They had worked with Dean Bruce seNovelFireeral times, and from their impressions, no matter what dangers they encountered, Dean Bruce would always resolve them with ease. This left them not only amazed but also suspicious—was there really nothing that Dean Bruce couldn't do?
Amidst their astonishment, Dean Bruce had already activated the Invisibility Spell scroll. The peculiar magical energy rippled out, instantly enveloping the group.
Apollon Joy's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly asked, "How long can your invisibility last? I forgot to mention, we're still quite a distance away from the Gold family. If we walk without making noise, we'll have to slow down. Can it last that long?"
"..."
Dean Bruce's calm voice responded, "There's no need to worry about that."
By now, everyone had entered an invisible state, and Apollon Joy could no longer see Dean Bruce or the others. Hearing this response, he said, "Let's hold hands and walk. Step lightly. We're near the palace, and the security is extremely tight. If we make even the slightest noise, the imperial guards will swarm us in no time!"
"No need for that. We know soul magic. We can sense your position," Dean Bruce replied indifferently. "You just lead the way."
No matter how sincere Apollon Joy had appeared earlier, Dean Bruce wouldn't trust him so quickly. Naturally, he acted more powerful in front of him to intimidate and control his thoughts.
As for Nicholas William?
Though his abilities were lacking, Shelly William was quite capable. She would surely take care of her offspring, so there was no need to worry about him falling behind.
Sure enough, upon hearing that Dean Bruce and his group could see through the invisibility, Apollon Joy was startled. Any sneaky thoughts he had were immediately squashed.
The power gap was just too big!
He wasn't ready to die yet!
With Apollon Joy leading the way, Dean Bruce and his group soon arrived at the first checkpoint.
Just as Apollon Joy had mentioned, the security around the imperial palace was exceptionally tight. Almost every checkpoint had over a dozen soldiers, and with the patrols passing by regularly, there were well over ten thousand soldiers solely responsible for guarding the place!
Fortunately, the Gold family didn't live inside the palace, so there were no protective magic arrays, giving Dean Bruce and his group the opportunity to sneak in undetected.
In just a matter of ten minutes, a luxurious manor came into Dean Bruce's view. Likely due to its proximity to the palace, there were no magical defenses or a significant number of guards around the estate.
There was no way around it—the benefit of living near the palace also came with its drawbacks. The Gold family couldn't set up their own magic arrays or gather too many guards, as that would arouse the royal family's suspicion.
If they fell out of favor with the crown, that would spell their doom!
Doing nothing and simply relying on the palace's imperial guards to protect their family was the smartest choice.
Once they were no longer favored, they could simply move out without drawing the royal family's ire.
This strategy, however, worked in Dean Bruce's favor, allowing him and his companions to slip into the manor with ease. Led by Apollon Joy, they reached the courtyard where the Gold family resided.
At last, there was some semblance of defense. A dozen or so servants stood by the front and back gates, though none of them appeared particularly alert. Some even looked as though they were about to fall asleep.
It could only be said that the Gold family had grown too complacent over the years. These servants had never encountered any real danger, so their so-called defense was half-hearted at best, merely a show.
Whoosh!
Boom—!
Blazing flames surged forth, condensing into a fiery arc that shot out from the greatsword, rushing at high speed toward Dean Bruce and his companions.
The invisibility spell merely made one's body intangible and transparent, preventing others from seeing them, but it offered no protection against attacks.
Sensing the heat from the oncoming strike, Dean Bruce, Shelly William, and Nicholas William reacted instantly, darting off to the side.
Only Apollon Joy stood frozen in place!
Noticing this, Dean Bruce frowned slightly. He wasn't about to let him be killed. With a flick of his right hand, magic surged forth, and the nearby window seemed to come alive. The wooden frame expanded wildly, transforming into a cage that quickly enveloped Apollon Joy, shielding him from harm.
The cage then began to lift, carrying Apollon Joy toward Dean Bruce's direction.
But the fiery sword strike had already arrived.
Boom!
An explosion erupted, and the flames engulfed the wooden cage, its scorching heat causing Apollon Joy to let out a pained scream.
Seeing this, Dean Bruce immediately cast a transformation spell on himself, altering his appearance and aura before revealing his form.
On the other side, Shelly William was about to make herself visible when she heard Dean Bruce's telepathic message. She immediately grabbed Nicholas William and moved to another location.
Since the man had been recognized by Apollon Joy, there was no need for Linda to reveal herself.
At the same time, Dean Bruce stretched both hands out, summoning a freezing cold from all directions. It coalesced into a powerful ice-blue bow, with arrows quickly forming, as sharp as frost itself. The arrow tore through the air, ripping toward the fiery figure.
"Who are you?" the man asked, seemingly unfazed by Dean Bruce's actions. His gaze shifted toward Dean Bruce, scrutinizing him.
Terrynas Gold froze for a moment, then his expression turned to anger. He shouted furiously, "There's no one like you in the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital! Who are you, and how did you infiltrate the empire's capital?"
"Enemy attack! Sound the alarm!"
It was only now that the drowsy servants finally snapped out of their stupor, scrambling to pull out strange devices from their robes and infuse them with magic.
Whistle—
Bang!
In an instant, brilliant lights shot into the air, magical energy rapidly gathering and colliding, producing a loud explosion.
Dean Bruce couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Who knew the magical world had such a signaling method?
It's basically a flare!