"AHHH!"

Dereia finally wakes up and open her eyes. Yet she can only see vast darkness her eyes can't comprehend the depth.

"Huh?"

Dereia tries to move but to no avail as she realize that she's floating on the pitch black abyss.

"What is happening?!" Dereia starts to panic as she flails around for a minute, her body spins and rotates out of control. Until she stopd as its giving no results that she wanted.

"Hmmm.... Ah!"

After some time letting herself float for a while, Dereia finally remembers what happened before she end up on that darkness.

She remembers that the very last thing she did is to let the male voice inside her to take hold of her body. Her face contorts into fear as realization sets in her mind.

"No no no! It can't be!"

Before she even deal with her dillema. A huge floating screen appears in front of him.

"Huh?" Dereia's confusion as she watches a what seems point of view of someone wandering in a lush forest.

"Wait... Is that. Me?"

~~~~~~°~~~~~~

In the Savagery Forest. Dereia explores the area for days now, finding something useful. On her trail are numerous dead monsters that attempted to turn her into food but just end up dead and being eaten by scavengers and opportunistic monsters.

After her escape on Nattunnia, Dereia knows she just lucky to escape the mysterious group of adventurers that almost got her, if not for her scattering landmines after blinding Mateo.

"Hmmm?"

Dereia hears the sound of a woman screaming partnered by what seems trampling and branches being broken. The sounds becomes even louder until an adventurer appears from the trees.

"HELP!" The lady screaming desperately. She's wearing a black hooded cloak, a fit flexible leather pants, heavy leather boots and dark leather armor. From her appearance, she seems like a female rogue and and that she can't fight the hulking monster chasing her.

The lady seems noticed Dereia.

"RUN!" The lady screams at her, viewing Dereia as some sort of helpless civilian wandering the Savagery Forest.

But her change of attention lead her to trip on a stone and fall terribly to the ground. She quickly face the one chasing her and horror sets in when the green elephant covered with moss and vegetation prepares to trample her.

"Nooo!"

But before the elephant even drop her flat feet to the ground, the monster got hit by a random explosion. The explosion is so powerful that the face of the monster is decimated as it falls on its side.

The lady doesn't understand what just happened. Bewildeded that she somehow survive.

"I'm... alive?"

She look on her back and see Dereia making a weird posture. But in Dereia's view, she just fired a RPG to the monster and remains on her pose for a while due to awe. Even her are surprised that she can summon such destructive weapon.

Dereia feel that the blanket covering her body is starting to falls down so she compose herself and fix it. Then she walks to the lady who now sitting on the ground, looking up at her.

"Do you did that?" The lady asked.

"Yes."

The moment Dereia answers, the lady starts to cry.

"Thank you my Goddess!"

Dereia just watched with no emotion as the Lady cries her hearts out. She waits for her to calm down, and when the moment comes. Dereia starts to ask question.

"Are you the only survivor of your party?"

The lady looks down, her body is shaking out of guilt and shame.

"Y-yes... T-they got murdered by the same monster that you just killed. They sacrifice their lives just to help me escape."

"Hmmm... Ok cool."

"Huh?" The lady feels unease on the monotone and emotionless response of Dereia.

But the moment the lady look to Dereia. A finger is already pointed on her forehead.

BANG!!!

The lady slumped on her back, her legs are still on kneeling position. A clean round hole on her forehead as a frozen expression of confusion lingers in her face.

Dereia just looked on the dead lady with apathy.

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Dereia wears the clothes of the lady she just killed and throw the useless stuffs like her daggers, Bag of Storage which she tries to open to no avail and...

"Klina Furgest, Gold rank adventurer? Uhmmm... Whatever." Dereia then throw the adventurer tag away.

"Maybe if things finally cool down, I should try to also become an adventurer. Anyway, this clothes are cool as hell... yet itchy." Dereia talks to herself.

And then she wears the final piece of attire, the black hooded cloak which is stained by the previous owner's blood. Dereia use her magic to thoroughly clean and dry the fabric. After the process, she finally wear the complete set to Dereia's awe. She whistles as she looked at herself.

"My regret is not wearing a trench coat during my last hours on Earth. But this is also cool."

Dereia moment is disturbed when a loud voice suddenly appears inside her mind.

"YOU'RE MONSTER! WHY?!"

~~~~~~°~~~~~~

Dereia, despite being inside of her own conciousness still feels like her stomach turning upside-down after watching the unknown person that controls her body, just casually kill another person like it's just a routine for her.

"Why?" Dereia can't believe that someone can just kill like that with no remorse at all.

And yet, she even become more disgusted when she see herself undressing the dead lady, cleaning her clothes and wearing it while just leaving the dead corpse on the ground.

"Just... For that..." Dereia's tears starts to flows down. But her sadness is replaced by wrathl as she screams on the person controlling her body. Wishing that maybe somehow she can hear her like how she hear the male voice when she's still in control.

"WHY?! YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT?!"

"YOU DON'T NEED TO KILL HER!"

.

.

.

"YOU'RE MONSTER!!! WHY?!"

"Can you please shut up?

Dereia is surprised to hear a response. Yet she returned to her determined mood.

"YOU DON'T NEED TO KILL HER! WHY YOU DO THAT?!"

"Why? Because I want to. Beside, it's a better death than being ravaged by this elephant thingy."

"YOU CAN JUST HELP HER ESCAPE!?"

"Nah. That's not my responsibility. I just saved her really so I can get her clothes before the elephant ruin it."

"You're... A MONSTER!! A VIELARATA!"

"Look. I don't care what you really think of me. Besides, I'm the captain now. So just quiet down and watch me use your wasted potential to its limits."

"You..." Yet Dereia finally admits defeat as with just short talking to the entity, she can feel that the person doesn't have any hint of morality nor sympathy on him. Dereia can't understand him at all and the absolute apathy scares her.

"Finally. Thanks for cooporating."

"C-can you atleast bury her with dignity? Please."

The man stays silent for a while the sighs.

"Ugh. Fine, I'm gonna do it. But as I burry this lady here. Spend your time viewing the memories. It's gonna be full of surprises Just for you."

"O-ok. B-but how I access the memories?"

"You're inside the mind, you can manipulate that dark space."

~~~~~~°~~~~~~

After tossing the body of the Lady she killed earlier, Dereai then proceeds to now put the ground and bury the body completely by manipulating the soil with magic. After that, she make a makeshift cross using nearby branches and planted it above the grave. On the wooden cross, she hang the adventurer's tag and the Bag of Storage. Finally, she stab tha lady's daggers on the soil.

Dereia walks back a little bit and look on the grave she created.

"Done. How about this Dereia? Do you like it?" She asked the Dereia inside of her but to no avail. She didn't hear any words.

"Dereia?" She asked again but still no response. She just shrug.

"Well whatever. She must been so focused on watching the memories."

And with reckless disregard on her surroundings. Dereia starts to walk away. If the owner's memories are correct, there must be a town south of Savagery forest. So Dereia set her next location on foot despite pretty much blindly traversing the infamous forest.

Inside of her conciousness, Dereia watch with horror and heartbreak as the floating screen shows her crimes beyond human reasoning..

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Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

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Grand Ecstasy returns to the Savagery Forest in attempt of finding Dereia. But with no lead at all, the party is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Shirna uses his keen smell of smell to detect any peculiar scent in the air that might lead them to their target.

"Any leads? Beltrand asked.

"Nothing yet."

"Maybe we should wait for Bolaire to issue a bounty." Claustrine suggested.

"That might take a long time as they probably debating on how to hide ot change some details." Mateo casually answers.

"How about Nattunia? Can they send soldiers?" Sophia'a question.

"That's also takes time. They need to question Bolaire first with the failure of their agent. Also, the knights might hesistate to chase a criminal with little knowledge on the said target. Beside, they might be confused on the information we give as we altered them so much." Mateo's lenghty explanation.

After an hour. Grand Ecstasy continues their search when they hear a familiar sound.

"It seems your bestfriend needs tribute again." Beltrand laughs.

They watch as a large black falcon descents in front of Shirna. In the back of the Falcon is a Bag of Storage with elven design.

The falcon face its back to Shirna, waiting for him to place stuffs he wants to be sent.

Grand Ecstasy just wait for Shirna to finish the deed, far away from him as the Falcon still angry and scared at them for trying to shoot and kill the poor bird.

Shirna opens his own Bag of Storage and pull a jar of assorted candies, a bar of chocolate with a replaced cover and a bundle of bond paper. After putting the gifts, Shirna finally sent the falcon with a clap.

Seeing the Falcon safely take flight. Shirna returns to his friends.

"Lets go back tracking Dereia."

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Another hour gone by. Grand Ecstasy just stay silent as they follow Shirna's lead who continued to track the smell of decay.

"Hmmm?" Shirna halts.

"What's wrong Shirna?" Mateo asked.

"I smell decay. Too much decay."

"Can you lead us there?"

Shirna leads the group as they follow the scent. The closer they got, the stronger the smell would become that other members can smell it now.

"Woah that's... Something."

After some time of following the smell. The party then reach a carcass of a medium sized monster named Boarila. The carcass are currently getting eaten by scavengers who fleed the moment they feel the presence of Grand Ecstasy.

"Whoever kill this thing surely don't know what parts are valuable." Beltrand commented as she look on the long tusk.

"Unless... It was killed by Dereia."

Mateo'a friends eyes widen after hearing his theory.

"Shirna? Can you smell more carcasses nearby?" Mateo asked.

"I can smell the musk of Gausear just north of us.."

"Good. Lead us there."

As Grand Ecstasy follow the trail of decay, they also see numerous strong monsters. Some even required a full gold party to be defeated. Just like the Boarila and Gausear, some of the monster's precious parts that not ripped apart by scavengers are still in-tack.

Then they reach the remains of a Mamotera, the giant elephant like monster with vegetation growing on its skin. But the monster is literally just scattered bones and some rotten flesh.

Yet, Grand Ecstasy's eyes are not focused on the dead monster. Instead they look with confusion on what seems a grave.

"An adventurer got buried by his or her friend?" Beltrand theorized.

"No."

Mateo walks closer as he got followed by his friends. When they reach the grave, Mateo watch with pained expression as he looks seriously on the grave.

"That's a Christian cross. A very important religious symbol on my world."

"But, that's just two branches tied together." Beltrand asked.

"The cross in the bible is really just two planks of woods nailed together. And that's a great religious symbol." Mateo explained.

"B-but... W-why she suddenly act religious after doing such heinous acts, including killing this adventurer?" Sophia asked with a sad expression on her face as she look on the grave, realizing the truth.

Mateo picks the adventurer tag hanging on the cross. He take a look at it and then clenches his fist with the tag.

"I don't care what her believes are. She already did heinous crimes from both worlds so we going to bring her to the place, which he deserve if it exist at all... To hell." Mateo's determined yet spiteful words.

Mateo also pick the Bag of Storage but they decide to leave the blade to honor the adventurer who met her sad demise. Sophia gives a short prayer before they leave.

Grand Ecstasy now walks back on their previous route.

"Are you sure Dereia is not on the Savagery Forest anymore?" Claustrine asked.

"The nearest civilization in the forest which is safe for her is the Horic town on the south. She must be on the way here if she also got the knowledge of the original owner." Mateo explained.

"Or she might be also got that knowledge to the dead adventurer." Beltrand added.

"That's true. But the important thing is it's either we wait for her there or we follow her trail faster. How long before we reach Horic on foot?"

"2 days." Shirna answers.

"But we still need to find her there. Horic is not exactly a small town. And I theorized that she also steal the adventurer's clothes as remember, she only wearing sheets the last time we saw Dereia." Claustrine commented.

Mateo stop which also makes his friends halt on their tracks.

"Let's just hope for the best the we reach Horic first and stand by on its gates."

~~~~~~°~~~~~~

Inside Nattunnia's castle. Gilmore greets the envoy sent by Bolaire. A fat ugly man wearing luxrious clothing, a show-off on their wealth which very common on Bolaire's nobility. He was surrounded by his bodyguards as he enters the room where the meeting takes place.

"I'm honored to meet you Mr. Donovan." Gilmore greets with formality.

"Hmphh. So you're the rumored Vandril." Donovan clearly shows no interest, for him nor his mission. The envoy mission is just a nuisance.

"Yes but that's besides the point. We sent a letter because the king wants to talk about the Bolaire criminal who caused mayhem on our city."

"Oh. We're truly sorry about that. We failed to quickly send a message warning Nattunnia about the criminal." Donovan's apology which felt void of sincerity.

"No need to apologize Mr. Donovan. One of our adventurer groups rush back to Nattunnia in order to tell us about the criminal. But their effort is just not enough to reach us before the... tragedy. Yet they gives us a very important information about the criminal."

Donovan non-challant expression is replaced by serious yet tense demeanor.

"The criminal's name is Dereia, right?"

Sweat starts to form on Donovan's face as he starts to fidget.

"A-ah... Y-yes... The name is D-Dereia alright..."

"So... What's this Dereia fella did exactly?"

"I-If you already know. W-why bother asking me?"

"Because I want to hear it on Bolaire's mouth itself."

Donovan clearly not anticipated to get pressed about the case he and other Bolaire nobles is trying to hide under the rag. Be just exepecting that Nattunnia would only ask questions about the murderer and he only need to answer using the responses they prepare.

But the fact that Gilmore even knows the name of Dereia just say that the adventurers he mentioned really manage to reach Nattunnia and bring the news first, before the royal elite units they sent to eliminate Dereia.

The plan of painting Dereia as just some sort of assassin with no connection to Bolaire is not plausible anymore.

"F-fine. D-Dereia kills a lot of childrens of N-nobility. I-including childrens of D-dukes and Marquis."

"Hmmm... So the adventurers' words are legitable. Mr. Donovan, if that crime is that severe, why your kingdom didn't sent any information as soon as posible?" Gilmore asked. His words starting to become stern and hard.

"B-because we're c-compiling the information first before sending it to N-nattunnia. I-in fact, I already bring the d-documents you need."

Donovan asked his guard to send the papers to Gilmore who accepted it with curiosity. He inspects the papers with ease.

"S-see? So we c-clear here now r-right?" Donovan is still anxious as he watch Gilmore reading the papers.

And he's shocked that Gilmore just throw the papers on the table with disregard.

"All of this are useless."

"H-how dare y-you!"

"Why Dereia's name doesn't even mentioned and all that inside this papers are just detailed description of the murderer's appearance."

"Y-yes of course! I-isn't that what needed for a b-bounty?"

"You're right Mr. Donovan. But we already have these informations given by the adventurers. And they're more trustworthy as... they personally encounter Dereia."

Donovan's eyes widen to Gilmore's revelation.

"P-pardon?"

"Yeah. And the fact that Bolaire lied to us for two times is really not good Mr. Donovan."

"L-lied!? W-what we going to get for lying!? Besides that, what are the lies you're talking about!?" Donovan starts to become more agitated.

"The first lie is the informations in this papers are false and completely different on what the adventurers give to us. And second, Bolaire already sent a men to Nattunia but not with a mission of telling the news. Instead to eliminate the culprit."

Donovan twitches after hearing Gilmore's allegations. Then he stand up and slams the table.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Donova is cursing inside his mind. The adventurers who seems knew more info and the elite units being discovered. The odds are against him in all angles.

"P-preposterous! How dare you to accuse Bolaire with such baseless accusations!?"

Gilmore remains cool despite Donovans explosive emotions.

"Can you still call it baseless if we already got one of the men you sent in our costudy? He seems very skilled if he can surviva that explosion."

Donovan freezes after Gilmore tolds him about the bald man. Not only the elite units is discovered, now one of them is captured and presumably already interrogated.

It's basically game over for him.

"It seems he's really a member of a secret Bolaire force huh?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

Gilmore clap his hands and the Nattunnia knight who guarding the door from inside opens it, four knights enters the room, they holding a chain which holds the bald man who's visibly beaten and bruised. Donovan watch in horror as the knights drags the bald man and sit him on a chair between Gilmore and Donovan.

"Your expression is very telling Mr. Donovan."

Donovan quickly avoid gazing on the bald man when he realizes that he was being observed.

"I-I don't understand what you talking about."

"But you seems really know him Mr. Donovan?"

"S-s-sir D-donovan?" The bald man's pained words as he recognize Donovan after hearing his voice. His face is so bruised that he can't even open his eyes anymore.

"See? He even knows your name Mr. Donovan."

Suddenly. The King alongside other high ranking officials also enters the room to Donovan's shock.

"Y-y-our Majesty!?"

"Gilmore. You suddenly call us here, is something wrong?" The King asked.

"My King. I wish for your pressence for the moment that this man reveals the truth. The truth about the Bolaire criminal that caused unnecessary innocent deaths." Gilmore explained as he points his finger to the Bald Man.

Klein becomes serious after hearing the words.

"What's your name and position?" King Klein asked with stern voice.

At first, the bald man considers lying but he feel the overwhelming and wrathful pressence of the King. It makes him stop and just follow the order.

"My name is Porim. One of the captains of Bolaire's secret squad named Deathrow." Porim beaten form almost give him difficulty talking yet he tried his best.

"Porim. Tell us the truth about the criminal named Dereia." The king continues to ask.

Porim stays silent for a while, contemplating for a moment but he gulps and breaths deep.

"Dereia is one of the commoners chosen for Bolaire's program of sending commoners with talents to attend the academy. She's the only one decides to remain for a very long time until somehow she snaps and kills a lot of students and teachers."

"Hmmmm... I see. I think it's starting to make sense now." Gilmore's words.

"Why she snaps?" The King asked again.

"I don't know. I'm just assigned the mission to kill her."

"And you failed misserably. Causing Dereia to kill innocent lives. Is that correct?" Gilmore asked.

"Y-yes."

Donovan have no choice but to painstakenly listen on the confession that would lead a stain on Kingdom of Bolaire and Nattunnia's relationship.

"Porim. Why your team is the one sent in Nattunnia instead of a messenger that would tell us the situtation?"

Porim gulps as he feels the overwhelming pressure of the King's pressence. Despite his attempt of trying not to answer, the King plus the threat Gilmore makes him bend.

"The nobility of Bolaire is trying to hide the truth that a commonner kills a lot of childrens of nobility. The false info they give to the citizens and about to send in neighboring countries is... A lower nobility lady that went insane due to stress." Porim explains with defeat. Donovan also feel lose as the truth is now exposed.

"Bolaire is trying to hide the truth because they scared that the incident might incite a revolution, right?" Gilmore's question.

Porim freeze for a moment then nods his head slowly.

"Mr. Donovan? Want to say something?"

"N-n-nothing." Donovan gritted his teeth out of frustration.

"In attempt to hide the truth. You guys just make the problem even worse and now Bolaire involves our Kingdom on this affair. And losing the lives of my beloved citizens in the process... This is unacceptable." The Kings voice starts to contains spite as he looked on Donovan who cower in fear, feeling the immerse authority of the stronges kingdom in the world.

The King stands on his chair and starts to walk away.

"I order Bolaire to spread the truth of what happened. In... Every... Single... Detail. Non-compliance means Bolaire is disrespecting our attempt of making peace, on the mess they made." The Kings words are threating.

Donovan clenches his fist and grits his teeth even more.

"Just for some disgusting commoners. You willing to ruin the friendship between Bolaire and Nattunnia." Donovan speaks to herself. But the words are just loud enough to be heared by the King and Gilmore.

"Gilmore."

"Yes. Leave it to me."

Gilmore stands up and walks closer to Donovan. Donovan looks up out of confusion.

But his confusion quickly changed by surprise when his face got punched by Gilmore. Sending her few meters away from the table.

Miracoulously. Donovan is still alive yet his nose are completely wrecked. Donovan touch his nose and when he see his own blood, he's panic.

"Speak ill on my citizens again and I'm ensure that you going to get worse." The Kings final warning.

Donovan finally learn his place and say his formal excuse before fleeing the room quickly.

"My King. Should we talk to the guild to properly put the bounty? The old man wearing glasses asked the king.

"Yes. I can tell that Bolaire might delay giving bounty as long as they can as they send more elite units to hunt Dereia."

"As you wish your majesty." The man bows slightly.

"Dume Ingram. Just ask a guard near my office to give you official sketch of the criminal." Gilmore's suggestion.

Ingram nods slowly.

"Your help is so much appreciate."

"Your Majesty. What should we do with Porim?" Gilmore asked.

"Hold him for a while until we finished the assembly between two nations as we need his statement. After that, give him a quick death. Despite being the cause of the explosion, he still give us vital information."

After sending his final words. The King and Ingram finally leaves alongside other few people.

Porim looking down on the floor devastated.

"H-h-how about my daughter?" Porim asked with extreme guilt as she didn't even see her face for the last time.

"Ironic words coming from you. You should asked first how many people with a love ones just perished due to your hubris." Gilmore words as he looks on Porim on disbelief.

"But... It's Dereia's fault."

"Yet you're the one that instigated her. You two are equally at fault, she's just more immoral than you."

Gilmore walk towards the door.

"Let's go. Better to accept your fate."

Completely lose his hope. Porim just follow Gilmore's commands and walks away.