Watching as Yvette transformed into a streak of red light and disappeared into the woods behind the cathedral, the General stepped out of the shadows, his expression grim. Despite controlling the puppet, his anger was clearly visible and hard to suppress.
His fury was not because Nameless escaped right under his nose; it stemmed instead from the fact that the skeletons he had previously summoned to attack her were each elite skeletons he had invested substantial resources in training—not at all comparable to the ordinary skeletons outside.
He had poured countless resources into nurturing these elite skeletons, even to the point of straining his personal finances for some time, much like maintaining a dependent.
Yet, just moments ago, more than half of this elite squad had been destroyed during their first engagement; how could he not be furious?
“Zero… Nameless…” he muttered the two names, and soon his anger began to recede. Once he regained his composure, an icy, serious expression replaced his initial outrage.
Hours earlier, he had been severely wounded by Zero’s psychic attack, causing a significant drop in his combat power. Now, with Nameless having destroyed most of his elite skeletons, his strength had weakened even further.
The two were obviously close, possibly even sisters, and it was clear they were working together. Moreover, their individual battle capabilities exceeded his expectations and could be described as astonishingly powerful.
If he were to pursue personal heroism, he would have little chance of catching either one. However, he wasn’t so stubborn.
Earlier, he had kept a low profile to avoid attracting too much attention, but now the circumstances called for a different approach.
If he could not face them alone, he would summon the combined forces of the police, the military, and the congregation from the Holy Spirit Sect to crush them.In life, one must learn to adapt.
……
After making his way through the empty streets of Firth River at four in the morning and returning to his villa on Yangon Street, it hadn’t been more than two hours when Yvette saw several police cars surrounding her rented villa, each loaded with fully armed SWAT officers.
Although the anti-fly zone remained active, and there were no drones overhead, a tense and foreboding atmosphere permeated the night.
In a drawn-out battle of wits with the air, she eventually managed to sneak inside, only to find the police had come up empty-handed after a thorough search, grumbling about their interrupted sleep.
Yvette, however, had not gone far. Instead, she perched atop the rooftop, seamlessly merging into the darkness with Shadow Slip while eavesdropping on the officers’ conversations, confirming that she had been framed for numerous crimes including “selling drugs without a license,” “robbery and murder,” and “stealing sect secrets.” She was now the number one wanted criminal in the western district of Rusted Bone.
It seemed the worst-case scenario had indeed come to pass.
Whether it was she or a Reincarnation High Priest like Lind Benedict, it was impossible to stand against the machinery of the state.
After all, a mage’s resources were finite, while the government and military could wield resources that were staggering in comparison. Even if they were merely harassing her, they could exhaust her. Not to mention, the Rusted Bone military had access to advanced armaments like Magitek Mechs and Combat Automatons.
Furthermore, she couldn’t simply engage in a decapitation strike. One reason was that she was unsure whether moving too far away from Firth River would cause her to entirely dispel the Dream Mist. Another was that this incident was instigated by the Reincarnation High Priest Lind Benedict; if she were to assassinate anyone, it should be him.
Unfortunately, necromancers were inherently elusive. They appeared as their undead minions, and even if she hacked into the city’s surveillance system, it would be nearly impossible to find any trace of him amid endless recordings.
With her limited knowledge of light and shadow magic, Yvette had to don a hooded sweatshirt, using a mask and sunglasses to disguise her identity for basic masking. She then “borrowed” a car from the roadside and, navigating a surveillance-free dirt road, arrived twenty kilometers away in Shalin Town.
At this hour, daylight had already broken. After parking the car in the wilderness outside the town, Yvette entered and observed that locals had begun to stir, though their expressions seemed a bit vacant; perhaps they were still languishing in drowsiness.
After passing through a small alley adjacent to the main road, Yvette pushed open the door into the yard. Lianna was already awake, spreading jam on bread in the living room of the main house, while Firefly clumsily prepared coffee on the side.
Upon seeing Yvette, Lianna exclaimed in surprise, “Good morning, sister! You’re here quite early… Huh? What’s with your outfit?”
Firefly also displayed a puzzled expression, straightforwardly asking, “Sister, why do you look like a fugitive?”
“I ran into a bit of a special situation, and I’ll explain everything to you in a bit,” Yvette replied, shaking her head. “But where’s Iva?”
“She’s still asleep; do you need her for something?” Lianna blinked curiously.
“There’s something to discuss, so we need to wake her up.” Yvette stated.
Originally, she had intended to avoid becoming involved in the joint actions of Zero and One.
Although the butterfly effect was inevitable, she could lessen its impact on the future by reducing her presence.
However, based on the information she received from Fireghost Colby, the General had come to Firth River precisely targeting her, Zero, and One. Furthermore, along the way to Shalin Town, she had also observed the latest information released by local authorities, which included not only herself but also Zero and One, all listed as wanted accomplices.
This changed everything; it was as if they were being forced into a cooperative venture. Since reducing her visibility would be difficult, she figured it would be better for her to take the reins. Otherwise, if Zero acted impulsively, they could all be dragged into danger.
Entering the bedroom, Yvette saw Zero curled up on the bed, clutching a pillow and sleeping soundly.
In such a seemingly harmless state, she appeared quite adorable, completely devoid of the insane energy she had displayed that day when she attacked Yvette without reason. Lianna approached her, calling softly and poking her face, yet frustratingly, Zero remained deeply asleep, showing no response whatsoever.
Yvette found this odd; given Zero’s nature, she wouldn’t typically sleep so soundly. Wouldn’t this imply that she wouldn’t sense any approaching enemies?
She stepped closer and reached out to touch Zero’s head, but the moment her hand came near, Zero’s eyes snapped open, glaring at her with a terrifying gaze akin to a feral cat ready to pounce. Only after Yvette withdrew her hand did Zero close her eyes again, returning to even breathing and deep sleep.
“…”
“Sister…” Lianna looked at her innocently.
“Has she been like this all the time?” Yvette asked helplessly.
“No, she wasn’t this sleepy before, but ever since we came to Firth River, I don’t know if it’s due to fatigue or something else, but now she sleeps a lot during the day, barely waking up at all,” Lianna replied, puzzled.
“Her sleep has increased? Since we arrived here?” Yvette was taken aback.
“Essentially,” Lianna nodded.
Yvette fell into thought, wondering what could be the cause. Could it be that like herself, she had discovered sleeping was the best method for enhancing spirit strength?
Realizing this was a bit short, she continued to ponder.