Chapter 18: A New Enemy

  .

  .

  .

  “Aidan, we need to take a right here.” Yana repeated. “I can sense people down there.”

  But Yana couldn’t see the Temporal Trace mark I left for myself next to the left corridor, making me question what I did in my previous run. Did I turn left despite Yana’s words, or did I surrender to peer pressure and go right?

  Now would be a good moment to use Afterimage, but everyone was watching me, so I knew I had to do it quickly.

  I activated Afterimage, and there it appeared – a ghostly version of myself. The problem was that it stood in place, right next to me, just opening its mouth as if talking to someone, likely to Yana, yet no sound came out. Then, after five seconds, it disappeared, and I learned nothing of my previous self’s adventure.

  Curse this annoying Déjà vu System!

  “Aidan?” Yana asked, looking surprised and a bit worried.

  “Oh, just leave him here.” Jax snapped and went down the right corridor, Henry following closely behind.

  I shook my head, disappointed at my inability to utilize the System. I had already wasted Checkpoint earlier, and now Afterimage as well.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming…” I told Yana, and we all continued down the right corridor.

  .

  .

  .

  Seeing Goren as we exited the Grave Moles’ tunnels sent a shiver down my spine. He was sharpening his sword with a whetstone.

  It was already surprising to see him reach this deep into the tomb seemingly on his own, but it was also unsettling – especially after our last conversation, after which I didn’t see him until now - not during the wolves’ attack, nor the Grave Moles’.

  “You’re finally here.” He said, his gaze never leaving the blade.

  Everyone shared confused glances, wondering who he was referring to, but I knew he was talking to me. Goosebumps prickled my skin.

  “How did you make it here on your own?” Tagan asked, but Goren ignored him.

  Goren lifted his gaze from the sword, meeting mine. “How did I make it here, Spellsword?”

  Yana glanced at me and whispered. “What does he want, Aidan? Do you know him?”

  “Stay alert.” I whispered back simply, Chronos’ warning echoing in my mind.

  “I heard what you whispered there.” He said, grinning. “Answer the question, Spellsword.”

  “What do you want, Goren?” I asked, trying to diffuse the situation.

  “What I want - or rather, what I wanted - was for us to team up.” He said, the grin still intact. “It was that simple.” His expression turned angry, his voice flaring. “And yet you fucked it up!”

  Everyone glanced at me again, and I just shrugged, turning back to Goren. “We’re on the same side.”

  “See! This! This here is the problem!” Goren snapped, pointing at me. “Your answers were always so, so vague, but only this run did I finally understand why.” Then, his grin returned. “You don’t remember anything, do you?”

  A chill ran down my spine.

  Goren continued. “It was so clear and yet I – “

  Tagan interrupted him. “Hey, I asked you a question – “

  But before Tagan could finish his words, he was already dead. It was almost like Goren teleported right next to him, slicing his throat with one sharp movement of his dagger.

  “Told you what would happen if you interrupted me again.” Goren said chillingly.

  Tagan’s body dropped to the floor, and all of us raised our weapons instinctively.

  “Goren, what the hell?” I stammered as my heart raced like crazy. It was the first time in my life I’d seen an adventurer kill another one like this.

  “None of this matters.” Goren said, seemingly to himself, his grin widening.

  Bernard, seeing his friend murdered right in front of his eyes, charged at Goren with his weapon. Yana tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen.

  Goren weaved under Bernard’s greatsword, and with two swift movements, cut each of his tendons, dropping the tank to his knees. Then, without any wasted movements, Goren equipped his sword from thin air, summoning it from his inventory, beheading the man with a spin move.

  Melissa screamed in fear and turned to run back into the tunnel we came from.

  Goren looked like he wasn’t having any of it.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” He said, replacing his sword with a golden bow instantly, and aiming it at the fleeing Melissa. He released an arrow, but Yana intercepted it, blocking the projectile with her sword, allowing Melissa to disappear into the tunnel behind us.

  “You’ll pay for this.” Yana threatened, her voice filled with rage.

  Goren, still smiling, ignored her and turned to me.

  “I wasted so much time helping you, thinking it would help me in the long run, but at the end of the day, you’re as useless as all of them. Without your memories, you’re useless!” he shouted, then laughed darkly.

  Yana didn’t waste a second. Taking advantage of Goren’s lack of concentration, she activated Blade Rush. Her figure blurring as she surged toward him, her sword aimed right at his chest.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  But Goren wasn’t caught off guard – not even close.

  With a single, fluid motion, he materialized his sword, raising it to intercept her attack. The clash of their blades rang like thunder, raising a cloud of dust around them. Sparks flew as Goren stood rooted in place, completely unfazed, grinning maniacally.

  Yana, however, strained against him. It was like she was pressing against a mountain.

  Then, without a single word, he moved. His body dissolved into dark mist, dissipating like smoke, leaving Yana swinging at empty air.

  “Behind you!” I shouted, but the words barely left my mouth before he reappeared right behind her, his back to her. With a casual flick of his wrist, he drove the pommel of his sword into her back with incredible force, sending her hurtling forward.

  Yana’s body slammed into the stone wall ahead, the impact cracking it. Dust and debris rained down as she crumpled to the ground.

  My heart sank as I saw Yana getting thrown like that. Goren’s movements were unlike anything a level 57 Rogue could ever dream of achieving. He was far stronger than his level suggested, likely hiding his true level, just like my new level was hidden. But while I was level 56 now, what level was he?

  “Now, you’ll pay, Spellsword.” He said, his gaze locking onto mine. He laughed again, sharing another unsettling detail about himself. “Those aren’t the first adventurers I’ve killed, by the way.” He pointed at Tagan’s and Bernard’s bodies. “At some point in this time loop, I figured I might as well kill some of the adventurers to see how much XP I’d gain. I knew they wouldn’t stay dead-dead since my eventual death would reset the timeline, so there was no downside to it. Sadly, they didn’t give much XP. It seems my System decided killing adventurers isn’t worth the hassle.”

  “And yet, you’re doing it now.” I said, aiming Nightfall at him.

  He laughed darkly. “That’s true, but it’s all your fault.” He pointed at the wall where Yana lay motionless. “I’m going to have fun killing her in front of your eyes before I kill you. Consider it my revenge for your lies and wasting my time.”

  The dark aura around him suddenly grew larger than ever before, writhing like it was alive.

  I tightened my grip on Nightfall and shot a quick glance at Yana, hoping she was alive. Then I turned back to Goren, meeting his terrifying gaze. “I won’t let you hurt her.”

  “Like you have a choice.” He replied, following up with a chuckle.

  I gritted my teeth, ignoring the fear building up inside me as I activated Wind Rush for the first time. I felt the magic flood my entire body, my movements becoming lighter. Next, I activated Bladesurge, watching Nightfall glow faintly. Goren seemed too strong for the likes of current me, but I knew I had to fight back to protect Yana.

  With Blade Rush, I launched myself at him, the combined force of Wind Rush propelling me faster than I’d ever moved before. I kept my gaze fixed on him – his smirk, his wild eyes, and the living darkness that surrounded him.

  I brought Nightfall down in an arc, aiming right for his side, hoping the enhanced blade would leave a dent. But just as I thought I had him, the blade cut through nothing but air. Goren dissolved into the mist again.

  My heart sank when I heard his voice – calm, cold, and insane – from the other end of the chamber, where Yana was.

  “I told you, didn’t I?” he said, standing over Yana’s prone body. He crouched slightly, casually reaching his hand out to grab her head. “Killing her in front of you will only make my revenge a lot sweeter.”

  “No! Don’t you dare touch her!” I shouted, running towards them, my legs moving on their own.

  But Goren didn’t wait. He lifted Yana’s limp body by the head as if she weighed nothing. I barely had time to register the movement before he hurled her straight at me.

  She collided with me full force. I managed to catch her, but we still went down hard. Nightfall slipped from my grasp, clattering away across the floor.

  I cradled Yana in my arms.

  “Yana?” I called, my voice trembling. Her face was pale, but she was breathing. At least she was still alive. “Wake up!” I shook her gently. “Come on, I need you!” my voice cracked.

  Goren’s voice was low as he approached us, mocking me. “You think she’ll make a difference? That low-leveled girl? Don’t insult me, Spellsword.” He continued his slow approach, his boots echoing against the chamber’s walls. “You…you are unforgivable, and I’ll make sure you understand that before the end.”

  I ignored him, focusing on Yana. I selected a Lesser Health Potion from my inventory, and it materialized in my hand. I popped the cork and forced the liquid into Yana’s mouth.

  She coughed weakly, the potion doing its work. Her eyelids fluttered, and I felt relief wash over me.

  Her voice was hoarse, her expression pained. “What…happened? Where is – “

  “We don’t have time.” I cut her off. “He’s coming. But together, we can – “

  “No!” she snapped, her voice suddenly stronger as she balanced herself on the floor. “No, listen to me. Run away from here as fast as you can. I’ll hold him off.” She gripped my arm weakly, her eyes darting toward Goren, who was still approaching, his grin wide and unhinged. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with him, but he’s clearly not level 57. He’ll kill you, Aidan!”

  I shook my head, anger rising within me at her constant heroic attitude. “Don’t be stupid! I’m not leaving you behind! We can take him down together.”

  “You can’t!” She dismissed my words. “He’s far too strong. I’m higher level than you. Trust me when I say that you need to leave. Now.”

  Before I could respond, Goren’s laugh cut through.

  “Oh, that’s rich.” He sneered, amused. “You? Hold me off? I already slew your Lady Mikaela once. What can you do that she couldn’t?”

  Me heart sank even deeper. If he was telling the truth, then current Goren was stronger than a level 100 adventurer, likely the strongest adventurer to walk the earth.

  Yana glared at him, confused by his words, and he continued. “Either way, your planned sacrifice is pointless. I’ll kill him anyway, right after I rip you apart.”

  Yana jumped to her feet, extending her hands, summoning the flames of her fire magic. With a shout, she unleashed a fiery blast toward Goren.

  Goren stood there, welcoming the fire with a smile. But then, his smile suddenly faltered, his eyes widening as if he’d just had an epiphany.

  The fire blast hit him directly, but as the flames dissipated, Goren stood there, entirely unfazed, his smirk returning.

  “Interesting.” He muttered, brushing off imaginary ash from his shoulder. “I’ve just realized something…incredible, Spellsword. Something I need to test.”

  “Stay back!” Yana shouted, another flame gathering in her hands.

  Goren raised a hand as if to calm her. “Ah, Yana, I was having so much fun. I really was. I wanted to prolong this, to make your boyfriend over there suffer as much as possible.” His grin widened as his gaze shifted to me. “But alas, I’ve got to end this quickly now.”

  Before I could even process what he meant, he dissolved into dark mist again. Then, an arm coiled around my throat from behind, strong, cutting off my air. I struggled, but the hold was unyielding.

  [Condition Applied: Suffocation by Goren Shein. Health drain at 5% per 10 seconds]

  “Shh, shh,” Goren whispered in my ear, his voice soft. “It’s alright. Just relax.”

  I fought harder, trying to summon my magic, but I couldn’t do anything. When I thought about how Yana would likely help me right now, Goren forcibly twisted my body towards where she stood.

  My heart stopped.

  Her body hit the ground. Cuts crisscrossed her form, blood pouring from every gash, forming a crimson pool beneath her. Her lifeless eyes stared back at me blankly.

  She was dead. Again.

  I wanted to scream her name, but Goren’s grip tightened, choking any sound from my throat. Panic enveloped me while tears blurred my vision.

  “Ah, don’t be so heartbroken.” Goren murmured. “It’s not like this is the first time. She’ll be fine in the next run. At least, until I’ll come along again.”

  He leaned even closer. “That’s what I realized just now. Normal adventurers…they’re worthless to me. Basically no XP. But you…” he chuckled. “You’re like me. Trapped in this loop. I bet you’ll give me so much XP for this kill.”

  I struggled harder, but his grip only tightened, making my vision darken. “Maybe you’re not as useless as I thought.” He mused. “If my hypothesis is correct, you might actually be good for something. My own personal farming mob.”

  [Health: 49%]

  His arm crushed against my neck, the pressure unbearable.

  “And the best part?” he whispered, following with a chuckle. “When you wake up in the next run…you won’t remember any of this.”

  A chill ran down my spine at his final words, realizing the horrifying truth behind them.

  The last thing I heard was the crack of my neck before everything went dark.

  [Health: 0% - You Have Died]