…
….
She fled in panic, gasping for breath.
This was hardly fitting behavior for an elven maiden—yet at this moment, it was exactly what she had to do.
A baseless accusation had been thrown upon her head, and now she was being hunted down relentlessly. No one could take that lightly, nor resist the urge to run. Especially not when the guards chasing her wore faces twisted by fear into something utterly savage.
The sounds of splashing footsteps echoed through the alleyways around her, occasionally punctuated by the splash of puddles—all signs pointing toward the girl’s inevitable end.
“I have to escape, or else…”
She recalled what had just happened. The familiar faces she’d seen had already given her the answer she needed—this was all real.
She shook her head forcefully, forcing her focus back on her path. In terms of endurance, she was no match for the trained guards behind her. Her only hope was to lose them by weaving through the narrow side streets…
But as an outsider, she couldn’t compete with the guards who had grown up in these very streets. No matter how agile she was, it was like trying to empty the sea with a spoon—barely making a dent.
She glanced back, thinking of how wonderful things had once been. But turning back now would only spell her doom.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally burst out of the alley and shook off her pursuers. Gasping, utterly drained, she spotted a tavern not far ahead…
Then it hit her—this was the same place from last night.
With that thought, she made her way to the back door and knocked as hard as her exhausted body would allow.
“Oh! A customer? Coming, coming!”
…
Aleck walked with Shiling to the counter, but saw no attendant in sight. Instead, he heard the faint sound of someone sobbing.
“Hm? Who’s crying?” Actually, even before he spoke, his height gave him an advantage—he’d already spotted a pair of small feet hidden behind the counter. Combined with the voice, he’d pretty much figured out it was a child.
Shiling, on the other hand, had already used her 【Soul Sight】 to assess the entire tavern. She stepped over the counter in one stride and hopped down behind it.
“Eek! Don’t come closer! I’m not suspicious, so please just let me go—”
A shrill, tearful cry erupted. Shiling found the elf she’d met just the night before. But so much had happened today that she couldn’t even tell if time itself had stretched—
If none of today’s disasters had occurred, this elf wouldn’t be so terrified, and this tavern might have opened its doors as usual to welcome its customers…
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not a guard.”
Though she said that, Shiling didn’t linger. She simply spoke, then turned her gaze toward the deeper rooms beyond.
“You are? Ah! You’re the girl from last night. Where did you go after that—hey! Wait!”
Shiling was about to move forward when the elf latched onto her arm with desperate strength. The frantic effort made her all the more curious about what lay deeper inside.
But Shiling already knew—there were two restless souls within. One was the elven girl Elfe, whom she’d parted ways with this morning. The other was unknown, but was likely the so-called “Grandpa Lanka” the elf had mentioned.
Well, they’d all met last night anyway.
“I’m friends with that elven girl.”
With that, Shiling pulled her arm free from the elf’s grasp, ignoring the thud as the girl collapsed onto the wooden floor, and pushed open the door behind the counter—
She was met with the familiar scent of dust. Years of accumulated dampness had brought mildew, but luckily, the place was still frequented enough that the wooden planks beneath her feet hadn’t rotted, thanks to the constant air circulation.
“Shiling, go on ahead. The old man will hold the line here for a while. Little one, how about showing me around?”
Shiling pressed forward. The storeroom held several rooms, each with a sign on its door indicating its purpose—but Shiling paid them no mind. Through her 【Soul Sight】, her gaze remained fixed on a soul that sparkled like crystal, yet was bound by chains.
She stopped before a bedroom. Just as she raised her hand to knock, she heard an unusual commotion from outside.
The sound of Aleck casting a spell. Another elf’s scream. And waves of murderous mana flooding the tavern.
“Grandpa Aleck is in danger. I have to hurry—mmph!”
Shiling tried to move, but she couldn’t. She struggled with all her might to take a single step, only to be pulled back.
It was an irresistible force—one that compelled her to complete her mission, no matter the cost, even if it meant everything around her fell into endless darkness.
(—Find Elfe. Find Aleck.)
“I have to do it.—! But… Grandpa Aleck, he…”
The man had thought his hasty decision wouldn’t matter much. But that very thought was the cause of this tragedy. The hypnotic curse twisted Shiling’s mind, preventing her from acting freely—
To follow the predetermined path was destined to fail. The illusion of safety was just that—an illusion. There was once a powerless deity who lived peacefully with their followers, only to end up trapped forever… Regression was endless, and the helplessness of regression spoke for itself.
Now Shiling was bound to a predetermined goal—she had to complete it.
“Shiling! Go, and don’t worry! The old man will catch up with you soon! My puppet—Lakvis!”
As he finished speaking, the entire tavern floor began to shake violently. What could it be—perhaps a colossal stone construct rising from the ground?
For Aleck, this might very well be the last time he would summon his puppet.
The time spent amidst calamity—
This plot is already so full of holes that it’s beyond criticism. Maybe that’s just how it is—the whole city is being ravaged by war, and it’s only natural that this tavern gets caught up in it too. What am I even saying? Aleck is out there fighting for his life to buy me time, and here I am, hesitating like a fool. Why can’t I just be more decisive? If I keep reciting poetry like this, Elfe might disappear entirely. Geez, I can’t believe Benjamin actually hypnotized me—though I am grateful to him, but I really don’t want to be in his shoes right now!
The flood of information kept pouring into my head, leaving me utterly unable to figure out my next move.
Vast amounts of emptiness were crammed into my chest like garbage stuffed in by some trash compactor, forcing a sour, rotten stench up my throat.
This whole thing is just absurd… I don’t even want to talk about it anymore.
Abnormal status removed
【Yin Armor of Hell】 deactivated
I collapsed backward onto the ground, greedily gulping down air, hoping that such a rough act would buy me a moment of peace. But it didn’t—instead, it only made me want to throw up…
My body felt like it had been trampled by an elephant, like it had been thrown into a garbage compactor. Even in a hospital, this would be a medical marvel—since they’ve never taken in a patient this bizarrely messed up—
“[Can’t hear] What happened! Hey! Who the hell are you?! How did you get in here?!”
My ears—no, all five of my senses—had turned into useless decorations. I couldn’t even tell what people were saying or what was right in front of me. I’d become nothing more than a blind, deaf mess.
There’s no point hiding anymore. I have to hurry—
Suddenly, I sensed someone standing in front of me. Those dark blurs should be feet, roughly the size of an average man’s. But everything before my eyes was shrouded in a dense fog, covering all I could see in a blurry mosaic…
“Ah… ah…” My voice got stuck, unable to free the meaning it was meant to carry.
“[Can’t hear] What, are you mute? Oh? You’re the girl from last night? So you’re the one who pulled me out from those bratty lizards?”
The man went on talking to himself for quite a while. From the sound of it, he had no idea I was already saddled with “debts.”
Every sound that reached my ears came out garbled, making the world around me seem bustling and noisy—but I knew it wasn’t. And I also knew exactly what that meant.
Without another thought, I scrambled to my feet and headed toward the only source of light in this storeroom—the exit I’d come through. The wise man, An Aleck, was still out there, burning through his mana in the blaze, waiting for my help.
But before I could even make it halfway, the man behind me grabbed me and yanked me back. I was about to lash out at him, when a blazing ball of fire suddenly surged through the doorway, engulfing the entrance. The entire warehouse shook violently, as if something colossal had crashed down.
That’s when it all became clear—this was no coincidence.
This was a targeted purge. They had poured enormous manpower and resources into hunting down their prey.
And as I stared into the distance, I couldn’t see the end of this conspiracy—only a figure silently collapsing in the blinding white light.
