Ch 166
Rose felt a warm rush of relief as she read the message from Matt, guiding her toward his location. It reassured her that he wasn’t planning to vanish from her life entirely. Yet, deep down, she sensed that their connection might not withstand the trials ahead. At least he hadn’t chosen to disappear completely. However, it seemed like it would take months for her to reach him, especially since she intended to recruit new members along her journey.
Like this, days slipped by as Rose navigated the sporadic stretches of road that emerged before her, each path leading her closer to potential allies. About one in every ten roads she followed led to encounters with other travelers. Most showed little interest in joining or were clearly not the type of individuals Matt would welcome into Scattered Stars. Still, she extended invitations to one out of every twenty people she met, hoping to find someone who could contribute.
During one of these recruitment efforts, she crossed paths with Spencer, who appeared intrigued by more than just the prospect of joining Scattered Stars. “So, your leader Matt doesn’t aspire to rule the world?” he asked after they had exchanged thoughts for a while. “If that’s the case, why are you recruiting and suggesting he can improve their lives if they seek strength?”
“Because I genuinely believe that Matt is destined to secure Earth’s future against the vast powers of the universe,” she replied earnestly.
“Perhaps, but I think you might be a bit too optimistic,” Spencer remarked, stretching his arms overhead. “I appreciate you sharing your insights about the universe's reality with me, and I wish you good luck on your journey.”
With that, Spencer turned to leave, and Rose let out a weary sigh, recognizing that she couldn’t always persuade others to see her vision, but there would always be another chance tomorrow. She stepped away from the town, the sun dipping lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the barren landscape. About two hours later, as she wandered through the desolate stretch of land, an unsettling chill crept down her spine, prompting her to scan her surroundings for any sign of danger. Yet, the vast emptiness offered no clues; she only had time to sidestep before a rock, hefty and round like a small boulder, crashed down where she had just stood.
Her heart raced as she turned to find the source, only to see several more rocks hurtling toward her with alarming speed. Dodging one after another, frustration bubbled within her as she weighed her options—should she stand and fight or make a run for it? If she chose to flee, she risked being chased, but if this was merely in defense of something or someone’s territory, perhaps retreat would keep her safe. In the end, she resolved that at the very least, she could evade the barrage by moving swiftly, so she darted away. Yet, it seemed that no matter how far she ran, the rocks continued to rain down upon her. After thirty grueling minutes of evasion, she made a bold decision and turned to face the incoming projectiles.
This choice only amplified the urgency of her situation as the speed of the rocks escalated, making her worry that she wouldn’t be able to dodge them much longer. Finally, when she caught sight of her assailant, confusion washed over her; it was Spencer, his brow furrowed with concentration as he reached into a bag and pulled out handfuls of gravel, tossing them towards her. But as the grains left his hand, they swelled into larger stones. With a surge of determination, Rose dodged the latest flurry of rocks, sprinted forward, drew her sword, and aimed a swift slash at the top of the bag, hoping to put an end to this unexpected assault.
Spencer dodged back as he reached into the bag once more. Timing his movements with precision, he waited until Rose had committed to her next strike before hurling the rocks at her. As they grew larger in size, she found it impossible to evade them all. Shifting her weight, she managed to block the only one she could with her forearm, a sharp pain lancing through her body. Ignoring the sting, she closed the distance again and unleashed a flurry of swings at Spencer, pouring every ounce of her strength into the attacks. Unfortunately, her experience lay primarily in battling monsters, and Spencer moved with a fluid grace that allowed him to sidestep her blows effortlessly, a smug smile playing on his lips.
“I’ll tell you what,” he taunted, creating some space by tossing a single rock her way. “Drop the sword, leave Scattered Stars, and let me have my way with you, and I’ll let you live.”
“Why do you even care!” Rose shouted, bewildered by his motives.
“That’s not important,” he replied coolly. “I’m not going to try and convince you beyond offering you a chance to survive.”
Rose refused to dignify his words with a response. Instead, she charged forward again, determined to land a clean blow. But each attempt felt increasingly futile as she struggled to gauge his capabilities. Just as she lunged for another slash, the ground beneath her shifted, opening up a hole right where she stepped. She barely rolled aside in time as a rock crashed down in the spot her head had occupied moments before.
“I can see that even if you’ve only fought monsters, you can still react rather well to my attacks,” Spencer observed, a hint of admiration in his voice. “Still, you’re in way over your head. Just give up, and I promise I’ll treat you right.”
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“You're disgusting!” Rose shouted back, memories of her past tormentors flashing in her mind. “I am no one’s toy!”
“Well, that’s good,” he replied, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Otherwise, I would need to kill them before making you my toy.”
With a frustrated slash, Rose leaped into the air, creating distance as she resolved that running away was her only option. She recognized when she was outmatched, and Spencer was making her feel like a fool. The bitter truth settled in: she should have fled from the beginning. Now, with little to no head start, Spencer was hot on her heels. Drawing upon her essences for escape, she focused first on struggle, which embodied the sheer effort she exerted in her flight. Next came hope, a flicker in her heart that urged her to believe it would be enough, followed closely by faith that things might still turn in her favor. Surety fortified her self-belief, while truth illuminated the best path forward, and resilience provided the grit to keep pushing onward, even as despair threatened to seep into her thoughts.
Yet, the situation was dire; each stride felt futile as she struggled to create any meaningful distance between herself and her pursuer. Her escape skill remained dormant, inspiration eluding her like a shadow in the night. Still, she pressed on, determined to summon her abilities, knowing that the longer it took for them to activate, the clearer the path would become. This reliance on struggle and resilience had been forged in the depths of the dungeon, where she had worried about their party being cornered by foes of a higher level. Unfortunately, her experience had only been tested against monsters, whose movements were far more predictable. Now, with every passing moment, her willpower faced a relentless trial, and she could feel it beginning to fray at the edges.
Dodging another rock, Rose rolled to the side as the ground beneath her crumbled away, her heart racing with each unpredictable leap in a desperate bid for survival. Each maneuver grew increasingly erratic as fatigue gnawed at her muscles, and self-doubt crept into her mind like a dark fog. She cursed herself for not pursuing a more powerful path, one that would allow her to fight independently, regardless of the odds stacked against her. Yet, she pressed on, refusing to yield. Suddenly, her skill ignited within her, guiding her feet with an instinctive precision that felt foreign yet exhilarating.
Spencer reveled in the chase, his amusement growing as he observed her frantic flight, realizing she was beginning to lose hope. Initially, he had dismissed his group as mere anomalies during the initiation phase of the integration, but fate had smiled upon him when he crossed paths with someone connected to the leader of the only other organization that Song Xiang was so intent on destroying. What had begun as a simple test of her abilities quickly morphed into a display of dominance; it became evident that she was no match for him, and he resolved to force her into submission. Then, just as he thought he had her cornered, her movements transformed, becoming fluid and elusive, rendering his earth manipulation skills ineffective.
Two hours later, frustration simmered within Spencer as Rose slipped from his grasp, leaving him scouring the terrain for any signs of her passage. He contemplated his next move, weighing how best to launch another attack. He knew that if she stood her ground, he would hold the upper hand, a thought that bolstered his confidence in tracking her. However, he hesitated at the prospect of entering another settlement, reluctant to engage in slaughter against weaklings or risk encountering anyone of comparable strength hiding among them. Despite his confidence in his own power, he preferred to avoid the chaos of being overwhelmed by a crowd that offered no worthwhile experience points.
Rose gasped for breath as she halted, the skill's effects fading along with her dwindling essences. She hadn’t dared to pause even for a moment, fixating solely on the path her skill had directed her to take. Nothing else held significance while her ability was active; her focus was razor-sharp, propelling her forward. However, now that the skill had worn off, her pace slowed dramatically, each step feeling like an arduous task as fatigue weighed heavily on her limbs. Thankfully, it no longer drained her HP as it had while she was in flight.
As she stumbled upon what appeared to be a crumbling house, a flicker of temptation washed over her, urging her to seek refuge within its walls. Yet, instinct warned her against approaching the structure; it was likely a prime spot for Spencer to track her down. Instead, she chose a narrow ditch, about three feet deep and two feet wide, carved by what she assumed was rainwater runoff. It offered some semblance of concealment. Pulling a tangle of overgrown vegetation over herself, she felt the cool earth beneath her and opened the guild chat. With trembling fingers, she typed a brief warning to Matt and the others about her perilous situation, to ensure they knew of the possible danger that others like Spencer could be out there.
Elsewhere, Matt stared at Rose’s message, his heart plummeting as the weight of her predicament sank in—she was lost and utterly alone, with no means to ask him for help. A part of him itched to pull out Radoznaormr’s anchor, yearning to call upon his power to aid her, but doubt gnawed at him. He questioned whether Radoznaormr could even help, and if he could, he dreaded the price he would demand. The fear for Rose’s safety wrapped around him like a vice, and he cursed himself for allowing anyone to get close, for his own helplessness in this dire moment. The thought that others might soon find themselves trapped in similar peril only deepened his anxiety.
“What’s wrong?” Bob asked, concern etched on his face.
“It looks like we aren’t the only group of higher-leveled people,” Matt replied, his voice strained. “Rose ran into trouble; someone stronger than her attacked, and now she’s forced to flee for her life. She doesn’t even know if she’s safe yet.”
“Don’t put her fate on your shoulders. There’s nothing we can do,” Bob advised, his tone pragmatic. “The strong will survive, and the weak will nourish them—that’s the harsh truth of our reality.”
“I didn’t realize you could be so cold,” Matt shot back, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
“Don’t get me wrong; I want her to live, and I am fully on board with hunting down her attacker and making them pay for even trying to harm her. But how can we?”
“I hate feeling powerless,” Matt muttered, gazing up at the vast expanse of the sky, the clouds swirling ominously above. “Bob, we need to reach the dungeon and claim that island for Scattered Stars. Once we do, it’ll be time to send a message to the world that those under my protection are not to be harmed.”
With that decided, Matt resumed running, his thoughts racing alongside him, hoping fervently that Rose would navigate her current crisis unscathed. If she fell, he knew he would carry the weight of her loss on his shoulders forever.
