The Novel's Extra

"Then take off that gas mask first." Aileen chanted.

My hand twisted the gas mask. Strangely enough, however, I didn't do anything else. I just stood still after that, holding its snout.

"What? Why don't you take it off?" She frowned.

I was perplexed as well. Her spell wasn't able to force me. Rather, induction was as far as it could go.

"You..."

Finding it absurd, she put her hand on her waist. In an attempt to cast her spell in earnest, mana enveloped her body like an aura.

"Please stop, Aileen." Fortunately, Jin Seyeon stepped up and stopped her before she could do anything. Aileen looked at me with anger and shame, but she quickly shook her head and turned around.

At that moment, system messages similar to those I had seen before popped up.

[Awakening — You are now controlled by a spell, but you have enough strength remaining to resist it.]

[You have been granted Special Succession, the Secret Tower bonus!]

[You received two items!]

[Item Succession ▶ 「Dark Ore Arrow」]

[Item Inheritance ▶ 「Regeneration Orb」]

An arrow and a green marble fell from the ceiling. I shoved them straight into my pocket. Fortunately, Aileen turned around, and Jin Seyeon didn't seem to have noticed it because she was trying to comfort her.

"Hey."

Aileen called me as I tried to pass by her.

I turned around, pretending to be calm. Her now-terrifying eyes glared at me.

"Who are you? Take that weird gas mask off while I'm still asking nicely."

"... Pfff."

I chuckled unknowingly. She was indeed a stubborn character.

"What are you laughing at?"

I thought about ignoring her and running away at first, but now that I thought about it, there was no need to hide my face from these two.

"You won't know even if I tell you who I am."

"That's for us to decide on, but don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I have no friends anyway."

Jin Seyeon and Aileen were reliable enough as heroes. I should be begging them to be a part of my personal network.

There was no harm in introducing ourselves to each other.

"If so..."

I partly took off my gas mask. Watching me intently, they gulped.

"Uh, urn..."

"Hmm..."

As I expected, both of their expressions told me they didn't know me at all.

"I think I saw you on the street once...?"

I put it on again, laughing.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm just an ordinary mercenary."

Aileen remained silent for a brief moment before nodding.

"... You're right. I have no idea who you are."

"Did you come down from Baekdu Mountain by any chance? It is said that there are many secluded masters there."

Jin Seyeon did the Shaolin Monastery greeting. With her left hand stretched out, she balled her right hand into a fist and planted it on her palm.

"Oh?" Aileen's eyes twinkled again, seemingly thinking that made sense.

"I mean..."

I smiled bitterly at them.

* * *

... Four days had already passed.

Rachel wandered around Korea without any success. She was pretty sure she was in a parallel world, but she couldn't figure out any more than that.

She couldn't even determine this stage's clear condition, which was the most important information she needed.

"That's 9,000 won."

Rachel handed her card over to BK Heaven, having converted the certificate the Hall provided into that form.

"Do you want a receipt?"

"... Yes."

"Please take a seat."

9,000 won worth of Teppanyaki Cheese Tonkatsu. After receiving her receipt, she sat down.

“…”

The restaurant's gaze naturally focused on her flowing blonde hair, blue eyes resembling the sea, harmonious features, and fine facial lines. Paired with her calm yet seemingly fatigued atmosphere, she exuded a mystery that ordinary people couldn't even dare touch...

"Whew." She sighed, pouring water into a cup.

A world without mana and monsters. It was a bit confusing, but she had gotten used to it to some extent.

The situation would always be the same wherever people lived.

[ 3333 Breaking news. At around 2 AM this morning, an unidentified body was found in a back alley in Myeong-dong.]

Sipping water, Rachel concentrated on the TV screen.

[It was covered in bizarre wounds, almost as if someone ate it...]

Tap-

They placed her order down on the table.

The hot iron plate continued cooking the teppanyaki cheese tonkatsu on it, releasing a fragrant aroma and a delicious sizzling sound.

She swallowed the saliva that filled her mouth.

"Are you a foreign model?" The clerk asked.

Rachel shook her head.

"Wow. At first, I thought you were some kind of Greek goddess."

"... Thank you."

"Oh my. You're also fluent in Korean. How is your pronunciation so good?"

"Ah, haha..." She laughed bitterly. By then, most of the people in the restaurant were already staring at her. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, she started eating.

She finished her meal completely in 3 minutes. One bowl wasn't enough. In this world without "mana" to support her calorie intake, her basal metabolic rate was as much as four or five adult men combined.

"... I can't."

Nevertheless, she stood up, deciding to persevere through it. She shouldn't spend hundreds of thousands of won on excess food. That would simply be a waste.

"Thank you for the meal."

"Oh my, already?"

Rachel came out of BK Heaven and stood on the street.

Today's destination was the scene of the crime she had just seen on the news.

[At around 2 AM this morning, an unidentified body was found in a back alley in Myeong-dong...]

She walked in hopes of finding that location, but street food kept popping up around her. At some point, she stopped in front of a stall with fish cake skewers and potato corn dogs.

Wallowing in a momentary daze, she scrambled towards it despite her attempts to ignore her desires.

* * *

"Hehe..." Rachel giggled, sitting on a bench in the park. With her stomach now full, she was in a good mood.

This world seemed dreamy and gentle. It had been so long since all of her worldly anguishes and worries melted away peacefully.

"... Oh!"

But a message she received through her smartwatch quickly brought her back to her senses.

[You have used up nearly all of your public points.]

She knew she spent too much on food, but she didn't think it was that much.

[Public Points: D- ]

[KRW conversion: 300,000 won]

She seriously thought about it until a white, bright-eyed cat flopped down from a nearby tree. It glanced at her, then took a seat next to her.

Its cuteness took her breath away.

"Meow~"

It turned around and lay on its stomach. Thinking that meant it wanted to be petted, Rachel courageously reached out her hand.

"... Purr."

She nearly lost consciousness for a moment upon hearing it purr. Fortunately, she managed to hold on to her consciousness before it could fall into the abyss.

Trying her best not to faint, she patted its back. Nevertheless, she couldn't enjoy this leisure activity for long.

From a short distance, disturbing mana flowed in, carrying an unpleasant, thick scent with it. Permeating like cigarettes, it was an obvious provocation.

Rachel placed her hand on Gallatin as she looked around, but she saw no other signs of danger.

Was it finally starting?

"Hey, kitty, go. Hurry."

She set the cat down under the bench. With one last glance at her, it left.

Rachel stood up with a hardened expression, then moved slowly. Her priority was to find a suitable area for battle, considering she could cause unnecessary casualties in the middle of this park.

They quietly followed her, seemingly noticing her intentions. As the sun went down, she walked into a deserted alleyway, stopped in the middle of it, and spoke out loud.

"... Come out."

Whoosh-

Dark red winds blew in front of her, gradually condensing and taking form.

A robed swordsman appeared. Looking at her, he asked, "Princess... do you know who I am..."

He surprised her, but she didn't show it. She had memories of him.

"Lippit..."

"Ah... Hahahaha!" Her answer made him laugh menacingly. After a long while, he stopped abruptly, opened his eyes, and rolled them.

"What...?"

Rachel staggered back.

"Kkekekeke-!" Lippit screamed, seemingly convulsing, but then regained his stability after a while.

"Hmm."

His body contained a soul that wasn't his, which was a form of 'possession.'

"Nice to meet you, princess. Long time no see." He spat out melancholically, staring at her with white eyes.

Her heart sank, and her voice box tightened, preventing her words from coming out properly.

Rachel knew who owned this unforgettable voice.

She cleared her throat with a dry cough.

"Are... Are you still hiding behind other people?"

They went way back. She had once admired him, but he was now known as an enemy of the state.

Unsheathing Gallatin, she aimed its blade at him.

Lancaster smiled faintly.

"This simply isn't the proper conditions for our reunion. When the time and place are right, I'll be there to meet you once more."

"... What do you mean?"

"I mean the Hamptons, Princess. Have you already forgotten?"

Rachel's shoulders trembled slightly.

"That place doesn't exist anymore."

"Don't you want to go back there again, Princess?" Tilting his head, he replied, his voice seemingly heartbroken.

"... Please, wake up! W-We can't do that anymore!" She squealed, stuttered, and screamed. Her voice cracked, making her sound pathetic.

She could no longer go back to undo her past mistakes. The only option she had left was to simply not repeat it.

Lancaster's lips twisted.

"It seems you still haven't realized what this world is about."

“…”

"You remember every person who died on your behalf back then, princess, but that won't bring them back. What did I tell you?"

"It's not that I remember. I simply can't forget them."

Rachel held her sword tightly, trying not to be swayed.

"It seems you truly aren't aware of it. Everything is reversible, Princess." He replied with a heavily sunken stare, seemingly trying to awaken her.

"That's why I try to undo the mistakes made on that day, even a little."

But she couldn't understand his words.

"I'll wait for you there, hoping you can reach me. There... will be little darkness and bright sunlight in that slightly warmer place. Compared to the world we are in..."

Lancaster's soul departed from Leppit's body.

At the same time, his personality swiftly changed.

The man staggered forward like a puppet that just had its threads broken. Soon enough, however, he drew his sword and rushed at her.

"Die-!" Hatred filled up his roar.

They collided.

Clank-!

Their swords clashed against each other, creating sharp, metallic sounds. Their blades caused sparks to erupt, some of which landed on their skin.

Her opponent's swings contained the heavy desire to dig into her heart. However, she still refused to aim for his life.

Even in this life-or-death situation, she did nothing but consistently block and deflect his attacks in hopes of tiring her opponents first.

A soft and benevolent swordsmanship.

“…?”

Amid their battle, the unnaturally reflected moonlight pierced her eyes. Raising her gaze, she saw yet another slayer.

No, multiple shadows were charging at her in pairs. Like gusts of winds, they came, but she swiftly pushed all of them away.

Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!

She stunned more than half of them against the wall, but she suffered eleven cuts in return. One on her shoulder, one on her thigh, another on her side...

There were still many enemies left.

Rachel closed her eyes and summoned a spirit, but its size was far too small. In this world, mana and spirits were rare.

Reluctantly, she tried to focus on her sword again.

"... Ugh."

Surprisingly, her body sagged uncontrollably instead. Her limbs felt weak, and the hand holding Gallatin trembled strangely. It was as if her strength was slowly draining out to the ground, like moisture being sucked by roots.

"Ugh..."

Losing her balance, she fell to one knee. Her vision blurred, and her skin felt hot.

'Their swords are coated with poison they can easily extract through mana.'

But mana didn't exist in this world.

Rachel staggered as she stood up, using Gallatin as a cane. As her enemies rushed at her, she stared at their unwavering determination to crush her heart.

Bang-!

’... A gunshot?'

A bullet surged through the battlefield like lightning, piercing through one of the slayers' shoulders.

Due to its formidable stopping power, the impact pushed him back and sent him crashing against the wall.

Step, step.

The sound of footsteps rang out.

The hunters looked around them, holding their breaths. Rachel did the same, hoping to determine who was approaching them.

Before long, the faint silhouette of a man appeared. Walking towards them, he held a pistol in one hand and the Book of Truth in the other.

"What are you looking at?"

He opened fire without warning, releasing a chain of gunshots that shook the atmosphere.

The slayers jumped high and out of the bullets' trajectories. They tried to confront him, but they didn't move any closer.

In this gap, he approached Rachel. With his knee bent before her, he held out his hand.

Wake up. It's hard to do this alone, even for me.