Chapter 146: Shadow Operative
Chapter 146: Shadow Operative
The fake Marco shifted his weight onto his back foot. A moment later, the dark energy constructing his shadow blade dissolved entirely into the dirt. He dropped his combative stance and straightened his posture.
"I have zero desire to fight you, Solomon." The imposter crossed his arms over his chest. "We are simply wasting time by standing around."
Solomon kept his aura-infused fists raised near his chin. "I cannot possibly be wasting time while an active enemy stands right in front of me."
"I am your ally in this situation," the fake Marco clarified. "The spies planted inside the Azure Dragon Sect are the actual enemies here. Every single minute we waste inside this dome drastically increases the danger to the royals and nobles residing on the mountain."
Solomon furrowed his brow and lowered his hands slightly. "Are you not helping Chenric break a prisoner out of the sect?"
A dry chuckle escaped the imposter’s lips. "Do you genuinely believe Chenric only hired the two of us for this job?"
Solomon completely dropped his fighting stance. The bright aura coating his knuckles instantly faded into the shadows.
"Chenric possesses everything a mortal could possibly wish for," the fake Marco continued. "He offered those exact things to the sect members. Those cultivators willingly accepted his bribes to betray the sect that gave them everything."
Solomon pointed a finger directly at the imposter. "Who exactly are you? Why are you sharing all this information with me? Is this some kind of elaborate sting operation?"
The imposter wiped the remaining blood from his jaw and adopted a rigid, disciplined posture. "My name is Corvus. I am a shadow operative from the Bririth Kingdom. I am here to protect Princess Elizabeth from the dangers of the evil sect."
’So her name is Elizabeth,’ Solomon noted to himself while analyzing the man’s expression.
Solomon planted his boots firmly against the dirt. "How and why should I believe a single word you just said?"
Corvus stepped away from the shadowy barrier and smoothed out his flowing robes. "I have absolutely no obligation or reason to answer that question. It is up to you if you want to believe me or disregard my words."
The operative gestured toward the dark walls enclosing them. "If you truly want to fight, I am completely ready. I will simply maintain this spatial domain and keep you trapped inside."
Solomon shrugged his shoulders and rested Eden’s Penance against his collarbone. "I will just break this domain using my aura sword."
Corvus scoffed. "That will never work. This spatial barrier can only be broken from the outside."
Lowering his hands, Solomon pointed at the empty sky above them. "What about your streaming owl? If you are actually an operative from Bririth, how do you possess one of those devices?"
Corvus tapped the silver academy crest stitched to his uniform. "I really am an enrolled student at the Live Streaming Academy. I am currently a second-year disciple. My drone is forged from silver, unlike your bronze model. Furthermore, the academy administration knows everything about this sting operation."
Solomon let out a long sigh and loosened his posture. "Fine. I will try trusting you."
Corvus snapped his fingers with a sharp crack. The dark shadows instantly dissolved into the dirt, returning the moonlit forest to their vision.
Solomon immediately lunged forward and threw a devastating right hook directly at the operative’s face.
Corvus simply tilted his head, letting the knuckles graze past his ear. "I knew you would definitely try to do that."
Solomon pulled his arm back and rolled his shoulders. "I definitely was not trying to attack you. I simply needed to stretch my triceps, and your face just happened to be in the way."
The bronze owl fluttered down from the tree canopy and resumed hovering near Solomon’s shoulder. A translucent blue screen materialized instantly. The viewer count spiked as a flood of panicked messages scrolled across the interface.
[1Fizzy: WHERE DID YOU GO?!]
[Fatal_Beauty: THE STREAM JUST WENT PITCH BLACK FOR TEN MINUTES!]
[BloodKnight: I suspected an ambush. Are you injured, Solomon?]
[User12: bro literally disappeared and came back with the imposter.]
Solomon glanced at the camera lens and offered a casual wave. "The magical interference out here in the woods temporarily disrupted the drone’s signal. Everything is completely fine. We just had a polite conversation about directions."
They turned away from the city limits and hiked through the dense forest. Reaching the base of the mountain, they stood before the sheer vertical crevice leading up to the Azure Dragon Sect.
Solomon secured the thick leather strap of his executioner’s sword across his chest. He leaped onto the rock face and began his grueling physical ascent. He dug his boots into the narrow cracks, hauling his body weight upward over the steep ledges.
Meanwhile, Corvus stepped into the darkness cast by a large boulder. He sank into the shadows and effortlessly glided up the vertical cliff face. The operative bypassed the crumbling footholds entirely, merging with the dim moonlight to travel upward at an absurd speed.
Solomon gritted his teeth and pulled himself over a sharp rock outcropping. "I despise you right now," he cursed, watching the shadow glide effortlessly past his struggling form.
Corvus materialized on a high ledge and looked down at the climbing boy. "You really should consider learning some magic."
"Shut up and keep moving," Solomon grunted, vaulting over another massive gap. "I don’t have a mana core. And that doesn’t seem like magic, either. It’s your talent."
They finally cleared the treacherous ravine and stepped onto the solid grounds of the sect pavilion.
Solomon pressed his back against the solid stone wall and watched a squad of five blue-robed guards march past the intersection. The patrol numbers had tripled since he left his dormitory a few hours ago.
He adjusted the leather strap of Eden’s Penance across his chest and peeked around the corner. The sect grounds swarmed with extra sentries holding glowing lanterns under the pitch-black sky.
Corvus materialized from the shadows near a stone pillar. The operative brushed the dust off his flowing azure robes and looked at the winding paths leading toward the inner courtyards. "You can do whatever you want for the rest of the night. I need to track down the spies and map their network before the actual extraction begins tomorrow."
Solomon nodded and stepped away from the wall. He needed to burn off his remaining stamina to finally cure his insomnia. Leaving the operative behind, he navigated the winding paths leading straight toward the Sword Pavilion.
He utilized his Basic Stealth to slip seamlessly past two more patrol groups guarding the main gates.
He stepped through the towering stone archway of his designated training ground. The dirt rings sat completely empty under the moonlight.
"Look who is here," a voice said.
Pavilion Leader Jin sat casually on the bottom step of the main staircase with his curved saber resting across his knees.
"You were told to stay put and you decided to sneak out, again."
"I just went for a midnight jog."
The senior instructor tapped his fingers against his scabbard and looked up at the silver-haired boy.
"I dislike it when someone makes me wait," Jin stated, standing up from the stone steps. "I detest waiting even more when a duel is on the schedule."