Rin didn't participate in the discussions with Caster, first reason was that Sunny was taking care of it anyway Keeping our cover of being weak to the utmost max. The second reason was the distrust she now had to caster after sensing the bad intentions within him

There was finally a break and a tense moment when Caster had asked about where we were since we got here,we couldn't lie to him here as he had specifically said he hadn't seen us anywhere

And because of that we finally had to spill the beans and tell him we were in maze for two months

We… well specifically sunny told him that Nephi's had essentially carried us here…

We weird this was that as soon as Nephis was mentioned, she could feel another deep hidden feeling of bad intentions

Straight away she had figured out who the target of his intentions were, which Rin thought was strange when he sounded and looked positively pleasing she was alright

Sunny had told him we only had three soul shards and could only take three people

Moving on, Rin was right on the money when Caster had revealed that he was dropped close to this spell

She had also noticed the group of red hooded figures had left a couple seconds ago, she couldn't tell if they were dangerous or not because her sensory technique couldn't reach them

We had also been told that the two guard were on the bottom of the food chain here but people like hunters or pathfinders would outright kill us even with casters 'help'

******

A little while later, Cassie glanced over at Rin, indicating her desire to head back to her room. Rin, understanding her friend's need for privacy, accompanied her. As they strolled towards Cassie's room, Rin left Sunny in Caster's company so they could carry on their conversation undisturbed.

Entering the tower's lengthy stone hallway, the two girls found themselves surrounded by thick doors lining both sides. Rin's gaze wandered down the corridor, spotting a group of four individuals gathered at the far end.

All in red

'well here's the welcoming party'

She glanced at Cassie and calmly addressed her, making sure to maintain a reassuring tone so as not to alarm the girl about the imminent danger nearby.

"Cassie your rooms here I'll see you tomorrow, remember i'm in the room next door"

She guided her to the door

"Okay Rin, thank you again for the escort, i feel like a princess with my bodyguards"

Rin smiled as she opened the door for her and let her in

"Goodnight Cassie, oh and lock the door, don't come out no matter what you hear"

"Oh…uh. Okay…goodnight Rin"

Rin gently closed her door, her attention fixed on Cassie as she secured the lock from the other side. Once the latch clicked into place, Rin turned her focus back to the four figures before her, ensuring her words carried clearly to them:

"What do you want?"

A woman's voice responded, but Rin found it challenging to discern which of the four figures cloaked in red robes it belonged to.

"We need you to get the girl and come with us, Gunlaug is asking for you"

Growing up in the gritty underbelly of the slums endowed her with a keen ability to spot deceit from a mile away, they weren't even trying to hide it

"What part of Gunlaugs forces are you with?"

Silence before one of them spoke

"A secret one"

"If you're with Gunlaug, why are the residents here so scared of you, but other than that no i don't think i will go with you"

Each individual conjured their weapon, except for one who concealed a crossbow beneath their robes, only revealing it now.

She pondered the idea of summoning her weapon, yet curiosity tugged at her. After enduring two months navigating a labyrinth of peril, battling lethal monsters and behemoths lurking in the depths, she yearned to gauge her growth. Surely, facing a mere quartet of individuals posed no significant challenge.

As she pressed on, her body unexpectedly froze, a strange sensation gripping the center of her being, as though an invisible force had seized control of her very blood flow. It wasn't just a physical stiffness; it felt like someone had clutched her heart in their grasp. This was no ordinary occurrence—it felt like an ability, something beyond the realm of mere coincidence.

She closed her eyes for a second

Despite the unsettling sensation, Rin couldn't help but smile as she watched the crossbow release its bolt, hurtling towards her with deadly accuracy. It was a meticulously planned assault, designed not only to halt her movements but also to end her life. On any other person this would probably work

As her eyelids fluttered open, a striking hue of crimson infused her irises, painting them in a vibrant red glow.

But they chose the wrong person

As the bolt zipped past her, she instinctively tilted her head to the side, narrowly avoiding it.

The icy grip clutching her chest melted away under the command of its wielder. It was clear they couldn't maintain it for long. Without hesitation, she bolted towards the trio approaching her with their weapons in hand

She shifted her weight, leveraging the nearby wall to propel herself forward, landing a solid punch on the crimson-robed figure who had been the first to arrive. Sending them backward and laying on the floor

As she landed, a sword sliced through the air toward her, but with quick reflexes, she seized the hand of another robed figure and diverted their own sword aimed at her. In a swift motion, she intercepted the attack by leveraging the momentum of her assailant's hand.

The clash of their swords sent sparks flying, minimizing the chances of further sword strikes against her. Seizing the opportunity, she grabbed hold of her attacker's outstretched arms and swiftly pulled them towards her. As she closed in, she drove her shoulder forcefully into his chest, propelling him backward into the wall with considerable force.

She knew she had to disarm him, so she forcefully pushed his hands against the unforgiving stone wall behind him. When the sword stubbornly refused to slip from his grip, she resorted to a more direct approach, seizing the hooded figure's head and ramming it against the unyielding surface behind him. With a smile on her face, she made another attempt to wrest the weapon from his grasp, and this time, she succeeded as the sword clattered to the ground.

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The man slumped against the wall appeared to be out cold. She spun around, letting out a weary sigh as yet another sword swiped from below. With lightning reflexes, she leaped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly blade. As the sword retreated, she scanned her surroundings, relying on her sharp eyes to assess the situation.

With a swift kick to the figure's shin, she forced them to kneel before her. Anticipating the next move, she swiftly dodged to the other side of the sword just as another bolt struck, causing the sword to be flung away from its intended target.

Two bird one stone

As she hadn't expected the guy to spring up so quickly, his fist connecting with her cheek and face caught her completely off guard. Despite the surprise, she instinctively reacted by grabbing onto his robes and swiftly striking him in the face with her elbow.

She took a step back, her breaths coming in short and sharp as she wiped the blood from her lips.

The man who had been slumped against the wall slowly rose to his feet, retrieving his sword. As his hood fell back, revealing his unappealing face, she instinctively raised her hands in defense. She anticipated his overhead strike and intercepted it by seizing his raised hand, seizing the opportunity to retaliate. With a swift motion, she spat blood into his eyes and delivered a forceful headbutt to his already ugly visage, the sickening crunch of his breaking nose echoing in the air.

"RAHHHH"

Taking advantage of the moment, she seized the opportunity to forcefully pin him against the wall once more with a tackle, the impact causing him to cease his resistance momentarily due to the pain. However, she didn't relent; instead, she unleashed a barrage of punches aimed at his torso, delivering blow after blow with relentless spite.

She didn't stop until she suddenly felt a sharp pull on her hair, yanking her backward and throwing her away. Her gaze was pointed upward, only to be met with the sight of a wooden ceiling partially obstructed by the looming presence of a figure cloaked in red, crossbow resting casually on their shoulder.

As Rin saw the axe hurtling towards her, she instinctively rolled aside just in time to avoid it. As she glanced up, she found the figure looming over her once more. With her legs positioned between the figure legs, she swiftly kicked upwards, aiming for the groin, anticipating at least some impact. However, A feminine snort emanated from the robed assailant as they looked down at Rin.

'shit'

But before the figure could react, Rin retaliated, sweeping her leg and forcefully slamming her face into the unforgiving stone floor as the robed woman was falling.

She got up breathing deeply again

'i need to exercise more'

A sudden, piercing ache shot through her side, jolting her senses. Glancing down, she spotted a dagger embedded in her, a shocking sight that sent adrenaline coursing through her veins. With a swift, painful motion, she extracted the blade, relieved to find it hadn't pierced too deeply, grazing her ribs instead.

In a swift retaliation, she locked eyes with her assailant, swiftly turning the tables by driving his own weapon into his thigh. With gritted teeth and a surge of anger, she raised her foot, delivering a decisive stomp, ending the guys chance at walking, as she heard the bone get pierced.

She found it hard to concentrate, her attention divided as she clutched her side where blood trickled from a wound. Unbeknownst to her, two individuals were stealthily closing in. Suddenly, she felt a firm arm around her neck, cutting off her breath, while another assailant relentlessly pummeled her abdomen and chest with their fists.

She was engulfed in agony, each cough a spatter of blood, while darkness closed in on the edges of her vision. With a desperate surge of energy, she thrust her leg upward, connecting solidly with her assailant's chin, causing him to crumple in an instant. However, the threat behind her loomed large; if she didn't address it soon, she feared losing consciousness altogether.

She instinctively jerked her head forward before snapping it back, landing another solid blow to the guy's already broken nose.

After releasing his grip, she wasn't finished yet. With a swift movement, she seized the hand that had released her and effortlessly tossed him over her shoulder. The guy let out a pained groan until a forceful kick to the face silenced him.

She coughed a few times before mustering the strength to tower over the woman in the crimson robes, grabbing her by the hair and forcefully hurling her against the wall.

She kneeled in front of the woman who was sitting on the floor

"You got some cool power, blood control right?"

"How did yo-?"

"Just answer my questions"

"Never"

Rin had a good look at the womans face, striking blue eyes that seem to hold a universe of mysteries. Her long, flowing hair cascades down her back in waves of shimmering water blue, adding to her ethereal presence. Her face itself was perfect and symmetrical.

"You know you're quite pretty"

"I will neve-... Huh"

Blood control is really powerful, i think i found my first teammate

Her eyes shifted and she felt a surge of essence move through them as she used her aspect ability

"Kotoamatsukami"

The woman eyes widened and she blinked a few times before she stopped resisting completely

Rin spoke this was her first time using this correctly

"You will be my teammate a loyal and unbetraying member of mine"

The woman nodded and Rin smiled as she spoke to her new subordinate

"What's your name?"

"Luna"

"i like it... I'm Rin, you gonna answer a couple of questions?"

The woman kneeled in front of her and spoke

"I am yours to command Rin"

*****

Rin was laying down in her room, she had ordered luna to get rid of her past associates after She herself killed them of course, she needed the spell to give her the bonuses, she had found out from luna that she was part of a cult that had worked closely with Gunlaug to reduce the population by kidnapping people and taking them to some undisclosed location never to be seen again, Luna didn't know any more than that.