The freezing black water of the lower drainage river violently swallowed them.
Leon maintained his iron grip on Valeriana’s waist keeping her athletic curves securely tucked against his broad chest.
The chaotic current aggressively tumbled them through the dark ancient tunnel threatening to smash their bodies against the jagged brick walls.
He kicked powerfully utilizing his massive physical strength to fight the churning rapids.
He breached the surface dragging the beautiful information broker up into the cold stale air.
Valeriana gasped frantically violently coughing up mouthfuls of stagnant water.
"Keep your head up," Leon commanded his deep voice echoing off the curved stone ceiling.
He spotted a narrow crumbling stone walkway lining the edge of the aqueduct. He swam aggressively through the brutal current hauling Valeriana out of the freezing river.
He dropped her gently onto the wet stone before turning back to scan the dark water.
A burst of warm fire mana illuminated the tunnel.
Elara emerged from the rapids dragging a heavily shivering Beatrice onto the stone path.
The Ice Queen’s pristine combat gear was soaked leaving her trembling uncontrollably in the freezing subterranean air.
Seraphina leaped gracefully out of the churning water landing flawlessly on the walkway.
Her crimson aura was burning brightly aggressively vaporizing the moisture from her dark traveling cloak.
"He is coming," Seraphina warned her violet eyes locked onto the massive hole in the ceiling far behind them. "He is using his gravity domain to clear the rubble."
Valeriana sat on the cold stone violently wrapping her arms around her ruined silk dressing gown.
The thin fabric clung transparently to her generous curves offering absolutely zero protection against the freezing damp environment.
Her teeth chattered loudly her arrogant spy persona completely stripped away by the terrifying brush with death.
A glowing blue text box flashed playfully in the dim tunnel.
[System Notice: The Gentleman Warlord]
[A cunning spy is freezing in the dark after watching you fight an impossible opponent. A true warlord uses moments of extreme crisis to aggressively cement his romantic dominance.]
[Objective: Strip off your tailored suit jacket. Wrap it firmly around Valeriana’s trembling shoulders, lift her effortlessly into a bridal carry, and tell her she is far too valuable to catch a cold.]
[Reward: +20 Mana, 500 Shameless Points.]
[Penalty: A localized sensory curse making your sweat smell like cheap sour wine for forty-eight hours.]
Leon did not hesitate.
The freezing temperature was actively draining her stamina and they needed to move rapidly.
He smoothly slipped out of his dark tailored suit jacket ignoring the damp chill aggressively biting at his white silk shirt.
He stepped into her personal space kneeling gracefully on the wet stone.
He draped the heavy warm jacket firmly over her trembling shoulders. Valeriana gasped as the blistering residual heat of his body instantly seeped into her freezing skin.
Before she could offer a quiet word of gratitude Leon slid his arms beneath her knees and behind her back.
He hoisted her effortlessly into the air holding her securely against his broad chest in a firm bridal carry.
"You are far too valuable to catch a cold Valeriana," Leon whispered darkly looking down into her wide mysterious eyes.
The beautiful broker completely short-circuited. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his thick neck hiding her flushed face against his collarbone.
The terrifying Syndicate Cleaner was hunting them but all she could focus on was the steady thumping of his massive heart beneath her ear.
[Objective Complete. Rewards Distributed.]
A sudden refreshing surge of magical energy expanded his core pushing his Mana to new heights. He would absolutely need it for the desperate retreat.
"Move!" Leon barked turning away from the collapsed parlor.
The strike team sprinted down the narrow stone walkway navigating the winding subterranean river.
The ancient aqueduct plunged deeper into the bedrock creating a sprawling maze of decaying arches and roaring waterfalls.
A deafening concussive boom echoed from behind them.
Silas had finally shattered the collapsed ceiling.
The Tier Three Grandmaster floated down into the aqueduct his pristine white suit glowing faintly in the dim light.
His pale eyes locked onto the fleeing group projecting a suffocating wave of localized fury.
"You cannot outrun gravity you feral beasts," Silas called out his voice slicing effortlessly through the roar of the rapids.
He snapped his fingers sending a barrage of compressed dark gravity blades rocketing down the tunnel.
Seraphina instantly stopped running. She spun around planting her boots firmly on the slick stone.
She channeled the raw volcanic power of her newly absorbed Bloodfire Core aggressively pouring the blistering energy into her heavy steel broadsword.
She swung the blade in a devastating horizontal arc unleashing a massive crescent of searing crimson fire.
The highly concentrated Grandmaster strike violently collided with the incoming gravity blades.
The resulting explosion vaporized the river water creating a dense cloud of thick boiling steam.
But the attack only delayed the Cleaner for a fraction of a second. Silas effortlessly pierced the steam cloud completely unharmed by the fierce fiery assault.
He casually flicked his wrist deflecting the residual crimson flames into the brick walls.
"Your Tier One tricks are highly amusing little girl," Silas mocked floating closer with terrifying predatory speed. "But they are ultimately useless."
Seraphina gritted her teeth preparing to launch a highly suicidal frontal charge to buy her team more time.
"Fall back Seraphina!" Leon roared refusing to let his silver goddess sacrifice herself against an insurmountable wall.
They reached a massive cavernous chamber where the drainage river plunged over a steep jagged waterfall into a deeper abyss.
The stone walkway ended abruptly leaving them trapped on a wide crumbling precipice.
Silas floated into the chamber slowly descending until he hovered just above the rushing water. He blocked the only exit sealing them entirely within the massive stone room.
"End of the line," the Syndicate assassin smiled a cold dead expression crossing his pale face.
Leon gently set Valeriana down behind him placing his body firmly between the terrified women and the floating god.
He gripped the hilt of his heavy blade his dark eyes aggressively scanning the structural integrity of the massive chamber.
The ceiling was supported by four colossal ancient pillars. They were already heavily cracked and weakened by centuries of water erosion.
He could not beat Silas in a fair fight.
But a Tier Three Grandmaster still possessed a physical body. And a physical body could be crushed by a million tons of falling rock.
"I am going to break the ceiling," Leon whispered to his team his voice radiating calm magnetic authority. "When the floor gives way ride the waterfall down. Do not look back."
Before Seraphina could aggressively protest his suicidal gamble Leon blurred into motion launching himself directly toward the nearest colossal support pillar.
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