[Lancelot's POV]
I looked down at her corpse, which was slowly turning into particles, tears streaming down my face.
I had acquired the EXP to activate [Superior Stealth] but at what cost?
In the end, I had lost. Our love had been consumed by the brutal reality of our situation, and I had been forced to kill her in order to survive.
My heart was heavy with grief and guilt, and I knew that I would never be the same again.
However, as much as I was consumed with grief, I couldn't just succumb to it, for the alarm was already ringing. I didn't have time to grieve for Nanally and waste her death by letting the Old Hag catch me.
I bit the skin on my hand until it bled to stop the shaking of my limbs. I then quickly grabbed Nanally's knife and stored it in my inventory.
I activated [Superior Stealth], an ability that not even beasts, traps, perception magic, and other magic-related skills would be able to detect me. Not until I initiated an attack would they be able to see me.
My heart was pounding in my chest as I crept silently toward the open cell where the witch and her three trolls stood in bafflement of what had just happened.
One look and the Old Hag whispered, "Did they . . . take their lives?" she asked herself as she looked at Nanally's disappearing figure.
"This why I hate to deal with players. They're so quick to succumb to fear and end their lives at the slightest pain." The Old Hag sighed while shaking her head. She then pulled a vial from her enormous bosom and sprinkled it on Nanally's disappearing body.
"That damn Lisa is late. If she had been here, she could have done something about this players' equipment. Still . . . the fault lies in me, for I can't seem to create something that would let me access to these players' items and stop them from using their abilities here."
I heard the witch mutter to herself, but she might as well be invisible. My focus was on Nanally's body. Half of her body was gone, but her torso all the way up to her headless neck stopped dissolving into particles. It must be that vial she sprinkled on her.
Were they still going to mutilate Nanally's body even after she died?
I shook to my core, and I almost puked. My hands shot to my mouth and held myself together. I must not succumb to dread and give away my location or Nanally's sacrifice would be in vain.
"Where's the other one?" The Old Hag suddenly asked.
My knees almost gave way when fear bit my legs and shook my limbs uncontrollably.
"That's odd . . . his body shouldn't have disappeared that quickly. We should still have parts for my potions."
My heart leaped to my throat when the Old Hag's looked in my direction, and our eyes met. I took a step back and almost stumbled if not for my hand's quick response to hold onto the bars for support. A good thing that it was sturdy and didn't made any noise.
I thought that she heard the loud beating of my heart, smelled my fear, and heard my breathing though I held it as long as I could.
"Find him," she uttered in a low voice while her eyes revolved around the cell. "Interview the others and used force if you have to."
The nose of the three trolls inflated, sniffing so hard, filling their lungs like they would take all the air in the room.
I only breathed the air I held in careful succession when they couldn't spot my location.
I didn't waste time and moved through the shadows. My senses were heightened, and every sound and movement was magnified in my mind. I could see the Old Hag and the three trolls in front of me, but they were oblivious to my presence.
As I passed by the witch, I paused for a moment, my hand hovering over my weapon. I felt the anger and hatred rising within me, fuelled by the memory of all the innocent lives of my comrades she had taken.
But I quickly dissolved the idea and stored my weapon. I knew I was no match for her, not yet. I indeed had an advantage over the others with my rare class, but she was ancient and powerful, with dark magic at her command.
I could sense the danger in the air, the oppressive weight of her presence.
So I made a promise to myself, a vow to get back at her someday, to kill her with my own hands and make her pay for all the sufferings that I went through in her hands.
As I slipped away into the shadows, I felt a mix of emotions swirling within me. There was fear at the thought of facing the Old Hag again. But there was also determination, a steely resolve to become stronger and more skilled, to never let her get the better of me again, and avenge Nanally's death.
At that moment, I knew that this encounter with the Old Hag and the three trolls was just the beginning. But right now, all I could think about was getting out of her first.
I hurried out of prison and out of the house in careful steps. My spirit was bruised and battered, my mind reeling from the horrors I had witnessed. For days, I had been held captive by the Old Hag, subject to her mental torture.
As I breathed in the fresh air of the outside world, I felt a sense of relief and freedom wash over me. But that was quickly replaced by a deep sense of sorrow and anger. I had seen so much suffering and pain, and I knew that I could never forget what I had experienced.
My thoughts were consumed by the memory of the Old Hag and the knowledge that she was still out there, free to continue her evil deeds. I felt a burning desire for revenge, a need to make her pay for what she had done to me and to my comrades, especially to Nanally.
But beneath that anger was a deeper sense of sadness and despair. I had seen the worst of this world in the Old Hag, and I knew that there were other dark forces at work in this world.
I wondered if I could ever truly survive at this rate. Being held captive was a blow to my self-confidence, and I wasn't sure about anything anymore.
What I knew was that . . . I had to get stronger . . . no matter what it took.
As I ran away from the house and into the forest, my heart was heavy with emotion. At this moment, I knew that I had a choice to make. I could let my anger and despair consume me, or I could use this experience to fuel my determination to get stronger and get my revenge.
And so, with a deep breath and a heavy heart, I ran away, leaving Nanally's corpse in the Old Hag's hands.
Days passed after that tragedy in my life. I lost my smile. I became suspicious of every little thing, and my positive attitude to everything turned into pessimistic character.
I was afraid to get close to other players again for fear of suffering that kind of pain and emotional torture when they died. This world was dangerous, and it was better to be alone, protecting myself from the future troubles brought by getting close to a group.
Not a day had passed since Nanally's death that I wasn't hunted by her presence in my dreams to the point that I didn't sleep anymore.
And not a day passed that my hatred for the Old Hag intensified to the point that I needed to let out my anger, or I would explode. I took in dangerous quests, missions, and beasts and racked EXP points in the process.
But it wasn't enough.
I still needed to get stronger.
Roselake Town was a scenic place. In fact, it was too good of a place to stay and get stronger. It was a safe town where not much was really happening.
So I moved my sight to Castle Rock, making sure to grind while I was traveling so I could get stronger quickly.
I didn't have any plans to enroll in the Player's Academy at first, but when a tragedy struck again in the form of an Apocalyptic Event called Blood Rain, I didn't have any choice but to enroll so I could have a roof over my head in the days to come.
Any exposure to the blood rain would result in the melting of our skin. This rain didn't distinguish between inhabitants and players, with the exception of beasts, animals, and nature.
So I would need to find a place where I could safely wait out the storm. I would also need to ensure that I had enough food, water, and other supplies to last for the duration of the storm. And enrolling in the said school was the answer to all my problems.
