'... King...'

Frightened by her aura as an immoral host, the ghost unconditionally cooperated. While covering under her gaze, that single word was written on the ground using black blood.

Sofony sunk into deep contemplation after seeing it. A second later, a thought flashed through her mind. She unknowingly held her breath.

King. Who could it refer to?

"... King..." She closed her eyes to hide the fear and anger swirling inside them. In a cold yet soft voice, she unhurriedly murmured, "…. Bathory of B Empire once tried to strike a deal with me... And before she tried to blackmail me in hopes she could get one of my wishes upon reaching that level, she disclosed to me an important and disturbing information, that Country F actually has a King..."

"Was it him?" Before she knew it, she was already gritting her teeth, balled fists trembling.

These days, her temper had not been very good, so were her mental health and emotional health.

Fresh in Sofony's memory was the joy that covered her heart when she regained Gio... But she would never forget that she had lost him once. It happened three years, when she was still extremely weak and naïve. She was suspecting that it was this so-called King of Alina was the culprit behind the incident... And now, this King was also taking her sister away from her? Why? Why does 'He' keep targeting her?

'b.a.s.t.a.r.d!' She was unwilling to admit it but she knew she was still powerless since in her estimate, that King had the same status and level as the Countess of Blood. He was definitely a Level 9, or worse, above!

While Sofony was deep into her thoughts, the frightened ghost made use of that opportunity to escape. The woman noticed it. Yet since she felt like she already knew enough, she didn't pursue it. There could not be any chance a mere ghost would know Steffy's or that esteemed personage's whereabouts anyway. In other words, there would be no more information she could extract from that poor soul.

The level-6 system user felt extreme rage in her heart.

She sought out Old Gil and his team again to double-check their findings, but found nothing useful, not even after scouring the satellite findings.

"System... can you please tell me where Steffy is now?" In her desperation, she tried to ask, although she had an inkling her b.a.s.t.a.r.d and immoral AI would not give her anything.

Sure enough, its mocking answer came a second after.

Hearing this reply, the woman once again gritted her teeth. 'You're really just a useless piece of garbage posturing as a mighty being!'

All the exchanges with the ghost and the system only happened in less than a minute. Knowing she would not get anything there anymore and reminded of the fact that Gio could be a higher-leveled system user now, she thought to just go home and meet with him. By consulting her lover, she might get more relevant information than here.  

The simple plan was already in her mind. And all she would have to do was to return.

But the unexpected suddenly happened, without a warning even. Who knew that once she turned around after ending the call with Old Gil, she would find herself suddenly engulfed in a blinding white burst of light?

Her eyes stung and she had to close them. 'd.a.m.n! I'm being attacked?'

That was the first thought she had in mind, and thus, without a second thought, she released all the lethal items and skills that she could bring out.

Hypnosis, curses, explosive and weapons of all kinds and lethality available below level 7. In just a second, the place had turned unrecognizable and the building floor itself had shown signs of showing collapse!

Under the threat of the known, Sofony's senses were heightened and she resolved herself to use chaos to gain her some time. But even then, she could not locate the attacker. This was why a second after, she did not hesitate to just attack at all directions, all while covering her eyes and waiting for the medium-level barrier to activate.

"Boom! Boom!" sounds of explosion were still ringing in the place and she herself had received some wounds on her exposed arms that were s.h.i.+elding her face and vitals. "Show yourself, you coward!" The girl who had finished purchasing access to 4D vision from the system roamed her 'eyes' around as she looked for the attacker.

Not long after, her heart went cold, noticing finally that without her knowing, the floor she was standing turned into a huge magical circle and she could not move her body.

Two seconds later, in her despair, the magical circle lit up completely. "Milady, you're finally going to my kingdom…"

Before she vanished in that place, fully engulfed by the teleportation magic without her consent, she heard a soft male voice whispering to her ears, in a tone that had tinged of insanity and longing.

Then after that, the ruined place instantly became desolate, with ghosts cowering in fear around the dark corners vanis.h.i.+ng into nothingness through some sort of grey power.

Just like that, Sofony Silver, a second-batched member immoral host who was already at level 6... was kidnapped. And unlike her sister's case, there were not even ghosts left as witnesses of this perplexing and mind-boggling event.

…

"Fred…" A voice called out within the abandoned convalescence, the realm in the highest Layer within Alina City.