I stopped fast-forwarding because Hans was already quite far behind the others. Kat had caught up with the man. Now, the girl was sneaking around, hiding among the big rocks and trees.


    "Shit." Hans seemed to have difficulty walking. Several times he stopped to rest his injured left leg.


    Kat started aiming for the man who was already quite close to her.


    "Argghhhh!!!" Hans screamed as the arrow from Kat pierced his right leg. He deliberately dropped the sack of goods on his back, then held his ax while looking around. "Hey, where are you! Come out and fight me!"


    Suddenly, Rox ran towards Hans, jumped high, and bit the hand of the man holding the ax. Hans lost his bnce and fell. Screaming in pain, he wrestled with Kat''s dog.


    "Let go of me, you ugly dog!!!" Hans continued to smack Rox, but the dog kept its fangs in the man''s forearm. However, Hans was still able to maintain his ax.


    Kat came out of hiding and fired another arrow. Hans'' screams grew louder as the arrow pierced his stomach.


    Ignoring the screams of pain, Kat continued to walk forward, shooting and shooting more arrows. Shout after shout of Hans continued to echo through the snow.


    Kat''s arrows ran out, and finally Hans'' ax slipped out of his grip. Kat threw away her quiver and bow and took the ax.


    Hans, who was already covered in arrows, looked at Kat in horror, then began to crawl through the snow, making long trails of red over white.


    I looked at Hans''s sack of belongings, some of which had been spilled. A few jerky, pemmicans, and potatoes were scattered in the snow.


    Kat lowered her head, walked over to the still creeping Hans.


    And once she got so close to him, Kat raised the ax in her hand high. The tip of the ax then dived into the back of Hans'' head.


    ***


    Kat walked back home with a bloodied sack and ax. Even aftermitting such a cruel deed, her face still not showing any meaningful expression..


    This isn''t the first time she''s killed someone. However, unlike Jia, who almost raped the girl, Hans was just a desperate person, not a pure evil. He''s probably the same as Pif''s friends who once raided my colonist''s house. They didn''t want to attack at all.


    After Hans died, I just remembered that. A moment ago, my heart was still filled with revenge and hatred.


    But, in the end, it''s still for survival, right? Even though the food we took back wasn''t much


    Rox, who apanied Kat, continued to stare at her master. The pet''s eyes looked a bit zed. Perhaps he was worried about his master''s condition. Maybe the dog could sense the feelings of its master, who was shaken after killing people.


    I can only hope that Kat can move on from this.


    From this game, I learned. In certain situations, there is no such thing as hesitation. If you pity the opponent, then my people will probably die.


    But...


    Still, that Hans death was my doing. I ordered Kat to do that. I''m sure the image of the ax hitting Hans''s head won''t leave my mind soon. I have to live with it.


    Once she was close enough to the door, Kat ran into Leva, carrying a shovel, probably just burying Pif alone. Leva''s puffy, still watery eyes narrowed at the sight of the bloody ax in Kat''s hand.


    However, the amber-eyed girl didn''t care. She kept walking and went inside the house. All the attention of the people inside turned to her. Especially when she threw the ax and sack of Hans'' belongings to the floor.


    Even so, no one spoke. Kat didn''t talk either and chose to go to the toilet. Rox was going to follow his master. However, at the signal from Kat, the dog moved away. He approached the firece and curled up with a sad face.


    Eric moved from his ce, took the ax, gripped it tightly. His body shook, and his face stiffened.


    Feeling sorry for the man, I whispered to Leva. After all, Eric is now part of my colony. I have to take care of him.


    Leva held out the shovel in her hand to the man. "He''s your friend, right? Looks like his body isn''t far away. You can bury him in our grave, it''s only a few meters from here."


    Eric raised his face, looking at Leva, who pointed to the final resting ce for anyone who died in my colony. Whether it''s a member or not.


    Bowing his head again, Eric grabbed the shovel, then stood up. Meanwhile, Leva walked over to one corner of the room, huddled there, and buried her head into his knees.


    "Let me help you, Eric." Seb got up too.


    "No need, Dad." Eric came out of the house without another word.


    "We must avenge them." Manu, lying with bandaged shoulders, spoke vehemently after Eric''s footsteps were heard no more. "We must go to their quarters, kill all the members, and retrieve our supplies."


    "Shut up, Manu." Leva replied in a quivering, hoarse voice, still burying her head in her knees. "You can see for yourself their weapons can do nasty things, right?"


    "Don''t you want to avenge Pif''s death?"


    A bitterugh escaped Leva''s mouth. "Of course I''m furious and want to kill them. But that doesn''t mean I''m stupid, Manu. We can''t do anything in front of their guns."


    Manu straightened up, winced in pain, and spoke again in a firmer tone. "But, you can defeat arge group of stump scorpions, even kill one of their leaders. You can definitely finish off those bastards...."


    "Stump scorpions can''t shoot hot metal." Leva lifted her head, showing tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please, I don''t want to lose the people closest to me again. If we attack them, I can''t guarantee that I can protect you guys. So can we just end this conversation?"


    Manu narrowed his eyes, speechless.


    Seb, who had his back to the two people all the time, finally turned around and spoke with a faint smile. "We''re tired. We''d better rest and not argue.. I''ll cook you guys something."