Rebirth: Building the Strongest Party with my Overpowered Harem.-Chapter 13: Alice Grayson.

Adonis was seated on top of a rock in the middle of the forest.

The sun was coming down, making the entire place look even creepier than it needed to be.

The sound of flowing water could be heard nearby, accompanied by eerie screams echoing from different angles.

Bite!

Adonis ate the rice cake in his hand, his eyes scanning the environment.

"I thought the locals here said this place was swarming with monsters. My soldiers haven't run into any monsters since I told them to split. Wait... did I get the location wrong?"

He took the last bite of his food and then calmly leaped down from the rock he was seated on.

Adonis had only released half of the goblin soldiers under him, and since he wasn't strong enough to control all ten of the goblins at the same time, he decided that going out to look for monsters rather than waiting idly by was the best option.

"Now then... I wonder which turn to take."

Every single path he could choose looked creepy.

Finally coming to a decision, Adonis made his way down the left route, towards where the sound of the spring came from.

The terrain wasn't the best, but it was still manageable—to a certain extent.

Muddy ground, rocks slipping out from the earth, and in some cases, weird plants that were more than ready to pass poison into one's skin.

Suddenly, the idea that monsters roamed this part of the kingdom didn't seem like a rumor anymore. No human could survive living in such a place.

As Adonis walked through the leaves and got even closer to the sound of the dripping water, his [Death Instinct] began to flare up continuously.

Adonis, not the type to take risks recklessly, began to move cautiously, hiding in the middle of the bushes to avoid getting spotted by whatever could be waiting for him ahead.

Now in a good hiding spot, he got a clear glimpse of the surroundings in front of him.

There stood a powerful woman. She was dressed in a red dress, a sword in one hand, and a piece of paper in the other.

Her red hair stood out, almost as red as the blood that flowed through her veins.

"Reginald Orianak. That is your name, is it not?" the woman asked.

Kneeling in front of her was a shady-looking man, twice her size. He seemed to be wearing only his underwear, with two men flanking him on either side.

From how bruised he was, it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume he had been beaten up by them.

With tears hanging at the corners of his eyes, the man responded, "Y-yes."

The woman frowned, as if just the sound of his voice was enough to piss her off even more.

"So you are the right one then. Sigh! Got me sweating for no reason. Honestly, why go through all the trouble of hiding in a monster-ridden forest? You must be quite oblivious to my skills if you're still doing all this."

The man trembled in fear.

"No, no, I promise it wasn't me! I didn't do it! I would never betray the Raptors!"

"What is this? A gang dispute?" Adonis wondered, curiosity getting the better of him.

He moved closer, ears open to catch every word.

Grabbing the man's hair, the woman raised him up, her cold gaze fixed on him.

"Are you perhaps saying my client was... wrong?" she asked.

"No, I'm not... I... I just—"

There was no hesitation, just a swift motion followed by the man's arm falling to the ground.

"Ahhh!" the man screamed in agony, his forehead touching the dirt as he cried.

"Either you're dumb, or you're just plain stupid. One of my skills allows me to determine when someone is lying to me. And here I thought you were probably feeling sorry for your actions."

In that moment, the man was in too much pain to even think of replying.

Adonis, still hiding in the bushes, remained silent to avoid getting spotted.

"Alice Grayson... Who would have thought I'd run into the greatest sorcerer to ever live in this forest?" Adonis thought to himself with a smile.

Judging from what he remembered in the novel, Alice was supposed to be a mercenary. She carried out deals for others, although always from a moral standpoint.

Alice didn't like the world to begin with—the king, the policies—she didn't stand for any of it. If anything, she was more of an anti-hero.

"Recruiting her into my party will be difficult. I didn't plan to run into her here, but now that I have, it's better to get close to her before she becomes too strong."

Alice placed her foot on the man's head, stomping him against the ground.

"My client wants you dead. And I plan to do just that."

Her hand swayed up, ready to slice the man's head from his shoulders.

When suddenly, a scream came from nowhere.

Raaaahhhhhhhhh!

Alice turned her head hastily, her face already hitched with worry.

The two men in front of her had the same look on their faces.

Something was coming.

"Shit! Has my talisman expired already?!" she said aloud.

Adonis, still hiding in the bushes, could feel it too.

The immense aura leaking from one side of the forest.

A signal was sent to him from one of his dark goblins.

A monster was approaching.

"Leave the brat here. We have to go before the monster closes in on us," Alice said before kicking the man in the face and sheathing her blade.

Just before she could take a step, she noticed something standing at a far distance.

Though she could only see its eyes, she was quick to determine what it was.

"It's here. Dammit."

...

[A/N: I appreciate the effort and support I've gotten from you guys. I would appreciate it if you stick with me for a little while longer.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

If there's anything you'd like me to change to go through. Please comment and let me know.]