### Chapter 5: The Temple (8)
==============================
“This… this is impossible…”
As the slender figure approached her slowly, Firefly couldn’t help but take a few steps back, desperate to put some distance between them.
But her body shook violently, to the point where she could barely grip the longsword in her hand.
“This is a trick! You must be faking it—it’s an illusion, right?!”
Firefly recalled the exhilarating and electrifying sensation she experienced while absorbing the true essence of the Cold Moon. There was no way it was a lie; the only possibility was that the Cold Moon in front of her was a mere phantasm intended to frighten her.
Fear, anxiety, excitement, and exhilaration blended together, sparking a sudden courage to fight back.
“Heaven’s Instant Slash!”
It was as if all her energy focused into that single shout, her sword emitted a brilliant light as it arced through the air, thrusting toward the figure.
This move, which condensed all her strength, was the first technique she’d used since becoming a Fallen Species.
In a second, her opponent’s head would make a perfect container for her rumored second meal. She was absolutely confident about that.
“Clang…”
The sound of her sword clashing against the iron wall filled the air.
She missed?! Where did she go?
Just as Firefly attempted to turn, she discovered that her lower body had gone completely numb.
The next moment, searing pain surged like a tidal wave. Before her sanity completely shattered, she managed to witness the horrifying sight of her upper body slowly separating from her lower half. The cut was disturbingly smooth, and as her upper body plummeted to the ground with a ‘thud,’ her legs were left quaking in place, the severed edge nearly at eye level, while a fountain of bl**d gushed from her waist.
Only then did she seem to realize she was about to d*e, letting out a shriek that echoed with despair.
No, she couldn’t d*e!
She had toiled for a whole ten days just to absorb the entirety of the Cold Moon Witch’s essence; she hadn’t even had the chance to flaunt her new tricks! How could she face the curtain call now?
She was unwilling to accept it, unwilling!
Who did this to her? Who was responsible for such cruelty?!
After becoming a Fallen Species, her vitality exceeded that of normal folks. Even when severed in two, she remained conscious.
Light footsteps finally echoed in her ears.
“What are you?! Who are you?!” Firefly roared defiantly.
“Oh, I’m just your beloved Cold Sister,” Lin Nan said as she slowly sheathed her white shadow sword, the blade gleaming without a trace of bl**d.
“No, no way! Just now, you—”
Firefly struggled to glance at the flayed bag next to her fallen seat and then back at the ice-cold Cold Moon Witch before her, completely stunned.
Lin Nan sighed, “Unfortunately, I don’t have a habit of explaining everything to my enemies right before they kick the bucket. Anyway, rest in peace.”
Firefly shook her head furiously, “No, no! I can’t d*e!
If I d*e, Crazy Dragon Guild loses the chance to participate in the guild war; everyone’s goners! They’ll all be someone else’s lunch!
I fought to survive for them! What did I do wrong?! Am I at fault?!”
Her hoarse scream cut through the air.
“Whew…”
That was the sound of a blade slicing through her throat.
Her head rolled away and came to rest at Lin Nan’s feet, face up, eyes wide and full of unyielding rage.
“Nobody’s at fault; the fault lies with this world.”
Lin Nan crouched down and gently closed the girl’s eyes.
She wasn’t a savior who could rescue everyone, nor was she a saint who could spare those with murderous intent toward her.
In these chaotic times, she could only be true to herself, living without regret.
As she walked out of the warm basement, she looked up at the dim and vast sky.
At some point, it began to snow, soft flakes drifting lazily down. In just a moment, the ground was covered with a light blanket of white.
When the entire city was cloaked in a sacred layer of white, it felt as if the bloody slaughters in Sky Sword City had never happened. People’s emotions seemed to pale like the snow, bland yet tinged with a hint of sentiment.
The players of the Crazy Dragon Guild discovered the scattered bodies of the Fallen Species in the garden and quickly surrounded the entrance to the underground passage.
The basement was forbidden territory; no one dared to barge in until the fate of the guild leader was clear.
Moments later, a tall, icy-faced woman emerged from the passage, her longsword dripping with fresh bl**d.
“Vice Guild Leader is dead! She killed the Vice Guild Leader!”
“Vengeance for the Vice Guild Leader! Let’s take her down!”
“Wait, could it be… the Guild Leader also fell to her…?”
Lin Nan glanced at them calmly, “Those who don’t want to d*e, step aside!”
A chilling aura emanated from her, pulsating outward.
The players felt a jolt in their hearts, and the shouts for revenge quickly fell silent.
They weren’t foolish; anyone capable of single-handedly taking out a high-ranking member of their guild was not someone they could tackle all at once.
Under her glares, the crowd began to retreat, parting to create a path.
Lin Nan walked slowly through them.
Just then, a player suddenly dropped to the ground with a ‘thud,’ exclaiming, “Goddess, save me!”
Lin Nan halted, her cool demeanor highlighted by the swirling snow.
“Tomorrow’s the guild war; the leader is dead! What do we do? What do we do…?”
“What guild war? What the hell are you talking about? She’s our enemy! Why are you begging her—what a spineless worm!”
“How embarrassing! Get up already!”
Uninformed players began to punch and kick the one who knew the truth.
Yet that player persisted, desperately trying to pull his head free from their grasp, hoarsely shouting,
“You killed the Guild Leader! You’ve snuffed out our hope! You’re the executioner! The executioner!”
Lin Nan left the Crazy Dragon Guild without a backward glance.
As she stepped through the “crunching” snow, she realized halfway that she had forgotten Xiao Ai in the basement.
Did that little rascal make it out alive?
Should she check back?
“Miss Lin, you walk so fast, I almost couldn’t keep up.”
Turning around, Lin Nan found Xiao Ai panting heavily.
“Uh, glad you’re alright.”
Xiao Ai smiled, “We may not have other talents, but our escape skills are top-notch! I just slipped out through the ventilation duct while they were distracted.”
“Sorry for dragging you into this,” Lin Nan replied.
Xiao Ai waved her hand, “No worries, I figured it out long ago. They had this planned for a while.”
Noticing Lin Nan’s poor demeanor, Xiao Ai promptly decided not to continue the conversation.
She simply followed closely behind, trudging through the vast, snowy world ahead.
Before them lay a thick veil of snow; where the road led, who could tell?
