CHAPTER 131: CH 131: ENJOY THE VACATION? - PART 3

Kana sat on the edge of her bed, tapping her fingers anxiously against her knee. The silence in the resort room felt heavier than usual, as though the night itself was holding its breath.

An hour had passed since Emma arranged for a guard to watch over her corridor, but even with that reassurance, sleep refused to come.

Every creak in the walls, every distant footstep in the hallway made her tense. Her body was exhausted, yet her thoughts spun endlessly.

With a soft sigh, Kana decided she wasn’t going to get any rest tonight.

Instead, she reached for the small writing set provided by the resort and pulled a sheet of pale parchment onto the table.

If she couldn’t sleep, she might as well write to Lysera and Irielle.

She hesitated for a moment, quill hovering above the page, before she began writing.

Her letter carried a casual tone, describing the luxurious resort, the food, and how beautiful the scenery was.

She told them about the massages, the private buffets, and the relaxing atmosphere, making it sound like the vacation she had promised them it would be.

But she carefully avoided mentioning the temple of fertility, the ritual, and the unsettling events that had unfolded there.

No one needed to know about that... not yet.

By the time she signed her name and folded the letter neatly, her heartbeat had steadied a little. Just as she stood up, intending to step out and send it, a soft knock echoed from her door.

Kana blinked, startled.

At this hour?

She approached cautiously, her hand hovering near the handle for a moment before she opened the door slightly. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

It was the massager from earlier—the elegant, slightly older woman who had tended to her during the afternoon session.

"...You? What are you doing here?"

Kana asked, her voice low and wary.

The woman bowed politely, her calm expression giving nothing away.

"Miss Kana, I also serve as a security bodyguard here at the resort," she explained smoothly. "I’ve been assigned to your corridor tonight for your safety."

Kana frowned slightly.

That... lined up with what Emma had mentioned earlier, but something about it didn’t sit right. The woman’s timing felt too coincidental, too precise.

"I see...Then I hope your shift is a quiet one."

Kana murmured slowly, her tone neutral.

She started to close the door, wanting to put distance between them, but before it could shut, a pale hand shot forward—slipping through the gap and pressing firmly against the doorframe.

Kana’s expression darkened instantly.

"What are you doing?"

The woman pushed the door wider, her polite smile still plastered on her face, but there was a sharp glint in her eyes now.

"I was hoping that I could offer you another massage session. A private one, just for relaxation."

She said softly, her tone far too sweet.

Alarms went off in Kana’s mind immediately. Her entire body stiffened, instincts screaming at her to back away.

At the same moment, her system’s interface flickered into her vision—unbidden, urgent. Above the woman’s head, a glowing number appeared, accompanied by a flashing red marker:

[

Corruption Detected: Level 80]

Kana’s stomach dropped.

A level eighty? And her corruption was high?

Her suspicion turned to certainty in an instant—this wasn’t a bodyguard.

Kana stepped back quickly, her posture tense, and forced her voice to remain steady.

"I’ll pass. You should return to your post."

She said coldly.

But the woman didn’t retreat. Her hand tightened on the doorframe, her smile twisting slightly, revealing the faintest hint of malice beneath her calm exterior.

That was enough.

Kana acted on instinct. With a sharp pivot, she drove her elbow backward, striking the side of the woman’s temple with precise force.

The impact landed cleanly, and the older woman staggered, her grip slipping from the door before she collapsed soundlessly onto the carpeted floor.

Kana stood frozen, her chest heaving as adrenaline flooded her system. Her eyes stayed locked on the unconscious body, her breath shallow and quick.

But then—

Her vision swayed.

Her heart pounded erratically, and a strange heaviness settled over her body, dragging at her limbs. Her breath came shorter, harder, as though the air itself had thickened around her.

Kana touched her temple, wincing.

"W-What...?"

She whispered under her breath.

A delayed realization crept in.

When the woman forced the door open earlier... Kana had caught the faintest whiff of something sweet, almost floral. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now...

Her head felt light. Her fingertips trembled slightly.

"Damn it..."

Kana muttered, gritting her teeth as she stumbled backward, steadying herself against the bed frame.

She tried to focus, tried to clear the haze clouding her thoughts, but her body wasn’t responding the way it should.

She crouched low, forcing herself to breathe slowly and deeply, attempting to fight off the dizziness. Her sharp instincts warned her there was no time to waste.

If this woman wasn’t working alone... then someone else might be coming.

Kana’s gaze darted toward the unconscious massager. Even now, she noticed faint traces of a powder clinging to the woman’s sleeves, its scent slightly stronger up close.

Some kind of sedative—one designed to act fast.

Her jaw tightened. Whoever sent this woman knew exactly what they were doing.

Kana forced herself to crawl toward the door, gripping the frame for support. She needed to get Emma. She needed to alert security—

But just as she reached for the handle, another sound reached her ears.

Footsteps.

Soft, deliberate, drawing closer.

Kana’s breath caught. Her vision still blurred at the edges, but her survival instincts screamed louder than the haze clouding her head.

Without a second thought, she quietly shut the door and slid the lock into place.

She pressed her back against it, straining to listen.

The footsteps stopped.

Silence stretched across the corridor outside.

Kana’s chest rose and fell unevenly as she swallowed hard, gripping her trembling hands into fists. Whoever it was... they were waiting.

And she wasn’t sure how long she could hold out like this.