The eyeball instantly bit off a handful of the spot where Kang Yeo-hwa had been.

The ground was deeply dug up, and the spot where she had been disappeared as if it were a lie.

No. 1 stared at the empty space.

“Are you finally dead?”

After a brief silence, just as he was about to turn around,

“Are you kidding me!?”

Along with the swear words, a gale-like mana built hundreds of shapes and letters.

A bright light burst forth from the magnificent magic circle.

The most powerful attack of her wide-area magic.

[Warrior of the Wind: Song of the Bow]

Dozens of arrows pierced their respective targets like they were stabbing the atmosphere.

First, a dozen arrows rushed like spears at the giant target monster, the eyeball, and the arrows embedded in it scattered mana in all directions, tearing the shadow apart like a bomb.

Quack quack quack quack quack. . .!!!

The form instantly became a mess and returned to mana particles, and soon the other arrows shot down at the other Ghost Corps.

Kwang! Bang! Bang! Quack quack!!

A series of deafening explosions and mana explosions that shook the space.

Kang Yeo-hwa had aimed for the moment when they were all at the most similar angle and fired her skill with the last of her resolve.

“Haaㅡ Haaㅡ I’m exhausted.”

She gasped for breath with her exhausted dantian and depleted stamina.

Her legs were shaking and her fingertips were trembling.

Her body was already riddled with wounds from the battle so far.

With deep and shallow cuts and the blood still flowing from them.

She could barely remember when she had been so thoroughly cornered.

Kang Yeo-hwa first performed a simple hemostasis with the knowledge she had learned from Siwoo.

She felt dizzy as she lost more blood than she thought.

She bit her lip.

She would not die here.

She had waited ten whole years for one person.

Didn’t even Choi Dae-soo say this was the last time?

If she just endured a little longer,

If she just endured a little longer,

Master, Siwoo, would come back.

She couldn’t die until then.

Kang Yeo-hwa opened her eyes wide.

Thanks to the hand-to-hand combat skill she had learned from Siwoo, if it were any other S-Rank hunter who was only accustomed to monster combat, they could have died already.

That’s how monstrously strong they were.

“You’ll all freeze to death in the snowfield.”

Kang Yeo-hwa hurriedly tried to move.

But she had to stop right away.

“That was dangerous.”

At the spot where the wave of tremendous attacks had stopped, where the blowing snow had stopped, the assassins stood perfectly intact.

“Whoa, you’re really an S-Rank hunter. I’m seeing my late grandfather!”

“Didn’t I tell you to be careful! They’re not human beings!”

“Keureurreurreureuㅡ!!”

“Calm down, Gasina!”

Number 1 tilted his head slightly at her without saying anything.

Kang Yeo-hwa couldn’t continue the ridiculous conversation.

“You must be embarrassed.”

“. . . . . .”

“You must be tired.”

“. . .You guys.”

Kang Yeo-hwa opened her mouth with difficulty.

It was a skill that could tear apart even a mid-level A-Rank boss monster.

The fact that they were there without any significant injuries didn’t make sense to her.

“Your last attack was great. I’ll give you credit.”

“Credit my ass. . .!”

“We have good eyes.”

No. 1 pointed to No. 3, who was standing far away.

“An old man with a blindfold. . . Can he see even though he’s blindfolded?”

“No. He’s blind.”

“Then what do you mean by good eyes?”

No. 1 shook his head slowly from side to side as if he was feeling good.

“Instead of losing his sight, he sees other things well. For example, he notices when an archer gathers mana to launch a wide-area attack and tells his colleagues.”

Kang Yeo-hwa checked how much mana she could use.

Her mana was barely gathered at the bottom of her dantian.

Let alone four of them. . . Could she even defeat one?

She had bought time by playing along with the useless conversationㅡ

“Let’s stop playing around now. Shall we do it properly?”

As expected, four of them were too much to handle even after a short rest.

Kang Yeo-hwa opened her stance as much as she could and got into a fighting stance.

‘𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.’

He was wearing a mask, but he was smiling.

Kang Yeo-hwa could be sure of it.

She gathered all the mana in her dantian and rooted it in every muscle.

‘𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.’

Predictably, no one would be able to follow her in terms of speed.

She kicked No. 2 in the abdomen, which was the fastest, and flew into the air.

“Are you tired of playing too? Shall we do it for real?”

As if they had made a promise, the four opened their mouths and swallowed one pill each.

Kang Yeo-hwa instinctively stepped back at the unknown ominousness.

It was because she felt a tremendous surge of energy and momentum from them the moment they took the medicine.

Her knees weakened with the despair she felt.

Her head wasn’t working properly because of the sudden change.

What should she do in such an extraordinary situation?

Other than master. . .

“My. . . pet!!”

At that moment, No. 4’s bulldozer-like attack came again.

But this time, it was accompanied by an overwhelming momentum and pressure that was different from before.

Paahㅡㅡㅡㅡaaak!

As if it had just kicked an empty can on the floor, Kang Yeo-hwa’s body crashed into the floor, destroying dozens of trees.

Bang! Clank clang clang!

“Keuheok!!”

Blood gushed out of her mouth.

Her head felt like it was going to explode.

Her ribs and several internal organs were ruptured from a single kick.

“Keughㅡ Keuk!!”

Blood was coughed up again.

Crimson and hot blood soaked the front of her chest.

“Can I take you as my pet now?”

A heavy body approaching step by step.

Kang Yeo-hwa tried to run away.

Her legs were shaking like aspen trees and she couldn’t stand up.

“Follow me. Or will I make your face like that too?”

Kang Yeo-hwa flinched involuntarily and clenched her jaw.

She remembered.

She had been like this before.

What did I do that time?

I’m sure I cried and criedㅡ I think I rushed in, saying I would kill him.

But all she had left now was a broken body, an empty dantian, and a heart that had lost its will.

She was all alone.

I. . . can’t do anything.

Am I going to die while being toyed with like a doll by someone like that?

No. 4 approached Kang Yeo-hwa, grabbed her by the neck, and slowly lifted her up.

“Nice to meet you. I’m your master from today. From now on, all you have to say is ‘woof’. If you break the rules, umㅡ I’ll tear your limbs apart.”

“Keuheok! Keuk! Puff!!”

Kang Yeo-hwa writhed in agony.

She couldn’t breathe.

In a situation where any resistance was meaningless, all she could do was hold back her tears.

“You’re stubborn, sister. Should we hit you a little until you cry?”

“Keughㅡㅡ!!”

No. 4’s fist and shoulder were pulled back.

Yeo-hwa closed her eyes tightly.

In the midst of her dizziness, she thought of the face of the person she had wanted so badly,

The person she had loved so desperately all her life.

This useless disciple,

I’m sorry to my master,

I loved someone I shouldn’t have.

Please forgive me.

Master.

Paahㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡang!!

An impact sound like all the tires of a 20-ton truck had burst shook the mountain.

Her ears rang from the indiscriminate noise.

Beep

No. 4 wiped the blood that had splashed on his face.

And he looked down at his body.

Instead of his chest and abdomen, he could see the bloody snowfield.

A large hole.

Just then, a strange man approached No. 4.

No. 4 didn’t say anything.

He just watched blankly, his cold sweat dripping down.

The man took out a dagger from his arms.

Then, he cut off No. 4’s arm like lightning and caught the falling Kang Yeo-hwa in his arms.

No. 4 collapsed to the ground, his face as white as snow, as he watched his severed arm and the gushing blood.

Kang Yeo-hwa had expected death.

Even if she didn’t die, she thought she would be in a similar state.

Her whole body had been soaked in sweat for a long time because of the extreme tension and anxiety.

Is this what it means to be exhausted?

She didn’t have the strength to move a single finger.

She just wanted to fall asleep if she could.

She just wanted to close her eyes in this bitter cold.

It’s too hard.

But,

What is this warm embrace?

What is this warm touch?

She barely lifted her drooping eyelids.

The sound of the swirling snowstorm stopped.

Everything was silent in the silence.

Only the sound of her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

Is this a dream?

Is this another sweet dream?

Is this really a bitter sweetness that licks away tears?

“Ah.”

Her tears,

Touched by Siwoo’s warm hand,

They crumbled like petals.

“It’s been a long time. Kang-hwa.”

Click.

The time that had stopped for 10 years began to move.