Chapter 45: Empress
Eastern Illusions.
As the birthplace of Monks, the illusions of the Eastern Kingdom are not predominantly controlled by Wizards (Illusionists) as in the Western world. Many who are proficient in illusions here are combat-focused professionists, among them the Eastern Dance Maiden who is adept at using illusions. Illusions are often mere facades, but when one’s strength reaches a certain level, they can appear real. Even a Bard, who plays tricks, won’t be too far behind a proper spellcaster once they ascend to a certain level. After ascending to legend, the Eastern Dance Maiden can master the ‘Mirror Image’ ability.
Soren did not dare to make any rash moves, quietly waiting for the opponent to strike, seeking opportunities with a calm demeanor.
The woman who ambushed him was very powerful.
At the very least, she was a high-level professionist, and the possibility of her being a legend could not be ruled out, as she clearly had not used her full strength.
Dingling!
The clear sound of a bell rang out, resonating with the heartbeat of a person, causing Soren to feel slightly dazed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. At the same time, three phantoms appeared before him again, dressed in light, sheer silk dresses, performing graceful and enchanting dance steps. Though their faces were indistinct, they exuded an endless charm. These three captivating figures were not in a hurry to attack; rather, they circled around Soren, emitting bursts of clear and delicate laughter, seeming to enjoy toying with their enemy.
—”Shadow Leap!”
—”Sword Intent [Revolving Dance]!”
Soren’s figure leapt out, his curved blade becoming a streak of cold light slashing down. The three figures before him let out soft giggles, slightly sidestepping to evade, and then moved to thrust their daggers toward him.
Clang! Clang!
The three figures were solid and actually blocked Soren’s attack.
“Mirror Image!?”
Soren’s brows furrowed tightly, and his expression became quite serious. An enemy who can master the Mirror Image ability, even if they are not a legend, would not be far from it.
Where is the real body?
The combat power of the mirror images is very low. They are not even a third of the real body’s strength. Even the legendary Sword Saint who practices Mirror Arts can only retain half their power at most. These three mirror images do not pose a significant threat to Soren, but the Eastern Dance Maiden hidden in the shadows is very dangerous. It has been a long time since Soren faced a threat from an enemy proficient in stealth.
What is that smell?
Just when Soren was at a loss regarding the enemy’s position, he suddenly twitched his nose. Then a glimmer flashed in his eyes, and he leapt towards the bed.
—”Shadow Assassination!”
—”Sword Intent [Decapitation]!”
The fragrance.
There was a faint scent in the room, the scent of a woman.
Clang!
The sound of weapons clashing rang out, a pair of serpentine daggers suddenly materializing, and then a graceful figure was forced to reveal herself, getting knocked back a meter against the wall of the room due to the impact of Soren’s force.
“Ugh!”
The hazy phantom gradually became clear. The figure of the Eastern Dance Maiden emerged, and with a voice tinged with pain, she said, “Wait! Stop! I concede! That hurts! …”
“Scoundrel!”
“I concede! Don’t hit me anymore!”
Soren’s gaze was icy, and his fierce attack showed no signs of stopping. After a slash with Sword Intent for a decapitation, he immediately followed up with a horizontal slash. At the same time, he shouted, activating Sword Intent [Revolving Dance], sealing off all the enemy’s blind spots.
Every strike was deadly!
Although the opponent had already conceded, Soren showed no intention of stopping.
—”Instant Step!”
The Eastern Dance Maiden’s expression finally changed dramatically, realizing she had provoked a dangerous enemy. She awkwardly twisted her body to evade, her slender waist bending almost in half. Her astonishing flexibility allowed her to avoid Soren’s attack, and her figure suddenly disappeared, reappearing behind him.
“Stop!”
The Eastern Dance Maiden leapt back, urgently saying, “I was just testing your skills! I’m not an enemy! I intended to join your team to earn some rewards, that’s why I came to test you…”
“Wait a moment!”
“We’ve met before! At the Adventurers’ Guild!”
Clang!
The sound of weapons clashing resonated again. Soren frowned as he withdrew his curved blade, coldly gazing at her, and said in a deep voice, “Take off your veil.”
Seeing him stop, the Eastern Dance Maiden finally let out a sigh of relief.
She first took a few quick breaths, then furrowed her brows as she looked at her arm. A faint cut had appeared on her bare white arm. If she hadn’t dodged quickly enough, she would have likely been bisected by the man before her. The Eastern Dance Maiden looked at Soren with a strange expression, slowly removing her veil to reveal a stunningly beautiful face with exotic Eastern traits, marked by a small tear mole at the corner of her eyes.
Soren watched the woman before him, memories racing through his mind. After a moment, he said gravely, “What is your connection to the Eastern Empress?”
Eastern Empress!?
Soren’s words caused the woman’s complexion to change dramatically. She tightened her grip on the serpentine dagger and said nervously, “Who are you? How do you know this?”
It really is related to the Eastern Empress!
A figure of unparalleled beauty flashed through Soren’s mind, making him unconsciously touch his ear.
Back when he ascended to legend and traveled the entire continent, he had faced countless legendary strongmen, even engaging in battles with saints transformed from deities multiple times. However, he had faced defeat against a mysterious woman in the East. Not only did he fail his mission, losing nearly a third of his team, but he also ended up giving up one of his ears.
At that time, if he had been a moment slower, what he would have lost might not have just been an ear, but his entire head!
The Eastern Empress.
An advanced Dance Maiden with a profession level of 30+, proficient in illusions, mirror images, charm, and skilled in stealth, assassination, and information gathering. She secretly controls many brothels in the Eastern Kingdom, and no one knows her true identity or alignment. She possesses a very special item, said to be an artifact passed down from the Eastern Kingdom, capable of granting eternal youth and a long lifespan.
“Speak.”
Soren’s gaze turned slightly cold as he gripped the hilt of his blade again, speaking in a deep voice: “Why are you here?”
The Eastern Dance Maiden’s expression was complex, seeming puzzled why someone from the Western continent would know of the Eastern Empress’s existence. She gently took a step back, thought for a moment, and slowly said, “I really just intended to test your skills. I received intel that there is something in the underground ruins you are going to that the Empress is also very interested in.”
“So I was ordered to retrieve it.”
“I have no ill intentions! Otherwise, I would have used the soul-dulling incense before you entered the room.”
Soul-dulling incense.
A means used by the Eastern Dance Maiden, which could sometimes even trip up a legend.
“What is it?”
Soren frowned, speaking deep down, “You’re probably not here to test my skills but rather to steal information about the underground ruins from me, right?”
It seemed that Soren had hit the nail on the head, as the Eastern Dance Maiden’s gaze flickered.
During this time, she had been secretly observing Soren’s actions and found that many of his preparations seemed intended to handle specific situations. This made her certain that Soren had specific information about the underground ruins. If he were not clear on the general situation there, he certainly wouldn’t have deliberately prepared so many things.
The Eastern Dance Maiden remained silent, seemingly acknowledging this point, and then said, “In those underground ruins, there is a gemstone left behind by the Desert Kingdom. My task is to find it, and as for anything else, I don’t want any. If you are agreeable, perhaps we can collaborate.”
“Since you know about the Empress, you should understand our strength.”
“With our help, exploring the underground ruins will be much easier, and we also need your intelligence about there, especially since down below is sealed a terrifying Balroth Fire Demon.”
Her words plunged Soren into contemplation.
For someone like Soren, there are essentially no eternal enemies. He has cooperated multiple times even with the treacherous and malicious Drow Matriarch. Now, collaborating with the Eastern Dance Maiden before him was certainly not impossible.
However!
He couldn’t trust the woman in front of him, just as he had never trusted the promises of the Drow Matriarch.
The people of the Eastern Empress would not be easier to deal with than the Female Drow!
Though their strength might still be useful, accustomed to the treachery of the Drow, Soren felt no lack of confidence.
It would just be mutual utilization, each relying on their skills at the crucial moment.
Even though he had suffered a setback at the hands of the Drow Matriarch, he had also given her a fierce stab in return; Soren had some confidence when it came to playing those kinds of games.
“Good!”
Soren looked at her, unexpectedly agreeing quickly, and said in a deep voice, “We will set out the day after tomorrow! I still need some things, perhaps you can help me get them.”
The Eastern Dance Maiden seemed surprised by Soren’s prompt agreement, but she ultimately smiled and nodded gently, her gaze shifting, “No problem.”
“The things you want can be delivered tomorrow.”
…
It seemed the matter had been settled.
Soren finally decided to set out the day after tomorrow, and the cannon fodder party he would travel with gained an additional high-level Eastern Dance Maiden, along with some personnel she brought with her. Although Soren couldn’t cover every aspect of the situation within the underground ruins, there was indeed an artifact-like cloak for a Wanderer, so he remembered the general circumstances and area distribution more clearly. In this situation, he effectively held the advantage; even if accidents occurred, he would still have more than a 50% chance of success.
So.
On the morning of the third day, this team of adventurers set out with nearly a hundred personnel and supplies close to those of a merchant caravan, heading towards the ancient ruins.
Before everything began!
Soren needed to find the correct excavation site and open a passage into the ancient ruins. (To be continued ~^~)
