Chapter 50: Vague Like a Dream

After settling on the final battle plan, Croll spent another 1 day scouting the guards’ situation at the base.

The day of the operation was set for the night of the 3rd day after Iserin joined the Boundary Gate Blasting Plan.

Naturally, Mowan had also taught Iserin how to close the Boundary Gates.

If Croll could learn it, Iserin certainly could.

Soon, the night of the operation arrived.

The trio of three met outside the Holy City just as most of its inhabitants were falling asleep.

All three traveled light, though some spare magic materials were placed in Mowan and Iserin’s Spatial Rings to prevent any accidents should their Magic Power reserves run low.

“Sister Iserin, Mowan, don’t be nervous. We will definitely succeed.”

Croll had not brought her cumbersome maid along.

In truth, she was incredibly nervous herself.

She could only encourage the other two first to bolster her own courage.

“Mhm.”

Mowan’s heart was beating so hard it felt like it might jump out of her chest.

This feeling was even more nerve-wracking than when she had implemented reform policies in the Demon Empire.

Back then, she still possessed a certain wild arrogance.

Now, reality had smoothed out her sharp edges, and her past experiences had etched the price of failure deep into her heart.

“Review the operation plan in your minds one last time. If there are no questions, let’s head out.”

Iserin remained as calm as a gentle breeze, as if nothing could stir much emotion in her.

Mowan closed her eyes, carefully recalling every word they had discussed over the past two days.

Finally, she opened her eyes with a determined gaze.

“I’m ready!”

With Croll leading the way, Iserin providing cover, and Mowan serving as technical and safety guidance, they set off.

That was the entirety of the general operational guidelines.

Mowan, Iserin, and Croll sprinted through the night, arriving at the Monster Research Base 100 kilometers away.

The base was brightly lit.

Guards on the watchtowers maintained a 360-degree surveillance of every direction outside the perimeter.

The interior of the base was equally heavily guarded.

However, Croll had spent the last two days figuring out the base’s sentry patterns.

Combined with Iserin’s concealment Magic, the guards would not be able to see them.

They only needed to evade the Magic Power detection systems within the base.

The three stood by the base’s outer wall.

Iserin had already used Magic to cover Croll and Mowan with a Magic Camouflage Cloak.

The magic garment could reflect the environment, allowing them to blend into the background.

The location of the Boundary Gates was a basin surrounded by mountains, which acted as a natural physical barrier.

Thus, Croll had to lead Iserin and Mowan slowly around the guards monitoring the entrance.

The entire process took 1 hour, and they encountered no obstacles along the way.

Finally, they reached the entrance of the basin.

Guards were stationed here; some were responsible for visual surveillance, while others focused on detecting magic fluctuations to prevent anyone from entering the valley using stealth Magic.

Iserin’s own concealment Magic was far more advanced than the magic cloaks on Croll and Mowan.

She had already turned her own body transparent.

According to the plan, Iserin was to handle this part of the mission.

In the eyes of Mowan and Croll, it was as if a light breeze had swept through the area.

In less than 2 seconds, the twelve guards at the entrance collapsed to the ground one after another.

Then, Mowan felt a familiar warmth on her shoulder.

Mowan blinked.

This was the first time she had witnessed Iserin’s combat strength.

It was no wonder the Saintess of Visa was rumored to be the final trump card against the Demon King.

After dealing with the guards, the three finally arrived before the final Boundary Gate energy shield.

Under the pitch-black night, the massive energy barrier emitted a deep blue fluorescence, blocking out the moonlight and preventing any external organisms from entering or exiting.

Croll reached out her hand and touched the energy barrier.

Where Croll touched, a single door large enough for only one person to pass through opened.

Iserin and Mowan entered the energy barrier first, followed by Croll, who then closed the small door.

Inside the energy barrier, the three no longer needed to maintain their disguises.

Iserin revealed her form, and Croll and Mowan threw off their Magic Camouflage Cloaks.

Mowan exchanged glances with Iserin and Croll before taking a step back to give the two space to cast their spells.

Since she did not know Light Magic, she could only watch the two of them destroy the Boundary Gates.

Croll ran to the gates, spreading her arms and drawing magic arrays in the air to precisely destroy the Boundary Gates one by one.

Iserin, however, was different. Building upon the Magic Mowan had taught her, she integrated her own understanding.

She drove her Magic Power to support her body, leaping before each Boundary Gate like a dragonfly skimming the water.

Strands of golden magic particles were left behind by her toes, which quickly condensed into magic arrays.

In just 3 minutes, she had placed array markers in front of approximately eighty gates.

She returned to the ground and stood beside Mowan.

She snapped her fingers.

The arrays exploded simultaneously.

Waves of light drowned out the pitch-black Boundary Gates.

The dozens of gates within their sight collapsed inward, and finally, all the gates emitting that eerie, shimmering light were annihilated from this space.

“Sister Iserin, how… how are you so fast?”

Croll had only closed twenty, while Iserin had closed so many by herself.

Although one used her hands and the other used her feet to cast the spell, the scene of the Boundary Gates closing was exactly the same.

“Should we keep the last few?”

Iserin asked.

“No, not a single one. As long as one Boundary Gate exists, monsters will continue to escape to the outside world and bring disaster to the residents.”

“Fine. You go ahead. I’ll rest for a bit.”

“Mhm!”

Croll dashed toward the remaining eight gates in the distance.

She closed all the Boundary Gates within sight slowly but with extreme stability.

“It’s done.”

Croll looked up at the sky and then scanned the ground.

There was nothing left in this space.

Although being there still felt inexplicably oppressive, as if the surroundings were filled with heavy, turbulent Magic Power, Croll had indeed witnessed the annihilation of every Boundary Gate with her own eyes.

She hurried back to Mowan and Iserin’s side.

“Let’s leave quickly.”

She approached the energy barrier and listened intently.

Finding that it was still silent outside, she waved to Mowan and Iserin, pressing her hand against the energy barrier.

The group returned the way they came.

They didn’t stop until they safely reached the Holy City and stood on a deserted street.

“Phew… I can’t believe it. We… we really did it.”

Croll held up her hands; they were trembling uncontrollably.

All of this felt like a dream.

Their trip had been as easy as entering and leaving their own back garden, so effortless that it felt surreal.

“This isn’t a dream, Croll. This is reality, full of warmth.”

Iserin reached out and gently took Croll’s trembling hands, covering the back of Croll’s hands with her own warm palms.

“Go back to the Royal Palace. Remember, act as if nothing happened. You are already a mature Princess. You weren’t doing anything bad; you saved our people.”

“Mhm! Sister Iserin, Mowan, you two should go back and rest early too.”

Croll pulled her hands away from Iserin’s.

She waved to Mowan and Iserin and then ran toward the Royal Palace.

It was too surreal.

Croll’s mind was still flashing back to her every move inside the energy barrier and every sight she had seen.

As she moved away from Iserin, a boundless fear began to spread through her heart.

Suddenly.

Her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground with a thud.

She bit her lower lip, her vision blurring.

A cruel, suffocating, and no longer bright future grew in her mind, pressing down on Croll’s shoulders like a mountain.

She knew what would happen once someone came to inspect the Monster Research Base.

Who would be the first suspect her brother thought of?

‘Get up! Get up right now!’

Croll slapped her calves, pinching her muscles hard until the pain awakened her survival instinct.

Only then did she stagger to her feet and stumble toward the city gate.

Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, making it so dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.

Croll fumbled her way to the gate.

‘I am never coming back,’ she told herself repeatedly.

As long as her father couldn’t catch her, she wouldn’t be executed.

Finally… she saw a flicker of light. It was the night lamp lit at the city gate.

Croll quickened her pace toward the gate.

However, the moment she saw the figure standing at the end of the light, her heart instantly froze.

“Brother Casel…”

The blonde man related to Croll by blood stood with his back to the light, facing her.

He walked slowly toward the stunned Croll, questioning her coldly and sternly.

“My dear sister Croll, where are you going?”

A deep fear washed over her, crushing the air from her lungs.

She could no longer maintain the extreme tension in her heart.

Her body tilted backward like a withered tree.

But the expected impact with the cold ground never came.

Instead, she fell into a soft, warm embrace, surrounded by a familiar and reassuring scent.

A strand of pure white hair drifted past the corner of her eye.

She looked up, and in her vision was Sister Iserin, whom she knew so well.