Facing Balke’s questioning, Ailiya did not answer.
Or rather, what answered him were three black phantoms that burst out from the shadows in different directions almost simultaneously!
[Phantom Clone]
This was one of the core skills Ailiya had “scammed” from Graves.
The movements, the silhouettes, even the cold glint of the daggers in their hands—they were all identical. There was no way to tell which was real!
“Damn it! Where did three of them come from?!”
Balke’s pupils contracted, and his heart skipped a beat.
The three figures launched a fatal surprise attack from the front, the left, and an oblique angle above, all at once!
“Go all out!”
Balke roared, knowing he had no way to retreat. He decisively abandoned the relatively weaker defenses on his left and above, concentrating all his attention and strength on the figure in front!
His combat instincts told him that the one in front—the fastest, with the fiercest momentum—was most likely the real body!
He swung his heavy broad blade greatsword with both hands, no fancy moves, using all his strength. With a terrifying wind roar that tore through the air, he swept it horizontally toward the black afterimage in front!
Even a piece of iron would be cut in two by this strike!
However—
The heavy great sword passed through the waist of the afterimage without any resistance, as if cutting through empty air.
No blood.
***
After the blade passed, the phantom dissipated like a wisp of smoke.
Balke’s heart sank to the bottom.
“Fake?!”
The powerful inertia forced his body to stumble forward half a step, leaving his guard wide open.
At that moment, the other two figures closed in on his sides from extremely peculiar angles.
From the shadows on his left, a voice, ice-cold and as if whispered right next to his ear, sounded.
“It’s over.”
Balke tried to pull back his sword to defend, but it was too late.
Whoosh—!
A blinding, dazzling light, like a blazing sun, exploded without warning less than half a meter from his eyes!
[Flash Spell]
“Ah! My eyes!”
Balke let out a miserable scream, covering his eyes with both hands.
The close-range, high-intensity flash had directly robbed him of all vision.
All that remained was a piercing, blinding white.
How could he have imagined that an assassin skilled in shadow magic, even capable of high-level stealth and phantom clones, could also instantly cast such an annoying auxiliary light spell?!
What kind of stitched-together freak combination was this?!
Just as Balke was blinded by the flash spell and thrown into utter chaos—
Bam!
A foot shod in a soft leather boot kicked him squarely and forcefully in the chest!
Although Ailiya hadn’t used her full strength with that kick, it wasn’t something an unprepared person could withstand.
Balke’s bear-like, massive frame was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the trunk of an ancient tree behind him, shaking leaves loose.
“Cough… You… hit hard…”
Balke sat on the ground, rubbing his sore chest while blinking his still-tearing eyes, trying to restore his vision.
Ailiya had already retreated back into the shadows beyond the moonlight.
She sheathed her dagger, her voice still calm, with no fluctuation from having defeated a Second-order Peak Warrior.
“As I said earlier, I have no intention of harming you or the Young Master.”
Ailiya looked at Balke sitting on the ground, leisurely adjusting her black robe’s hood, her tone carrying an air of authority.
“I have my own purpose and need to leave the camp for a while. I’ll be back before dawn.”
“You can remain vigilant, but if you try to forcibly stop me or pry into my secrets…”
Ailiya paused, a glint of oppressive coldness flashing in her eyes.
The next second, her form once again merged into the darkness like a drop of ink, turning into an extremely stealthy afterimage.
In the blink of an eye, she vanished completely from Balke’s sight, leaving not even a trace of magic fluctuation.
Balke leaned against the tree trunk, panting heavily.
His vision gradually returned to normal.
He picked up the broad blade greatsword from the ground and looked in the direction Ailiya had disappeared, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
“With strength this terrifying, why would she lower herself to being a maid in the Estate?”
He brushed the dust and leaves off his clothes, re-sheathed the greatsword on his back, and turned back toward the camp.
“Damn… this world is getting crazier and crazier.”
***
At the edge of the camp.
Misi, the Ranger on night watch, was perched on the highest branch like a vigilant owl.
He held a crossbow, scanning the surrounding darkness.
Suddenly, his ear twitched. He heard a rustling footsteps.
Misi immediately raised his crossbow, aiming at the direction of the sound.
“Who?!”
“It’s me. Don’t be so jumpy.”
Balke walked out from the bushes, waving his hand, looking like he’d just woken up and returned from a piss.
Misi lowered his crossbow, jumped down lightly from the tree, and walked over to Balke.
He sniffed sharply. Under the faint moonlight, he noticed the not-so-obvious boot print on the front of Balke’s clothes, and his slightly disheveled beard.
“Boss… did you go wrestle a bear?”
Misi raised an eyebrow, lowering his voice, with a hint of gossip and curiosity.
Although faint, it definitely wasn’t a noise an ordinary monster would make.
Balke walked to the dying campfire and sat down, picking up a twig to poke at the embers.
He didn’t answer immediately, but stared at the jumping sparks in silence for a moment.
“I ran into that head maid.”
“Boss?”
Misi was puzzled.
Balke threw away the twig and let out a long sigh. His tone carried a rare weight and wariness.
“Ran into her? What’s she doing running around in the middle of the night?”
Misi was startled.
“Could she be up to something? Should we inform the Young Master?”
“Inform my ass! Do you think the nine of us could stop her?”
Misi swallowed.
Seeing his boss so dejected, a ridiculous premonition rose in his heart.
“Boss… don’t tell me you fought her again? And…”
“I lost.”
Balke admitted frankly.
He didn’t think losing to an unfathomably strong opponent was anything to be ashamed of.
“And it was a one-sided crushing. From start to finish, I couldn’t even touch her clothes.”
Misi gasped.
He knew well how strong his boss was. Though usually a bit cocky, his storm swordsmanship was top-notch among the second order.
Last time in a duel, the boss had suffered a loss, but the brothers all thought he was careless and not serious.
But now…
“How… strong is she?”
Misi stammered.
“Very strong.”
Balke looked up at the pitch-black night sky, the three indistinguishable phantoms and that hopeless instant flash spell replaying in his mind.
It was almost like chantless casting.
Balke’s voice was especially low in the silent camp.
“And I have a strong intuition…”
“When she fought me just now, she… wasn’t using her full strength.”
Hearing this, Misi fell silent.
The two exchanged glances, both seeing deep awe in each other’s eyes.
“Alright, stop guessing.”
Balke sighed, patted Misi’s shoulder.
“Tell the brothers, for the next few days, stay on high alert!”
“Other than protecting that Young Master of Black Iron, we don’t touch any other nonsense!”
Balke slapped his butt and stood up.
“Since she said she won’t harm us, let’s pretend nothing happened.”
“You keep watch. I’m going to catch some sleep. That kick still hurts my chest.”