CHAPTER 90: OPPORTUNITY IN ADVERSITY

Nalira pointed the tip of her sword directly at the neck of the red-robed guard, ready to finish him off, but the guard also used all his strength to hold the sword back so it couldn’t touch his neck.

"Nalira, don’t do this."

However, Nalira, who was already consumed by anger, completely ignored Shaan’s words and continued to press the tip of her sword closer and closer to the red-robed guard’s neck. Damn, there might only be a few centimeters left before the tip of the blade pierces the officer’s neck.

"This is bad, I have to stop Nalira right now."

Shaan activated his dash skill once more, preparing to stop Nalira from killing the red-robed guard. However, a terrifying groan suddenly echoed, causing Nalira to pause for a moment.

"What was that sound?"

"Oh, no. That’s... That’s..."

Shaan’s face paled as his eyes widened in realization that the doppleshade they had been fighting earlier had managed to escape. This was serious. They had to get out of here as quickly as possible before this creature managed to finish them off.

"New threat detected. Must be eliminated immediately." All the guards simultaneously turned their gaze toward the Doppleshade and attacked it. However, despite the guards being far greater in number than the Doppleshade, its power was far... far stronger than theirs, and it easily eliminated every guard who tried to attack it.

"This is bad. If this continues, we need to get away from here as far as possible—Nalira, watch out!"

Shaan’s shouts instantly made Nalira realize that the red-robed guard had swung a punch at her. She quickly used her sword to block the attack, causing her to be pushed back quite forcefully.

"Ugh, damn it."

"Nalira, are you okay?"

"Yes, Shaan." Nalira nodded her head. "But look at that," she said, pointing her finger toward the bridge. "The red-robed guard is now standing right in front of the bridge, and now it will be even harder for us to—"

"Shaan, Nalira!" Chelsie shouted, emerging from behind one of the trees near them. "Thank goodness you’re both okay," Chelsie said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I heard a terrible scream, so Mr. Courier and I decided to come out of hiding to check it out."

"What just happened?"

"Doppleshade. That creature returned and started killing the guards blocking its path."

"Killing?" Chelsie’s entire body trembled. "Oh, no, no. What should we do now? We could die if we stay here."

"We have to cross that bridge. We must."

"... But unfortunately, the red-robed guards are blocking the bridge, and it will be very difficult to get past them." Nalira glared at Shaan. "If it weren’t for Shaan distracting me, I might have been able to defeat that guard."

"I just don’t want to make things worse." Shaan defended himself. "If we attack this guard, we’ll be labeled as criminals."

"But how can we possibly get past this guard without attacking him?" Nalira folded her arms. "It feels impossible to do."

"No, it’s not impossible at all." Mr. Courier shook his head. "We can get past this red-robed guard without attacking him, as Shaan said."

"Uhm... I don’t understand what you’re saying, Mr. Courier."

Without wasting any time, Mr. Courier just opened his bag and took something out of it. He took out a weird thing that looked like a transparent silver ball, about the size of a tennis ball. What was even more unique was that there were fine black lines all over the surface of the ball, and there was some kind of white smoke inside it. Strange, what exactly is that thing?

"I’ve never seen anything like this before." Chelsie leaned in closer to get a better look at the object. "Mr. Courier, what is that?"

"A gas sphere. This is a special item created by the leader of the Red Moon faction and given to every courier on a mission. It can emit smoke to deceive enemies." Mr. Courier explained.

"Oh, that’s a good thing." Shaan smiled. "We can use that thing and sneak in when there’s an opportunity." "I agree with Shaan’s idea." Nalira nodded. "That’s a pretty good idea."

"However, I’m a bit skeptical that this thing will have enough effect to hold the red-robed guard."

Nalira looked at the courier with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean by that?"

"The gas ball will only activate if it comes into direct contact with the enemy, and its effect doesn’t last long." Mr. Courier paused for a moment. "I doubt we can get hit that red-robed guard."

"But at least we’ll try, rather than do nothing at all."

"Yes, I agree with Shaan’s words." Chelsie nodded quickly. "Come on, we have to try it now before the doppleshade catches us."

"But who will lure and throw the gas ball quickly while the others sneak past the guard?"

"I can do it," Nalira said confidently. "It’s no problem for me."

"Alright, then." The courier handed the gas ball to Nalira. "But I only have one gas ball, so please make sure your throw is on target."

"I understand."

"I think it’s time for us to start moving," Chelsie began to speak. "Doppleshade will be here soon, and we need to act quickly now."

Without delay, they began executing the plan they had prepared earlier. Nalira activated her dash skill and successfully lured the red-robed guard. With agility, she dodged all the guard’s attacks, and when she saw an opening, she threw the small ball with all her strength.

"crash!"

The small ball shattered directly on the guard’s face, and the gas inside the ball immediately spread outward. Instantly, the guard’s vision began to blur, and he couldn’t see for a few moments. Amazingly, it seemed that Nalira was doing her job well.

"This is our chance." Mr. Courier immediately ran past the guard. "Come on, we have to move quickly before the gas’s effects wear off."

Hearing the courier’s words, Shaan and Chelsie ran with all their strength, passing the red-robed guard who was still struggling to see. They kept running until they finally reached the suspension bridge. Good, it seemed that if things continued like this, they would reach the Twilight Sanctum soon.

"Oh, damn it..." Shaan’s body froze."I... I can’t."

"Shaan?" Chelsie furrowed her brow, turning to look at him as he stood motionless at the edge of the bridge. "What’s wrong? Hurry! We have to cross this bridge!"

"I-I can’t, Chelsie," Shaan shook his head. "I’m staying here."