“Hello, my dear little ones!” said the woman, approaching them slowly with a deadly, artificial smile. “I found you! You can come out. Hide and seek is over.”

  May began to stand up, there was no point in hiding from someone who could see you so clearly. She felt slightly helpless.

  She's at the 8th stage of Qi Refinement? That's still a big difference, but maybe... He's useless, so if it comes to a fight, I'll have to act solo. With the system's help, I might be able to pull it off, but I'll lose a lot of money.

  Zhifang was still petrified with fear. May had to rely on herself. She stood up and looked the woman straight in the eyes. Although she didn't know what these parasites were like, she assumed they resembled wild beasts.

  She didn't want to show any weakness or reveal her lack of confidence. However, when she saw the woman's expression, she knew that this approach was rather useless.

  The woman, taken over by the parasite, did not resemble a typical archer. She had a clearly developed physique, and her height was one of the tallest May had ever seen in this life, at around two meters. Even more impressive than her height were her muscles, which bulged through her white robes and could give many bodybuilders a complex.

  Her appearance and physique alone were enough to frighten May, but it was her smile that was the most terrifying—clearly inhuman and artificial.

  “What do you want, parasite?” She decided to ask with confidence. Since she was at a disadvantage anyway, she might as well find out something.

  “A parasite? Oh, even others who were much stronger were unable to find out about it, but a weak kid like you learned the truth? Truly the perfect vessel.” She replied. “However, do not call us parasites, or you will regret it.”

  Again, she's referring to me as a “vessel.” If I understand correctly, they want me to become the next “queen.” The queen's purpose is to spread the “seed.” They probably wanted me to become queen, get into the Inner Court, and continue spreading the infection there. However, something got in their way.

  “I keep hearing about these vessels, what are you talking about? Someone else said something about me becoming queen, what did they mean?” She decided to get more information, hoping she would spill the beans. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

  “Someone's got a big mouth, I won't tell you anything. I'll just take you with me.” She said, then lunged toward her.

  May instinctively stepped back. She didn't take her spear; it was too bulky and would attract too much attention while they were trying to hide. Fortunately, she had a small dagger with her, which she always carried for safety.

  However, she had no experience in using it. But the difference between having a weapon and not having one was enormous. The parasite laughed at the sight of the small blade, as if mocking her.

  May, however, did not let this bother her and knew that this time she had to fight as if her life depended on it. She tried to aim the dagger at the throat of the woman approaching her at great speed. Unfortunately, she was too fast.

  She laughed at the sight, clearly mocking her. The difference between the 4th and 8th stages of Qi Refinement was much greater than she had originally thought. A single blow from the woman sent her flying several meters backward at tremendous speed. She hit the ground. If it hadn't been for the snow cushioning her fall, she would probably have lost consciousness.

  “Huh, strange, you're really warm despite the temperature... Unique Physique? You're becoming better with every passing minute.” She said after her attack.

  May obviously didn't have any Unique Physique, and her body heat came from the fact that she had bought it from the system to maintain a constant body temperature, but the parasite didn't know that.

  May got up despite the blow causing her unusual pain in her chest. However, she had no time to rest. She had to use the system. Fortunately, she had prepared herself earlier.

  May needed something for her injuries. This option was one of the cheapest that met her requirements. Without a moment's hesitation, she immediately bought the pill.

  The pill appeared in her hand. She quickly popped it into her mouth. The woman noticed and smiled slightly.

  “Some kind of pill? That's useless!” She laughed, sensing her dominance.

  However, she didn't know that this wasn't just any pill available in the region. This pill was probably unknown even on the entire continent. The world May found herself in was huge, and trade was undeveloped. There, this pill might have been something ordinary, but here it was something unheard of and of extraordinary quality!

  However, that wasn't the end of her shopping. If she wanted to have any chance, she needed something that would help her win.

  It was expensive, but she had had her eye on it for a long time.

  She took another pill, and the parasite did not interrupt her. It certainly could not have anticipated that she would possess such a thing.

  However, May's mind cleared. She truly felt like a blind person who had regained their sight. Everything became clear and obvious. The fog disappeared from her head, and her mind opened up to the whole world. Her pupils narrowed.

  Her heart began to beat faster and she began to breathe as if she had just run a marathon. Her mind began to work at full speed, with a million ideas running through her head at once. In a single second, she went through dozens of different scenarios.

  For the first time in her life, she felt confident, she felt like she knew what she was doing. However, thanks to this flood of thoughts and ideas, she also knew that this pill was dangerous. The feeling was addictive. The feeling of absolute knowledge.

  However, she understood that she had made the right decision. The parasite might have been stronger, but now she could clearly see its weak points.

  May jumped to the side, performing a series of quick movements. Although she hated this technique, she had to rely on [Water Knight Art] now. The adrenaline rushing through her veins allowed her to achieve a level of proficiency with this technique that had been impossible until now.

  The woman was much stronger, but thanks to this moment of clarity, she performed dozens of moves in an instant, one after another, as if she had known them all her life. They were smooth and precise, while the parasite's movements were erratic and relied solely on brute force.

  She ran up and twisted her torso like a ballerina, did a half-turn, and slammed into her body. She was incredibly tough, her endurance was absurd. However, the parasite was unable to use this strength to its full potential, as it had not acquired it on its own. It was like a superfast computer that could only be used for simple calculations. The parasite had strength, but it couldn't use it to its full potential.

  “I would have expected more from parasites,” she said, hoping to provoke it. “You may have taken over bodies, but you couldn’t steal the memories of countless hours of training.”

  May understood that the strength of these beings came only from their physical power and Qi energy. They had taken only their strength, nothing more. They knew neither the advanced fighting techniques nor any of the battle tactics learned over many years.

  “Don't call me a parasite, you wretched human, I don't like it, and don't think I'll let you.” The woman's eyes narrowed with anger.

  “You take over our bodies, exploit what we have created, and yet you contribute nothing yourselves, neither creating nor constructing anything. You simply take over and behave as if it all belongs to you. What are you, if not parasites?”

  I practiced every day from the moment I started my training. When I was six, my father started training me, day after day, and when I got to the academy, I held a weapon in my hands non-stop. And that's thing? It took away something that didn't belong to him. It didn't earn its strength.

  The dagger in her hand felt so light, as if it were an extension of her body. However, the woman did not even have a bow, as she would not know how to use it.

  Look at me, parasite, how lightly I move. I trained for this. And now my potential has truly been unleashed.

  Her muscles and movements were no longer sluggish. She moved without the slightest effort, step by step. Strike after strike. The parasite couldn't hit her once.

  It tried, but despite its strength, it couldn't predict her movements; it didn't have enough experience. May, on the other hand, struck it again and again. Hundreds of times.

  However, the body was too tough. It was on a different level of cultivation. But the dagger was sharp, and although the individual cuts did nothing, her blows slowly accumulated.

  “How... How is this possible?” The woman exploded. The playful smirk disappeared from her face. “You are weak and small!”

  “But you're the one getting beaten up,” she replied to the creature. “And I'm going to kill you.”

  Her expression became serious, and she changed her posture. For a moment, she stared at the girl, as if unable to comprehend her current situation.

  “There are things you don't understand. I don't know who or what you are, but you'll regret this.” She grimaced. “You'd better come with me and stop resisting the inevitable.”

  “What are you talking about? After all this, I'm supposed to go with you?” She couldn't believe her ears, but she had the overwhelming feeling that she really meant it.

  “I'm one thing, and the queen is another. Even if you leave the walls of this academy, your destiny will remain the same.” She hissed.

  “I don't believe in destiny.” She replied briefly. She knew what she had to do. Kill that thing.

  “I didn't believe in it either. But never mind, it's time for me to go.” She said and turned to run away.

  May couldn't let her get away. She started running after her. Unfortunately, she was much slower, as her stats remained unchanged. She was too fast, but it didn't matter.

  May knew what to do. She used Qi Control like never before, with great precision, gathering energy in her hand and then in the dagger. She stood still and swung with all her strength.

  The dagger flew. She watched its trajectory and brushed her hair away from her forehead with her hand. The dagger hit its target, and the woman fell.

  Her neck was her weak point; after all, she was still only at the Qi Refinement stage. She wasn't invincible and couldn't defend her entire body indefinitely. She thought May would never catch up to her, so she let her guard down, which was her downfall.

  May moved closer to her victim. She was still alive. She thought she looked like a cockroach. Her lips were pale and her face was covered in blood. She writhed like a bug, making the most unpleasant sounds May had ever heard.

  But May felt no pity for the parasites. It wasn't a human being, just a shell controlled by a monster. She grabbed it by the hair and began to shake it, but it had no strength left and just convulsed on the ground.

  So you feel pain just like us. Good to know.

  May knew she didn't have much time left, only a few more moments before she would die. She looked straight into the parasite's eyes. It might have looked like a human, but the eyes were empty and expressionless, and she feels disgust towards this creature.

  Although she didn't know the teacher whose body had been taken over, she felt sorry for her. She must have had a family or friends, and this nasty, vile vermin had taken over her body and dared to pretend to be human.

  May stood with her foot on her chest, pressing down with all her strength. Blood gushed out quickly. The creature tried to grab something on both sides to hold itself down, but there was only snow. She scratched at it with her nails, hissing in immense pain. She no longer had her former strength, she was completely defenseless and on the verge of death.

  She howled and sobbed, letting out an inhuman sound of suffering. Finally, she stopped. May let her go. The parasite had taken this woman's life, and she had taken it life in return. She thought it was a fitting death for such a disgusting creature.

  She looked at Deng Zhifang, who was vomiting and breathing heavily. May could completely understand his feelings. Disgust, fear not only of the parasites but also of her, and the coldness that surrounded him so painfully.

  She stood up and walked over to him. He resisted, but finally helped himself up. May commanded him to keep walking.

  “May... What was that?” he asked, following her in a state of shock.

  “It had to be done,” she replied briefly.

  “You killed her.”

  “It wasn't a human, so I didn't kill anyone.” She corrected him. “It may have looked, behaved, and spoken like one, but it was just a parasite that had taken over this woman's body. I avenged her.”

  He fell silent. Objectively, he knew she was right, but he had just witnessed extraordinary brutality from a girl he thought he knew. It was too much for an eight-year-old boy.

  The road ahead was still the same. An endless field of snow. Finally, in the distance, they saw what they had been waiting for. A red wall.