Chapter 117
At those words, the girl’s eyes instantly reddened.
From her broken account, Suzy pieced together the story.
The three of them were siblings. Their family had run a gold and jewelry business.
After the typhoon struck, this group had broken into their home—murdered their parents, looted all the gold, and tied the children up.
They had been starving for days.
If this continued, death was inevitable.
Hearing movement outside, the girl had clung to her last sliver of hope and called out for help. And somehow, help had truly come.
Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly lunged forward.
"Miss, watch out!"
Suzy was knocked backward, her back slamming hard against the sharp edge of a table.
Turning her head, she saw that the middle-aged woman had somehow struggled back up and charged at her again, eyes filled with such venom it was almost tangible.
This time, Suzy didn’t hesitate.
She raised the crossbow and fired.
The bolt pierced straight through the woman’s chest.
Her eyes widened in unwilling disbelief before she collapsed, lifeless.
The children stared, stunned and silent.
Suzy swept her gaze across the room and said quickly, "I’ll get you out of here first."
The girl nodded, helping her younger siblings to their feet.
As they reached the window, she suddenly remembered something and turned back.
"Miss, wait—I need to grab something."
Before Suzy could respond, the girl hurried to the corner of the room and dragged out a heavy backpack.
It looked incredibly weighty—she struggled to pull it across the floor.
Suzy frowned. "What is that?"
Food?
The girl shook her head. "Gold. They said it’s very valuable... I don’t know how to repay you. You can have this... Miss, do you want it?"
It was the very gold those men had come to steal.
They had left the woman behind to guard it, never expecting Suzy to wipe them out.
Suzy’s eyes flickered.
Gold... Gold could be used to upgrade her space.
"I’ll take it," she said.
She accepted the backpack—and the moment she lifted it, she was stunned by its weight.
So heavy.
Using the bag as cover, she discreetly transferred part of the gold into her space, then slung the rest over her shoulder.
With some effort, she helped the three children climb onto the inflatable boat.
Outside, the attackers didn’t dare make a move.
They had considered retaliating—but after hearing the woman’s final screams, any remaining courage had vanished.
That woman... she truly killed without hesitation.
By the time Suzy got back onto the boat, the men had already retreated to their hideout.
She scanned the area—no one in sight.
And she had no intention of lingering.
The power of her pepper spray spoke for itself. Without proper cleaning, it could easily lead to infection.
The surrounding water, though abundant, was filthy—filled with debris and bacteria. Using it to wash their eyes would only hasten their deaths.
As for the injured man, without treatment, he wouldn’t last long.
Suzy paddled swiftly, leaving the dangerous area behind.
The girl stepped forward. "Miss, let me help you."
After turning a corner and confirming they were temporarily safe, Suzy slowed her pace.
Her gaze settled on the girl’s face.
Pale—deathly pale. Weak to the point of collapse.
She glanced at the younger two as well.
They weren’t any better.
They had gone too long without food—the brief clarity they showed now was sustained only by that sip of mineral water she had given them.
"You’re hungry, aren’t you?"
Suzy reached into her bag and took out several pieces of bread along with clean bottled water, handing them to the three siblings.
The girl’s eyes filled with tears instantly.
Suzy said gently, "Don’t cry. Eat first—get your strength back."
The girl nodded earnestly. Taking the bread and water Suzy handed over, she began to eat in small, careful bites.
The younger two were just as obedient. They said nothing, quietly focusing on their food.
A few pieces of bread were nowhere near enough.
Suzy reached into her bag again and took out softer snacks, placing them in front of the children.
Only after making sure they had enough did she resume paddling, steering toward a place that looked both hidden and relatively safe.
By the time she found a suitable spot, the three of them had finished everything.
Even the extra snacks she had given them were gone, and the wrappers had been neatly gathered into a small pile.
Well-mannered kids.
After eating, the girl regained some strength.
"Miss, my name is Gloria. These are my younger brother and sister."
Suzy nodded.
"Thank you for saving us," Gloria said, her voice filled with sincerity.
If Suzy hadn’t shown up when she did, she and her siblings likely wouldn’t have survived another week.
Before Suzy appeared, she had overheard the woman saying they would be sold off...
As for to whom, she didn’t know—but she was certain it would be worse.
"You don’t have to thank me," Suzy said plainly. "I saved you because I want something in return."
Gloria froze for a moment. She was a smart girl.
"Miss... is there something you need from me? Just tell me."
She could tell Suzy wasn’t like those people.
There was something different about her—something steady, something clean.
And more importantly, she had saved them. Fed them.
If she had anything Suzy needed, she would give it without hesitation.
Suzy’s gaze lowered—to the girl’s wrist.
A thin red cord circled her pale wrist, threaded with a small black bead no bigger than a thumb.
A faint glimmer of light gathered around it.
That glimmer... That was what had made Suzy take the risk.
"Miss... do you want this?" Gloria noticed her gaze and lifted her wrist, offering a clearer look.
Suzy nodded without hesitation. "Yes."
Gloria quickly untied the red cord. "My dad gave this to me."
They had gone to a temple together to get it. It hadn’t cost much—just a few bucks.
At her age, she already understood its worth. Compared to the gold her family had dealt in, it was nothing.
And yet... Her feelings were complicated.
Somehow, she felt this was just an excuse.
Still, she removed the cord and gently placed it into Suzy’s palm.
The moment it touched her skin, Suzy felt it—a familiar pull.
The call of her space.
It was almost eager—hungry to devour the energy within the bead.
"Thank you," Suzy said.
Gloria rubbed her now-empty wrist, still a little unaccustomed to the absence. She shook her head with a small smile.
"I should be the one thanking you."
She tugged at her siblings. The two little ones spoke in unison, their voices soft but earnest, "Thank you, Miss."
A complicated feeling stirred in Suzy’s chest.
"As repayment," she said after a moment, "I can take you somewhere safe."
The energy contained in that bead was significant.
Taking something so valuable and leaving these children behind wasn’t her way.
If she was going to help, she would see it through.
"Do you have anyone nearby?" Suzy asked. "I can take you to them."
At her words, Gloria’s eyes reddened again.
She looked at Suzy, tears welling as her voice broke, "Thank you... Miss, you’re so kind... My grandmother lives nearby..."