As the winds howled, Julia dashed through them. Not far away, Adan carried Stella on his back, a gun in hand.
He shot left and right with impeccable accuracy, his bullets always finding their mark. His skill level was near the peak of the novice realm, edging toward expert.
Though his talent wasn't as great as others, his marksmanship was on another level.
Adan barely dodged a bullet aimed at him from around 1,500 meters away. Looking back, he spotted a group of five chasing after Stella. Calmly, he raised his gun toward the sniper.
1,500 meters away, a man knelt on a rooftop, aiming his sniper rifle with a grin. "You think you can hit me from that far?" he muttered to himself.
For anyone else, it would be nearly impossible to make such a shot without guidance and precise mana control.
The curved gun he held used circular bullets, which made it even more difficult.
Julia could sense mana from as far as 5 kilometers away, but even she couldn't pinpoint its exact location.
What she could do was beyond anyone of her power level, yet Adan, lacking such talent, still managed to locate the sniper.
How?
The answer was simple—Adan had special eyes.
He fired, the bullet flying straight to its target. It hit the sniper in the head as if it were nothing.
Adan's mana control and aim were flawless, but he wasn't done. Spinning around, he fired again at those trying to surround him.
Bodies fell as Adan, carrying Stella, dashed forward with a heavy heart.
Anger surged within him as he watched the town burn. The place he once called home was now in flames, and the people he cared about were screaming for help.
For so long, he hadn't minded being weak because he could always manage whatever came his way.
But now, the true feeling of powerlessness was carved into his bones. "Damn it…"
Julia appeared beside him, and as those words left his lips, she spoke.
"People who are poor and weak hate those who are powerful and rich," she said. Adan turned to listen.
"A wise man once said, 'The root of your suffering is closer than you think, and it's often someone you least expect.
Look into the mirror, and you will see.' It means that every problem, every hardship, is your fault. Good or bad, it's because you're too weak to stop them. So don't hate them—realize how weak you are."
Julia's voice rose as she added, "Elijah will be the Overlord, and the enemies we'll face will be even stronger than anything we've ever encountered.
So take a long, hard look at how the weak kneel before the powerful. But never kneel yourself. Hold your head high. We were born free, and we'll die free."