Chapter 108: Rather Than a Date, Make Her Shy! (Two-in-One)
Paradise, in the mountainous area on the outskirts of the Royal City.
At the foot of the mountain, there was an abandoned wooden house, concealed among the tangled weeds, which looked like it had been uninhabited for a long time.
A dark shadow silently slipped into the wooden house: “Vice Captain, it’s all taken care of.”
“According to the instructions from Captain Rast, we have chosen the location and fired that firework as soon as we received the signal.”
“The trajectory and height of the firework were calculated and simulated many times, just right at an angle where it can be fully seen from the third window of the palace.”
“Mm.”
From the dark shadows of the wooden house, another voice came: “I saw it all, good job.”
“What about the rest, is everything cleaned up?”
“Everything has been cleared.”
The visitor nodded: “After setting off the firework, there were patrols from the Royal City, but they found nothing.”
“All traces left at the scene have been completely erased. I even used my own abilities for special counter-divination processing.”
“We can ensure that even extraordinary individuals with divination or precognition abilities will find nothing.”
“By the way, Vice Captain…”
He paused for a moment, bringing a hint of confusion: “Don’t you think the way we’re communicating right now doesn’t seem like Guardians at all…”
“But rather more like sneaky villains plotting a conspiracy in the dark?”
Saying this, he lit the windproof lantern in his hand.
The bright light illuminated the previously dim and silent darkness of the wooden house.
Under the light, the boundary between light and dark in the room became clear, and the dim shadow surged, transforming into a blurred humanoid shape.
The Shadow Servant took on a physical form and looked at the Guardian team member in front of him, letting out a slight sigh inwardly.
Although the members of the Guardian team who were able to be selected to become formal members of the Guardian of the Shore Organization met the qualifications in terms of character and talent, there was still a lack of experience; their temperament was too young and immature.
These fresh blood in the organization held a kind of almost fanatical worship for the title of Guardian—
Believing that the Guardians were the greatest organization in the world, sacred and inviolable.
“I know that you all come from those countries near the Watchtower, sheltered by the organization’s headquarters… you grew up hearing the name of the Guardians.”
“In your hearts, the Guardians are the embodiment of justice, the saviors of human civilization.”
“And all of humanity on the continent… should also offer applause, flowers, and glory to the great saviors just like those sheltered countries and city-states.”
“So, in your view—”
“Our current sneaky actions… actually tarnish the bright and upright image of the Guardians in your mind, right?”
Opposite the Shadow Servant, that team member did not dare to reply to the Vice Captain’s words.
After all, this was a sixth-tier big shot, someone they could not afford to offend.
However, the slightly flickering gaze undoubtedly confirmed the correctness of the Shadow Servant’s speculation.
“In fact, the Guardians have never been the bright and radiant beings you imagine.”
The Shadow Servant gently asked: “If a patient has a tumor and is critically ill, what would you do?”
The team member thought for a moment: “Of course, remove the affected part.”
“That’s right.”
The Shadow Servant nodded: “For the overall health of the patient and other still healthy organs, this is undoubtedly the optimal choice with the least cost.”
“But what about for that excised cancerous organ?”
“To sacrifice a small number of individuals for the fate of the whole is something everyone can understand.”
“But when the fate of those to be discarded… truly falls upon you, how many can accept it?”
“Moreover, even if the tumor is removed, all that can be done is prolong the patient’s life without truly curing the cancer.”
The faint shadow surged:
“We are not the saviors of civilization and cannot become saviors.”
“We are merely unwilling to accept the predetermined outcome, thus perpetually struggling, pathetic scavengers.”
The Shadow Servant gazed out the window of the small house, at the silent Royal City shrouded in the night.
“For the residents here, we are not the just and upright Guardians.”
“But rather the executioners who have deprived them of their livelihood, destroyed their homes, and extinguished their hope and future…”
“Ruthless executioners, abominable demons.”
…
Listening to the Shadow Servant’s account, the team member appeared somewhat confused.
The Shadow Servant evidently only expressed a few spontaneous sentiments and had no intention to elaborate further.
He focused on the Royal City in the night and returned the topic to a more appropriate track: “How is the monitoring of Queen Helen and Captain’s whereabouts in the palace?”
“How is it going?”
“This part of the work is handled by Grey.”
“She is the lowest in rank, so monitoring near the palace is least likely to alert that queen,” the team member answered.
This is the division of labor within the Guardian team.
Since monitoring the movements within the palace required someone to stay close by in real-time.
However, such behavior could also possibly alert the Underworld Queen Helen.
That was a supreme being comparable to a legend in her own territory, and the higher the tier of an extraordinary, the more conspicuous their existence is in the eyes of other strong beings.
If the sixth-tier Shadow Servant were to infiltrate the Royal City, it is likely that he would be immediately detected by the Underworld Queen upon entry, sparking a direct confrontation.
Therefore, sending Grey, who had just joined the Guardians and was at the lowest tier, and who was not significantly stronger than ordinary people to monitor, was the optimal choice.
To that queen, a Grey of one or two tiers was not substantively different from an ordinary person.
It would not raise suspicion and would subconsciously be overlooked.
“According to Grey’s daily report, the palace is shrouded in a solidified twilight glow, making it impossible to glimpse the interior.”
“However, no one has entered or exited the palace in the past few days, just like before.”
“Also, following your earlier instructions, Vice Captain, all our observers in the city, including Grey, have been recalled.”
“Calculating the time, it is almost time for the gathering.”
As soon as these words fell, the wooden house’s door opened.
Figures clad in white robes poured in…
They were all members of the Guardian team dispatched to Paradise, who had just arrived in the Royal City a month ago.
Following the instructions of the Captain and Vice Captain, during this month, they had quietly integrated into this city like mercury, monitoring everything in every nook and cranny, holding complete control over the Royal City.
However, now, these sentinels were all summoned back by the Vice Captain.
Grey was also among them.
Her pale skin and dull grey hair were woven into a bun, her petite figure hidden beneath a hooded black cloak.
Her clothing was entirely a juxtaposition of black and white, resembling a winter fairy in a colorless world.
The Guardians gathered in the wooden house, and Grey pulled her hood, concealing her face beneath it.
Before formally starting this action…
The past six months spent training and preparing at the Watchtower headquarters with Brother Rast could be said to be the happiest time of Grey’s life.
Even surpassing those memories in Frozen Water Town.
She lived in the stable and harmonious headquarters of the Guardians, training every day.
After every training session, Brother Rast would often take her to nearby towns around the Watchtower to have fun, either trying some strange and delicious food or visiting various entertainment places.
During these six months, Grey experienced many novel things that the residents around the Watchtower took for granted but had never encountered in her previous life of wandering.
Of course, for Grey…
Even if Rast took her just to wander aimlessly, she would be satisfied enough.
So—
She must quickly assist Brother Rast in completing this operation against Paradise.
Once this operation is over, the two of them would return to the Watchtower together and continue that beautiful time they had before.
Thinking this, Grey raised her emerald green eyes, gazing into the dim shadows of the wooden house, waiting for the Vice Captain to give further instructions.
Although Rast was the Captain during this operation.
But for some reason, by the time Grey arrived in the Royal City, Rast had already vanished, only occasionally sending back instructions.
And managing the Guardian team in his place was this sixth-tier Vice Captain.
Grey was quite concerned about Rast’s whereabouts, but as the most ordinary member of the Guardian team, she did not have the qualification to understand the full scope of the plan due to confidentiality protocols.
She only vaguely learned from the Vice Captain that Brother Rast seemed to have taken on a core role in executing some secret mission.
While her mind was racing, Grey noticed the shadowy Vice Captain gently cough.
“‘Lost Paradise’”
“This is the ultimate goal of the plan we are executing—to completely destroy Paradise and the entire Netherworld.”
“This is a form of existence that is fundamentally flawed, much like a tumor that has already metastasized in a patient…”
“It is unrelated to justice or the innocents of the people here, but a deformity that must be eradicated for the sake of the overall fate of civilization.”
According to confidentiality protocols, and also to prevent the plan from leaking…
In the initial stages of the mission, except for Rast and the Shadow Servant as the main and vice leaders, the vast majority of the team members were completely unaware of the final goal of this action.
At this moment, the reason the Shadow Servant chose to lay everything bare was clearly because the plan had reached a stage where it had to inform the details.
If the earlier phase was merely intelligence gathering, a preparatory stage akin to pacing, then it meant that serious actions were about to commence.
With this thought, both Grey and other members of the Guardian team became solemn.
To destroy a nation.
Such a major action would inevitably be accompanied by blood and death, bloodshed and sacrifice.
As expected, the Shadow Servant’s voice paused slightly before continuing.
“The reason for gathering everyone again this time is that we received the latest information from Captain Rast—”
“The progress over there has gone smoothly.”
“In other words, the first part of the ‘Lost Paradise’ plan has been successfully completed.”
“And because of this—”
“Starting tomorrow, our Guardian team’s plan will enter the second phase.”
The second phase opening… does that mean the Vice Captain will finally disclose the exact details of this plan?
In other words, will I be able to see Brother Rast again soon?
Upon receiving such information, Grey’s heart involuntarily leaped with joy.
The next moment, the Shadow Servant’s plain voice echoed again.
“According to multiple confirmations from the leader and Captain Rast, the core of this nation’s existence, including the source of the Netherworld’s distortion, is the queen of this nation, the ruler of the Underworld—Helen.”
“Therefore, the specific action we must take is to conduct a decapitation operation against that Queen Helen of Paradise and seize that artifact of the God of Death.”
“However, disregarding Queen Helen’s rank and strength for the moment.”
“Even if the decapitation operation we planned succeeds, it would still be extremely difficult to bring that artifact from inside the palace located in the center of the Royal City, protected by layers of defense.”
“And if that ‘artifact of the God of Death’ is not taken, the Netherworld cannot collapse, and the ‘Lost Paradise’ plan will end in failure.”
The Shadow Servant’s words paused slightly.
“Therefore, Captain Rast has decided to use himself as bait—”
“To go undercover.”
As he spoke, the Shadow Servant’s voice carried a hint of admiration.
Every extraordinary being, especially powerful ones, has their own pride.
Whether it involves cross-dressing, using seduction tactics… such actions are seen as humiliating and degrading by the powerful, and some would rather die than endure such insults.
However—
This seemingly young-looking Captain of mine has completed all of this without batting an eye.
Moreover, according to the information returned from Rast, his undercover strategy has already completed the first phase.
Sent into the palace in the guise of a maid, dealing with a queen who is very likely to have problematic sexual tendencies.
Ais Affection, bondage, the wooden horse, turtle shell binding… the Shadow Servant could hardly imagine how much personal insult Rast had endured during that week to gain the trust of that lesbian queen.
This resolve to sacrifice himself for the greater good at least made the Shadow Servant feel inadequate.
He coughed again, clearing the associations of his Captain suffering various inhumane humiliations in the palace from his mind.
This would be a great disrespect to Rast… this true embodiment of the meaning of the term Guardian.
“Cough cough.”
“In short, what we need to do in the second phase of the plan is to assist Captain Rast’s actions—”
“To establish a more friendly bilateral relationship with that Underworld queen…”
“In order to earn the trust of Queen Helen, allowing her to leave her home court palace without defenses.”
“And lead her to the prearranged location to complete the final plan.”
The Shadow Servant’s expression was serious, and the other Guardians in the team also had grave looks on their faces.
Although they found it hard to comprehend what “more friendly bilateral relationship” specifically meant at that moment.
But undoubtedly, they could all sense from the Shadow Servant’s admiring voice… the righteousness and honor of that previously unseen Captain Rast sacrificing himself and going undercover.
“Additionally, Captain Rast himself has briefly summarized the core elements of our action into the following two points—”
The Shadow Servant’s voice paused, delivering a somber final conclusion:
“Rather than a date.”
“Make her shy.”
(End of Chapter)
