?Is this “Brave”?

How is it activated?

With mana?

She could sense a complex rune structure beneath the mark, seemingly capable of resonating with mana.

Ali looked up at the sky; the rotation speed of the mana needles and air vortex was far from normal, suggesting she still had ample time.

Was the influence of god Nameless still lingering?

With a calm mind, Ali mobilized her mana, tentatively feeding it into the intricate structure beneath the mark.

It was like pressing the button of a nuclear reactor, a surge of heat so intense it felt like it could melt her burst forth from the mark!

A simulated wave of sound exploded in her ears, and everything in Ali’s vision was coated with a faint white light.

“Here are the last two pieces of advice.”

The voice of Nameless echoed in Ali’s ear.

“First, ‘Brave’ directly alters causality by stripping away lifespan, which will change the rate at which you age.”

“Second, the regenerative ability of ‘Brave’ is strong, but it is not without limits.”

“Beyond that, I wish you luck.”

“Commissioner 9527, now, Level 1 privileges are open to you, the mana sea is open to you.”

Ali felt the power, her perception expanding wildly with the support of mana.

The mana barrier left by Red Eye now seemed so fragile.

She could feel an endless stream of mana surging from the depths of her soul, making everything in her vision unprecedentedly clear.

“So this is the power of ‘Brave’,” she looked up at the sky, her thoughts controlling the mana to burst upwards.

Without any warning, like a volcanic eruption, a shockwave radiated from Ali as the center, instantly dispersing the mana web set by Red Eye.

No finesse was needed, only an irresistible brute force.

Facing a Level 1 magus-level mana explosion, a Level 2 magus seemed so fragile.

Ali waved her hand through the air, and the turbulence became calm under her control.

“Truly, a captivating power,” Ali fixed her gaze on Red Eye.

With a mere thought, the omnipresent mana could tear Red Eye to shreds.

Her perception now enveloped the entire street and even beyond.

As long as there was sufficient mana, her perception could continue to expand.

This authority granted by the mana sea, directly connected to it, meant she had almost dominion-like control over free-floating mana.

“Is this your trump card?”

Red Eye appeared unruffled, maintaining his composure even when his life hung by a thread in Ali’s mind, “An astonishing power. Level 2? No, this is already nearing the power of a Level 1 magus. How did you achieve this?”

Step by step, Ali advanced, stopping before Red Eye: “I am an advanced elf, a half-elf.”

Red Eye paused for a second, then laughed resignedly: “Is this the end you’ve arranged for me? To be killed by another cheater for cheating! How amusing, truly amusing!”

“Enough talk, tell me where Lilianne is.”

Ali looked at Red Eye coldly, wishing she could kill this scoundrel right now.

Regardless, Red Eye deserved death.

But she needed to know Lilianne’s whereabouts; she had to rescue her.

“Don’t worry, the girl is safe. But even with your current power, you still can’t save her,” Red Eye stated, looking at Ali, “It doesn’t matter whether you answer, but I still want to ask, what’s your price?”

“Thirty years of lifespan,” Ali didn’t conceal the truth; there was no need to hide anything from a dead man.

She was actually curious how a thief came to know the secrets of an advanced elf.

From his final question and his reaction upon initially realizing Ali was an advanced elf, it was clear he was well aware of the capabilities of an advanced elf.

Even including that incantation.

“Thirty years! You’re really willing to part with that, I hope you won’t regret it in the end.” Red Eye laughed, his tone a mix of mockery and sneer, “Power, much like alcohol, is addictive.

Use it once, and you’ll use it a second time, until death wakes you up.”

“Lilianne is in the hands of my master. If you wish to save her, then go ahead.”

Red Eye provided an address.

“If you can’t find her there, then head to Silverlight Crossroads’ Silverlight Inn, not far from here.”

After speaking, Red Eye slowly raised his hand, his dagger pointing towards Ali.

“How do you think I will die?”

“How would I know how you’re going to die, I won’t kill you for now, you can live on.”

Ali shook her head, seeing the madness deep within Red Eye’s eyes, this man had no chance of turning back.

The next time they met, Ali would sever his head with her own sword.

“No next time.” As if he had seen through Ali’s thoughts, a mocking sneer spread across Red Eye’s face.

“I won’t die by another’s hand.”

The dagger’s tip turned, Ali froze for a moment, and by the time she reacted, stretching out her hand in an attempt to stop him, it was already too late.

“Goodbye.”

The tip of the dagger pierced through flesh, accurately penetrating the heart as mana erupted.

Red Eye’s body trembled, falling silently, fresh red blood spilling from the wound, a sinister red flower slowly blooming on his chest.

A madman had died.

True to his name, he lived as a madman, and died as one too.

Ali couldn’t comprehend Red Eye’s thought process.

He clearly had a chance to live, yet he ended his own life so easily.

Didn’t he regret it at all? The movement of the dagger was so swift and precise, devoid of any additional pain.

Ali wondered how many times he had practiced to achieve such efficiency.

It seemed he lacked the emotion of fear, everything in the world was but fleeting to him.

Her gaze lingered on Red Eye’s body for a breath’s time before Ali collected her thoughts, tearing a piece of white cloth from her garment to cover his crimson eyes.

Recalling the address Red Eye had left behind, Ali sheathed her sword, mana gathering in her legs, sweeping through the streets like a gust of wind, leaping across rooftop.

…

At the same time, in Lorinda, a place Howard had never seen before.

To be honest, although Lorinda wasn’t large, the complexity of its buildings and terrain meant that despite spending nearly a month here, Howard had still not seen a significant portion of it.

This place seemed like a crossroads, with a sign on one side written in the common tongue of the Silverwind Kingdom, spelling out “Silverlight”—perhaps this was Silverlight Street?

“Where is this?”

Howard directed his gaze toward the tall figure who had brought him here and asked, but received no response.

This was within Howard’s expectations; the figure hadn’t uttered a single word along the way, almost like a puppet or a golem.

If it weren’t for the initial conversation, Howard might have doubted whether his guide was even alive. .

The two landed in a corner of the crossroads, the tall figure’s steps unceasing, leading Howard out from the shadows, eventually stopping in front of a tavern that looked utterly ordinary.

“Go inside. My employer is in there. You’ll recognize them once you enter.”

Howard looked at the figure, then at the slightly ajar door of the tavern, scratching his chin.

At this time, after dinner, was usually when farmers or craftsmen sought entertainment, making it the busiest time for places like taverns.

But this place seemed different.

Though they had left the jurisdiction of the Breeze City guards’ clearance, Howard couldn’t hear any sounds coming from inside the tavern.

It was too quiet here.

If it were a normal tavern, the noise inside should be audible from five meters away, as this also served as a means to attract customers.

“Must I go in?”

Howard was somewhat apprehensive, wondering if upon entering, he’d be greeted by a scowling face, a smashed cup as a signal, followed by dozens of axemen or preparatory-level magi slicing him into pieces.

The figure remained silent, just those eyes beneath the hood staring at him.

Feeling the hairs on his back stand up under that gaze, Howard conceded.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go in.”

Howard stepped forward, pushing open the tavern door.

A wave of alcohol fumes hit him, accompanied by a buzz of noise.

The tavern wasn’t empty; about a third of the seats were vacant.

A variety of individuals sat at their tables, speaking in hushed tones.

Despite some comical efforts, the farmers, hunters, blacksmiths, and others were clearly trying hard to restrain themselves.

Seeing this, Howard immediately realized someone was imposing order here.

He stood at the entrance, scanning the room, hoping to proactively identify the employer the figure had mentioned.

The fellow had not provided any features or descriptions, merely stating, “You’ll recognize them once you enter,” before leaving Howard to fend for himself.

But as he had said, Howard indeed recognized someone.

And it wasn’t good news.

He saw the girl who had saved him, the one who had left without giving her name.

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