She had promised—promised to protect Zhou Yinuo and herself. She had sworn to keep them safe for the boys. But now, Zhou Yinuo lay there because of her.
And she was helpless.
The leader turned back toward her, shaking his hand as if flicking away dust. His rage hadn’t cooled—it had only increased, his gaze was filled with hatred and cruelty. His eyes bore into her with contempt.
"You really thought you could change anything?" he sneered. "Pathetic."
His arrogance was unbearable and suffocating for Liora. She found it hard to breathe. She knew he was toying with them and delighting in their helplessness.
And Liora hated it.
Her body ached, her wounds scread, but her mind burned with sothing stronger than pain.
Rage.
A rage to burn this monster into ashes.
The man crouched beside her again, reaching for her once more.
But a shadow moved.
Before the leader could react, a powerful kick struck his ribs with brutal force.
CRACK!
The man’s body flew across the warehouse like a ragdoll. He crashed into the tal shelves, knocking them over. A loud clang resonated inside the warehouse as tools and supplies rained down on him. His body slumped to the ground, motionless.
Unconscious.
Liora’s breath hitched. She turned sharply, while her body tensing.
A man stood before her.
He was tall, dressed in dark clothes, his features hidden by the dim light. His presence was like a storm—silent but suffocating. He exuded an overwhelming sense of strength, the kind that made her instincts scream danger.
Liora narrowed her eyes. "Who—"
The man didn’t answer.
He stepped forward and, with a single movent, cut through the roots that bound her. The vines slithered away, crumbling like dead leaves. Liora gasped as her limbs were freed, but her body was too weak to move just yet.
Before she could react, the man shrugged off his long jacket. He draped it over her shoulders, covering the torn remains of her clothing. His scent lingered in the fabric—clean but unfamiliar.
Then, he leaned down. His voice was low, almost a whisper.
"You are really brave."
Liora froze.
His breath brushed against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. His tone was calm but unreadable. But there was sothing behind those words—sothing that made her heart pound.
She clenched her fists beneath the jacket. She didn’t know who this man was, what he wanted, or why he had saved her.
She forced herself to et his gaze. His eyes, dark and unreadable, studied her with an intensity that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
Then, he smirked.
It wasn’t warm or reassuring. It was the kind of smirk that unsettled her, that made her instincts flare in warning. Like a predator amused by its prey.
Liora’s body tensed.
Before she could say a word, the man stepped back. And then—he was gone, leaving behind only words.
"We will et again, princess."
One mont he was there. The next, only empty space remained.
Liora sucked in a sharp breath. She whipped her head around, searching left and right, but there was nothing. No sound, no movent. It was as if he had never been there at all.
Her fingers clenched around the jacket, her mind replaying his words.
The weight of his words alone was enough to raise goosebumps on Liora’s skin. And what did he an by princess? Liora broke out in a cold sweat.
Who was he? Liora struggled with her thoughts but could not point out any reason that explained his presence. She did not even know anyone here.
"Host... are you alright?" the system’s voice suddenly rang, breaking Liora’s trance.
She stiffened for a mont before lashing out in full force. "Now you have the ti to ask about your host... whether she died or not has nothing to do with you! Where were you when I was almost molested by that monster?
I thought... you cared for and that I could depend on you. But where were you when I needed you most?" Liora scread at him, but her voice later choked up with emotions. She was never a crybaby, but now she wanted to cry so hard and hug soone to vent.
And to tell them, just how wrong had she been? She wanted a shoulder to lean on and to be comforted, to be told that it was alright, that nothing had happened, that it was just a nightmare. She needed to forget.
"Did you hate... hate this much that you did not even respond when I needed you most?" Liora broke down into sobs as she vented her grievances to the system. It was not her fault she was too emotional. She had thought too highly of this system, believing it was the only thing she could rely on in this strange world.
But what happened? It did not even respond when she needed it most.
"Host, I..." The system suddenly found itself at a loss for words. It had never thought that so much had happened when it had suddenly shut down because of that presence.
It was just an AI system, unable to feel emotions, but listening to Liora’s broken cries, it felt sothing it could not describe. It was true that it had never considered Liora very capable, but that did not an it had ever wished for her downfall or any harm to co to her.
But it had to co clean, or the distrust and misunderstanding between host and system would not benefit either of them.
"Host, when the two boys left the supermarket, I suddenly sensed a threatening presence around the system, and all alarms inside the system started warning to hide. I could not do anything to stop it. It was a direct command to shut down and lay hidden, or the chances of my disappearance would have been very strong."
"The presence was an enemy of our system organization. They uninstall and try to destroy every system they encounter. That is why I suddenly disappeared. If that man had sensed , it would have been a complete disaster for both and you."
"We are not strong enough to fight him head-on."
Liora’s hiccups slowly faded as she listened to the system’s lengthy explanation, its reproachful voice, and the helplessness it had faced in that situation.
"Is that the sa man who just saved ?" Liora asked the system, because she had a strong feeling it was him. And she could understand the system’s feelings, as she had felt the sa—her mind had scread danger the mont she laid eyes on him.
"Yes !"
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