Chapter 31: The Indispensable Holy Light

“Me?”

Rena’s expression was one of profound surprise.

She pointed to herself, her gaze fixed on Bastet, brimming with utter confusion.

“Are you certain the key is… me?”

“Absolutely.”

Without a hint of hesitation, Bastet’s tone was utterly resolute.

“Hmm… I believe, Lady Bastet, you might have made a mistake.”

Rena pondered for a moment, her voice laced with uncertainty.

“While the Holy Light can indeed suppress Shadow Beasts to some extent, it inflicts no substantial damage upon them.”

“Given that our ultimate goal is to eliminate the Shadow Beast once and for all, I personally feel it would be more appropriate to have Lin or Bai Zhi handle it.”

As she spoke, Rena spread her hands, explaining with a somewhat helpless expression.

“After all, even within the Radiant Knights, I am more inclined towards defense than offense, and their destructive power far surpasses mine.”

“On the contrary, Rena, you are exceptionally crucial to the entire operational plan against the Shadow Beast.”

Bastet stated unhurriedly.

“Ultimately, we must ensure the young girl’s personal safety to the greatest extent possible while simultaneously eliminating the Shadow Beast.”

Rena remained puzzled, her expression still one of incomprehension.

Lin and Xia Ranxin, standing nearby, also wore equally bewildered looks.

Seeing that everyone, save for Bai Zhi who was already privy to the entire plan, appeared utterly lost, Bastet could only sigh.

“Very well, I suppose I should explain from the beginning.”

“Our objective is to utterly eradicate the Shadow Beast that has targeted the young girl.”

“While this goal was once deemed impossible by me, due to the Shadow Beast’s rather troublesome characteristics, we fortunately discovered its sole weakness.”

“Just before devouring its target, the Shadow Beast will reveal its true form, becoming vulnerable to attack…”

Lin’s voice trailed off with a note of uncertainty.

“Precisely.”

Bastet nodded.

“Based on this crucial information, we can devise our most fundamental trap.”

“We will have the young girl, the Shadow Beast’s intended prey, venture out ‘alone,’ while the rest of us conceal ourselves in the shadows, lying in ambush.”

“Then, when the Shadow Beast can no longer restrain itself and moves against the girl…”

As Bastet spoke, her cat-like tail behind her mimicked a blade or sword, slashing a sharp trajectory through the air.

“All of us will then rush forward and simply slay that vile beast.”

“That sounds remarkably easy.”

Lin nodded, appearing deep in thought.

“Indeed, it merely sounds simple.”

“In the actual execution, however, this rudimentary plan will encounter numerous issues that demand resolution.”

Bastet explained methodically.

“First and foremost, it’s crucial to understand that we likely have only this single opportunity.”

“Should we fail this time, the chances of securing another are exceedingly slim.”

“The reason is quite simple: once we fail…”

Even without her saying more, everyone understood.

Should they falter, Xia Ranxin would likely perish at the Shadow Beast’s hands.

Even if, by some miracle, Xia Ranxin’s life were spared, the Shadow Beast would become exceedingly cautious, never again falling for such a trap.

“Therefore, this is an operation that absolutely cannot fail.”

“We must eliminate all potential problems before we even begin.”

Bastet stated gravely, resting her chin in her hand.

“The most pressing issue to resolve is how to ensure that we, while hidden, remain entirely undetected by the Shadow Beast.”

Lin asked, bewildered, “Simply hiding won’t suffice?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“To ensure we provoke the Shadow Beast into action, the operation will take place at night, which is its natural domain.”

Bastet shook her head, dismissing the idea.

The previously silent Rena spoke.

“[‘The Shadow Beast conceals itself within shadows, approaching its prey with extreme speed. Even physical obstacles along its path cannot impede it.’]”

“I recall seeing that in a previous report.”

“Exactly.”

“This implies that the Shadow Beast could emerge from any direction, making it impossible for us to determine its blind spots.”

Bastet sighed.

“Furthermore, whether the Shadow Beast even possesses blind spots is questionable.”

“It might not have a normal physiological structure at all, relying entirely on the power of shadows to perceive its surroundings.”

“If that were the case, we, as the ambushers, would ironically be exposed to the Shadow Beast’s sight first, rendering our supposed trap utterly useless.”

“Then what should we do to…”

Xia Ranxin’s face clouded with worry as she couldn’t help but ask.

Seeing Xia Ranxin’s anxious expression, Bastet offered a comforting smile.

“There’s no need to worry; I’ve already devised a solution for this problem.”

“Really?”

Lin’s face lit up with surprise.

“Of course.”

Bastet nodded.

“The solution is the very same cognitive interference barrier I once used on Bai Zhi.”

“With this in place, we won’t have to worry about the Shadow Beast detecting us!”

“A cognitive interference barrier…”

Rena frowned.

“I recall it hinders the perception of those outside the barrier regarding everything happening within it.”

“The Radiant Knights used this magic in the past when undertaking covert missions.”

“Indeed, that’s correct.”

Bastet looked at Rena, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

“Given the isolated nature of the Kingdom of Gloucester, I had assumed you would be utterly ignorant of external knowledge.”

“It seems you know quite a lot more than I anticipated.”

“It’s nothing much, really.”

“The Radiant Knights specifically dispatch individuals to gather various knowledge from the outside world to better execute their missions.”

“However…”

Rena paused, abruptly changing her tone.

“I recall that cognitive interference barriers themselves possess quite a few flaws, do they not?”

“Eh? Is that so?”

Unexpectedly, Bai Zhi, who should have been aware of the entire plan, displayed a look of astonishment.

“Yes, first, the barrier itself cannot impede physical interference; meaning, those outside can enter the barrier unimpeded.”

“Second, cognitive interference barriers are typically used on ordinary people without extraordinary powers.”

“Perceptive warriors or mages, even from outside the barrier, can somewhat detect abnormalities within it.”

“For those of high rank or above, this barrier is as good as nonexistent.”

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Bastet.

“If I recall correctly, Bastet, you previously mentioned that the Shadow Beast’s senses are likely extremely acute.”

“I believe that against such an opponent, a cognitive interference barrier would probably be ineffective, perhaps even counterproductive, drawing its attention instead.”

The gazes of several people present simultaneously converged on Bastet, yet she appeared utterly unperturbed.

“You are absolutely correct; a simple cognitive interference barrier cannot deceive the Shadow Beast.”

“However, if we reduce the barrier’s area of effect, shrinking it to cover only a single person, and then have a high-ranking mage with abundant magical power activate it, the outcome will be entirely different.”

Bastet analyzed calmly.

“In this way, the barrier’s efficacy will be greatly enhanced.”

“Unless one is a mage specializing in detection, it would be extremely difficult to discover a person covered by the barrier, making it effortless to deceive the Shadow Beast.”

“But, reducing the barrier’s scope is not an easy feat in itself, and where would we find a mage with abundant magical power right now…?”

Rena was deep in serious thought when, suddenly, something seemed to click for her.

“Ah! I see, you’re referring to Bai Zhi, aren’t you!”

“Indeed.”

Bastet nodded.

“Bai Zhi can handle this barrier entirely.”

“Me?”

This time, it was Bai Zhi’s turn to point at herself with a look of utter astonishment.

Seeing her reaction, Rena couldn’t help but sigh.

“You two must have spent an entire night discussing and devising this plan together, right…?”

“Why do you look as if you know absolutely nothing now?”

“Uh, because our discussion yesterday… wasn’t quite this detailed, haha…”

Bai Zhi let out an awkward laugh, then turned to Bastet.

“So, what am I supposed to do? I don’t know anything about that barrier.”

Bastet smiled at her, her expression unburdened.

“Don’t worry, it’s quite simple. I am, after all, a magic instructor.”

“And you are rather talented; you’ll pick it up quickly.”

“My ‘talent’ is likely not as useful as you imagine.”

Bai Zhi smiled wryly.

“To be honest, I don’t even have as much confidence in myself as you do.”

“You must trust my professional capabilities.”

Bastet declared confidently.

“Though it has been a long time since I last properly taught students, I still remember all the theoretical knowledge.”

“Teaching just you will be no problem at all.”

Bai Zhi hesitated for a moment, then said, “But to me, it sounds like nothing but problems…”

“In any case, this part will be handled by Bai Zhi and me.”

“You all simply await our good news.”

Ignoring the worried-looking Bai Zhi, Bastet swiftly brought the current topic to a close.

“The next problem we must solve is how to ensure we kill the Shadow Beast the instant it reveals its vulnerability.”

Everyone present, except for Bai Zhi, instantly adopted a serious expression.

“As mentioned before, our plan is to slay the Shadow Beast the moment it reveals its physical form, before it can devour the young girl.”

“Leave that to me.”

Lin stated calmly, a faint, almost imperceptible killing intent flickering in her eyes.

“I shall certainly cleave that vile beast into countless fragments.”

“…While that might suffice, it is ultimately not entirely foolproof.”

Bastet glanced at Lin, then continued.

“None of us know precisely how long the Shadow Beast will remain in its physical form—it could be several seconds, or merely an instant.”

“This difference alone will directly determine the success or failure of this operation.”

“Moreover, judging by Lin’s previous encounter with the Shadow Beast, it might immediately revert to its usual, nearly ‘invincible’ state after being provoked.”

“This, too, must be taken into careful consideration.”

Bastet paused here, casting another glance at Xia Ranxin in the corner.

“After all, our objective is, quite frankly, a one-hit kill. Any oversight will cost us the life of the young girl acting as bait. I… will seize that fleeting moment.”

Lin spoke, enunciating each word distinctly.

“I will absolutely not allow that vile beast to harm Lady Ranxin’s life.”

“I can appreciate your resolve, but we must also account for the possibility of unforeseen circumstances.”

Bastet sighed, then turned her gaze to Rena.

“And this is precisely why I previously stated that you, Rena, are the core of this plan.”

“To ensure the Shadow Beast’s demise, your power—”

“That is to say… the power of the Holy Light—is indispensable.”