Bang!

  The bullet shot out from the barrel of the pistol at high speed, piercing through the pillar in front of him and racing 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.

  Thud!!

  The woman coughed violently, her chest heaving with every breath. She tried to stand and run as far away as possible from the robed man.

  However, her body was too weak to withstand the pain from the choking. She suddenly collapsed, her vision slowly fading.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Without a single pause.

  Three bullets pierced the robed man's chest, leaving small holes as fresh blood flowed, soaking his robe.

  As if that were not enough, the bullets that had penetrated his body ricocheted back, striking his left and center chest once more. The bullets shot backward and returned into the pistol's magazine, as if Ren had never fired at all.

  "Ugh…" Blood seeped from behind the cloth covering part of his face. "Damn you!" The robed man knelt on one knee, one hand supporting his body while the other pressed against his chest, trying to endure the pain gnawing through him.

  Ren stepped out from his hiding place, took a lighter from his pocket, and ignited it. He walked toward the robed man and aimed the pistol directly at his head.

  "Tsk… This time I lost," the robed man said in resignation, smiling as he glanced toward his companion's corpse lying in front of the iron door.

  Without hesitation, Ren pulled the trigger.

  Bang! Bang!

  Each bullet struck his head and heart. His body stiffened as a cold sensation spread across his skin, then he collapsed onto the floor.

  Blood flowed from the bullet wounds, forming a small pool around his body.

  Ren cast a sharp glance at the corpse before staggering toward the woman lying on his left.

  "Hey, wake up. Do you want to sleep here?" he said weakly, lightly patting her shoulder.

  "Uh…" Her eyes slowly opened. "Where am I? My head hurts so much." She winced, trying to endure the throbbing pain in her head.

  The woman was named Veranica Holdun, one of Ren's associates. She was a wielder of a supernatural ability, Prefence, operating under the authority of the Morotuane Church in Moran as a scout monitoring dangerous activities.

  Both of them were known as Receivers, humans who receive and master one of the fifteen abilities that exist in this world.

  Receivers, Transmitter, first level Controller, possessing a special ability that allowed him to see in the dark, specialize in interference, and exert strong attraction toward objects he touched, such as the pistol he used to kill the two robed guards earlier.

  After a bullet was fired from the pistol at high speed, he could create natural compression that allowed it to penetrate any object while preventing enemies from detecting the source of the shot, an unseen suppressor.

  The shooting distance could be adjusted at will. If he desired, he could even erase spirits and souls down to a fundamental level using his pistol with the help of a small purplish black sphere.

  However, he did not do so because it would drastically drain his energy and render him unconscious for a full day.

  He had used that purplish black sphere once before, when he and Liam encountered a group of wandering spirits on their way to this mansion.

  At that time, he had no choice upon seeing his younger brother's life in danger, leaving him with no option but to use it. Since then, throughout the battle, Ren had done everything possible to avoid fainting.

  When the moment finally arrived, he could no longer bear the burden. A cold sensation crept and pierced through his fingertips, spreading throughout his body, then rendered him unconscious.

  Veranica was startled, her chest still tight as confusion enveloped her. She reached out, crawling toward Ren.

  Her attempt to wake him failed. She slowly stood and checked his heartbeat to ensure it was still beating.

  "Thank goodness," she murmured in relief, looking around.

  Veranica tried to lift Ren's body. Though heavy,

  She supported Ren over her shoulder and walked slowly toward the iron door on the right side of the room. Her cold hand turned the handle and pulled it open.

  The creaking of old hinges mixed with the scraping of rusted metal echoed painfully in her ears, creating an unpleasant ringing in her head.

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  Veranica shook her head, trying to dispel the sound. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

  More than that, her ability to hold back five robed figures would not last long, especially since among them were a Hollow and several Receivers.

  Veranica shook her head again to drive away the lingering influence of the sound. Her body trembled slightly, and the urge to flee this place grew stronger.

  ...

  Meanwhile, Liam managed to bring six people, including his mother, to safety by blending in with several people who were watching the overgrown mansion.

  Worried about Ren's condition, Liam decided to return to the building to search for 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 being saved earlier, so she nodded in agreement.

  Liam smiled, turned around, and ran back toward the building. But after entering through the path he had used earlier, the corridor was dark.

  He followed the path and arrived, staring at the shadow covered room, surprised that he no longer heard gunshots. He jumped 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, Liam accidentally stepped on the body of someone wearing a robe.

  He reflexively jumped back two steps, narrowing his eyes to see what was in front of him. His eyes widened in shock. He could not believe Ren had killed those two without the slightest hesitation.

  Sensing something was wrong, he ran toward the wide open door. As he was about to exit the room, he stopped again, startled to see another robed corpse lying on his left.

  Unconsciously he swallowed and continued forward, walking along the corridor dimly lit by moonlight through large windows and vents.

  'That person seems to have a unique ability.' Liam nodded as he thought in admiration.

  A few seconds later, he saw two paths ahead, one straight and one turning right. While running and thinking, he chose to turn right.

  As he turned, he saw stairs in the distance. When he reached them and was about to descend, he froze in shock upon seeing a woman he recognized carrying Ren over her shoulder.

  "Hey," he said calmly, standing beside the stairs as he slowly descended.

  Veranica turned and stared at him sharply.

  The air instantly grew tense as if reacting to the two of them locking eyes without a word.

  "Why are you looking at me like that?" Veranica asked in confusion.

  "No," Liam answered briefly. "Did he faint? But he's not injured at all, isn't that strange?" he added in surprise, realizing there were no serious wounds on Ren's body.

  Veranica reflexively placed her cold palm on Ren's body.

  "We need to get out of here now," she said with a serious expression.

  Liam simply nodded and followed her lead. After seeing her carry a man clearly in pain, he knew Veranica was struggling.

  He offered to carry Ren, but Veranica firmly refused.

  Liam was surprised. He did not understand what was on her mind. After that brief exchange, they headed toward the large door ahead.

  The sound of footsteps echoed from behind the door. They both stopped reflexively and exchanged glances. The steps grew clearer and louder with each passing second.

  Then the door burst open toward them, a gust of cold wind striking their faces for a moment.

  Three robed figures stood before them. One of them appeared furious, his gaze unconsciously locking onto the woman who had previously restrained him. Rage swelled within him, nearly driving him to attack and kill her immediately.

  Zavi's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open as he stared at the three robed figures blocking their path.

  Veranica felt fear as she looked at them. This encounter was sudden and unexpected, and fighting all three at once would put her at a disadvantage.

  Her chest still felt tight, and she also had to protect Liam and Ren.

  She knew there were supposed to be five robed figures.

  'Where are the others?' she thought, glancing around in confusion.

  Realizing the danger, Liam slipped his hand behind his coat, gripping his silver revolver tightly, ready to draw it at the right moment.

  "Hey… you're not thinking of fighting those three alone, are you?" he asked softly, glancing sideways.

  Veranica clicked her tongue softly. "Maybe," she whispered. "Just take your brother out of here," she said nervously while slowly lowering Ren's body.

  Liam did not know what Veranica was thinking at this moment. He lifted Ren onto his back and moved to the left side of the room, following her order to leave the mansion.

  But of course, one of the robed men would not allow anyone who knew their actions to escape so easily. One of them let out a low sigh before lunging forward with swift movement, pulling a small knife from his sleeve and thrusting it ahead.

  Liam's eyes widened. He immediately drew his revolver, aimed at the robed man charging at him, and perhaps out of panic, he pulled the trigger reflexively.

  Bang!

  The bullet shot through the air, striking directly into the robed man's shoulder, leaving a small hole and a spray of blood followed by a piercing scream.

  The small knife flew backward.

  "Damn… are you trying to kill me!" the robed man sneered inwardly, hiding it from them all.

  Liam stared at him sharply, slipped the revolver back into his pocket, then turned and continued running out of the mansion.

  On the other side, Veranica and the two remaining robed figures did not immediately attack. They merely stared at one another, waiting for the right moment to move.

  Meanwhile, the robed man who had been shot was still chasing Liam, clutching his left shoulder and enduring the pain spreading through his body.

  His legs suddenly trembled, whether from the wound or fear.

  He growled in anger, swearing that if he managed to catch him, he would kill him with unimaginable suffering or perhaps the opposite.

  Liam struggled to move his legs quickly even while carrying Ren on his back. His body had reached its limit, and exhaustion slowly overtook him.

  He had no choice but to defeat the robed man chasing him first.

  Ahead, he saw a fairly bright light illuminating a room and continued moving toward it.

  "There it is..." he whispered.

  He entered a room filled with belongings left by its former occupants. A blue and black carpet stretched across the center. A pair of dusty sofas stood on the right side with a round table between them.

  On his left, against the cracked wall ahead, stood several unique cabinets containing household items such as plates, forks, and other kitchen utensils, one of them equipped with a mirror attached to its door. Seeing that, Liam quickly searched for a place to hide Ren and chose to place him inside the cabinet.

  Liam's gaze swept around, staring at a row of drawers containing several rusted knives neatly stored behind cracked glass.

  Searching for something that could be used to defeat the robed man, a reckless idea crossed his mind. He stepped forward and took several knives and forks.

  Feeling his preparation was sufficient, he turned and hid behind a pillar near the corridor, waiting for the robed man to pass so he could attack.

  "Yes, maybe I can do this." He pressed his body against the cold pillar, concealing his presence and preparing to strike the moment the man entered.

  Meanwhile in the corridor, the robed man cursed himself, irritation clearly visible on his otherwise composed face.

  He stopped, removed the cloth covering part of his face, revealing a serious expression.

  'I'm coming.' thought the robed man.

  The wound on his shoulder had healed, though the pain still throbbed in his head, he continued walking. Soon, he saw faint light not far from where he walked.

  "Oh, right. There's a door there leading to the basement," he muttered as he stepped forward.

  Moments later, he entered the room and glanced to the right, toward the large window with shattered glass. He continued inside, trying to find Liam because he knew this room was directly connected to the basement and the family room.

  But as his gaze swept around.

  A thin thread, strong enough to hold a flying knife tied to the chandelier above the room, was meant to strike directly into the robed man's body.

  "Useless." The thin thread binding the trap snapped before the knife could wound him.

  His mouth opened slightly as he observed the robed man's swift movement and sharp instincts.

  'Not bad. But can you dodge a bullet?' Liam thought as he took out Ren's pistol.

  The robed man crouched, picking up two rusted knives, examining them carefully. A few seconds later, he felt he had seen them before, but where?

  He turned toward the left corner and saw a row of drawers filled with belongings of the former owner. Among them were several neatly arranged rusted knives.

  He gripped one of the rusted knives tightly and walked toward the drawers. After a few steps, his eyes caught something unexpected.

  On the left, near the wardrobe, he saw a familiar face. An unconscious man carried by the one who shot him, leaning inside the cabinet.

  The man smiled before saying in a voice barely audible, "So they're here after all."

  Liam, peeking from behind the pillar, was shocked when the robed man had discovered Ren's location, prompting him to quickly raise his pistol and aim at the robed man with a cold expression and sharp gaze.

  Bang!

  "What!? He was hiding there?" the robed man shouted, his lips trembling as he noticed Liam stepping out from behind the pillar.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  With the remaining bullets, Liam fatally wounded him, piercing his chest and sending one bullet directly into his lung.

  "Ugh…" Blood poured from the man's nose, followed by blood spilling from his mouth and soaking the robe on his chest.

  "Y-you… who are you really?" he whispered, struggling to speak in his final moments.

  'Huh? I'm Liam Tirarty? Or Zavi Actitus?' Liam was startled after hearing it, before smiling to himself.

  He staggered, blood splattering onto the dirty floor. Liam stepped closer to him, each step carrying a feeling he could not explain as he aimed the pistol at the helpless robed man.

  The robed man's eyes widened as he fell onto his back, staring faintly at Liam's face for the last time. "This time… I lost… forgive me." He smiled one last time before his consciousness completely faded.

  'Damn…' Liam complained inwardly, witnessing yet another corpse before him.