Chapter 10: Pursuers

Gunfire echoed continuously through the dense forest.
The battle wasn’t over.

With Kane’s men watching her closely, Lu Xiaona had no way to escape the battlefield.
At the same time, with Luo Yan guarding her, Kane and his men couldn’t get close to her either—let alone capture her.

But that didn’t mean the fight had reached a stalemate.
On the contrary, the tide of battle was visibly shifting in favor of the beautiful girl who had appeared out of nowhere.

Not only did she possess astonishing reflexes and pinpoint shooting accuracy, but she also had a remarkable ability to read the battlefield.
She dodged attacks before they even landed, and every counterattack she made was sharp, clean, and deadly—like a seasoned veteran.
Each shot, each sidestep, every evasive movement… all perfectly timed.

Soon, all of the soldiers surrounding Lu Xiaona lay lifeless on the ground.
Only Kane remained.

“Who… who the hell are you?!”

Kane’s expression twisted as the girl in the sleek combat suit walked toward him with calm grace.
He fired three shots in quick succession—but she’d clearly anticipated them, dodging with fluid, almost unreal ease.

Seeing this, despair gripped Kane’s heart.

Based on her speed, strength, and combat sense, she was undeniably an Awakening-level ability user.
But as far as he knew, the gap between Awakening and Aberrant-level users shouldn’t be this wide.

Yet here she was—this mysterious young woman—completely overwhelming them.
Which could only mean one thing: she wasn’t ordinary.

She’s too young… could she be from an ability academy?
But those pampered elites from the ivory towers never have combat skills like this—not at this age.
And I’ve never even heard of a girl like her in Neo-Aonan…

Could she be from the Neo-Aonan Defense Department? No… their people wear different uniforms. And if she were with them, that would mean this entire mission had already been exposed.
But judging from how wrecked Lu Xiaona’s team was, that doesn’t add up—unless that old fox Lu Míng was heartless enough to use his own daughter as bait…

One theory after another raced through Kane’s mind, only to be dismissed just as quickly.

Luo Yan gave him a faint smile. “I’m just a passerby.”

The sight of her beautiful smile only deepened Kane’s fear.

“You—!”

Eyes widening in sudden desperation, he charged.

If he couldn’t escape, he’d take her down with him.

Bang!
Luo Yan didn’t hesitate.
A single shot—straight through Kane’s skull.

His body crumpled to the ground, and for a moment, silence returned to the forest.

Though he hadn’t hesitated to pull the trigger, Luo Yan still felt a flicker of unease as blood gushed from the wound.
This was his first time killing someone—his first time killing so many people.

Of course, he understood this wasn’t about morality.
It was war. One side had to fall.

There was no burden to carry.

She turned toward Lu Xiaona, who stood nervously nearby.

“Can you still walk?”

“No problem…”

Lu Xiaona hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on the unfamiliar girl.
Only after confirming that there didn’t seem to be any ill intent did she ask cautiously, “You… weren’t sent by my father, were you?”

This older girl in front of her was almost certainly an Awakening-level ability user.
That level of power wasn’t rare in Neo Aonan—but when combined with her striking looks and elite combat skill, she should have been a recognizable figure.
As a daughter of the upper class, Lu Xiaona should’ve heard of her.

But she hadn’t.

And her gear… was nothing like the standard issue used by city forces. It was sleek, unusual—something she’d only seen in movies or TV dramas.
It was unlikely she was one of Neo Aonan’s guards.

Instinctively, Lu Xiaona kept her distance from the beautiful stranger.
Even if she had just been rescued, that didn’t mean she was truly safe.

After all, she didn’t know this girl at all—didn’t even know why she had been saved.
And in front of someone this powerful, resistance was futile.

If the girl turned out to have ulterior motives, then escaping one predator only to fall into the hands of another would be her fate.

But Luo Yan simply shook his head and didn’t answer the question.
Instead, he said, “Someone should be coming to meet you, right? Tell me which way, and I’ll take you there now.”

Lu Xiaona studied her expression, trying to read the truth in those dark eyes.
But just like Kane, she failed.

“…Okay,” she finally said with a nod.

Right now, she had no better option.

At least for now, this girl seemed to be on her side.

After walking a few steps, she stopped beside the driver’s corpse—Uncle Lì.
Kneeling down, she gently brushed his stiffened face, whose expression still bore traces of fear and unwillingness.

“Thank you. When I return to Neo Aonan, I’ll make sure your wife and children receive a pension.”

Then, she forced herself to stand.

Deep down, she wanted Luo Yan to go back and help Uncle Chén and Atlanta.
She didn’t want any more people to die for her sake.

But she also knew that her survival was the only way to honor their sacrifices.

The wound in Lu Xiaona’s leg made walking difficult.

Luo Yan considered this for a moment, then crouched down to carry her.

The faster they reunited with her reinforcements, the lower the risk of more incidents.
Although his earlier victory had boosted his confidence, he hadn’t let it go to his head.

Back when he was watching from the shadows, he’d spotted several dangerous opponents—especially that Mr. Z, the man currently held off by the blond bodyguard.
He wanted to avoid encountering him if possible.

That said, the bodyguard’s strength had seemed reliable.
He should be able to hold out a while longer.

Lu Xiaona wasn’t heavy.
And now that he had entered the Awakening stage, Luo Yan’s enhanced physical abilities made carrying her effortless.

He could still move swiftly through the dense forest.

That said… this girl smelled really nice.
Though her chest wasn’t quite as cushioned as Luo Yan’s own, the soft weight on her back was… distracting.
His thoughts drifted for a moment.

Unfortunately—he was now fully and unmistakably a girl.

The sun had long since set.
In the thick woods, light struggled to reach the forest floor, and visibility was dropping fast.

Even so, Luo Yan avoided the open road—doing so would only expose their position.

“I think… this way.”

Lu Xiaona, riding on his back, pointed in a direction. Her tone, however, was unsure.

She wasn’t bad with directions, but in an unfamiliar forest with failing light, even she couldn’t be certain.

Luo Yan didn’t question her and followed the direction given.

But after only a few steps, he stopped.

“…What is it?” Lu Xiaona asked, nervous.

A sharp, deadly whistling tore through the air in response.

An intense warning flared in Luo Yan’s mind.

He dove to the ground, taking Lu Xiaona with him—but he was a fraction too slow.

A burning pain shot through his shoulder.

He turned her head.

A bloody gash had opened on his left shoulder, and a throwing knife was embedded in a nearby tree trunk a dozen meters away, still trembling violently in the slanting rays of sunset.

There was only one person he could think of.

Mr. Z.