After a few more seconds had passed, he watched the girl finally shift her gaze away from him, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.
Then, when she turned back to Noah, the gun in her hand had vanished.
’She has mind-space too?’ Noah’s heart skipped. His curiosity about her identity only deepened and became increasingly apparent.
Unable to hold back, he tried once more.
’Zoe, is this woman an ally or an enemy?’ He waited, desperate for any hint of a reply.
But again, nothing.
His worry intensified. Not only was he wounded and vulnerable, but Zoe, his most trusted system, had gone entirely silent.
And if this woman were an enemy... he didn’t stand a chance. The devil’s stab wound was still burning through his side, and his right arm remained numb and useless.
’Damn it, Zoe. Where the hell are you?’
This is the first time he has vented his frustration toward Zoe.
Still no answer.
Grinding his teeth, Noah tried to push himself up, but froze when the blonde woman began walking toward him.
"Stay still, sir," she said softly. "You’re injured." Her calm tone only made him more tense.
He stared at her as she knelt before him, locking eyes with him. Her beauty struck him like a wave, those striking blue eyes framed by soft, blonde hair. But it was the fierce, composed look in her gaze that stunned him.
This woman was unlike any other.
She had taken down a devil with absolute silence and precision, without either of them sensing her presence. That level of skill... it wasn’t just rare. It was deadly.
"Are you my security guard?" Noah asked, keeping his voice calm, even though his mind was racing inside.
The girl didn’t answer Noah’s question directly. Instead, a small bottle appeared in her hand, filled with a golden, honey-like liquid.
"Sir, drink this... It will help detoxify the poisons in your body," she said calmly, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the blood around Noah’s shoulder turning black. She clearly knew he’d been exposed to something deadly.
Noah’s lips curled into a faint smile as he stared at the bottle. That confirmed it—she had a mind-space like his.
"No need. Keep it for yourself," he said. "I’m immune to poison. But the detox process is slow... unpleasant and mostly painful."
He remembered reading that in his system files: poison wouldn’t kill him, but if it was potent enough—like the young devil’s dagger venom—it would feel like fire crawling through his veins.
And right now, it felt like hell itself was burning inside his shoulder.
Then, Noah freezes when something crosses his mind.
’Damn it... Why the hell did I forget about my system?’ Noah cursed inwardly. He could’ve asked his system about this girl earlier.
But before he could ask his system, the girl spoke.
"Sir, I’m Kinzley. You can call me K," she introduced, her voice steady. "I’m the leader of the Black Team. Apologies for arriving late to the rescue."
Noah froze.
’Black Team?’ He wondered. He believed Seven led the Red Team, and the Purple Team was next in the command chain.
So why was the Black Team here already?
He shoved his confusion aside, not wanting to make things more awkward. Instead, he simply nodded and said, "Thank you, K, for your help."
Noah tried to stand, wincing as the pain flared again. He nearly lost his balance, but Kinzley quickly reached out and gripped his hand, steadying him.
Her touch sent a warm, electric jolt through him. The sudden rush of energy made him shiver involuntarily.
A moment later, she let go and stepped back.
"Let me find you a chair, sir."
"It’s okay," Noah replied, exhaling slowly. "I’m already feeling better. The pain’s fading. Did you come with your team?"
She shook her head. "No, sir. I came alone."
That surprised him. She wasn’t like Seven—she worked solo?
"You came alone?" he asked, needing confirmation.
"Yes," she replied. "The alert only triggered a few minutes ago. That’s why I was late."
"I see..." Noah looked toward the forest, and Jason came to mind, his voice lowering. "We should head back to the barn."
He needed to confirm whether the Green Team had arrived and was assisting Jason in cleaning up the scene.
But Kinzley stopped him with a firm voice.
"Sir, there’s no need to worry. The Green Team and Red Team have already secured the area. My mission now is simple—get you back immediately to heal your shoulder."
Noah nodded. He agreed with Kinzley, realizing he had to remove the bullet from his shoulder as soon as possible.
They were stranded in a remote area, far from The Royal Phoenix Hotel, with over two hours of driving still remaining.
"Let’s go to your car..." Noah said, motioning for Kinzley to lead the way. But her soft laugh echoed faintly.
"We don’t need a car, sir, but this..." She gently raised his hand, pointing toward a spot in the air—where a flickering flame suddenly materialized.
The flicker widened, forming an interdimensional portal like the kind he’d only ever seen in movies.
Noah couldn’t mask his shock. He gasped, eyes fixed on the glowing vortex a few meters away, then turned sharply to Kinzley.
A rush of questions flooded his mind, and he blurted them out in a flurry, voice trembling—like an amateur rapper fumbling under pressure.
"K... You can create a portal? H-How can you do that? Where does this portal lead?"
Kinzley, as always, responded with that calm, unreadable expression. Instead of speaking, she simply gestured toward the portal.
"Sir, after you..."
Although part of Noah feared the portal might kill him, curiosity overpowered and drowned his fear. Yet his feet carried him forward, and as he stepped through the swirling energy, he paused, glancing back.
Kinzley remained still, her expression soft as she lowered her head.
"Till we meet again, sir..."
Noah stood frozen.
"You didn’t..."
He couldn’t finish his sentence as the portal vanished from sight.
"Sir, you need to follow me..."
Noah flinched at the sudden sound of a familiar voice behind him.