"We can't go any farther! The death energy shrouding the Plague Valley is too dense. If we go in recklessly, we'll be spotted. These gnoll warlocks really do have some tricks up their sleeves."
Adele, who had been sent to scout the Plague Clan, was concealed in a patch of shadow. She held a spyglass enchanted by Lady Triss and carefully observed every detail of the valley.
Murphy's intelligence officer had chosen her position with remarkable precision. She stood exactly outside the "invisible line" that would trigger the Plague Valley's surveillance magic, like some master rogue trying to skip a mob by hugging the edge of its aggro range.
It was a real heart-stopper.
But Adele's close-up surveillance wasn't reckless. She lacked the Thorn Nightwalkers' "passive stealth," a divine skill bestowed by Midnight, but E-sis had some Shadow Elf blood, so her connection to the shadows was strong. Years of training had also made her exceptionally skilled at stealth and reconnaissance.
Before the players joined the Thorn Clan, Adele had already used Count Whitehill's connections to study the Thorn Clan's scouting and combat techniques. She kept a low profile, but her potential, enhanced by Source Blood, had already begun to blossom.
Adele hadn't told anyone, but she had indeed reached the threshold for triggering the Silver Trial.
Like Maxim, who always strove for perfection, Adele wasn't in a hurry to complete her Silver Trial. She had already mastered two ancestral powers, which was more than enough for an ordinary vampire. But if E-sis wanted to stay by Lord Murphy's side, she couldn't settle for being "pretty good" or "decent."
Excellence was merely the standard!
She had to pursue perfection if she wanted to secure an ever deeper and more steadfast place in her master's heart.
The conversation she'd had with