Jean consumed 3 MP potions and smiled, trying to hide her concerns. She lacked experience, while he was brimming with confidence. Why else would he have challenged her?

She had to concentrate and stop thinking that he was her first boss. This wasn't a video game. Her life was at stake.

Without taking her eyes off him, she retreated until her back nearly touched the wall. It wasn't the best strategy, but having her back protected reassured her. That and the fact that her left flank was protected by the shield restored her confidence.

Red Eyes bowed briefly and then turned invisible.

For half a minute of extreme tension, Jean kept a watchful eye on the puddles. There wasn't the slightest disturbance. Not even the whispers spoke. "Is he playing with me?"

She closed her eyes and concentrated on finding his presence. It was very vague and somewhat laggy, but at least she could sense if he was moving and towards where.

He approached step-by-step, carefully dodging all the puddles and jumping over those that were smaller, only to retreat in the same way. All this without getting close enough to get into her attack range.

She didn't realize why until it was too late. He dashed forward, dodging all the puddles with great ease, and swung his short sword at her neck.

Thanks to the whispers, she successfully blocked it, but Red Eyes slipped the dagger behind the shield, causing a sharp cut near the jugular.

“You like playing?! Let's see if you can levitate!”

Jean switched to the greatsword, performing a mid-height sweep imbued with yellow. The attack was fruitless, and so were the next two.

She healed her wound in anticipation of the next round. Spending mana on effects was futile if they didn't hit. Should she save it to heal herself?

The next round cleared her doubts. They both hit each other. She suffered a minor cut to the ribs and he, well... somewhere. She only knew that the tip of the bone blade had cut something.

The exchange of attacks continued, round after round, both becoming more and more injured.

Jean managed to hit him 7 times, but at a very high price. She was losing a lot of blood. Red Eyes had cut her 18 times, two of them being deep cuts.

If it weren't for the fact that her attacks forced him to recoil, she wouldn't have time to heal herself. Her mana was dwindling so quickly that she had no choice but to dip into her potion supply. She consumed a total of 15 HP and 7 MP potions in 4 minutes; she wouldn't last much longer at this rate.

Fortunately for her, after a couple more rounds, the pace of his attacks slowed. But still, he didn't deactivate the invisibility.

"How the hell can he still remain invisible?! Does he have infinite mana or what?!"

“[It's most likely that he has the skill at Master or Grandmaster rank.]”

"Great! Just what I needed!"

Jean went on the offensive. Without effects this time. She was anxious to finish the fight, but all she managed was to get more and more tired. Too bad she didn't have more experience and knowledge of this world, or he would be the one in trouble.

In the end, she hadn't hit him even once without effects. Was she falling into her own trap?

Jean returned to her initial strategy, but Red Eyes had waited patiently for this moment. After learning the height, timing and angle of her slashes, he rushed relentlessly at her.

Now that her attacks were slower, it was a piece of cake for him to reach her left side. Not even whispers could prevent the sharp tip from piercing her leather armor and skin like paper.

Jean screamed in pain as the blade ruptured several internal organs until it collided against the back of her ribcage. The fall of the greatsword followed, but it wasn't just from shock; it was to make him let his guard down too. Who had fallen into whose trap?

She elbowed him in the head, breaking his invisibility, and then clutched his right wrist, enduring indescribable pain as blood dripped to her feet.

Red Eyes quickly regained his balance and attacked her right side with the dagger.

Jean narrowly avoided the attack midway, but not without consequences. Such a feat required another sacrifice. She slowed the attack by grabbing the blade, but it slipped from her grasp, cutting her palm in the process. The dagger had just begun to pierce her skin when she managed to squeeze the handle tightly, crushing his fingers in the process.

Jean wasn't going to let pain stop her this time. This was just a glimpse of her resolve, she was determined to defeat him. "A rogue has no strength to spare, right?! Let's check who is stronger!"

Red Eyes struggled, but as expected, Jean's strength was far superior.

First, she broke his left hand before he could free it due to her bleeding hand.

Letting anger cloud her judgment, she gritted her teeth while coughing up a lot of blood. "CAN YOU SEE IT?! IT'S YOUR FUCKING END!"

Red Eyes tried to pull the sword out of her entrails, but as Jean refused to let go of his wrist, he pushed the sword hard and twisted it repeatedly.

She screamed in pain, weakening her grip. An opportunity that Red Eyes took to release his right arm and equip another dagger.

Jean managed to equip the shield in extremis to protect her neck, however, the dagger deflected, cutting her cheekbone and ear.

She momentarily lowered the shield and grabbed the short sword, storing it in her inventory. Blood spurted out. She consumed 10 HP potions and 7MP potions while overloading the healing skill, almost depleting all of her mana.

Both were at their limit, but Jean was about to surpass it. She pushed him down by the arm with all her strength, forcing him to end up on his knees, and launched a red-imbued kick directly at his head.

He stopped the attack, sacrificing his intact arm, but even so, he ended up unarmed on the ground; the dagger fell to the ground due to the impact.

Jean lifted her leg ready to stomp him, but Red Eyes took the opportunity to grab her leg with his own, throwing her off balance.

After tumbling backwards, she rolled to the side. Not only did she manage to get to her feet swiftly, but she also avoided being impaled to the ground by her own bronze spear. Or so she thought at first. The whispers had warned her, but with his arm dislocated, the spear hit the ground almost half a meter before it reached her.

Red Eyes looked around, considering his chances before running into the depths.

Jean picked up the spear and the greatsword, and chased after him. Her wounds were not fully healed and needed urgent attention, but that would have to wait. She couldn't let him escape or he might come back even stronger.

The distance between them only increased, and to make matters worse, he had also become invisible.

She hurled the greatsword imbued right where he had disappeared, in a desperate attempt to reach him, but nothing.

Jean switched to the bronze spear and closed her eyes. The constant sound of her own footsteps didn't let her concentrate, so she stopped in her tracks.

It wasn't long before she noticed his presence in a distant puddle. She sprinted and threw the spear with all her strength and mana, predicting he would dodge to the right.

The spear imbued with red, orange and yellow pierced his back before he could react. His body turned to dust moments later. A dust that vanished like hot steam.

"Shit! All this for nothing!"

“[It wasn't in vain. Now his master fears you.]”

“What do I care! I wanted to see what I could learn from him!”

“[Combat experience is just as valuable.]”

Jean shrugged. "I almost died a few times, but... I guess that makes it more exciting!"

She focused on recovering and looting the corpses. She first added Red Eyes’ weapons to her collection and then transmuted the rest. They were rusty, so she didn't get much for them. It barely covered the cost of repairing the damage to hers. She left the staff for later, convinced that she would get a lot of coins for it.

Devouring the warrior and the archer allowed her to upgrade two of her skills. Guardian Whisper and Efficient. From the mage, she got a new skill, but something unexpected also happened. Since the staff was linked to the mage, as soon as she devoured him, it simply disappeared.

"What the...! Why?!"

"[The staff has been added to the »Bargains« section of the bazaar. You have also received extra experience.]"

[Guardian Whisper] (Expert): Unique skill. Allows whispers to warn you when an attack may be deadly, and where it is headed. Allows you to predict the trajectory as well. Additionally, grants +3 to Perception when you are being attacked within a 8 meters radius.

[Efficient] (Advanced): You consume 10% less mana and stamina.

[Explosive Rune] (Basic): Unique Skill. Creates a glyph that, when triggered, erupts with magical energy in a 1-meter-radius sphere. Creating the glyph has a high mana consumption and requires a sustained casting to activate. Effects can potentiate the explosion and also transform it.

"Explosive Rune?! He didn't do that! He made hands appear from the ground!"

"[The skill mutated because the individual had the favor of a spirit.]"

“Spirit?”

“[Yes. One like »Nimireth«.]”

“Who exactly is Nimireth?”

“[Still nothing, huh? Take a seat! We'll help you remember!]”

A strong dizziness made her legs shake like noodles; she barely had time to look for a surface free of water.

Numbness temporarily engulfed her. During that memory, she didn't have her actual body, she was still a gelatinous mass with human form.

Darkness reigned, except for two brightly lit doors about 12 meters away. Two doors barely separated from each other. Despite her initial doubts, she eventually gathered the courage to step forward.

The door on the left appeared to be quite old, possibly dating back to the Middle Ages. In addition to the worn, poorly squared and nailed boards, the surface was stained with blood and covered with scratches, cuts, and dents. In the center, turquoise runes floated.

As she looked at them for a while, their symbols began to make sense, and words formed in her mind.

"Fight and... destroy!"

Next, she focused on the door on the right. Although it seemed to be from the same time period, it looked completely different. Clean, lacquered and of impeccable workmanship. Runes of the same color floated in the center as well.

"Transmute and trade."

As she contemplated whether to open them, she heard an unusual murmur emanating from the doors.

Jean moved closer to the right door first. As she approached, she heard the clinking of coins and the euphoria of the merchants extolling their wares. The smells of the various food stalls were stifled by the pungent smell of charcoal. And accompanying it, the noise of various tools such as hammers, saws, and wood planers. It reminded her of the time she visited a medieval marketplace.

From that distance, the sounds from the left door began to drown out those from the right door. She heard sounds of metal clashing against metal, kicks and punches, as well as energy in the form of lightning, flames and shock waves. The scent of blood and death overwhelmed her, causing her to cover her mouth with her hand. She felt nauseous, but fortunately, there was nothing in her stomach to respond to the stimulus.

She considered her options for a while. However, her indecision forced the whispers to come to her aid. They explained to her that she would receive what was behind the two doors, but the first door she crossed would determine her path. She would either receive the favor of Fel-Har, the exarch of combat, or the favor of Irum, the exarch of trades.

She wasn't interested in wealth, she never had been. She was motivated by sensations such as victory and personal growth. However, motivation wasn't her strong point lately. The fear of living had crushed her.

She stood in front of the left door, trembling with fear. The screams emanating from inside only added to her distress. What will she do with her fear?

She scanned her surroundings again, hoping for a menu to appear. She wanted to allocate some points to her Willpower or another attribute that would burst her courage.

"I can help you with that, darling!"

Jean turned quickly, startled by the female voice behind her.

The woman was invisible, but her skin and long hair were defined by some short of golden ripples that continuously moved across her, resembling the slight disturbance of a breeze on a pond. Above her head was a white halo, and enormous wings grew from her back.

She had a fit physique with a thin waist that accentuated her wide hips, endless legs, and a generous and firm bust. Overall, her proportions were a visual delight.

Jean looked away, embarrassed. The woman was only wearing a white one-piece dress so thin and tight, she appeared to be completely naked. She was both strange and beautiful, with an excessive level of eroticism that bordered on indecency.

"Don't pretend! I know you like what you see!”

Jean glanced shyly in her direction. Even her gait gave off a level of erotism that made it impossible to take her eyes off her.

"How curious! You show impatience, but you'll succumb to fear in no time! Don't deny it! You're an expert on the subject!"

Mind-reader detector went off. She hated those who stuck their noses where no one called them.

"W-who are you? W-what do you know about me?"

The woman sighed. "The idea of being a player makes you vibrate, doesn't it? You want so badly to be able to overcome your fear and be free again… You crave it, don't you? To be able to be the way you should have been! Do you think you could do it alone, even if you had the chance?"

Jean wanted to answer confidently, but the woman seemed to know her too well. There was no point in pretending.

"I can help you with that. It's easy for me! I can make all your wishes come true. Even the unspeakable!"

Jean endured in silence, not missing a single word. Although she found it difficult to ignore the woman's arrogance, she was overly interested in that opportunity.

"Why are you so interested in helping me? Are you a helper of this game? Some kind of tutorial?"

"No, darling!"

"A compassionate soul or something like a Gamer God?"

The woman laughed out loud. "Your concept of Gamer God is beyond me! But you could think of me as a programmer with certain permissions and limitations."

"A programmer? So... you can alter the rules?"

"No, but... What would you say if I told you that I could give you the opportunity to live with that handsome man in the new world?"

"What handsome man? Ian?!"

"Yes! The one from the hypermarket! The one that wet your panties in 30 seconds!"

That woman made her feel almost as uncomfortable as her younger sister, but she was not willing to let her go. "Stop teasing me! If you have limitations, I don't see how you can give me everything you say!"

"Oh, darling! Leave that to me!"

"Can you really do it?"

"Come on, darling! Do you want to make a pact or not?"

Jean wanted to get rid of all the fear she had nurtured for so long, but all she knew was to keep her head down.

The woman suddenly approached her and sensually caressed her chin with her index finger. Their lips were on the verge of touching, and the woman's sensual breasts lasciviously rubbed against Jean's body. A body that couldn't stop shaking and blushing.

They locked eyes for several seconds. "You want to be like him, don't you? You long for what you could have been if you hadn't given up!"

Her voice and scent were intoxicating, making it hard to focus. Her beauty had a mesmerizing effect. An influx that made her fantasize about her possibilities. All within her reach.

"Choose?! No! I want more! I want to achieve everything I set my mind to!"

The woman smiled widely. "Uhm! You are ambitious! I like that! You don't want what everyone else wants. However... There are rules against it! You need a winning card to break those rules. I can be that and much more!"

Jean struggled to speak. "Are you... serious? Can you... really do it? But... before you said…! In exchange for... what?"

The woman placed a finger over Jean’s lips. "Something perfectly within your reach."

Jean stared at her. The whispers warned her to be careful. She was no ordinary woman, she was a spirit. The offer was risky and...

Jean nodded without hesitation.

The woman’s eyes sparkled while her lips smiled with complicity, as if that didn't happen very often. Without warning, she kissed her. She slid her soft, wet tongue until it found hers. The kiss was a frenzy for someone who had never been kissed before. Their tongues bathed in lust until the pleasure ended abruptly.

"Can you feel it?"

Jean sighed. "Yeah...! It was amazing!"

The woman couldn't help but laugh. "Oh no, darling! I meant your fear! It shouldn't be a problem anymore."

“[»Attribute« selection accepted.]”

Still on cloud nine. "Huh?! What do you mean accepted? What have you done?!"

The woman stepped back, leaving Jean eager for her touch. "This setup will help you get started faster than anyone else! It may take a while to sync, but you should already notice some of the effects."

She pointed to the left door and began to slowly fade away. "Try opening it now!"

A slight tingling ran through her body as she refrained from begging her not to leave. It wasn't desire, but rather a sensation that seemed to flow through her skin, muscles, and bones, or whatever that jelly body had. A sensation that had completely changed her. She felt stronger and tenacious than ever.

The constant feeling of doubt had disappeared. Despite the sounds of violence and the unpleasant smell from the left door, there was no longer any uncertainty.

As soon as she attempted to open the door, both doors vanished, transforming into a purple smoke that enveloped her.

Reality returned, and so did disbelief. “That being was Nimireth?!”

What exactly had she done to change her to such an extent that she could not even recognize herself? There was no doubt that she had turned her into everything she had always wanted to be, but there was something that troubled her.

“What did she ask in exchange?”

“[She didn't say it. Maybe it's related to your main mission.]”

Jean opened the map. Her main mission pointed in the same direction as always, where the wide tunnel ascended to the surface.

She headed in the direction of the rats, but since she didn't have hunger, she focused on the water. After storing a bit in the inventory, she discovered that she could transmute it. However, its value was low.

After accumulating several liters with great difficulty, picking it up with her hands, she only managed to get 15 white coins in return. At least it helped her to devour all the rats.

“[You've discovered various properties of corruption-free creatures. Progress towards a new skill, 46%.]”

"Any new skill is welcome!"

“[You won't be able to upgrade your disease resistance by consuming rats.]”

“Why?”

“[Corruption only spreads through players.]”

She stood up and continued to ascend. Her eagerness to level up and learn new skills kept growing. She didn't remember who she had wanted to look like before disappearing from the Earth, but she felt as if that feeling had pushed her to wake up.

"No one's gonna take this opportunity away from me! No matter who stands in my way!"