Seeing the anxious expressions on the three youths’ faces, Yvette remained composed, as if dismissing their concerns entirely. She calmly replied, “If there’s any risk, I’ll retreat immediately.”
Daniel, Reese, and Cromwell exchanged glances, their gazes still filled with unease, strongly believing that Miss Nameless was significantly underestimating the situation.
However, there was nothing they could do; she was the leader here, and if she insisted on racing toward danger, they had no authority to stop her.
Cromwell thought for a moment, then turned to Daniel and Reese, saying, “You two check this floor. There are only a few rooms here, as we noted on our way in, and they probably hold some captives. The guards are already down, so there shouldn’t be much danger. Please liberate them.”
He then turned to Yvette, saying, “Miss Nameless, I do have some combat potential, you see—”
A rune circle appeared in his hand, and a blue flame swirled in his palm, giving off a flowing sensation, almost resembling a beautiful, dreamlike liquid crystal.
Yvette immediately recognized this spell as a mid-level spell worth around 10,000 runes called “Water Wave Flame,” which was one of the preferred combat spells for many young mages.
It had many advantages.
For instance, it was cost-effective; its low price stemmed from the fact that its code was filled with junk and that its design architecture was outdated, making it an antique among spells with a relatively low price point.
Another advantage was its aesthetic appeal; the spell’s appearance was a classic design that had transcended a century, remaining timelessly fashionable.Most importantly, it was characterized by “low mana consumption” and “high control”—these were crucial. The small-scale spells she carefully designed in the Tome of Flame Magic, aiming to maximize damage, required mana costs in the range of dozens or hundreds of points. In contrast, “Water Wave Flame” consumed roughly between 0.5 to 3 points per second, an outstandingly low consumption rate. Combined with its stable manipulation and built-in targeting assistance module, it was ideal for newcomers.
However, regrettably, in terms of destructive power, the “Water Wave Flame” was likely less lethal than some of the 100- or 200-rune spells she had penned in her Tome of Flame Magic
.Thus, even though Daniel and Reese viewed it as a reassuring spell, to Yvette, it simply wasn’t sufficient. At most, it served as a more convenient means of self-defense than a rune firearm.
She shook her head, preparing to refuse.
Cromwell reacted quickly, hurriedly adding, “I know that at my level, my help might only slow you down, but having an extra pair of hands will make it easier for you to accomplish many tasks, right?”
His reasoning had merit, prompting Yvette to weigh the pros and cons before replying, “That’s acceptable, but you need to stay at a safe distance until I allow you to come closer.”
“Understood, Miss Nameless.” Cromwell sighed in relief, feeling somewhat reassured.
Like the others, he didn’t hold much faith in Miss Nameless’s adventurous behavior.
However, unlike them, he held a bit of confidence in his abilities.
—After all, he had undergone specialized training and preparation to become an undercover journalist. The Water Wave Flame was just the top card in his hand.
While it certainly didn’t match the strength of Miss Nameless, it wouldn’t hinder him from thinking that if she fell into a hardship during battle, he could potentially act as the turning point to assist her.
Perhaps he might even earn her appreciation and favor…
Soon, after determining their respective tasks, Daniel and Reese rummaged through the bodies of the two fallen lackeys, each finding a stun baton and some minor belongings like cash.
Yvette, meanwhile, picked up one of the Anti-Magic Handcuffs, squinting slightly as she sensed its threat.
As a core technology of Lingmant Company, the key material for Anti-Magic Handcuffs came from the specialized branches of the signature product “Runic Tree.” Regrettably, this was nearly impossible to replicate; even if one obtained Lingmant’s core technology, growing a “Runic Tree” in reality was as challenging as reviving an ancient dragon from three thousand years ago.
Speaking of which, both Linde Development and the Black Tide Company had ancient organism revival plans, especially targeting ancient dragons… However, those projects seemed to have gone silent; it was uncertain if they had been scrapped…
After ending her train of thought, she placed the handcuff down and saw that the three were prepared. She gave a slight nod.
Both sides then split up, with Daniel and Reese taking the keys obtained from the cybernetic to start checking the rooms, while Yvette and Cromwell headed for the stairwell, moving upstairs.
Following Miss Nameless’s instructions, Cromwell maintained a distance of five or six meters behind, keeping his footsteps light while observing the surroundings.
But just as they reached the upper layer, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps, seemingly from below; someone was swiftly coming up the stairs, heading directly toward them.
Discovered? Cromwell paused, watching as Miss Nameless looked up, clearly focused on something, before casting a light spell. Following her gaze, he noticed a concealed mini-camera in the corner, which would have been nearly impossible to spot under normal circumstances if the light hadn’t dispelled the darkness.
“They’ve detected us; prioritize self-preservation,” Yvette warned. She too felt slightly surprised, recalling that this place was disconnected from the network, meaning all cameras operated on purely physical connections, without relying on internet links.
Such a primitive setup thwarted her network intrusion ability; not only could she not use the cameras to observe the traffickers within the base, but the traffickers themselves also noticed these two unexpected guests ascending the stairs.
However, it was clear that while they were startled, the traffickers did not perceive the slender, beautiful girl as any substantial threat. The two lackeys who were sent up only armed with stun batons likely believed some “piglet” had escaped from one of the rooms.
With malicious smiles, the two young lackeys stepped up the stairs one by one, their vile laughter echoing throughout the quiet stairwell.
“Hello, little beauty~” the lackeys greeted, but before they could finish, a flash of silver-white lightning struck them, causing them to convulse in place.
Simultaneously, the mini-camera in the corner emitted smoke and fell silent.
As everything transpired in an instant, Cromwell barely had time to react before two traffickers lay lifeless on the ground, the speed astonishing him.
This is the strength of Miss Nameless… he silently thought. It was far too quick; without the automated defensive field, relying solely on reaction time would be impossible!
No wonder she had the confidence to confront the leaders; her mastery of spells had already become so refined and swift, that success seemed to be within reach.
Using life magic, she pulled one of the lackeys back from the brink of death and interrogated him, “Where is the big boss? How is the living situation divided around here?”
Rescuing victims abducted by traffickers in the Rust Bone Free State could earn rewards from the federal government—10,000 credit points for each person saved.
Since her operation had begun at a trafficking stronghold, she planned to maximize her efforts and rescue as many people as possible in the surrounding area. This path also neatly aligned with her route as a bounty hunter, enabling her to claim a small fortune from the federal government.
Saving ten people meant 100,000 credits; it felt significantly more efficient than taking mercenary jobs…
“I… I won’t say anything!” The lackey clenched his jaw defiantly, but fear was evident in his eyes. He had clearly recognized that his life was drawing to a close; remaining silent might grant him survival, but speaking would seal his fate. “I’ll tell you. The ‘General’ won’t let me off… unless you guarantee I’ll live!”
“Then you can die.” Yvette didn’t want to waste breath, using a lightning blade to pierce through his head. Afterward, she brought Cromwell along as they ascended further.
Strangely, her pace was not quick; in fact, it seemed somewhat deliberate, as though she was intentionally making herself visible to the monitoring cameras.
The reason was simple—she hoped to draw enough attention to prevent the traffickers from noticing Daniel and Reese, who were still in the midst of their tasks, while at the same time luring in more enemies.
After all, it would be easier to clear things out if the enemies were gathered together for the kill. What would happen if she came on too strong and scared them all away?
Yet Cromwell felt increasingly anxious, thinking, My goodness, could you move a little faster? At this pace, we’re bound to be surrounded!
Even if you possess the strength to defeat “Blackblade” Okasi or “Dead-Eye” Bryce, shouldn’t the strategy involve a lightning-fast strike and swiftly taking them down? Why this unnecessary delay? Are you afraid there won’t be enough time for them to prepare?
After walking for less than half a minute, movement echoed from upstairs. It seemed they had noticed the disappearance of the lackeys, prompting the traffickers above to take the situation seriously, sending higher-tier members their way.
Simultaneously, on the seventh floor where they currently stood, the corridor began to stir, and many traffickers who had been resting suddenly awakened, irritated, and started moving toward the corridor.
Approximately ten traffickers armed with magical equipment were advancing, accompanied by several powerful cyborgs, and among them, the leading figure might just be one of the “Blackblade” or “Dead-Eye” Bryce!
Observing the seemingly indifferent Miss Nameless standing at the corridor entrance, Cromwell’s heart raced, an overwhelming sense of regret surfacing in his chest.
He thought to himself, If I had known I shouldn’t have followed this lunatic into this hellish situation. She’s acting so nonchalantly as if this were a stroll in the park; is she trying to get herself killed? What on earth is she thinking?
It would have been far better to remain below. By now, Daniel and Reese could very well have taken the opportunity to escape…