3.14.

Sequencee sent light beads into the control room before carefully making his way over. Ensel was an insurance in case something happened, so he stuck close.

In the center of the room with chairs and tables scattered about was a red puddle. A hand growing out from it, holding a red rose. Words painted on the floor which spelled: For you.

Sequence wrapped the rest of the slime in a barrier and created a fiery implosion.

From the ashes, Sequencee made out a dozen ectoplasms which sublimated upwards. As they touched Sequencee's mana, it was absorb into his system.

Sequencee wanted to commend himself for the win but something felt off.

Incredibly off.

"What's the situation?"

"The slime is completely gone. I've confirmed it not only with my vision, but also my system because it registered the kill but.. I don't know where the cardinal went."

"Couldn't she have just.. died?" Yousuff said.

"Sir Sequencee, you said people died here, right? Yet there's really nothing left in here.." Lowar said as she examined the control room from the outside.

"About twelve."

"It's not that I don't believe you. I'm simply thinking how terrifying that thing was. If the cult could create more of these.. it could be disastrous."

"I don't think they have the capacity. If they had, they would've conquered a city by now. Yet, they're hiding in the shadows," Procto said.

"That's a sound argument.." brows furrowed, Lowar's gaze remained affixed in the center of the room.

"Yousuff. Do you detect them?" Sequencee asked in confirmation.

"No. The signal is gone entirely..."

".. Sir Procto."

"I will take his words as valid."

"I'm sure of what I'm seeing sir. There's absolutely no reading.."

"Ensel!"

Stepping out from the appearing within the gaps of the ice which once housed the blood slime– was the cardinal staring straight at them. Her golden eyes twinkled as she hung a beautiful smile on her lips.

Sequencee reacted at once. Blowing up the lights, he attempted to skewer her head peeking out from the shadows–

Sequencee felt someone grab his shoulders.

The world spun once and a grounded sensation impacted him at once, clearing the obscure fog and returning him to the present.

"You were hit," Ensel's voice rang.

'Shit.'

"It's fine now.. as for the rest.."

Ensel turned to the mages and holy knights in the group. Nearly half of them had hazy eyes, each holding hostage another.

'What is the trick to this..'

It is for reasons like these that make system gifts incredibly powerful. One person can easily turn the tables on everyone else with the right setup.

Not to mention, with so many undefined points, Sequencee wasn't able to make an accurate assessment on the cardinal's abilities. Did her shadow skills not require shadows? After all, it's very possible to create a shadow even in a room full of light. Even now, there were numerous shadows in the light.

"Incapacitate everyone," Ensel said.

"Oh no. Do that and I'll make sure to kill everyone here," a sweet voice echoed from within the room.

Lowar held a blade to Ensel's neck. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his face.

[Activated Trait: Focus]

[Illusion Magic: Universal Haze]

Extending his magic outwards, Sequencee fixed his head in place and reminded himself not to turn to meet her eyes. He could sense her presence in the once empty control room.

'So the lights don't matter… no. The scattered furniture.. the vents? She can bring along other people in her shadow too.'

"It's a good thing my followers riled up everyone for me. It was outside my expectations that my meal would have such vigor. You surprised me Sequencee. How was the offering of souls? Was it fulfilling?"

'How in the world does she..'

Sequencee could practically hear the smile on her face.

"Ensel," Sequencee called his name as if it was a signal.

"Y-Yes?"

"I'll let them go if you say the word. Just promise me that you'll look into my eyes– just one more time, please? And oh, kill that mage beside you. He's a hindrance to us."

Lowar's sword moved.

Sequencee pushed Ensel to the side and sealed the control room with a layer of opaque rock.

In the next moment, he broke the sword of the brainwashed knights and canceled the magic of the mages which were aiming for friendly fire.

"Ensel! Quickly reverse everyone!"

While the cardinal was busy talking, Sequencee had secretly begun to spread his spells over to the knights and mages, masked by [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze].

Ensel's first target was obviously Lowar. Just as he roused her back to normal, an unusual pressure filled the room, making it difficult to breathe.

With so many people and with all sorts of system gifts, it was impossible to pinpoint the source. Too many variables to consider, too much of a mess.

"For the cardinal!"

"Restrain! Don't kill anyone!"

"Hold still!"

"Sir Procto!"

"Just go! I'll do what I can!"

Sequencee did what he could to support the group. Picking out the foes from the friends and defending Ensel with remote spells.

The heightened focus allowed him to push himself to get the knights back in order. But that meant that he left his back unguarded.

[Passive Skill: Sick Moves]

[Applied Constitution: Gift Abrogation]

Ensel deftly maneuvered around the infighting between the mages of knights, as he touched each of them one at a time. Slipping past obelisks shot from below, ice pelts raining from the top, and the swords that came swinging at random, Ensel quickly converted people back to normal.

It didn't take long before all attacks ceased as everyone regained the notion of their actions. A dreadful mood plunged the minds of everyone into angst. Sir Procto learnt from his mistake during the first time and looked away before meeting the cardinal's eyes, so he was on the defending end in the battle.

Even so, he couldn't help but question his decision. Procto was the one who arranged this mission. Because of his actions, the knights and mages assigned to this were now in danger. If not for Sequencee, things could've very well gone out of hand.

He had been too rash, wanting to reclaim his glory after his blunder.

"Has everyone regained themselves?"

"All clear. I've touched everyone at least once Sir," Ensel saluted.

"Good work. I propose a retreat."

"What?"

"A retreat at this sort of time? Sir? Are you sure?"

"S-Sorry for my incompetence sir."

"Sir, I concur."

"No argument will be put forth. For the sake of everyone's safety, we are to return at once."

"Keep your head down looking downwards, when walking. There's no guarantee that vixxen wouldn't appear again."

"Maintain the light as much as you can."

"Sir Sequencee, the ice."

"I understand."

Sequencee simply needed to crush the programmed core of the seed to reverse the ice and restore the normal flow of the water– except that he couldn't. A lot of water had pooled up at the opposite side of the ice bulwark. He had to manually allow it to drain, otherwise everyone would be washed away by the strong current.

The hundred or so light beads around the group dimmed.

Sequencee felt a rare fatigue from mana exertion. Different from the strain he felt from the leviathan encounter.

'It's been a while since I felt this way..'

"Don't look up."

"Follow me."

"Yeah.."

The turbulent water of the canal resumed flowing. Everyone breathed out breaths of white fog to the drop in temperature caused by the sublimation of the ice. This was because Sequencee had sacrificed the conversion of heat to save his mana.

"Going already?" a sweet voice echoed behind the retreating group.

"Don't turn around," Sequencee said.

"We'll quicken our advance!"

"Ara, ara–"

It was a ridiculous situation where a group of soldiers were running from a woman wearing a killer red dress.

Sequencee, being at the very back of the group, did what he could to stall her by setting up time limited physical barriers and trigger traps.

All of which Reese dodged with ease, warping in and out of the shadows which… went against logic.

'Who the hell is she anyways..'

Sequencee grasped the red necklace.

"Iona, if I don't contact you in an hour, I need you to help me because I might be a puppet by then."

Sequencee fired a powerful gale behind.

["Are you in danger right now?"]

"Yes I am."

["I'll come.."]

A dark spot appeared below Sequencee and the world tilted. His feet sank into the shadow like stepping into a marsh. Sequencee tipped forward and cushioned his fall with wind magic.

He could feel a woman's hand pulling him dowards.

"Sir Sequencee!"

"Shit–"

["I'll come to you at once."]

"Leave me be and just go! I'll be alright–"

The shadow on the ground grew larger, quickly swallowing Sequencee in. Anti-magic had no effect as it was a system magic– a perfect counter.

'So all this time she's been holding back? Crazy, just how strong is she..?'

"No!" Ensel reached forward and grabbed Sequencee by the arm.

Following that more and more people held on to Ensel and began to pile on the tug of war. Sequencee felt like his arms were going to break from being the rope.

"Just let.. go. It's pointless. I'd rather sink in than lose an arm–"

"No way!"

Various magic spells were used in hopes it would be able to reduce the shadow's influence on Sequencee. It was all pointless.

"Pull harder!!"

'Ah.. my arm is really going to break at this rate..'

Sequencee fired a small water needle right at Ensel's wrist, causing him to release his grip.

"I'll be fine, escape–"

Were the last words Sequencee left moments before his entire body sank into the dark.

===

["Iona, remember. The enemy has two gifts you have to pay attention to. First is the ability to brainwash someone with a single glance. Don't look into her eyes. Second is the ability to move through shadows."]

"Understood."

Iona kept her eyes on the flickering marker which seemed to be moving at an incredible speed. The location began underground, traveling closer to the surface where the flickering finally came to a stop some unknown distance away.

Every step caused water to splatter, but none got on her uniform. Her figure whizzed by like a phantom, and those that saw it would wonder if they were hallucinating.

A little more to Sequencee's location, his voice rang through the pendent.

["Iona. I'm safe. I'm in Viscount Rine's mansion right now."]

Iona found his remarks abnormal. He was kidnapped yet now he says he's fine?

"I've noted your location. Will be arriving in a few minutes."

Either way, she had to see for herself.