As Rael continued his solitary journey, the landscape transformed from the tranquil surroundings of Village Head Reonald's territory to the wild and unpredictable expanse of the world outside.
Every step he took into the unknown was a testament to his determination to uncover the mysteries surrounding the Apocalypse Games.
His primary goal was to grow stronger, not only to protect himself but to gain the means to seek revenge for the wrongs committed against him.
The White Crystals he held in his possession were a valuable resource, and he knew he needed to utilize them wisely to enhance his power.
"It's better if I use them now; maybe I can even improve my rank again," thought Rael as he slowly consumed the White Crystals and the Gray one.
(Ding! 11 F's Grade White Crystals were consumed)
(Ding! E- Grade Gray Crystal was consumed)
"Just as expected, there is a change, but it's not too much," he sighed, feeling a little 'full,' but it wasn't enough; at most, it was around 20% of what he needed to become an F+ Rank lifeform.
Since he still had those 5 E- Grade Gray Crystals in his possession, Rael didn't want to use them until he was sure he was going to breakthrough the next Rank.
Minutes turned into hours as Rael slowly delved deeper into the unfamiliar terrain.
Along the way, he encountered various F Rank lifeforms, each presenting a unique appearance compared to their counterparts from Earth.
With his improved skills and the power of his attributes, he managed to swiftly eliminate every single lifeform that blocked his path.
He sought to learn more about the world beyond the village, the locations of the other cities and villages, and the potential allies he could find.
Reonald's cryptic words about the Divinities and the grander scheme behind the Apocalypse Games continued to haunt him, and he was determined to unravel the truth.
While exploring a dense forest, Rael stumbled upon a hidden clearing. In the center of this clearing stood a mysterious figure wearing a hood.
As Rael approached the hooded figure, he felt a tingling sensation, as if the figure sensed his presence.
It was a moment of silence between the two of them before the figure spoke with the voice of a girl, "I know you're there."
Hearing that, Rael didn't beat around the bush and came out. Checking the figure for a bit, he was surprised to feel some other presences nearby.
"Who are you?" In a somewhat cold voice, the figure asked. Her feminine voice entered Rael's ears, making him aware that it was a woman who just spoke to him.
"I'm just passing by here, also... It's a bit rude to ask for someone's name before introducing yourself," said Rael with a smile; a smile that made the figure freeze a bit, since some faint killing intent could be felt.
"Hmph, you're the one who's rude. I was just about to go down the river and take a bath, but you stood there in the bush watching me!"
Anger was apparent in the figure's voice; she really seemed offended by Rael's actions.
"Lady, I don't know where you are coming from, but in this world where you can't trust anyone, where the heck was I supposed to know you're going to take a shower so casually, and why would I show myself to you?"
Rael was also a bit incensed. If he wanted to, he could've used his chaotic energy to mask himself in the surroundings; thus, the girl wouldn't have found him.
"That's a good excuse for a pervert! It would be better to leave now." Saying so, the few presences that Rael felt earlier showed themselves; surprising him a bit.
This was because there were 8 F+ monsters that just came out from behind the hooded girl; all of them were menacingly looking at him.
"You can control those beasts?" He even spotted a familiar-looking black panther, it was the same kind like the one he killed.
"That's none of your business," the girl quickly said in a cold voice. She had had enough of that man's questions and just wanted to shower herself.
"Listen. I want to propose an alliance between the two of us. I'm very interested in your ability to control beasts, and I think we're going to form a powerful duo."
Rael said with a forced smile. If the girl decided to go with him, then it would be a huge amount of support for his plan.
"Haha! You're delusional if you think I'm going to form an alliance with you! Why would I protect someone who's weaker than me? There's no benefit in doing that!"
"Weaker?" Rael dangerously smiled; his aura seemed to completely change as he slowly walked forward.
An air of Chaos was emanated from his being; one that made the beasts around the girl nervous, each producing a different growl of uncertainty.
"Should I kill half of your friends over there to prove myself, lady?" Taking out his Black Alpha, the aura of the weapon made the beasts take a step back, shocking the girl.
'How could this man induce fear in my beasts? They weren't afraid even when we encountered that group of over a dozen F Rank lifeforms!'
Thought the girl who started to see Rael in a different light. 'Could he be...?'
Thinking of something, she quickly raised her hand to stop Rael from advancing, "Wait. Are you perhaps an F+, or... E- Rank lifeform now?"
Rael looked at the girl with a mischievous smile on his face, "Why don't you guess?"
"Also... I'm sorry, but it's too late for me to stop now. I'm afraid that if you aren't convinced by my strength, you're just going to half-ass enter my alliance."
Once he stopped smiling, Rael's pupils turned a shade darker, a chaotic energy that gave the girl a chill on her spine could be felt.
"Wait, I'm...!" Before she could finish her words, Rael, who used Dash to increase his monstrous speed even more, was already in front of her, wickedly smiling before passing the girl and grabbing the familiar black panther by its throat.
Looking at the whimpering beast that struggled against his enormous Strength of 64, Rael smiled back at the girl who seemed to be in a daze since earlier, "Should I break his neck now?"
"Stop! Please! Don't hurt him!" Quickly coming to his side, the girl hurriedly placed her hand on his own, and looked straight at him while pleading.
The girl's young face was clearly visible to Rael, her long, pink hair that was freely flowing down her back, those pink pupils that were clearly looking at him in silence...
Without knowing why, Rael let go of the beast before softly saying, "See? If you would've listened to me before, this wouldn't have happened. What's your name?"
"My name is Persephone... Persephone Ther."