Chapter 15: Hunger for Control

Taking a deep breath, Rachel took in the place’s rich, earthy smell, experiencing millions of scents she struggled to identify; she could cycle through them on a whim, though it didn’t help her much. All of her senses had been enhanced from [Divine Beast Empowerment]’s advancement.

The rancid mouths and the blood of the goblins creased her nose, but she could filter it out if she wanted. What most pulled on her mind was the ease with which she’d just executed these creatures; she’d never killed anything in her life.

Obviously, I shouldn’t feel bad about murdering these things... They were attempting to kill teens—stupid teens, but teens, nonetheless. Yet, a kill is a kill, so should I be so nonchalant?

Ignoring the quandary and rising from her crouching position, she drew something rather disturbing from the encounter: this world was most likely very real and not just some virtual space to train. The lives, mannerisms, and things talked about between various parties of the caravan and the conversations she’d followed from the two teens were far too complex to be pure fiction.

Once the kids were calmed down, they told her about the stories revolving around the White Jade Hare and her companions that spanned their world’s history; there were hundreds of years of scattered interactions.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t tell her anything about who her companions were since they’d only heard a few things from the drunken stories told by their instructors. One Verna liked was the Battle of the High Keep, where an army of ogres had been dispatched by her group when all looked lost.

After getting a few quick answers that were on Rachel’s mind, she told them to head back to the road to help during the attack and made sure Verna promised not to participate; a quake ran down the girl’s spine at the intense, illuminated stare she gave her.

"I feel fine, though..." she groaned, clearly out to get recognition, which Rachel could respect, and she noticed a strange rhythm spike in her heart.

"Lying isn’t going to help anything," Rachel said, showing an understanding smile. "You don’t want to become a burden to others...which includes the burden of dealing with your death. I had a teacher, too, and he told me the same thing when I got my first concussion. Maybe learn how to fall next time, or where you’re falling?"

"Yeah..." she mumbled, blushing with embarrassment while rubbing her arm. "Thank you, White Jade Hare. Are you going to handle the goblins?"

"I am! Why don’t you two talk a lot about the world and more about goblins... Ooop, let’s stay awake, Verna—Martin, keep her talking and help her back. If you go...that way, you’ll reach the road and be a bit behind the group, but you won’t meet any goblins."

The boy nodded, supporting the frustrated girl as he guided her in the direction she’d pointed. "She’s going to be so pissed if she doesn’t remember this tomorrow," he groaned, yet his face showed he was a man on a mission. "I’ll get her back."

"Good man," she chuckled, patting him on the back.

He set off, and Rachel turned her attention back to the goblins; she could hide the corpses but didn’t see the point in it if her intention was to draw more her way. She could hardly feel the wounds on her arm now.

However, something new quickly snatched Rachel’s attention as she gave herself time to analyze the sounds in the forest: in the far distance, there was an area utterly devoid of noise.

Interesting...

She took one of the tiny goblin daggers to practice throwing it on her path to the edge of apparently nowhere; the trick was passing between moonlight and darkness, which drastically changed her power output.

Thus far, she’d discovered quite a few things that grated against her brain:

Fantasy creatures were real.

She was written into the history books of another world, which raised the question of whether the quests Anthony could access might also take them through time.

Certain emotions she thought she should feel after killing something were nonexistent.

This world naturally had magic in it. All she had to go on were the merchants’ discussions about a few members of their party. Yet their examples and hopes gave Rachel the impression magic here was less potent than it seemed to be for those affected by The Oscillation on Earth.

An Irish moon goddess might not only be real but have some kind of vested interest in her, and she still couldn’t be sure that the deity hadn’t had a hand in causing this sudden change. At the very least, it raised suspicions about her own transformation.

On the other hand, she had many questions still left unanswered:

Would she change further?

Were these quest worlds connected to the Crystal worlds she’d heard about?

How did these quests operate compared to the Crystals, as well?

How should she react in this situation?

How would these enhancement abilities affect her mental state?

What was the end game?

Rachel snarled, dismissing a lot of the information. All I know is that I need a win condition. For what? I have no clue, but I always have to have a win condition. If the world has turned hostile, I have to act in kind or get trampled, lying face down on the ring...

Her nose creased with the thought of her first competition, where she’d lost in the semi-finals. From that moment on, she’d promised never to let that embarrassment happen again, working hard to make that a reality.

Coming upon a fathomless fog, Rachel glared into the swirling abyss that left no sound. I can’t define myself... I’m fighting, but for what? To survive? No. I don’t only want to survive. I’m doing all of this to have control. Rule one: control the fight, and you can’t lose. I can’t lose control.

Methodical mind back in motion, she took a long stick and tested out the mist before attempting to press against it; the stick could go through, yet her hands met an impassable barrier. When she struck it, all the kinetic energy vanished, not causing a recoil.

A barrier, yet one only I can’t exit? I suppose it is similar to the Crystal gateways that generate a field... Animals can go in and out of it. It’s a competition area. Perhaps it could expand if the quest changes? All I get are questions...

The liquid in Rachel’s mouth thickened upon hearing something sizeable exit a goblin cave, though electricity ran through her body as the azure moon broke free from the clouds. Body raring to go, her ears swiftly turned, listening intently to the guttural sounds the large creature made. Goblins cowered at the orders that came from the bigger entity.

A challenge? Well, if that’s the case, I should level up a little and finally put some points into my Feats and Stats.

Dismissing everything else with the rekindled fire in her chest, she realized she’d lost interest in the goblins due to how easy the fight had been; however, this wasn’t a goblin, or at least wasn’t like the ones she’d slaughtered.

Licking her lips, Rachel broke into a light jog, passing through the forest at twice her previous top speed as she moved to strategically take out the other scouts in the area.

"I’m going insane," she laughed, throwing her dagger at the ambushed goblins, who were screaming in panic; it struck one’s shoulder, making it twist backward. "I don’t think I care anymore... I want to experiment with these new powers. Can you even understand me?" she asked, scooping one goblin up and abducting it, hiding behind a tree—not that she needed to.

She hummed, easily snapping its wrists, making them useless as it tried to struggle to break her grip around its throat. "I don’t think you do... I guess that makes this easier!"

The horn sounded behind her, and she could smell the fear in the crippled goblin’s sweat when a sinister smile twisted her mouth, showing the appetite for conflict that she’d been attempting to suppress with logic.

"Bring all of your friends. I’ve got this...strange buzz in my ears. Is it your wheezing?" Her fingers twitched as she moved into the moonlight, crushing the tiny fiend’s throat. "Damn... You’re all so fragile," Rachel complained, tossing the body to the side as it suffocated; she felt too powerful.

Her bright, four-leaf-clover-like irises shifted to the small pack of fodder that had come to offer her their life; she felt high on something.

I’m in control, she told herself, effortlessly predicting and dodging the arrows or stones the organizing goblins threw at her. I need to understand these abilities, and the best way is to exercise them.

Finding a thick branch on the ground, Rachel used it to break the bones of the little monsters. She let them form their strategies to better grasp their ingenuity out of pure interest before crushing them; Tyreese had drilled into her to observe her opponents carefully to see if there was anything she could learn or adapt into her technique.

Sliding between the sapphire moonlight and darkness, she let the fire grow within her. All the inhibitions Rachel experienced were evaporated under the blue celestial object that beat back the veil of clouds to fill her with strength.

[Level Up - Level 3]

[1 Stat Point Added; 2 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Added; 1 Available]

Rachel’s grin briefly gleamed as bright as the white moon above her.