Chapter 22: Someone in this dimension?

"Tch."

Vora’s annoyed click of her tongue faded behind them as they hurried down the hill.

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Their breathing was heavy and ragged by the time they reached the bottom.

"Ha... ha... ha..." They slowed their pace upon reaching flat ground.

They walked along a narrow, stony path hemmed in on both sides by towering rock walls. Ahead of them, the path led straight into a dense, dark forest. They followed the trail in between the tall, shadowy trees as the biting cold wind cut through their clothes.

"It’s so dark," Miku said, curiosity in her voice. "Why did Liora tell us to head north?"

"She seems to know this dimension well," Reika replied.

"Yeah, looks like Liora knows this place better than we do," Ryu added.

Ren kept his eyes scanning the dark woods, remaining on high alert.

His mind couldn’t think positively right now; the grim atmosphere of the forest made it impossible to relax. He swept his eyes through the dark foliage, finding the forest silent and seemingly safe—at least for the time being.

"Looks like it," Reika agreed.

Ren glanced occasionally at Princess Evelyn, who was clutching her wounded arm without uttering a single word.

"Princess Evelyn, sorry to bother you, but may I ask you something?" Ren spoke cautiously, making Evelyn turn her head toward him.

Before answering, Evelyn simply nodded.

"Up on the hill, all those massive monsters lying dead... did you defeat them all by yourself?" Ren asked, genuinely curious.

Ren noticed that Evelyn was injured, but her wound looked like it came from a sharp weapon—such as a sword or blade—rather than a monster’s claw. What remained a mystery to Ren was her true purpose in entering this dimension. There had to be a pressing reason; a princess wouldn’t come to such a dangerous dimension without an urgent motive.

Evelyn nodded softly. "Yeah..."

Reika, Miku, and Ryu turned their attention toward Evelyn, listening carefully to her words.

"Then what brought you here?" Ren asked.

Evelyn stayed silent for a brief moment, creating a quiet pause before answering.

"Velista... I came here to stop her," Evelyn said in a flat tone, glancing at Ren out of the corner of her eye.

Hearing the name, Miku, Ryu, and Reika widened their eyes in shock, clearly knowing who Velista was.

"Velista..." Ryu whispered, his eyes trembling.

"Isn’t she the leader of the Heretical Dark Faction?" Reika added.

"Heretical Dark Faction?" Ren repeated the phrase under his breath.

Evelyn responded, "The Heretical Dark Faction is an evil organization with one goal." She stopped, her eyes turning cold and sharp.

Ren focused entirely on her, waiting for her answer.

"To wipe out all of humanity," Evelyn continued gravely.

Ren’s eyes widened.

’Wait... does that mean all the monsters and the chaos outside—the reason humans are forced to hide behind city walls—is because of this organization?’ Ren’s heart hammered against his chest.

This new information left him stunned and uncomfortable. Initially, Ren had assumed that monsters and humans simply coexisted in a natural state of conflict. Could the monsters terrorizing humanity actually be linked to the Heretical Dark Faction?

Though confused, Ren’s mind immediately pieced together the clues: the C-Rank Aberrant core he had found in the cave—which the system had detected as an entity altered by external forces—and Vora’s ability to command monsters. Connecting these hints from the start of his journey when he first met Elysia and accepted her mission to rescue Princess Evelyn, Ren arrived at a chilling conclusion.

This world wasn’t just fighting monsters. They were fighting something behind the monsters—people who orchestrated the chaos with the horrific goal of annihilating humanity.

Ren’s heart raced, his vision shaking as a cold chill ran down his spine.

He was stunned to realize the sheer complexity and high threat level of this world. On top of that, there was the mystery of the Dark God sealed inside him, the Celestial lineage that once worshipped dark deities, and the true motives of the Heretical Dark Faction causing havoc.

It made sense that the members of the Heretical Dark Faction weren’t just ordinary mages or fighters. They were likely individuals with extraordinary power, capable of forcing humanity to cower inside fortified kingdoms without daring to step outside.

"Princess Evelyn, why did you come here to face her alone? Wasn’t that far too risky for you?" Miku asked anxiously, knowing how dangerous Velista truly was.

Evelyn lowered her head slightly. "I didn’t want to drag anyone else into a dangerous situation. That’s all..." she answered quietly.

"I know you don’t want to put others in danger, but if anything happens to you, the Starlight Kingdom will fall into chaos... Without you, Princess Evelyn, the kingdom will be in grave danger," Ryu said seriously, his brow furrowed.

Ren silently analyzed and digested their conversation.

’So Princess Evelyn isn’t just royalty; she possesses top-tier strength, as proven by the monsters she wiped out alone. That’s why Elysia was so worried about her older sister... because Evelyn might be everyone’s beacon of hope in the kingdom.’ Ren reached his own conclusion.

Without realizing it, a flickering light from a torch came into view up ahead, illuminating a section of the dark forest.

They all narrowed their eyes.

Before they could process what lay ahead, Princess Evelyn suddenly fell to her knees and vomited dark blood. Her face turned deathly pale.

Reika and Miku immediately dropped down beside her, gently rubbing Evelyn’s back with trembling, panicked hands. They were lost and anxious, unsure of what to do as fear gripped them.

Ren and Ryu dropped to their knees as well, anxious and trying to find a way to soothe her nausea and ease her condition.

"It looks like Princess Evelyn is experiencing severe mana burn," Ryu noted with concern.

Ren shuddered at the sight of the blood, realizing Evelyn’s state was critical.

Shortly after, Princess Evelyn’s pale, weakened body tilted backward.

Ren and Ryu quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

Miku and Reika stood up in distress, scanning their surroundings to the left and right. "We need to find a safe place for Princess Evelyn. Her condition looks terrible," Reika said anxiously.

Miku nodded in agreement.

"Princess Evelyn seems to be suffering from severe mana burn," Ryu analyzed, checking her pulse and neck.

Ren held Evelyn on his lap, lowering her carefully. "Mana burn?" Ren looked up at Ryu, curious.

"It’s a condition where someone forces themselves beyond their limits—specifically forcing out their full power while their mana reserves are critically low and unstable," Ryu explained.

Directly on the trail ahead, in an area of the forest where a torch hung from a thick tree trunk, a man wearing a plain brown shirt and black pants suddenly stepped out from the side. He furrowed his brow, staring at the group with a completely bewildered expression.

Miku, Reika, Ryu, and Ren couldn’t help but stare back, their eyebrows furrowing in unison.

"Ehh..." Miku and Reika gasped in surprise.

Ryu’s eyes narrowed sharply, focusing on the stranger standing there in confusion.

Everyone shared the same stunned, baffled look, unable to comprehend how another person could be present in this isolated dimension.

’Why is there a civilian out here?’ Ren thought, staring intently at the man standing before them in total disbelief.