There Will Always Be People Who Want Me Dead

There always have to be a few people who want me dead! But I just refuse to die.

Those who want me dead—just wait. And don’t wait for me to die, wait for me to come back alive and settle the score.

Serena Feng snorted and unfolded the blast-resistant suit in her hands, tossing a set to Felix Fuller: "If you don’t want to die, put this on."

Felix Fuller found it odd, but seeing Serena Feng’s serious expression, he obediently didn’t ask questions. He followed her lead, took off his outerwear, and put on the strange suit.

Wearing the odd suit, Felix felt completely uncomfortable, awkward to the extreme—tugging here, pulling there.

Feeling so awkward, Felix glanced at Serena Feng to see if she felt the same, but discovered that the strange suit fit her perfectly—she seemed completely transformed.

Sharp, clean, and striking—she exuded a military crispness, standing in the darkness like a rock, steady and capable, radiating an unyielding resolve that made people trust her without reason.

Felix stared, unable to look away. Watching Serena adjust the suit’s odd fittings, he tried to copy her, but somehow...

His clumsy hands couldn’t manage it. Finally, Serena Feng lost patience, slapped his hands away, and adjusted the blast-resistant suit for him herself—so he wouldn’t drag her down when they moved.

Felix usually seemed easygoing, but in truth he was proud and solitary. Apart from his close maid, he disliked people approaching him. Yet for some reason, when Serena came near, it didn’t feel wrong at all.

It was as if Serena Feng carried a force that made people instinctively follow her. When she helped Felix Fuller adjust his suit, he felt no romantic tension—just a sense of reassurance.

Once the blast-resistant suits were set, Serena Feng unhooked the Tiger Claw Grappling Hook from her waist. "Felix, your hunting falcon understands your commands, right?"

"Yes." Felix was quite pleased with the adjusted suit—strange as it was, wearing it made him feel energized, and he almost didn’t want to take it off.

"Can you have it carry one end of the rope and wrap it around something outside—a building, high up, sturdy enough to hold both our weights?" Serena Feng fired the hook with a snap, catching it on a tree.

Serena tugged the rope to make sure it was secure, then pressed a button at her waist. The rope retracted, pulling her forward—she grabbed Felix, who quickly steadied himself and stepped back...

With a crack, the branch snapped and the hook whipped back to Serena’s side. If Felix hadn’t reacted so fast, he’d have been scratched for sure.

"What is this thing?" Felix admitted he was curious about Serena’s strange gadgets.

"Just a little self-defense tool for traveling. Did you really think I’d hit the road alone, as a ‘weak woman,’ without any preparation?" Serena looked at him like he was naïve.

"Weak woman? If you’re a weak woman, then no man in the world deserves to live." Felix refused to admit it—Serena might not have martial arts, but her ability to protect herself was no less than his.

"I am a weak woman—women’s stamina and physical strength are just naturally lower than men’s. Enough, let’s move. The smell of kerosene is so strong—if we don’t act now, we won’t get out." Serena had no interest in debating gender differences and signaled Felix to look for a breakthrough.

Enemies surrounded them on all sides, but some directions were better for escape than others. They needed a spot where the hook could catch and offer cover—ideally a way out of the city, since staying trapped inside meant certain death.

That job, of course, was for the great king of the skies—their scout, the hunting falcon. After Felix Fuller gave the order, the bird circled overhead and picked the southeast direction. Serena and Felix didn’t hesitate and ran that way.

No matter how remote or poor the place, officials always lived well—the prefect’s manor was huge. Serena and Felix hadn’t even reached the southeast corner when, with a boom, the prefect gave the order: set the fire!

Torches arced through the night like meteors, landing on the ground. Kerosene met sparks with a hiss, flames shot up several meters high, and the manor was ringed in fire—there was nowhere to go.

The roaring flames reminded Serena Feng of the fire that had destroyed the Feng estate. Firelight reddened her face and brought tears to her eyes.

Felix coughed on the smoke, then saw Serena standing still. He rushed back, grabbed her, and tried to pull her along.

"What’s wrong with you, spacing out at a time like this? Are you tired of living?" At last it was his turn to scold Serena, and Felix found he rather enjoyed it.

"I’m checking the wind direction." Serena shook off Felix’s hand—on the edge of life and death, if you could avoid burdening your companion, you should. Only if there was no choice would she lean on someone else.

Serena charged forward with her backpack.

"Wind direction? Is there even any wind tonight?" Now it was Felix’s turn to be stunned.

"Idiot, it’s precisely because there’s no wind that we have a chance. If there were wind, the fire would be even bigger." Serena was indeed petty—she settled an old score with a quick kick, motioning for Felix to keep up.

Two people in blast-resistant suits, running through fire in ancient times—it was a bizarre sight, but the flames were so fierce that no one saw them.

By the time they reached the southeast corner, it was already engulfed in flames—there was no way out.

"Have your falcon secure the hook." Serena drew out the grappling hook and handed it to Felix.

Honestly, it would be safer for Felix to wear the Tiger Claw and carry her out, but...

Still, Serena couldn’t entrust her life-and-death escape to someone else. If Felix abandoned her at the critical moment, she’d be burned alive with no recourse.

"Alright." Felix quickly whistled, and the hunting falcon swooped down from the sky.

In the darkness, the falcon’s coloring blended with the night, and it hid itself carefully—normally no one would notice. But now, the sky was ablaze, and as soon as the falcon appeared, the besiegers outside saw it.

"An eagle! There’s an eagle inside! Everyone be careful—the two targets aren’t dead yet. Fire arrows at the southeast, shoot down that eagle, and kill those two!"

Outside, the Easestream City military officer shouted orders.

Fortune favored the bold—they were already in position, and now they had to clean up the trouble for good.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Arrows tore through the night, streaking past the fire toward Serena and Felix’s position.

They knew the falcon’s appearance would expose them, so they’d hidden themselves well. The arrows couldn’t touch them—but they were pinned down, unable to move. Sweat mixed with grime ran down their faces, the firelight highlighting their desperation...

"Little Gray, it’s all on you. Be careful." Felix checked the outside, and when the archers switched positions, he sent Little Gray out.

Little Gray flew farther and farther, carrying the hook. A taut line appeared in their view, like a kite string, with Serena holding the control end.

As Serena let out the line, she calculated the dangers they’d face escaping. At that moment, Felix suddenly remembered something crucial...