She froze for a moment. The thought of losing a teammate again shocked her to the core. Yet, despite the fear, a wave of happiness and relief washed over her when she realized Joseph was still alive.
"G-Good job, LCA-456."
Chioma wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Wait in the room. There are three guards up ahead."
I peeked outside the room and spotted them. All three wore uniforms bearing the Sankoré crest on their backs.
"Chioma," I said, gripping my sword. "I think I can take them. There are only three guards!"
I said it eagerly, almost excitedly.
"Your enthusiasm isn't appreciated…"
Her voice was flat.
"You nearly got spotted with that last attempt. Your only job as a rookie is to listen to me or die trying to do things your own way. Is that clear?"
Her tone was sharp.
I was taken aback.
Chioma had never raised her voice at me before. I suppose I'd been messing around too much, forgetting the main purpose of this mission entirely.
We weren't here to play around.
We were here to save ourselves—and Hadal—from punishment.
I abandoned the idea completely, taking my hand off my sword.
"Sorry. My bad."
I said it directly, without trying to make excuses.
"Good. Now get your head back in the game."
She paused.
"The three guards have left. Go all the way down the hall, take a left, and head toward the balcony. Wait for further instructions."
Without thinking, I slipped out of the room and dashed toward the end of the hall.
Twenty meters.
That distance took me less than five seconds.
I turned left and reached the balcony, immediately crouching into a position that gave me as few blind spots as possible while keeping me hidden from anyone nearby.
"Good work, LCA-456."
Chioma's voice came through my earpiece.
"It's time to climb the wall you see in front of you. Once you reach the roof, wait for further instructions."
I scratched my head, puzzled.
"The roof? That's a bit too much. The chances of me getting caught seem pretty high. The wall is pure white. Regardless of my invisibility, I'd leave noticeable marks on the wall. That could easily alert them to the intruders they're expecting—and give away which direction we're going."
There was a pause.
For a second, I worried I'd said the wrong thing.
Maybe I'd annoyed her again.
"Nice work, LCA-456."
Her tone had changed.
"You may be a newbie, but you're thinking like a professional Lance Corporation spy."
Wow.
I thought to myself.
Her praise extending past two words was practically an achievement.
"Now, how do you suppose you reach the roof, LCA-456?" she asked inquisitively.
I let the question sit for a moment.
Think.
Time was ticking.
I probably had about sixty seconds before another guard came through this area to investigate.
If only there were a way to leave no footprints...
"No footprints…"
I muttered, stroking my imaginary beard.
Then it hit me.
"That's it!"
"It would appear you've figured out your situation. Hurry on—there's no time to waste."
"Affirmative."
I stepped toward the wall.
But instead of using my feet, I placed my hands against it.
More specifically—
My fingernails.
I pushed Flow energy through my gloves, reinforcing them as I applied pressure against the wall. My fingernails dug into the surface, creating tiny indentations.
They were small enough that nobody would notice them from a distance.
Even up close, they'd be difficult to spot.
It was the perfect solution.
At least...
That's what I thought.
"Damn…"
I gritted my teeth.
"This is harder than I thought."
I looked upward.
I was almost halfway there.
My arms were already beginning to cramp, but stopping wasn't an option.
I had to keep moving.
One hand.
Then the other.
Again.
And again.
Every movement sent another wave of pain through my arms.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
I clenched my jaw.
"I'm starting to rethink whether this was the most effective tactic available."
I looked at my fingers.
"Using Flow energy on such a localized area like my fingernails is hard as shit."
"Don't panic, LCA-456."
Chioma's voice came through the earpiece, calmer than ever.
"Pain is a part of the job. You're nearly there. Keep going a little further."
I looked up.
The edge of the roof was within reach.
One more push.
Just one.
Her words weren't doing much for me anymore.
My fingers were cramped beyond belief, my arms felt like they were about to give out, and I knew this would be my final push.
I had to make it count.
I inhaled deeply.
Then—
I summoned every ounce of strength I had left.
My arms exploded with power.
I reached the top of the wall in one bound.
It was a risky gamble.
But tonight had been filled with gambles.
One more couldn't hurt.
For a brief moment, I was airborne.
The cold night air rushed against me as I ascended.
Then I twisted my body.
A front flip.
I came down toward the roof and rolled forward the moment I landed, using the momentum to soften the impact.
I quickly rose into a crouch.
Safe.
For now.
I pressed a finger against my earpiece.
"This is LCA-456. I'm currently on the roof."
"Good."
Chioma responded immediately.
"Meet up with Hadal at the glass dome. There, we can complete the final phase of our plan."
I narrowed my eyes.
"To obtain the scroll."