Chapter 75: Entering the Restricted Area

Within 3 minutes, we reached the area where the 3-leaf should pass before they reach the restricted area.

Most of them were already at that side so, as of right now, this part of the fortress was devoid of people.

We waited for a bit before two Dark Elves appeared from that restricted area. They both looked like they're drained of something as they hobbled back to the direction where their houses were located. Thinking back to the information I gathered, their jobs are the same as that of the Dark Elf girl from earlier. Powering the Dimensional Breacher using their Dark Energy.

Following the two of them, I'm already clutching the Orb of Ailment on my hand. To avoid conflict, using this orb to incapacitate them was proven effective. They're both guys but it doesn't matter now since we will only need their face to enter. After stopping the Dimension Breacher and erasing the trace of the portal, we'll escape the fortress using the Orb of Concealment.

On the initial plan where we didn't factor the use of the orbs, we were supposed to continue disguising ourselves until the fortress fell or the gates opened. Now with the help of these orbs, those risks were taken care of.

However, I have few apprehensions at using it this time, the target will be stronger than the first victims, will the side effect still be as intense?

Ah. I will wait until they reach their house, that way, I can drag them inside so no one will notice.

Thinking that way, since the two will enter two different houses, I had Jayna trail the other one. Luckily their houses were only 3 houses apart from each other.

I took out the Orb of Ailment and activated it before the two separated. Jayna whispered a sigh of amazement as she finally saw her prank stone getting used effectively.

She even wanted to activate it by herself but I told her off before promising to let her try it later. She's still unconvinced that I could use the orb to its maximum effect while she can only use it for pranking someone.

The purple-colored aura spread out from the orb and enveloped the two. The one I'm trailing started sneezing out loud as he almost tumbled down the road a few steps before his door while the other guy just dropped to his knees as he started clutching his stomach.

It's still this effective? Ah. They're drained of their energy, maybe that's another factor to its effectiveness.

As soon as they stopped moving, we knocked them unconscious and pulled them to the first guy's house.

Lining the two up, Jayna started studying their faces and body build while I dispelled her current disguise. Jayna told me that my method was faster so to save time, she had me dispel her disguise for her.

Seeing her turn back to her green shoulder-length hair and an elegant dress that compliments it, compared to the Dark Elf disguise, I really prefer her like this.

She paused when she noticed me staring at her. Lifting her gaze up to meet mine, we ended up staring at each other.

"Will you be fine here?"

I asked her to dispel whatever awkward atmosphere that was about to build up.

Since it will take some time for her to memorize their faces and body build, I'll have to watch out for possible disturbance outside. This is also why I didn't turn back to my original appearance yet.

I can deal with an enemy as long as it's not a 4-leaf. I'm quite confident to fight someone at that rank but it will undoubtedly make a commotion. With my current stats and the enhancement buff that I can use, 3-leaf Dark Elves will be a piece of cake. But yeah, I have to be swift since I still have no experience at fighting them head-on.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'm already a Transformed Spirit. Not any weaker than these two drained long-ears."

She even lifted her small fist up as a gesture of flaunting her strength.

I smiled at that before leaving her to finish her job.

I didn't go far from her though, just next to the entrance of the house. She'll probably need at least 10 minutes to properly memorize every detail of the two before she can apply the disguise on us.

Now, I started wonder what's happening outside. The sounds of explosions and screams either from the Dark Elves or the Spirit Beasts were still ringing in our ears.

Those sounds kind of reminded me what happened during that war in Raiden's Otherworld.

It's probably depicting a chaotic scene where corpses lay wherever.

However, that's not what I'm worried about. It was Yumiko who was alone there, dealing with the Spirit King.

If she could talk the Spirit King out to help her then she'll probably be forced to concede something it wants from her.

Ah. She'll be fine, she might look timid on Earth but ever since we arrived here, I'm starting to see her strong personality. And with the plans she could formulate, it's clear how smart she is.

That sly World's Will was probably watching over this area as well and the Spiritas will also soon send their forces here, with Harlan and Jayce at the lead.

The few minutes soon passed and luckily, no one went in this direction.

Saves me the effort of killing someone, right?

When Jayna called me back, the two were still unconscious. To prevent any mishaps, ending their lives will be better for us.

After two muffled screams, I pushed the corpses to a corner before covering it with the blanket on the bed. Meanwhile, Jayna started applying the disguise on herself first.

I watched on as her somewhat small figure turned to one of the Dark Elves we just killed, she copied it perfectly that she also looks like she was drained of Dark Energy.

After that, I dispelled my previous disguise and let her apply the new disguise to me.

Now looking like the two drained Dark Elves, we went over at what we will do.

Since we didn't get the name of the two, we'll make the excuse of forgetting something to re-enter the restricted area. Whether it will be accepted or not, we could only try for now.

If it doesn't work then we will have no choice but to use the Orb again to bypass whoever is at the entrance but that would mean our escape using the Orb wouldn't be viable unless we can stall for time for its cooldown to end.

We still have no idea what the Dimension Breacher looks like so we could only decide on what to do with it after entering.

I told her that at all times, prioritize her own safety. Well, she's a Transformed Spirit with 4 Rivers of connection so my worry might be pointless but it's still better to remind her.

I used Physique and Spirit Boost on her before we left the house.

Hobbling back to the restricted area, the two of us really looked like the two who had just left less than an hour ago.

Since the place was a former shrine-like area, we arrived at a Torii gate. There are no stairs leading up to the shrine though, instead, the stairs will lead us below, where the former shrine and portal were located.

We tried looking down but there seems to be a dark screen covering what could be viewed normally. When I focused my gaze into it, my Adaptability didn't trigger any danger coming from it, it's only a cover to prevent someone from seeing what's inside.

Since there's no one waiting in the Torii gate, we started descending the stairs, only when we're about to enter the dark screen that someone stopped us.

It's another Dark Elf and by the pressure he's giving off, he's a 3-leaf at most.

"What are you two doing back here? Your shift is over."

He scanned the two of us and threw the question while looking at us suspiciously.

"W-we forgot something inside."

I stuttered intentionally and slowed my pronunciation of words.

I was observing his reaction and after hearing my words, his suspicion only heightened. However, since our disguises were almost perfect, he couldn't find anything wrong with it.

"No. Go back. You can get it on your next shift."

He stared at us for a good while before he waved his hand to send us away. He'll probably report us as soon as he went back inside that and that would spell our doom.

Seeing that, I determined that we won't really be able to pass through easily.

I silently gathered Flux Energy into my hand. Once he turned his back on us, my hand stabbed forward and penetrated his back before an Energy Explosion happened inside his body.

My body immediately moved that even before Jayna could express her surprise, I'm already covering the Dark Elf's mouth to stop him from screaming.

"Calm down, Jayna. I'll be going in first, if I'm not attacked then no one saw what I just did, follow me in 30 seconds."

I looked back at her as I silently put down the Dark Elf who already died from how intense the Energy Explosion that happened inside his body. She was surprised at what I did as it might elicit a more violent response if someone was watching us from inside.

In that split second, I actually used two Augmented Skills simultaneously, covering my hand with Energy Slash, it lets my hand easily penetrate his back and bones and when it lodged deep inside his body, I triggered Energy Explosion.

From the upgrades because of the System's Passive Skills and the enhancement from the Spirit Ocean, my Augmented Skills is probably on par with Halos now. Even without reaching that stage, I'm already this strong. Instantly killing a 3-leaf who's equivalent to a Transformed Spirit, Saint Realm or Great-class.

"Take care, Daisuke. I'll follow you soon."

With a worry on her disguised face, I couldn't say I'm not fond to see that.

In a bid to erase that cursed image of a worrying drained handsome Dark Elf, I imagined her real face before plunging myself inside the dark screen covering the former shrine.