Chapter 8 : Chaos in the town (3)

'Wooshh!!'

Illusion gas blurred Amertia's vision.

She couldn't move!

Amertia coughed violently, acidic smoke filling her lungs and making her choke. The system in her mind kept ringing.

[Host warning! Your body is under hallucination attack!]

Amertia frowned. Images from the past made her eyes redden with hatred.

Strange illusions, images of a man and a woman she didn't understand.

Unconsciously, Amertia's body moved forward. Whispering echoes hypnotized her.

'Come forward.'

'The real answer is in front of you.'

She didn't realize the system in her mind was trying to wake her up.

Tia's mind was filled with images she didn't understand. Soft, enchanting whispers, a captivating touch like an oasis. The man gently touched her cheek.

The woman's eyes were filled with his figure.

"My darling...."

"I'm sorry."

On the other hand......

Horikita never expected his life to be filled with calm since no transmigrator had appeared. Although none of his projects had succeeded since no transmigrator showed up, at least he wasn't starving because he had no money.

'The important thing is I can eat,' he thought.

Today he was shopping with his adoptive mother (yes, in this life he was an orphan adopted by a married couple). The old woman looked happy, and Horikita was also happy.

So far, this was his longest life.

The sky was bright, the rustle of shoppers enlivened the market filled with people's lives.

"Look, that knight is injured."

"Isn't that Mage Leo?"

"How could he be injured?"

"Are there undead in the capital?!"

"Or perhaps a monster?"

People's whispers were heard around him. Horikita frowned, unconsciously touching the mark on his body that felt hot. A sign that the transmigrator was not far from him.

'Where is that transmigrator?'

His mother, like the people around her, became alert. The woman pulled Horikita's arm, wanting to take him back home.

"Son, something doesn't feel right here."

Although he still wanted to find out what was happening, Horikita didn't want to act recklessly at this moment. Especially because of the monster rumors. What if his mother got hurt? It was better to take her to a safe place first before looking for the transmigrator.

He couldn't die yet before he met who this transmigrator was. He still had a dream of becoming rich; if completing his mission could make him a billionaire, he would definitely do it!

For the sake of becoming a billionaire.

But everything spiraled out of control when the illusionary snake monster appeared!

"Run, everyone!"

Horikita, an inter-imperial merchant, had encountered many monsters during his travels. He used to be with adventurers by his side and had a lot of experience dealing with S-class monsters.

"When you look into those eyes, you must destroy them before they draw you into an illusion!"

The monster's appearance and the city's destruction brought him into an illusion of his past. Where buildings were destroyed and burned, people ran in fear, yet two people in the midst of the chaos looked at each other.

The day a transmigrator fought a god in the sky.

Now that he thought about it... wasn't he not the only one who saw it clearly?

There was also a little girl there.... Who was that?

[Danger! System activating protection!]

[Mind protection cost: 3 gems]

[Current gem count: 2]

[Protection activated.]

Amertia pulled her consciousness back. The girl panted, emotions she didn't understand enveloping her heart with a suffocating tightness.

What is this?

What is this?!

WHAT IS THIS?!

Her frustration increased along with her confusion. She looked around, thick fog shrouded the surroundings. She didn't know where she was now.

"You are inside my illusion, woman," a male figure slowly emerged from nothingness.

Green hair, golden eyes. A tall, handsome figure, but his identity was clearly guessable.

"You are the illusionary snake monster," Tia said bluntly.

The snake wasn't surprised that the girl was quick to deduce his identity. He looked pleased and interested. The snake tried to read Tia's expression, but he found nothing.

The woman was calm. Without a ripple of emotion in her eyes, looking at him as if he were just a stranger and not the snake that had destroyed the city earlier.

Snake: "Hahahaha. You don't look scared."

Tia: "Why should I be scared?"

The golden eyes narrowed with a smile; truly an interesting girl. He decided to play around a bit.

"Do you want to know why you were summoned from another world?"

Tia raised an eyebrow. "How do you know I'm from another world?"

"Animals are spiritual beings. I can tell from your soul."

"You are different from others."

This time, Amertia didn't hide her wariness. The system had warned her last night.

"I don't need to listen to a snake."

The man chuckled. "Oh, am I that bad in your eyes?"

[Many transmigrators are contaminated by death and want to kill life.]

[That's why Allen is wary of you.]

[So be careful, Host.]

[Only you can collect the traces of the gods.]

Amertia looked at him for a long time. A snake was still a snake.

The snake approached her, noticing her wariness made the girl excited. He wanted to know if this one could survive.

No one had ever escaped the illusions he created.

The longer you were inside, the more your soul was sucked out. A manipulation technique sacrificing the victim's life.

Isn't this interesting?

Tia didn't budge, staring at the man in front of her without fear.

"Wow, you're really great. No fear at all."

Challenges always make people's adrenaline rise to conquer them. No exception for monsters, especially intelligent monsters. New things make them excited to explore.

"What kind of expression will you make when I suck your soul and destroy your mind?"

The man's fingertips reached out to her, but before he could touch her, a sharp sting made his body recoil.

"Hiss," the snake frowned at the pain in its fingertips. Then the pain spread to its heart!

"Hisssssss."

Amertia looked at the snake in front of her, faint wonder visible. She touched her chest, feeling a faint warm sensation enveloping her heart.

'The system is protecting me.'

The woman calmed herself. First, the system had told her to kill the remaining undead. Second, she had a blessing given by the god, though she didn't specifically know what it was. And third, she lost connection with the system once she entered this fog.

She vaguely remembered that before she lost consciousness, the system activated protection for her.

Then the system disappeared once the fog consumed her.

Tia's eyes narrowed, full of calculation. The system did something to her body so that the snake couldn't touch her.

Therefore, she raised the sword in her hand and swung it at the snake.

'Swoooosh!'

The snake dodged before the sword's tip could touch it. "You'll have to try harder to kill me, darling," he taunted.

He twisted his body; a snake tail appeared and slapped Tia's body.

"Ugh."

Her body slid, hitting the fog wall. The hard impact made her vomit.

The woman got up with her sword. The system said that even if she died, she would be revived again. Doesn't that mean she can fight without having to worry about being killed?

Hahaha.

Ironically, the system didn't say how she would be revived or what price had to be paid.

The god guaranteed her life; at least she wouldn't die in this world. Doesn't that mean she would face many enemies like the snake in front of her?

Annoying.

She only wanted to live with her sister, she only wanted to fix their broken relationship, why did she have to save a disappearing god?

"Oh, you're strong too."

Tia took a breath, she focused her muscle strength on her arms and legs.

Focus.

Her eyes met Eskan's golden gaze. She pushed off her feet to move forward quickly!

Eskan laughed, looking calm. He liked to toy with his victims before watching them fall into despair.

Seeing the girl's sword swing in front of his eyes, he found it amusing that she was aiming for his eyes. Eskan tilted his head.

But the woman smiled, making him freeze.

What?

'Bam!'

The woman's white hand slammed into his face!

Huh???

'Drip.'

'Drip.'

'Drip.'

Blood dripped from his nose. For a moment, the snake couldn't react. He was punched in the face. The woman had tricked a snake.

Hahaha.

"HAHAHAHA!"

"Amazing! Hey... Again, try to attack again!"

This time Eskan created a magic circle in the sky and attacked Tia with a rain of fireballs. One by one, the fireballs fell from the sky like a red meteor shower.

Tia's eyes narrowed. She swung her sword, cleaving through every obstacle in her path.

'Slash!'

Slash after slash split the fireballs in front of her with the sword in her hand; she was getting closer.

Eskan felt threatened and immediately chanted a spell. But who was he in front of a woman unbound by 'time' in their world?

A hard fist slammed into his face!

"Ugh!"

Before he could fight back, Tia gave him no chance and kicked him in the stomach. She raised her sword, ready to stab Eskan.

However, before the blade's tip could pierce the man's throat, the system rang in her head.

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[Leo's life is in danger! Host is advised to save him immediately!]

Seriously?

At this moment?!