Ren remained hidden behind the old shelf, waiting for the perfect moment to fire.
Bang!
The bullet shot out of the pistol's barrel at high speed, piercing through the shelf in front of him and streaking toward the robed man.
Ah…!
Without even hearing the gunshot, the bullet struck his wrist precisely, forcing him to release the woman he had been strangling.
The woman coughed violently, her chest tight and burning. She struggled to stand and tried to run as far away from the robed man as possible.
However, her body was too weak to endure the pain left by the choking. She suddenly collapsed, her consciousness slowly fading.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bullets tore into the robed man's chest, leaving small holes as fresh blood spilled out, soaking into his robe.
As if that were not enough, the bullets that had pierced his body rebounded, striking his left and central chest once more. They flew backward and returned to the pistol's magazine, as if Ren had never fired at all.
"Ugh…" Blood seeped through the covering on part of his face. "Damn you!" The robed man dropped to one knee, struggling to endure the pain ravaging his body.
Ren stepped out from his hiding place, pulled a lighter from his pocket, and flicked it on. He walked toward the robed man, leveling the pistol at him.
"Tsk… I lost this time," the robed man said in resignation, smiling as he turned to look at his companion's corpse lying before the iron door.
Without hesitation, Ren pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang!
The bullets pierced his head and heart. His body stiffened as a chilling sensation crawled over his skin, and his lifeless form collapsed to the floor.
Blood flowed from the bullet holes, forming a small pool around his body.
Ren cast a sharp glance at the corpse before staggering toward the woman lying to his left.
"Hey, wake up. Are you planning to sleep here?" he said gently, lightly patting her shoulder.
"Uh…" Her eyes slowly opened. "Where am I? My head hurts so much." She frowned, trying to endure the pain pounding through her skull.
Her name was Veranica Holdun, one of Ren's comrades. She was a human with supernatural abilities, operating under the authority of the Morotuane Church in Moran as a scout monitoring dangerous activity.
The two of them were known as Hollows, humans capable of controlling and mastering one of the fifteen abilities that existed in this world.
Ren was a level one Controlled, possessing a special ability that allowed him to see in the dark and generate an intense attraction toward objects he touched, such as the pistol he had used to kill the two robed guards earlier.
After a bullet left the pistol at high velocity, he could generate natural compression, allowing it to pierce any object while preventing enemies from detecting the bullet's origin.
The firing distance could be adjusted at will. In fact, if he chose to, he could erase spirits and souls down to a fundamental level using his pistol with the aid of a small purple black sphere.
However, he did not do so, as it would drain his energy severely and render him unconscious for an entire day.
He had used that purple black sphere once before, when he and his younger brother encountered a group of spirits on their way to this building.
At the time, he believed his brother life was in danger, leaving him no choice but to use it. Since then, throughout the battle, Ren had done everything he could to avoid collapsing.
When the moment finally came, he could no longer bear the burden. Ren's body fell onto the cold floor, his consciousness slowly fading as his eyelids closed.
A biting cold pierced his fingertips, spread through his body, and knocked him unconscious.
Veranica was startled, her chest still tight as confusion washed over her. She stretched out her hand, crawling toward Ren's body.
Her attempt to wake him failed. She slowly stood and checked his heartbeat to make sure it was still there.
"Thank goodness," she murmured in relief, surveying the surroundings.
Veranica tried to lift Ren's body. Though it was heavy, she remembered his kindness, which she had yet to repay, and how he had just saved her again.
She supported Ren with her shoulder and walked slowly toward the iron door on the right side of the room. Her cold hand twisted the handle and pulled it open.
The creak of old hinges mixed with the scrape of rusted metal rang painfully in her ears, sending an unpleasant buzz through her head.
Veranica shook her head, trying to drive the sound away. Goosebumps rose along her skin, and she wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
More than that, her ability to restrain five robed figures would not last much longer, especially among them a Hollow and Receivers.
Veranica shook her head again to dispel the lingering influence of the sound. Her body trembled slightly, and the urge to escape this place grew stronger.
Moreover, her ability to restrain five black robed figures would not hold for long, as one of them was a Hollow.
Meanwhile, Zavi successfully led six people, including his mother, to safety, blending into the crowd watching the overgrown building.
Worried about Ren's condition, Zavi decided to return to the building to find him and bring him home. He asked a black haired woman beside him to watch over his mother for a moment.
The woman owed him her life for saving her earlier, so she nodded in agreement.
Zavi smiled, turned around, and ran back toward the building. But after entering through the path he had taken before, the corridor was dark.
He followed the path and arrived, staring into the shadowed room, surprised that he heard no more gunfire. He leapt instinctively, tension filling the corridor.
From a distance, his eyes caught sight of an iron door left open, faint light spilling into the room. Taking a few steps forward, Zavi accidentally stepped on the body of someone wearing a robe.
He reflexively jumped back two steps, squinting to see what lay before him. His eyes widened in shock. He could not believe Ren had killed without the slightest hesitation.
Sensing something was wrong, he ran toward the door. As he was about to leave the room, he abruptly stopped, startled again by another robed corpse lying to his left.
Zavi swallowed hard and continued forward, walking along a corridor faintly illuminated by moonlight streaming through windows and large vents.
A few seconds later, he saw two paths ahead, one straight and one turning right. Running while thinking, he chose to turn right.
As he turned, he spotted a staircase in the distance. When he reached it and was about to descend, he froze in shock at the sight of a familiar woman carrying Ren on her shoulder.
"Hey…" Zavi said calmly, standing beside the stairs as he slowly descended.
Veranica turned her head and stared at him sharply.
The air instantly grew tense. The two locked eyes without saying a word.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Veranica asked in surprise.
"No," Zavi replied briefly. "Is he unconscious? But he isn't injured at all," he added in shock, realizing there were no serious wounds on Ren's body.
Veranica reflexively placed her cold palm against Ren.
"We need to get out of here now," she said with a grave expression.
Zavi simply nodded and followed her lead. After seeing her carry a man while clearly in pain, he knew Veranica was struggling.
He offered to carry Ren, but Veranica firmly refused.
Zavi was surprised. He did not understand what was going through her mind. After that brief exchange, they headed toward the large door ahead.
Footsteps sounded from beyond the door. They both stopped instinctively and exchanged glances. The footsteps grew louder and clearer. Then the door burst open toward them, sending a gust of cold air crashing into their bodies.
Three robed figures stood before them. One of them looked furious, his gaze unconsciously locking onto the woman who had previously restrained him. Rage surged within him, and he nearly lashed out to kill her.
Zavi's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the three robed figures blocking their path.
Veranica immediately sensed their presence. The encounter was sudden and unexpected, and fighting all three would put her at a disadvantage.
Her chest still felt tight, and she also had to protect both Zavi and Ren.
She knew there should have been five robed figures.
"Where are the others?" she wondered, glancing around in confusion.
Sensing danger, Zavi slipped his hand into his coat pocket, gripping his silver revolver tightly, ready to draw it at the right moment.
"Hey… are we going to fight those three?" he asked softly, turning toward Veranica.
Veranica clicked her tongue. "No need. Just get your brother out of here," she said nervously as she slowly lowered Ren's body.
Zavi had no idea what Veranica planned to do next. He hoisted Ren onto his back and moved toward the left side of the hall, following her order to leave the building.
But of course, the robed men would not let anyone who knew of their actions escape. One of them lunged forward with swift movements, drawing a small knife from his sleeve and pointing it ahead.
Zavi's eyes widened. He immediately drew his revolver, aimed it at the charging robed man, and, perhaps out of panic, pulled the trigger on reflex.
Bang!
The bullet tore through the air, striking the man squarely in the shoulder, leaving a small hole as fresh blood burst out.
The small knife flew backward.
"Damn you… are you trying to kill me!" he roared, his pride wounded.
Zavi stared at him with a wicked smile, slipped the revolver back into his pocket, and turned to continue his escape from the building.
On the other side, Veranica and the remaining two robed figures did not attack each other. They simply stared, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Meanwhile, the robed man shot by Zavi chased after him, clutching his left shoulder and enduring the pain spreading through his body.
His legs suddenly trembled, whether from the wound or fear.
He snarled in fury, swearing that if he caught him, he would kill him in unimaginable agony.
Zavi struggled to flee while carrying Ren on his back. His body had reached its limit, and exhaustion slowly took hold.
He had no choice but to defeat the robed man pursuing him.
Ahead, he saw a bright light illuminating a room and continued moving toward it.
"Just a little more…" he whispered.
He entered a room filled with items left behind by its former occupants. A blue and black carpet lay at the center. A pair of sofas stood on the right side with a round table between them.
In one corner stood several wooden cabinets, one with a mirror mounted on its door. Seeing this, Zavi hurried to find a place to hide Ren and chose to place him inside the cabinet.
Zavi turned to the left corner, staring at a row of drawers topped with plates, forks, glass cups, and several rusted knives.
Searching for something useful to defeat the robed figure, a reckless idea flashed through his mind. He stepped forward and grabbed several knives and forks.
Satisfied with his preparations, he turned and hid behind a cabinet near the corridor, waiting for the robed man to pass so he could strike.
"Yes, this is the place." He pressed himself against the wall, concealing his presence and preparing to attack once the robed man came through.
Meanwhile, in the corridor, the robed figure cursed himself, irritation written across his indifferent expression.
He paused to remove the cloth covering part of his face, revealing a serious look. This time, he was determined to catch the one who had shot him, no matter how much his target begged for mercy.
The wound on his shoulder had healed, though the pain still throbbed in his head. He smiled cruelly and continued forward. Soon, he noticed a bright light ahead.
"Light? Oh, right. There's a door there that leads to the basement," he muttered, striding forward.
Moments later, he entered the room and glanced to the right, where a large window with shattered glass stood. He continued inside, searching for Zavi.
"Useless." The thin string binding the trap snapped before the forks and knives could injure him.
"What!?" Zavi gasped in shock as he watched from behind the cabinet.
The robed figure crouched down, picked up two rusted knives, and examined them. After a few seconds, he realized he had seen them before, but where?
He turned toward the left corner and spotted the row of drawers with items left behind by the former owner. Among them were several rusted knives neatly arranged.
He gripped one of the rusted knives tightly and walked toward the drawers. After a few steps, his eyes caught an unexpected sight.
To his left, beside the wardrobe, he saw a familiar face. It was the same boy who had shot him in the shoulder earlier.
Zavi raised his revolver, aiming it at the robed man's head with a cold expression and piercing gaze.
"What!? He was hiding there?" the robed man exclaimed. As he tried to dodge, Zavi fired first.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With the remaining bullets, Zavi inflicted fatal wounds, punching holes through the man's chest and sending one bullet straight into his lung.
"Ugh…" Blood spilled from the robed man's nose and mouth, soaking part of his robe.
"D D Damn… you…" he whispered, struggling to breathe through the pain.
He staggered, blood splashing onto the dirty floor. Zavi stepped out from behind the cabinet and approached, gently pushing his body.
The robed man's eyes widened as he fell backward. "This time… I lost… forgive me, Elfaria."
'Damn it…'
The robed man smiled faintly, his vision blurring as he stared at the ceiling, calmly awaiting the cold death closing in on him.