“Fue~” Varian sighed in relief. This went easier than expected. In the list Boo prepared, Ahri was defined as ‘Proud and Unyielding.’
So, he showed his traces and expected her to come fight him. He took her away from the field view of other messengers. In other words, no one saw what happened.
It’d have been a bit troublesome if she tried to inform others.
Varian glanced towards the central island and thought back to the report.
‘Helia. Proud. But secretly, she’s shrewd. Not many people knew that she molded public opinion and used it to destroy her opponents.
A very cautious person. But she also looks down on people she considers inferior.
Inferiority complex. In the banquet, she spoke against Sarah on multiple occasions and her words reveal her jealousy.’
“Well, why do I want to beat her up?” Varian muttered. “Since the fighting ended long ago, everyone will think she left. But she’s still on the island.”
The ring on his finger disappeared and re-appeared after a few seconds. “You’re right, master. She and Caleb are both on the central islands.”
“Uh-oh.” Varian nodded. “Now I should push Helia team out of the islands.”
After a bit of thought, he once again tapped on Ahri’s comm.
The message was addressed towards her peers in the island. “Important. Surround the island.”
Then he also typed a message to Ashtarh.
“I was in the middle of something, but I found traces of blood outside the islands! Helia team has left the islands. I’m going to Vine Forest and check on Charles.”
After the message, Varian raised his hand and punched down. His fist wa just above Ahri’s face when a silver light flashed and she was eliminated.
Varian’s body blurred and he appeared outside the central island.
But now, his face and clothes changed.
He deliberately used a common disguise mask available on the market.
To anyone who saw him from the distance, they only saw ‘Ahri’.
‘…this sucks.’ Varian complained inwardly, but he entered the central islands where Helia and Caleb were staying.
He already knew Helia’s location through Boo. But even without Boo, his level 6 senses could trace them.
So, he walked closer to the mountain and said into his comm. “Surround. Surround the island. We got info that Helia Team is still inside.
Our team is on the way to islands. If they try to escape, buy time. Even if you’re eliminated trying to buy time, you’ll be compensated and even rewarded!”
Ahri’s voice sounded from the top of a mountain.
Then the same voice turned low. “Brother, eliminate this bitch. She really thinks anyone can’t guess her plan.”
‘Bitch? Me? You whore!’ Helia gritted her teeth and cursed.
She was alerted when she felt a presence at the edge of her space sense. So, she spied on and heard ‘Ahri’s voice’.
The person speaking was a bit away from her space sense, but listening to the last words, she knew it was Ahri!
But Helia knew her priorities.
‘How did Ashtarh know? Is he really coming?’ Her brows knit together as she felt cold sweat rolling down her forehead.
She teleported to a remote location in the borders of the island and spread her space sense once again.
She saw messengers surrounding the island wielding their weapons while maintaining a ‘sacrificial expression’.
‘They’re ready to sacrifice themselves and buy Ashtarh time?’ Helia’s mind spun and she clenched her fists.
She tapped her comm and asked the messenger in Thunder Plains.
“Any movements?”
Shortly, a reply came.
“No. But the noise cleared. They likely got the flag and are resting. They’ll set out soon.”
“….”
The response didn’t say that Ashtarh team was coming to her.
But Helia was still uneasy.
If Ashtarh really tried to attack her, wouldn’t he hide his tracks?
How could her messengers find it?
Before she knew it, her palm were sweaty and she felt her throat go dry.
‘No. No. Don’t panic.’
She took a ‘calming potion’ and thought once again.
‘There’s a chance that this is a bluff. Ashtarh isn’t coming at all.
There’s also a chance that he’s coming and since it’s Ahri who personally came to inspect the island, he’s most likely coming.’
Helia looked at the location Ahri previously was at. She was long gone. But she could vaguely perceive that Ahri was searching other caves, underground tunnels in the island.
‘I’d better pick the safer option. I must leave this place.’ She decided.
Despite her injuries, if she was careful, she could leave without alerting anyone. Then, not only would she buy herself time, she’d also fool Ashtarh into wasting theirs.
‘Alright. It’s decided.’ She teleported back to the cave and informed Caleb who was still in the midst of recovery.
“Get up. We’re going.”
“Huh? Why? Isn’t it your plan to stay here?” He asked in confusion.
“In short, Ashtarh is coming and we must move.”
“Move…but where?”
Helia thought for a second and answered.
“Ice Region.”
“Ice Region.”
Varian said with confidence.
“Huh, but why would she go there?” Boo asked.
“Just think about it.
Because she’s too cautious, she decided to leave.
Thunder Regions has Ashtarh. She still can’t be sure if everything was bluff. So, she won’t go there risking an encounter with Ashtarh.
Psychedelic Region has Xavier. They could’ve got the flag already or are still in the process. Going there his also risky.
Vine Forest…she also got the message that Charles attacked the messengers. She must be scared to even try.”
“But what about the other region? Laden Burrows? No team picked that place in the beginning.”
“Exactly. There’s a good chance that a team that got their first flag would go to that location.
And if that team would either be Ashtarh’s or Xavier’s. Both are once again, dangerous in her opinion.” Varian explained.
“So, she’s picking the weakest team?”
“Indeed. In her opinion, it’d be best if Sarah won the flag and left the region. But even if Sarah was still present, she was confident in winning Sarah’s team.” He laid bare Helia’s thought process.
“…But isn’t she looking down on Sarah’s team too much?”
Varian shrugged.
Isn’t everyone looking down on him too?
While they were speaking, Helia and Caleb teleported out of the island silently.
No messenger noticed this and they still surrounded the island.
“Trash.” Helia sneered in contempt and left the Twisting Islands.
Her target—Ice Region!
“Master, she left.” Boo informed.
“Oh.” Varian nodded and quickly teleported to the floating island.
There were colorful structures all over the island and one conscious corpse of a worm-like creature in the middle.
“This location has space lock formations, right, where are they?” He spread his space sense and soon found the space lock formations.
“I just need one.”
With Boo’s help, he carefully dismantled a formation and stored it.
As he was about to leave, Boo suddenly said. “Master, my space sub-systems found a good treasure!”
“Huh?”
“There’s a special mechanism in the middle.”
Varian followed Boo’s instructions and walked to the middle of the island.
The space lock formations acted on him and solidified the space around him.
But as a level 6, he didn’t face much difficulty.
He saw a small platform emanating an ancient aura.
“This is where the flag was previously present.” He observed.
“Place your hand on it and channel your space power.”
Varian did.
But soon, his face changed and he said. “Boo, this thing is sucking up everything. My space power will be drained. I still need it for the next missions.”
“Relax, master. It’ll be alright. Why do you think the space worms made a nest here?”
Varian’s eyes widened. “You mean…?”
“Yes.”
Varian gritted his teeth and held on.
And when the last bit of his space power was sucked up, the platform burst into a silver light and enveloped Varian.
“It’s a special spatial blessing. It can improve your space path without any side effects. If not for my space system, I wouldn’t have noticed this either. But now, enjoy the harvest.”
[+10 Xp]
[+10 Xp]
…
[+10Xp]
[Space path Level 4: 1000/1000]
[Advancing]
[Space Path Level 5: 0/2000]
[+10 Xp]
[+10 Xp]
….
“Wow!” Varian thought it’d stop after he reached level 5. But he underestimated the treasure here.
As Varian smiled brightly, the silver light slowly disappeared.
[Space Path Level 5: 1200/2000]
“Insane.” He muttered.
“Not insane, master. This is the core treasure that level 6 space worms use daily.”
Varian nodded his head and checked his comm.
“One and half minute passed! Crap! We need to get going.”
His body blurred and he appeared far away.
Combining his body and space powers, none of the messengers spotted him.