As he realized something strange was stirring within his body, he tried to recall how he had ended up like this and began focusing on stabilizing his physical form by retracting the shadow veil that had been both a barrier and a restraint for the people moving along the street.
On the other side, Miss Felina stood slightly hunched in confusion as she watched the blond-haired man crossing his arms over his shoulders as if he were standing on a mountain in winter without a thick coat or any warmth.
'What is wrong with that man?' Felina thought, then realized something as she glanced at Zavi, who was still lying unconscious behind her.
'Was this his doing? Yes, that is very possible, considering what happened when we fought him back then.'
She nodded and prepared to act without any instruction.
Even though she could not stand completely straight, without hesitation she formed a motion as if drawing a bow, thinking that an opportunity like this would not come twice.
She pulled and held several times to build up the attack's power. Feeling it was enough, she finally released it as she noticed the shadow veil surrounding her beginning to pulse unnaturally.
"Wushh..."
A burst of pale blue light shot out from her left fist, heading straight toward the man, and before reaching him, it condensed into an invisible, sharp needle.
However, as the blond-haired man fully retracted the shadow veil, the needle was absorbed before the surrounding shadows shattered and vanished as if swallowed by the earth.
And now... the man had fulfilled the condition for damage exchange. His previously fragmented form stabilized once more as he attempted to end the fight as quickly as possible before his ally arrived.
This was the first time the blond-haired man had not immediately killed those he believed to be subordinates of the Order of Soas Repena like he did two months ago, whether because he was already tired of it or because he wanted to gather more information about them.
His attacks on the three of them, including Zuhen, had been carried out instantly to ensure his own survival, as he had assumed they were agents of that order due to their suspicious movements from one tavern to another.
He realized it when he was about to leave a narrow alley, already sick of constantly moving from place to place, having no permanent home, and no one left in this world except for a childhood friend he could trust.
Now, with his usual appearance, a blond-haired man with deep gray eyes that seemed to have witnessed the cruelty of the world itself, he stared at them intensely.
Felina could only stand there, swaying slightly in silence after realizing the surroundings had returned to normal. The corner of her eye briefly caught sight of people passing by not far from her on the main road.
'Will this end this quickly?' she thought uncertainly.
A few meters before the blond-haired man, whose real name was Aaron Kwok, could reach them, his steps suddenly halted as a strange throbbing sensation pierced his head.
Unbeknownst to him, a box jellyfish that had previously stung him with the tip of its tentacle and injected a few drops of venom had now attacked him again after he retracted the shadow veil that had naturally protected his body.
It was the same box jellyfish that had quietly remained after Zavi switched places with the fox and recalled the others as he moved. Even though it was his first time attempting this technique, he understood the risk it placed on his body.
'This... is happening for the second time. That man is extremely cunning, allowing himself to be attacked so he could execute his plan calmly. Damn it, I was too focused on the woman.'
Aaron's thoughts were in complete disarray, and for the first time, he felt admiration for what he thought were agents of the order, though in truth, it was directed at Zavi's observational skill during the battle, even while remaining still and controlling those strange creatures attacking him.
Because the box jellyfish, whose form had already begun to break apart due to its master's half-conscious state under the burden on his mind and body, had now completely faded.
And as Aaron's vision began to blur due to the venom damaging his body from within, halting blood flow and restricting circulation to the heart muscle, triggering shortness of breath and severe chest pain, he collapsed instantly without the aid of his abilities.
Realizing this, Felina stood still for a moment after seeing Aaron lying unconscious on the stone road.
Her mind went blank briefly. She took a breath to steady herself and immediately approached Zuhen, who lay right beside her, her steps heavy. Her mouth opened slightly in confusion as she noticed Zuhen's head resting on the road where people and horse carriages passed, while his legs were slightly raised onto the stone pavement.
She crouched with her usual expressionless face and lightly slapped his cheek, trying to wake him as she whispered, "Sir, wake up. Wake up quickly."
There was no response, only the sound of the evening wind brushing against her body and the setting sun beside her.
Realizing this, she had no choice but to find a secluded place to carry all three of them, including the blond-haired man, Aaron Kwok, as a precaution regarding Zuhen's condition.
Before doing so, her body suddenly trembled violently, as if a child forced to watch a horror film.
Her breath caught instantly, her right hand hovering in front of her as the cold evening wind struck the back of her neck, causing a sense of alertness to take over her mind.
'This is strange. Something is watching, isn't it?'
Her gaze swept the surroundings before shifting to the main road. Several horse carriages passed by, along with people finishing their daily activities.
Realizing that, she finally exhaled and thought of a way to move them without being noticed and without overburdening her body.
A movement too complex for the eye to follow, ending with her hands crossing, both thumbs meeting to form an oval shape below.
'I will use this. Forgive me, Sir, this is the only way to carry you.'
She stepped back cautiously, and in an instant, the bodies lying unconscious vanished like dust carried away by the wind.
Witnessing this, Felina quickly stepped forward and left the narrow street, carrying the burden of their survival.
After the sun had completely set, the beautiful full moon and countless stars began to shine in the sky, taking over the role of the sun as a natural light for all beings below.
Several hours later, they were inside an abandoned house in one of the corner alleys of Menniree, directly bordering the main road of Fire and Silver.
Felina stood still, leaning against the door. Anxiety crept into her as her companions had yet to regain consciousness, and she sensed something off ever since arriving at the house.
"That man must have allies and will attack if I let my guard down even slightly," she thought cautiously. She straightened her posture and stepped out onto the terrace to observe the surroundings.
She should not have needed to worry this much. An invisible barrier surrounded the house. Although she knew it would shatter if struck from outside, Felina had prepared thousands of needle traps that would activate the moment the barrier broke.
After patrolling, she turned back. Her breathing grew uneven, her heartbeat erratic. Something unsettling began to root itself in her mind, a disturbance she could not explain.
Felina shook her head forcefully, trying to drive the thought away. Perhaps it was just her body's response to exhaustion. After all, she had not closed her eyes even once since fighting the Demon Horse the day before. Fatigue was beginning to make her doubt her own sanity.
As her foot touched the first step, she turned again. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong.
"Come out," she snapped, though uncertainty lingered in her voice. "I know you are there."
In front of her was only the silence of the corner alley. A field with tall trees stretched out, interspersed with red flowering bushes that stood out under the moonlight.
There was no response. Was it all just her imagination?
'Am I starting to hallucinate from exhaustion?' she wondered, swallowing hard as her hand touched her tense neck.
She quickly went inside. The door was left slightly open, just a small gap to observe the outside.
'Damn it. Why am I this scared?' she cursed inwardly. She had never felt this small before. Quickly, she shut the door and blocked it with a wooden crate and a chair. Finally, she placed a coin on the door gap, a simple alarm that would fall with a clink if the door was pushed from outside.
After securing the exterior, Felina decided to wake Zavi. Among the three of them, his condition appeared the lightest. She nodded to herself. Despite the lingering resentment, she knew she needed a conscious partner to deal with whatever was wrong in this house.
The dim light from the gas lantern only illuminated a small area. Felina moved carefully, occasionally feeling the air ahead to ensure her path remained safe.
"Tap... Tap... Tap..."
Each step disturbed the suffocating silence, an invisible yet tangible pressure weighing on her chest.
Felina crouched, slightly lifting her dark purple skirt so it would not hinder her movement. She shook Zavi's shoulder, her voice raised.
"Hey, wake up. How long are you going to sleep like this?"
After a minute of repeated attempts, Zavi finally responded. His eyes slowly opened, though his awareness had not fully returned. Unconsciously, his fingernails scraped against the rough wooden floor, producing a sharp sound in the silent night.
'What happened?' Zavi thought, disoriented. He jolted, his hands immediately checking his body to ensure he was still alive.
"Thank goodness... I'm still alive," he murmured in relief, his breath heavy.
Zavi looked at Felina with a frown. 'Did my plan work? This is far heavier than I expected, damn it.'
"What are you talking about?" Felina muttered, confused. "Were you dreaming?"
Zavi tried to come up with an excuse, but his tongue felt stiff.
"Ah, that... I was just startled," he replied quickly while observing the surroundings, realizing the atmosphere felt very different. Stifling and silent.
"I don't believe you," Felina whispered coldly. "Oh, that man is here too. Now, what are you going to do with him?"
Zavi fell silent for a moment. If he withdrew the venom, the man would wake up immediately. It seemed the man's body was quite resilient, as it did not resist the box jellyfish venom as strongly as expected.
Zavi let out a quiet chuckle. He was slightly surprised. Zuhen had endured the venom from several box jellyfish for quite a long time without causing Zavi to lose control. Very different from the blond man. Aaron.
"About that," Zavi stood up and stretched his stiff muscles. "Just leave it to me."
Without further explanation, Zavi walked toward Aaron. Felina, confused, could only follow behind, trying to understand what he was planning.
Zavi stared at his target with a serious expression. "Come out, withdraw the venom now..."
His right hand moved deftly, touching several points on Aaron's body to recall his box jellyfish. Even though it was his first time performing the extraction technique, everything went smoothly.
The bluish tint on Aaron's skin gradually faded, returning to its original color. His breathing stabilized, and beads of cold sweat formed as fragments of pale grayish-white aura seeped out through his pores.
'Has this man gone insane, daring to do something like this?' Felina thought, unable to comprehend what was going on in Zavi's mind and realized that the man had regained consciousness and was starting to wake up.