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‘Missed?’ Starry’s expression hardened. That man hadn’t avoided the strike through any skill. He had dodged purely by instinct. A person like that was far too dangerous.

Taking advantage of the brief moment while Thousand Flash Steps was still active, she slid her feet and twisted her stance, darting toward the direction Shade had just evaded.

At the same time, Zane—controlling his main body—locked his eyes on the man. Sparks of lightning danced wildly across his form as the Lightning Rush skill built up power, ready to strike at any instant.

“W-wait, wait, wait!!” Shade cried out, throwing both hands up in panic as Starry relentlessly closed in.

The Autumn Moon Sword froze in mid-air.

“I didn’t come here to fight you guys!” he shouted quickly.

“Keep talking,” Starry said coolly, her posture still poised for attack. One wrong move from him, and she’d end it right there.

The man wore pitch-black armor, his hands empty; his weapon was already put away. “I came to help you.”

“Help us? Are there still enemies around?” Starry glanced around. The Rotten Worms had all been devoured; even if any survived, they no longer posed a threat.

Shade scratched his head awkwardly. “Well… your performance was beyond what I expected, haha… I honestly thought those worms would wipe you all out.”

To be exact, it was Morthar’s action that had left him utterly stunned.

“When did you start following us?”

“Don’t look at me like that. I only just got here myself,” Shade replied with a shrug.

Suddenly, Lordsey spoke. “I sense a familiar aura from him…” Then, as if remembering something, his pupils shrank sharply. “I remember now! I’ve seen this man before, he’s the disciple of the Dark Swordsman, Huppert!”

“What!? That guy? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Yalu exclaimed in disbelief.

“There’s no mistaking it!” Lordsey insisted firmly.

Shade’s eyes widened in surprise. “You? You’re still alive?”

‘Back in Cloudshadow Valley, that Goblin had clearly been killed by the Umbra Arrow. Did he get revived by some high-tier resurrection spell? Forget it… that’s the point right now.’

“Since I’ve been recognized, there’s no point pretending anymore. As he said, I’m the successor of the Dark Swordsman. Like you once were, I was also a player of the Light Faction.”

‘A Dark Faction player…’ Zane thought silently.

“What’s your purpose here?” Shiu asked.

“No harm in telling you,” Shade replied with a casual shrug. “There’s a certain guy up there who’s been interfering with my actions. I came to help you take him down.”

“And why should we believe you?” Endless Sea asked suspiciously.

“Hey, I showed myself to you on my own, didn’t I? If I wanted to keep hiding, none of you would’ve noticed me.” His tone carried no hint of deceit.

“But there’s no more danger now.” The sound of footsteps above was growing fainter by the second, and the worms had already been wiped out. They just needed to stay hidden and wait for the siege to end.

“You guys… don’t plan to wipe out the entire army above? You know, sealing off the tunnel and ambushing them could really work~” Shade said, his tone deliberately tempting.

It was indeed a plausible plan, but without knowing the full strength or abilities of the enemy forces, Zane wasn’t about to risk the lives of the Snowfeather Goblins and Gray Wolves.

In the end, this wasn’t a fight they could win. The remaining elites should be left for the Silverglow City forces to handle.

Once they confirmed the area was secure, they could return to Wynwater City to provide backup.

Shade fell silent. The air turned deathly still. Then, suddenly, his hand moved. “If that’s how it is, I’ll just have to use my own methods!”

Zane had been watching him closely the entire time. Starry instantly flipped her sword in hand, launching another Icy Moon Slash! But this time, Shade didn’t dodge. Instead, a black glow burst from the ring on his finger, engulfing his entire body in an instant.

The blade’s edge struck against the black barrier, sending out a ripple of dark energy that spread outward in concentric waves. It was like tossing a stone into a still pond, aside from the faint splash, there was no further reaction.

At the same time, Shade spoke in a self-satisfied tone. “This is an invincibility skill. It won’t last long, but it’s more than enough.”

‘An invincibility skill? What is he planning to do?’

Through the opaque barrier, they could faintly make out the shape of something he was taking out from within.

**Clang!**

Another strike landed on the barrier, yet it remained perfectly unmoved.

Suddenly, a faint yellow wisp of ghostly fire drifted out from within the barrier. Could it be a one-way barrier? Whatever that flame was, something about it felt dangerously wrong.

Starry swung the Autumn Moon Sword heavily against the barrier, using the recoil to leap back. At that same moment, the pale yellow ghostfire drifted toward her previous position, straight at YoyoPink.

**Whoosh—!!**

The moment it neared a living being, the flickering flame suddenly flared to life, blazing with dazzling brilliance that lit up the entire tunnel.

“Ugh…” YoyoPink groaned as the fire engulfed her, writhing in pain under its scorching burn.

‘That silly girl, did she really set her pain level to maximum!?’

Her HP instantly plummeted below 500.

“Yoyo!” At the critical moment, Seraphine reacted swiftly, casting a Holy Light on the spot.

Though her HP was fully restored, the burning effect still continued.

The Healing Chain and Dukeette’s healing spells arrived one after another. Yet the ghostfire still clung to her relentlessly.

Starry’s heart tensed. ‘If that’s the case… then it’s best to eliminate the source!’

“Awooooo—!” Zane let out a Warcry, the deep, resonant howl of a wolf echoed through the enclosed tunnel.

At the same time, DumbCitrus strummed her strings in delayed realization and cast Battle Hymn! With both buffs stacked, Starry’s attack power soared to a terrifying 3561!

Seeing Starry still aiming her sword at the barrier, Shade couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you people even understand what invincible means? You’re still trying to attack me now?”

Judging that his timing was just right, he took out a crystal shard from his cloak. Once activated, it would teleport him to a designated spot, similar to a Return Scroll, though far inferior.

It required a five-second channeling time and could only transport him within a range of a mere thousand yards.

While everyone’s attention was focused on him, Zane quietly slipped among the group.

Starry’s attack power continued to climb!

Clasping the sword with both hands, she unleashed the power surging within her body. The Autumn Moon Sword itself trembled, resonating with an overwhelming energy; Autumn Strike had been triggered!

The first slash tore through the air, a violent wave of power crashing down with immense force! A faint crack appeared across the black barrier’s surface.

In the next instant, Tempest Field enveloped the entire barrier, its howling winds seeping through the tiny fractures.

Shade’s eyes went wide. ‘Isn’t this barrier supposed to be invincible? Is this woman even human?’ The gale whipped his hair backward, yet he forced himself to stay focused. Thankfully, he hadn’t taken any damage, the channeling was still ongoing.

But before he could steady himself, the second slash came crashing down! This time, the force behind it was one and a half times stronger than the first!

Unfortunately, the Autumn Strike and its critical effect had already worn off. This next blow only managed to widen the crack slightly.

A second later— Pyrestorm engulfed the barrier, while Icefeather Arrows and countless other projectiles rained down upon it. The fracture grew wider and wider, to the point where the Autumn Moon Sword could almost be thrust inside!

Shade’s eyes bulged. “Just one more second! Hold together, damn it!”

Third Slash! Spinning the sword in her grip, Starry pulled the blade back and struck again in a blur of motion.

**Boom!!**

The crack now expanded across nearly a third of the barrier’s surface! Not only that, a dazzling white light soon overwhelmed the yellow flames, flooding the entire space.

Waves of radiance surged and crashed like tides, each pulse battering everything alive within.

…

Countless green numbers burst forth as the black barrier shattered under the relentless assault of the light.

**Crack—!**

**—Crash!**

The so-called “invincible” barrier was violently blasted apart, but when the light settled, the figure inside had already vanished without a trace.