“Rachel, did you really need to come along? It’s already dangerous, so why don’t you head back?”

Tervan suggested this to Rachel, who rode her horse with an expressionless face.

The monster subjugation team headed toward the entrance of the Kepels Mountain Range in the western part of the Empire, known as the Witch’s Forest.

True to its name, numerous monsters scattered throughout the area. The Empire had dispatched soldiers to subjugate these monsters because they occasionally attacked nearby villages.

Tervan, the eldest son of the Sanchez Duchy, was an exceptional knight. That’s why he volunteered to join the monster subjugation team.

And the person he suggested should return was Rachel, the eldest daughter of the Pluret County.

From a young age, she had shown remarkable talent in magic. However, the magic she used was supportive magic, not specialized for attack or defense, which worried everyone about her participation in the subjugation team.

Despite everyone’s concerns, Rachel joined the team by her own will.

Because the danger level was considerable, Tervan tried to dissuade her several times, but she wouldn’t change her mind.

“Rachel, wouldn’t it be better not to go any deeper? Your parents will worry about you.”

At Tervan’s words, Rachel looked at him.

Her green eyes, which had always been full of fresh vitality, now appeared dry and withered.

“Worry about yourself before worrying about me. I’m just providing support from a distance, but you’re not. And if you get hurt, Viola will be sad.”

“……”

Tervan couldn’t argue with Rachel’s words.

Not only because she was right, but also because the atmosphere surrounding Rachel now felt subtly unfamiliar.

Rachel surveyed Tervan’s face with tired eyes.

From his light brown hair and blue eyes to his prominent nose and firmly closed lips.

She observed his features in detail, seemingly trying to engrave them in her memory.

Then, before Tervan could speak, she turned her head and stared straight ahead.

“Tervan, I’ll tell you one thing.”

“…Go ahead.”

After hesitating briefly, Rachel opened her mouth toward Tervan.

“When the sky darkens, don’t move at all.”

“What?”

“……”

Tervan, not understanding Rachel’s words, questioned her, but Rachel simply continued riding her horse without giving any answer.

Tervan eventually gave up asking her.

Instead, he followed Rachel with concerned eyes.

The Rachel he had encountered since joining the subjugation team was not the person he knew.

She had always been clumsy and full of laughter, but since deciding to join the subjugation team, he hadn’t seen her smile even once.

Instead, she would briefly observe Tervan with a tired face and then leave, or she would remain silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Although they had been friends since childhood and had always been together, today Tervan felt she was particularly difficult to approach, like a stranger.

‘When the sky darkens… does she mean at night?’

Tervan unconsciously looked up at the sky.

Since it wasn’t even past lunchtime, the sky was still bright. Don’t move when it gets dark.

Tervan was confused, unable to interpret Rachel’s words.

* * *

Rachel compulsively took out her watch to check the time. It was already past 2 o’clock.

‘Soon now…’

With anxiety making her bite her lower lip firmly, Rachel put the watch back in her pocket and quietly began reciting magic spells.

With her current ability, she could store a total of five spells.

Two large-scale defensive spells, one detoxification spell, and one body speed enhancement spell.

Rachel slowly began to memorize the spells. So that she could use them immediately by shouting the incantation.

Nothing was happening right now, but Rachel knew better. The incident was scheduled to occur within 5 minutes.

After reciting the final spell that would slow down time, she focused intently to prevent the magic from breaking.

Telling everyone that something was about to happen was an option, but Rachel chose not to.

She had already experienced the side effects of doing so to the point of tedium.

“Huh?”

Someone at the front stopped in place.

“The sky…”

People’s gazes followed his words toward the sky.

“It’s getting dark!”

“But it’s still daytime?”

Some people sensed something unusual and hurriedly gripped their weapons. Mages began reciting spell incantations so they could use them immediately.

‘Getting dark?’

Seeing the darkness spreading across the sky, Tervan instinctively stopped in place. Rachel’s warning came to mind.

‘Could she have known about this beforehand?’

Although this was his first time experiencing such a situation, Rachel had warned him with certainty that this would happen. Perhaps Rachel knew about this incident.

But almost nothing was known about the Witch’s Forest. How could she, born as a nobleman’s daughter and having only learned magic at the Magic Tower, have guessed what would happen at the Witch’s Tower?

Tervan simply couldn’t understand the current situation.

And just as he was about to approach Rachel.

“Don’t come closer!”

Rachel, seeing Tervan approaching, shouted roughly.

And at that moment, lightning struck the ground from the blackened sky.

BOOM!

The lightning struck with a harsh sound that seemed to tear through their ears.

Fortunately, no one was injured by the lightning.

This was due to the transparent shield covering their heads. It was a wide-range defensive magic barrier. The shield couldn’t withstand the lightning’s impact and cracked like glass before shattering into pieces and dispersing into the air.

Tervan, who had been staring at Rachel all along, could tell that she was the one who cast that magic.

“There’s still one more coming! And monsters will soon swarm in, so get ready!”

Rachel shouted toward the people. Simultaneously, another barrier was cast over their heads.

Only then did the mages start preparing their spells. Those with weapons were on alert for the monsters that would soon swarm in.

Once again, boom, a fierce bolt of lightning struck, making people momentarily flinch.

After the barrier broke again, rustling sounds came from the bushes. People’s gazes naturally turned in that direction.

What followed were monsters that had somehow filled the forest.

Various types of monsters, all tangled together, began rushing toward them.

Tervan belatedly noticed the monsters and looked back to where Rachel should have been.

However, only the horse Rachel had been riding remained standing there.

* * *

[A little further!]

‘I know!’

Rachel responded irritably to the voice coming from her necklace and began running quickly.

Because the speed spell and time spell were overlapping, she ran through the forest at a speed beyond human capacity.

Even the monsters couldn’t properly chase her because her speed was so fast.

After running for quite some time, Rachel finally saw the witch Sara standing behind the monsters.

Rachel drew the dagger hidden in her pocket and swung it toward Sara. She aimed precisely for her neck.

However, Rachel’s attack narrowly grazed Sara’s neck.

“So it’s you? Not only did you interfere with me, but you also came running toward me.”

Sara, recognizing Rachel, swung her sharp nails toward her.

The nails aimed at Rachel but couldn’t keep up with her speed.

Rachel quickly retreated and then rushed toward Sara again.

No matter how much of a witch she was, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with Rachel’s speed.

Rachel struck Sara’s lower abdomen with her dagger. Then she quickly drew out the blade and aimed for her neck.

Sara tried to pull her body back urgently, but Rachel was faster.

Realizing she couldn’t keep up with Rachel’s speed, Sara gave up blocking the attack. Instead, she left long nail marks on Rachel’s forearm.

“Ugh!”

Rachel frowned at Sara’s nail attack, which burned her hand.

However, by the time Rachel was suffering from the attack, Sara had already fallen and lost her life.

Rachel bit her lip to endure the pain and then used the detoxification skill she had saved for last on her arm.

Her forearm, which had been turning blue, began to regain its original color.

[Finally, it’s over. Congratulations.]

“……”

Although the necklace offered words of congratulation to Rachel, she maintained silence.

Instead, she raised her hand to cover her forehead.

She had finally killed the witch Sara.

It was something she had deeply wished for, to the point of repeating time dozens of times, but strangely, Rachel didn’t feel particularly happy after dealing with Sara.

“Rachel!”

As she stood quietly in front of Sara, Tervan’s voice came from a distance. Rachel looked in the direction of the voice.

After cutting down the rushing monsters with his sword, Tervan finally appeared.

“You were here? That is…”

Tervan stopped in place when he saw the witch at Rachel’s feet.

“The witch, Sara. It’s over now. The spell cast on the monsters will be lifted.”

Rachel briefly explained to Tervan and slowly began walking into the forest.

Tervan, unable to understand the current situation, stood rooted to the spot, only watching as Rachel walked away.