I ran towards Rene and Kyle’s location at full speed.
However, a sense of unease made me frown.
Something wasn’t right.
My primal instincts were warning me of an immense danger lurking ahead.
‘…What is this feeling?’
My breath quickened.
I gasped for air.
The overwhelming presence I felt as I moved forward tightened its grip around my throat.
‘What could it be?’
This feeling was entirely foreign to me.
‘Is this what a rabbit feels like entering a tiger’s den?’
It felt as though I was walking towards my own death.
‘Rene, Kyle….’
I was certain.
Near the gate, an unexpected ‘variable’ awaited.
‘Would Rene and Kyle be safe from this variable?’
Worry gnawed at me.
If this variable threatened them, everything I had worked for would crumble.
I cursed under my breath.
‘Damn it.’
‘They have to be alright.’
No matter how skilled Rene and Kyle were, there were countless others who surpassed them in strength.
Moreover, this wasn’t the Demon Realm.
This was the Human Realm.
In other words, this place was teeming with monsters stronger than the two of them.
The map I had drawn only indicated the gate’s location.
It meant the possibility of Rene and Kyle escaping this forest was practically zero.
I had to reach them quickly.
Yet, a nagging worry lingered: ‘Could I handle this variable?’
‘Thud. Thud-‘
I was moving faster than ever, utilizing repeated spatial shifts.
However, even with the enhanced strength gained from Crete’s flesh, overcoming this variable remained uncertain.
An ominous premonition, stronger than ever before, pounded through me.
‘The variable.’
‘What could it be?’
I fell into deep thought.
I had considered every possible variable before coming here.
I had dealt with four Swordmasters, leaving one incapacitated.
Although I had witnessed her slaying ordinary demon soldiers on the battlefield, a wounded warrior like her would be manageable for Rene and Kyle.
That left two Swordmasters.
‘There was a young girl and a slightly older woman.’
I knew about the young girl.
How could I not?
She would later enroll in the Imperial Academy, where the protagonist was studying, thanks to the Sword Saint’s recommendation.
She was the main character in my story.
Nina Keret.
Having inherited the Nina name as the Sword Saint’s adopted daughter, she possessed unparalleled talent in swordsmanship, swiftly claiming the top spot among the freshmen.
She envied Nina Hamel, the Sword Saint’s son and the protagonist.
However, she came to admire and love him, moved by his righteous character.
A classic setup: a stepsister falling for her stepbrother.
But such things were irrelevant now.
‘…Nina Keret is indeed a strong character.’
Yes, Kyle and Rene wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
Before consuming Crete’s flesh, even I would have struggled against her.
But to say she was stronger than I was now, after absorbing Crete’s power, would be a stretch.
My talent was exceptional from the start.
When it came to senses, Adel was the only one who could rival Nina Hamel’s talent.
Naturally, my senses were superior to Nina Keret’s.
But did that mean Keret, who was on the battlefield, had reached this place before me?
It made no sense.
So, the variable that unsettled me wasn’t Keret but someone else entirely.
I had no way of knowing who it could be.
In the original story, no one this powerful visited the Sword Saint’s territory at this point in the story.
There was no one who could instill such fear and dread in my senses.
Unless the Sword Saint himself had intervened.
But I would have sensed a presence as powerful as the Sword Saint.
If he had approached Kyle and Rene, I would have known.
That meant…
‘Someone has come from outside Nina’s territory.’
I had no way of knowing who it was.
All I knew was the growing unease and the horrifying sense of dissonance intensified as I neared Kyle and Rene’s location.
‘Thud. Thud-‘
I pushed my legs, forcing myself to run even as my lungs burned.
Faster, I ran as if my body would break apart.
I had already experienced the pain of losing precious people due to my own hesitation.
During the midterm exams.
Lost in Samuel’s memories, I hesitated, resulting in the deaths of several demon students.
Although it was the best course of action at the time, a time when I was uncertain whether to side with the demons or humans, the guilt remained with me to this day.
I wouldn’t repeat that mistake.
I refused to feel the crippling weight of helplessness ever again.
And…
I had to fulfill my promise to Crete.
‘Shift-’
I kicked off the ground again, racing toward Kyle and Rene.
After what felt like an eternity, four figures came into view.
I froze, my body trembling.
‘What?’
‘How?’
Overwhelmed by confusion, I stood rooted to the spot, unable to speak.
What the heck?
Why is that guy here…….
My expression hardened as I stood there, paralyzed.
Perhaps they sensed my presence.
“Hmm, seems like we have a visitor.”
“So it seems.”
A woman with fiery red hair, her eyes a mixture of malice and playfulness, scanned me from head to toe.
My body trembled violently.
‘Why were they here, in Nina’s territory?’
“…….”
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