Chapter 19: Chapter 15

I'm not fond of Malison at all. Every time I kill something, I can feel her gaze against my back. It's making me uncomfortable.

 

Whenever I look in her direction, she's not even there anymore. She's got some odd ability, just like all of the other Red Witches I've met so far. If I could figure out her ability, I could lessen the fear of sharing a Dungeon with her. 

 

Tabitha can see through Malison's ability clearly, leading me to believe that her ability has something to do with cloaking herself. Invisibility would make sense, but I doubt that's her only ability. I should be extra cautious from now on so that she doesn't kill me in secret. Yeah, I have the right to assume that she has the intention of killing me.

 

---

 

We've spent the last 7 hours in this dungeon, killing many different enemies. When we first entered, some Goblins would rush up and attack. Then, as we remained a bit longer, we attracted the attention of more dangerous enemies like some mutated wolf-like monsters. They seemed like werewolves in fiction, being bipedal wolf-like monstrosities whose bodies could only be matched by three men put together. 

 

This didn't even begin to fully touch the monsters that we'd fight much later on down the line. These were just normal monsters that came charging at us. Under Tabitha's command, we were pushed deeper into the dungeon. 

 

Before I'd be against these dangerous actions—reckless acts like these can get someone killed—however, this is the present.

 

I have too much to lose from dying without achieving anything. I need to achieve something before I die again, and as long as I'm with these people, this should be a lot easier than before.

 

I haven't been using my daggers, since I don't want to become too comfortable with them. As far as I can tell, they can cut through monsters fairly easily. This is just my guess, though. I'll need to ask Artemis (or poor Apollo) about this later.

 

 

I've leveled up 30 times since we entered. This is pretty impressive, considering the number of skills I've been collecting. This purple dungeon is odd, in my eyes. I can't tell why, but something tells me that it shouldn't exist. I've gotten some strange skills if I do say so myself. Misfortune and Luck are two skills I gained from killing one of the odd monsters. They were humanoid shadow-like monsters that I had to use [Beastkin Transformation] to take on.

 

The transformation is actually pretty simple. Instead of turning me into a total monster, it just increases my physical abilities and gives me 'special claws' that adapt to attack whatever I cut. That way, I can actually fight and damage the shadow monsters. (Yes, the shadow-like monsters were literally intangible.)

 

I'm only taking a break since Tabitha forced Malison and me to rest before we get back into fighting. That doesn't sit well with me though, so I tested out another one of my skills.

 

[Minor Minion Summoning] is a skill that I got from the [Abysmal Shaman], letting me summon small monsters who I've killed before. The options that I have are quite great, and since this is a skill possessed by that Shaman, there isn't a strain or drawback when using the skill. Right now, I can only summon Goblins and Orcs, who are considerably weaker than the truly dangerous monsters in this Dungeon. Under my orders, the minions have gone and fought on their own elsewhere, away from Tabitha who's really hammering the monsters in the dungeon without much issue.

 

I'm easily too weak to be in this dungeon, but my skills have begun to help me out greatly. I feel like I'm stronger than I should be. It's like something that shouldn't be happening—is happening to me.

 

Every time I take time to think, I feel more and more disconnected from the rest of the world. I feel like I'm becoming a crack in the world, that the world is flowing around me, but never reaching me. Even the [System] that's been implemented by a supposed higher power has failed to recognize me correctly. 

 

You are reading story The Returner at novel35.com

I'd be the numbers of these stats aren't even of importance. When was the last time I needed to do anything related to my 'Magic' stat? 

 

My thoughts are rudely interrupted by a foot crashing into my back. Normally, I'd just fall forward, but this time the force behind the kick is enough to send my body jetting a dozen meters ahead. "Fuck!" I curse as I slide to a halt, slamming a fist into the ground. Lifting my head, I'd known who the perpetrator was before I'd even taken a glance. 

 

Malison is standing there with a smirk on her face, looking at me with the same predatory eyes as when we'd first met, only a few hours ago. "You're so adorable when you're angry, Clover." Instead of calling me 'Luck', Malison has opted to call me 'Clover', which I hate to admit is a better name than what was given to me. 

 

Malison finds joy in picking on me since we're so close in age—that much is obvious to me now. "You're a real jerk, you know that?"  Ruffling the dirt out of my hair, I speak harshly to the girl. Malison only chuckles at my words, stepping over to me and offering a hand to help me up. If I were a fool, I'd actually take her hand. Thankfully, I have a sound idea of her grip strength from before. If I take her hand, she'll probably shatter my hand.

 

Malison stares down at her untaken hand briefly. She doesn't do anything more than that, though.

 

"So, you've got a lot of skills I've heard, huh? Your growth rate is incredible. Right now, you'd probably be able to pass as a D-Rank." I'd already figured that Malison would catch on to my skills one way or another, so there was no point in trying to hide it. 

 

"You'd known how many skills I had when you first saw me, right?" Despite her knowing already, I won't give her the surprised look that she wants to see. "I'd bet that you're no different from your sister, Mind, right?" I don't know much at all about Mind, but I can take a guess and assume that these two share similarities. Based on her reaction, I think I'm right.

 

She takes me by the neck with a vice grip that can't compare to the other times she's taken me into her hands. I grit my teeth, flinching as an aura begins to loom over us. "You..." Malison begins to raise me up into the air with one hand. Even if I could find a way to break free of her grip, I don't think I'd be able to retaliate if she started to hit me. "You catch on quickly..." The aura around her subsides and Malison releases me from her asphyxiating grip.

 

I see a shine in Malison's eyes. "The entire family has become active. Mother opened her eyes for the first time in a while, and someone caught her eye. You." Her finger pokes my forehead. I swipe my hand up, pushing her hand away, and somehow I think she finds enjoyment in my protests. "Needless to say, despite my name, I am quite the lucky gal to have found you here. But you? You're pretty unlucky, seeing that you've been found here."

 

My body is shaking. I need to kill her. I have to kill her. I'll kill her here and run. That's the only way...! 

 

Malison's hand ruffles my hair while laughing aloud. "You're pretty amusing! That expression is wonderful! I was only joking, relax, girl." Harshly, her hand slaps against my back. She's a very physical person, that much is clear to me now. "Even if I wanted to turn you inv to Mother, I wouldn't be able to. She's fallen asleep for the first time in a long while, and I'm on a more important mission."

 

I can assume now that anyone with red hair is aware of my situation. I haven't the slightest clue how Malison figured me out from the start, but it undoubtedly has something to do with her genetics. If she can't report my existence now, that means I have a chance at living. "I'm still going to toy with you, but, you won't be in danger or anything—I hope." The uncertainty in her words has triggered something in my mind.

 

Malison is a Red Witch. When she gets the opportunity, she'll sell me out to her mother who killed me in my past life. Besides a bit of bullying, she's practically harmless right now. She won't attack me or try to kill me, her bullying is a product of her own personal interest in me. She has some sort of ability that can identify me; unconfirmed. 

 

In order to continue living on in this life without fail...

 

I have to kill her.

You can find story with these keywords: The Returner, Read The Returner, The Returner novel, The Returner book, The Returner story, The Returner full, The Returner Latest Chapter