Breaking Free III

Sensing the monster closing in from behind, Freya was filled with tension, yet also a trace of excitement. It was like the mindset of someone walking a tightrope: trapped in a desperate situation where one misstep meant utter ruin, yet somehow growing more confident and thinking more clearly, unleashing extraordinary potential.

So this was what adventure felt like.

However, the monster was fast. Freya had only taken a few steps before she looked back and saw it already right behind her. Its speed exceeded her imagination. She grew anxious and wanted to lengthen her stride, but she also had to watch out for ambushes from the Pale Children around her. The moment her attention wavered, a Pale Child pounced and slammed into her shoulder from behind. The difference in strength between Silver and Gold made her feel as though she had been hit head-on by a dragon. She was sent tumbling several times before crashing into the snow, while the war flag in her hand flew several meters away.

"Ugh—" Freya groaned. Before she could even worry about the pain throughout her body, she heard the monster's footsteps behind her. She hurriedly scrambled up and dashed over to retrieve her war flag, but the Pale Child that had pounced on her seemed unwilling to let the matter go. It circled around behind her and caught up again.

That's right—Freya's light-brown eyes narrowed slightly. She drew a deep breath and deliberately slowed her pace. The giant wolf seized the opportunity, let out a low growl, and pounced. But this was exactly the moment she had been waiting for. She shifted her body slightly and slipped past the Pale Child. The vortex raised by the giant wolf's sharp claws nearly scraped her cheeks raw, even opening several thin cuts that began to