Invisibility agents

Elvin took a deep breath, steadying his voice, "We need to go to the Land of Amber, at the end of this road, right?" His gaze was firm.

Across from him was a gaunt old man, his hands clutching a kerosene lamp. The light illuminated his face, but also made him appear pale and haggard. A bitter smile flashed across his face, "The Land of Amber, that's no longer a place for you people."

Cassidy stubbornly stared at the old man, her lips pressed into a thin line, "We understand that it may be fraught with danger," she said, "but we must pass through there."

The old man lifted his head, his eyes full of disdain and derision. "Danger? Do you really know what danger is?" His voice was hoarse, his tone cold, "The danger there has surpassed your imagination. It's a place no longer suitable for humans." He smirked coldly, lifted the kerosene lamp, and blocked their path with his walking stick.

His eyes were dark and deep, seeming to hold all the horrors and madness of the world. An indescribable pain flashed in his eyes; his past experiences filled his gaze with deep worry and pain.

Yet, Elvin and Cassidy couldn't stand idly by. They backed away, but after only about fifty meters, they turned back to see the flickering kerosene lamp had disappeared into the night, leaving only their lonely silhouettes.

They stopped, facing the harsh darkness, their minds filled with countless thoughts. Their eyes met, and they both knew they had to find a way to overcome this seemingly insurmountable predicament.

Elvin looked up at the starry sky, which was as resplendent as a diamond-encrusted canopy. He turned his deep gaze to Cassidy, "Do you have any other routes? Is there a way to bypass this place and go directly to the Five-Colored Lake?" His voice was full of concern.

Cassidy crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes complex. She gently shook her head, "The Reike Kingdom has always maintained distance from other nations, only the Belk Kingdom has had contact. This road is the only one we can take. I've tried to find other paths, but it seems as if this place is isolated from the outside world, with only this road leading to the Five-Colored Lake." She spoke these words with a profound sense of helplessness.

Cassidy laughed wearily, "The bridge has long been destroyed, leaving only ruins. The night river is even more dangerous, with its whirlpools, and if you fall in, you might lose your life." Her voice became increasingly low, almost whispering to herself.

Elvin was silent for a moment, then said, "The old man's words have made me suspicious. He spoke of the Land of Amber as being extremely dangerous. If we proceed rashly, we could risk our lives."

Cassidy paused, then bit her lower lip, "We indeed can't be certain of the current situation in the Land of Amber, and we definitely need to take the old man's warning seriously. But... we must move forward." Her voice was resolute.

Just as their conversation was about to end, Elvin's gaze fell on a clump of grass next to Cassidy's foot. In the moonlight, he found something that caught his eye - a long sought-after herb - Shadow Stem.

His eyes gleamed with excitement, and he quickly took out his knife, carefully cutting the Shadow Stem. Then he turned to Cassidy and said, "Look, Cassidy! This is Shadow Stem! We have a way now!" His voice was filled with joy and excitement.

Cassidy looked down at her feet and saw the grass Elvin was pointing at. Confusion flickered in her eyes, "Shadow Stalk? What's special about it?"

Elvin squatted down, picking up the plant, "This grass grows in dark places, with a dark stalk and deep green leaves, it's soft in texture. It has a special effect."

"What special effect?" Cassidy asked.

Elvin smiled, "If we mash up the Shadow Stalk and Star Stone Grass and mix it with water, we can make a liquid. We can apply this liquid to our clothes, it will make the color of the clothes much darker. With the help of the night, we can hide ourselves better, almost reaching the effect of invisibility. We can then bypass the old man's obstruction."

"And the Star Stone Grass?" Cassidy asked.

Elvin opened his bag and took out some herbs, "I collected some Star Stone Grass in the afternoon, thinking it might be useful. I didn't expect it to come in handy so quickly."

Cassidy looked at Elvin's satisfied smile, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief. She knew that, although the road ahead was full of unknowns, with Elvin there, he always brought surprises, always finding a way to solve problems.

"Alright," Elvin said softly, his face filled with deep satisfaction, like a craftsman who has completed a fine work of art. He slowly stood up and turned his gaze to Cassidy.

He walked towards Cassidy, and suddenly, his movement made Cassidy freeze. He gently backed her against a tree, and suddenly their distance became so close.

"What... what are you doing?" Cassidy asked in surprise, a slight blush on her face.

"Let me borrow your cloak for a bit." Elvin's voice was steady as he gently unbuckled her cloak, holding it in his hands. His actions accelerated Cassidy's heartbeat, and she instinctively looked around before calming down.

Elvin smiled, pouring the prepared liquid carefully onto the cloak. The cloak immediately began to change, its color gradually faded, and eventually it almost completely blended with the surrounding environment. The sight made Cassidy's heartbeat accelerate even more.

Elvin watched the change of the cloak and nodded with satisfaction, then returned the cloak to Cassidy. "Now, whether it's day or night, this cloak can help us hide better."

Cassidy carefully took the cloak, she was astonished at the magic of the cloak. She looked at Elvin, "This is really amazing, Elvin."

Elvin chuckled, "We can now safely head to the Town of Amber."

The two of them put on the cloaks and silently blended into the night like shadows. They scrutinized their surroundings through the slits of their cloaks, every tiny movement was enough to raise their alertness as they cautiously moved towards the Town of Amber.

They tried to hold their breath and move gently, avoiding making noise with the leaves under their feet. When they arrived at the place where the old man had been, it was completely silent and the strange old man did not appear again.

With the shadows of the trees and the silvery moonlight, Elvin and Cassidy walked side by side on a small path in the mysterious forest, wearing the same dim cloak, moving towards the sparse, flickering lights in the distance. That was their destination, the town known as the "Town of Amber".

The air was filled with the moist scent of the forest, the smell of decaying leaves and the fragrance of moss intertwined, creating a strange and mysterious atmosphere accompanied by the chill of the night. Only the slight sounds of insects and their soft footsteps echoed in the quiet night.

Cassidy, who has always been powerful, unmatched by anyone. Her life was a battle, every day was spent on the edge of a sword. However, at this moment, she felt a little uneasy inside. She had never been so close to a man, and had never truly experienced her feelings as a woman. This subtle experience made her feel puzzled, but also brought an unprecedented sense of novelty.

Compared to her, Elvin seemed to be more calm. His heart was full of determination and he was full of expectation for the future. His eyes were always looking ahead, he knew they couldn't stop, couldn't turn back. At this moment, he was the only person they could rely on, he had to stay calm in order to ensure their smooth arrival at the Town of Amber.

They shared a cloak, and although the physical contact made both of them feel a bit awkward, they knew it was necessary. The cloak fluttered on them, dancing with the wind, making them almost blend into the forest in the moonlight, like part of the forest. However, they knew in their hearts that this was only temporary, and they must find a safer method as soon as possible, otherwise they might be in danger at any time.

Gradually, a large wooden door appeared in their line of sight. The door was open, the paint had peeled off, it looked dilapidated, like a forgotten graveyard. They followed the stone-paved path slowly into the town. Everything around them was too quiet, as if frozen in time.

In their progress, Elvin was suddenly tripped by something. He looked down through the slits in the cloak, and the sight before his eyes shocked him. What he saw was a large, ugly, monstrous creature with a face like a wild boar and human-like feet, lying right in front of him, its eyes wide open, staring straight at them.

"This...this is the monster that once attacked our home!" Elvin swallowed, his voice echoed in the night like a ringing alarm, raising their heart rates to the extreme.