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Chapter143

A man with red hair pulled a spear from the ground.

It was a face Kane knew all too well.

It was Ray Hatzfeld, the illegitimate son and shadow of Hatzfeld.

“You’ve come to me willingly.”

He had expected Ray to show up if rumors spread that the Magical robe of Temu was on Medi Island.

Medi Island was part of Ray’s story.

This is where he was supposed to come to obtain the Magical robe of Temu.

That was Ray’s original plot line.

Now, due to his own interference, the storyline had been altered.

To set things right, he would inevitably have to clash with Ray.

“I’ll end this right here.”

Kane unleashed his blood mana and fused his bloodsky blades into a spear.

“Let me show you something that will catch you off guard.”

No words were needed between him and Ray Hatzfeld.

Just as in his past life, he (as Ray) had swiftly killed Kane.

Kane intended to end this just as quickly now.

Thud.

He stomped the ground.

The blood mana erupted in flames.

The flames gathered along the shaft of the spear and shot forward in a straight line.

“Is that all you’ve got? Trying to kill me with just that?”

Ray grabbed the spear shaft and spun it like a windmill.

A crimson barrier appeared before him.

The flames engulfed the barrier.

But they couldn’t penetrate it and split into two.

“You blocked that?”

Kane scowled, caught off guard by what he’d seen.

He was currently in the 8th Class. His power was at the level of the Twelve Star Lords.

Even a light attack would shred a 6th Class opponent.

But Ray had withstood it.

No—

He blocked it effortlessly.

“I thought the skill difference would be significant.”

Though it was only a single attack, the Ray he knew shouldn’t have been this strong.

When he possessed Ray, his strength just before death had been at the very bottom of the Twelve Star lord level.

“Are you not a 6th-class knight?”

Ray lowered his spear, smiling.

“Surprised that I’m stronger than expected? You speak as though you know a lot about me.”

His voice brimmed with confidence.

It was the tone of someone who thought themselves as superior.

“Perhaps I know you better than you know yourself.”

“Heh.”

Ray let out a mocking laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“You really don’t know a thing, do you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Should I tell you or keep it to myself?”

The smile didn’t fade from Ray’s face.

Annoyed by that expression, Kane charged at Ray again.

“Just die already.”

There was no need to keep alive someone who gave him such an unpleasant feeling.

Boom!

The two spears clashed.

They exchanged rapid blows, sparks flying between them.

Ray showed no sign of yielding.

“You look a bit taken aback, don’t you?”

“Are you here to talk or fight?”

“I’m enjoying this. Last time, I was just at your mercy. But now, I can fight you on equal footing.” Ray said smiling.

Clang!

After the two spears struck forcefully, Kane leapt back and spoke.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Why don’t you understand? Do I have to spell everything out for you? You’re not the only one who’s possessed.”

“…What?!”

Kane’s eyes widened.

It was the most shocking thing he’d heard since his rebirth.

There was another person like him—another possessor.

The ‘Kane’ he had killed in his past life, was also a possessor.

‘It never occurred to me that there could be another possessor besides me. Why did I assume I was the only one?’

It wasn’t unreasonable to think so.

Even possessing a character in a game was extraordinary enough.

If he had possessed a character in this game, then perhaps others who played it could have possessed characters too.

But he’d realized it too late.

At the same time, he was suspicious.

“…Why are you telling me this so openly?”

“Do you think you’ll return to your original world if you clear the story?”

“That’s what I believe.”

“I disagree.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“When a quest fails, the difficulty increases to hell, but you don’t see a ‘Game Over’ message. And even if it appears, you just lose everything—you don’t die.”

“Have you ever failed a quest?”

“Of course. Almost every quest failed after I possessed Ray. I got a ‘Game Over’ penalty, but here I am, alive and well, aren’t I?”

If Ray wasn’t a possessor, that would be one thing, but if he was, it changed everything.

Ray’s top priority had been the downfall of the Rehinar family.

That would have cost him all his quests and ultimately his life.

And yet—

Here he was, alive and well.

Ray had already failed to complete his quest.

Not just one but many.

But he was still alive.

“So, what’s your point?”

“If you want to return to the original world, why not join forces with me?”

“And why would I trust you?”

“I told you on purpose that there’s another possessor. It means I want to work with you. And if I’d been planning revenge, I wouldn’t have sent that idiot Dirk for the Rehinar plotline.”

“Even if you had come yourself, it would have made no difference.”

Ray nodded at Kane’s arrogant remark.

“I’ll admit that. You’re a genius, unlike me. But there’s something you should understand. Have you ever wondered why Kane Rehinar had the ‘dullard’ trait?”

“Isn’t it because King Hatzfeld altered the fates of two characters with a forbidden spell? That has nothing to do with being a possessor.”

“You’re right. Only the objects of possession changed. Which means, you inherited the traits of the Kane Rehinar I possessed, like the ‘dullard’ trait, and I ended up with the innate physical prowess of your possessed character, Ray Hatzfeld.”

The original Kane Rehinar, whose fate was swapped with Ray’s, was a monstrous genius.

He was born with overwhelming talent in martial arts.

He had a monstrous body that could master anything he learned immediately.

“So, that’s why you’re so much stronger than I expected?”

“Ding ding. Underestimating me is underestimating yourself.”

“This is becoming a nuisance.”

“What’s there to worry about? Just join forces with me, and we can get out of this cursed place.”

“I don’t trust people. And didn’t you die by my hand before you could even play properly? Aren’t I your sworn enemy?”

To him, Kane was someone he would want dead if roles were reversed.

If their situations were swapped, he would’ve eliminated the one who killed him first.

And yet, here Ray was, suggesting they work together.

It was only natural to be suspicious.

“That’s how desperate I am. I have to get out of here—there’s so much waiting for me in my original world!”

Kane fell deep into thought.

He could sense Ray’s frustration was genuine.

After all, he himself was trying to clear the story to escape this world, wasn’t he?

There was only one key difference.

He had come to value his connections here.

After spending over ten years in this place, he’d grown attached to these characters.

Calling it an attachment was more accurate.

But Ray, perhaps because he’d been swiftly killed in the previous round, felt none of that connection. And his current family was a dark place with no familial love.

“I’ve sworn to bring down Hatzfeld with my own hands.”

“Do as you like. I have no attachment here. I only need to get out of this place.”

“Not a bad deal.”

“To celebrate our partnership, I’ll give you the magical robe of Temu.”

“You’re welcome to try and take it from me.”

“I’m not alone.”

A beast-like man stepped forward beside Ray.

Kane’s mouth opened in shock.

“Torand!?”

It was Torand, one of the Twelve Star Lords and the chieftain of the Barbarians.

Why was he here on Medi Island with Ray?

“Now do you believe I have no intention of fighting you?”

With Torand, things were different.

Among the Twelve Star Lords, he ranked in the middle tier.

Even Kane wasn’t entirely confident he could win against him as he was now.

“Sir Torand will handle things here, so you go stop the House of Sun’s foolishness.”

“I’ll be in contact soon.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

There was no trace of slyness in his tone.

Only an intense desperation.

He looked like someone truly desperate to return to his original world.

‘How much could he possibly have in that world to make him hate it here so much?’

In fact, while playing this game, Kane sometimes thought to himself:

‘This world isn’t so bad’

‘Yes, it’s a place where lives are constantly at stake, but it’s still a world with people living in it.’

‘Especially with power and honor on my side, it’s quite a comfortable place to live.’

So, Kane figured this world might not be a bad place to stay.

But it seems Ray thinks otherwise.

‘I guess his reality must be different from mine.’

* * *

With Torand’s appearance, the situation quickly settled.

The presence of one of the Twelve Stars.

No matter how reckless they were, who would dare to challenge one of the Twelve Star Lords?

Everyone withdrew without a word.

Of course, it was only a temporary retreat.

If the opportunity arose, they would undoubtedly try to steal the Magical robe of Temu again.

Such is the insatiable greed of humanity for treasures.

As they continued to lurk on Medi Island, waiting for their chance,

Elder Manuel was receiving reports from his subordinates.

“The situation is resolved?”

“Yes… Barbarian Chief suddenly appeared.”

“You mean Torrand Orcas?”

“He showed up on Medi Island alongside Hatzfeld’s son. The conflict has cooled for now, but it could erupt at any moment.”

“It’s an unexpected turn, but we have a much better sacrifice now. And two of them at that.”

“But isn’t Hatzfeld an ally of the Lycera Theocracy?”

“And?”

“If we sacrifice them, there could be severe repercussions from Hatzfeld.”

“You clearly don’t know the Hatzfeld king. He values bloodlines. He cherishes his firstborn dearly. He couldn’t care less about a bastard. And if that bastard isn’t his real son, he wouldn’t even blink if he died.”

“What… are you saying?”

“There’s something you don’t know.”

Elder Manuel knew the secret of the Hatzfeld king.

He would know, after all.

It was the House of Sun that gave the forbidden book to the Hatzfeld king.

‘The king used that forbidden knowledge after the god’s prophecy. The fact that he swapped Kane Rehinar’s soul, the grand duke’s heir, with his youngest son, making him a hunting dog—how the continent would be shocked to learn that. Tsk, what a heartless father.’

This was why Manuel planned to use Ray Hatzfeld as a sacrifice.

“Drench Medi Island in blood before the plan falls apart.”

His subordinates bowed their heads.

They walked to the mutated monsters they had captured and began chanting.

One by one, the magical shackles binding the monsters began to break.

The mutated monsters’ eyes were filled with madness.

They drooled as if starving.

Elder Manuel shouted at them:

“Devour every human you see.”

At his command, the mutated monsters bolted outside.