Counterattack, Husband and Wife Join Forces

The assassins targeting Serena and Prince Nolan on the cliff weren't wielding swords or sabers, but compact handheld mini‑crossbows. Suspended on the rock face, long blades were useless; mini‑crossbows were the ideal weapon.

Mini‑crossbows were easy to handle, didn't hinder movement, and had excellent range and lethal power. A shot to a vital point meant death within minutes. These weapons let the killers strike from a distance, never needing to close in.

Serena was no stranger to these mini‑crossbows—Left Shore had crafted many of them before. She knew exactly how deadly they were and quickly warned Prince Nolan and Sean to be careful.

These attackers knew their strengths. The moment they appeared, they aimed their crossbows straight at Prince Nolan and Serena. No wasted words—just the sharp sound of bolts flying toward the three. Naturally, Prince Nolan and Sean were their main targets; Serena was just collateral.

Dozens of mini‑crossbows, each loaded with three blue‑glinting bolts, fired at once, sweeping toward Serena and her companions like a deadly net.

"Careful!" At that moment, no one could look out for anyone else. Prince Nolan could only warn Serena, then did his best to shield her with his body.

"I can protect myself." Serena stayed calm, her eyes sharp as blades. As the bolts flew, she wrapped her legs around the steel wire to steady herself.

Bang—when the bolts reached Serena, she suddenly pitched forward, her whole body dropping as if she were about to fall. Just as everyone thought she'd plunge off the cliff, she flipped into a handstand against the rock face, neatly dodging the arrows.

Thud-thud-thud—the bolts slammed into the rock, punching small holes before tumbling down into the abyss.

"Beautiful!" Sean managed a quick glance, cheering for Serena’s quick reflexes—and finally let go of his worry. Serena might not have martial arts, but handling these killers wouldn’t be a problem for her.

The terrain of the cliff suppressed their martial arts, preventing them from fully unleashing their skills—but it played right into Serena’s hands, letting her maximize her own advantages.

On open ground, Serena might not have been able to dodge these attacks. But here on the cliff, she’d prepared in advance; instead of gaining the upper hand, the killers found themselves at a disadvantage.

Isn’t this what they call outsmarting yourself? The assassins planned to suppress Prince Nolan and Sean, but forgot they’d be suppressed too—and, of course, they overlooked the wild card: Serena.

Hanging on the cliff face, Serena was quicker than both Prince Nolan and Sean. Before the second wave of attacks even launched, her gun was already loaded—drawing and firing took barely three seconds.

Shooting directly at people wasn’t reliable—hitting a vital spot was unlikely. But shooting ropes was perfect. People dodge; ropes don’t.

As the ambushers reloaded for their second volley, gunshots cracked out. Ropes shuddered; bodies swung uncontrollably, and their aim fell apart.

"Damn it!" one of them cursed, quickly changing tactics. "Watch out for that woman—take her out first."

They couldn’t let Serena cut their ropes—below the cliff wasn’t flat ground, but a bottomless abyss. Actually, calling it an abyss was generous; it was really a deep, narrow gorge.

This last stretch was separated from Skyvault Mountain by a half-meter gap. If you fell now, with luck you’d land on the mountain; if not, you’d drop into the gorge—where rescue was impossible.

That was exactly why Prince Nolan and Sean were worried—and why Serena was shaken. The ground below was terrifying...

The third wave of bolts was more evenly distributed—a third aimed straight at Serena. Unhurried, she bit down on her gun, pushed off the rock with both hands, and sprang up, flipping mid‑air to land upright on the cliff, gripping the steel wire.

The ambushers quickly shifted their aim, but just then Serena let go with her right hand, swinging across the cliff like a giant pendulum—arcing closer to the killers.

Bang, bang—her gun fired again, this time at close range. Serena cut two ropes clean through; two assassins screamed as they plunged into the gorge, their echoes fading in the depths.

Seeing their comrades fall, the killers attacking Prince Nolan and Sean grew vicious, launching even fiercer attacks as if their lives depended on it.

Prince Nolan and Sean, both highly skilled, were the main targets. The attackers threw most of their strength at them, expecting to lose many men to those two. But the first to draw blood wasn't either man—it was Serena, the woman they'd dismissed.

Realizing Serena was the bigger threat, the killers redirected their assault—pulling fighters off Prince Nolan and Sean to focus fire on her.

Take her out, and they could concentrate on the two men.

Too bad reality didn’t care about their plans. Prince Nolan and Sean had seemed ordinary at first, but as soon as the attackers shifted to Serena, the two men’s momentum exploded. Prince Nolan drew his flexible sword from his waist, and Sean pulled out the hidden weapons Serena had prepared for him...

In an instant, the ambushers were driven back step by step. Prince Nolan glanced over—Serena was surrounded and struggling. He pushed off the cliff with his toes, leaping upward: "Leave this to you."

Using the Tiger Claw Grappling Hook, Prince Nolan vaulted to the edge of the hole blasted by the attackers. As he drew near, a cloud of white powder burst out—but he reacted fast and avoided it.

Not giving them a chance to react, Prince Nolan jumped into the cave. It was pitch dark, and he blocked the only entrance—no light at all.

He didn’t care. Eyes closed, Prince Nolan fought the ambushers inside, cutting the ropes they’d thrown out toward the cliff.

Aaaah—

One agonized scream after another echoed through the mountains, bouncing back and forth—yet not a soul came to investigate.

"Done." Watching the bodies drop, Sean and Serena exchanged a smile: with Prince Nolan in action, they didn’t need to lift a finger.

As for the few left clinging to the cliff, Serena wasn’t worried. They steadied themselves with young vines, too scared to move—perfect sitting targets. One bullet each and they’d all be gone.

Soon, the cliff was cleared. Serena and Sean dangled in midair, taking the chance to catch their breath. Once they’d recovered, they realized: "Why hasn’t Prince Nolan come out yet? Did something happen?"

"Prince Nolan’s martial arts aren’t weak—he should be fine." That’s what Serena said, but she was still worried. Sean picked up on it and offered, "I’ll go check."

"No—" Serena started to say it wasn’t necessary, but then Prince Nolan’s voice rang out: "Run!"

A moment later, Prince Nolan burst out of the cave, not caring if the Tiger Claw Grappling Hook was in place—he just jumped straight down...