The group, composed of five young people who appeared to be human, was heading toward their city.
The return trip would take about a day, but they were well-prepared. They had brought many tools to camp for the night and plenty of provisions to avoid starving.
Carrying all these resources was very simple. Spatial Rings.
Each of them had several Spatial Rings that allowed them to store any non-living objects.
The space inside these rings wasn't large—about 27m³. Larger rings came at a much higher cost, after all.
After traveling for about five hours, the group decided to take a break and rest.
But then—
A strong pressure seemed to appear and disappear in the distance.
"What's happening?" Lira, the blonde-haired girl, said.
"I have no idea, we should check it out," responded the man with the sharp voice. His grip never left the hilt of his sword.
"Yes, I agree. Let's go, but let's be careful," nodded Kael, the leader of the group.
They were approaching the location when a loud roar of dark, ominous energy seemed to erupt out of nowhere.
Then—
Another energy, this time brighter and more pleasant, descended from the sky, colliding with the evil energy.
"Look, that's the blessing of the world," a surprised voice came from Lira's mouth.
"Someone is doing a Rank-up here? Who could be so foolish?" said Sienna, the other girl with reddish hair.
Then, as if everything happening wasn't enough, the dark energy seemed to rise with even more ferocity. The same thing happened with the light energy.
It seemed like a war.
Good against evil.
Right against wrong.
"I'm too curious. Who could be unleashing such a phenomenon? Are we witnessing the rank-up of a World Superpower? But why would they do it here?" Riven had a stunned expression.
"Let's get closer," said the leader decisively. "We need to figure out what this is. It could be a threat."
And so, the five approached with even more caution.
But the moment they decided to get closer, everything ended as suddenly as it had started.
"Already over?" murmured Riven. "Wasn't that a high-level Rank-up? How did it end so quickly?"
"Could it have been something else?" Sienna said, surprised.
"Maybe a treasure was born?" Lira yelled excitedly. "We need to check it out, let's go!"
As soon as Jeremy sensed the different presences far from him, he decided to hide and observe them. He didn't know anything about this world, and exposing himself could bring more disadvantages than advantages. He wasn't strong enough yet, after all.
He had really messed up his Rank-up, but fortunately, nothing seemed to be attracted to the area, except for this group of humans.
After waiting for a few minutes, Jeremy saw the appearance of young people who seemed human.
"Status"
---
Name: ?
Class: ?
Race: ?
Lv: ?
---
"What?" Jeremy was stunned. "I can't view their status?"
As Jeremy stared in disbelief, the rest of the group felt a chill run down their spines.
"They're spying on us," Sienna said decisively, tightening her grip on her bow as if it were the only tool keeping her sane. "Don't let them know we've noticed. We're not the only ones here."
"Fortunately, that old man gave us the Anti-System earring," Alistair murmured, reflecting on the situation.
"Sienna," Kael said seriously, "can you tell from which direction they're spying on us?"
"It seems to be coming from the East," Sienna replied, scanning the horizon. "But I'm not sure…"
"Good," Kael nodded. "Then let's explore the area and prepare for a possible surprise attack."
"You keep an eye on the surroundings here." Kael stepped forward without fear, his stride firm, but always attentive. "We might have arrived too late."
"Then," Riven interjected, already ready to draw his sword, "shouldn't we go after them? If they've stolen something from us, we can't let them get away."
"What are you talking about?" Alistair stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "They didn't steal anything from us. If they took the treasure, so be it. It wasn't meant for us in the first place."
"Exactly," Lira calmly nodded. "We're not beasts; we don't kill someone just for treasure."
"Yes, but…" Riven tried to protest, but was interrupted.
"No 'buts,'" Kael said decisively. "They're right."
With those words, the group headed toward the location where the energy had erupted.
Meanwhile, among the distant trees, Jeremy and Drae'mon were hidden, far from the group. Despite the distance, Jeremy could vaguely hear the words the group was exchanging.
"A treasure? Here?" Jeremy murmured, confused. "Could it be that my world blessing was mistaken for the appearance of a treasure?"
An expression of disbelief crossed Jeremy's face.
"Well... I can't evaluate their status. They seem to have special items…"
"And those shiny armors…"
"In short, they're strong." Jeremy reflected for a moment. "Sure, I'm not afraid of them, but I'm not at my peak yet. I can create four more Undead. I can't wait to see what they're capable of…" His smile widened, almost maliciously.
"Could they have the same blessing as Drae'mon?" he wondered to himself, as he followed the group from a distance.
The group, after exploring the area and finding nothing of interest, decided to leave. They hadn't found any traces of treasure or anything else, and the fatigue was starting to take its toll. They had been traveling for too long without resting.
"Should I follow them?" Jeremy thought, watching the group move further away. "They could lead me to the exit of this forest… Not that I mind staying here, but I really need a bath."
After a while, the group stopped to camp. It was already evening, and everyone was tired.
"Sienna," Kael called her, his tone as serious as ever. "Are they still following us?"
"It seems so," Sienna replied, her gaze cautious but uncertain. "They're too far, I can't perceive them clearly."
"Good." Kael made a decisive gesture. "Then that's enough. Let them reveal themselves."
"Affirmative."
Meanwhile, Jeremy was observing the scene from afar, curious. "They want to camp?" he murmured to himself. "Doesn't seem like a bad idea... I'm exhausted too after that fight with the Rank D."
"…"
"Don't look at me like that." Jeremy smiled at Drae'mon, who was giving him a questioning look. "It was a mental fight. I was worried about you too."
But while he was joking with the pile of bones, something changed in the air in front of him. A sudden whistle made him look up.
"Quick!"
An arrow flew at high speed, planting itself just a few centimeters from Jeremy's feet.
He didn't even notice.
"So they've been aware of me this whole time?" The thought hit him like lightning.
"It could have been a coincidence…" he thought, but didn't have time to reflect. A second whistle filled the air, and this time, an arrow, even closer, grazed him.
"Alright, alright!" Jeremy yelled, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm coming out!"
With cautious steps, he approached the group of youths. He watched them more closely, and a thought crossed his mind.
"They seem even stronger up close... maybe I misjudged them."
He ordered Drae'mon to stay hidden in the bushes. He was betting that they wouldn't be able to sense his presence. After all, he wanted to keep a few cards up his sleeve. He didn't want to create unnecessary problems like "Oh no, a skeleton!"
As far as he knew, necromancers had never been well-liked.
When he finally approached the group, the five of them looked at him strangely and immediately took a step back.
This surprised Jeremy… why would they do that?
"You stink," one of the girls among the five said bluntly. "Let me help you."
She had long blonde hair and eyes that were like precious blue gems.
Jeremy looked at her, fascinated by her gaze. It seemed pure, innocent, like that of a child. What she had said didn't seem like an insult, in fact…
Jeremy turned his gaze away with an embarrassed smile. It was true, after all. Stinking was an understatement. He was literally rotten.
Then—
"Cleans" She uttered the name of a Skill, and as if by magic, his whole body seemed to glow with light, and the stink and filth covering him dissolved like smoke.
He didn't even have time to thank her before a red-haired boy stepped forward, ready to draw his sword, and yelled threateningly:
"Who the hell are you? What are you doing here, and what treasure did you find?"
Riven didn't waste time with formalities. He verbally attacked the boy.
"First of all, thank you and nice to meet you." Jeremy smiled awkwardly. "My name is Jeremy."
"And secondly…" A sudden surge of energy erupted from Jeremy, and the Skeleton Domination skill activated.
It was a skill that allowed his undead to deal more damage, but that wasn't why he used it. Jeremy discovered that the skill also had an aura effect. Though useless at the moment, it could make a difference when the time was right.
"I don't like being threatened."
The air seemed to grow heavy, filled with palpable tension.
Riven, momentarily shocked by Jeremy's reaction, was about to draw his sword when a firm voice stopped him in his tracks.