Chapter 68: Reunited with that obsessed woman(Vora)

Ryu sheathed his katana with a sharp, metallic click. "We track them down. We bring him back. End of story."

Evelyn turned toward the center of the territory, her hands clenching into tight fists at her sides as she stared into the horizon where the dark portal had vanished.

"Velista didn’t kill him," Evelyn muttered, her tone dripping with quiet, lethal promise. "Which means she needs him for something. We rebuild our lines, we secure the gates, and then we hunt her down. We’re getting him back... no matter what it takes."

---

(Ren POV)

The world was spinning.

Ren’s consciousness drifted in and out of a heavy, suffocating fog. His vision was shot through with dark blotches, and every thrum of his pulse echoed behind his eyes like a muffled war drum.

He forced his eyelids open a fraction of a millimeter. Dirt, pebbles, and crushed grass scraped against his left shoulder as he was dragged across the ground. A single, pale, iron-hard hand was clamped around his ankle, hauling him along as casually as a hunter dragging dead game.

Ren’s pupils dilated. His heart slammed violently against his ribs.

He jerked his chin up, trying to scan his surroundings through the haze. Lumiria was gone. The white stone ramparts, the heavy artillery smoke, the shrieks of the Aberrant swarm, the bloodied cobbles—all of it had vanished into thin air.

Instead, he was being dragged through a vast, sun-drenched meadow surrounded by ancient, towering oak trees. The scent of wild grass and damp earth filled his nose.

’Did she drag me out of Lumiria on foot while I was unconscious?’ Ren thought frantically, his teeth grinding together as his brain struggled to catch up.

’No... that’s impossible. If she tried to walk me out through the front line, Evelyn, Kael, and the military corps wouldn’t have just stood there and let her stroll past. They would have thrown everything they had at her to cut me loose. Besides, the main exit was completely jammed by thousands of charging Aberrants...’

His brow creased as he stared up at the smooth, bare back of Velista’s off-shoulder gown. She was walking with a relaxed, effortless stride, her long violet hair swaying with the gentle breeze.

’A spatial jump,’ Ren realized, a cold shiver creeping up his spine. ’That dark purple vortex... she doesn’t just manipulate black holes; she can cross vast distances across the realm in a fraction of a second. She bypassed the entire battle sector in a single breath.’

He felt a sudden wave of isolation. Looking up at the open sky, the noon sun burned bright against a cloudless blue canvas. This wasn’t a pocket dimension or an artificial illusion realm like Vora’s spatial prison. They were out in the real world, somewhere deep within the untamed wilderness far beyond Lumiria’s scouted borders.

Ren shifted his weight slightly, testing his limbs. Fighting back right now was suicide.

The translucent blue rectangular Status Interface flared to life before his eyes, floating quietly in his line of sight:

[STATUS HOST]

[SYSTEM LEVEL: 60]

[RESOURCES:]

CM: 43

CP: 27

[NYX SEAL STATUS:]

Current: 89%

Side Effects: Low-frequency static detected.

Full Reset Timer: 5 Hours 18 Minutes (In Progress)

[MONSTER FORGE]

[INVENTORY MONSTER FORGE: 7/12]

Ren’s eyes locked onto the Nyx Seal status line. ’89%...’

His mouth went dry. Whenever the seal breached the 83% threshold, the dark divine energy leaked directly into his neural pathways, rendering his physical body highly unstable. If he pushed his System abilities now, the seal’s suppression field would collapse entirely, opening the door for Nyx’s consciousness to drown out his own. He had to lay low for at least five hours until the reset sequence finalized.

His eyes shifted downward to the [MONSTER FORGE] tab.

For the past month, he had been so completely absorbed in the logistics of expanding Lumiria—building stone housing, organizing rationing networks, constructing barracks, and setting up defense perimeters—that he had completely shelved the Monster Forge feature after unlocking it.

’Dammit... how could I forget about such a critical feature?’ Ren cursed himself internally.

If he had utilized the Forge earlier, he could have fused and synthesized high-tier companion units to bolster the city’s defenses. But regret was useless now. What mattered was survival.

Lumiria was stable. He had left it in good shape. Over the last thirty days, the territory had transformed into a self-sustaining fortress city. High-density residential zones, military supply depots, and centralized administration centers were fully operational. Down in the military garages, he had already deployed a hidden reserve of armored transport vehicles, light tanks, and high-mobility combat trucks synthesized through his system.

Ryu, Kael, and Evelyn had the tactical intellect, the firepower, and the personnel to defend the perimeter even in his absence.

’The city will hold,’ Ren told himself, his jaw tightening. ’My only job right now is to figure out how to get out of these clutches alive.’

His mind flicked back to the Monster Forge inventory. He had seven C-rank Aberrant cores sitting in storage. But as he looked at the woman dragging him by the ankle, reality hit him like a cold bucket of water.

Velista had just taken point-blank automatic rifle fire, cleaved through high-tier spell-swords, absorbed heavy caliber lead into spatial voids, and healed a hollowed-out chest wound in a matter of seconds. Spawning a handful of low-grade C-rank beast summons against a monster like her would be like throwing paper cups at a hurricane. It wouldn’t buy him two seconds.

’Nonsense...’ Ren thought, forced to abandon the idea.

His mind echoed with the dark, purring words Velista had spoken atop the ramparts:

’"Because you are me... and I am you."’

The memory sent a sharp pang of anxiety through his chest.

’Why did she say that?’ Ren pondered, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the back of her head. ’If there’s a direct link between the vessel I inhabit and the leader of the Heretical Dark Faction, there’s a massive piece of lore I’m completely blind to. Direct confrontation is a dead end. Pushing my luck with a broken seal will get me killed or possessed.’

He quickly formed a decision.

He would play dead. He would act as a helpless captive, play along with her games, and bide his time while digging for information regarding the true origin of his body and its connection to Velista.

Suddenly, Velista stopped.

They had reached a clearing dominated by massive, moss-covered granite boulders beneath a dense canopy of towering pines.

Without a word, Velista unceremoniously dropped his ankle. Ren’s leg hit the dirt with a soft thud.

Ren instantly relaxed every muscle in his body, letting his head tilt limply to the side, his eyes closed tight as he faked total unconsciousness. He held his breath, keeping his chest movements faint and steady to complete the act.

Velista didn’t move away right away. Ren could feel the heavy, suffocating pressure of her gaze hovering over his body. He kept his posture completely slack, every nerve on edge.

A moment later, the soft rustle of silk cut through the quiet air as Velista turned around, stepping away to lean her back against a large granite boulder. She folded her arms across her chest, watching his motionless form in silence.

Ren kept his eyes closed, his ears strained to catch every ambient sound in the clearing. The rustle of pine needles, the gentle mountain breeze...

Click. Click. Click.

The sharp, rhythmic tapping of high-heeled boots sounded against the rocky ground from his left, sweeping through the damp grass.

Ren’s heart leaped into his throat. ’Someone else is here...?’

"Ah," Velista’s melodious voice echoed through the clearing, laced with a smooth, amused purr. "You finally decided to join us, Vora."

THUMP.

Ren’s heart slammed against his ribcage so hard he was terrified they would hear it.

’Vora?!’

The name echoed in his mind like a death knell. The sadistic, bloodthirsty dark executive who had trapped him in her twisted domain a month ago was standing just yards away.

"Ah... Velista~~"

A sickeningly sweet, playful voice responded. The sound of heels tapped closer, stopping right next to Ren’s limp body.

A shadow fell over his face, blocking out the warmth of the sun.

Vora crouched down beside him. Ren could feel the cool, ominous breeze stirred by her presence. Her face was hovering mere inches above his own.

Ren’s palms turned slick with cold sweat. His muscles locked up, every instinct screaming at him to burst up and run, but he forced himself to stay completely still, keeping his breathing shallow.

A light, hushed giggle escaped Vora’s lips, sending a violent chill down Ren’s spine.

’Dammit... Vora... Why the hell did I have to run into this lunatic again?!’ Ren screamed internally, his mind spiraling into complete panic.

Slowly, deliberately, a pair of ice-cold, slender fingers touched his cheek.

Vora traced her fingertips gently across his jawline, sliding her hand down his skin until her fingers rested lightly over his throat. Her touch was soft, but the underlying intent was terrifyingly sharp. A wicked, unhinged smile spread across her face as she leaned in closer, her breath brushing against his ear.

"We finally meet again... hihihi..." Vora whispered, her voice dripping with dark affection.