Chapter 79

On the outskirts of Belmont, in an abandoned building.

This place was so desolate that one couldn’t even tell when it had last been touched by human hands.

It was inevitable.

Belmont was a declining city where younger generations were leaving day by day.

Naturally, on the outskirts, traces left behind by those who fled became commonplace.

But every situation has two sides.

Just as poison could take a life if consumed excessively but become medicine in small doses,

places deserted by people’s attention became safe havens for unwelcome visitors.

*Slight rustling sound*

A woman with eyes squinted nearly shut peeked cautiously through the curtain at the darkened outside.

“Still… I don’t sense anyone approaching nearby.”

“Phew, then… we can catch our breath for a moment.”

Fortunately, no enemies seemed to be near yet.

After confirming this once more, she carefully adjusted the curtains to ensure no gap remained by the window.

Then, she placed a dimly lit portable lamp on a shelf at an appropriate height.

As the interior faintly brightened, her gaze fell upon a green-skinned man.

The man’s appearance was shockingly unconventional.

His upper body was wrapped in bandages, as if they were clothes.

Blood-soaked, these bandages clearly weren’t there for show.

He looked so wretched that it seemed miraculous he could even sit upright.

Seeing his condition, the woman bit her lip and repeated a phrase she’d uttered countless times before.

“I’m sorry, Greg. Because of me…”

“…Karen, didn’t we agree not to talk about this anymore?”

“But still…!”

“Enough. If I hear it two more times, that’ll make it a hundred.”

Greg, the bandaged orc, waved his arm dismissively, tired of hearing the same apology over and over during the past two weeks.

But no matter how much Greg brushed it off, the shadow of guilt on her face wouldn’t fade.

After all, it was undeniable that he, someone unrelated, got dragged into this mess because of her.

Karen slumped onto the floor near Greg, curling up her body and muttering, exhausted.

“Should I have just complied with their demands from the start…?”

For over two weeks, she had fled across nations and cities with Greg.

The reason? A relentless and bothersome pursuer was after them.

The pursuer was none other than the Liberation Army of Non-Humans.

They sought to recruit Karen, an unparalleled genius among Arachne known for her exceptional magic control.

However, Karen didn’t agree with the army’s policy of enslaving all humanity.

She already lived a satisfying life and had no reason to harbor such animosity toward humans.

But the Liberation Army tried to kidnap her by force when she refused, and coincidentally, Greg had visited to drop something off.

That was why he got entangled in this whole ordeal, and why Karen felt deep remorse.

“What trivial worries.”

“Huh?! How can you call this trivial?! You know how sorry I feel for dragging you into this…!”

Greg shot back a sharp retort without an ounce of sympathy for Karen’s gloomy expression.

She flared up like a wriggling caterpillar, but Greg continued.

“Tch, I hate people who act selfishly without considering others. So I interfered to stop them. What you think doesn’t matter to me.”

“Even so…”

“And for an orc, wounds like these heal quickly. What you’re doing is like sending someone with a scraped knee to the ER. It’s called pointless worry.”

“…”

Karen couldn’t respond.

She wasn’t sure whether his claim that these were just minor scratches was genuine or bravado.

But one thing was certain: Greg was far weaker now than he was two weeks ago.

The pursuing squad chased them relentlessly like wolves hunting prey, giving him no time to recover properly.

No matter how strong someone is, they can’t perform at full strength without proper rest while being forced into prolonged skirmishes.

And as time passed, the realization that the odds favored their opponents gnawed at their morale.

‘Greg is still holding on, but… at this rate, hope is…’

Karen felt trapped in a pitch-black sea with no direction in sight.

If only she could see a glimmer of light beyond that thick darkness.

The paralyzing fear of sinking overwhelmed her, tightening its grip around her throat.

Perhaps sensing her inner turmoil, Greg, who had been breathing deeply as if asleep, suddenly spoke to her.

“Don’t worry too much. We still have a chance.”

“But Greg, you said today might be the turning point! That means… if things go wrong, we could all get caught here…!”

“No, I meant this endless chase might end today—for better or worse.”

Better? There’s no way that’s possible.

Karen suppressed her urge to say that and quietly calmed herself down.

Honestly, even someone inexperienced in combat like her could tell their chances weren’t great.

Among their pursuers were foes equal to or stronger than Greg.

Greg alone was a monster capable of bending steel barehanded and lifting cars effortlessly.

Yet, there were two formidable enemies he couldn’t guarantee victory against, making their situation utterly hopeless.

Even if Greg managed to call for reinforcements, help likely wouldn’t arrive tonight.

And even if they did come in time…

The sheer number of Liberation Army forces and the presence of powerful adversaries were enough to crush any hope of resistance.

‘I’m sorry, Greg. For dragging you into this…’

Karen simply felt sorry for Greg.

Despite his words, he was an incredibly kind person.

The fact that he got involved because of her tore at her heart.

*Awooo-*

The howl of a werewolf echoed from not too far away.

It seemed another harsh night was about to begin.

*

Wrapped in a cloth with just enough dust shaken off, I sprinted through the dark streets of Belmont.

The road was completely unfamiliar.

I had no idea whether to turn left or right.

But it didn’t matter. Echo acted like a navigation system, guiding me along the way.

[Master, turn right here! When you see the tilted sign, turn left there, and the path should appear!]

Thanks to Echo, I wouldn’t get lost. Thank you.

I thought this silently, using telekinesis to propel myself forward and slice through the wind.

My telekinetic powers felt sharper than ever, as if some limiter had been lifted.

[Haha, thank you!]

[Aww, I want Mama to praise me too!]

‘Thank you, Tesseract. You’ve been a huge comfort.’

[Hoho, really?]

These adorable things.

Echo and Tesseract practically melted with joy at the slightest praise, making me chuckle involuntarily.

What kind of existence must I be to them that they react so happily to mere compliments?

The heavy rock weighing on my chest felt lighter.

Suddenly, an ominous sensation prickled from afar.

An instinct warned me that something bad would happen if I kept going.

I immediately slowed down, pressed myself against the wall of a building, and focused intently on the sounds.

Faint voices reached my ears, though I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

‘Echo, do you sense any terminals nearby?’

[Yes, two of them.]

‘Can you hack into those terminals and eavesdrop on their conversation?’

[I’ll try.]

Echo sounded puzzled, as if hacking was entirely new to them.

But I trusted Echo’s abilities.

Given that these terminals allowed internet and phone calls without numbers, hacking nearby devices shouldn’t be impossible.

True to my expectations, Echo soon responded.

[Success! Should I reconstruct the audio for you to hear?]

‘No, it’s too much trouble. Can you summarize the key points instead?’

[Sure. They seem to be werewolves chasing some target. And it looks like they’re very close to capturing it.]

Instinctively, I sensed that Greg was part of their target.

There was no time to waste.

With that thought, I used telekinesis to launch myself high, very high, into the air.

When I positioned myself vertically above the two werewolves—

I plummeted downward like a meteor, accelerating rapidly with gravity’s pull.

“So, listen… Huh? Gkk!”

“E-enemy…! Ugh!”

*BAM!*

Before they could react, I used telekinesis to clamp their mouths shut and lift them into the air by their necks.

Werewolves excelled in raw strength, sharp claws, and rapid healing.

But against superior power, they were helpless scarecrows.

Though they thrashed and struggled fiercely, it was futile once captured.

“Gkk, ghh…”

“Grrr…”

*Thud.*

The unconscious werewolves collapsed limply to the ground, alive but knocked out.

Using sturdy carbon-fiber rope, I tightly bound their arms and legs, hiding them in a corner out of sight.

Then, I moved toward the coordinates indicated in the message.

Tonight was shaping up to be quite long.