As the bright light of the goblin territory faded away, Alex felt a slight jolt, and in an instant, he was standing in the familiar woods he had been leveling up in with Alice.
He glanced at Alice, still unconscious on his back, and made a mental note to be extra cautious. The last thing he wanted was to face any threats while he was carrying her.
[You have acquired the necessary item for the quest 'The Greatest Silver-Skin Mage'!]
['Guiding Light' has decided to help you!]
"Oh?!"
A small blue orb appeared in front of Alex, displaying a trail of blue energy in the direction Alex needed to take to go back to the quest location.
[This is 'Guiding Light', they can be trusted.]
"Guiding Light" isn't just a feature that appears once in a while to help players with their quests, not at all: they are an actual entity who's sole purpose is to aid players it WANTS to help, basically, it was a sentient entity that could do what it wanted.
And strangely enough, it seemed as though Alex caught its eyes, since it usually didn't help!
It had only helped Alex once in his past life, yet here it was, already taking a liking to him it seems.
'Useful,' he smiled.
But of course, knowing where you need to go didn't mean no danger, as after less than ten minutes, he stopped, instinctively tightening his grip on Alice.
Out from the bushes leaped three [Poison Snakes], their scales glinting menacingly in the light; the creatures hissed, baring its fangs.
"Just a few snakes, huh?" Alex muttered, his confidence surging. "Let's see what you've got."
He quickly readied himself, feeling the familiar warmth of magic coursing through his veins.
Fireball!
The fireball erupted from his [Horned Staff], hurtling through the air and striking one of the snakes squarely on the side.
The creature writhed in agony as flames engulfed it, its hissing fading to silence.
A panel appeared before him, announcing:
[Critical hit, dealing 150% of initial damage!]
-444!
The snake was obliterated into ash as it only had 400 HP, and Alex couldn't help but smile at the ease of the kill.
He got rid of the other snakes just as easily, and one of them actually let out an [Extract Prompt]!
"Let's see what you've got," he said, reaching down to the pile of ash.
[Poison Ring (Common)
+10 agility stat points
Poison Snake Tongue (Common)]
He already got two poison rings, so he chose the second option.
[You have extracted 10 agility points from Poison Snake.]
Continuing through the forest, he spotted a group of two [Rage Boars] milling about.
And though Alex wanted to continue as to not put Alice in danger, he eventually decided to get rid of them.
Rock Throw!
And so, after a few seconds, Alex observed his craft.
[S-Level Poison Anti-Antidote]
The color was slightly different since the poison was red, so Alex was hoping she wouldn't notice.
As stated before, Alex had absolutely no intentions to save her, and not any of the silver-skin humans actually, the reason was simple: they were enemies of humanity, joining the forces of evil later to kill them.
Alex looked at his newly crafted potion, then smirked as he climbed up the invisible ladder of the secret cabin.
Inside, the atmosphere was thick and heavy, and he spotted the silver-skinned human lying on the floor, panting weakly.
Her silvery hair lay splayed around her head, glistening like moonlight.
But despite her dire condition, there was a hint of menace in her eyes as she saw him.
"Help me," she rasped, desperation tinged with an unspoken threat, "Did you bring it?"
He stepped closer, holding the [S-Level Poison Anti-Antidote] he had just mixed.
He felt the tension in the room rise as he approached, but he played it off the best he could.
"Here," he said, extending the potion toward her, "Drink this."
The silver-skinned woman's eyes sparkled as she noticed the potion, "Oh, so you finally brough this potion, human!"
"..." Alex didn't answer.
Without waiting for further explanation, she grabbed the potion and gulped it down, her eyes widening as the liquid flowed down her throat.
Almost immediately, her expression changed from relief to shock.
"What—" she began, but her words were cut off as her body convulsed violently.
Alex stepped back, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched her struggle.
The potion he had created wasn't just a cure; it was a lethal combination meant to stop her in her tracks.
"Fool!" she spat, her voice laced with venom, even as she faltered, "I was going to—"
But before she could finish her threat, she realized that her time was counted, and so she grabbed her golden staff, pointing it at the human.
Her golden staff glowed ominously as she pointed it at him, ready to unleash a powerful attack.
But Alex was already prepared.
"Rock Throw! Fireball! Red Crystal" he invoked, throwing everything he had at her right as she was about to use her skill.
-1! -1! -1!
"Your end is nigh, human!" yet Alex's attacks did absolutely nothing, only making her angrier than before, "ARE YOU COURTING DEATH?"
WATER TORRENT!
But just as she was about to unleash her spell, the potion's effects overwhelmed her. She staggered, her eyes going wide with realization, and in an instant, she collapsed, lifeless, the golden staff slipping from her fingers.
The tension in the room dissipated, replaced by an eerie silence.
"Wow..." Alex breathed, his heart racing as he approached the fallen body.
"Glad I didn't trust you," he muttered, shaking his head as he looked over the body, confirming that she was truly dead.
Alex knew that she was going to betray him no matter what.
"Let's see what you've got," he gently placed Alice on the ground and approached the silver-skin's body.