Lin Shu steadied her breathing and looked at the red-haired Wolf Tribe girl before her.
Why was she here? This was Liya’s manor.
The Wolf Tribe girl rotated her wrists and stood in front of Lin Shu. “No need to blink this time. I’m here to help you.”
‘Is she here to save me? What is her identity?’
Lin Shu shook her buzzing head and forced herself to calm down. Regardless of the reason, as long as there was a hope of escape, she had to seize it!
She didn’t want to be imprisoned by Liya anymore!
Liya stood up from the messy floor and reached out. The Scythe trembled, bounced off the ground, and flew automatically back into her palm.
The massive blade pointed directly at Hati with a *shing*, flashing with a cold light.
“Who are you?”
Hati put her hands on her hips and said, “I’m a warrior of justice who can’t stand seeing the Blood Clan bully weak humans.”
*Clang!*
The moment the words left her mouth, the Scythe and the wolf claws collided. Hati held back Liya’s Scythe, but as Liya gradually exerted more force, the sharp blade drew closer and closer to Hati’s face.
‘I have to help her!’
Lin Shu quickly raised her hand, pointed her finger at Liya, and recited the incantation for **[Electric Current]**.
*Crackle!*
Lightning erupted from her fingertip and struck Liya directly. The current hit Liya’s abdomen, causing her body to suddenly stiffen.
Although it was only a brief paralysis, Hati immediately seized the gap and swung her claws at her. Liya hurried to retreat, but the fabric over her chest was still torn open.
Lin Shu’s heart hammered wildly.
She had finally experienced firsthand why mages always had to party up with warriors in RPG games. Aside from having to remember incantations and prepare materials, the “wind-up” time before casting was a fatal weakness for a mage when facing close combat.
“Lin Shu… you!” Liya looked up in shock.
Hati also turned her head, her wolf ears standing tall. “You can use magic?”
Liya’s eyes were bloodshot. “You’re helping her?! You’re actually helping an outsider against me?”
“I’ve had enough! You just tried to cripple my legs!” Lin Shu shouted. “You always give me this self-righteous ‘kindness’ while completely ignoring my wishes. I don’t like you! And I don’t want to stay here!”
Liya’s expression froze instantly. A flash of helplessness and despair appeared in her eyes, as if those words had stabbed deep into her heart.
Hati wagged her tail leisurely and interjected, “That’s perfect then. How about I take you away?”
Just then, a frustrated shout came from the window.
“Hati! You jerk!!”
Lin Shu turned to look. A figure wrapped in a cloak was struggling to climb over the window, complaining incessantly.
“Do you completely ignore your teammates? What happened to the plan? What happened to stealth?”
Miya was extremely frustrated.
She and Hati had rushed to the target location in a hurry, sneaked into the manor, and hidden in a distant tree to observe the situation inside the castle.
The original plan was to sneak into the Blood Clan head’s room to search for the key, but Hati had suddenly twitched her nose, her expression changed, and she jumped straight out of the tree.
By the time Miya regained her senses, she only saw the back of Hati crashing through the window and into the castle.
Left all alone, Miya had climbed up to the second floor while cursing and scrambled through the shattered window. When she landed, her cloak fluttered, revealing the pure white nun’s habit underneath.
Lin Shu was startled. ‘Someone from the Sacred Race? Why would they come here?’
“A nun? Why are you here?” Liya’s face darkened as she gripped the handle of her blade.
With a wave of her hand, the Scythe swung upward and slashed toward the nun. Miya hurriedly raised the cross on her chest with both hands, and it instantly emitted a blinding white light.
Liya was momentarily blinded by the light, and her movements faltered.
Taking advantage of the moment the nun was dealing with Liya, Hati flashed to Lin Shu’s side and scooped her up by the waist.
“Eh?!” Lin Shu was suddenly airborne, her body tensing up.
“You hide first.”
Hati carried Lin Shu and rushed toward a table in the corner of the room. She ducked behind it and gently set her down.
Lin Shu sat on the floor, hearing the constant sound of intense clashing coming from behind the table.
“Is it okay? I can help too.” Lin Shu tried to poke her head out to observe the battle, but Hati forcibly turned her back to face her.
“Don’t worry. Dealing with the Blood Clan is her specialty.”
“Are you from the Sacred Race?” Lin Shu immediately thought of the key she kept close to her body; the pattern on it came from the Sacred Race.
‘Could it be they’re here for the key?’
“That’s right,” Hati answered casually. Her eyes fell on the shackles on Lin Shu’s ankles, and she frowned.
Without a word, she extended her wolf claws and slashed down hard at the shackles. The sound of metal snapping rang out, and the shackles instantly split into two halves.
Lin Shu’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but marvel, ‘So strong.’
Hearing the praise, the fluffy white wolf tail behind Hati began to wag happily.
Since she could unlock the shackles…
“Hati,” Lin Shu tugged at the collar on her neck, “could I trouble you to take this off too?”
“This is too much. How could they put this kind of thing on you?” Hati knelt on the floor, tilting her head to observe. “I can’t use my claws in this spot or I’ll hurt you. Let me see…”
She leaned in close, her upper body pressing against Lin Shu. Lin Shu cooperatively turned her head to let Hati get a better look at the collar’s structure.
Hati lowered her head, burying it in the crook of Lin Shu’s neck. She opened her mouth to reveal her fangs and bit down on the seam of the collar.
‘Huh?! She’s using her teeth directly!’
A series of *grind-crunch* sounds of metal being squeezed echoed. Lin Shu could feel the strength in Hati’s jaw.
Lin Shu closed her eyes and tilted her head. Hati’s hair brushed against her cheek, carrying a faint scent of blood, while warm breath puffed against the side of her neck.
The distance was too close, but it was all for the sake of breaking the restraint.
“Mmm, nngh…” Hati made a few muffled sounds while biting the collar. One of her ears suddenly twitched outward, slapping against Lin Shu’s face.
“What did you say?”
“Mmph mmph!” Hati tried to answer, and as a result, saliva slid down from the corner of her open mouth, dripping into the hollow of Lin Shu’s neck.
Lin Shu pulled her shoulders back.
‘Ugh, it feels like I’m actually being held by the throat by a wild beast…’
*Snap!*
The sound of metal shattering rang out in her ear, and the pressure on Lin Shu’s neck loosened. The collar had actually been bitten apart!
Hati straightened up, looking at her bitten masterpiece with satisfaction, but she suddenly noticed the moisture on Lin Shu’s neck.
“Sorry, I accidentally drooled. I’ll clean it up for you.” Hati leaned in again.
She extended her tongue, pressed it against Lin Shu’s neck, and licked across her lockbone. A warm, wet, and slippery sensation swept over the skin of Lin Shu’s neck.
*Boom!!*
The long table blocking them was suddenly cleaved into two halves, instantly exposing the two of them.
Miya fell to the ground. “Hati! Why aren’t you helping?!”
At that moment, Hati was pressing Lin Shu beneath her, her head buried in the girl’s neck. Lin Shu’s collar was pulled open, and there were still traces of moisture on her collarbone.
Liya stood there, her blood-red eyes igniting with rage.
Miya also turned her head. When she saw them, her face turned black. “I’m busy fighting, and you’re back here…”
She and Liya became enraged at the same time, roaring in unison: “Die!!”