While she was still some distance from the Tepus manor, Sefina heard a thunderous boom.
She immediately pulled back the carriage curtain and looked toward the source of the sound. In the distance, the Tepus castle, which should have been standing tall, had been blown to fragments and was collapsing with a roar.
?!
‘What happened? The castle collapsed, but Lin Shu is still inside!’
Soon, flames ignited in that direction, lighting up half the sky over the manor. Sefina’s heart tightened with anxiety. What was happening at Tepus?
‘Lin Shu… please don’t let anything happen to you.’
The carriage sped to the gates of the Tepus manor. Sefina leaped down, landing in front of the entrance. The Blood Clan guards were nowhere to be seen, and the once-magnificent estate was now a scene of utter chaos.
Suppressing the shock and unease in her heart, Sefina walked forward one step at a time. Only ruins remained of the tall, majestic castle. The members of the Tepus Blood Clan were crawling out from the wreckage in a pathetic state.
“Is this…?” Sefina noticed vines peeking out from beneath the rubble.
‘Is that Lin Shu’s skill? The form is similar, but it’s not quite the same.’
A golden figure rose unsteadily from the ruins. Sefina looked up. It was Liya.
The once-arrogant young lady of the Blood Clan now had dust clinging to her blonde hair, and her dress had been shredded into tattered rags. Sefina rushed to her in a few strides, thrusting her parasol horizontally in front of her.
“Where is Lin Shu?!”
Liya blinked despondently, her gaze fixed on the ground without focusing. Her lips moved with difficulty. “…Lin Shu… Lin Shu…”
She looked around blankly, scanning the messy ruins. She realized that the Wolf Girl was gone, and there was no sign of Lin Shu either.
Seeing that Liya was not responding, Sefina gripped her parasol tighter, pointing the tip directly at the girl’s throat. “You kidnapped her. Shouldn’t she be by your side right now? Where is she?!”
“Lin Shu left!” Liya suddenly screamed. “She hates me! She left!!”
“Left? Where did she go?” Sefina froze for a moment before immediately pressing for answers.
Sefina had rushed all this way to save Lin Shu, yet she was one step too late. Had Liya really just let Lin Shu run away? It was impossible. But looking at the state of the Tepus manor, someone must have attacked. Moreover, those vines might have been traces left behind by Lin Shu’s resistance.
Liya began to laugh hysterically, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Hahahaha! Sefina, you’re just like me! You lost too!”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Liya looked up, her eyes filled with mockery. “You couldn’t keep Lin Shu by your side either. She’s completely disappointed in you. She’ll never go back to find you again.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s disappointed that you couldn’t protect her, of course.”
Sefina’s heart felt as if it had been pierced by a blade, an unstoppable ache spreading through her chest. She grabbed Liya’s collar and yanked her upward. “Tell me, where did Lin Shu go? Did someone take her away?”
Liya gave a cold sneer. “Just give up.”
“She was taken by the people of the Sacred Race. Lin Shu will be at the Sacred Race’s place soon.”
The Sacred Race?
Sefina felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, a strong sense of foreboding washing over her. “Was it a member of the Wolf Tribe? And a nun?”
“Hmm? How did you know?”
Sefina’s heart skipped a beat. ‘How could this happen?’
She had tried so hard to stop the Sacred Race, yet Lin Shu had still been taken by them. Sefina staggered back two steps, feeling a wave of dizziness. She gritted her teeth and asked, “Which direction did they go?”
Liya murmured with empty eyes, “How would I know…?”
Sefina turned around to face the surrounding ruins. She wanted to give chase, but she had no idea where to go.
“Lin Shu…” Sefina could only cry out at the top of her lungs. “Lin Shu!!!”
***
Lin Shu slowly opened her eyes and saw the red hair on the back of Hati’s head swaying with every step. Her physical strength had not yet fully recovered, so Hati was currently carrying her.
After meeting up with Hati’s teammate, Miya, at the manor gates, they had quickly evacuated and were now running toward the outskirts of the estate.
Lin Shu blinked. ‘Just now… did I hear someone calling my name?’
‘Is it an illusion?’
Lin Shu looked back toward the Tepus manor, but there was nothing there. Currently, they were weaving through the woods under the moonlight. The rustling of leaves in the wind intertwined with the chirping of insects.
They were already a good distance away from the Tepus manor, but it wasn’t enough. They had to keep going further.
“You really brought her out.” Miya let out a sigh. “How can you be so reckless, Hati?”
“It was right to bring her out. We’ve completed the mission!” Hati said excitedly.
“Eh?” Miya looked surprised. “You mean…?”
“Lin Shu is carrying the key we need!”
“Really?” A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Miya’s face.
“Yeah. Let’s run a bit further first. We’ll talk in detail once we find a safe place.”
“What happened while you were inside the castle? I was dealing with the guards at the perimeter the whole time. It felt like the fight in there was pretty intense…” Miya brought up another topic.
“Now that you mention it, I’m wide awake. It was so thrilling…”
Lin Shu didn’t say a word. She wasn’t listening to the conversation between Hati and Miya. Instead, she silently stared at the system panel floating in front of her that only she could see:
**[Sefina’s Wish Value: 65% → 75%]**
Lin Shu stared at the numbers in silence, a sense of bitterness rising in her heart. ‘Why did it increase? Was it because they caused such a scene at the Tepus manor? By weakening the opponent, did it indirectly benefit Drago?’
Lin Shu had wondered: if she escaped and really saw Sefina again, what kind of expression should she use to face her? She hated the way Sefina had used her and then thrown her somewhere else. She also didn’t want to see Sefina together with that Human.
But… if it weren’t for the Familiar skill from Sefina’s contract, she wouldn’t have been able to escape with Hati. Did Sefina refuse to break the contract just so she could save herself?
Countless thoughts intertwined in her mind, leaving her feeling lost. Beside her, Hati and Miya were still excitedly discussing things.
“You have no idea! I sent that old woman flying with a single right hook!”
“Hey, when the castle was collapsing, did you see those crazy vines? Weren’t they just like—”
Before Miya could finish, Hati cut her off with a boastful tone. “Of course! That was all thanks to Lin Shu.”
“What?” There was no joy on Miya’s face. Instead, she turned pale instantly.
“What’s wrong with you?” Hati didn’t understand why she was acting like this.
Miya merely looked at Lin Shu silently. Seeing that Lin Shu didn’t speak either, Hati wagged her white wolf tail and gently patted Lin Shu’s back.
“Lin Shu, why are you so quiet? Are you okay?” Hati asked with concern.
Lin Shu snapped back to reality. “I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.”
“Then let’s stop chatting. Let’s pick up the pace and find a place to stay as soon as possible.”
Lin Shu felt Miya’s gaze out of the corner of her eye and looked back. ‘Why does she keep staring at me?’
“Is something wrong?” Lin Shu asked curiously.
“It’s nothing…” Miya hastily turned her head away, avoiding Lin Shu’s gaze.