The girl's senses reeled as darkness enveloped her, shrouding her in an impenetrable void. Panic surged within her, but she fought to maintain her composure, seeking any clue or semblance of direction in the pitch-black abyss.
As she struggled to make sense of her surroundings, the darkness began to dissipate, giving way to a dim, murky light. Blinking away the disorientation, she found herself standing in a desolate landscape devoid of color or detail. Two figures materialized before her, their forms hazy and indistinct.
Recognition flickered in the depths of her mind as she gazed upon them. They were her parents, long lost to the mists of memory. Emotions surged within her—a fierce whirlwind of longing, a labyrinth of confusion, and a sea of sorrow that threatened to engulf her.
"Mother? Father?" she whispered, her voice barely audible in the eerie silence that surrounded them.
The figures regarded her with solemn expressions, their features obscured by shadow. Yet, there was a palpable sense of familiarity in their presence, a stirring of forgotten memories that tugged at her heartstrings.
"Child," her mother's voice echoed softly, carrying a haunting resonance. We have watched over you from beyond the veil, guiding your steps and guarding your path."
The girl's heart clenched at the words, a swell of emotion welling up within her. She yearned to reach out to them, to embrace the parents she had long believed lost to her.
But as she moved closer, a voice echoed in the recesses of her mind—a voice tinged with warning and suspicion. Could these figures indeed be her parents, or were they merely illusions, a sinister mirage crafted by some unknown force?
With a newfound, unyielding resolve, the girl steeled herself against the lure of false hope. This illusion would not deceive her, no matter how convincing it may seem—drawing upon her inner strength. Without hesitation, she dispelled the illusions of her parents, their forms dissolving into wisps of shadowy vapor. Alone in the colorless world once more, she stood resolute, her heart heavy with the weight of her actions.
Though the images had tugged at her deepest emotions, she refused to be swayed by false sentiment. With a surge of determination, she channeled pure mana to dispel the illusory world around her. As her magic engulfed the darkness, the fabricated reality crumbled into nothingness, leaving her standing once more in front of Jake.
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Fueled by a newfound resolve and simmering anger, she vowed not to hold back against him any longer. The attempt to manipulate her using the semblance of her lost parents ignited a fierce fury within her, driving her to confront Jake with unwavering determination. With a feral growl, she lunged at Jake, her movements fluid and precise. As she closed the distance between them, she unleashed her poison magic, weaving intricate patterns with her hands to conjure deadly toxins.
The venom surged forth from her fingertips, snaking through the air with deadly intent. It enveloped Jake, immobilizing him with its paralyzing effects. He struggled against the invisible shackles of poison, his movements growing sluggish and weak as the toxins seeped into his body, rendering him helpless before her.
Her voice dripped with venomous contempt as she addressed Jake in the common tongue. "You dare use the presence of my parents to defeat me? How pitiful could one man get? You shall never be able to walk again. You will forever lay on your stomach like the snake you are."
Her words were laced with fury and disgust, her eyes ablaze with righteous anger as she condemned Jake for his deceitful tactics. With a cold determination, she ensured that his punishment matched the severity of his betrayal, vowing to leave him crippled and helpless, a fitting fate for one who dared to manipulate her with the memory of her lost parents.
"What!? How can you? Just finish me off, you soft bastard!" Jake's voice was filled with rage and frustration as he spat out his words, his face contorted with anger and disbelief. He couldn't comprehend how this seemingly innocent girl had bested him, and his pride refused to accept defeat.
But the girl remained unfazed by his outburst, her expression cold and impassive as she regarded him with disdain. She had no intention of granting him a swift end, choosing instead to leave him to suffer the consequences of his actions. With a cold indifference, she turned away from him, leaving him to wallow in his defeat and contemplate the consequences of his betrayal.
Before she picked up Knox, she turned back to face Jake once more, her gaze unwavering and her tone filled with resolve. "I shall take this child." she declared, her voice carrying an air of authority. "This boy will give me purpose." Her words hung heavy in the air, the weight of her determination palpable as she gazed at Knox with a mixture of longing and hope. "I hope he can bring peace to this world once more," she added, her voice softer now, tinged with a hint of vulnerability beneath her steely resolve.
With that, she scooped Knox up into her arms and turned away from Jake, leaving him to contemplate the consequences of his actions as she disappeared into the darkness. Her path forward was uncertain but filled with determination.
*** *** ***
Knox thought that he had tried everything, but nothing he did could break the dark void that he had found himself stuck in. Or so he thought until suddenly, the darkness around him shattered to reveal the little girl standing over him, her finger on his forehead.
“Good, you’re awake now.” She said.
“W-what, where am I?”
“We’re in the 15th zone. You humans call it level 15 zone.”
Knox’s eyes widened in fright when he realized where they were. “WHAT!? I'm going to die. I'm going to die.” He started continuously repeating that to himself.
The girl sighed before slapping Knox across his face. “Could you shut up?”
Finally, coming to his senses, Knox realized that the girl was speaking his language, unlike before when he couldn’t understand her. “How can I understand you?” Knox asked. She tilted her, confused. “Oh, uhm, what I mean is that before, you spoke to me in a language I couldn’t understand.” He clarified
She finally understood, nodding her head and saying, “Ah, that, yeah, I learned your language from that man I was fighting.”