Stranger: Back Home

As Areum ran, thoughts raced through her mind. "Big Sis, what happened?" she wondered.

"Usually, you can sense them trailing me from miles away. Did something happen to you?" She felt a surge of concern as she tried to make sense of the strange silence.

After a pause, Renhuang finally replied, "It's not like that. You've been relying on me a bit too much, Areum. I thought it might be good for you to stay alert on your own."

"Come on, Sis! You'll always be with me, right? With you here, why would I need to... wait a second... Areum's voice deepened, her concern palpable. "Sis, what's going on? This isn't you. It feels like... you're preparing me for something or hiding something. You never pause when you talk"

Renhuang stayed silent, and in that stillness, Areum felt her fears deepen. "Big Sis… let's get out of here," she whispered, trying to keep calm. "We need to talk, properly."

Renhuang sighed, her hesitation barely hidden. She didn't want to reveal her burden, but as Areum pressed on, Renhuang realised it might be time.

Even if Areum wouldn't want to hear it, maybe she needed to know.

Areum sprinted into the forest canopy

The forest was drenched in darkness, shadows swallowing the path ahead. Despite that, her senses flared to life, each rustle and whisper of wind intensifying her awareness.

Somewhere behind her, she could hear the low, relentless sound of the shadow hunter drawing closer.

Agent M and his team surged forward, their movements frantic, eyes sharp with frustration and barely masked panic. Watching her sprint ahead, Agent M shouted, "What the hell was that? Where did that smoke come from?"

One of the agents yelled back, "Sir, I remember seeing it in ancient records—a smoke bomb. They were banned centuries ago because of their toxic chemicals."

"Centuries ago.. where the hell did she learn that form?" Realising the cause of the chaos, Agent M barked orders, "All units, split into groups of four, in ten squads. Cover a wider area. If you spot her, signal immediately. If anything seems off, signal right away. Got it?"

The agents responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Agent M continued, "And remember, she's dangerous. She's been evading us for 20 years, picking up tricks and taking down many of our own. Do not engage her directly."

"Now, disperse!" he commanded.

At his word, the agents broke into groups, fanning out to encircle her path.

As Aerum sprinted through the dense forest, the sound of agents closing in echoed behind her. She forced herself to stay calm and whispered to Renhuang, "Big sister, where are they now?"

Renhuang's voice resonated through the turmoil, a calm anchor against the storm of Areum's racing thoughts. "They're in a V-formation. Five groups of four on the left, five groups of four on the right, and one in the center. That makes a total of 44 people."

Aerum's eyes widened in disbelief. "Forty-four? All of that for one person?"

"Yes," Renhuang confirmed. "They're serious about killing you."

A spark of fierce determination flashed in Aerum's eyes. Her fear hardened into defiance. "We'll see who ends up dead."

Renhuang's voice continued, offering vital details. "The leaders of each group have cultivated shadow techniques, which means 11 of them are more dangerous. Among those, only Agent M has reached a high level of mastery. The others are just beginners."

Aerum took a sharp breath. She knew what that meant. "Beginners… so their fusion of yin energy with their bodies will be weak?"

"Exactly," Renhuang said. "If we destroy the core in their hearts, it will cause the energy to erupt and kill them. But Agent M is different. His fusion, though incomplete, allows the core to shift inside him, making it harder to target."

Aerum's pulse quickened, but she forced herself to stay focused. "So, what's the plan?"

Within the depths of Areum's soul, Renhuang's soul, fractured and weakened, watched a screen formed from her energy. The screen revealed the agents in pursuit, moving in a precise V-shaped formation. After assessing their movements, Renhuang spoke, her voice calm but focused.

"Right now, it looks like the only escape route is forward, but that's a trap," she said. "There are too many risks if we try to break away in any direction. Fighting them head-on isn't an option either; their numbers are overwhelming. We need to thin their ranks first."

Renhuang's eyes narrowed as she studied the formation. "Attacking from behind is out of the question—you'd be surrounded in an instant. Striking one side alone is risky because if they shift their formation from a V-shape to a claw-like formation, they'll encircle us and delay until reinforcements close in."

Her eyes narrowed with a steely resolve, the weight of their situation reflected in her gaze. "Our best option is to rush diagonally at one side and aim for the tail end of the V. Take out two or three groups quickly. That will weaken their formation, leaving only a few to handle on that side."

She paused, letting the strategy sink in. "Once we take out that part, the rest of the agents from the center and opposite side will converge. At that point, we'll be surrounded, so you'll need to enter a state of hyper focus. One mistake could be fatal."

Areum's brow furrowed with concern. "But what about Agent M? He'll be there, won't he? It'll be harder to fight with him around."

Renhuang's expression softened, though her eyes still held a glint of determination. "He won't make the first move. After what happened last time, he'll be cautious, waiting for us to show weakness. We'll have to adapt and react in the moment. Trust me."

Aerum's heart hammered against her chest, but she clenched her jaw, forcing her focus to hold.

With a determined look in her eyes, Aerum set to work on her plan. First, she reached into her bag and retrieved her pair of unique guns.

The first was known as the Angel Gun, named for its white body adorned with black and gold markings.

The second, its dark counterpart, was called the Devil Gun, black with contrasting white and gold formations etched across its surface.

Each gun was meticulously crafted, bearing intricate formations that granted them special abilities.

The spiritual bullet formation absorbed energy from the environment to condense spiritual bullets, ready for battle.

The recoil nullification formation ensured seamless handling, absorbing the kickback to let Areum fire with flawless precision from any stance.

There was also the self-repair formation, enabling the guns to mend themselves using ambient spiritual energy.

Lastly, the transformation formation allowed spiritual bullets to shift into elemental forms, adapting to different combat needs. These were just a few of the enhancements embedded in her weapons.

After securing the guns, Aerum reached for the straps stored in the bag. She wrapped them snugly around her thighs and arms, each strap fitted to hold small blades within easy reach.

Once everything was fastened and double-checked, Aerum took a steady breath. Satisfied that she was prepared, she moved to the left side of the formation, knowing the proximity to the wolf region would help reduce the pressure she was about to face.

After running for a few minutes, Aerum reached the group of agents. As she approached the fourth unit on the left side of their formation, they noticed her and signaled the other groups to surround her.

Aerum's eyes narrowed as she spoke softly, " Big sis, spiritual eye, please."

Renhuang's power surged through her, channeling from the pineal gland to her eyes, which glowed an ominous red. The moment her eyes ignited, the world shifted. Movements slowed, every subtle detail sharpened. She could see every muscle twitch, every breath, and could predict their next steps before they made them.

Ahead of her stood four figures—a leader at the center, flanked by three subordinates. The leader's eyes locked on hers, and with a sharp command, he barked, "Prepare yourselves!" 

The subordinates responded instantly, stepping forward in unison. Their blades gleamed in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. Without hesitation, they hurled their weapons at her with deadly precision.

Aerum's eyes tracked the micro-movements: the tightening of their muscles, the rotation of their hips, the fierce determination in their gaze. Time seemed to stretch, every detail unfolding frame by frame. She bent backward, narrowly avoiding the first blade as it whooshed past her ear. Twisting her body, she sidestepped the second, then spun to dodge the third.

"Now," she whispered, drawing her angle-devil gun. A sharp crack split the air as she fired three shots in quick succession. The bullets sliced through the wind, finding their targets with lethal accuracy. A sickening thud followed as each bullet hit dead center on the chests of the subordinates. Their eyes widened in shock before they crumpled to the ground.

The leader's expression shifted to panic. With a flick of his wrist, he activated his shadow technique and dissolved into darkness, vanishing from sight. A chill ran down Aerum's spine as she felt the shift in the air, the rustle of leaves as the leader's presence moved like a ghost behind her.

But Aerum's glowing eyes followed his every step. He moved through the shadows cast by the trees, the dry leaves on the ground whispering under an invisible weight. Just as he lunged from behind, ready to drive a dagger into her spine, she reacted.

With a powerful backflip, she launched herself into the air. "Too slow," she muttered. Before he could register her move, she activated a transformation formation, infusing her spiritual bullets with fire energy. Twin blasts erupted from her guns. The first bullet drilled through his chest, colliding with the core near his heart. The core resisted, pulsing with dark energy, but fire—fire was the bane of shadow and yin energy.

The collision sparked a violent reaction, the core quaking as it fought the invading force. The second bullet arrived a split second later, amplifying the fire's power. The combined flames engulfed the core, burning it from the inside out.

The leader's eyes widened in disbelief. His mouth opened as if to curse her, but before a word could escape, his body imploded, releasing a burst of raw energy. Blood sprayed across the forest floor, painting the ground in deep crimson.

Aerum landed gracefully, the echo of gunfire still vibrating in her bones. She took a moment to breathe, her gaze shifting to the remaining groups advancing toward her. With a smirk, she whispered, "Who's next?"

Author:

Hey everyone,

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The next chapter will be published on 24-11-2024.

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