“Then I’ll take off my mask,” Margaret said nervously.

Her fingers intertwined as her head hung low in shame.

Merlin gave a small nod, his expression stern. “Alright, please begin.”

Margaret took a deep breath and was just about to remove her mask when hurried footsteps echoed in the distance.

“Find them! Don’t let them escape! Otherwise, we’re doomed! Move!”

The thunderous voice of a familiar man startled both Merlin and Margaret.

“That burly man and his men are coming! We have to run!”

Without another word, Merlin grabbed Margaret’s left hand and pulled her as they dashed south with all their strength.

Moments later, six men arrived at the spot where they had been.

The burly man glared at the footprints and the package of buns left behind on a rock.

His eyes widened in fury as he roared, “They were just here! After them!”

The others nodded and quickly followed the trail of Merlin and Margaret’s footprints.

***

Whoo-whoo!

The sound of owls echoed from both sides, filling the forest with a tense atmosphere.

In the middle of the woods, two figures ran breathlessly—Merlin and Margaret, chased by the men who had kidnapped them.

“I… I’m so tired,” Margaret gasped between ragged breaths.

Merlin glanced at her and saw the cloak he had given her soaked in sweat. Her breathing was heavy, and her arms were stiff, as if every nerve was straining.

Stopping in his tracks, Merlin crouched down and said firmly, “Get on my back! Quickly!”

Margaret froze for a moment, startled, but the footsteps behind them were closing in. If they delayed even a little, they would be caught.

Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Merlin’s neck and pressed her chest against his back.

Even though she wore both a dress and a cloak, Merlin could still feel the softness of her chest, still in the midst of growing.

‘This girl is developing well,’ he muttered with a faint sigh.

In one swift motion, he stood up. Thankfully, he was much taller than other children his age, making it easy to carry her.

The next moment, he dashed forward with all his strength. Margaret, surprised by his speed, quickly pressed her masked face against his neck.

But then, the mix of sweat and Merlin’s natural fragrance drifted into her nose.

‘What a calming scent,’ she whispered softly.

Subconsciously, she sniffed deeper and tightened her embrace around Merlin.

“System, is there a stamina-boosting potion?” Merlin asked, slightly out of breath.

“[There is, Master. Would you like to purchase it?]”

“Yes, buy it and use it on me right away,” he answered without hesitation.

With mana control, he could already run faster than normal—but even that had its limits.

After all, he was only eight years old. His stamina was far inferior to those men.

Perhaps once he reached Spirit Core Nine, only then would he feel confident enough to fight them all.

“[Ding! Stamina-boosting potion purchased! Remaining points: 14,000.]”

Whoosh!

In an instant, Merlin felt his body revitalized, as if he had just been reborn.

A faint smile curved on his lips as he whispered to Margaret, “Hold on tighter. I’m going to speed up.”

Margaret blinked in confusion at his words, but before she could react, Merlin suddenly accelerated.

“Whoa!” She cried out in alarm, clinging to him even tighter.

Merlin’s figure leapt onto a tree branch, then sprang to another, moving from tree to tree with astonishing speed.

The sight left the men chasing him utterly stunned.

“Shit! What the hell is this? How can that kid do that?” The thin man exclaimed in disbelief.

The burly man beside him squinted in irritation. “That kid has a special power. Catching up to him won’t be easy.”

The difference between ordinary people and those with special powers was immense. Those blessed with such abilities seemed to exist in an entirely different world.

For people with special powers, killing ordinary humans was effortless.

“Relax,” the man next to him said calmly. “I often deal with those who have special powers. That boy clearly hasn’t fully awakened—he may not have even reached the Nine Spirit Core level. So don’t panic. Just keep chasing them.”

Hearing this, the burly man, the thin man, and the other three only nodded slightly.

Determined to catch Merlin and Margaret, they pressed on relentlessly.

Fifteen minutes later, the potion’s effect began to fade, and Merlin gasped as he jumped to the ground.

“It seems we’ve finally shaken them off,” he said, slowly lowering Margaret from his back.

Margaret reluctantly let go and nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. But… do you know where we are?”

“Ahem…” Merlin cleared his throat, scratching his right cheek in embarrassment. “Sorry… I think we got lost. I was running without direction and have no idea where we are now.”

Margaret was quiet for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

“That’s okay. The most important thing is to find a way out.”

Merlin nodded. Together, they pushed forward, making their way through the dense bushes that blocked their path.

The further they went, the more uneasy Merlin felt. His eyes scanned the surroundings, and he noticed that the vegetation was gradually thinning.

‘Something’s wrong,’ he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

He quickly grabbed Margaret’s left hand, making her jump in surprise.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, confused.

Her gaze flicked to the hand Merlin held, and a wave of embarrassment soon washed over her.

“Wait here. Let me move ahead,” Merlin said.

Though startled, Margaret said nothing and simply nodded. After witnessing Merlin’s abilities, she trusted him completely and no longer questioned his decisions.

Merlin moved forward cautiously, his eyes sweeping left and right.

“The vegetation’s gone… That means a ravine should be up ahead,” he whispered.

Sure enough, about seventy meters ahead lay a wide, dark cavity—a yawning ravine.

Its depths were pitch-black, as if unseen eyes were watching them. In that instant, Merlin recalled a saying from his homeland: If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.

“This is really dangerous,” he muttered, anxiety creeping into his voice.

Without hesitation, he rushed back to Margaret. “We have to get out of here!”

Margaret gasped, but then the sound of rustling bushes came from ahead, accompanied by a familiar, mocking voice.

“Want to leave? Hahaha! Kid, are you imagining things?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep