The woman lowered her head.
"My friend..."
The words had barely left her mouth before her voice broke.
Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and for a moment, she seemed unable to continue. Her fingers tightened around the blanket resting on her lap while she struggled to steady her breathing.
Seeing her condition, Charlie quietly poured a cup of water and offered it to her.
The woman accepted it with trembling hands. After taking a small sip and calming herself slightly, she finally gathered enough strength to continue.
"My friend bought me time to escape," she said softly, her voice still trembling. "She stayed behind and fought them while I ran."
The tears she had been trying to suppress slowly spilled down her cheeks.
"I didn't want to leave her... but she kept telling me to run."
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
"So I ran."
For a brief moment, the room fell silent except for her uneven breathing.
"I came here after escaping from them. I thought I had finally gotten away." Her voice gradually cracked as she spoke. "But..."
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"They caught me."
The last few words came out as little more than a whisper, carrying a mixture of grief, guilt, and helplessness that needed no further explanation.
As the woman finished speaking, I gradually pieced together the events of the previous night.
The newly appointed professor had been the true target all along. The ambush, the three Moderate-Level Controllers, and everything that followed had been centered around him. After killing him, the attackers had taken the two young women captive and begun transporting them elsewhere.
The women had patiently waited for an opportunity before attempting a desperate escape. When their pursuers eventually caught up to them, one of them had chosen to stay behind and delay the attackers while the other continued running alone. Unfortunately, even that effort had not been enough. The woman sitting before me had ultimately been captured again before I intervened.
The overall sequence of events finally made sense.
Yet despite understanding what had happened, the most important piece of the puzzle was still missing.
What exactly had made that professor worth killing?
Three Moderate-Level Controllers were not individuals that could be mobilized casually. If they had personally participated in the ambush, then whatever they were after had to be valuable enough to justify the risk.
After allowing the woman a few moments to compose herself, I finally voiced the question that had been lingering in my mind from the very beginning.
"Why did they want to kill that professor?"
The woman slowly shook her head.
"I don't know," she said quietly. "They never told us why they wanted him, and most of the time they only spoke among themselves. I couldn't understand much of what was happening."
She lowered her gaze and remained silent for a moment, seemingly trying to recall the events more clearly.
"However, I remember hearing them ask him about something several times."
I looked at her.
"What was it?"
The woman hesitated briefly before answering.
"A serum."
The moment those words left her mouth, my brows furrowed slightly.
"I don't know what it was," she quickly added. "I only heard them mention it while questioning him. After that, everything happened so fast."
I remained silent as I considered her answer.
A serum.
According to her account, the attackers hadn't simply ambushed the professor for revenge or to eliminate him. Their actions suggested a different objective altogether. They had questioned him before killing him and repeatedly asked about the serum, which meant they were searching for something. Whatever it was, it appeared to be important enough for them to organize an ambush involving three Moderate-Level Controllers.
That alone was enough to show how seriously they had taken the matter.
What kind of serum could possibly be important enough to warrant such an ambush? Was it some kind of medicine, a treasure, or something related to cultivation?
Unfortunately, no matter how much I thought about it, there simply wasn't enough information to draw any conclusions.
Judging by her expression, the woman had already told me everything she knew.
After spending some time considering the information she had provided, I asked another question.
"Do you know where they were planning to take you?"
The woman shook her head almost immediately.
"No."
I wasn't particularly surprised by the answer.
Since she no longer appeared to possess any information that could help us, I decided not to continue questioning her.
Instead, I shifted the conversation to a different matter.
"What do you plan to do now?"
The woman fell silent.
Her gaze gradually lowered toward her lap, and for several moments she didn't answer. The grief, exhaustion, and fear that had accumulated throughout the previous night were still visible on her face.
When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet.
"I want to go home."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"I just want to go back home."
There was no hesitation in her answer.
After everything that had happened, it wasn't difficult to understand her answer. Between the attack, the pursuit, and the uncertainty surrounding her friend, she had already been through more than enough. Right now, she simply wanted to return somewhere safe and familiar.
I gave a small nod.
"We'll be heading into the city after some time. If you want, you can come with us."
The woman looked up in surprise.
After everything that had happened, she had likely been worrying about what she would do next or how she would leave on her own. Hearing that she wouldn't have to travel alone seemed to ease some of her concerns.
"You can rest here until we're ready to leave," I continued.
After a brief silence, she lowered her gaze slightly and gave a small nod.
"Thank you."
Her voice was soft and somewhat hoarse, carrying a sincerity that made it clear she genuinely meant those words.
I simply nodded in response.
Some time later, the three of us prepared to leave the inn.
After getting some food and rest, the woman looked considerably better than she had when she first woke up. Although traces of exhaustion were still visible on her face, her complexion had improved, and the fear that had dominated her expression throughout the morning had gradually lessened.
Since there was little reason to remain at the inn any longer, we began making preparations to leave.
Before heading downstairs, I reached into the inner pocket of my shirt and retrieved the face-changing mask.
Without hesitation, I placed it over my face.
The contours of my face subtly shifted. My features gradually changed until the reflection staring back from the nearby window no longer resembled my original appearance. Within moments, my original face disappeared, replaced by the ordinary inn worker identity I had been using.
The entire process lasted only a few seconds.
When I finished adjusting the mask, I noticed the young woman staring at me.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched the transformation unfold before her. Her gaze repeatedly shifted across my face as she tried to reconcile the ordinary inn worker standing before her with the person who had rescued her only hours earlier.
Noticing the surprise written across her face, I spoke before she could ask any questions.
"I have my reasons for concealing my real appearance."
The woman remained silent, her gaze fixed on my face.
"So I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself and didn't mention it to anyone."
My tone remained calm, but there was a seriousness behind the request.
The woman blinked several times before finally nodding her head. Although curiosity still lingered in her eyes, she didn't ask any questions.