"Are you two still planning to go outside after seeing what just happened?"
Lynn turned to look at Arezu beside her in response to Beatrix's question. Even she—or rather, especially she—understood the danger outside with the raging Visages. But whatever Arezu's decision, she would follow him.
Understanding what her glance meant, Arezu gave his answer.
To reach the Crystal Mirror Dungeon in the southern forest area from the western commercial district where the Crafters Guild was, taking the direct route would be dangerous, as Lynn and Arezu would have to pass the Adventurers Guild midway.
The chance of encountering strong Visages of local adventurers along that route would be high and would put their lives at risk—not that they weren't already risking their lives by going outside.
Taking a small detour by heading first to the town square, where Lynn and Arezu had come from in the first place, then going straight to the dungeon, would be just as dangerous, considering the massive ice bridge was now destroyed and the existence of a gold-rank Visage that had come from the same direction.
Lynn and Arezu's only option left was to take the longest route: heading to the western gate, traveling along the perimeter of the town's wall, until they reached the southern forest area, where supposedly there wouldn't be that many Visages—assuming there hadn't been that many locals there to begin with.
"That's where we're going, Mr. Arezu," Lynn said as she climbed onto Arezu's back while he squatted.
"Are you sure this—" Arezu paused, embarrassed at how funny they must look, before continuing his question as he stood up and carried Lynn in a piggyback. "—this disguise is going to work?"
The faint laughter that came from everyone inside the fifth-floor hall confirmed Arezu's assumption.
They looked ridiculous—with her on his back while wearing a black robe large enough to cover both of them.
The black robe was actually a dungeon artifact that increased stealth and hid the mana flow of its bearer—the same robe that Lynn had "recovered" from Alex during the bounty-hunting quest.
With Lynn being the one actually wearing the robe, it wouldn't trigger Arezu's mysterious ability to absorb mana and destroy any dungeon artifact or enchanted item by expanding his mana into it. Fınd the newest release on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽
Regardless of whether their disguise would truly work against the Visages—
"Can you just hold your halberd-axe, Mr. Arezu? It's quite uncomfortable with it between us."
"That shouldn't be your concern, Lynn..."
"You two look ridiculous."
With the trial run for the disguise done—and confirmed by everyone, especially the mages, that they indeed couldn't see Lynn and Arezu's mana flow and that they were less visible in the darkness—they were ready to go.
Opening another barricaded window meant the Visages crawling on the walls might get inside. But it wasn't like they had a choice, so they decided to barricade the fifth floor and abandon the fourth, where Lynn and Arezu would force their way out.
"So you're skilled enough to use a bow as well," Beatrix said, looking at Arezu and understanding his archery skill just by seeing his stance.
Arezu, on the other hand, didn't even respond to Beatrix's remark—he hardly even heard her speaking. He was too occupied with the guilt and sorrow he felt just by holding the bow and arrow.
Noticing his uneasiness and refusal to use other weapons, Lynn tapped Arezu on the back to console—or rather, reassure, perhaps distract—him from his sad train of thought.
"Just stay by my side and everything will be alright, Mr. Arezu."
"Don't flirt while running or you might trip and fall."
With that teasing remark, Beatrix left the room and sealed the door outside, hoping the Visages wouldn't break it once Lynn and Arezu left.
"Ready or not, Mr. Arezu."
At her cue, Lynn gathered her mana, raised her right hand in front, and cast her mystic spell—
—conjuring multiple ice lances mid-air and launching them to destroy the barricaded window.
Arezu followed up by shooting an arrow imbued with his combat skill.
The instant the arrow passed through the broken window, the Visages crawling on the walls rushed in.
Lynn cast another mystic spell, blasting the Visages with a burst of wind while Arezu tossed aside the bow and tied the rope attached to the arrow to a post inside the room.
When the arrow pierced the second-floor wall of the building a dozen meters away behind the Crafters Guild, Arezu grabbed Lynn by the waist, holding her tight, as he rushed toward the open window.
Despite being flustered by the tight embrace, Lynn wrapped her arms around Arezu as they jumped outside to escape the swarm of Visages.
They glided down using the makeshift zip line and improvised iron handle crafted by Beatrix. Before hitting the wall, Arezu let go of the handle, bridal-carried Lynn, landed safely on the ground, and quickly dashed away from the Visages already rushing and leaping toward them.
"The disguise... Let's put on our disguise, Mr. Arezu."
"I know, I know... We'll wear it once we find a place to hide."
To Arezu's surprise, their funny disguise—wearing the robe with Lynn on his back and his halberd-axe in hand—actually worked, at least when the Visages didn't spot them face-to-face.
Remembering it now, even the sound of Alex's footsteps had been concealed when he wore the robe while attacking him back then.
This robe is really useful, Arezu thought. If only he could use it.
Lynn and Arezu traveled across the commercial area, using the cover of night, under the shadows of the large warehouses mostly situated in the western district of town.
Upon reaching the western gate, Lynn, with her eccentric eyes that gave her the ability to accurately see mana flow, confirmed that it wasn't a Dungeon Gate that would lead them outside town.
They then proceeded to the next phase of their plan, traveling along the town's wall where only Visages of the guards patrolled above the wall—but Lynn and Arezu easily got past them unnoticed.
Everything was going smoothly, completely according to plan—until they reached the edge of the forest at the boundary between the southern and western districts near the Adventurers Guild.
Lynn cast her mystic spell, conjuring multiple ice lances—or rather, ice blocks—and launched them toward the trees near the wall.
Painful screams echoed from where Lynn had attacked, indicating that whatever was there wasn't a Visage—since they never screamed or spoke, no matter how much damage they supposedly took.
But Lynn already knew that, considering she had conjured ice blocks instead of lances with her mystic spell.
And Arezu knew that she knew it.
"What, Mr. Arezu?... I thought I saw a Visage of a gargoyle hiding behind the tree, waiting to ambush us."