A Sweet Girl Won't Be Fooled By The Villainess - [Vol. 1] Chapter 78

[Vol. 1] Chapter 78: She is determined to give it her all.

 

[System, how much time until the pursuers from the Judgment Organization catch up?]

 

[Estimated to be one hour and forty minutes later!]

 

At the moment when the system reminded her, Ifia’s heart skipped a beat. The three of them disappeared together, and with such a conspicuous target, they couldn’t completely hide the news of their escape.

 

However, the Judgment Pursuit Team did not arrive immediately, giving them some time to prepare. Fortunately, they were currently deep in the mountains, and riding horses would encounter many obstacles, making walking more convenient. The pursuit team would have to walk just like them.

 

However, unlike Ifia’s group, tired and hungry, the pursuit team was well-fed, well-rested, and full of energy for the chase. Ifia silently prayed that the remaining powder of the tracking drug in her hand would be sufficient.

 

As for informing Rudeni and Daelin about this news? It was unnecessary. They had no way to deal with it. Moreover, if she directly said that members of the Judgment Organization were coming with hounds soon, those who didn’t believe her would be fine, but if they did, how would she explain how she knew? Was it through a super sixth sense or possessing supernatural abilities? If she said that, with Daelin present, the secret wouldn’t be kept.

 

At that time, perhaps she would really be burned as a witch… In most cases where the majority were ordinary humans, it was best to maintain the same persona, or else one would become an anomaly, rejected by others. Considering all this, it might be better not to say anything. Let her bear the pressure alone!

 

[System, expand the scan, detect if there are any plants in the surroundings with an extremely strong aroma that can conceal the scent from the hounds.]

 

They currently had a little over an hour of preparation time. With the system’s ability to identify plants, they should be able to escape smoothly! Of course, the prerequisite was that the system could find the plant she needed.

 

[Host, are you sure you want to do this instead of running away?]

 

[Run away? How can we run! The three of us haven’t had a decent meal for days, our stamina can’t keep up. Even if we continue running, we are no match for the pursuit team, not to mention they have hounds, effectively installing a tracking system on us.]

 

When Ifia heard the system asking why they wouldn’t run, she rolled her eyes in silence. While she admitted she wasn’t very clever, she wasn’t foolish enough to use an egg to hit a stone. Why would the system ask such a dumb question?

 

[Host, I’m just concerned about whether your plan will work. If the scent of the plants can’t conceal your tracks, then you won’t even have a chance to run when the time comes.]

 

While Ifia was silently cursing, the system also felt a sense of helplessness and wanted to sigh.

 

In the original plot, Daelin escaped alone, and there were no pursuers at all. But when it was the turn for the foolish host to escape, the pursuers found them way too quickly!

 

The system could see from the once-black room where Ifia was held captive that several members of the Judgment Organization were furious, while the women who had been captured trembled in fear. Fiona, who was drugged, still hadn’t woken up.

 

“Damn witch, how dare she escape!”

 

“Bishop has moved the day of judgment to tomorrow. We must capture her before the judgment!”

 

“Didn’t Kelly take the dog with them? With Binny, no one can escape its pursuit. Daniel shouldn’t have gone with them, he should have stayed here to handle the aftermath of his brother-in-law Joseph.”

 

“Ah, who would have thought Joseph drowned in the toilet? Daniel’s sister is going to be a widow!”

 

Based on the conversation among members of the Judgment Organization, the system immediately sorted out useful information. The danger level significantly increased when there was someone in the pursuit team who harbored extreme hatred towards the host… This was also why the system suggested the host to run instead of staying put and trying other ways to evade.

 

Safety could not be guaranteed. However, the system forgot that the host, besides being a fool, also lacked physical stamina.

 

[There’s no other choice, we can only do this now. Quickly, give me the location of the plants!]

 

Ifia was also taking a gamble. However, unless the dog had X-ray vision, it would be challenging to pinpoint their location based solely on scent amidst the stimulating aroma.

 

But besides concealing their scent, they also had to be careful not to leave any traces.

 

“Ifia, what are you doing?”

 

When Ifia, following the system’s guidance, began searching for the target, her sudden halt confused Rudeni. Behind her, Daelin wore an impatient expression, wanting to mock her, but Ifia’s previous extravagant display of power had left her speechless. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. Yet, she couldn’t help but continuously curse in her mind, feeling that Ifia couldn’t do anything useful and would always stir up trouble.

 

Instead of continuing the journey, she was fussing with some leaves. Was this a picnic?

 

Upon hearing Rudeni’s question, Ifia thought for a moment and came up with an excuse, “Rudeni, I suddenly thought, what if those people in black robes already know we’ve escaped? What if they’re coming after us with hounds?”

 

This possibility suggested by Ifia shocked Rudeni, and the more she thought about it, the more she believed it was highly likely. They had been on the run for quite some time, perhaps the people in black robes were already on their way! Now, not only Rudeni but even Daelin was panicking.

 

Daelin anxiously stomped her feet on the spot, her hands instinctively clenched together, and the agitation was almost twisting her fingers into a spiral. Fear urged her to urge Ifia, “Then why did you stop? Let’s escape quickly!”

 

“If you run fast, are you faster than those men? Besides, they have hounds that can locate us through scent.”

 

Ifia rolled her eyes at Daelin, ignoring her urging, and continued to gather the needed plant leaves. Rudeni, however, showed perceptiveness. After observing Ifia continuously picking leaves, she seemed to have figured something out and immediately asked, “Ifia, are you picking these leaves to use them to conceal our scent?”

 

“Yeah, hurry and come pick some too. Just make sure you pick the right ones.”

 

Hearing Ifia’s words, Rudeni and Daelin didn’t waste time talking. They joined the leaf-picking team. With the system’s help, Ifia found several types of plant leaves.

 

When they had gathered enough, Ifia directed Rudeni and Daelin to crush the leaves with stones. After adding some water and stirring, they stopped when they had a pot full of colorful and dark plant juice.

 

Then, Ifia, without hesitation, poured the plant juice from head to toe. After covering her entire body with strange odors, disregarding Daelin’s urgency, Ifia handed the pot to Rudeni.

 

But it didn’t end there. Ifia continued to crush leaves and applied the residue on her arms and the exposed skin of her legs, especially the arterial areas, layering it thickly.

 

Making Ifia feel like she was about to turn into a terracotta warrior. In reality, rolling in yellow or foul-smelling mud would be more effective in masking their scents than using plant juice. However, there was no time to search for a mud pit, so they opted for the readily available plant leaves. Additionally, mud adds weight, which would be disadvantageous for their upcoming journey.

 

Once all three were prepared, Ifia asked the system again.

 

[How much time until the enemies arrive?]

 

[Forty minutes.]

 

Upon hearing that there was still a considerable amount of time, Ifia thought for a moment and ultimately decided to continue the journey. If they didn’t know the knight’s order was coming to their rescue, it would be better to find a place to hide from the pursuers. However, if they continued traveling at night, they could join forces with the knight’s order! Rather than hiding and constantly worrying about being discovered, it was better to quickly seek reinforcements.

 

“Alright, it’s up to luck now. Let’s keep going. Be careful not to leave any traces to avoid being tracked.”

 

Encouraging Rudeni, Ifia paid no attention to Daelin’s displeasure and walked ahead, leading the way.

 

Perhaps Ifia’s suggested speculation was too frightening, as now even Daelin dared not make trouble. The three maintained a silent state, walking for half an hour. They avoided grassy areas and damp soil, specifically choosing remote and difficult paths to minimize leaving traces.

 

After consulting the system, Ifia confirmed that there were no professional hunters among the pursuit team members. As long as they didn’t leave obvious traces, the pursuers wouldn’t discover them. As the time approached, as reminded by the system, Ifia felt increasingly nervous. Sweat appeared on her forehead. While waiting quietly for the final outcome, she silently prayed for the success of the plan, yearning to return alive.

 

To see her friends again.

 

And to meet Amelia, who was waiting for her!

 

[Congratulations, host! You’ve successfully evaded the hound’s pursuit!]

 

Soon, the system provided the answer, and Ifia excitedly raised her hand to cover her mouth. She silently stood in place, jumping a few times to release the joy inside her. Rudeni and Daelin, who were following behind her, were puzzled, wondering why Ifia suddenly started jumping around.

 

After letting out her excitement, Ifia received the two’s questioning looks and smiled, speaking softly, “We’re temporarily safe now, but don’t speak too loudly.”

 

Although relieved that the plan succeeded, they had to continue their journey. Ifia didn’t say much more, immediately turning around to lead the way, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible.

 

Following the system’s guidance, Ifia chose the route farthest from the pursuers to avoid any encounters. It would be even safer if they could travel in the opposite direction of the pursuit team.

 

Unfortunately, the route leading to the knight’s order was also the direction the pursuit team was heading. At their current pace, they might encounter the knight’s order in the early morning. Ifia’s heart settled, and she considered whether to take a break.

 

*Splash*

 

While Ifia was preparing to let the system detect if there was any food around, a muffled sound suddenly came from behind. This immediately made Ifia turn around in alert, only to see Daelin sitting not far away, her face showing panic, while Rudeni was nowhere to be seen.

 

Seeing this, Ifia had a bad premonition and quickly walked towards Daelin. Following her gaze, Ifia looked at the deep pit in front of Daelin, where Rudeni lay in pain, holding a small, sour fruit in her hand. Above the pit, there were tree branches with hanging fruits forming a natural trap.

 

“It’s not my fault, it’s all Rudeni. I just found these fruits…”

 

Ifia didn’t have time to pay attention to Daelin. She glanced at the depth of the pit, then took out something from her bag and twisted her clothes into a rope. She then placed the improvised rope along the edge of the deep pit.

 

“Rudeni, can you hear me? Grab the rope!”

 

Ifia instinctively lowered her voice. After seeing Rudeni nod, she immediately turned to Daelin and said, “What are you standing there for? Come over and help!”

 

After Daelin and Ifia worked together, they finally managed to pull Rudeni out of the pit. During the effort to lift her up, Ifia expended a considerable amount of strength, causing her hands to tremble. It would probably take a while for them to recover.

 

[System, there was a trap. Why didn’t you give a warning?]

 

[The system only provides advance warnings when the host is in danger, not for others.]

 

Alright, the system’s explanation passed.

 

Ifia sighed and then looked at Rudeni, whose face was twisted in pain. Clearly, she was enduring significant discomfort. However, upon noticing Ifia’s gaze, she immediately spoke with guilt, “Ifia, I’m sorry. I slowed you down.”

 

Rudeni hadn’t anticipated that she would fall into the pit just while trying to pick some fruits. Now, her left leg was intolerably painful, likely broken, or even worse. When she was pulled out of the pit moments ago, Rudeni gritted her teeth to endure the pain, resulting in a sweat-covered pale face. As soon as she relaxed, the intense pain overwhelmed her.

 

Seeing Rudeni in so much pain, Ifia immediately stopped her from continuing, “Rudeni, this is just an accident. No one could have anticipated it. Don’t blame yourself.”

 

If Rudeni had deviated from the route to pick fruit elsewhere and fallen into a deep pit, it might have been deserved, but she had just casually picked fruits along the roadside and ended up in the pit. It could only be described as extremely unlucky.

 

-_-

 

Originally, Ifia thought the system could provide advance warnings, but it turned out that others were not within its scope of operation. The system once again refreshed its “useless” score!

 

After hearing Ifia’s words, Rudeni’s eyes reddened. She had initially felt that her pain was deserved, but after Ifia’s consolation, she was finding it hard to control her tears.

 

Daelin, who was usually talkative, remained silent, trying to reduce her presence by shrinking her body. It seemed like this incident was somewhat related to her.

 

“What happened to your leg?”

 

Noticing Rudeni’s trembling body, Ifia, after Rudeni pointed to her left leg, lifted a part of her black skirt. Then, a strong smell of blood filled the air, surprising Ifia. Rudeni’s lower leg was twisted and broken, with white broken bones piercing through the skin, and a considerable amount of blood flowing from the wound.

 

So severe!

 

Upon seeing the extent of her own injury, Rudeni could no longer hold back her tears. Unfortunately, trouble never comes alone.

 

The next moment, the system’s voice echoed.

 

[Host, the pursuit team’s hounds have already detected the scent of blood and are rapidly approaching this location.]

 

Damn it! Everything was piling up at once.

 

Ifia looked at Rudeni’s severe leg injury, realizing that even if they tried to run, they wouldn’t be fast enough. Immediate action was needed to stop the bleeding; otherwise, she might go into shock and die from excessive blood loss.

 

If she abandoned Rudeni, maybe they could evade the pursuit team.

 

[Host, please leave as soon as possible. The pursuit team has detected abnormalities and will be here in twelve hundred meters, estimated in three minutes.]

 

[Host, put away any unnecessary sympathy. Don’t let others jeopardize your life.]

 

[Host, don’t you want to see your friends again, as well as the villainess?]

 

As Ifia hesitated in her heart, the system’s voice seemed to whisper like a devil in her ear, pointing out a path to survival. With the system’s assistance, she could completely avoid the pursuit team by abandoning the injured Rudeni. Later, it would only be her alone, making it easier to hide. Besides, she had made it clear from the beginning that she wouldn’t care about others when faced with danger; she would only prioritize her own survival.

 

So, why not go, Ifia?

 

Is it because of that excess sympathy? Or perhaps she feels Rudeni is innocent? Or is it about her own untouchable moral line?

 

Ifia’s hesitation lasted only a moment, but soon her expression became resolute. Casting aside her doubts, she chose to ignore the system. Although she wanted to survive, she couldn’t tread on the bones of the innocent. That was her bottom line as a person, and no one could make her change it!

 

Moreover, there was still a chance to turn things around, it wasn’t a hopeless situation yet. She was determined to give it a try!

 

While Ifia’s stubbornness frustrated the system, Rudeni, with teary eyes, used her trembling hands to lower her skirt, covering her severely injured leg. Then, she forced a smile and looked up at Ifia, choking up as she spoke.

 

“Ifia, you and Daelin, go. If you can leave here safely, can you… can you help me apologize to my mom? I… I can’t accompany her anymore. But I’ve saved some money at my workplace. Let my mom use it for treatment! Ask her not to…”

 

While speaking, Rudeni couldn’t finish her sentences coherently, but she continued to make a desperate effort to express herself. However, Ifia didn’t continue to listen. Instead, she reached into her bag, took out the hemostatic plants she had collected earlier, and handed them to Rudeni. Then, she lifted Rudeni’s shoulders with her hands.

 

Staring into her eyes, Ifia spoke word by word, “Rudeni, if you trust me, tend to your wound, then use your clothes to cover your nose and mouth. Stay quietly here!” Ifia’s dark eyes carried determination, prompting Rudeni to meet her gaze and unconsciously nod. Then, as Rudeni looked at Ifia, her tears flowed even more fiercely. It wasn’t sadness but joy. Rudeni thought that, being injured, she was surely going to die. No one would want to escape with an injured person dragging them down. However, Ifia didn’t abandon her. Instead, she gave her hope to survive!

 

[System, report the enemy’s position every ten seconds.]

 

[Understood.]

 

Seeing that she couldn’t persuade the determined host, the system reluctantly followed Ifia’s orders. Hopefully, the foolish host could successfully escape this ordeal. Alas, right as the villainess was leaving, a kidnapping incident occurred. If the villainess were still in Darwa City, she would have immediately sensed Ifia’s disappearance and found the kidnapped host on the same day. Now, with the villainess absent, the host could only rely on self-rescue. The host was unlucky to be entangled in the witch-hunting plot.

 

If it were a demon attack, relying on the items left by the villainess would have kept the host safe. Even the wild boar earlier fled in panic due to the demonic aura. However, now facing ruthless humans, those items became ineffective. Considering this, the villainess might as well have directly given the host a demonic mark. In that case, she could monitor the foolish host at any time and prevent danger.

 

Reflecting on these thoughts, the system felt that its life had become much more exciting since binding with the host. Every moment hovered on the edge of life and death. Silently sighing, the system continued monitoring and reporting.

 

[Enemy is 900 meters away from the host’s location.]

 

While the system was worried, Ifia didn’t remain idle. She briefly explained how to treat the wound and then pulled Daelin aside to hide. Although Ifia wanted Daelin to accompany Rudeni, considering the danger to her pig teammate, she ultimately let Daelin find a place to hide, covering her nose and mouth to avoid making noise.

 

Daelin had many questions about Ifia’s arrangement, but seeing Ifia’s unwillingness to engage with her and considering that Rudeni’s injury was related to her, Daelin didn’t dare to act stubborn like before. So, she silently refrained from speaking. After Daelin obediently hid, Ifia glanced at a large tree close to Rudeni.

 

Immediately, she rubbed her hands together, prepared herself, and then swiftly climbed up the tree. The experience of climbing trees and playing with sticks in her past life proved to be extremely helpful! After settling in the tree, Ifia covered her face with a scrap of cloth and tested the wind direction.

 

Luckily, the wind was blowing towards Rudeni’s direction, not against it.

 

“Bark! Bark! Bark!”

 

Right after Ifia finished testing the wind direction, barking from dogs immediately came from not far away. The system also provided a reminder.

 

[The enemy is 200 meters away from the host’s location.]

 

Here they come! Despite appearing confident with her plan, Ifia was still somewhat uneasy inside, fearing that any mistakes could lead to everyone’s demise. However, she didn’t reveal the slightest hint on the surface, considering Rudeni’s look of despair.

 

But when the enemy actually arrived, she became surprisingly calm. Life or death, it was up to her now.

 

“Come quickly, I found the escaping witch, she’s here!”

 

“Bark! Bark! Bark!”

 

Rudeni, being such a large person lying on the ground, couldn’t go unnoticed even by a blind person. So when the pursuit team from the Judicators’ organization arrived, four adult males immediately surrounded Rudeni. Two slender hunting dogs barked wildly at Rudeni, revealing an attacking posture due to the scent of blood, their sharp teeth exposed, ready to pounce and bite at any moment.

 

Terrified by the ferocious dogs, Rudeni trembled all over, but she always remembered Ifia’s instructions. She lowered her head, burying her face in her clothes, like an ostrich.

 

In the eyes of the pursuit team, she seemed afraid to lift her head. This prompted one of the men with green short hair to curse angrily, pointing at Rudeni, “It’s all you damned witches! My brother-in-law was cursed to death by a demon. I will personally burn all of you to ashes!”

 

“Danielle, calm down. Let’s take her back first. Don’t forget the Bishop’s orders.”

 

Seeing Daniel about to take action, the others quickly intervened. Despite feeling blessed by divine protection, the recent incident of Joseph drowning in the toilet still cast a shadow over them, making them hesitate to harm the witches. Hearing the words “Bishop,” Daniel calmed down.

 

However, soon after, he furrowed his brow and voiced his confusion: “Three witches escaped in total, why is there only this one?”

 

[Host, take action now!]

 

In the tree, waiting for the right moment, Ifia finally seized the opportunity. She raised her hand and opened the bottle of sleeping potion, pouring it in the direction of Rudeni and the others.