## Chapter 206 – Struggling
‘Scarlett will seek out the wraiths to survive.’
She’ll negotiate and try to get help somehow.
All I have to do is follow her around and catch any wraiths I see.
But there was a fatal flaw in this plan.
‘If Scarlett is quick-witted or a loner, there’s a high chance of failure.’
Either she’s too sharp and realizes my plan too late,
or she’s a loner and doesn’t know many wraiths, making the plan ineffective.
Fortunately, however, Scarlett was popular. A social butterfly. Thanks to that, she was able to find the homes of other wraiths just fine.
Thanks to that, my job became that much easier.
***
“Amelia, help me!”
Scarlett shouted at a brown-haired, ponytail-wearing white woman. Amelia, who was just tying up her hair and getting dressed, retorted,
“What’s with barging in and blurting things out of the blue?”
“It’s a disaster. Some monster-like guy showed up and completely wrecked our team. But now he’s after me. Help me right now!”
“Hmm. So, a returnee you don’t know showed up and wrecked your team?”
“That’s right!”
“Scarlett. When did you make enemies behind my back? Ah, after living for so long, it’s more surprising that I don’t know about some of your grudges, isn’t it? But you know, things like that should be resolved individually.”
Amelia said, putting on her long boots and tidying her clothes.
“Matters between returnees should be resolved between the parties involved, that’s the ‘rule,’ right?”
Yes, that was the unspoken rule established among returnees.
Because everyone had lived for so long, their grudges and debts were intricately intertwined.
So, when two returnees fought, it wasn’t just their fight.
They would mobilize all the connections they knew, and inevitably, many returnees would end up shedding blood because of their conflict.
It was a rule established to prevent such accidents.
“I know. I know, but….”
Scarlett rolled her eyes.
It was true that she had done something to incur a grudge, and it was also true that asking Amelia for help violated the rule.
But if things continued as they were, she was sure to suffer something terrible.
The other party had given her a chance to beg for forgiveness, but she had refused and instead stolen his [Space Movement Scroll] and ran away.
‘I’ve already used one scroll.’
If someone stole and used her [Space Movement Scroll]?
Scarlett was willing to catch them and torment and torture them until they died of old age.
It was something she had painstakingly saved up for over decades of hard work.
But she had done that very thing.
‘The die is cast. There’s no turning back now.’
Either the other party dies or she dies, only one of those choices.
That’s why Scarlett started sweet-talking Amelia.
“I’m not just saying this for my own safety. That guy is targeting not only me but all returnees. Our team was attacked out of nowhere.”
Scarlett stirred up a sense of crisis and persuaded Amelia.
“This is a very dangerous situation. So, just help me out once with your ability. Huh? Please.”
But Amelia gave Scarlett a once-over, looking annoyed.
“Ah, what are you even saying? You’ve been rambling since earlier, and I can’t understand a word you’re saying. You said you were in danger, and now you’re saying everyone is in danger.”
“No, what I mean is….”
“Never mind. I have to work now. I have to disguise myself as a general’s wife and assassinate her husband.”
With that, Amelia used her ability. In that instant, Amelia’s face, height, and clothes changed into something completely different.
Scarlett swallowed hard, looking at Amelia, who had become a completely different person.
Amelia.
Age 1,171. Ability: [Transformation].
The owner of a bizarre ability that can flawlessly change race, gender, as well as physique, age, clothes, and accessories.
‘The so-called master of disguise.’
Very few people know her real face.
She sometimes disguises herself as a next-door neighbor, sometimes as a neighborhood friend, a company janitor, or even someone’s husband or wife, enjoying various lives and carrying out cruel deeds as a seasoned actress and assassin.
Her skills are so outstanding and seamless that over 10,000 people didn’t even realize they were being killed by her until the moment they died.
If she were to move, the other party might be easily dealt with as well.
Scarlett clung to Amelia again.
“Please, just help me. Then I’ll help you later too.”
“I told you I’m busy.”
“I’ll help you when you need my [Hypnosis] ability.”
Amelia, who was moving towards the door, stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Scarlett.
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“Haha, I’ve lived long enough to see this. The haughty queen asking for help from a mere actress like me.”
Amelia stared intently at Scarlett’s face. And soon, she smirked.
“Looking at your expression, you seem serious.”
“So, will you help me, Amy?”
Scarlett asked, calling her by her affectionate nickname, and Amelia nodded, raising the corners of her mouth.
“Well, fine. I have to listen to our queen’s request. But three times.”
“What?”
“If you let me use your [Hypnosis] three times, I’ll accept the offer.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened.
“Amy. Do you know how valuable it is for me to move once? Others try to get that one favor….”
“I know. That’s why I have to get three times this opportunity. If you don’t like it, don’t do it. I don’t care.”
Amelia shrugged, and Scarlett clenched her fist and trembled.
“You’re so cheap…!”
She was about to argue when- knock knock. A soft knock echoed.
The two turned their heads towards the front door. Amelia, the homeowner, responded to it.
“Who is it?”
“Hello. I heard that Scarlett is here, so I came to find her.”
“!!”
Scarlett’s eyes widened.
‘H-How?’
How did he know I was here?
No, more than that, didn’t he run out of [Space Movement Scrolls]?
The distance from Saint Petersburg to Florence, Italy, was about 3,000 km.
There was no way he could have come in less than an hour.
‘W-Wait, that’s not important right now.’
Scarlett quickly turned her body.
“Let’s run.”
“?”
“It’s him. The monster I told you about! Let’s get out of here!”
Scarlett looked for the back door and rushed towards it.
But Amelia grabbed her wrist. She grabbed Scarlett, who was running away, and held on.
“Amelia, what are you doing?! Let’s run away right now!”
“You haven’t answered my question yet.”
“What?”
“Hypnosis three times. Are you going to trade or not?”
“Let’s talk while running away! We have to get out of here right now!”
Then Amelia shrugged with a relaxed expression.
“Why would I?”
“What do you mean, why?”
“You’re the one that guy is after, not me, right?”
“!!”
“If you don’t agree to the deal, I don’t see any reason for me to run away with you.”
Scarlett gritted her teeth.
What she said wasn’t wrong. She was the one who had incurred the grudge, not Amelia.
She had lied earlier in case something like this happened, but Amelia, with her 700 years of acting experience, had quickly seen through the lie.
Amelia smiled brightly and asked again.
“So, what are you going to do? Which way will our queen choose?”
Scarlett, sensing that this wasn’t a situation where she could afford to negotiate, nodded.
“…Okay. I’ll grant you three times.”
“Heh. Good choice. Then follow me.”
Amelia took the lead. As soon as they stepped out the back door, crash! The sound of the front door breaking echoed.
“Oh, look at that bastard. He’s really hot-tempered, isn’t he? If I catch him, I’ll beat him to a pulp and then extort him 10,000 times over.”
“So, where are we going?”
“Just follow me. I’ll hunt him down on the best stage.”
They left the alley and ran down the street to a wide square.
Piazza della Signoria in Italy.
Amelia pushed Scarlett and said,
“Our queen, stand by this fountain. Stand by the fountain, and when that guy appears, turn around and run away.”
“You want me to attract attention?”
“Exactly. Then I’ll take care of everything.”
Nod.
“He’s here.”
Seeing Jung Woo-jin entering the square, the two scattered. Amelia’s figure disappeared into the crowd, fading away.
The two moved according to plan.
Scarlett turned around, saw Jung Woo-jin chasing after her, and ran in the opposite direction, while Amelia, disguised as an ordinary tourist, approached Jung Woo-jin.
Step. Step.
The distance between Jung Woo-jin and Scarlett quickly narrowed, and the distance between Amelia and Jung Woo-jin became even closer.
Soon, Jung Woo-jin and Amelia passed each other.
Smirk.
And at that moment, Amelia raised a blue dagger from her chest and turned towards Jung Woo-jin’s back.
The movement, without any unnecessary frills, was so fluid and natural that it felt like a gentle breeze.
Swoosh.
The blade flew quickly towards his neck.
‘This is the end.’
Amelia, confident of success, wore an even deeper smile. However-
“Cough?!”
Suddenly, Jung Woo-jin’s shoulder twitched, and he reached out and accurately grabbed the neck of Amelia, who was ambushing him from behind.
“H-How?”
“I have a bit of a knack for sensing danger.”
“Th-This.”
Amelia’s blade moved sharply. The blade stabbed the man’s arm 13 times in an instant.
It was an attack that targeted only the painful areas in less than 5 seconds.
‘First, give pain to his arm to loosen his grip, then escape….’
But the arm didn’t budge.
‘Huh?’
His grip didn’t loosen, and not a single drop of blood came out.
‘Th-That’s not right? Then…!’
Swish, swish, swish!
Amelia swung her dagger again.
This time, the blade quickly struck Jung Woo-jin’s head, behind his ears, neck, under his chin, and other vital areas.
“…….”
Yet Jung Woo-jin didn’t move.
The well-honed blade couldn’t penetrate Jung Woo-jin’s skin at all.
Amelia’s face turned pale.
‘W-What is this? What the hell is this guy?’
She had never seen such a person before. She definitely hadn’t seen him use an ability….
Could it be a passive ability?
An effect that is always active?
No, even if that were the case, she should have seen ‘some kind of flow’ on his skin….
At that moment, Amelia made eye contact with Jung Woo-jin.
Flinch.
A jet-black darkness was swimming within them.
A silent darkness reminiscent of the abyss. The moment she met those empty eyes, Amelia began to tremble.
-Some monster-like guy showed up and completely wrecked our team!
Now she felt like she could understand the meaning of those words.
This guy was a monster.
He had the same eyes as the psychos who treated people like objects and massacred them during World War I and II.
She was momentarily frightened by it, but Amelia quickly regained her senses, feeling her body stiffen as a result.
If she gave up here, it would really be the end.
“D-Die!”
Amelia gripped the dagger tightly and aimed for Jung Woo-jin’s eyes, the last weakness that might work.
But at that moment, Jung Woo-jin put even more strength into his grip.
“Cough.”
Amelia dropped her dagger at the strong pressure constricting her neck and grabbed Woo-jin’s grip with both hands.
‘W-What kind of strength?!’
She tried to break free somehow, but it didn’t budge, no matter how strong she was.
Amelia struggled. She couldn’t breathe and thrashed about.
People around her screamed and ran away at the sight, while others thought it was only natural.
“Pl-Please help….”
Amelia waved her hands at the people, asking for help, but no one came forward.
Rather, they took two or three steps back.
They had seen Amelia wielding a knife, so they thought Jung Woo-jin’s actions were justified.
“Cough. Cough. Cough. Forgive me…. If you spare me, I’ll do anything….”
Crack.
“Pl-Please….”
Struggling.
“Hic. Heuk….”
Eventually, Amelia trembled and her body slumped down.
Yellow liquid streamed down between Amelia’s legs.
And Scarlett, who had watched the whole scene from beginning to end, fell backward.
‘N-No way. Amelia, who is considered the best assassin among the returnees, was taken down so easily…?’
Jung Woo-jin, who had subdued Amelia, turned his head and looked at Scarlett.
Step. Step.
Jung Woo-jin abandoned Amelia on the floor and moved his feet.
“!!”
Seeing that, Scarlett immediately used a [Space Movement Scroll] and fled.
“…….”
Jung Woo-jin stared blankly at the place where Scarlett had disappeared, then grabbed the hair of Amelia, who was lying on the floor, twitching and still peeing.
Then he dragged her somewhere.
‘One down for now.’
