Page 245

In the dead of night, the alley was engulfed in darkness, with only a dim streetlight casting its glow, revealing dried bloodstains on the walls.

From deeper within the shadows came the faint rustling of rats gnawing on scraps and the flapping of bat wings.

A thin mist spread along the alley.

Olivia, cloaked and hooded, stopped in her tracks, hesitating where she stood.

"Something... seems off here."

She frowned, tightening her grip on her staff.

From the moment she entered the city, Olivia had sensed a strange force that made the weave of magic in this area thick and viscous, like mud, preventing her from easily casting spells.

Space-warping spells were completely sealed; the spatial fabric here was like forged steel.

She knew this was some kind of anti-magic field, but the vast extent of it shocked her, heightening her caution, making her even more careful.

For a mage, being in such a field meant that any carelessness could lead to dire consequences.

"Could the dragon's minions have discovered me already?"

Olivia thought of the strange behavior of the human she'd just met, her expression shifting suddenly.

"This can't be..."

"How could he be in league with the dragon?"

She gritted her teeth, murmuring to herself.

Olivia had thought the human was simply fearful of the oppressive regime, but now that she replayed it in her mind, something indeed seemed off.

She finally understood why she'd felt uneasy but couldn't pinpoint it—his demeanor wasn't just fearful, but also held an unmistakable excitement and fervor.

The silver dragon hadn't cared about the human's reaction, focusing only on obtaining information. This arrogance had put her in danger!

"Whoosh—"

A whistling wind blew, sounding like the wail of some unknown beast or the mournful cry of a ghost.

Without hesitation, Olivia pinched a bit of silver dust, spreading it before her eyes while muttering an incantation.

Though the weave was suppressed here, casting lower-level spells was still relatively easy for her.

[Detect Invisibility]

[Darkvision]

Her blue-gray eyes began to glow softly.

Suddenly, Olivia's vision became crystal clear, and she saw everything lurking in the darkness.

—More than a dozen vampires, faces pallid, grinning wickedly, armed with daggers, short bows, or dragging chains.

They were closing in, crawling along the walls like spiders, intent on consuming the cloaked intruder.

These "Nocturne" agents were patient, continuously creating eerie noises and approaching in strange, unsettling postures—they excelled at breaking their target's will, reducing them to helpless captives.

"Not good, vampires."

"So these are the so-called 'Nocturne'? Their stench of blood is truly revolting."

Olivia's expression grew serious as she recognized these foul undead creatures immediately.

The vampires seemed to realize that their target had noticed them, and they bared their sharp fangs, lunging from the shadows.

"Those who dare intrude upon the kingdom, Nocturne will grant you eternal sleep!"

"Surrender, or you'll never see tomorrow's sun..."

"We may consider sparing your life, outsider."

The vampires whispered hoarsely.

"Troublesome creatures."

Olivia swung her staff, creating a glowing spherical barrier that encased her entirely.

[Wall of Good]

The spell repelled evil, forming a wall that prevented the vampires from advancing any closer.

The lunging vampires found themselves frozen in place, as if ensnared by a Hold Person spell, unable to move an inch, forced to stare in frustration at their prey, so close yet so far.

Olivia tapped her staff lightly, and a chilling wind blew as an ice wall rose from the ground, trapping the vampires in its cold embrace.

The vampires frozen in the ice wall were still poised mid-leap, their twisted expressions grotesque and terrifying.

"Swoosh—"

From the distance, a vampire fired several arrows coated in venom.

The robes Olivia wore shed their disguise, glowing with starlight imbued with magic, blocking most of the arrows.

"Boom!"

However, one arrow exploded upon contact, blasting her several meters back until she crashed into a wall.

Fortunately, Olivia had multiple protective spells like [Protection from Energy] and [Mage Armor] active, shielding her from injury.

Leaning against the wall, her face grave, Olivia heard increasing commotion around her and saw even more terrifying scenes:

—Hobgoblin infantry marching in formation, ogres stomping heavily, and wyverns roaring as they claimed the sky.

"I can't keep this up."

"If I don't leave now, I'll just draw in more enemies."

Instinctively, Olivia tried to cast a teleportation spell to escape this dangerous battlefield, but the spatial barrier remained unyielding, like a steel wall. No spell, no matter how powerful, could pierce it—not even with all her strength.

"How is this possible..."

She gritted her teeth, cold sweat streaming down her forehead.

Facing the unending wave of enemies, Olivia clutched her staff tightly, raising it high, the crystal at its tip shining brilliantly.

[Net of Radiance]

Ribbons of light streaked across the ground, weaving between the vampires, forming an intricate, dazzling web.

The vampires, ensnared by the radiant net, began to burn, their bodies ablaze, fearing the very light they loathed.

Olivia panted heavily, her complexion pale.

In this magic-suppressing field, casting even a fourth-level spell drained nearly all her energy.

Just then, a vampire, having transformed into a misty form, bypassed her defenses and approached her silently, stabbing a dagger into her unguarded back.

With the whistle of a blade slicing through the air, the dagger—coated in a necrotic mist—pierced her robes and drove into her flesh.

"Ah—"

Olivia cried out in pain.

In that instant, her eyes erupted with blinding light, and a powerful sonic wave burst forth, sending the ambushing vampire flying backward.

A dense fog enveloped the spot where Olivia had stood, and as the vampires swarmed, they found nothing but empty mist.

"Huff, huff..."

At the end of the alley, Olivia struggled to maintain her invisibility spell as she fled toward the city's edge.

Blood continued to flow from the wound on her back, soaking her robes and dripping onto the ground. Due to the invisibility spell, these bloodstains appeared to emerge from thin air to anyone watching.