Flesh Reshaping!

"Patter, patter."

Rain dripped from the eaves on either side, splattering onto the muddy alley and kicking up a mist that smelled of earth. Most buildings in the Slums were haphazardly pieced together from wooden planks. Mottled light leaked through the cracks, along with watchful, curious gazes.

Through the cramped, twisting alley, a slight figure in a charcoal-gray cloak hurried forward, splashing through the rain.

"Huff, huff."

Renee panted heavily. Her breath had barely left her nose before the cold turned it into a veil of white mist.

Her blue eyes flickered. Renee hunched her slender shoulders like a sick squirrel, trembling violently. She looked nothing like the cold, immovable figure who had defeated the city's ruler, Feilier, not long ago.

The plan had worked spectacularly, but pointing a Revolver at her own head and pulling the trigger had been terrifying. Renee was no reckless outlaw. She had only been playing the part of Xia Lun as she imagined him, hoping to frighten Feilier.

She had won an incredible victory, but as the adrenaline faded, the fear she had bottled up seeped into her conscious mind like water through a crack in a dam.

Yet it was not pure fear. There was a thread of anticipation in it, too—she would soon be able to save Xia Lun.

"Wait for me." Renee fought to steady herself, gripped the Panacea in her pocket, and hurried toward the Shelter. Over the next half hour, she used the tangled streets to shake off any pursuers, concealed her scent and tracks, and returned to the area around the Shelter.

But when she looked up at it, her heart tightened.

The campfire inside had gone out. Delis, the Warhorse tethered outside, pawed the ground in agitation. Beside her stood two strangers in green hoods and gleaming