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The gates of Frenria Town loomed before Sarah, a chaotic symphony of sounds and smells. Demi-humans of all kinds—beast-kin with twitching ears, scaled individuals with glittering eyes—jostled through the streets. Vendors shouted over the crowd, hawking shimmering fruits and rugged weapons. For a girl who had spent her previous life in isolation, the sensory overload was overwhelming and exhilarating.
Her destination was clear: the Adventurers' Guild, a sturdy building marked by a banner of a crossed sword and staff. As she stepped inside, the noise settled into a low hum of clinking glasses and murmured conversations. Before she could get her bearings, a cheerful voice cut through the din.
"Yoo!"
Sarah turned to see a girl her age with silvery hair tied in a ponytail and lively green eyes. Sarah froze. This was the first time anyone her own age had ever openly addressed her.
"The name is Sylvia," the girl said, smiling. She gestured with her thumb toward the reception desk. "Looking to register? Go on, I'll wait."
Nodding mutely, Sarah approached the desk.
"I came here to register as an adventurer," she stated, trying to project confidence.
The elf-like receptionist raised an eyebrow. "You're quite young for this line of work. Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Sarah replied, her voice firmer than she felt.
After filling out the paperwork, the receptionist presented a small crystal orb. "Please touch it."
Sarah obeyed. The orb glowed with a soft, transparent light, revealing her status to the receptionist, who scrutinized the results.
"Hmm. Strength, Speed, Endurance... all quite average. Your Intelligence shows promise, and your Potential is remarkable. However, your current magical affinity is negligible." The receptionist leaned forward. "Given your stats, your class will be Fighter or Warrior. Magical classes are out of reach for now. But with hard work, you can grow."
"Sarah!" Sylvia's voice called out again. She was now sitting at a table, patting the seat opposite her. "So, what did you get?"
"A Fighter or Warrior," Sarah said, sliding into the chair. "No magic."
Sylvia waved a dismissive hand. "Hey, don't sweat it. Magic isn't everything. Plenty of greats started right where you are." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Besides, your class isn't a life sentence. As you level up and your rank increases, you might unlock abilities you can't even imagine now. Your potential is what matters most."
Encouraged, Sarah accepted a simple quest to cull four goblins in the nearby woods. The task was tedious, and as dusk began to fall, weariness set in. She was ready to return when a system alert flashed.
[ALERT: Unregistered Dungeon detected. Approximate distance: 6 km.]
Curiosity overpowered fatigue. Following the system's directions, she found a hidden cave entrance and stepped into the damp, dark passageway.
The air grew cold and heavy. Deeper in, the tunnel opened into a cavern where a terrifying scene unfolded. An 8-foot-tall Goblin King was on its knees, groveling before a tall, humanoid figure.
"W-WE BEG YOU!" the monster pleaded.
The figure, a man with cold, beautiful features and crimson red pupils, didn't utter a word. He simply reached out and laid a hand on the Goblin King's head. Black flames erupted silently, consuming the creature in an instant. Its agonized screams echoed before being snuffed out.
[WARNING! WARNING! HOSTILE ENTITY DETECTED: "BEYONDER" RANKER!]
[THREAT LEVEL: CATASTROPHIC! EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!]
Sarah's heart hammered against her ribs. A Beyonder? But she had Auto-Battle Mode. Surely she could...
"Hey," she called out, her voice echoing in the sudden silence. "Would you mind me asking who you are?"
The man turned his crimson gaze toward her. "Hm... Who are you supposed to be, a girl?"
[SARAH, YOU DUMB F##K! HE IS DANGEROER! LET'S GET OUT!!!]
Ignoring the system's panic, she stood her ground. In a blur of motion, the man was before her. A strong hand grabbed her face, and with terrifying, effortless strength, he hurled her across the cavern.
Her body slammed into the stone wall with a sickening crunch. Agony exploded through her as she crumpled to the ground, coughing up blood. The world swam in and out of focus.
"N-no... I'm losing..." she panted, her vision darkening.
[Sarah! Sarah! Wake up, you dumbass!!]
The last thing she saw was the Beyonder walking toward her, his expression one of cold, impersonal annihilation.
---
A blur of silver shot through the cavern, a spear-tip aimed directly for the Beyonder's eye.
"Hey,you bitch!" Sylvia roared.
The man didn't even flinch. He caught the gleaming spearhead in his bare hand, stopping it dead. Sylvia's eyes widened in shock—this was an S+-rank spear, blessed by the Goddess of War itself.
"You sure have guts, girl," he said, his voice a low rumble. With a casual squeeze, the spear shattered into a thousand glittering shards.
"W-what? What in the world? Who the heck are you?!" Sylvia stammered, scrambling backward toward Sarah's unconscious form.
In less than a heartbeat, he was beside her. A brutal, piston-like punch connected with her ribs. The sound of cracking bone echoed as she was hurled across the cave, slamming into the wall with a sickening thud. She crumpled to the ground, coughing up blood.
"I won't... let you kill her..." Sylvia gasped, pushing herself up despite the agony. Then, a flicker of recognition and pure terror dawned in her eyes. "You... it's you..."
"I'll kill you first, then," the Beyonder stated flatly. He raised a palm, and a sphere of dark flame ignited, its intense heat making the very air shimmer and sweat bead on Sylvia's skin.
But then—
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE: AUTO BATTLE MODE ENGAGED.]
Sarah's body rose from the ground, her movements now fluid and alien, her eyes vacant of consciousness.
"Huh?" The Beyonder turned, sensing the shift in presence. "You're awake, kid?"
The System lunged. It was a burst of pure, optimized motion. The Beyonder caught its kick, but the force still made him grunt. He threw the body against the wall, but it twisted in mid-air, rebounding to deliver a devastating punch to his jaw.
This guy is something else, the System calculated, analyzing the impossible feedback from the blow.
"So, is that all you got?" the Beyonder taunted, a trickle of black blood at the corner of his lip. He reached for her leg, black flames gathering around his hand.
In that instant, the System retaliated. It channeled energy, perfectly replicating the exact force and trajectory of the punch he had used on Sylvia. The blow landed square on his chest, forcing him back a step.
[WARNING: MIRROR SKILL ACTIVE. DURATION LIMITED BY HOST'S PHYSICAL ENDURANCE.]
A wicked smirk spread across the Beyonder's face. "Ho? Some surprises you got."
The battle raged for what felt like an eternity. Sarah's body was a puppet pushed far beyond its limits, her muscles and bones screaming in protest. The cavern was decimated, walls crumbling under the force of their clashes. Yet, the Beyonder remained virtually unharmed, his wounds sealing instantly with a Beyond-Grade Regeneration.
[AUTO BATTLE MODE CRITICAL. SHUTTING DOWN IN 3... 2...]
Seeing an opening, Sylvia, bleeding and broken, dashed forward. She slapped a glowing talisman onto the Beyonder's back.
"Get out of here!" she screamed.
"hm," he grunted, delivering a devastating elbow strike to her side even as the talisman's energy flared. The world twisted, and he was forcibly teleported away.
[SYSTEM: FINALIZING SHUTDOWN.]
Agony. A tidal wave of pure, unadulterated pain crashed over Sarah as her consciousness returned. Every cell in her body felt shredded.
"AHHHH!!!!" she screamed, her voice raw, before collapsing into ragged pants.
Sylvia limped over, leaning heavily against a shattered pillar. "Yo," she said, her voice weak but smiling. "You were that strong? I didn't expect that." She offered a trembling hand.
"T-thanks," Sarah croaked, accepting the help.
---
Later, at the inn, bandaged and sore, Sarah's anger finally surfaced.
"Damnit, System!" she hissed.
[System: Yes.]
"Who was that guy?"
[System: Identity unknown. Designation: "Beyonder" Ranker.]
"Beyonder... ranker?" she whispered, the term feeling heavy and alien. For the first time, she realized how little she knew about this world's hierarchy.
[System: Correct. There are many ranks in this world. Understanding them is crucial for your survival.]
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