Hualà really regretted it.
She was so stupid, really!
Just for some useless junk from the Black Market, she actually sold the Saint Sword ‘Phillips’ that had been with her for so long.
Now, without the Saint Sword ‘Phillips’, Hualà had completely fallen to the level of a weakling Hero—reduced to someone even stray dogs passing by could kick.
The pursuers behind her still chased relentlessly, like a surging tidal wave eager to knock Hualà down, crowding and rushing through the narrow alley she ran along.
It was as if they had finally lost patience; they even ignored the Black Market’s rule against fighting and launched an attack at the fleeing HualÃ.
Dark Magic released from the Incubus’s hand spread the aura of death, the surface of the magic sphere rippling like water as it devoured and corroded everything it touched, blasting toward Hualà as she escaped.
“Ah! Damn it!”
She braked hard, barely dodging the incoming magic sphere, which exploded in front of her, blasting a meter-wide pit into the ground.
The hard stone at the bottom was corroded by lingering magic, sizzling as it dissolved.
Seeing this, HualÃ’s face turned white with fright.
If that hit her, wouldn’t her whole body turn black and blue?
Angry shouts from the pursuers echoed behind her:
“Stop, Human girl! Hand over what you have, or we won’t hold back anymore!”
“I’m begging you, I really didn’t take anything, you’ve got the wrong person! Please, stop chasing me!”
She really didn’t want to be this popular!
“Hmph, still talking tough at this point? I think you’ve reached a dead end.”
The leading Incubus in a tailcoat waved his hand.
“Let the hounds loose and bite her ass!”
At his order, the subordinates behind him stopped, unlocking the thick iron chains from the Demon Hound’s neck.
With the chains removed, the restrained Demon Hound went berserk, roaring as it charged at HualÃ.
How could HualÃ’s two legs outrun a Demon Hound’s four?
In just moments, she was facing a life-or-death crisis.
The Demon Hound opened its fanged jaws, lunging forward to rip a large piece of Maid Dress fabric from HualÃ, exposing her pale legs below the knee as the wind blew up her skirt, leaving her feeling cold underneath.
“Damn it! Please, don’t bite my ass!”
The commotion of the chase was enough to overturn the entire Black Market, alarming the person in charge.
Ahead of HualÃ, Doghead Guards suddenly appeared, swords drawn and eyes sharp.
They were determined to capture the one who had thrown the Black Market into chaos tonight—HualÃ.
Pursuers behind, blockade ahead.
Now Hualà truly panicked; her legs turned to jelly, as weak as boiled noodles, unable to stand.
“Wuwuwu, is the Hero Hualà really going to fall here tonight?”
“No way! I haven’t even received my first month’s thirty gold coins salary, and I haven’t defeated that damned Sidella yet…”
Suddenly, at that moment, a hand reached out from the nearby alley, pulling Hualà into the darkness!
“Waaah! Take it, take it, take it all! Don’t kill me!”
Hual۪̉s soul nearly flew out of her body from fright, and she began to babble nonsense.
Until a familiar scent drifted to her nose, and a familiar voice sounded in her ear—the Elf Girl who had taken a shortcut to intercept her.
“Hurry, give it back!”
Without another word, the Elf Girl started tugging at HualÃ’s clothes, making Hualà panic.
“No! Y-y-you… what are you doing!”
Hualà crossed her arms over her chest, looking like a virtuous wife facing humiliation but refusing to yield.
“No! No! Even if I’m about to die, I’m not that kind of bad girl!”
Unable to reveal the existence of the Seed of Epiphany, the Elf Girl almost tried to use force, but she had underestimated Hual۪̉s determination to remain a good girl.
There wasn’t enough time; the pursuers were already catching up.
“Quick, chase! That Human thief ran that way!”
Helpless, to keep the Seed of Epiphany from falling into enemy hands, the Elf Girl hurriedly came up with a reason to convince Hualà to take off her Maid Dress.
“Take off your clothes! I’ll swap with you and lead them away, while you take the chance to leave the Black Market!”
Hualà blinked, eyes wide with suspicion.
“Why… why are you helping me?”
“Tch, just pretend they were after me in the first place. I can’t bear to drag you into this!”
The Elf Girl looked urgent, and started stripping Hual۪̉s clothes without hesitation.
HualÃ, powerless to resist, was quickly undressed and forced to exchange clothes with her.
The Elf Girl still felt uncomfortable in the Maid Dress.
On top of that, the sweat from HualÃ’s frantic run inside the dress stuck to her skin, hot and sticky—a strange sensation.
She tugged at the Maid Dress.
“Hide here for now. Wait until they’re gone before you come out.”
The Elf Girl paused, then removed a slender, emerald green Jade Bracelet from her wrist, filled with the aura of life, and handed it to HualÃ.
“Eh?”
Hualà blinked.
“For me?”
“Just temporarily.”
The Elf Girl frowned.
“Put it on quickly. I’ll use it to find your location later, then you can return what you took.”
What she took?
Hualà instinctively thought she meant the high-padded lace underwear she’d stolen, and nodded, half-understanding, as she put the bracelet on her wrist.
The bracelet’s icy touch sent a shiver up her arm, making Hualà gasp softly:
“Gu…”
She felt something was off, but couldn’t say what.
Before leaving, the Elf Girl’s gaze shifted from the bracelet on HualÃ’s wrist to her sweet face.
Now she finally had a chance to look closely—and for a moment, she was truly struck by HualÃ’s cuteness.
Pink hair—no matter the race, it was rare.
“By the way, my name is Aelia. Remember, Aelia Beline.”
“Gu… HualÃ.”
***
“Where is she! Hurry, don’t let her escape!”
The moment Aelia left the alley, the pursuers searching nearby spotted her.
A gust of wind blew, carrying HualÃ’s scent from her body so strongly that even in the darkness she couldn’t hide.
“Wait! Why is her hair gold now?”
“Are you stupid? She changed clothes and played you all for fools just now. Now she’s wearing a wig and you can’t even recognize her?”
“The Demon Hound already picked up her scent—it’s that Human girl from before. Otherwise, why would she be running?”
“Hurry up and chase!!”
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