Traveling on horseback is……an experience. We had been on the road for three days now, having departed from the Rustlands on horseback. I had never ridden a horse before, and the first few hours were pretty uncomfortable, but I managed to get the hang of it before long. Whenever we ran into monsters, we used Store to keep the horses safe, and Extract to bring them back after we took care of the monsters.

  That spell preserves and maintains whatever it stores in the exact same state, including something alive……I had tried it out on bandits as well, and it worked. In other words, this spell had accidentally and unintentionally invented something similar to cryogenic preservation.

  Back to the traveling, we had run into monsters quite frequently, and despite the fact that there were just three of us, we were all strong enough to handle ourselves. Well, except for the Ice Wyverns, those were all on me……every time we ran into them, I had to use Vampire Mode and take them out. I could now use this form for twenty seconds, which, given my speed, was more than enough time to take out a few Wyverns.

  I already mentioned that I'd reached my limit with Lightning Boost at x3.3, and as for Karma……I could use twenty percent for eight and a half minutes, forty percent for four minutes and ten seconds, sixty percent for two minutes, eighty percent for fifty-five seconds and a hundred percent for twenty-five seconds.

  I had left my Black Steel blades back home, I wouldn't be able to keep them on me when we begin our infiltration under copied appearances, and I didn't want to risk losing them. I had instead opted for a regular sword, its size and shape were similar to a katana, but it wasn't quite as strong or sharp……well, that's not a surprise, I doubt this world has Japanese forging techniques.

  I strapped it diagonally across my back, with the handle pointing over and across my right shoulder, and the end of the sheath past the left side of my lower back. I also had my laced needles on me, of course, along with two spare bottles of poison, and one spare bottle each of Confusion, tranquilizer and paralysis.

  We were carrying a bunch of Spell Scrolls……eight for the four sets of Appearance Copy and Paste spell, one scroll for the spell that would return us to our original appearances, then a further eight scrolls for four sets of Store and Extract in order to hide the bodies of the members whose appearances we copy, and then ten more scrolls for the stealth combo, five each of the invisibility barrier and of the soundproof barrier……one pair of the combo would form the barriers big enough for all four of us, while the remaining four pairs of scrolls would each form barriers big enough for one person.

  I was wearing a long-sleeved hoodie covered in thick black-dyed fur over a black tank top, black gloves, a utility belt and black trousers with thick boots. We would have to hide all our belongings after we copy someone's appearance, so I decided against bringing my usual gear. I had cut slits into the back for my wings and tail in Vampire Mode.

  Misen had on a white medium-armored long sleeved leather top with gray straps, along with a scarf and thick gloves. He wore a dark brown leather armored trouser with matching boots, and had his dagger strapped to his left shoulder, with the handle by his elbow.

  Les wore a dark red headband to push his dark brown hair back from his forehead a bit, along with goggles with a black strap and frame over his mismatched-colored eyes, the right pupil was blue and the left was green. He wore the goggles when he fought, and the rest of the time he hung it around his neck. He wore a thick blue turtleneck long-sleeved sweater under a brown leather light-armored top with matching trousers and boots. He also had dark red gloves on his hands.

  We had passed the halfway mark between the Rustlands and Silvland a couple of hours ago, and were now passing the Vampire Forbidden Zone. It was absolutely massive, in the shape of a square box, with a dark purple shimmer, and surrounded by tall barbed wire fences to keep people from approaching it, with a heavily locked metal gate in front. It was too dark to see inside the barrier, but my instincts were telling me to run away immediately. I spotted the crack in the barrier, it was about a meter long, and I could see a thin mist of Dark Magic leaking out of it.

  As a result, this area was heavily infested with monsters. We hadn't passed the Forbidden Zone by much before we were swarmed by four Ice Wyverns, seven Abominable Snowmen, twenty Lesser Cyclops, and a whole lot of Devilpenguins, Icemen, Snow Imps and Snow Serpents.

  "Hey, maybe you should do your Vampire thing……," Suggested Misen, drawing out his Lightning Crystal dagger, as we each used Store on the horses.

  "Yeah, about that……it's been less than an hour since I last used it, so……I won't be able to for another, let's see……three minutes at most. In the meantime, let's take out as many of these things as possible," I replied, drawing out my sword, "Oh, and since there are a bunch of Snow Serpents too……keep some antidote on you ready to be used at a moment's notice."

  Les nodded as he surrounded himself with water blades, anything that got within a couple of meters of him would be shredded into little pieces in an instant. He didn't speak much, and kept to himself for the most part.

  "Tch, what a pain……I suppose there's no other choice then," Sighed Misen, activating Lightning Boost and charging up lightning in his left hand, which was behind his back.

  I extracted a hundred percent Karma and activated my own Lightning Boost, before using Stream to coat my blade in black lightning. It took a while to get used to a normal length blade, at first I kept drawing it out just halfway because I was used to the length of my short-sword, and I also found myself reaching for my dagger a few times. Alright, I've got twenty-five seconds with a total combined speed boost of a little over x7.4.

  I shot towards an Abominable Snowman at full speed, zipping behind it after passing under its legs, and slashing it's heels with my sword. I then sprang onto its back and drove my sword through the back of its neck. I had to strain a bit to pierce its tough hide, killing it as I did.

  I then dashed towards the Lesser Cyclops as I began charging up lightning in my hands, extending my blade as far as I could with Stream, unfurling a rapid horizontal slash at neck-height as I shot past them, cutting off six of their heads in a single stroke. I had to admit, the longer reach with a regular length sword was pretty handy.

  Two of the Wyverns then blasted ice breath towards me, I quickly stabbed my sword into the ground and fired the charged up lightning in my hands up at them, canceling out their ice breath and continuing to shoot up, forcing the monsters to ascend higher.

  I've still got a few seconds in this form……

  I picked my sword back up and shot towards another Abominable Snowman, before swiftly jumping onto its knee, then its elbow and then sprang up so that I was right in front of its face in mid-air. Before it could react, I unleashed a flurry of rapid, powerful thrusts at it, piercing its eyes and head multiple times and killing it.

  I retracted the Karma and returned to my normal state as I landed with a sigh. I was now surrounded by about three dozen of the weaker monsters, getting ready to attack me. Still a couple of minutes before I can use Vampire Mode……

  Meanwhile, Misen had been focusing on cutting down the Icemen using his dagger, before stopping and using the lightning he'd been charging up in his left hand to unleash a massive blast of lightning, wiping out all the Icemen and a few of the other weaker monsters.

  Three Devilpenguins and four Snow Serpents sprang at him at the same time. He flung his dagger into the head of one of the Devilpenguins and dodged the other two, letting them crash into and kill each other. He then discharged lightning from his hands to fry the snakes, though one managed to survive and bit into his shoulder. He winced and grabbed onto it before zapping it dead, quickly taking out a dose of antidote and swallowing it. The antidote was in the form of a liquid encased in a capsule about the size of a bean.

  He then shot towards an Abominable Snowman, driving his dagger into the eye of a Lesser Cyclops that got in his way. He then began rapidly circling the Snowman while charging his dagger with lightning, it was glowing brighter and brighter and crackling more and more violently with every passing second.

  He stopped behind the monster and flung the dagger at its heart from behind as hard as he could. Only the tip of the blade was able to pierce through its hide, but all the charged up lightning got instantly transferred from the dagger to the inside of the monster's body, its chest exploding. He picked his dagger back up as the monster disappeared into dust and then shot towards a few of the Lesser Cyclops while charging up lightning in his left hand.

  He halted before he could reach them, as one of the Wyverns swooped down at him and fired a vicious blast of ice breath at him. He countered using the lightning charged in his left hand. It wasn't powerful enough to fully cancel out the ice breath, but he managed to reduce it to a strong but harmless icy breeze.

  He then fired some small but concentrated bolts of lightning at the Wyvern, forcing it to ascend. I had noticed that Ice Wyverns prefer to avoid firing their ice breath in quick succession, it's not that they couldn't, but they chose not to if they didn't have to.

  They were also surprisingly cowardly and cautious monsters, they tend to keep their distance if they feel like their target could hurt them.

  Misen then shot towards the Lesser Cyclops while charging up his dagger, slashing one across the throat after ducking under the swing of its claws. Another one jumped at him from behind, he spun across to the left to evade it and jammed his dagger into the side of its head. He then flung the dagger at another one as it glowed and crackled, it pierced through the monster's eye and out the back of its head, before stabbing through and embedding into the top of the head of another Lesser Cyclops that had been behind it.

  I continued cutting down the weaker monsters that were surrounding me……a minute left before I can transform and end this.

  Les was also surrounded by weaker monsters, but no matter how many jumped at him, the rapidly spinning water blades all around him shredded them to pieces the moment they got to close. A Wyvern blasted ice breath down at him, and in a swift motion, he pulled out the fourth, unused set of Store and Extract scrolls, using it the fire the icy blast right back where it came from.

  He had been carrying the fourth set of Store and Extract, and since the other three sets were all occupied with storing each of the horses, he used the fourth, currently empty, set. I had briefly mentioned that you could use the spell on blasts and attacks when I explained how to use it, but I didn't expect him to use it so quickly.

  The Wyvern dodged the reflected blast, before cautiously flying up……good, all four Ice Wyverns were now high up, hovering around us but they were too far up for their ice breath to be effective, it would feel like a cold wind and nothing more by the time it reached us from that height.

  Les then ran across towards an Abominable Snowman, the water blades that were rapidly spinning around his body instantly slicing apart any monster that came near him. He dodged the downward punch thrown at him as he neared the Snowman by rolling forward, and rushing next to its foot.

  Some of the water blades managed to leave some cuts, but they were far too shallow. He slipped behind the monster as it stomped down, before jumping onto its back and forming water around his right arm, before rapidly spiraling it.

  He was……creating a large drill made of water. He then drew back his arm and drove it forward, penetrating through its back……before stopping as he was unable to press in any further. The tip of the water drill had some serious force and penetration, but the force reduces further down the drill. So instead, he changed his approach, and funneled the water into the monster's body through the opening he'd created, before using the inserted water to blend its insides, killing it.

  His degree of control might be close to Az's level, and he had a decent level of output as well……his range and span of control may be limited, and he was unable to use either Ice or Steam Magic, but he made excellent use of his skills within his limitations.

  Right, then……my cooldown time was over, and I could once again use Vampire Mode. Time to end this.

  I triggered the transformation, my wings and tail growing out as my eyes turned black and red, and red streaks appeared in my hair. I felt my body becoming several times stronger, as my eyesight and perception drastically increased as well.

  I've got twenty seconds……

  First priority is the four Wyverns……then the three remaining Abominable Snowmen……and then take out as many of the smaller monsters as possible before my time limit is up.

  I exhaled slowly before flapping my wings, taking off into the air towards the Wyverns, reaching one of them in a couple of seconds.

  I grabbed its neck and crushed its throat, before zipping towards another one, going under it and using the sharp end of my tail to slash it open from neck to stomach. The other two Wyverns were only just beginning to react to the first Wyvern I killed……this is too easy.

  I flew above one of the remaining two and slammed my joined fists onto its back. It's armored scales shattered into pieces as I felt the bones in its back cave into its body, which plummeted down and slammed into the ground, crushing a few of the Imps and snakes before disappearing into dust.

  I then took a couple of seconds to charge up some lightning, before flying in front of the last remaining Wyvern. I paused for a second to let it see me……I wanted to see how it would react. It began to open its mouth and fly back, but way too slow. I grabbed onto its lower jaw and ripped it off, before firing the charged up lightning down its throat, incinerating its body from the inside out.

  Alright, I've got eight seconds left. Misen and Les had cleared out of the way, so I could cut loose. I used three of the remaining seconds to rapidly charge lightning into my fingers, before unleashing all of it.

  Scarlet Lightning Reign!

  Ten crimson red streaks of lightning, each with about the width of a large tree trunk, blasted onto the ground from my fingers, wiping up most of the monsters. I then swiftly descended after three more seconds, landing just before I reached my time limit.

  I had made sure to particularly target the remaining Snowmen with that last attack, there were none of them left now. As for the Lesser Cyclops, one had managed to survive. There were a couple dozen survivors from the weaker monsters too.

  Misen and Les quickly began eliminating the remaining monsters. The Devilpenguins were more like sitting ducks right now, my Lightning Reign had melted most of the snow around, so they couldn't slide around like before. The Snow Serpents were also a lot easier to deal with. I drew out my sword and began cutting down the stragglers, taking them out in no time.

  As I raised my blade at the last remaining monster, a Snow Imp……its mouth twisted into a smile. Lazarus?

  "……I'll pretend I didn't see that," I sighed, before slashing it's head off.

  With this current mission, the last thing I wanted to think about was Vampires……one problem at a time, thank you very much.

  I headed over to the other two as I sheathed my sword, as they took out the extract scrolls. They had been pretty wide-eyed when they'd first seen my Vampire Mode, apparently Misen hadn't watched the Brawl of Glory so he didn't see it back then, but over the past three days, I had been using it multiple times a day, so they had gotten used to it.

  Side note, having wings and a tail felt pretty weird at first, but I had gotten used to the wings pretty quickly……the tail was admittedly a lot harder to get used to.

  "Let's keep going, that was an annoying interruption," Sighed Misen, beginning to activate the spell.

  That's when I had a flash of brilliance……an absolutely genius pun!

  "Hey, what's the rush, why don't you make like this spell and……hold your horses?"

  "……"

  "……"

  "Heh……get it? Cuz, you know……this spell is currently literally holding our horses, and there's the saying 'hold your hors-'……whatever, never mind. Let's keep going," I sighed and took out my horse, mounting it as they both stared at me with exasperated looks.

  Les seemed to have the same blank look on his face, but if you look closely, you can see slight variations in his expression depending on his mood……and yup, there was definitely a hint of exasperation. As for Misen, it was way more than a hint.

  Tch, whatever……I don't care what anyone says, that pun was good enough to be worthy of a, uh……Nobel Prize award or……some other lucrative award, and anyone who doesn't think so is a fucking idiot!……

  The rest of the third day went without any incident, as did the fourth. On the night of the fourth day, we were about half a day's worth of traveling away from Silvland, and had set up camp for the night inside a spacious, warm cave we'd come across. It was warm enough inside that we didn't even need to light a fire, Misen ran lightning into his dagger to make it glow and carefully set it aside.

  The cave was big enough for the horses as well. It would be pointless to use Store on them, since the spell maintains whatever it holds in the exact same condition, they would be just as exhausted when we used Extract to bring them out. In other words, we needed to let them be out with us to rest and recover.

  "Do not touch the blade, all the lightning in it will transfer into you and probably kill you," He warned, before letting out a stifled yawn.

  This area had a bunch of wild snow rabbits around, I had caught three of them, skinned them using my sword, and then fried them using lightning. We had passed by a massive frozen lake earlier today, and had seen a bunch of seals, walruses, sea lions and polar bears there.

  "We'll probably be reaching Silvland around the afternoon or evening time tomorrow, right?" I inquired, turning to Les.

  He simply nodded in reply. He was really quiet, but it didn't seem to be introverted shyness, or laziness like Az……it was kinda hard to explain, he was type that seemed to like fading into the background. It's not that he was being rude or anything, it's more like he wasn't comfortable with talking too much. Oh, he was kinda like the main character from that one basketball anime, though to a less exaggerated extent.

  "Now that we're almost there, I'm curious about the fourth person to be joining us……what are they like?" Asked Misen.

  "According to Naro, she's apparently going to be a handful," I replied, before adding, "I hope that isn't the case though, we can't afford to have a shaky group dynamic on a mission like this."

  "Oh, that explains why you've been a lot more civil towards me that usual……I was starting to feel uneasy about that," Misen remarked dryly.

  "Yeah, as much as I think you're a prick, I can't afford to be petty, this operation is way too dangerous to let my personal feelings get in the way. Once we get close to The Empire, one small mistake is all it'll take to get us all killed. Which means, no matter what type of a person our fourth member turns out to be……and as much as I hate to say this, we should just suck it up and get along," I responded, frowning.

  For me to admit something like that only emphasized the importance and risk of this assignment.

  "For the both of you……she, my sister, will likely be hard to get along with," Les spoke up.

  "Huh, he actually spoke……that's rare," Remarked Misen with a raised eyebrow.

  "Go on, what's she like?" I asked curiously.

  "Loud."

  That doesn't tell me much. I'll try a different angle.

  "Okay, uh……you said she'll be hard for us to get along with, so then……what kind of people do get along with her?"

  "Almost no one, at most they tolerate her. The type of people who can tolerate her are the patient, friendly, polite types," He answered, looking a bit uncomfortable at the amount of words we were making him say.

  He really doesn't like talking very much, does he.

  "I think I'm starting to get an idea of what she's like……well, at least she's skilled right, during the meeting they mentioned that you and her were the ones who rounded up the spies in Silvland, yeah?" Said Misen.

  "Yes, that was mostly her……I just followed her example," He replied.

  "Well, that's still pretty impressive, picking up a person's skills through observation is not easy. Plus, you seem to be pretty creative yourself, that water drill was pretty cool!"

  "A water……drill?" Misen tilted his head with a confused expression.

  It took me a sec to figure it out……this world didn't have power tools. It was such a nondescript word that I didn't even realize it. It wasn't immediately obvious like words like 'phone' or 'electricity'. Before I could come up with an explanation, Les replied……

  "Oh, my sister suggested using my magic like that……she used that word too, 'drill'."

  Okay, so that re-confirms that his sister also had her old memories like I did.

  "Huh, I've never heard that word before," Misen mumbled to himself, before shrugging and leaning back against the wall with another stifled yawn, as he finished eating the rabbit he'd fried.

  Les also followed suit, snuggling himself into a corner in the cave.

  I should probably get to sleep too, the more we minimize our fatigue levels, the better. We didn't need to keep guard, I had activated a Counter Barrier in front of the cave entrance, it'd explode if anything approached the cave and wake us up.

  I closed my eyes with a yawn, resting my head up against the horse I'd been riding. I had been pretty tired over the past few nights, and this one was no different……using Vampire Mode multiple times a day, Karma too, used up quite a bit of stamina.

  And since the monsters were so unpredictable in the snowy area, there were no bandits, which meant there were no human life force for me to drain in order to replenish my stamina. I had tried using Soul-Eater Mode on monsters, but nothing happened.

  I slowly dozed off as the fatigue of the day caught up with my body, my consciousness drifting away as I fell asleep……

  The next morning, we found a half-frozen pond and caught some fish from it, frying them with lightning and eating them, before continuing on our way.

  The day progressed rather uneventfully, we didn't run into any large hordes of monsters like we did yesterday, and no Ice Wyverns, meaning I didn't have to use Vampire Mode.

  And then, around 4 PM in the early evening, it began to get warmer as our surroundings got less and less snowy.

  "Almost there," Informed Les.

  About half an hour later, the Silvland walls came into view over the horizon. We then began going around to the left side of the walls, making sure to keep a significant distance from the wall to avoid being spotted.

  The first step of this operation was almost completely, but there was still a long way to go……

  _____________________________________________

  Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!

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