Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

The nightmare felt incredibly real; she personally took countless lives and even lost herself in the process.

"Kiana?"

Inside the secret passage of the shrine.

Mei woke the dazed white-haired girl up. She was carrying a bell on her back and almost tripped because she wasn't watching where she was going.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming..."

"You're not feeling well today, why don't you take a break?"

Before the palace guards could discover their escape, a large crowd had gathered at the foot of the mountain, causing a huge disturbance.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, they were able to escape from the shadows.

As things stand, the source of the corrosive power has not yet been found, but time is running out for them.

"No need, we need to hurry up and go pick up Bronya first."

Kiana was very nervous; her palms were sweaty.

The bell is very light and easy to carry.

Even though Mei has lost most of her power, her sharp swordsmanship remains in her heart, and she is the only one who can fight.

"Sister...are we really not going to be discovered?"

Before leaving, Rin expressed her desire to stay at the shrine and not want to be a burden to Kiana.

She's so sensible it's heartbreaking, and that's precisely why we can't let her die in such an absurd way.

"It's alright, we've been looking for this path for a long time, we definitely won't get caught this time."

Looking at the girl's feet that could not walk, Kiana felt a pang of heartache and guilt.

Having made up her mind, she quickened her pace and headed towards the foot of the mountain.

"The priestess has disappeared. Go find her immediately! The chief priest is furious."

The truth couldn't be hidden forever; it wasn't long before their escape was exposed.

The chaotic flames spread from the outside of the shrine to the inside. The middle-aged man with a gloomy face ordered everyone to go out and search, determined to bring the shrine maiden back.

"Be careful, there's someone ahead."

The guards searched the mountains with torches in hand. Mei sensed the movement and told Kiana to keep her body low to the ground and not to move.

If discovered, all previous efforts will be in vain.

Fortunately, they arrived in town safely in just over ten minutes.

Suicide squads were everywhere, and a large group of residents had gathered in front of the shrine not far away, trying to squeeze into the shrine.

The crimson moon in the sky foreshadows an impending disaster.

Even if you manage to get down the mountain successfully, it doesn't mean you're absolutely safe.

The three kept watch as they followed the route to the stone cell where Bronya was imprisoned, only to find it empty.

The place was a mess, with bloodstains on the walls and blood dripping onto the floor in a line.

Some of the straw even bore traces of blood being wiped away...

After Mei finished her examination, she didn't reveal the most likely result, but instead told Kiana that Bronya must have escaped.

"Mei, you take Rin with you, I'm going to find Bronya..."

Kiana is heartbroken over her best friend's disappearance.

Mei shook her head, indicating that it was dangerous to separate now.

After some persuasion, Kiana agreed to take Rin to a safe place first.

Leaving the stone cell, the group walked along a secluded path.

The back mountain is on the side of the town, and you need to go through a hidden tunnel to reach it.

After the darkness turns to light, walk another hundred steps and you will reach the perilous pass.

Things were going too smoothly, eerily smoothly.

Mei focused intently on observing any possible ambushes and proceeded cautiously.

"Wait a moment, bell, we'll be there soon."

My heart was pounding, and hallucinations appeared before my eyes again.

On an endless snowfield, Siegfried lay bleeding profusely on the snow, her hands stained with sticky, bloody crimson.

A feeling of suffocation came over me, and it became increasingly uncomfortable.

"Kiana? Why are you spacing out again?"

Strangely, Kiana started acting increasingly strangely from the moment they set off.

Mei touched her forehead and then checked her own temperature. She didn't have a fever.

"Sorry, I spaced out again. I'm so sorry..."

She forced a smile, not wanting to make the atmosphere too tense.

In fact, her palms were covered in fragrant sweat, and she could clearly feel her every breath.

We left the town and entered the passageway without incident.

It was pitch black inside, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Apart from the faint sound of footsteps, it was eerily quiet.

The natural barrier lies just outside the passageway; once you reach that place...

Seeing a glimmer of light in the distance, Kiana quickened her pace.

She didn't want Ling to die, even at the cost of everything.

Mei's brows furrowed deeper as she followed closely behind.

She made a point of observing the spiderwebs tangled on the wall, which she had deliberately enlarged.

The fact that it was completely unharmed indicates that no one had ever been there.

wrong....

As they were about to leave the passageway, Mei drew her katana and held it in front of Kiana.

“Shh——”

Mei didn't even say a word this time; her solemn expression was enough to show how serious the situation was.

The three of them leaned against the wall, where there was a natural recess that made it easy to hide.

Ling covered her mouth, not wanting to cause trouble for the two of them.

About ten minutes later, flames appeared at the entrance of the cave.

In the gloomy, deserted place, several assassins with black aura emanating from their bodies suddenly appeared.

The leader was a woman, wearing a veil, so her face could not be seen.

She carried a leather lantern in her hand, which burned with an eerie blue flame.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that she only had an upper body; the rest was just a skeleton.

"I can smell it."

Like a hunter, an overwhelming sense of oppression emanates from them.

The few assassins didn't dare approach and lay prostrate on the ground awaiting orders.

—A dangerous woman.

Mei's sixth sense proved correct; it was extremely dangerous just now. If she had made a single wrong move, she could have lost her life.

Plop, plop....

My heart is racing, and my breathing is becoming labored.

The intense corrosive power meant that the opponent possessed power far exceeding their own.

The four assassins are like vicious dogs; they can tear the enemy to shreds at their master's command.

"Where....?"

Where are the little mice?

The woman spoke softly, her inhuman gaze wandering around, searching for a target.

He walked towards the three people step by step.

Holding their breath, their hearts were in their throats.

They were very close to each other, and the cool air was blowing by, almost touching.

The woman slowly circled around twice, but found nothing.

She suspected that the person had run away from outside, so she left the passageway.

The cautious Mei still gripped her katana tightly, telling Kiana not to move.

Time passed by, and physical strength was constantly being depleted in the tension.

Sure enough, as expected.

Fifteen minutes later, a blue flame reignited, and the strange woman was five meters away.

Its sinister face resembled several corpses, and its body was filled with dense Honkai energy, like a dangerous dynamite canister.

After confirming that no one was around, she finally left with her lantern.

Upon closer inspection, one can discover that there are several pairs of eyes inside the covered lantern.

"It's okay, let's go."

Mei breathed a sigh of relief as she sheathed her sword.

Kiana breathed a sigh of relief, collapsed to the ground, and took deep breaths of fresh air.

If this continues any longer, she might really suffocate.