robe is right behind the two warriors. Within seconds, the sound of stabbing and slashing is followed by splattering blood. The incident happens quickly, and the two warriors are dead.
It's unclear what happens to their hearts, but their wives are undoubtedly worried, waiting for their return.
A frightened child watches from a few meters away and manages to escape without the man in the black robe noticing.
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Before heading to the city of Arclens, Alice gave Clarissa a drop of her blood, significantly boosting her level and combat abilities. Clarissa also gained some special skills, as her level reached around 50.
Alice is now puzzled because she doesn't know the whereabouts of the fugitive she's targeting. It would be quite inconvenient if her target is outside the city, as finding them would be challenging.
Alice could use her magic, but she remains cautious, reserving her mana for potential battles against equally formidable foes. Although Alice knows that the chances of encountering an opponent on her level are slim, she is, after all, one of the top players in the game Monsterland.
While contemplating how to find the fugitive, Alice, Arina, and Clarissa are sitting in a tavern. Alice wants to ask her two subordinates whether she needs any items to locate the fugitive.
"Alice-sama, I apologize, but I don't possess any skills, magic, or items to track someone's location,"
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"I'm also sorry, Your Highness, for being of no use in this situation,"
Arina and Clarissa lower their heads. After hearing Clarissa and Arina's words, Alice becomes more confident that she doesn't need to use her items.
"It's alright. Do you think I need to use an item to find the fugitive?"
"In my opinion, Alice-sama doesn't need to use an item for something like this,"
"Yes, I think the items Your Highness possesses are more valuable than all of that,"
"Is that so..."
Suddenly, Alice remembers that she has a skill that can receive and transfer mana. An idea forms in her mind, but before she executes it, she needs to confirm something.
"Arina, how's the cooldown of your skills and magic after facing the True Abyssal Dragon Lord? It's been four days since that incident, right?"
"Many of my skills are usable again, including [Origin Skill: Golden Maneki Neko]. My mana is now at around eighty percent of its total capacity,"
Alice nods in understanding.
(If I'm not mistaken, my mana has only recovered about thirty-five percent. That's painfully slow!)
(Is it because of my high mana capacity?)
(I need to minimize my mana usage so it can recover)
Various questions arise in Alice's mind about why her mana is recovering so slowly. In the game Monsterland, Alice could simply rest or eat to recover her mana, but it's different now.
Mana continuously refills but at a slow rate, like a faucet running to fill a large container.
(Arina's mana is around eighty percent, and she regenerates her mana very quickly)
(In that case, I'll do a mana transfer with myself as the recipient)
"Arina—"
After calling Arina, something catches Alice's attention. She sees a young boy standing nearby, panting heavily. He seems exhausted from running as if he's being chased.
Of course, Alice feels sympathy for the boy, but before she decides to inquire about what's happening, she uses her eyes to examine the boy's statistics.
Alice doesn't want her kindness toward the boy to be taken advantage of by others or even potential enemies.
[Origin Skill: True Detection]
Alice's red eyes turn blood-red. After examining the boy's data and statistics, Alice is convinced that the boy is not suspicious.
"Come here,"
The young boy, still panting and looking somewhat doubtful, approaches the masked figure with white hair who called him.
After the boy approaches, Alice starts to ask.
"What's going on? Are you being chased?"
"N-No, sir. Are you a knight or a strong person?"
"Of course, you could say I'm the strongest in this city," Alice responds confidently.
In short, the young boy begins to recount what he has witnessed, and after hearing the entire story, Alice smiles broadly.
(This is crucial information.)
"Show the way, Arina, Clarissa, protect this child no matter what happens,"
"Understood!"
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"Such a hassle,"
The man in the black robe currently in the abandoned building is seen dragging the body of a fully armored person. He wants to move the bodies of the two slain warriors to prevent them from disrupting the upcoming ritual.
Of course, the bodies of armored warriors are quite heavy to move, and the man starts to sweat as he drags them into a room far from the ritual site.
"Finally, hopefully, no one will disturb me,"
This is the last step for the man in the black robe, or Murta, as he can be called. This final step is summoning the demon named Sorrorath. Murta envisions various scenarios regarding the rewards the cult will provide if he successfully summons the demon.
"Haha, maybe my rank will rise,"
"Someday, I'll replace that annoying old man who only orders his subordinates,"
On the other hand, Murta lacks confidence that he will become a cult leader in the Igrasian Empire, but becoming a cult leader in the city of Arclens is sufficient for him.
"Wealth, power, and women, I'll get all of that later,"
After contemplating these scenarios, Murta smiles and decides to perform the ritual.
"Oh, I almost forgot,"
Murta starts drawing and adjusting the symbol on the wooden floor using his blood. He does this for nearly an hour while reading a dusty thick book.
"Alright, it's done. With this final ritual, I should be able to summon the demon Sorrorath,"
"A demon-summoning ritual, but how about a demon like me?"
An unknown voice startles Murta. He quickly looks around in search of the source but finds nothing.
"Who are you!?"
"Get out quickly!"
"Why don't you find it yourself?"
The voice seems to taunt Murta, further infuriating him. Murta then takes a vial containing a liquid from his pocket and smashes it on the floor. Green smoke begins to fill the room, and it's a special poison created by Murta.
"With this poison, you won't be able to hide anymore,"
"Unfortunately, the poison does not affect me,"
Murta grows even more furious as his enemy refuses to reveal themselves, and his anger is evident on his face.
"Are you angry? Very well, I'll show myself,"
Instantly, someone in a mask appears behind Murta. Murta immediately tightens his grip on his two daggers and prepares to strike.
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(His name is Murta, right?)
Alice now appears behind Murta. However, Murta suddenly launches a high-speed attack to strike Alice in a vital spot. But to Alice, Murta's movement appears very slow, and she easily evades the attack.
(He seems quite trained)
With great composure, Alice grabs both of Murta's hands but senses something unusual.
"Your hands are as soft as a baby's,"
"Don't underestimate me! Let go!"
After Alice grabs both of Murta's wrists, Murta is completely immobilized, as if his wrists are bound to a heavy object.
"Very well, I have no grudge against you, but you will be my stepping stone,"
Alice slightly tugs at Murta's hands, and both of Murta's hands immediately snap, with blood spurting from them.
"AAARGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
Murta screams in agony as his hands are severed.
"You are not my enemy, and I cannot forget aesthetics in killing. If you were my enemy, I might torture you further,"
Suddenly, Alice realizes she has made a mistake.
"Oh, damn, if he's like this, he'll bleed out and die, and I have to keep him alive,"
"THE POXI CULT WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, YOU MASKED BASTARD!!!"
Alice tilts her head after hearing Murta's words.
"The Poxi Cult? Interesting, it seems there's a significant cult in this country,"
"Unfortunately, I have to take you away from here,"
Murta doesn't seem to be speaking; he's too emotional to realize the fatal mistake he made by revealing the Poxi cult's existence.
"I'd like to ask more, but unfortunately, I have to hand you over,"
[Magic: Heal]
Instantly, both of Murta's hands regrow, and he attempts to launch a counterattack against Alice. However, a rope appears and binds Murta before he can strike.
"F-fool! Release me!"