Past the ethereally painted sky in the dungeon, beyond the stars that could not be seen yet as the day remained, a set of eyes glared down on top of the group who sat and surveyed the chef-d'oeuvre formed by the battle between monsters. The eyes gaze further, challenging any marksman to compete with its farsight. Eyes that cannot be seen, nor can their gaze be felt by a living person. They continue further, and further, and further until they hit their mark and press their direct gaze onto an existence that should not be.
Roshia Qinlen cannot feel the direct gaze that is stricken on top of her person, arriving from beyond the realm that she resided in.
As if surprised by the mere existence of such a thing, the observer commits to an action that they have not done in centuries while watching over the world. They blink, and when their eyes open, Roshia Qinlen is gone. She did not teleport, run, or dig underground. There is nowhere that she can go to escape the eyes once they were locked onto her. Her fate was erased simply due to the observer blinking while keeping her under her gaze. There is a glint of red, and then there is no trace of Roshia ever being there again.
Alice is shouting something, but the ears of everyone else must be ringing since they don't respond to what she's saying in the slightest.
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✦ You've been killed by [The Red Mother]! ✦
✦ Due to the achievements you accomplished, [Rebirth] has leveled up to Level 2. ✦
✦ [Skill Steal] has leveled up to Level 2! ✦
✦ [Danger Sense] has leveled up to Level 10! Conditions for evolution have been met! ✦
✦ [Danger Sense] has evolved into [Minor Precognition]! ✦
✦ [Eagle Eye] has leveled up to Level 10! Conditions for evolution have been met! ✦
✦ [Eagle Eye] has evolved into [Superior Sight]! ✦
✦ [Minor Precognition] and [Superior Sight] have merged! [Minor Future Sight] has been learned! ✦
✦ [Short-Bladed Weapon Mastery] has leveled up to Level 10! Conditions for evolution have been met! ✦
✦ [Short-Bladed Weapon Mastery] has evolved into [Thief's Handsmanship]! ✦
✦ Due to the recommendation of a [Moderator], [Weak Presence] has evolved into it [Clairvoyance Resistance]! ✦
✦ You have multiple unchecked skills learned through [Skill Steal]! ✦
RETURNER INFORMATION
Name: ??? Class: Returner
Age: ??? Skills: Rebirth (Level 2) ↑, Skill Steal (Level 2) ↑, Ranged Weapon Mastery (Level 1), Synergy (Level 2), ✰ Minor Minion Summoning (Level 1), ✰ Flight (Level 1), ✰ Levitation (Level 1), ✰ Regeneration (Level 1), ✰ Minor Future Sight (Level 1), ✰ Thief's Handsmanship (Level 1), ✰ Clairvoyance Resistance (Level 1), ✰ Pain Resistance (Level 1), ✰ Blunt Force Resistance (Level 1), ✰ Short-Bladed Weapon Summoning (Level 1)
Gender: ??? Level: 20 [EXP: 350/2000]
STAT INFORMATION
Strength: ??? (+25)
Speed: ??? (+30)
Endurance: ??? (+15) Intelligence: ??? (+10) Agility: ??? (+30) Magic: ??? (+16) Corruption: 2
My body wafts through the white emptiness as I blankly stare out at nothing. "I... died?" I've repeated hundreds of times now, and each time Anaphiel gives me a nod instead of answering directly, but her concern doesn't fade no matter how many times I ask.
You've been killed by the Red Mother, the notion is harshly carved into my mind. "What the hell is the Red Mother?" Mustering up as much willpower as I can, I shift my silhouette to face Anaphiel. Ever since I came to this white room of emptiness, I've noticed that my body is no longer present. Rather than a black-haired young woman, I am a genderless, black humanoid figure, the same high as Anaphiel. If I had to guess, I'd say that I was a part of her shadow, or using her shadow as an avatar.
"I don't think I can tell you that, the R-Red Mother is not an existence that we Moderators can talk about so casually," Judging by the minor stutter, this must've been something even more concerning than the involvement of Administrators. "If I had to find the most simple way to explain it to you, the Red Mother is the mother of all of the Red Witches, descendants of the Founder."
As far as I can recall, this 'Founder' person was like a god. Anaphiel's view of him is rather obsessive, but I can't say anything about it. For all I know, the Founder probably has a large role to play in why I came back to life. Nope - that couldn't be it, I'm supposedly a glitch in their system. I've been piecing things together as best as I can, but no matter how hard I try, it's impossible for me to make any progress without a bit of confirmation.
"How did she even kill me? There's no way Alice would just let me die, right?" I wouldn't have bothered asking if I'd know the means that came next.
"She... blinked. She blinked you out of existence, that's why your Roshia body isn't here." Anaphiel explains, gaining a cold sweat from me. I've been sweating a lot, but this time I think I may just fill a bucket! "Y-You're joking right now, aren't you?" My voice quivers as I ask for confirmation, gaining a nod from Anaphiel who can only sweat back. "What kind of unfair existence is that?!" Finally, I break down.
"Someone can just blink me out of existence whenever they want?! Are you kidding?! Can't you do something, Anaphiel?! Isn't this against the rules?!" Rules? What rules am I even talking about? There were never any rules established from the beginning. I was given a cheat ability, making me a cheater, how can I complain about rules being broken? In most cases when a person would remain dead, I can come back, living.
Right when I was finally starting to enjoy my new life and get used to things, while I was in the middle of forging wholesome relationships with my newfound friends, and I was starting to uncover the mystery of Alice's abilities — I was erased from existence. This became one of the many idiosyncracies of the world in my eyes, one that I need to remove immediately. "If I was erased from existence, why am I still here?"
Taking her words literally, there shouldn't be a trace of me left, including my soul. Howbeit, I remain in this white void, able to hear and see.
"There are several reasons why you're still here," clearing her throat, Anaphiel begins to explain my aberrations. "Firstly, your existence couldn't be completely erased because of my interference. Your body took a direct hit from the Red Mother's existence erasing power, but due to my abilities, I was able to interfere and stop her from erasing you completely."
Phew, I was beginning to think that Anaphiel was only here to stalk my movements or something. Good thing she can actually help me when it's necessary. "I might've been a goner if it weren't for you, then. Thank -"
Anaphiel cuts me off before I can finish. "You're wrong. I did interfere and stop you from being erased, but the most that was harmed was your avatar. Your soul didn't take an ounce of damage, in fact, even if it did, your soul only grew more durable from the experience. It began to shine a bit brighter and created this black cloak around itself." Pointing out my silhouette body, this must be the cloak that she is referring to. "Your soul acted on its own and resisted the power of the Red Mother, whose power may even be greater than my own."
There is a tinge of brooding behind those words. "You're a more strange case than I'd assumed, Person." I guess she can't call me Roshia anymore, since Roshia no longer exists. Sigh... Goodbye, my sweet, adorable body! But now, I think it's time that I get a new one. That's all that I can do, but before I can comfortably go back to living, I need confirmation from Anaphiel. "She won't be able to find me, right? I won't just randomly die again?" I ask, not even making an effort in hiding the intense fear behind my words.
The mood changes to one a bit more lighthearted once Anaphiel nods yes. "The Founder himself has stepped in to ensure that his 'wife' can no longer interfere with your actions. He's allowed me to grant you Clairvoyance Resistance which will stop that woman from observing you without exerting needless effort." The Red Mother must not be the type to waste energy on simplistic tasks.
For anyone else, this might've brought a smile to their face. Not me though, hearing that the Founder has stepped in directly, unseen, has made me even more worried about my well-being. An apparent higher diety has set his sights on me? One whose wife has also set her existence erasing sights on me at that?! My luck must've run out after the fight with that Shaman.
"My Rebirth abilities leveled up... I guess I should check the information on that skill before anything. Same with Skill Steal, it looks like my abilities from my last life are still attached to me, so this isn't a total loss."
SKILL INFORMATION
Rebirth (Level 2)
You've been blessed with immortality. You gain an EXP Reward after each death with a chance of transferring skills.
[Level 1] You may return back to life in a randomized body. The body you are reborn in lacks a history and is a vessel made for you, and you only. You will not fully adapt to the body, creating minor memory issues.
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[Level 2] You may return back to life in a randomized body. The body you are reborn in will have a history that will not complicate your living life. You will adapt to the body slightly better than usual, giving you more information about the world that you may not have been aware of. (This may only apply if you are reborn into a body with knowledge of the world.)
Skill Steal (Level 2)
You can steal the skill of whoever or whatever you've slain. Skill may not work on higher levels.
[Level 1] Killing entities may allow you to replicate one of their skills. It has a low chance of working on anything more than 10 levels higher than you.
[Level 2] Chances of stealing multiple skills is increased. Replicating a skill may cause the skill to evolve. Chances of replicating the skills of higher-level entities are increased!
"Fuck, dying sucks but getting new abilities isn't all that bad." I place my hand on my chin, looking over the window in front of me. "I'm guessing that I'll be getting a new class when I'm reborn?" I turn my head in Anaphiel's direction, expecting some sort of response from her. Thankfully, she doesn't play the silent treatment game and gives me a direct answer, rather than saying that she cannot tell me.
"For your safety, I can grant you a new class when you're reborn into your new body. Though, only if you'd like." Instead of answering, I give Anaphiel a soft nod. "I should get going, then. Hey, I won't be reborn like 10 years into the future again, right?" Stopping myself before I can activate my skill, I faintly remember missing quite an important time the last time that I respawned. Back when I was trapped in a purgatory, or something, according to Anaphiel.
"Nngh, don't sweat over it." Anaphiel waves her hand through the air, disappearing from my sight before I can even get an answer!
"Hey! Don't just leave!" My words aren't enough to stop her though, she's gone already. Gosh, I hate that girl sometimes. Pushing past all of my hatred, though, I can at least discern that Anaphiel is somewhat of an ally to me now. If she tried to save me from being killed by some outer-dimensional woman, she's at least got good intentions from what I can tell. But, what about me? I don't actually have any intentions or goals right now. I've been set on enjoying this new life and exploring the things around me, but I haven't actually thought about what I want to do.
For now, I think I should be content with surviving another day without being killed by some powerhouse.
✦ Skill Activation: Rebirth (Level 2)! ✦
✦ Your new body has been created. ✦
✦ Due to an insufficient amount of luck, I will be sending you to slavery. ✦
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"What?!" Everything goes black. Curse that wicked system and whatever monster is behind it! I can't be a slave after dying!
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Cacophonous music booms from the city of [Eryland], the most lustful place on earth. Located in Azeth[modern_footnote]The continent that was once North America, which now consists of many different occupied, strange locations, including Fadena.[/modern_footnote] with its sister city, Fadena, it has become known for being a luxurious city with shining lights at all times. The rich find themselves owning a penthouse somewhere in this city. Beggars find themselves hiding in alleys, trying to make the most of their situation by scraping up fallen change and bills.
During the day, the streets are booming with businesses; stands, live performances, and of course the classic beggars who seek any job to find a warm place to stay or money at the very least.
At night, just like now, the sky is glittered with many flashing lights, with more businesses open than in the day. The streets are littered with trash and vile things that'll be cleaned up by morning. The business that is visited the most by visitors and citizens of Eryland is none other than the 'Crimson Angel'. If you're visiting this thriving city, you're sure to catch a glimpse of this large, shining building. On the outside, its red lights flicker repeatedly to form the letters of its name. Its outer, pale brick walls are clean despite how filthy the attached alleys and structures may be.
"Ahh~" Cries a voice of bliss from inside the large building. Stepping inside, you'll find an entrance with chairs, and a number of men and women hanging around with drinks in their hands, talking to one another as party music plays in the background. Deeper into the building, there are red curtains hanging up, with similar, explicit sounds coming from behind them.
Sllrp! Slrrp! Gulk! "...ugh!" Moans of a man from behind one of the curtains, a pink-wigged woman between his legs, taking in his third leg with a nonexistent elegance. You'll find similar sounds and scenes deeper into the building until you reach the area where designated rooms remain. Inside the room at the very top of the building is the source of the initial cries.
In a dark room, lightly illuminated by pink lights in the corners, a woman sits behind an office desk with her chair reclined back. Her eyes are closed, her long brown hair sloppily spread out across the chair that she desperately gripped while her body writhed about. "Oooh~" The woman laments in delight, arching her back in the chair. One of her hands is reaching down between her legs, holding the top of a head with short, black hair. Between the brown-haired woman's legs is a scandalously dressed figure, her bare, paunchy bottom exposed to the air of the room.
Her red lingerie barely covered anything more than her privates, which cannot contain the dripping juices hiding between her thighs. "Mmhm~?" The woman's thunderous yellow colored stare up at the woman in the seat. The hand that once clenched the chair now held a handful of her ample breasts through her black tuxedo suit. Her skirt is rolled up way past her thighs, giving the woman between her legs full access to whatever she wanted to reach. "F- Fuck~" The woman in the seat releases a rich sigh, caressing her own plentiful globe as the other woman laps at the region beneath her thighs using nothing but her tongue.
The scandalous woman's hands grip both of the professionally dressed woman's thighs with intense passion, squeezing the plump appendages as her tongue delves deep within her nether, collecting as much nectar as it can before letting it skillfully slide into her mouth. "Don't stop," through her thick breaths, the mature woman is able to give one last command before both of her hands grip the armrest of the chair.
Her body gyrates after a few moments, her jaw dropping open to let out a cry that never comes. Silently, the woman's body tenses up, ceasing its trembling beneath the scandalous woman's tongue. Giving her the luxurious mercy she deserved, the scandalous woman increases the intensity of her advances, raising her tongue up to collect the nub lying in wait just beneath her nose.
And then, the gyration comes again, attended by the once-jailed hollers of the lady. The woman opens her eyes, the high of her orgasm coursing through her like a never-before-seen tidal wave. Juices fly from between the woman's region, only to be caught in the longing mouth of the black-haired woman who treated her between her thighs, looking up with 'bedroom eyes' to urge more out of the woman.
☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
At the end of this lustful session, the professionally dressed woman is left with her clothes in utter disarray, resting unconscious against the chair. Her chest heaves up and down, trying to collect whatever breaths were lost during their intercourse.
In the meantime, the scandalously dressed woman collected her own clothes, which only consisted of a black, sleeveless dress that is probably just a gown and a nightly, black trench coat that stops at her knees, not daring to cover any further than there.
The door to the room opens to reveal a woman in a Japanese-styled maid uniform. It's obvious that her uniform was only for the sake of enticing more men and women to come into their building, which acted as many things; a nightclub, a brothel, and a love hotel. And she, the scandalous woman that she is, owns this building but lets the more mature woman from earlier operate it, one of her dearest wives.
"Madam Tachibana, a young girl has been brought into the building in chains, probably one of the beggar children from the Medea District." The maid speaks, stepping aside to allow the woman to exit the office room, leaving the mature woman to rest peacefully in the dimly lit room.
Once she is in the hallway, Tachibana's appearance is made a lot clearer. The woman is a bit tall, probably five feet, six inches, or somewhere around there. Based on her physical appearance, besides her vibrant yellow eyes, this woman is definitely Asian, Japanese to be more specific. "Poor girl, how old do you think she is?" Questions Tachibana, the two eventually finding their way into an elevator at the end of the hallway.
"If I had to guess, 14 or 15. She's too frail for me to tell. An old man brought her in and offered to sell her to us. Apparently, she's a slave that he collected himself." Tachibana stops her from speaking any further with a sharp glare." He kidnapped her, you mean." The woman corrects, the heavy rattling of the elevator sounding off around them as it lowers itself down to the first floor. "I'll take a look at her," says Tachibana, letting the vexation in her tone become known. It isn't anything that the maid isn't used to by now, serving this woman for a decade by now.
Several minutes later, the two of them are making their way to the basement of the building, one that can only be accessed by keycard, from the first floor. This is the most effective means of creating an 'employees only' section. There are a few alternative means of getting to the basement, but this one is the most conventional, and the least time-consuming.
When inside the basement, they make their way down a flight of stairs, deeper and deeper until they can hear the audible sound of screaming down below. These screams are not like the ones of pleasure that can be heard in intervals on the upper levels. They aren't the screams of delighted children either, what kids would be playing down in a basement beneath a sex palace?
As soon as they reach the final step, the two women find what can only be described in detail as an underground prison. Solid steel doors, with thick bulletproof glass near the top to tease a sense of freedom into any troublemakers inside, stand at every side of the hall. The hallway connected to the obvious cells was tidy, with several maids wearing identical uniforms to the first women carefully attending to it, cleaning up any blood that somehow seeps from beneath the doors of the cell.
Down the grim gallery, there is another door lying in wait, this one not needing a keycard to be opened. The women head to the opposite side of the hall, ignoring any pleas that are sent their way.
Please, I've learned my lesson! Please! Some would holler out, hoping to be heard. They were definitely heard but were left unanswered. To end up down here, you must've truly pissed off one of the employees of the business. Maybe you'd gotten some negative words springing up about you that caused the workers to drag you down here for punishment. You'd never recall what happened once you were set free anyway.
Opening the door, the sound of a panting young girl makes the presence of the visitors known immediately. Sitting in a chair at the center of the room, a burly, elderly man looks up, a shadow somehow finding its way to cover his eyes even though there's nothing in the room that can create such an obscuration. All of the hair that he's lacking on his head looks to have been sent to his chin instead, a beard that drops down to his chest hanging proudly. "Madam Tachibana," the old man says in a welcoming tone, raising both of his hands, the jangling sound of chains following soon after.
A chain connects to the elderly man's right hand, he's holding it quite fiercely. Tachibana's eyes follow the chain that bends and stretches restlessly, already knowing what lies on its other end.
Tachibana lets out a sigh, her eyes finding their way to a small young girl who's thrashing around on the ground, trying to yank off the metal collar that's been locked around her neck. The young girl is inefficiently gagged by a cloth, with two canine-like ears poking out of her head. "A dungeon monster?" The woman asks curiously, turning her attention to the maid beside her. The maid looks just as surprised as she is at the discovery, shrugging before she explains, "The ears weren't visible when he brought her in." The child is wearing a torn, stained dirty brown shirt that is far too large for her, making it look like she's wearing a dress.
Tachibana turns her attention to Beardy in front of her. "Old Man, you found this girl in the Medea District?" Tachibana asks, maintaining a fixed gaze on the child who's trying to break away from the chain, even going as far as to bite on the links with her teeth. Tachibana decides to stop the girl before she can damage her own teeth.
A foot crashes into the torso of the trashing child, sending her flying into the air until her back hit the ceiling. The wind is knocked right out of her, saliva flying out of her mouth and onto the ground before she even reaches it herself. She actually never hits the ground, the woman's arm stretching out under her, catching the girl before she can completely bash her head open against the ground of the room. With one hit, the child's fallen unconscious, just like Tachibana needed.
"I found her somewhere outside of the Medea District. I don't know if she's a dungeon monster or not, but she's certainly not human. Unless she has some sort of class that grants her these animal-like features." The Old Man explains, his frail, boney hands stroking against his large beard as if thinking deeply on a subject of importance. In actuality, he just liked to gloat about the massive growth his facial hair has had over the decades.
"It's unheard of for someone to have a passive skill like this -" Tachibana is cut off by the maid beside her. "Madam Tachibana, if I may remind you, there was a [System Update] recently, wasn't there? Perhaps this child has received something from that update." Explains the maid, fighting off the chill hiding in her spine from the cold gaze given to her by the Asian woman.
"You may have a point," admits the Asian woman, softening her hardened gaze on the maid before turning back to the Old Man. "Name your price, Old Beard." If the child were awake, she'd have probably been a giggling mess, such a nickname fitting this old man more than the nicknames given to her while she went by her old name -
- Roshia Qinlen! Born again into the body of a slave with a unique ability, admittedly thanks to Anaphiel! She'll make the most of this life, for sure!