The stink of the cell was unbearable, the kind of smell that seeped into your skin and clung to your clothes no matter how far you ran. Alice wrinkled her nose and leaned back against the cold, damp wall of her prison.
"Should've kept my mouth shut," she muttered under her breath.
Her mind drifted back to what had happened. The old man—stern, commanding, and reeking of authority—wasn't just anyone. He was the lord of the nearby town, and the two children she'd rescued weren't mere commoners playing tag in the forest. They were his children.
June and Leonard had tried to cover for her. Their tiny voices had pleaded, insisting that Alice had saved their lives. But the lord had silenced them with a single, stern look, his worry for their safety overriding any gratitude he might have felt.
The cuffs had come quickly after that, clamping around her wrists before she had a chance to explain herself. The guards had dragged her to this medieval hellhole without so much as an explanation.
Alice sighed, the chains rattling as she shifted. Not my first time in a cell.
Her thoughts turned to her original timeline. There had been a similar situation once, back when she was part of her old party. They'd gotten too rowdy in a tavern, the kind of "celebrating" that involved broken chairs and smashed mugs. The guards had thrown them in a cell to cool off overnight.
She smiled faintly at the memory before her expression hardened. This isn't then. This isn't with them. I came back for a reason.
Alice dismissed the memories and focused. She had to get stronger—faster.
Her eyes flicked open, the faint blue glow of her [Status] illuminating the dingy cell. She swiped over to her [Inventory], where her rewards from the recent quest were neatly stored. With a thought, the items appeared before her:
15 FFF Ranked Magical Cores1 EE Ranked Magical Core1 Pure Emblem Core (Copper)
Alice picked up the cores, letting their faintly glowing surfaces rest in her palm. She could feel the distinct differences between them. The FFF cores pulsed faintly, their energy raw but meager compared to the others. The EE core thrummed with a denser, more vibrant power. And then there was the Pure Emblem Core—its energy was so refined it felt almost alive.
A notification blinked in her peripheral vision:
[Would you like to absorb these Magical Cores?]
Alice dismissed it for now, turning the Pure Emblem Core over in her hands.
Pure Emblem Cores were priceless, she knew. They were exceedingly rare and guaranteed breakthroughs, a fact that made them more valuable than most magical cores of similar rank. This Copper-tier core would propel her Emblem into Iron Rank, a monumental leap.
She chuckled softly, remembering how others in her original timeline would kill for such a thing. Some said they were rewards for completing impossible quests; others believed luck played a part.
EX Luck strikes again.
Her decision was made. The FFF cores were essentially useless now, good only for selling or trade. But the Pure Emblem Core? That was her ticket to the next level.
Alice sat cross-legged on the filthy floor, her cuffs clinking lightly. "Let's do this."
+
She closed her eyes and confirmed the notification, sinking into her [Inner World] as the energy of the Pure Emblem Core flowed into her.
The familiar warmth greeted her immediately, the tether that connected her to the Origin pulling her closer. This time, as she stepped forward, a new path unfurled beneath her feet, glowing with a radiant light.
Her body felt lighter, stronger, like she'd solved a puzzle that had stumped her for ages. Satisfaction and elation surged through her as she basked in the energy's purity.
The path stretched further, the star at the center of her universe burning brighter. But just as quickly as it began, the journey halted.
Alice opened her eyes, disappointment flickering briefly in her chest. The Origin was still so far away, its light untouchable.
"Patience," she muttered to herself. Once my body's strong enough, the plan will work.
+
The stench of the cell hit her immediately as she returned to the real world. Alice gagged, her hand flying to her nose.
"What the hell?"
Her eyes drifted down to the floor where she'd been sitting. A puddle of black, tar-like mucus glistened in the dim light, the smell so foul it made her stomach churn.
"Did someone…?" Alice trailed off as a notification appeared.
[Appraisal: Alice's Impurities]
Her face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, fantastic. I just sweated out my filth. Lovely."
She stepped away from the puddle, her nose wrinkling as she tried to ignore the stench. But there was no denying the difference in how she felt. Her body moved with an ease she hadn't experienced before, her muscles lighter, her senses sharper.
It reminded her of stories she'd heard in her original timeline—of miraculous potions or spirit lakes that could cleanse one's impurities, purging toxins and filth to leave behind a renewed body.
Alice flexed her fingers, feeling the strength in her grip. "Guess it's true after all."
She stretched, popping her joints, and allowed herself a small smile. Iron Rank, here I come.
Now, if only she could figure out a way out of this wretched cell.
+
Ding!