---
[Even with the excessive boost, user is still pathetically weak.]
Laraine rolled her eyes, dragging her sore body through the dense underbrush of the forest, each step heavier than the last. Blood—dry and flaking—clung to her skin like dust. Her breath came in shallow gasps.
'Where even am I?'
[User is currently located in the southern quadrant of the Luthain Forest, approximately 14.2 kilometers from her former execution site. Also—congrats on still breathing.]
She halted mid-step, her jaw tightening.
'Then how long… how long have I been dead?'
A pause.
[Three days and two hours. Not bad for someone who looked like roadkill when I found you.]
Laraine blinked.
'Three days?!'
[Correct. You were tossed in a corpse ditch like expired meat. Which is honestly insulting considering your cheekbones.]
She rubbed her face in disbelief. "I was rotting for three days, and you're cracking jokes?"
[Rotting with elegance, if I may add. I take no responsibility for the smell.]
"Vi…" she growled.
[Yes, dearest user?]
'I swear to the gods—'
[Wrong one. The goddess Viva already claimed you. Which reminds me—your 'revenge system' is now 72% synced. Please try not to die again before I'm at full capacity. It's exhausting rebooting your heart.]
Laraine sighed, dragging herself toward a slope. She could see the glimmer of sunlight just past the thicket—a sign of a trail maybe, or civilization.
Or more people who wanted her dead.
"How do I look?" she asked absently.
[Like death dipped in mud with a hint of blood clots. But worry not—activating 'Disguise Skill: Phantom Veil.' You'll look like a perfectly forgettable peasant in five... four... ta-da.]
Her reflection in a murky puddle shimmered. Gone was the royal blue hair, replaced by dull brown. Her pale skin took on a ruddier hue, her eyes a muted hazel.
'Ugh,' Laraine muttered. 'I hate it.'
[Excellent. Hate is a villainess's best accessory.]
With that, she pulled up her tattered cloak and pressed forward, deeper into the forest.
She might've been reborn in the dirt…
But she was about to make the world bleed.
---
Branches snapped underfoot as Laraine stumbled forward, the forest thickening like a noose. Her legs ached. Her thoughts were a blur of hatred, confusion, and the occasional sarcastic mental scream.
She didn't know where she was going—but she knew she couldn't stop.
Then came the sound. A wheel creaking. A soft whistle. The clatter of metal against wood.
She crouched instantly, hand flying to the dagger she'd stolen from a fallen soldier's corpse.
[Relax, rabid raccoon. Lifeform detected: Non-hostile. Human. Female. Early twenties. Affiliation—unknown. Caution advised.]
''Very helpful, Vi,''Laraine muttered, creeping closer through the brush.
Up ahead, a lone cart stood beside the road. Its owner, a tall woman with braided blonde hair and a patched traveling cloak, knelt beside a wheel, attempting to fix something with a rusted wrench and a very creative string of curses.
Laraine watched.
[Analyzing target: Trader. Name—Elise of Aldoria. Origin—Western Trade Union. Occupation—Supply Courier. Threat Level: Minor. Annoyance Potential: High.]
'She looks... normal.'
[Yes, well. So did your stepmother until she poisoned three dukes.]
Laraine rolled her eyes and stepped into view, cloak drawn tight around her disguised form.
"Need help with that?" she asked, voice calm but edged.
The woman looked up sharply, eyes wide for a moment—then narrowed.
"And you are?" she asked, standing slowly. "Bandit? Mercenary? Starving peasant?"
"Let's go with the last one," Laraine replied, forcing a weak smile. "I'm just... passing through."
Elise squinted, then softened. "Well, if you're not here to rob me, I could use some help. Wheel snapped off the axle. I've got supplies I need to deliver to the nearest village by sunset. Help me fix it, I'll share food and give you a lift. Deal?"
Laraine hesitated—then nodded. Her stomach growled its agreement.
As she bent to lift the wheel, a familiar voice rang gleefully in her mind:
---
[SYSTEM QUEST UNLOCKED]
{Quest Title: Rust, Rope, and Rations
Objective: Assist Trader Elise in repairing her cart and escort her to the village of Brithmere safely.
Rewards: +50 EXP | 1 Inventory Slot Unlocked | Mysterious Trader Favorability +10
Optional Bonus: Inquire about Aldorian nobles. (Bonus: 20 EXP)
Warning: Failure may result in suspicion, loss of disguise, or loss of trade opportunity.
System Tip: Play nice, villainess. For now.}
---
'I can't believe I have to quest for EXP like some glorified errand girl.'
[Would you prefer rotting in the ditch again? I can arrange it.]
Laraine sighed and offered Elise a faint, sardonic smile. "Let's get your cart moving then."
And just like that, the road began.
A hidden face. A hidden identity.
Revenge needed fuel. And she was ready to earn it.
---
{I have an idea! User should ask Elise about herself. Spark conversation. Bond like awkward mortals do!}
"Shut it," Laraine muttered under her breath as she gritted her teeth and heaved the crooked wheel into position.
Elise raised an eyebrow. "I should shut it?"
Laraine froze for a beat. "No—please, I wasn't talking to you. Ignore my little tantrums. Nothing personal."
Elise tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes, but she let it slide. "So... you said your name was Raine, right? From the Kingdom of Luithia?"
Laraine stiffened, internally wincing at her own rushed lie.
{Ugh! User has such bad naming skills! Raine? Seriously? I'm so disappointed. What happened to names like Astrid? Caroline? Lilith? Even Beatrix would—}
'I swear, Vi, if you say one more word I will yeet you into the sun.'
{Tempting offer. But unfortunately, I'm grafted to your soul. For eternity. Yay us.}
Laraine forced a tight-lipped smile and glanced sideways at Elise. "That's right. Just a humble wanderer from Luithia. Nothing too interesting."
"Uh-huh," Elise said, unconvinced. "Most wanderers don't talk to themselves. Or wear boots like that."
Laraine blinked and instinctively looked down. The boots were military-issue. Rebel-scout grade.
Dammit.
Before she could recover, Elise straightened with a final tug on the reins. "Anyway, I won't press. We all have our pasts."
She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Laraine studied her for a moment, then—against every bone-deep instinct—asked:
"So… what about you? Why're you out here alone?"
Elise blinked in surprise, then shrugged. "I run trade between Aldoria and the smaller southern villages. The war's made a mess of things—supply chains, roads, people disappearing."
Laraine noted the subtle tension in her voice. Elise was hiding something too.
Good. That made two of them.
{Yay! Character development! User has unlocked the rare skill: Basic Social Interaction.}
'I will literally break your imaginary face.'
{So violent. I'm tearing up.}
As they finally got the cart upright and the wheel aligned, the sun dipped lower on the horizon, bleeding gold and crimson through the treetops. The shadows grew longer. The forest quieter.
And somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled.
Elise tightened the last rope. "Come on. Let's move before something out there decides we're dinner."
Laraine nodded, casting one last glance over her shoulder before climbing into the back of the cart.
The road to revenge was long and bloodstained.
But for now… she'd ride it in a rickety cart with a sharp-eyed stranger and a snarky voice in her head.
---