Victor thought for a moment and chose to be honest. "I'm here to assassinate someone."
He didn't say who, because he was still worried Elena's plan might clash with his.
Elena was tactful and didn't press. She just smiled and said, "The Red Rebels' base is tightly guarded. Want to team up with me?"
She paused, then added, "Once we're inside the base, we split and do our own jobs."
Her meaning was clear: first, they would fight their way into the base together.
As for what came after, they would decide then.
Victor agreed at once. He held out his hand and smiled. "Happy to work with you."
Elena nodded. The two of them moved together, quietly watching the situation inside the prison.
"Victor, to be honest, I still don't know your real strength." Looking at the many Red Rebels in the prison, Elena asked with some worry.
Victor being able to enter the Red Rebels' base showed he had some skill, but their goal was the core area of the base.
Victor thought for a moment, then lowered his voice. "Relax. I won't hold you back."
"I didn't mean that!" Elena shook her head fast, then took a scroll from her storage ring.
"What's this?" Victor asked, puzzled by the scroll that gave off faint blue light.
Elena handed him the scroll and explained, "It's a teleport scroll. It can move you, in a short time, to a random spot within ten kilometers."
She paused again, her tone turning serious. "At a critical moment, this could save your life."
"Uh... thanks!" Victor was about to refuse, but when he saw the firm look in Elena's eyes, he took the scroll.
Though Victor already had his own way to escape, Elena meant well, and taking it would put her at ease.
They talked it over again and finalized a concrete plan to slip into the prison.
Even though Victor wanted to take point, Elena wouldn't allow it and insisted he follow behind her.
The reason was simple: Elena was stronger than Victor.
And Victor couldn't argue with that.
They jumped down from the prison wall and landed in a haystack, hiding inside.
Soon, two Red Rebels came by with guns in their hands, clearly drawn by the faint noise here.
After the two rebels finished their patrol and found nothing suspicious, they were about to get up and leave when Elena suddenly rushed out.
She drew a dagger and, like a ghostly shadow, leaped up behind them.
In an instant, blood sprayed, and the two dropped to the ground.
Her moves flowed like water, so fast the rebels didn't even have time to cry out.
Elena and Victor exchanged a look and chose to strike first.
"What a powerful skill. It might not be weaker than my Phantom Trail," Victor thought as he stared at Elena.
No wonder she's the Bonfire Society's saintess. In daily life she acts gentle and kind around Victor.
But when it comes to a real fight, Elena is not soft at all.
"Go, Victor!" Elena closed her eyes a little, as if using a psychic skill to scan the area.
After she made sure there was no danger, she waved for Victor to come.
Seeing the surprise in Victor's eyes, Elena smiled and said, "These are secret skills of our Bonfire Society. Want to learn?"
She paused, then added, "Victor, if you join our Bonfire Society, the resources you'll get will be far more than at a higher academy."
Victor shook his head lightly. He wasn't tempted by Elena.
Because Victor knew that such rich resources come with a price.
Compared to the freedom of a higher academy, the Bonfire Society demands unconditional obedience to the organization's orders, and that was hard for Victor to accept.
"Alright." Elena pouted a little, clearly not expecting Victor to be so firm.
Then the two followed the route they had mapped and moved to the next hidden post.
At a corner, Elena suddenly stopped, her face turning a bit serious.
"What is it?" Seeing Elena stop, Victor asked in doubt.
Elena took a deep breath, pointed at a few trees ahead, and said gravely, "Look at those."
Victor looked up at once. After a closer look, he saw groups of small black birds perched on those trees.
They were pitch-black all over; their eyes showed only the whites; they hung quietly on the branches.
"What kind of beast is that?" Victor asked in confusion.
Elena took a deep breath and said, "This bird is called the Dark Shadow Dove. It's a beast that can be tamed."
"The Red Rebels keep so many Dark Shadow Doves. What are they trying to do?" Victor asked.
"Patrol and observe! The Dark Shadow Dove has strong sight and can accurately spot strangers." As Elena said this, she suddenly looked a bit regretful.
She patted her head and whispered, "Sorry, Victor. The intel was wrong. I didn't expect them to keep a whole flock of beasts like this."
Victor smiled and comforted her. "It's fine. You're the Bonfire Society's saintess. Will something like this beat you?"
Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm worried about you, Victor."
She paused, then said in a serious voice, "I have a skill that can slip past the Dark Shadow Dove's sight. What about you?"
Victor stopped for a beat, smiled, and said, "Who says I don't?"
"You do? Dodging a Dark Shadow Dove isn't easy!" Elena looked at him, afraid his confidence might get him hurt.
Victor only gave a helpless shake of his head, then triggered "Phantom Trail."
He knew talk wouldn't convince Elena; only proof would.
In a blink, Victor vanished, then strolled out like nothing.
With Phantom Trail on, the flock of Dark Shadow Doves stayed on their branches, blind to him.
Elena hid behind cover, eyes wide with surprise.
She could make out a faint trace of Victor, but only part of it.
In a real fight, you could say Elena might not even pin down where he was.
When Victor reached the other side safe and sound, Elena let out a breath and cast her own skill, "Wind Morph."
A light breeze rose, and Elena drifted across; the Dark Shadow Doves still noticed nothing.
"Elena, that skill is amazing," Victor said, genuinely surprised.
The skill turns her body into wind and lets her move with it.
It needs wind to work and has limits, but on safety alone it might even beat Victor's Phantom Trail.
"I am the Bonfire Society's saintess, after all." Elena rolled her eyes again.
Victor smiled, pointed at a far-off fortress, and said under his breath, "That should be where Jackson is."
Elena looked over too. After a moment, she asked, "Victor, who exactly are you planning to kill?"
Victor stiffened at the question. After a short pause, he said, "Jackson."
"I knew it." Elena grabbed her head, regret all over her face.
"What's wrong, Elena? Is there a conflict between us?" Victor started to worry too.
Elena let out a light sigh and explained, "Yes. To be honest, the person I need to rescue is my mentor, an elder of the Bonfire Society."
She paused, worry flashing in her eyes. "My teacher fell for Jackson's trick and was captured by him. He's locked in the prison dungeon. I was sent here to save him."
Victor asked in confusion, "You're here to save someone, and I'm here to assassinate Jackson. Do we have a conflict?"
Elena took a deep breath and said, "Victor, you don't understand Jackson's power at all. You can't beat him—at least not any time soon."
She paused and went on, "If we alert Jackson, the whole base will go on full lockdown, and it will be even harder for me to save my teacher."
Victor frowned and asked, "Then what if I go with you to rescue your teacher first?"
"No." Elena shook her head. "Once I free my teacher, the base will start a full lockdown, and you still won't be able to pull off the assassination."