The Shadow Betrayed Me

"Yes."

Surrounded by so many onlookers, Audrey didn't affectionately snuggle up to her mother and call her "Mom." Instead, she said respectfully, "This lady is very powerful, and I believe she is capable enough to be my bodyguard."

"Is that so? Then I'll have to look forward to it."

The Earl looked with great interest at the black-haired, masked woman, who appeared to be a young girl.

She was far too young compared to the extraordinary individuals who had visited before.

Why is she covering her face?

"The Earl asked."

"Because her appearance is quite distinctive, she doesn't want others to see it."

Audrey replied.

Luther had actually considered changing his sister's face directly, but the thought of using Flesh and Blood Magic on her face made him somewhat uncomfortable. In the end, he decided to just have her wear a mask for some concealment.

"Alright, she applied for the job as your bodyguard after all, so if you have no objections..."

The Earl did not pursue the matter further.

She smiled and shifted her gaze to the person beside her, "Olivia, what do you think of this person's abilities?"

Across the round table, outside the parasol, stood a brown-haired adult woman. She appeared calm and indifferent, her dark eyes fixed on the masked girl opposite her.

She did not answer the Earl's question immediately, seemingly deep in thought.

Everyone looked at her, waiting for her answer.

After some time.

"Olivia?"

The Earl asked again.

"... Hmm? Oh! I'm sorry, madam, I was lost in thought."

The serene woman's body trembled slightly, as if she had just woken from a dream, and she looked around. "What did you just ask me?"

.. Um?

Hiding in the shadows, Luther muttered to himself that the other party's eccentric behavior felt strangely familiar.

Could this be a Nightmare?

The Earl Hall and his family are devout followers of the Evernight Goddess, and I've heard they've donated a large sum of money to the Church of Evernight. It seems reasonable that such devoted believers would have someone to look after them.

"It's alright. I was just about to ask what you think of the person Audrey invited?"

The Earl smiled amiably, seemingly not offended at all.

"It's hard to say, I can't tell."

Olivia replied honestly, "We'll only know after we fight them."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

The Earl clapped her hands happily, "Let's not waste any more time, let's begin!"

There are other guards in the villa, but most of them are Sequence 7, with only one appearing to be Sequence 6. According to the Earl, whoever can defeat any one of them can pass the test and become Audrey's guard.

The extraordinary individual assigned to the test happened to Pathway someone Luther was very familiar with.

"My name is Olivia. You can stop fighting at any time if you can't hold on any longer."

The woman with short brown hair said this as she walked to the center of the riding arena and stretched her body.

"Cecilia."

She heard the masked woman opposite her speak calmly.

"The voice sounds so young, has someone so young already become an Extraordinary?"

Olivia asked.

There was no response.

"Alright, since you're unwilling to answer, let's have the Earl call for the start..."

You're pulling me into Dream Infiltration.

She heard the other person say briefly.

Olivia was startled, and then she heard a crisp shattering sound, as if Dream Sealing by glass had been forcibly broken, shattering into fragments that scattered on the ground.

Her Dream shattered; in reality, she was hunched over, pressing her temples.

How did she find out?

Olivia straightened her body, her mind filled with confusion. Her Beyonder Ability was very effective, often proving crucial in battles, but she hadn't expected it to be discovered so quickly after she'd just used it.

"Brush!"

Before her surprise could end, a flash of light magnified infinitely in front of her.

Wow, so fast, without any hesitation at all!

Olivia turned her head, dodging the dagger's thrust, and reacted swiftly. She pulled a black police baton from under her clothes and skillfully began to parry and counter the masked girl's attack.

The "Evernight" Pathway begins with the Oldest One Sequence 9 Sleepless, where physical abilities start to improve. By Sequence 7, they only become stronger, "Clang! Clang!"

The metal baton struck the dagger with a loud clang, sending sparks flying.

This little girl seems to be a combat-oriented Extraordinary as well, but her Sequence should be lower than mine.

After engaging in close combat, she quickly made a judgment.

I heard the whispers of the wind, Hymn of the Night...

Olivia hummed softly as she fought. The magical verses echoed, as tranquil as the night sky, making one feel drowsy and want to put down what one was doing and enjoy sleep.

Since she was caught trying to lull the other person to sleep, she decided to use this method to interfere and delay their actions.

Soon, she noticed that the masked girl's movements had become sluggish, as if she were being overcome by drowsiness and unable to control herself.

Great opportunity!

She seized the opportunity to rush in, her baton striking nimbly and fiercely, like a cunning venomous snake, hitting the man's wrist. With a "crack," the dagger in his hand was knocked to the ground.

The masked girl, struck in the wrist, seemed to regain some of her senses. Seeing the dagger fall, she didn't bend down to pick it up, but instead tried to back away, keeping her distance from Olivia.

A very smart choice, but I'm sorry!

"Brush!"

Olivia slammed her feet to the ground and charged forward. She intended to use this opportunity to press the baton directly against the woman's throat, forcing her to admit defeat.

But just then, she suddenly felt a strong resistance under her feet, as if a hand was tightly gripping her ankle!

"Bang!"

Her forward momentum was abruptly halted. She quickly adjusted her posture to regain control of her body and avoid falling directly.

What happened?

Olivia knelt on the ground, her hands gently touching the paddock floor. A smell of grass mixed with horse manure filled her nostrils. However, she couldn't care less about the smell at that moment; instead, she Consciousness looked towards the source of the resistance.

"What's this!"

She was startled to find that something black was gripping her ankle, restricting her movement.

That thing... was my own shadow!

The afternoon sun in Backlund wasn't very bright, but at this moment, her shadow appeared so dark and deep. It lay flat on the ground, not fully reflecting Olivia's true state, but rather as if it possessed its own sentience, reaching out and tightly gripping her ankle!

Your own shadow betrayed you!

In an instant, an unspeakable fear surged into Olivia's heart. It was like something familiar in daily life suddenly turning strangely abnormal, bringing a strong sense of unease.

"Swish, swish..."

In that brief moment of distraction, the shadow began to move again; its other hand extended upwards, as if to stalk Olivia's throat.

"Hateful!"

But she was, after all, Sequence 7 Extraordinary, and quickly overcame this unease and attempted to save herself.

However, just as she was struggling, a gleaming dagger was already extended and pressed against her face.

"Shall we continue?"

She heard the girl opposite her ask.

"... I lost."

Olivia paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.