Another sword strike opened a gash across her shoulder, spinning her toward Noah’s doorway with desperate montum.
She gave a quick sideglance at Noah who stood there, his face etched with concern and terror. Their eyes t for a fraction of a second.
I can’t. I won’t destroy his life for mine.
Lola shook her head with firm determination, even as blood dripped steadily from her wounds. The gesture was subtle but unmistakable—she was refusing his sanctuary.
He doesn’t deserve to beco a target because of my choices. Even if he is the one in the prophecy, he is still too weak, I should be able to survive and et him in the future
, when he is strong enough.
"You are dead, Black Visage."
The declaration was like a royal decree that made the surrounding air seem heavier. Prince Malphas raised his blade, preparing to deliver a killing blow to the wounded figure before him.
This ends now.
Lola’s legs trembled as exhaustion and blood loss took their toll. Her dagger wavered in her weak fingers while magical energy flickered like dying flas around her injured body.
I have no more strength. No more options.
The royal guards closed their distance, creating an impenetrable circle that eliminated any possibility of escape. Their weapons shone with anticipation of victory.
Lola was surrounded, bleeding out and ultimately defeated.
"Any last words?" Prince Malphas inquired with courtesy that made the mockery even more cutting.
Lola straightened as much as her injuries allowed, mustering what dignity remained to soone facing execution.
"Go to hell."
The prince’s enhanced speed made his final attack a blur of motion that human eyes couldn’t track. His blade descended with supernatural force aid directly at her heart.
This is it. This is how it ends.
Ti seed to slow as Lola watched death approach with crystalclarity. The sword’s edge caught afternoon light, reflecting her own face.
Damn it. Maybe I should’ve listened to that idiot. I guess this is how it ends...Sorry, mother, father.
But just as the blade reached its target, strong hands seized her injured body with desperate strength.
What—
Noah’s attribures allowed him to move faster than normal human reflexes should have permitted. His arms wrapped around Lola’s robe, pulling her backward with force that sent both of them tumbling through his shop’s entrance.
Luckily, lola was barely a ter close to his shop door.
Boom!
The floor that Lola was on cracked, as the strike landed on stone rather than Lola’s body.
He saved . This fool actually saved .
SLAM!
The shop door crashed shut behind them without delay. The mont it closed, an invisible barrier activated that made the air itself seem more solid.
Safe. We’re actually safe.
Seeing Noah pulling his worst enemy inside, the prince was outraged. His calm deanour was no longer present.
Without waiting, his blade struck the door with enough power to shatter large boulders. But the mystical protection held without even a scratch appearing on its surface.
"What sorcery is this?" the prince demanded, his enhanced strength failing to budge the entrance even slightly.
The shop’s protection. No one can enter without permission. Noah thought
Outside, the royal guards tested every possible angle of attack. Swords, spells, and enhanced strength all proved equally useless against whatever force protected Noah’s establishnt.
Inside, Noah cradled Lola’s injured body while removing her cloaks to check her injuries. Black fabric faded to reveal familiar midnight hair and ruby eyes clouded with pain.
She’s hurt worse than I thought.
Blood seeped through multiple wounds while her breathing ca in shallow gasps. The protein bar’s enhancent had kept her fighting far longer than should have been possible, but even magical strength had limits.
She has critical injuries. She needs healing imdiately.
"You idiot," Lola whispered weakly. "You’ve made yourself an enemy of the crown."
She’s worried about even while dying. What a silly succubus.
"Shut up and let help you," Noah replied, already reaching for healing bread with urgency.
The bread should be able to help her.
Leo whimpered from his corner, the juvenile lion’s instincts recognizing that his Papa’s friend was badly hurt.
Outside, Prince Malphas’s voice carried royal fury that penetrated even the shop’s mystical barriers.
"This isn’t over, Black Visage! You cannot hide forever!
Shopkeeper Noah, you are committing treason by helping the crown enemy survive. Return Black Visagr, and I will overlook your act."
The royal guards began establishing a periter around the shop, their formation suggesting a siege rather than a simple arrest attempt.
They’re not leaving. We’re trapped. Well, who cares? It’s not like I need food from the outside or anything.
Lola’s eyes fluttered as consciousness wavered from blood loss and magical exhaustion. Her grip on Noah’s hand weakened with each passing mont.
She’s fading. Ti is running out.
"Stay with ," Noah urged, breaking the healing bread into manageable pieces. "You’re going to be fine."
"I-it’s too late... the healing bread won’t be enough. I’ve lost too much blood. You idiot... you shouldn’t have gotten involved." Lola smiled weakly before coughing up more crimson that stained her lips.
Her face was growing paler by the second, and so was Noah’s as panic set in.
She’s dying. Actually dying in my arms.
"Shut up! I will save you," he declared with a grim look on his face, his mind racing through every possible option.
Current items won’t work. Healing bread is not for critical injuries like the one she is suffering from. Iced tea enhances mana, not life force. Protein bar and energy drink are useless here.
His mind processed the crisis with crystalline clarity. Only one avenue remained—the shop slot system that had provided his premium products.
The next item. Please let it be sothing that can save her.
Noah’s consciousness dove into the system interface with desperate urgency.
[Item 3: Beef Jerky]
[Description: Increases Vitality attribute by 50% for twenty minutes. Permanently increases Vitality attribute by 10 upon first consumption.]
[Price: $300,000]
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