Her chin rested on both hands.
She squatted in front of Lam Huy Trường, her knees pulled close to her chest.
Her elbows rested on them, her palms cupping her cheeks.
A relaxed posture.
Almost… relaxed.
But her eyes were not.
Her gaze stayed fixed on him, curious, as if she were studying something interesting—
a small animal that had just fallen into a trap.
They were so close that Lam Huy Trường could hear her breathing.
Soft.
Even.
Not the slightest hint of tension.
Damn it…
That calm?
She tilted her head.
Just a small motion.
The faint blue flames flickering deep in the tunnel cast light across the edge of her black cloak.
The dark fabric shifted slightly, catching the dim light like a faint ripple.
Lam Huy Trường narrowed his eyes.
Thanks to that faint light, he could see more clearly.
She was looking straight at him.
Not a glance.
Not probing.
She was simply staring.
Like she had already locked onto her target.
Time crawled by.
Neither of them spoke.
The tunnel was so quiet that Lam Huy Trường could clearly hear his own heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
His throat felt dry.
Then—
she licked her lips.
The tip of her tongue brushed lightly across her lower lip.
Just a small motion.
Almost unconscious.
But Lam Huy Trường's spine instantly turned cold.
A chill ran from the back of his neck all the way down his spine.
A warning flashed in his mind.
Danger.
Not vague danger.
The kind that made a person's survival instinct scream.
Extremely dangerous.
Not good…
This is really not good…
But the problem was—
he had no idea what to do.
His mind started spinning out of control.
What do I say?
Hello?
Good evening?
Or—
"Uh… I'm just an NPC janitor passing by to clean the toilets..?"
…
No.
That wouldn't work.
Run?
Sprint at full speed?
With how pathetic this body's stamina...
Could he even run??
Fight?
The moment the idea appeared, he immediately crushed it.
Fight her?
With this body's ridiculously terrible stamina?
I'd die even faster.
Play dead?
That thought almost made him laugh in despair.
Someone bring me a bag of strawberry syrup or ketchup.
I'll pour it all over myself and lie down right here.
But even that stupid idea wasn't realistic.
His mind kept going in circles.
No way out.
No plan.
No options.
In the end—
only emptiness remained in Lam Huy Trường's mind.
His brain… was completely out of ideas.
Damn it.
What am I supposed to do now?
She reached out toward him.
Her pale hand slowly moved closer.
No hurry.
No hesitation.
Inch by inch.
They were so close that Lam Huy Trường could see every tiny movement of her fingers.
Long, slender fingers.
Slightly curling.
As if—
preparing to grab something.
A chill ran down his spine.
Not good.
This is really not good.
At that very moment—
Lam Huy Trường's body reacted on its own.
No thinking.
No plan.
Just pure survival instinct.
Even though his legs were still trembling, he sprang up like a released spring.
His body nearly bounced off the ground.
He pivoted and ran.
Turned his head.
Ran.
Footsteps slammed against the cold stone floor.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
The sound echoed through the tunnel.
Right now, only one thought remained in his mind.
If she catches me…
I'm definitely dead.
He didn't know why.
He didn't know who she was.
But just looking into those eyes—
was enough.
He didn't even know what she was.
But there was one thing Lam Huy Trường knew for certain.
Anyone who could pass through all the traps in this tunnel and reach this place—
…couldn't possibly be normal.
Impossible.
And definitely—
not something you could casually mess with.
Lam Huy Trường kept running.
His breathing grew ragged.
His chest heaved.
The freezing air of the tunnel scraped his throat with every breath.
Faster.
Run faster.
Get away from that dangerous girl as fast as possible—
He had only taken a few steps.
Suddenly—
his footsteps stopped.
His body froze.
Right in front of him—
a dark figure.
No footsteps.
No movement.
Not a single sign that she had moved.
She was simply—
there.
As if she had always been standing there.
Lam Huy Trường didn't even have time to react.
A hand shot forward.
Her right hand clamped around his throat.
So fast he barely saw the motion.
The next instant—
an overwhelming force lifted him off the ground.
His toes no longer touched the floor.
Lam Huy Trường's body hung in the air.
His legs kicked wildly on instinct.
His mouth opened.
The air was violently forced out of his lungs.
Pain shot through his throat.
What the hell…
His head spun.
His vision shook.
This strength…
Can a girl even have this kind of strength?
From beneath the dark hood—
a pair of cold pink eyes looked down at him.
No emotion.
No hesitation.
Only a terrifying calm.
A faint black aura seeped from her arm.
Like thin smoke.
Silently spreading through the cold air of the tunnel.
A low voice rang out.
Deep.
Cold.
"Answer me."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
Pain shot through Lam Huy Trường's throat.
"How did you get in here?"
"Who are you?"
Her arm didn't tremble.
The pressure didn't ease.
That grip carried a very clear warning.
If he didn't answer—
he would die immediately.
There was no time to think.
No time to hesitate.
Lam Huy Trường suddenly shouted.
"Demecia!"
"Get out here!"
"She's right here!"
He deliberately shifted his gaze past her shoulder.
As if someone were really standing behind her.
Out of instinct—
the girl loosened her grip slightly.
The eyes beneath the hood flicked toward the direction Lam Huy Trường had looked.
In that single instant—
Lam Huy Trường moved.
Now!
He immediately opened his inventory.
A small square slot popped up in his vision.
A translucent interface floated before his eyes.
His hand trembled.
But he still selected the correct slot.
A small, square object popped out of the storage space.
Hovering in the air.
Lam Huy Trường grabbed it with every bit of strength he had left.
The very next moment—
he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Eat this!"
"Super VIP Pro 10-billion-volt explosive round!"
He hurled it straight at her face.
The small object traced a short arc through the air.
The girl reacted almost instantly.
She released him.
Her black cloak fluttered.
An invisible force burst outward.
The flying object's trajectory was immediately knocked off course.
At the same time, she stepped half a pace back.
Both hands opened slightly.
A faint energy shield appeared around her body.
Dim light spread out like a transparent membrane.
A perfect defensive stance.
She waited for the explosion.
Meanwhile—
Lam Huy Trường had already turned and bolted.
He sprinted straight toward the stone door in the middle of the tunnel—where the two tunnels met.
Footsteps pounding.
Breath ragged.
As he got closer, the door became clearer in the faint blue flames lighting the tunnel.
The entire stone surface was tangled with vines.
Dry roots clung to the rock like claws.
At the very center of the door—
an engraved symbol stood out.
A finely carved quadrilateral crystal.
Lam Huy Trường stopped abruptly in front of it.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
His heart pounded wildly.
His mind raced through his memories.
How do I open it…
What was it…
Then he remembered.
Two lines.
Two lines the girl had left behind in the letter.
He whispered.
"May I remain by your side forever."
A faint glow flickered across the carved crystal.
Then he spoke again.
"May I always be the light that guides you through the darkness."
Immediately—
the stone door trembled.
A deep sound echoed from within the massive slab.
Rumble…
Rumble…
From the crack of the door—
light suddenly burst forth.
Like a gigantic floodlight switching on after centuries of slumber.
Blinding white light shot outward.
In an instant—
the entire tunnel was swallowed by a sea of brilliance.
Lam Huy Trường was almost consumed by the light.
Far behind—
the girl lowered her energy shield.
The sudden flare of light was too abrupt.
Her pink eyes narrowed.
She immediately raised a hand to cover them.
The glow reflected across her black cloak.
As the light gradually faded—
the tunnel sank back into its familiar darkness.
She slowly lowered her hand.
Her eyes opened.
The tunnel ahead—
was empty.
The man she had just been about to capture.
The man who had been standing there moments ago—
was gone.
Her gaze slowly dropped.
Right at her feet—
a small object rolled across the stone floor.
Clink.
Clink.
An old battery.
She stared down at it.
Her lips twitched.
The face beneath the hood darkened.
A vein bulged on her forehead.
Her hand clenched into a fist.
"Daring to play tricks…"
Her voice dropped lower.
Colder than before.
"That guy…"
She turned her head toward the stone door.
The light from before had already vanished.
Only the cold slab remained in the middle of the tunnel.
"Let's see…"
"How you got out of there."
She placed her hand on the stone door.
Light flared again.
The door trembled slightly.
Her eyes narrowed.