Chapter 3

In the bustling tavern, Luo En settled into a corner seat without ordering a thing.

He'd pulled off something outrageous not long ago, and by now, half the city was probably hunting for him.

Still, he figured this place was safe enough—plenty of oddballs around, so no one would give him a second glance.

Luo En clasped his hands together, ready to mull over his next move.

Beside him sat a hooded girl who'd been utterly silent from the start, like a lifeless doll.

"We need to find a way out of this hellhole," Luo En said gravely.

The girl didn't utter a word. A closer look revealed her eyes were completely vacant.

Luo En fell quiet for a beat, then sighed deeply. "Yeah, still as spaced out as ever."

Once the System had absorbed all the mana spilling from the black slime, the puddle had reshaped itself over and over until it formed this girl right here.

If Luo En's hunch was right, she was the Witch.

The pity was, ever since she'd pulled herself back from that slime state, she'd been stuck in this dazed fog.

He'd told her to follow, and she did—but that was it. Nothing more.

Getting any info out of her seemed like a lost cause.

The System had warned him, too: lugging around dead weight like this would just make it easier to get nabbed.

But Luo En's faded dreams had sparked back to life the moment he laid eyes on her.

With that fire relit, how could he just leave the Witch amid that heap of corpses? He'd blown off the System's alert right then and there.

The heart of any epic tale was crossing paths with a cute girl, after all. He could already feel his grand adventure kicking off.

First things first, though—he had to bail from the city, or getting caught meant another trip to the guillotine.

No System bailout next time, and his neck sure as hell wasn't tougher than the blade.

"What can I get for you two?" A waitress in a headscarf approached, beaming.

The tavern wasn't about to let Luo En and the Witch just loiter without buying something.

"Two bowls of thick soup," Luo En said, patting the pouch in his pocket.

He had a bit of coin left—don't ask where it came from.

"Coming right up. What kind?" she asked with enthusiasm.

Luo En was just about to inquire about the options when a group of chainmail-clad men burst through the door. "Search! Tear the place apart!"

The tavern erupted into chaos. No one had a clue what had brought the soldiers here.

"Dangerous character's on the loose in the city. Play nice and cooperate," one bellowed in a gravelly voice.

"Then at least tell us what the guy looks like," the tavern owner shot back, wiping sweat from his brow as he emerged.

"Like this." The soldier unrolled a scroll, revealing a shadowed sketch of a face. "He went public saying he's got a blood feud with Lord Vandall. Extremely dangerous."

The waitress next to Luo En caught sight of the face and went sheet-white.

She twisted her head stiffly toward him, gulping hard.

She was freaking out now—the "dangerous character" was standing right there.

Her hand shook as she raised it to point him out.

But before she could, Luo En grabbed the Witch's hand and bolted for the exit.

"After him! That's gotta be the guy!" The soldiers didn't even hesitate; Luo En's guilty sprint gave it away.

Once the soldiers had swarmed out, the waitress's legs buckled, and she collapsed to the floor.

......

......

Luo En sprinted full-tilt the second he hit the street, desperate to put distance between him and the mess.

Problem was, dragging along this zoned-out companion meant he couldn't count on outrunning pursuit.

And the city's layout? Total stranger to him. Finding a hideout was no easy feat.

"Hello." Out of nowhere, a middle-aged woman in an elegant blue robe stepped into his path.

Crow's feet crinkled at her eyes, but her refined air softened any hint of age.

Wavy hair cascaded to her shoulders, and her deep blue eyes locked onto Luo En.

She cradled a birdcage in her hands—though a lizard peered out from inside, clashing wildly with her vibe.

"I'm in a rush. Excuse me," Luo En grumbled.

"Mr. Luo En, if you want to make it out alive, come this way with me." She gave him a warm smile and dropped his name like it was nothing.

This woman was no ordinary mark. Luo En caught a whiff of trouble.

Showing up here, right now? No such thing as coincidence.

"I get that you're on guard," she said, as if reading his mind. "But you need someone to pull you through this. Without help, you might dodge the net this time, but you'll just keep running forever—days like today on repeat."

She paused there. "To show I'm on your side, let me prove it with some goodwill."

"Skip the proof. I'll follow." Luo En shrugged it off.

"Thank you for trusting me, Mr. Luo En." Surprise colored her voice, laced with genuine thanks.

She smiled, nodded, and turned to lead the way.

[System warning: The humanoid in front of you is extremely powerful. You stand zero chance right now.]

"I know," Luo En sighed.

But an opportunity like this dropping in his lap? Turning it down would make him no better than a lazy fish.

Not a cute girl, you say? Come on, that label's way too narrow!

The woman up ahead stumbled for a split second, out of nowhere.

She let out a small, bitter laugh, but steadied herself at once and slapped the wall in front of her.

Four thin blue lines flashed across the bricks, and a door materialized before their eyes.

“After you,” the woman said, swinging the door that had just appeared in the narrow alley. She beckoned Luo En inside.

Beyond lay a square room with so little furniture that it felt almost cavernous. A single window admitted a murky light, washing everything in dull grays and browns.

Opposite the door, a gray-white stone mantel framed a fireplace filled with nothing but cold coals.

The woman settled behind a desk and slid an empty cup toward him with a faint smile.

Luo En—half expecting a prank—watched water rise from nowhere and fill the cup while he looked on.

“Mr. Luo En,” she said, “you may call me Lady Mercury.”

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