There was nothing to hesitate about. Leonel and Aina had already secured their escape route by choosing this path.
The moment they approached the exit, Aina gathered up another burst of acceleration, blazing a trail right by Leonel.
Leonel's lip curled into a smile. With a single movement of both arms, he brandished his bow and nocked an arrow.
The smooth feeling of beast fur tickled his palm as he wrapped around its center tightly, the beast tendon bow string wafting a deathly black fog.
Leonel's smile vanished in the blink of an eye, his gaze becoming cold and calculating.
His vision went blank for a moment. But, when it cleared once more, he found himself deep with what looked like catacombs.
The pillars that surrounded the region were carved directly out of the ground, connecting with the ceiling. It made it feel like the entire place was carved out in one piece, creating a beautiful, albeit somber, sort of ambience.
This was a location of reflection and silence for the older members of the Pixie and Sparrow Race. But, due to the fact this was a Unique Zone held open for so long, much of the logical progression of things had become twisted and tainted. So, not only were there no children to be found around, there weren't any members of the older generation either.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtRegardless, Leonel wasn't aware of these things. His main focus was Aina up ahead who had already crossed the halfway mark.
With a single powerful leap, Leonel shot into the air and crossed a distance of over 20 meters. He pulled his bowstring back, his gaze calm and unhurried.
He seemed to sink into a rhythm, one not much different from the Sixth Dimensional Pixie they had faced when they first landed on this world. His bow became an extension of himself, time itself almost seeming to slow.
Then, he released with an exhale.
'Not good enough.'
Though he thought these words, his arrow flew true, piercing through the head of the right Sparrow just as Aina's ax sliced the left Sparrow in half.
Leonel landed on the ground, a blinding trail of gold appearing to his back as he finally unleashed his Ethereal Star Force. As though a bird being released from his cage, he felt free. If not for the stuffy air so far beneath ground, it would almost feel like he was galloping through the skies.
He caught up with Aina in a blink as the two let their presences be known.
This location was within the most sacred region of the King and Queen's stronghold. It was located right to the back of the throne room and it was adjacent to the King and Queen's chamber.
If the King and Queen were in the throne room, it would just be a straight shot to their heads. However, if the King and Queen were in their chambers, they would have to follow a U-like path. If the King and Queen were in neither, they would have to continue past the throne room in a straight line toward the dining, dance hall, and other like regions.
Leonel, though, was already well aware that the King and Queen were in the throne room. Despite it being the dead of night, higher Dimensional beings didn't function like normal humans did. In addition, Third Dimensional Pixies and Sparrows were nocturnal to begin with.
So, the moment Aina burst into the throne room, crashing through their doors, all the nobles of the Dwarven Race were alerted immediately.
Leonel's gaze flashed, taking everything in with no more than a single glance.
The thrones seating the King and Queen were to the far wall, a distance of at least 100 to 150 meters separating them from him and Aina.
Large swaths of nobles lined the sides in their seats, similar to what one might expect from a senate or congress. Before them, royal guards took the stairs and the railways to maintain order, with the most powerful of them standing near and around the king and queen.
Leonel took a breath, his gaze becoming colder on his exhale.
This was the trouble of this Zone. Due to an oddity, the King and Queen, along with the nobles, were in a perpetual meeting. In real life, this wouldn't make any sense. But matters like this could easily happen as the Unique Zone became more twisted.
The only nobles not present here were the Dukes.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmOne would think that if you killed the Dukes, then the nobles would be forced to make a move. But, if you did that, what would actually happen is that the Duke's noble guards would also join the meeting, making the task even harder.
Leonel wasn't aware of this prior, but he made a simple observation.
He noticed that the throne room was packed to the brim, and yet the Dukes weren't present. How could the King and Queen hold a meeting like this without their highest nobles being here?
That was when Leonel realized that there was something wrong with this Zone. If he wanted to defeat it, he would have to take an unconventional approach. And the result of that was taking on this suicide mission right here and right now.
The strongest people here were the King and Queen, both of whom were at Tier 4 of the Sixth Dimensional. The royal guards were all Tier 3. The noble Pixies and Sparrows were all either Tier 1 or 2.
There total over 300 noble Pixies and Sparrows, 36 royal guards, and two Monarchs.
It was no wonder this was practically a death trap.
Leonel, though, wondered how far he could push this oddity in the Zone. The mission only stated that they had to collapse the structure of power. Kill the King, Queen, Dukes and Generals.
So, if they killed the King and Queen before escaping, would the nobles and royal guards still be stuck here?
A boundless pressure wafted from him, his canines growing and the illusion of three tails that towered dozens of meters appearing to his back.
"Let's do this."
Aina responded with a roar, her foot stomping down hard as a pillar of crimson shot through the ceiling.