Come morning, Lucien's sleep was brutally severed as he felt his back scraping against stony ground—he was being dragged.

He cracked his eyes open, squinting against the blinding rays filtering through the forest canopy.

Life was utterly unfair. What was he supposed to do? Murdered in real life, then kidnapped in-game. Couldn't he just game in peace?

'I should write a book about my life saga and call it "Let Me Game in Peace." That'd be peak! I wonder if I have any writing talent.'

Lucien continued pondering more trivial and absurd things he'd never had time to consider as the woman dragged him along.

Yesterday's terrain had been smooth, but now the ground was jagged and littered with countless small plants of different varieties. Many clawed at him and his fabric, yet the hanfu tunic—though thin—proved as resilient as Lucien's bones. Both were apparently cut from the same cloth. Or in this case, the same bone!

'It was crafted from the woods after all, and the woods sprouted from his corpse. Wonder who managed to transform that hard wood into such thin, soft linen. Hmm, skilled craftsmen really do exist.'

[Mana Sense has detected movement that shouldn't be detectable]

At that instant, Lucien felt it too. The movement was feather-light yet racing toward them. It had been approaching for some time—he'd only sensed it within his mana range.

He frowned and spoke for the first time since awakening.

"Hey, miss…"

The woman clicked her tongue in irritation and muttered.

"I forgot to gag him."

"Listen…"

Lucien's frown deepened.

"We're being followed."

The woman halted, whirled around, and glared at Lucien furiously.

"If we were being followed, I'd have detected it faster than a noob like you."

Lucien smirked.

"So the fact that you haven't noticed suggests your incompetence?"

She snarled at him.

"You're just trying to deceive me with your cunning lies!"

Lucien sighed and gazed ahead, toward where they had come from.

"Either start running or prepare to fight. I sense they're quite powerful."

'Though I don't feel any killing intent.'

Lucien hoped the girl would listen and choose quickly. Naturally, he expected she wouldn't.

She approached him and gagged his mouth instead.

Then she resumed dragging him.

They'd barely traveled five meters when her eyes suddenly flashed. Her reaction came too late.

She never saw it coming—only knew that something powerful slammed into her side and sent her hurtling into the woods. She crushed and shredded a young tree beside the path before her back smashed against a massive trunk, and she crumpled to the ground.

Lucien, mouth bound, froze. His eyes widened.

'That must've been one hell of a strike!'

Yet he noticed something else. He hadn't been flung away. The woman had instantly released her grip on the chain to prevent him from flying with her—or so he assumed.

The attacker stood ahead. Lucien had to twist around and struggle to his feet, studying the man with a tense grimace.

The stranger possessed silver hair that cascaded neatly to mid-back. His skin was pale, his face appearing late-forties, and he stared at the hand he'd used to strike the girl with visible disgust. His layered robes flowed softly in the forest's gentle breeze.

Finally, he tore his gaze from his fist and looked at Lucien, who was attempting to appraise him.

[Error]

[Error]

[Target level too high]

Lucien frowned in mild annoyance.

'This again…'

The man regarded Lucien with sorrowful eyes. The moment stretched in awkward silence as he continued staring.

Then he slowly raised his finger. But before it pointed completely upward—

Someone rolled in like a whirlwind of steel.

The man reacted—apparently late—raising his hand. The flurry of strikes blurred together, unleashed in rapid succession, but the man's hands moved just as swiftly.

His wide sleeves flowed like the breeze itself as his hands became a blur.

The woman eventually landed but immediately leaped back to Lucien's front.

She wielded a long sword and round shield. She placed the blade against the shield's rim and slid it forward, producing a screech as she lowered her stance.

A helmet with wing-like ear guards materialized on her head, its white plume flowing like tattered silk.

Lucien had to admit—she looked formidable. Her eyes were utterly focused on annihilating her enemy.

The aura around her suddenly surged, making the air frigid and oppressive. Lucien felt it in his soul's depths—this woman was powerful. He thanked himself for not challenging her earlier. Actually, he thanked the chains for not breaking, or he would've discovered just how strong she was in the worst possible way.

But this way was far better. Lucien studied the calm, indifferent man carefully. Despite the white aura emanating and swirling around the girl, making the air suffocating, the man remained utterly unmoved.

He didn't acknowledge the enemy before him with even a glance. Instead, he appeared despondent—profoundly so.

Finally, he sighed and seemed to console himself somehow. After that exhale, his expression visibly brightened.

"You, child—you managed to deflect my strike with your arms at the last second. That was quick-witted."

Lucien had expected the man to sound like some deranged sadist, but surprisingly, his voice was rich and sonorous, brimming with vitality.

The girl hesitated.

"T—Thank you."

He smiled warmly.

"What's your name?"

Her eyes glittered with white radiance through her Y-shaped visor.

"Lucreatia Eki."

The man nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmm, an unusual name... you must be one of those otherworlders."

He chuckled briefly, then regarded her with that lingering smile.

"Lucreatia Eki, I am Long Xieren. In my era, people knew me as the Dragon of the East."

The moment he spoke that title, her eyes widened. Oblivious to her reaction, he continued.

"I have no quarrel with you. Though I find your combat intriguing, it's far too inferior to warrant my attention. I have but one mission here..."

His gaze shifted beyond her.

She glanced back at Lucien, realization dawning. Lucien understood in that same instant.

'What the hell? Why would he be after me?!'

Lucreatia stared at the man with iron resolve.

"You must be his accomplice then. I'm sorry, but if you want him, you'll have to go through me."

Lucien's face went pale with shock.

'What?'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.