"This is insane! Every attack meant to stop her only ends up helping her escape!"
Ash shuffled back to his fellow outsiders, frustration etched across his face. "At this point, it's beyond coincidence. Is she some kind of destiny's favorite? Like, a chosen one blessed by fate?"
"And you're not?" Harvey chuckled.
"What?"
"Think about it," Igula chimed in, unable to resist. "I tried to use you, but you turned the tables and dragged me into your escape plan. Valkas wanted to get rid of you but ended up protecting you during the Blood Moon Tribunal. Then, out of nowhere, we just happened to find a death magic expert who could disable our processing chips?
"Our escape should've taken years to plan, but thanks to you gathering the perfect team, we were out in under a month. Honestly, your jailbreak story is stranger than that doll girl's miraculous escapes."
"That's not the same thing!" Ash protested. "It's perfectly normal for prisons to have people skilled in escape plans. That's like boarding a train and asking if people have tickets—of course, they do!"
"And the escape? That was all thanks to my incredible willpower, relentless effort, unyielding determination, and a flash of brilliance at just the right moment. Zero luck involved!"
Harvey gave him a patient, patronizing smile—the kind reserved for dealing with someone who clearly wouldn't understand the truth.
"Hypocrite," Igula spat. "Your success is all about effort, but someone else's is pure destiny? Admit it—you're just a lucky leech."
"I'm a strategic manager," Ash shot back, feigning enlightenment. "I identify talent, delegate tasks effectively, and ensure everyone plays to their strengths. It's called leadership."
Igula sneered. "Of course, the leech never admits to being a leech. And lucky people? They'll never admit it's luck."
"I see now," Ash smirked, deliberately provoking him. "You're just jealous. That's why you're putting me down—because deep down, you recognize my importance."
"You insufferable hypocrite…" Igula's mouth twisted in exasperation.
"Alright, enough," Harvey interjected, trying to de-escalate. "Maybe we should've jumped into that vortex too. I mean, the other side only had that doll girl with no real combat power. Now…"
"Now, who knows what's on the other side?" Igula cut in, still irritated. "It could be the Four Pillars' main base for all we know. And let's not forget, our beloved cult leader here isn't exactly popular with his own faction."
Ash glanced at the bubbling hole in the ground, momentarily lost in thought.
A strange memory surfaced—Professor Shirin's notes mentioned a virtual realm portal that led to an underground river…
Could Serlina have ended up in the Blood Moon Realm?
If so, what would that make her? Some kind of... tactical chameleon?
Tap.
The three fugitives looked up to see Cleo standing before them, her reddened eyes and trembling nose betraying her barely-contained frustration.
"You… You three are the outsiders?"
She wiped her nose with a handkerchief before leveling her gun at Ash's forehead.
"According to Gospel Nation law, all outsiders must be executed immediately."
There was no time for explanations. Cleo's finger tightened on the trigger. "May the Gospel guide your way."
Staring down the dark barrel of her gun, Ash realized that their troubles were far from over. If the cultists were savage beasts, then these locals were merciless natives.
And unlike the cultists, who could be fought or outsmarted, who could protect them from these so-called "righteous defenders"?
Before Cleo could fire, a melodious voice interrupted.
"Hold on, Cleo! Didn't we agree the spoils were mine?"
Rescue had arrived!
The three fugitives turned their heads, brimming with hope. Whoever this was, they would forever remember this act of mercy—
But their relief turned to fury in an instant.
"Well, well. Fancy meeting you three again," the woman said with a smile, descending gracefully through the hole like a butterfly.
It was the violet-clad girl from earlier, her long boots now treading on a pristine path of frost conjured by her young butler, who followed closely behind.
They were none other than the Undertaker's Office agents, the very people who had captured and sold the trio to the Four Pillars!
"Annan," Cleo sniffled, glaring at the violet-clad girl. "Are you trying to protect these outsiders?"
"Protect them? No." Annan's smile didn't falter. "I'm here to reclaim what's mine. As per our agreement, they're my spoils of war for tipping you off about the cult's location. You can't just kill them."
Ash exchanged a glance with Igula. See? Your kind of people.
Igula shook his head. No, this one's definitely your kind.
"They're outsiders!" Cleo's voice rose, each word deliberate. "Like Serlina, they are a blight on this world—heretics who defile the Gospel. They must be executed before their Gospel Marks fade, or they'll return to their realm and summon their evil gods to invade our lands!"
"Gospel Marks?" Ash turned to Igula.
"Turn your head," Igula said, his voice low.
"Why not you—"
"Just turn it."
Grumbling, Ash complied. Igula squinted, then explained, "There's a faint yellow timer behind your ear. It probably started at 72 hours and is counting down. My guess? It's stopping us from leaving through another portal."
"That's the Overmind Weaver's punishment for you devils invading Gospel Nation," Cleo declared, pressing her gun harder against Ash's temple. "Before the timer reaches zero, we'll ensure you're all dead."
The three exchanged a look. Clearly, the Gospel Nation's defenses weren't as foolproof as Cleo thought. After all, they knew someone had already escaped this realm three days earlier—hence the infamous May 1st Hunt Festival.
"They can't leave," Annan interjected with a sly smile. "The portal they used to get here has been sealed. If you don't believe me, check the Book of Revelation yourself."
Cleo hesitated. "You're not lying?"
"Check it, if you're so sure I am. Or would you rather I pay the fee to prove it for you?"
"…Fine. But they're still outsiders…"
"And killing them gains you nothing." Annan's tone sharpened. "There's no bounty on their heads in the Book of Revelation. Killing them won't improve your Redcap ranking. But if you violate our contract and take my spoils, your credit rating will suffer, which could cost you your spot on the Redcap Leaderboard."
"They're not spoils!"
"Oh? So, you admit they're people, then? Because if they're non-criminal natural persons, Redcaps are forbidden from harming them."
Cleo sniffled, visibly torn. "You Undertaker types and your twisted logic… Fine! But if you're taking them, you better have a way to control them."
"Of course."
Annan produced three gilded contracts. "These come directly from the Book of Revelation. They're enforced by both the virtual realms and the Overmind Weaver. Not even a four-winged legend could break them. Once they sign, they'll be bound under my control, unable to harm Gospel Nation."
Satisfied, Cleo lowered her gun. "If that's true…"
She glanced at the three fugitives—now dirty, soaked, and seemingly powerless. Normally, this would be the point where desperate survivors begged to sign anything to save their lives.
Instead, the trio sat silently, watching the exchange with calm, detached expressions.
"They don't seem willing to submit," Cleo said, raising her gun again. "If they won't sign, I'll just—"
"Patience, Cleo." Annan crouched down, her smile softening. "Don't you want to live? Why aren't you saying anything?"
The trio exchanged a look. Finally, Ash broke the silence.
"Oh, I'd love to speak, but you two seemed so into your performance—I didn't want to interrupt."