Chapter 168: Two-Faced

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Sora, lost in thoughts, looked at Rachel.

'Is this your reaction after discovering your allies weren't real? Why are you smiling?' Sora was puzzled, trying to figure out what caused her change in temperament.

'Now that I've confirmed you can't help but backstab people left and right, I want to know why you've killed Nathan? Why did you kill me? Should I interrogate you or dig into your mind to find answers by myself?'

Satisfied with the results of his first test, he moved and appeared behind Rachel. Unable to sense his presence, she fainted as he used an overwhelming amount of mental power to make her faint.

Sora hesitated for a moment before activating [Memory Sculpting]. A heavy tension settled in his stomach, like a knot tightening with every passing second. His normally steady hands trembled slightly. Activating [Memory Sculpting], he saw a familiar notification.

[You are attempting to access [Rachel Claude]’s memory without her approval.]
[The target’s mental resistance is low.]
[Memory Sculpting in progress.]
[Select mode.]
[Viewer] [Editor] [Director]

“What am I going to find?” The thought weighed on him, a mix of fear and anger swirling in his chest. He wanted answers, but a part of him dreaded uncovering the truth.

Selecting the [Viewer Mode] and [Continuous] viewing method, he was planning on analyzing every memory of hers.

[You will start viewing [Rachel Claude]’s memories. Use the control panel to skip, slow down, rewind, accelerate, or switch viewing method.]

The panel faded, and the world around him changed.

-------------------------------------

Rachel's memories began as she woke up in her bed after the [World Update]. Nathan, who had been lying beside her before she fell asleep, was nowhere to be seen.

Surprised by his absence, she reached for her phone to contact him. As the screen lit up, she caught a glimpse of the date and realized she had been asleep far longer than expected.

[September 13th, 2044]

"I've slept for three days?" Sora could hear her thoughts, as if their minds were connected.

Rachel quickly noticed that her phone had no signal. Pushing aside her growing unease, she got out of bed and left the room.

After failing to find Nathan in the house, she prepared herself some scrambled eggs and a hot chocolate, her routine grounding her in the strange silence.

"Maybe he woke up earlier because he’s a player? Knowing Nate, he probably went to check on his parents and Soso. Should I go outside and see how the world has changed?" Rachel’s thoughts lingered on her husband and in-laws as she finished her breakfast.

Deciding not to bother with a shower, Rachel casually picked out some clothes, applied light makeup, and stepped out of the house.

Sora paid little attention to her reaction to the changed world, instead skipping forward through her memories.

After walking for a few minutes, Rachel arrived at Nathan's parents' house. The door opened to reveal Nathan standing there, and behind him was Sora, smiling warmly as she stepped inside.

Seeing his older brother through Rachel’s memories, Sora’s own memories were rekindled, vivid and bittersweet.

Sora who was in no hurry to witness Rachel's betrayals watched as they discussed the [World Update]. 

Nathan had waken up a few hours before them and was already level 19 before the [World Update]. He explained what he had discovered while they were asleep and was so happy about his discoveries that the 'younger' Sora was excited to join him in his adventures.

Rachel, however, had thoughts that surprised Sora. 'Here he goes again... When I needed him the most to bring some money home, he left his job to chase after mutated chicken and sheep. Damn it, it brought so much shame to our families when rumors about him being chased by wild dogs holding his naked butt spread... But now, it seems that being a player isn't so bad after all. Thank god, I didn't ask for the divorce a few months ago.' 

Sora frowned at her thoughts, 'So back when you told us you were proud of Nathan, you were secretly considering divorcing my brother?'

The pleasant memory was tainted by Rachel's thoughts and Sora kept watching as she acted in a way and secretly thought the opposite of what she said.

'You were such a hypocrite?' Sora who knew what she would do in the future couldn't help but be disappointed anyway.

Rachel’s days with Nathan and Sora followed a familiar rhythm: raising their job proficiencies, hunting low-level monsters, and completing easy quests. While Nathan led with skill and charisma, Rachel often trailed behind, her skill level quite lacking. Despite her smiles, her thoughts often wandered to how unfair the world was.

She glanced over at Sora and Nathan as they discussed a new quest. Nathan’s energy and confidence were infectious. Even Sora, quieter by nature, seemed to come alive in his brother’s presence, hanging onto his every word. Rachel couldn’t help but feel a pang of annoyance.

“Why does everyone adore him so much?” she thought bitterly. “He's had months to level up before us. I'll show you how awesome I can be too.”

During most of their quests, they were joined by Lara and Enzo, Sora’s close friends. She had recently unlocked her [Archer] class and showed off her skills to Nathan. Rachel watched as Lara performed pathetically with her bow, her enthusiasm way beyond her skill level.

What caught Rachel’s attention, however, wasn’t Lara’s skill level—it was the way Lara looked at Nathan. Her gaze stayed on him, filled with admiration , as though he were a hero straight out of a storybook.

Rachel thought with disdain. “Doesn’t she realize he’s married? Or does she think I’m invisible?”

Nathan, oblivious to what Rachel considered Lara's flirting, patiently helped Lara adjust her grip on the bowstring. His encouragement even brought a blush to Lara’s cheeks, which only fueled Rachel’s irritation.

“She’s so obvious,” Rachel mused, her lips curving into a tight smile as she turned away. “How pathetic.”

Despite Nathan’s skill and charisma, the group often found themselves in trouble—and more often than not, it was because of Rachel. She had a knack for making poor decisions in the heat of battle, whether it was misjudging a monster’s strength, attacking the wrong monster, or falling into traps.

Rachel’s dissatisfaction with her life as a player grew with each passing day. She didn’t enjoy the thrill of battle or the satisfaction of growth. The grind bored her, and her lack of natural talent only deepened her resentment.

After some time, she managed to convince Nathan to stop playing with the group and only help her from time to time.

'She was weak, unlucky, and completely unmotivated,' Sora thought as he watched her memories unfold. 'I remember all of this. But I've never noticed that she hated the days all of us cherished the most. I also never realized how jealous she was of Nathan. She didn’t like him getting all the attention and admiration...”

Sora watched as days passed. Weeks. Until something unexpected happened.

[Level up!]

[You have reached 20]

[You have unlocked your innate skill - Two-Faced]

[Innate Skill: Two-Faced]

Description: Attacking your allies will result in their death if they are already injured, without any risk of failure. Any member of your kingdom is considered an ally. You can not gain infamy through killing. Gain the ability to see the amount of trust people have for you.

Restriction: You need to leave three witnesses alive for your skill to activate. Killing a witness, or conspiring against them will result in the loss of your innate skill. 

Remaining uses: 15.

[Skill Option 1 - Betrayer's Gift : Upon killing an ally in your level range or higher (the target can not be more than 10 levels lower) your talent will be multiplied by up to 10. The amount of trust the target has for the skill holder will affect the multiplier.]
[Skill Option 2: Locked (Level 70)]
[Skill Option 3: Locked (Level 90)]
[Skill Option 4: Locked (Level 100)]

Sora's mouth was wide open as he read the skill, 'What the hell? She unlocked her innate skill when she was only level 20?! And she can kill anyone as long as he's injured? This is too vicious! The restrictions aren't enough!! This is too strong! And she can have a talent of millions of billions? Someone tell me this is a joke.'

'What is this ? An innate skill? This ... this is encouraging me to kill my allies? What?!' Rachel stood in her room and read the notification. 'My talent can be multiplied by ten? 15 times? Wouldn't I be the strongest player on Earth after a few times? I would probably even be able to save mankind!'

Sora watched as Rachel's eyes, usually lifeless eyes when she was alone, brightened as she stood in front of a mirror.

'Killing a few people shouldn't be too bad if I pay back my debt to the society in a few months, right?' The look in Rachel's eyes became strange, before she shook her head, 'No, I can't do that. I'd never forgive myself if I did that.'

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