Just when Anna thought they had it, a sudden flash of light blinded everyone for a second. By the time they recovered from the flash, the dragon's last head was severed. The beast's body crashed to the ground, and the battlefield fell silent.
"W-Who did this!?" Anna yelled, but no one stepped forward.
Anna's rage didn't subside as she looked around. The dragon had been nearly dead, but she had already told her team to let her get the kill. Then who dared to steal her kill?
Damn it!
The one who killed the dragon would receive plenty of rewards. The dragon's core was especially important for the upcoming trials. But now she had lost everything.
"Come out, damn it!" she yelled, losing her grip.
But to her annoyance, no one did. All of them looked just as confused as she was, glancing around as if looking for the culprit. Anna gritted her teeth, her hand clenching into a fist.
"Who did it?" she growled under her breath. "I'm asking for the last time!"
She waited for a minute for someone to step forward. But no one did.
"Fine, have it your way!"
Anna opened the rewards tab and searched for the name of the person who had stolen her kill. But she saw it. Her haughty demeanor disappeared in an instant.
Kang YuWon...
All the color drained from Anna's face.
"No... that's impossible," she whispered.
She felt her chest tighten as the name sank in. Kang YuWon couldn't possibly be there. No one could make their way back from the penalty zone. The angel had confirmed it herself. Then how was YuWon's name on the list?
"This must be your doing!?" Anna snarled, pointing at Yeji. "You dare play mind games with me? You dare test me, bitch!?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about—"
Yeji pleaded, but Anna wasn't hearing a thing. Her grip on Gina's chain tightened so hard that her knuckles turned white. Gina whimpered quietly but didn't resist, wearing the worst.
Even though Anna said it had to be Yeji's doing, she knew following the system wasn't possible.
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
The system kept warning YuWon to recall the souls. But he didn't give a rat's ass about it.
The souls targeted the survivors, turning them mad. Some tried to resist, but most couldn't, and in an instant, Anna's carefully assembled army turned against each other.
Anna, still kneeling on the ground, looked around in horror. She raised her hand, trying to use some ability. But the next moment, a sharp pain shot through her body and she collapsed back on the ground.
A crimson screen flashed before her eyes.
[The awakener has been impaled by ]
[All inherent abilities have been sealed permanently.]
[Slay the dagger's owner to revoke the weapon's effect.]
Anna couldn't believe it. All her abilities were gone. It meant she couldn't even access her regression ability. No matter what happened now, she couldn't turn back time.
If she didn't kill YuWon, this was it. She'd lose everything. But she didn't understand one thing.
"How... did you get your hands on it?" Anna snarled, staring daggers at YuWon. "Mythical artifacts shouldn't... exist in this world. Not yet."
YuWon squatted down to her level and grabbed her hair before pulling her head back. Anna's enraged and confused eyes made him chuckle. She realized what a terrible position she was in and yet she wanted to act all high and mighty.
"I'd have to thank you for that," YuWon slapped her, drawing blood. "That's all you'll ever know."
"You bastard—"
Smack!
"You wanted to make me feel helpless? Push me into despair?" YuWon laughed. "And here I thought you knew me. Tsk, tsk, tsk. To think I ever had anything to do with you. Just the thought makes me sick."
With that, he shoved her to the ground before pulling her head up by the hair and forcing her to watch her comrades kill each other.
"I'll show you what true despair feels like."