Chapter 120: Elusive Woman

Warden shot at the elusive figure in the dark, breaking through the ward. His sword raised in a swing, but before he could bring it down, the figure vanished from his side as if it were merely a ghost.

"Warden," Jason called. "What was it?"

Although Jason didn't see anything, he saw Warden swinging his blade.

His senses picked up a presence not far away, moving further away. "I don't know," Warden said, "but I'm going after it."

"Hey, wouldn't it be a better idea to stay together?" Nina's voice came, but Warden was already on the move, his figure vanishing in the darkness.

Warden was keenly aware of the elusive figure running ahead of him. It seemed human, at least in appearance, but the way it moved was nearly impossible for a human of flesh and blood. Considering it was a dungeon, Warden took a moment to cautiously bring out his best defence with Void shroud.

"Stop," a voice came, soft and feminine. "I meant no offence. It was merely an honest mistake, and I'm no threat to you, Great Warrior."

Is it a human? Warden considered, though he did not stop. "Show yourself; I will judge if you made offence or not."

"I would rather not," the voice said from behind him, where Warden had least expected it.

There was already a figure running ahead. How could she speak something from behind? Warden turned to find a similar figure behind him. In the dark, he could not see her face, but he noticed a smirk on her lips with white teeth.

"I am not there either," the woman purred, from his right.

Warden turned to find another identical figure on his right, still with that smirk.

"I'm here too," another voice heard from his left. Warden turned in time to find another identical figure of the woman. They all laughed in unison, as if playing a great joke on him.

"You know what you said about not being a threat," Warden said. "This demonstration did not really put my mind at ease."

"I apologise," said the woman on the right, as her figure vanished into the darkness.

The strange woman's lips curved upwards, hearing his unperturbed words, or perhaps she liked being called beautiful. Warden didn't really know how a woman's mind worked, but this one eluded him more than the others.

"I cannot," she said, "without my illusion powers, I'm basically vulnerable. Besides, you have a big sword, and you seem to like to stick women with it very much. I'd rather not be another victim."

There was some innuendo in her tone, but Warden would be a fool to let his guard down just yet.

"Who are you?" Warden asked again.

"I'm many things," she said softly, "but mostly a small woman with small power."

"What were you doing near our camp?"

"Just checking," she said. "After finding it was merely rankers, I decided to withdraw, but then you found me."

"I wouldn't have if you hadn't made such a show for yourself," Warden said. "Why did you show yourself? Or better yet, why didn't you stay put to clarify if it was merely a misunderstanding?"

"Didn't I say already I'm a small woman?" she said, "and there were four of you. I'd be ill at ease against all of you. As you know what they say about dungeons, there are monsters and there are monsters in human form. For a small woman like me, I have to stay clear of them all."

Warden snorted, not believing her.

"Anyway, we have a fun talk," she said, "but I must depart now."

"Hold on," Warden said. "What are you doing alone in a dungeon if you—"

The woman's figure already vanished, though her voice came for one last time: "Perhaps we'll meet again and I hope you won't stick your big sword in me then, but until then I'll be on your mind."

Warden looked in his surroundings for an extended period of time, but found nothing out of the ordinary. The woman was really like a ghost, though she had a way with words.

Then he heard screeches of drakes, from their camp...