After running through the dense forest until his legs were aching, Evan finally slowed his pace. His chest heaved heavily, his ragged breathing echoing through the silence of the forest.
His mind boiled with burning anger. The sting of betrayal from the woman he had just saved still burned fiercely.
"Again... and again..." Evan cursed as he held his knees, staring at the wet ground with reddened eyes. "My good intentions always end with a dagger aimed at my own throat!"
Evan roughly wiped his face, casting a desperate look toward the sky.
"To hell with this! From today onward, I won’t give a damn about anyone else’s fate ever again! There’s no point in being a good person in this rotten world! Besides... I’m a criminal! A street con artist! What’s the point of pretending to be some ridiculous hero?!"
Overcome with emotion, Evan kicked a pebble near his foot as hard as he could—
TAK! BUK!
The stone bounced hard off the pine tree in front of him, flew back, and struck Evan squarely in the middle of the forehead!
"OW! BASTARD!"
Evan groaned in pain, clutching his forehead, which instantly turned red. That ridiculous stroke of bad luck only made his anger flare up even more.
"What the hell is wrong with my life, huh?! What kind of damn curse is attached to my body?!" Evan shouted in frustration.
He clenched his fists tightly and raised them into the air. "Enough! From now on, I’m going to seriously become a master con artist! No more useless guilt holding me back! I’ll amass as many gold coins as I can, build a magnificent mansion, buy myself a noble title, and live comfortably until I die! Yes... I have to become filthy rich and live a peaceful life!"
He breathed heavily, his eyes filled with cold determination.
"People like those Holy Knights... witches... they can survive so easily because they possess insane combat power. And me? I don’t have magic, I don’t have a legendary sword, and bad luck is always chasing me! All I can do is use every means possible just to keep breathing!"
As he walked forward, Evan’s criminal mind began dissecting all the strange events that had happened since he met Anna.
"I... actually don’t know that woman at all," Evan muttered softly, narrowing his eyes. "What’s going on inside her head? What is her true goal?"
One by one, the pieces of the puzzle began coming together in his mind.
"She possesses catastrophic-level magic... yet because of some ’side effect,’ she suddenly becomes sick and acts helpless and gentle in front of me? Then, during the battle at the village... why did she deliberately disappear in another direction? So the village women could be slaughtered? So Evelyn would attack me and I’d realize just how helpless I am without her?!"
Evan let out a bitter laugh, clutching his suddenly throbbing temple.
"Tch... That crazy yandere woman played me like a fool! In fictional books, women with the yandere type might look cute and seem devoted... But in the real world?! A yandere woman is just a selfish, obsessive person who won’t hesitate to hurt or manipulate her partner to satisfy her desire to possess them completely! Anna is no different. She enjoys seeing me frustrated and begging her!"
Evan clenched his palm until his nails turned white. "She’s lived for hundreds of years. Even the claim that she’s 200 years old might not be true... Who knows what other lies she’s hiding?"
Evan’s gaze became extremely serious and sharp. "If I want to survive her grasp, I have to uncover the truth about who Anna really is... unravel the mysteries of this world... and become incredibly strong. Only then will I be able to survive."
Evan stopped beneath the shade of a massive oak tree. From beneath his slightly torn robe, he pulled out a worn piece of parchment. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Evan spread the map across a flat stone, studying the divisions of the world:
Central Region: The heartland of the Empire. The influence of the Church and the Holy Knight Order is overwhelmingly dominant here.
Eastern Region: Filled with small kingdoms and independent factions, though they still formally bow to the Empire.
Western Frontier: The furthest and wildest region. Far beyond the reach of Imperial law, it is filled with rebellious kingdoms, independent factions, mercenaries, and the law of the jungle.
"The Central Region is already far too dangerous for me because of that Holy Knight," Evan whispered as he pointed toward the frontier on his map. "My final destination is clear... I have to go to the Western Frontier, no matter what!"
Days passed. Evan traveled alone on foot across hills and dense wilderness.
Several times, he encountered packs of forest wolves and furry bears. However, thanks to his survival knowledge, honed through years of living on the harsh streets, he managed to escape using herbal poison, rope traps, and scent camouflage.
"Dealing with ordinary wild animals... is much better than encountering magical monsters or crazy witches," Evan muttered between ragged breaths.
His condition was miserable. His face was deathly pale, dark circles hung beneath his eyes from lack of sleep, and his black hair was disheveled and covered in road dust.
However, his footsteps suddenly stopped when he reached the top of a rocky cliff. Below him stretched a fairly grand and bustling city settlement surrounded by stone walls.
Evan wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled faintly. "Finally... Velmora City. It’s been a long time since I last set foot here after disguising myself as a wealthy merchant."
Evan descended along the narrow path until he reached the main gate of Velmora City. Two guards in iron armor immediately stepped forward to stop him.
"Stop right there, Traveler!" one of the guards barked. "Open your bag. We need to inspect your belongings!"
Evan lowered his head, pretending to be a frightened commoner, and allowed the guards to search his shabby bag, which contained nothing but some leftover dry bread and a wooden cup.
Right beside the gate, Evan’s eyes glanced toward a wanted poster pasted onto the stone wall. It depicted the face of a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a heavy beard, with a bounty of thousands of gold coins.
The name written beneath the portrait was: Rick Grimes.
A sly smile briefly appeared on Evan’s lips. Rick Grimes was one of the most successful false identities he had ever created when he deceived the Velmora Merchant Guild two years ago alongside an accomplice. Thanks to his exceptional disguise skills, not a single person in this city knew that the real Rick Grimes was the pale-skinned young man standing before them right now.
"All clear. Pay five bronze coins for the entrance fee," the guard said, waving his hand.
Evan paid the coins and stepped through the main gate.
The sight of a medieval city greeted him. Two-story wooden houses with red brick walls stood neatly along the stone streets. Horse-drawn carriages and street vendors filled the bustling surroundings.
"A lot has changed in this city..." Evan muttered as he pulled his robe tighter around himself. "...but not the bitter memories."
Evan’s eyes hardened. "Before I make the long journey to the Western Frontier, I need to stock up on top-grade equipment. This journey isn’t just about distance... but the dangerous obstacles waiting ahead."
With determined steps, Evan turned into a dark, filthy alleyway that reeked of foul odors—the territory of Velmora City’s underworld, where criminals, fugitives, and thieves gathered. New chapters come out on novelping . com first.
Evan continued walking without paying attention to the hungry gazes of the beggars along the roadside. His destination was a fragile, mold-covered wooden door at the end of a dead-end alley.
Knock, knock-knock, knock!
Evan tapped on the wooden door in a special rhythm.
A small peephole near the top of the door slid open, revealing a pair of red eyes peering out suspiciously.
"Our shop is closed, Traveler," a hoarse voice whispered from behind the door.
Evan stared into those eyes without blinking and spoke the location’s secret password:
"I am a flying fish searching for the truth."
Instantly, the suspicious gaze of the man behind the door became serious. The sound of metal bolts scraping against each other rang out.
SREK! BLAAM!
The door swung wide open. "Please come in, Customer."
The place was a hidden headquarters that served as both an illegal gambling den and the center of the darkest information trade in Velmora City.
Evan stepped into the darkness of the headquarters, completing his first mission in the city: finding information about the whereabouts of an old acquaintance who had betrayed him when he was disguised as Rick Grimes.
"We’ll meet again soon, you traitorous bastard..." Evan whispered coldly inwardly. "A grudge... is still a grudge."
Meanwhile... somewhere incredibly far away, atop the highest mountain in the North, shrouded in snowstorms and dark aura, where the previous battle with Luis had ended in defeat and retreat, leaving his forces to die tragically...
Anna’s figure floated slowly in the air.
Her clothes were torn to shreds, her flawless skin covered in slashing wounds, and fresh blood trickled from the corners of her lips and her chest. Yet her beautiful, pale face was flushed an incredibly deep red.
A wide, crazed smile spread perfectly across the witch’s lips.
"Khaha... Hahaha! Oh, my Husband..." Anna whispered, breathing heavily, her eyes filled with an intense obsession. Through the Soul Bond between them, she could see everything about Evan.
Anna raised both hands and held her burning cheeks, gazing up at the night sky with dim yet deadly eyes.
"You... have started wanting to run away from me again, haven’t you? Ahhh~ that makes me so, so happy! You know... the farther you try to run from me... the more my love for you grows!"
Anna closed her eyes, imagining the warmth of Evan’s embrace.
"You’re truly different from all the rotten humans I’ve met over these 200 years... You gave me the name ’Anna’... and you freed me from that ancient curse... Isn’t that incredibly romantic?"
A small, crazed laugh escaped her throat, echoing across the mountains.
"I’ve always loved seeing the expression on your face whenever you feel desperate, angry, or frustrated because of me... Don’t worry, my Husband... I’ll make your body immortal alongside mine! We’ll live forever... and destroy this rotten world that has hurt us! Hahaha! This world doesn’t matter... There will only be the two of us... and our future children..."