Chapter 118: Truly Worthy of Her Majesty the Queen’s Consort (4k)
Paradise, Royal City.
Under the setting sun, the shadow of the palace stretched infinitely long across the street.
Grey hid in the shadow of a street corner, her pair of emerald green eyes gazing at the outskirts of the city, where a mountain peak covered with lush forests appeared faintly in the dim light, lost in thought.
“What would Brother Rast be doing at this time?”
“If everything is going smoothly, he should be at the peak now, trying to stall for time with that Queen of the Underworld.”
“However, since it’s a matter of stalling for time, it’s inevitable that he will need to say some sweet nothings.”
“I really want to hear Brother Rast’s sweet words… the kind meant just for me.”
The girl’s musings disappeared in the evening breeze, unheard by anyone.
“Even if I know those are empty phrases, it doesn’t matter…”
……
“Little Grey, it’s almost time.”
The voice of the Shadow Servant emerged from the resonance crystal, interrupting Grey’s daydreaming.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Grey hurriedly nodded, giving a clear response with the resonance crystal.
“Good, then I will begin.”
A short reply came from the resonance crystal.
In the next moment, Grey felt the shadow beneath her feet suddenly stir.
Then, it silently enveloped her form.
Grey’s body hid within the shadows, and her presence gradually faded along with the flow of the shadow…
Passersby walked by her side, clearly within arm’s reach, yet oblivious to Grey, as if she had already melded into the slanted shadows of the street corner.
This was the ability of the Guardian Team’s Vice Captain, the Shadow Servant.
As a sixth-tier “Shadow” sequence extraordinary being, the Shadow Servant could not only conceal themselves in the shadows but could also bestow this shadowy stealth state onto others.
It was truly a necessary tool for home travel, and for committing m*rder and theft.
From the style of this ability, it certainly did not seem like a characteristic of the Guardian… it felt more like something that had escaped from the nearby Evil God Cult.
Of course, at this moment, what Grey and the Shadow Servant were plotting indeed mirrored the schemes of such villains.
The final link of the “Lost Paradise” plan—
Stealing the “God of d*ath’s Relic” from the palace.
The “God of d*ath’s Relic” was the core of Paradise and the very source that allowed this Netherworld to exist in the world.
As long as it was removed from Paradise and sealed within the Watchtower, this land of the dead would naturally crumble to nothingness.
This would mean the ultimate achievement of the task goal for the “Lost Paradise.”
“Little Grey, you remember the palace map and the distribution of the patrol checkpoints, as well as the several pre-planned routes clearly, right?”
This time, the Shadow Servant’s voice emerged directly from the shadow beneath Grey’s feet instead of the resonance crystal.
The grey-haired girl only nodded silently.
“Yes.”
She knew very well that this was the opportunity Brother Rast had created for the Guardian team.
Under the pretense of a date, he had deceived the Queen of the Underworld, who was close to the legendary tier, away from her palace, creating a few hours of vacuum for them to steal the God of d*ath’s Relic.
Furthermore, Rast had transmitted detailed maps of the palace’s interior, as well as the patrol routes of the maids… all this information had long been memorized by Grey and was second nature to her.
“That’s good.”
The Shadow Servant spoke again from the shadow beside Grey.
“Actually, logically speaking, we shouldn’t be burdening you, a newcomer, with such a dangerous infiltration task as the final step of the ‘Lost Paradise’ plan.”
“But you also know that around the palace exists a layer of solidified twilight restriction, which is also the domain of the Queen of the Underworld.”
“Extremely high-tier extraordinary beings easily trigger the restrictions of the domain, raising the alert of the palace maids. To attempt infiltration, you are the most suitable candidate…”
“I understand, Vice Captain.”
Grey softly interrupted the Shadow Servant’s words.
“You don’t need to explain this to me; just give the order.”
“Although I am a newcomer on my first mission, I am also a member of the Guardian…”
“The moment I donned the Guardian’s insignia, I was already prepared for this.”
Her voice was somewhat distant, dissipating in the howling evening wind that swept through the street.
“Moreover, the danger I face is clearly nothing compared to Brother Rast… the Captain.”
Helen was not inside the palace.
The imagined enemy Grey had to face ultimately came down to nothing more than the patrolling maids.
Besides, she also had an incredibly detailed internal map of the palace and intelligence; if everything went smoothly, she might even be able to withdraw without any combat at all.
But Brother Rast was different.
He had to confront that Queen of the Underworld.
And unlike before, when he could deceive with obscurity, once the Guardian team’s infiltration successfully stole the “God of d*ath’s Relic,” the Queen of the Underworld would surely become aware and would be furious.
That would be the wrath of a powerful being approaching the legendary tier within her own domain… even with various extraordinary items and withdrawal plans to assist, escaping from an enraged legendary would be nigh impossible.
Brother Rast clearly understood these risks and dangers, yet he still decided to personally get involved and execute these plans…
Everything was for that justice known as the “Guardian.”
Thus, she could not become a burden to Brother Rast.
The smoother and faster she executed the infiltration plan without being detected and obtained the “God of d*ath’s Relic,” the more time would be available for Brother Rast to withdraw.
As for the possibility of Brother Rast failing to escape and losing his life to the enraged Queen of the Underworld… that thought only briefly flickered in Grey’s mind before she forcibly suppressed it.
She did not want to think about such possibilities, not even for a second.
Grey took a deep breath, driving out all the distractions from her mind.
She knew very well that such idle thoughts were meaningless at this moment.
The only thing she could do was to complete the infiltration task as quickly as possible—
Thus, buying more time for Brother Rast to maneuver.
In her emerald green eyes, the ripples of longing and emotion calmed, leaving only clear silence.
“Vice Captain, I am ready and can begin action at any time.”
Grey’s cool voice echoed in the shadows.
“First Rast, then you and Yannis…”
“It seems that even though our generation of Guardians is gradually aging, we don’t have to worry about the organization being leaderless.”
The Shadow Servant’s response also carried a hint of appreciation.
“Although I can’t directly interact with that layer of restrictions, I will assist you from outside the palace with shadows.”
“Remember, if you encounter an overwhelming situation, choosing to give up and withdraw in time is also a necessary option.”
“Unlike an old man like me… you are the future of the Guardians, and dying before fully growing up would not only be a huge loss for you but for the organization as well.”
“In any case, always find a way to preserve yourself as much as possible.”
“If necessary, I will forcefully trigger that layer of twilight restriction to directly enter the palace and take action.”
Listening to the Shadow Servant’s instructions, Grey merely nodded silently.
She adjusted the brim of her Guardian hood, further concealing her petite form in the shadows of the ample cloak.
“Then, for the final operation of the ‘Lost Paradise’ plan…”
“Commence.”
With the Shadow Servant’s directive issued, Grey’s concealed form cloaked within the hooded cloak suddenly moved.
Hidden beneath the accompanying shadows, she transformed into a phantom light, silently passing through the solidified twilight restriction beside the palace.
Then, following a route she had rehearsed countless times in her mind, she sped toward the depths of the luxurious palace.
……
Even Brother Rast himself had only been living in this palace for about a month.
Moreover, during this month, he had been serving as the Queen’s personal attendant, spending most of his thoughts in serving Her Majesty, leaving little time for himself.
However, he had transmitted a remarkably detailed palace map and information about the maids’ patrol routes.
It was precise to every wardrobe in each room where one could hide, and each maid’s changeover time down to the minute, without error.
And although she was a newcomer, Grey had also undergone the strict assessments and training of the Guardians.
Furthermore, well before joining the Guardians, Grey had experience wandering across the continent, and executing stealthy theft was not foreign to her. Her initial interaction with Rast, even the origin of the name “Grey,” stemmed from her childhood attempt to steal his Guardian insignia.
Therefore, once Grey infiltrated the palace, all actions appeared extremely smooth.
Following the map she had memorized in her mind… Grey cautiously advanced, avoiding all patrolling maids and never raising any alarm or alerting anyone in the palace.
Certainly, this process couldn’t be separated from the strength of Grey’s “Fate” sequence long tier.
Because of her strong desire of “not wanting to become a burden to Brother Rast,” at this moment, a far greater strength of fate was quietly invoked, enhancing her presence.
Several times she narrowly avoided the patrols of the maids by mere inches.
An hour later.
Grey finally arrived in front of an inconspicuous door located deep within the palace’s third floor.
According to the information transmitted by Brother Rast, beyond this door was the Queen of the Underworld, Helen’s treasure chamber, where all the treasures of the entire Paradise were stored.
And also—where the “God of d*ath’s Relic” was kept.
Unexpectedly, everything had gone this smoothly.
In this case…
She would no longer be a burden to Brother Rast.
Instead, she became a companion of the Guardians who could walk alongside him and truly help him.
When this mission concluded, she might even become a fixed member of Brother Rast’s team.
With such thoughts, a hint of joy flickered in Grey’s eyes.
She took out a seemingly ordinary copper key from her bosom and reached for the door.
Grey did not have the key to the Paradise treasure chamber, and even with Rast’s identity, he did not have the suitable opportunity to make the corresponding request.
Besides, as a treasure chamber that only Her Majesty the Queen could open… though it appeared to be just an unremarkable door, whether the opening method was through a physical key or another form of extraordinary power was uncertain.
However—
Extraordinary Item “Universal Key.”
Under a certain tier, it could open anything that exists as a “door,” “lock,” or “seal.”
This was a reserve of the “Watchtower.”
As an organization that has existed for an entire era, the Guardians have also accumulated a massive amount of extraordinary materials and items.
For the “Lost Paradise” plan, the Leader Cisel had previously ordered these extraordinary items to be unconditionally opened to squad members.
Click.
The copper key inserted into the lock hole.
Immediately after, the door lock emitted a crisp sound.
Then it unlocked silently and turned.
Grey gently grasped the door handle, ensuring the creaking of the door did not alert anyone inside the palace.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
However—
What lay within the door was not the treasure chamber filled with precious jewels, gold, and rare artifacts that Grey had anticipated.
Instead, it was an immensely vast metallic space with cold steel walls, but entirely empty inside.
What was going on?
Was Brother Rast’s transmitted information incorrect? Was this door not the entrance to the Paradise treasure chamber and the “God of d*ath’s Relic”?
Or was it that—
There were mechanisms within this room that even Brother Rast had not uncovered?
Only by activating those mechanisms would the true treasure chamber become visible?
Countless speculations arose in Grey’s mind.
However, in the next moment.
She heard a cold female voice emerge from the shadows of the steel space.
“One must say, it truly is worthy of Her Majesty the Queen’s personally chosen consort…”
“Originally prepared only as a precaution, but unexpectedly, Mr. Rast’s reminder somehow really came true.”
“Indeed, there is a little mouse sneaking around in the shadows, wanting to take the opportunity while Her Majesty the Queen is out on a date with Mr. Rast to steal treasures from the palace.”
A solemn-faced woman stepped out from the shadows.
Grey recognized the identity of the person.
That was the character recorded in the information transmitted by Brother Rast—”Head Maid of the Netherworld,” Anna.
However, according to the information, this Head Maid should have been off duty for a shift.
As her thoughts raced, Grey saw the woman gently wave her hand.
The next moment.
Boom—
A heavy steel door crashed down behind Grey.
(End of Chapter)
