Glitched Goddess: My Skills are maxed out

Lysera's boots struck the cobblestone hard as she sprinted through the twisting streets, her breathing heavy but controlled.

Beside her, Irielle ran in silence, her sharp gaze fixed on the glowing pendant dangling from her hand.

Its once-erratic movements had finally ceased, its tip pointing unwaveringly toward a narrow alley just ahead.

"Hurry up, Lysera! I can feel Kana's presence nearby. This is the best chance we've had to reach her before anything happens!"

Irielle urged, her voice carrying a rare edge of desperation.

Lysera didn't respond, but her pace quickened, her grip tightening around her weapon.

The moment they rounded the corner into the alley, their instincts screamed.

A man stood several paces ahead, his gun raised, the barrel aimed directly at Kana's unconscious form on the ground.

Without hesitation, Lysera's body moved on instinct. She did not even think about what she was doing at the moment.

Bang!

Her shot rang out before his finger even squeezed the trigger. The man staggered, eyes widening in shock, before collapsing to the ground with a dull thud.

Smoke curled from Lysera's weapon as silence fell heavily over the alley.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she lowered her gun and hurried forward, her boots crunching against the gravel.

Kana sat slumped on the cold pavement, clutching Seraphine's still form, her shoulders trembling faintly.

"Kana."

Irielle whispered, kneeling beside her.

She gently placed a hand on Kana's shoulder and tilted her chin up, expecting confusion, panic, or even tears—but what met her gaze sent a chill down her spine.

Kana's eyes looked… wrong. Dark, blank, and dangerously cold, nothing like the warm, stubborn girl they knew.

Irielle swallowed hard but didn't pull away. Instead, she softened her voice and asked,

"Kana… what's wrong?"

She didn't expect an answer. But slowly, as if waking from a nightmare, Kana blinked. Her lips trembled, tears welling in her eyes until they spilled over, and then—

Kana lunged forward and threw herself into Irielle's arms, clinging tightly as sobs tore from her throat.

Irielle froze, stunned, before glancing helplessly at Lysera.

Lysera frowned, visibly unsettled by Kana's breakdown.

"Kana… what happened? Why are you—"

Kana shook her head violently, refusing to answer. Her arms only tightened around them, her cries muffled against Irielle's shoulder.

The two exchanged uneasy glances before finally noticing the unmoving figure beside Kana.

"Wait…Is someone… dead?"

Irielle murmured, her stomach dropping.

Lysera crouched down quickly, pressing two fingers against Seraphine's neck. Her breath caught when she felt a faint but steady pulse.

"She's alive."

Lysera confirmed softly, her voice low with relief.

That was all the confirmation they needed.

Without wasting another second, Lysera carefully lifted Seraphine into her arms, her expression tense and focused.

Irielle, meanwhile, wrapped an arm around Kana, gently pulling her up to her feet.

"Kana, we have to move. It's not safe here. We'll take you somewhere secure."

Irielle said firmly, her tone gentler than usual but leaving no room for argument.

Kana didn't protest. She didn't speak. She simply allowed Irielle to guide her, her gaze unfocused and her body trembling faintly as the three of them hurried away from the alley.

The night air was heavy, thick with the lingering tension of what had just transpired.

Every shadow seemed to stretch too far, every sound too sharp, but none of them dared slow down.

Lysera tightens her grip on Seraphine's unconscious body, her sharp gaze darting around the alley as if expecting another ambush at any moment.

Irielle holds Kana close, whispering soft reassurances, though her own heartbeat pounds loudly in her ears.

The Four women move quickly, sticking to the shadows as they retreat from the chaos.

Kana clings to Irielle's arm, trembling violently, her mind a storm of fear and exhaustion.

She can't bring herself to speak—every word feels stuck in her throat, suffocated by guilt and relief colliding painfully in her chest.

Lysera finally exhales when they reach a quieter street, though tension still coils in her muscles.

"We need to move faster."

She mutters, scanning the rooftops for potential threats.

Irielle nods, holding Kana tighter.

"Just a little longer. We'll get somewhere safe."

Behind them, the distant roar of the auction house grows louder.

Meanwhile, deep within the lavish halls of the auction house, chaos brewed behind closed doors.

The auction was set to begin in just fifteen minutes, and the auction master paced frantically, sweat beading on his forehead.

His hands twisted together as he muttered curses under his breath.

"This can't be happening… The pendant—if I don't deliver what I promised, the investors will kill me…"

The door creaked open, and one of those very investors stepped inside—a tall, well-dressed man with sharp eyes and a calm, cold demeanor.

The auction master nearly stumbled forward, words tumbling out in a desperate rush.

"P-please, I swear, I'll deliver the pendant I promised! I just need a little more time—"

The investor raised a hand, silencing him with a single look.

"There's no need to panic about the pendant."

He said smoothly, his voice low but edged with menace.

The auction master blinked, confused and startled.

"W-what do you mean?"

The investor's faint smile didn't reach his eyes.

"We've decided to change the item of highest value tonight."

He said softly, leaning forward just enough for the weight of his words to sink in.

The auction master swallowed hard, his heart pounding.

"Change… the item?"

"Yes. Forget the pendant."

The investor replied.

A chilling pause hung in the air before he added, almost casually:

"From now on, the bidders will be competing for something far more… valuable."

The auction master hesitated, dread curling in his chest.

"…And that would be?"

The investor's smile widened, sharp and cold.

"The auction master's life."

The words sank like ice, and the room fell into suffocating silence.

The boss felt his knees weaken, his entire body trembling as the horrifying realization set in.

Fifteen minutes until the auction began—

Fifteen minutes until his own life became the prize.