When I leapt down from the ceiling and landed between David and Lexi, a small wave of regret immediately washed over me.

Facing Lexi in combat mode felt like sticking my neck under a guillotine.

To make things worse, I wasn’t in my ghost form—I was just Yuria wearing a mask. The restriction on freely using telekinesis only added to my anxiety.

‘Should I have thrown a sheet over myself and come down as a ghost? …No, that’s too risky. This isn’t the Western Labyrinth; we’re in the middle of the city. Running wild here would create too many problems.’

But there was no other choice.
Using my ghost form to fight Lexi in a place like this, full of witnesses and CCTV, was completely different from secretly using telekinesis in the hotel’s back alley.

To suppress Lexi with telekinesis here would inevitably cause damage beyond this room, just like when I fought Drakel.
If that happened, news of superpowers would spread, and even if I managed to escape, people would relentlessly pursue me to uncover my identity.

Ugh, just imagining it gave me a headache.
No matter how sorry I felt for David and Sabrina, I wasn’t about to pour oil on myself and jump into a fire.

‘So, my options are to not use telekinesis or to make Lexi retreat without being exposed. But… how do I pull that off against this sadistic psycho queen?’

Just thinking about it felt overwhelming.
How was I supposed to achieve that with someone like her?

“Jin…? No, that guy wouldn’t make such a flashy move….”

While I struggled to calm my nerves, Lexi tilted her head, clearly confused.
Then, with a dangerous grin, she muttered to herself.

“Hm. I don’t get it. No idea what you’re trying to do here.”
“….”
“Well, whatever. I’ll just do my job. I’ll figure it out when it’s over, right?”

She seemed genuinely clueless as to why I, who was previously at the banquet hall with Raven, was now here disrupting her plans.

Licking her lips with a predatory glint, she raised her whip.
Her thought process was clear: instead of wasting time pondering, she’d just tie everyone up and get back to business. Terrifying.

“Snake, bind them. Minimize the damage.”
“…!”

Snap!
The black whip moved faster than the eye could follow, wrapping tightly around me in an instant.

By the time I realized what was happening, I was completely immobilized, unable to budge.
This was the combat artifact known as The Flesh-Biting Snake, a Tier-1 weapon in the story.

If she had been intent on killing me, I’d already be dead.
That thought alone was enough to send shivers down my spine.

‘Ugh… This is awful! I don’t have these kinds of preferences!’

The whip coiled tightly around my arms, legs, and neck, squeezing painfully.
Was she planning to strangle me unconscious?
Tears welled up in my eyes at the sensation of being forcibly choked.

Lexi, completely unconcerned by my struggle, casually walked over.
She reached out and ran her fingers along the edge of my mask, scratching it lightly.

“I’ve been curious about what’s under this mask. What kind of face are you hiding so carefully? If it’s annoyingly cute, maybe I’ll just ruin it a little.”

What kind of horrifying thing was she saying?!
Shaking with fear, I channeled telekinesis down the length of the whip, subtly probing its surface.

When the invisible force reached a soft, hidden spot on the whip’s handle, I gripped it tightly with telekinesis.

Shriek!
“What…?! Snake!”
“…!”

The Flesh-Biting Snake let out a high-pitched scream.

The reason? I had discovered its secret weakness: its tail, hidden and vulnerable within the handle.
By targeting that fragile part with telekinesis, I had caused it unbearable pain.

Even Lexi seemed unaware of this weakness. Panicking, she inspected the whip’s unusual behavior.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I ignored the scratches forming on my skin and rolled to the side with all my might.

Now, with Sabrina and the injured David behind me and Lexi distracted in front, I had a precious, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Shock!”
“Damn it!”

Boom!
A shockwave, far stronger than anything before, blasted past me and hit Lexi dead-on.

David had poured all his remaining strength into that single attack.
The impact sent Lexi flying, crashing through a wall and out of sight.

David had seized the opening I’d created—a brilliant move for a self-proclaimed romantic with no formal combat training.

‘Honestly, that was borderline insane, but it worked.’

Holding my still-aching neck, I let out a sigh of relief.

This was the moment I’d envisioned while crouching in the ceiling.
If I hadn’t known about Lexi’s obsession with Raven or the whip’s hidden weakness, I wouldn’t have dared attempt such a reckless plan.

Even now, with the plan succeeding, my heart was racing wildly with fear and anxiety.
No way would I ever try something like this again.

“We did it! Brother! Fox! We did it!” Sabrina cheered, her face lighting up with joy.

“Hah… hah… Fox… I don’t know how you did it, but thank you. Truly,” David added, gratitude evident despite his exhaustion.

Their relief was understandable. David’s shockwave had enough power to punch a hole in the wall.
While it probably wouldn’t kill someone as tough as Lexi, it was reasonable to assume it had knocked her out.

But… wasn’t it a little early to celebrate?

Lexi wasn’t just any fixer—she was an enhanced human, like Raven. That attack wouldn’t have done much more than inconvenience her.

“Ha… haha… hahahaha! That actually hurt! You’ve got some nerve!”

As if on cue, Lexi emerged from the rubble, blood dripping from her forehead.

Compared to earlier, this was a definite hit. Her jacket was shredded, and her previously unscathed body now bore visible injuries.

But she was still perfectly capable of fighting, her health far from critical.
David and Sabrina’s expressions, once filled with hope, quickly turned grim.

Despite their best efforts, the gap in power was insurmountable.

Lexi, ignoring their reactions, casually wiped the blood from her face and fixed her gaze on me, her one eye blazing with fury.

“Alright, fine. Who needs intact limbs? As long as you’re alive, I don’t care. I just can’t wait to see Jin’s face when he sees you completely broken!”

Her anger reached its peak, and she lashed out with her whip, unleashing an unrestrained, ferocious attack.

The whip tore through the air toward me, sharp enough to shred my body to ribbons.

But before it could land, a series of sharp gunshots rang out nearby.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Startled, I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact.
When I realized I hadn’t been hit, I cautiously opened them.

Lexi’s whip—the Flesh-Biting Snake—was now in pieces, torn apart by impossibly precise gunfire.

“What the hell?!” Lexi shouted, her eyes wide in disbelief.

The whip, which could regenerate except for its tail, had been utterly dismantled.
The attacker’s accuracy defied logic, as if they’d plucked popcorn kernels from the air with bullets.

Only one person could pull off something like that.

“Could it be…”

Lexi’s gaze snapped to the source of the gunfire.

Standing there, holding a smoking black pistol, was none other than Raven.

“Lexi. Bullying our office’s intern like that isn’t cool. You scared them so much they started shooting like a rookie,” he said, his tone casual but firm.

“Jin!”

It was him. The sharpshooter among fixers, the legend who could take out three enemies with one bullet.

The tension in my shoulders melted away instantly. If Raven was here, everything was already over.

Lexi glared at him, visibly frustrated.

“Ha, what’s this? A backstab? Are you on a job too? Who hired you? How much are they paying?”

“No job. Just here to pick up my intern. Hand them over, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Hmm… fine. Take them and get out. I’ve got work to do.”

Lexi’s sharp mind quickly shifted to negotiation. She seemed to realize that fighting Raven directly would only ruin everything.

But… I wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

“…!”

Stepping in front of Sabrina and David, I spread my arms wide, making it clear I wouldn’t back down.

This wasn’t over—not yet.

The tension was palpable. After a long pause, Lexi moved first.

“Snake! Kill him!”

Her whip regenerated and lunged at Raven from all directions, but his pistol responded with the same terrifying precision, shredding it mid-air.

“Lexi. You know this won’t work. It never does,” Raven said calmly, firing round after round.

In the end, the whip faltered, its regenerative abilities unable to keep up with Raven's relentless assault.

The Flesh-Biting Snake sagged, its energy clearly drained. Lexi, holding her forehead in frustration, let out an exasperated sigh.

“Damn it… How the hell do you even shoot a whip like that? Are you seeing the future or something?”

“Not my fault your snake’s slower than my bullets,” Raven replied with a smug grin. “It’s just physics. Put a flashlight next to the sun, and it’s going to look dim, right?”

“You’re still as obnoxious as ever. How many times are you going to brag about that one time you ricocheted a bullet off another bullet?”

Gritting her teeth, Lexi hooked her whip back onto her belt.
Looking between me and Raven, she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“There’s no way I’m risking my life fighting you for this kind of pocket change. Fine, I’ll back off. Do whatever you want.”

She raised her hands in mock surrender.
It seemed Lexi had decided that the payout for this job wasn’t worth the risk of pushing Raven any further.

This was typical of her efficient, no-nonsense personality. Even in the original story, when Raven intervened, she’d always retreat after a brief attempt at resistance.

As she turned to leave, she glanced back at me.

“You. You said you work for Jin’s office, right?”
“….”
“Let’s meet again sometime.”

“…!”

Why?!
Her parting words sent a chill down my spine. I shot Raven a panicked look, but he just shrugged, as if to say there was nothing he could do about it. What did he mean, nothing he could do?!

Ignoring my obvious distress, Lexi walked away with measured steps.
Was she seriously planning to track me down later? That was one terrifying prospect.

‘Thank goodness I’m only working here temporarily. As soon as this month’s done, I’m out of here.’

Still, I couldn’t help feeling a bit relieved.
By the time Lexi actually showed up at the office again, I’d probably be working at Greg’s shop and far from her reach… Right?

“…Fox, is it over?” Sabrina asked nervously, clinging to my back.

“….”

At least for now, it seemed we’d gotten Lexi to back off. With her out of the way, there was nothing left to stop David from carrying out his plan.
All that remained was for the knight to rescue the captive princess.

I patted Sabrina’s shoulder to reassure her, then nodded toward David, who stood nearby, waiting.

Understanding the signal, David, despite his injuries, turned and dashed toward the VIP banquet hall, leaving Sabrina and me behind.

As I watched him go, Raven approached us leisurely, his casual demeanor as unshakable as ever.

“Well, well… I’ve been looking all over for you, intern. And what’s this?”

“…!”

In his hand was my missing tie.

At some point during the chaos, I’d pushed it down the hallway with telekinesis—a subtle SOS, begging for help.
Judging by the timing, it seemed my makeshift signal had worked.

“Dropping stuff like this everywhere… What am I supposed to do with you?” Raven said, handing the tie back to me.

I took it and loosely draped it around my neck, only for him to press down on my head firmly, forcing me to look at the floor.

“Now, care to explain? What exactly were you doing here when you said you were going to the bathroom?”

“….”

“I-I’ll explain!” Sabrina cut in, her voice trembling.

Nice one, Sabrina.
I gave her a thumbs-up from the corner of my vision.

Please, handle this for me before Raven shrinks me down with his pressure alone. Hurry!