Chapter 81: Before the Banquet
Three hours later,
Shavin Empire, King's Capital Troon
Champagne Avenue in the Noble District of the South City was always bustling. This was where the most noble people of the country gathered. They were high-ranking, of distinguished birth, elegant in demeanor, and wealthy. Even the recent tragedy not far from them did not make these people lose their composure, at least on the surface.
A graceful Dark Elf moved lightly through the crowd. Her attire was not noble, but her waist-length silver hair and delicate face always made Gentlemen stop and look back. The indifference in her eyes, which seemed to warn others to keep their distance, added a touch of cold allure to her…
But no Gentleman would ever try to approach her. This was not a matter of status or upbringing; it was simply because the young woman's black single-shoulder cape bore the family crest of Duke Garros.
In this strictly hierarchical country, no matter how absurd a noble, none would dare to offend a Grand Duke for a fleeting moment of admiration.
The trope of running into two brain-dead second-generation nobles on any street was long out of fashion…
Soon, the young woman arrived at Duke Garros's mansion at the end of the road. The two guards stationed at the residence naturally recognized her. They immediately stepped aside and bowed simultaneously: “Ms. Ji Dao…”
“Hmm.” Ji Xiaodao, who had just returned from the other side of the city, nodded absently and casually asked, “Where is the Grand Duke?”
One of the guards immediately replied, “He’s still with His Majesty and hasn’t returned, but by my reckoning, he should be back soon, as the Grand Duke still needs to prepare for the evening banquet.”
“Understood.” Ji Xiaodao nodded. “Where is Tan Mo?”
“Sin Duke was in the Grand Training Ground earlier, but he instructed us not to disturb him unless it was urgent…”
Ji Xiaodao noncommittally 'hmm'ed and then walked quickly into Duke Garros's mansion without another word.
“Tell me, what exactly is the relationship between Sin Duke and Ms. Ji Dao?” one rather gossipy guard whispered to his companion after Ji Xiaodao had walked away. “Grand Duke Garros has always been engrossed in magic. When has he ever paid so much attention to a mere Baron?”
The latter just gave him a sidelong glance: “You don’t even know that? No wonder you’re just a doorkeeper.”
“Aren’t you also a doorkeeper like me?”
“So what’s the point of asking me such a thing?”
…
The Grand Training Ground was located in the basement of Duke Garros’s mansion. This was not some gloomy cellar. As a place where a Grand Magister would usually practice and experiment with magic, the mansion’s basement had a very vast area. The Wind Elemental magic array, which was recharged every two months, kept the air fresh and dry at all times, and the numerous lighting magic arrays, three times more than the former, were filled with magic, making it always feel like daytime.
However, just last night, ninety percent of the lighting magic arrays, which were originally evenly distributed in every corner, were removed overnight. This was simply because of a single comment from someone who visited for the first time: “It’s too bright…”
Ji Xiaodao arrived at the Grand Training Ground with practiced ease. The fellow who seemed always unwilling to show his true face stood not far away, and the already somewhat dim light around him seemed to shy away, constantly keeping him in shadow.
Shying away from him…
Everything wanted to shy away from him…
Everything was so out of place with him…
Even the shadows that always embraced him seemed reluctant…
Ji Xiaodao exhaled softly. She knew that all of this was not a so-called illusion or wishful thinking, because even she herself often couldn't help but want to escape from his side. Although it was only a momentary struggle, it was enough to make the girl feel uneasy.
But no matter what, she still wanted to get a little closer…
Perhaps Ji Xiaodao, who had grown up with her parents and sister, did not lack warmth, but her extremely closed and peculiar personality always made her out of place with too many people. But compared to the person in front of her…
“Now is not a good time to be distracted.” Tan Mo, turning to look at the girl, said softly, “You seem to be trying to make yourself weaker.”
Ji Xiaodao lowered her gaze and shook her head, then slowly walked towards him, avoiding those eyes that were as difficult to look directly at as an abyss: “Why are you up so early today?”
“The banquet won’t start for a while.” Tan Mo didn’t answer her, only revealing a smile of unknown meaning: “Would you like to spend some time with me?”
Ji Xiaodao was stunned: “Huh?”
“You’ve completed many quests these past few days, and Garros has helped a lot with equipment and skills.” A playful glint appeared in Tan Mo’s eyes as he casually took off his cape: “You should be quite strong among players, right?”
Ji Xiaodao shrugged: “Probably, since I rarely get a chance to fight.”
“Try to attack me.” Tan Mo took two steps back and stood still with his back to Ji Xiaodao: “With all your might.”
The silver-haired young woman shook her head slightly: “I can’t beat you.”
Ji Xiaodao was one of the few people who had seen Tan Mo in action, and more than once. Although she was unsure of the exact difference in strength between them, at this moment, she, who was definitely top-tier among players, knew that she could never be Tan Mo's opponent.
“If you can make me move one step, you win.” Tan Mo turned his head to look at her, and a black halo gradually began to glow on his fingertips: “Just to pass the time.”
Before he finished speaking, the girl’s slender figure had already appeared behind Tan Mo. Two black short swords, wreathed in a layer of black flame marks, crossed in the air, drawing a charred cross mark, their blades pointing directly at Tan Mo’s left shoulder.
With a rare smile on her lips, the reason ‘spending some time with him’ was enough for Ji Xiaodao, and if it was just to make the person in front of her move one step, it shouldn't be too difficult…
Clang!
Accompanied by a grating clash, Ji Xiaodao’s twin swords were unable to press down even a fraction further. A piece of black crystal had appeared out of thin air a dozen centimeters behind Tan Mo, and he himself hadn’t even turned his head…
“You’d better be serious.”
Tan Mo snapped his fingers, and a ferocious Imp immediately appeared out of thin air beneath Ji Xiaodao, then exploded with a high-pitched shriek, blasting the unsuspecting girl into the air.
“Good!” The next second, Ji Xiaodao’s ethereal voice echoed beside Tan Mo. Crouching in the latter’s shadow, her hands were covered in a thin layer of ice at some unknown point, rapidly solidifying into sharp icicles constantly emitting cold air, which then shot towards Tan Mo. At the same time, the young woman’s other hand had, at some point, grasped the rapier at her waist, striking out from behind her at an extremely tricky angle.
Tan Mo waved his hand…
A flash of blood instantly engulfed the dozens of close-range ice spikes, knocked away the cold, gleaming longsword, and simultaneously sent their owner flying.
Ji Xiaodao retreated several steps after landing before barely stabilizing herself. Her health had dropped significantly from Tan Mo's casual strike, yet he hadn't even looked at her directly once.
Although she was prepared, this feeling of powerlessness was still unpleasant…
Without waiting for Tan Mo to say anything more, Ji Xiaodao had already swung three dark green sword marks through the air, then her entire being disappeared directly into the shadow beneath her feet.
The elusive black crystal reappeared out of thin air, effortlessly blocking the three interwoven sword beams. Just then, a blurry figure abruptly appeared in front of Tan Mo, its hands weaving fine, hair-thin black lines that pushed towards him.
“Quite fast…” The eyes beneath the mask remained as calm as an abyss. Tan Mo, without dodging, allowed the threads to entangle him: “But too weak.”
Overwhelming black flames instantly surged from Tan Mo, devouring countless shadow threads that had yet to take effect in an instant…
Ji Xiaodao, lurking in the shadows, couldn't help but tremble. She couldn't imagine where Tan Mo's unreasonable power came from. Even though her online time was several times longer than his, and with various convenient conditions, she could level up and acquire equipment with almost the fastest efficiency, she still couldn't pose any threat to him!
She was inexplicably happy ~
But she didn't want him to look down on her even more!
There's still a chance…
After the dark, burning black flames, which seemed capable of swallowing the sky and devouring the earth, dissipated, a completely black longsword, accompanied by countless thin lines, instantly appeared less than half a meter directly above Tan Mo, hanging upside down and plunging straight down!
Its power and intensity were far beyond anything Ji Xiaodao's previous string of attacks could compare to. There was no warning, no momentum, no fluctuations, no light or shadow…
But it made Tan Mo nod.
【Ji Dao】
Health: 120 / 300
Stamina: 90 / 240
Mana: 60 / 260
Agility: 420 / 900
Class: Rogue Level 10, Shadow Swordsman Level 5
Faith: None
Alignment: chaotic evil
Talents: Solitude, Seclusion
Base Attributes: Strength 9, Dexterity 40, Wisdom 16, Constitution 14
Civilization Attributes: Eloquence 3, Charisma 15, Knowledge 10, Leadership 13
Combat Attributes: One-Handed Weapon Mastery Level 5, Cunning School Level 4, Shadow School Level 3, Fire Elemental School Level 2, Wind Elemental School Level 2, Water Elemental School Level 2
Skills: Whirlwind Dance, Hunter’s Wind, Shadow Meld, Shadow Flash, Shadow Weave, Ethereal Flame Sword Bloom, Dark Ice Torrent, Cunning Wind Cross, Puppet Sword, Shadow Blessing, Shadow Affinity (Passive)
….
This data, which could make eyes drop to the floor if posted on a forum, was Ji Xiaodao's character panel.
Also a class system excelling in agility and dexterity, the relatively strongest of the other three personalities, Tan Mo, would likely not be enough for her to fight even if four or five of him came at once.
The Puppet Sword, already poised, descended from the sky. The several shadow threads connecting its blade to the ground instantly propelled its speed to the limit, simultaneously imbuing it with immense piercing power.
Ji Xiaodao, concealed in the shadows, smiled faintly. Her hands, connected by several shadow threads, trembled twice, then decisively swung down ~
The Puppet Sword, originally aimed at Tan Mo's nape, changed direction twice in mid-air within half a second, finally stabbing fiercely towards his shoulder.
“Superfluous…”
Tan Mo, however, frowned slightly, then stomped his foot somewhat impatiently.
“Roar!!!”
Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a humanoid creature shrouded in dark red armor suddenly appeared behind Tan Mo. It grabbed the Puppet Sword, which had bypassed two black crystal screens, and crushed it directly into a fragmented mass of shadow!
Scarlet Smoke billowed from beneath the black ghost mask, and wisps of black smoke emanated from the heavy armor, which looked as if it had been dredged from a pool of blood. A rusty, tattered blade on its back was encased in a tangle of chains, the ends of which were connected to three enormous skulls…
【Summoning: Scarlet Smoke】
Active Skill
Mastery Requirements: Total base attributes 400+, Possesses class: Summoner, 【Evil】 alignment, Completed over a thousand successful kills, Killed over three hundred 【Good】 aligned units, No 【Lawful】, 【Good】, 【Neutral】 faith.
Cost/Restriction: None
Effect: Summons Scarlet Smoke to fight for you. Its combat power depends on the number of kills by the Summoner within 72 hours before using this skill. Duration is infinite. After active dismissal, cooldown is 4 hours. If Scarlet Smoke is killed by a cold weapon, this skill's cooldown is reduced by 30%. If Scarlet Smoke is killed by other means, this skill's cooldown is extended by 100%.
【Note: Ten thousand tombs give birth to souls, blood spills across the sky; a thousand corpses litter the fields, ghosts cry out in injustice. A hundred bones scattered, whose path is this? Red-rusted broken blade forges Scarlet Smoke.】
…
By the time Duke Garros returned to his residence, Tan Mo and Ji Xiaodao had already been waiting for him for a while…
The former was now dressed in a black noble's formal suit with silver patterns, a golden family crest embroidered on his chest, identical to the one he had shown Fara. The patterns on his collar were slightly complex, indicating his newly acquired Baron status. Coupled with Tan Mo's never-removed half-mask, it added a touch of mystery to his already somewhat ethereal demeanor.
Ji Xiaodao, on the other hand, had changed into a well-tailored ink-colored long dress. Although it appeared somewhat plain due to the absence of aristocratic insignia, her exquisite and cold beauty, combined with her silver hair, which was quite rare in the Southwest of the continent, was enough to make countless noblewomen feel ashamed of themselves, and would undoubtedly excite countless Gentlemen, whether young, middle-aged, old, or half-dead.
“My apologies, Grand Duke, I was delayed a bit.” Duke Garros first waved away the surrounding attendants, then respectfully whispered to Tan Mo, “It can be confirmed that Marshal will definitely attend this banquet tonight, and Grand Magister Fara will also be present. He seems to have something important to discuss with His Majesty.”
Tan Mo nodded slightly, putting on a pair of snow-white gloves: “How are the matters I asked you to investigate progressing?”
“There’s been no movement from the Huiye Sect for now, and the Mage Guild is the same.” Garros shook his head. “But Grand Magister Fara is indeed different from usual. He’s been in his Mage Tower since returning to the King's Capital yesterday and hasn’t come out. Even His Majesty’s invitation was replied to with a magical letter…”
“Understood, let’s go.” Tan Mo carelessly adjusted his collar, then turned and gave Ji Xiaodao a cold glance: “Give me your hand.”
“Hmm…”
Chapter Seventy-Eight: The End