The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"The forest is vast; perhaps he just happened to be in a different place at the same time as us! Maybe this time we'll find him!"

How can you guarantee that?!

While the warrior and the mage bantered back and forth, Naka watched silently from the sidelines. She didn't know where Retti had gone, but she understood he hadn't vanished into thin air; he was on a mission. He would return once the mission was complete. There was nothing to worry about. However, Naka herself wasn't particularly concerned about the results of this assessment. Setting off later wasn't out of the question. Therefore, she didn't offer her opinion, letting things unfold naturally.

The argument between the two adventurers eventually ended with the warrior being persuaded to return and seek out the mage, Rhett. The warrior scratched his head impatiently.

"Alright! I got it! Let's go look for him again! But I'm warning you beforehand, we don't have time to waste here. This is the last time. If we still can't find him, we'll move on. Is that okay?"

"it is good"

The two finally reached a consensus: to go find him in the dark forest one last time. The archer had no objections. Naka naturally didn't say anything more. So the four of them returned to that dark area once again.

Unlike the other three, who were diligently searching, leaving no stone unturned, and constantly calling out Retti's name, Naka was simply wandering around absentmindedly. She already knew Retti wasn't there. No matter how hard these people searched, they wouldn't find him. Being too serious was just a waste of time. She just needed to wander around for a while, then leave and wait for the other three to come out.

"Speaking of which, what kind of mission does that guy Retti have to carry out?"

Taking advantage of this boring time, Naka also began to think about the possibility that Fan had specifically ordered his subordinates to carry out a secret mission.

"The fact that he was able to successfully enroll means that he was sent by Fane before I decided to enroll... But Fane and I have been in contact many times since then, so why has Fane never mentioned it to me? And why is he in this school? Is there anything in this school that Fane would be interested in?"

As the Demon King, Naka found nothing of interest in the school except for the dragon fangs of her own dragons. Yag's teeth were only discovered during the opening ceremony, and he only learned of them later from Naka herself. It couldn't be that Fanpanu Brown came out because of Yag. So what was it because of?

Furthermore, why must this be carried out during this assessment? What is the point of taking action during this assessment? Is he trying to exploit the characteristics of an "assessment"?

The more Naka thought about it, the more she suddenly had an extremely ominous premonition.

"No...no way..."

Naka decided to come to this adventurer's school because of Tatsia. Meanwhile, Fane also sent his subordinates to the school. Fane even deliberately concealed this fact. Now, everyone is engaged in a live-fire combat exercise with real weapons. At this moment, Fane's subordinate disappeared with his deadly weapon. Now, thinking back, the secret that even the supreme king of the monsters wouldn't reveal could only be explained as "keeping it from the king alone." In other words, what Retti was carrying out was less a "secret mission" and more a "mission that couldn't be told to Naka."

As these clues connected, a very dangerous guess popped into Naka's mind. Although it was just a guess, it perfectly matched the possibility that all the current clues pointed to. Anxiety swelled within her. Naka could clearly hear her own heart pounding.

She quickly grabbed the crucifix and shouted in her heart.

"Fan! You come out here! You better...you better not be what I think! Otherwise, I won't let you off! Fan! Fan!"

But just like not long ago, there was only silence from Farn's side. No one came to answer Naka's questions.

"hateful!"

Even the usually composed Naka now fully realized the gravity of the situation. Without saying goodbye to her teammates, she took off running in another direction out of the forest. As she ran, she silently chanted...

"Takia...you, you must be safe..."

But after running two steps, Naka stopped.

"Speaking of which... where exactly is Takiya...?"

She knew that Tatia and Jasmine were in the same team, but Jasmine hadn't told her where she was assigned for the assessment. To prevent leaks, students prepared in advance, and the school only informed them of their locations upon entry before the assessment began. Naka had no idea where Jasmine or Tatia were. This huge simulation hall wasn't easy to navigate. Not to mention they were likely still moving. There was no way to even begin searching.

"Jasmine...Tia..."

It wasn't just Tatsia. If, as Naka suspected, Reti's target was indeed Tatsia, then Jasmine, who was with Tatsia, would also be killed to silence her if she witnessed his mission. One was her close friend, and the other was someone extremely important to her. These two might now be under attack by her own men. Naka was completely helpless. Frustrated, Naka slammed her fist heavily onto the ground.

"Why...why didn't I realize it sooner..."

If those two women die at the hands of their own subordinates, what meaning does this trip hold for Naka? What has she gained? If this is the inevitable outcome, Naka fears she might do something irreversible...

"...Huh?"

Just as her longing and yearning for the two reached their peak, a dazzling light suddenly emanated from Naka's chest. It wasn't the cross Fan had given her, but rather the necklace with the strange emblem that hung beside her, given to her by Tatsia after she killed her mother.

"This, this is...?"

The necklace emitted a golden light. A beam of light shot out from her chest, pointing in a certain direction. No matter how Naka moved, the light always remained aimed in that direction.

"Does it mean I should go in that direction?"

This necklace was one of the heirlooms of Tatsia's mother, Vilia. The elves possess special powers unlike any other race. Naka was skeptical, but leaned more towards believing the necklace. She began to walk in the direction indicated by the light emanating from it.

When Naka's other three teammates, having searched in vain, emerged from the dark forest to leave, they discovered that not only had the first missing person not been found, but another teammate had vanished. Their subsequent debate over whether to go back to search or continue onward is another story in itself.

She traversed several regions and was ambushed by many puppet monsters. But Naka had already shed her "disguise." For her now, it was simply a matter of moving forward without any obstacles, as if walking on flat ground.

If the guiding light detected a deviation, it would correct its course. If there were obstacles in her way, Naka would simply force her way through. In this way, she ran non-stop from one side of the simulation training hall to the other. After crossing volcanoes, rivers, swamps, and other terrains, finally, a mountain range appeared before her.

Naka had only walked a few steps up the mountain path when a small group of several people suddenly appeared towards her on a narrow section of the road. One of them also saw Naka approaching and exclaimed in surprise.

"Huh? Naka?"

The person was none other than Naka's roommate and close friend: Jasmine. At first, the soldiers at the front mistook the figure for a puppet, but once Jasmine realized her true identity, she immediately rushed out from the back to greet Naka.

"Naka, why are you here? Shouldn't you be..."

"flutter"

Before Jasmine could finish her sentence, Naka did something astonishing. In front of Jasmine's teammates, she rushed towards Jasmine and hugged her tightly, repeatedly saying...

"You're alright... I'm so glad you're alright."

"....ha?"

Naka said she was fine, but Jasmine thought it was nonsense. Her teammates were very capable. Those puppets weren't a threat to her life. It was just that Naka's current appearance was really strange. Jasmine didn't think she was alright.

Moreover, this was the first time Naka had ever thrown herself into her arms so enthusiastically. Jasmine was both surprised and felt a strange sense of warmth and security. It was truly a wonderful feeling.

The other adventurers not far behind Jasmine naturally witnessed the entire process. Being stared at by strangers in this state was truly embarrassing and shameful. Jasmine gently pushed Naka, trying to separate her from herself.

"No, please don't do this, Naka. It'll be so embarrassing if outsiders see this..."

But Naka seemed not to hear and didn't respond. She wouldn't let go of Jasmine's arms. Only when all her teammates gathered around and started asking questions did Naka reluctantly stop.

"Hey, who are you? Are you someone Miss Jasmine knows?"

"Um, that one! Her name is Naka, she's my roommate!"

Jasmine quickly explained. The soldier nodded after listening.

"Oh, it's your roommate... Then why aren't you going with your team? What are you doing here?"

"Yes, Naka. What happened?"

Jasmine looked around but didn't see anyone else. This meant Naka hadn't come with the group but alone. Naka didn't seem lost or just happened to be passing by; it was as if she already knew something. So Jasmine asked her for details.

But Naka didn't answer the question directly. She looked at Jasmine and her teammates, and asked in return...

"Jasmine, what happened? Where's Tatsia? Isn't she with you?"

"Ta, Tatya?... Well..."

Jasmine also had many questions for Naka about Tatsia. However, with outsiders present, it was difficult to bring up Tatsia's gender and her recent temper tantrums. She could only stammer and give vague answers.

However, the others didn't share Jasmine's concerns. The forthright warrior recounted without reservation what had just happened to Tatia.

"You mean that green-haired hero kid? That guy's so arrogant, thinking he's all that. He said a bunch of sarcastic things and yelled at this saintess. Then he just disappeared."

"What...?"

Naka turned to look at Jasmine, who had a complicated expression on her face. She asked...

"Did Tatsia yell at you? Why?"

"this..."

"Who knows why? I think there's probably something wrong with that kid's place."

The soldier tapped his temple with his index finger.

"As for where that kid is now, we don't care. No one's going to die in this assessment anyway. The school will definitely send someone to rescue the students who didn't reach the finish line within the time limit. So, miss, what are you doing here?"

"..."

Naka was no longer listening to the warrior's words. She knew that Tatsia had been acting very strangely lately. But that should be directed at her; how could she explain such rudeness towards Jasmine? Although Jasmine didn't directly admit it, Naka could guess from her stammering manner that she was probably right.

Jasmine has teammates with her and isn't with Tatsia, so her safety can be considered guaranteed. This eased Naka's anxiety somewhat. However, on the other hand, Tatsia is currently all alone. Even if something happens to her, no one will know or help her. She can't afford to be careless at all.

"By the way, Naka, what's with that necklace you're wearing? Is it reflecting sunlight? It seems to be glowing..."

Jasmine had just noticed that the necklace Naka was wearing was emitting a strange light. Before she could ask, Naka took off running away.

"Hey! Naka! You..."

Even when Jasmine called her from behind, she didn't turn around. She'd been so warm and friendly when they first met, but now she was suddenly completely indifferent to her. Jasmine couldn't help but sigh that her friend Naka still had many strange quirks that she couldn't understand.

In the end, why Naka came here remained an unsolved mystery for Jasmine and her teammates.

"Hahaha..."

Tatia didn't even have the strength to stand up. Only her faint breathing was barely keeping her alive.

Rhaete kept his promise. He didn't kill Tatsia immediately. Instead, he tortured her bit by bit. He stabbed her with his sword, cut her flesh, and then punched and kicked her to make it worse. It was the utter, bottomless torture of a bloodthirsty madman.

Taqia's hands, feet, waist, and legs were all slashed with huge wounds, and blood was flowing out rapidly. She was barely managing to stay upright against the barrier wall. Her hands, having lost their grip, could no longer hold her sword. Looking at the sword lying at her feet, she tried to reach for it, but she didn't even have the strength to lift her arm.

"Slurp"

Rhaiti continued licking Tatsia's blood from his sword. He slowly approached her. His foot landed directly on Tatsia's wrist.

"Oh dear? You were determined to crush its spirit when you took your anger out on it, weren't you? What's wrong? Now you realize the importance of weapons? Too bad, it's too late, little sister Tatia."

He kicked Tatiana's sword away, squatted down, grabbed her hair, and forcibly lifted her head from its lowered position.

"I was sent to this school to kill you. It's just that my weapons were confiscated at the start of the semester, and if you disappeared during class, things would likely be exposed. It was difficult to make a move, so I waited until now. Do you know how hard I've worked these past few months to hide my strength so you wouldn't be on your guard? Even though I'm much stronger than you and that brat Oz, I've been forced to watch you steal the show... Hey, can you hear me?"

Tatia's eyes were only slightly open. No matter what Rhett said, she didn't respond, or rather, wasn't able to. So, whether she was still conscious at this moment, Rhett herself didn't know.

"Fine. That's it. We've played around for too long, it's time to give you a clean break."

He grabbed her hair and lifted it up, raising Tatsia's chin. Then, with his other hand, he grabbed a longsword and pressed the blade against Tatsia's neck.

"Anyway, this body isn't mine. Even if I kill someone and cause trouble, I can easily escape by possessing someone. The real me won't be held responsible... So, farewell, little sister Tatia."

After saying that, he brandished the sword in his hand...

"Tasia!"

...Previously, a female voice that shouldn't have been heard rang out within the barrier.

The Second Miracle

Guided by the light, Naka kept running. But as she passed a certain spot, the light on the necklace suddenly went out. Naka stopped in her tracks.

"Is this the place? But..."

She came to a narrow mountain path. But there wasn't a soul in sight, nor could she hear a sound. Tatia and Rhetti... or rather, Nubron, who was parasitizing Rhetti, weren't there.

Confused, Naka turned back, wondering if she had taken the wrong path. But after only a few steps, the light on the necklace began to flash again, pointing behind her. When Naka returned to her previous spot, the light had vanished.

"What's going on?"

Next, she tried it repeatedly. But the result was still exactly the same. Gradually, she discovered something.

"Could it be the one that Farn mentioned to me..."

As the leader of the technology development department, Farn frequently reported to Naka on new magical device development projects and research results. Because of the sheer volume of his research, Naka couldn't recall them all at the moment. However, he did mention developing a nodule-creating device that was invisible, inaudible, and intangible to outsiders. It could be used for assassinations. However, the technology was still immature and couldn't be mass-produced yet; only a handful of finished products had been developed.

Nubron was sent by Fan, so it's not surprising that he possesses such a magical device. If Nubron used this, it means they are in a different space than Naka. And if the light on their chests is indeed guiding Tatsia's direction, then the place where the light dims is where Tatsia and Nubron are located.

Having made this judgment, Naka closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she used one of the "Demon King's Powers": "Insight." This skill not only allows her to see through an opponent's stats and level, but also to see through situations in different dimensional spaces within the same location. After activating Insight, she was greatly surprised.

Tatya was on the verge of death when Nubrang walked up to her, sword in hand, and knelt down to press the blade against her neck. The very thing Naka least wanted to happen had unfortunately come true.

"Tasia!"

Seeing that Tatsia was about to die, Naka disregarded everything else. She channeled the boundless power within her into her hand—a power powerful enough to shatter space and dimensions. She threw a powerful punch, and the barrier, seemingly impervious to external interference, shattered like a fragile eggshell. Naka cried out Tatsia's name and charged into the barrier.

With just a slight flick of his wrist, he could have succeeded. Nubron, returning to report, had no idea an outsider had intruded into the barrier. He whirled around, only to find the intruder to be none other than his beloved Demon King: Nama Kallenra.

"magic..."

Why is His Majesty the Demon King here? Just as Nubron was about to ask, Naka rushed forward with a speed he couldn't react to, grabbed Nubron by the neck, easily lifted his nearly 100-kilogram body, and slammed him heavily against the barrier wall.

"Cough! Ugh..."

"How dare you, Noble..."

Naka's eyes were filled with murderous intent, sharp as countless razor-sharp blades piercing Nublang. The hand gripping his neck tightened its hold.

"Demon, Your Majesty the Demon King...why..."

"Your so-called mission is to kill this child, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes... This is Lord Fan's request... He said I must kill the green-haired woman who's with you. She's an elf, and she might pose a threat to you in the future, so Lord Fan..."

"..."

The Demon King's power was boundless. To kill him, a mere flick of the finger would snap Raeti's neck instantly. But Naka ultimately chose to stop. She released Nubran's body. The middle-aged hero's heavy body crashed to the ground. Nubran coughed incessantly, clutching the deep handprints on his neck.