Chapter 248: They’re Back!
By the time they stepped into the apartment, it was night. The city outside the windows glowed softly, with the streetlights illuminating the place.
The living room was dark, waiting for them to come back home.
Lukas flipped the light switch and the room came alive.
Melody didn’t say a word. She walked straight to the couch and dropped onto it face first, arms sprawled wide around her.
"I’ve missed this couch," she spoke into the cushion, her voice muffled by it.
Akira stepped further inside, turning slowly with a soft smile on her face.
"I can’t believe I’m about to say this but I’ve missed this place," she said.
"I’m guessing because it’s more comfortable than the ringed city?" Lukas asked, already moving towards the kitchen.
Melody lifted her head just enough to answer. "It’s not even close."
"The ringed city is just hot for no good reason," Akira grumbled, sitting beside Melody. "Why be a desert? Why not be a grassland? Or be like this apartment?"
Lukas chuckled, pulling open the cold storage in the kitchen and scanning the contents. "Enjoy it while you can. If we want to climb higher than Adepts, then we’re going to end up spending more time on the Second Floor than here."
"Don’t remind me," Melody groaned, dropping her face back into the cushion.
He began pulling out ingredients, setting them on the counter and sorting through what he had to work with.
It didn’t take long before he heard movement behind him, and both Melody and Akira drifted into the kitchen without being asked, pulling up seats at the counter and settling in to keep him company.
Akira leaned back in her chair, eyes moving slowly around the kitchen with an assessing gaze.
"That corner by the door," she said, pointing. "I could rig something there. Anyone coming through fast wouldn’t see it until it was too late."
Lukas glanced at the corner without pausing in his chopping. "A [Scrap Grenade] trap?"
"Two, maybe three of them linked together," Akira said. "The hallway would funnel whoever it is straight into the blast radius."
She turned, scanning the living room through the open doorway. "And one above the window. Just in case someone tries coming in from outside. I’m sure I could whip up several traps in case someone tries to attack us here."
"Make a list," Lukas said. "Once we know everything you’d need for all of it, we’ll add it to our shopping list and handle it tomorrow."
Akira nodded, already making the calculations in her head.
Melody straightened slightly in her seat. "Actually, that gave me an idea."
"What kind of idea?" Akira asked.
"What if you made as many [Scrap Grenades] as you possibly could, and I took them into the Underneath to try and replicate what you did?" Melody looked between them. "If the damage is enough, I’ll be able to get out of the hidden dungeon and unlock the [Tinker] class."
Lukas considered it, continuing his cooking. "It’s worth trying."
"It would work in theory," Akira said, nodding along. "But we’d have to spend a lot of money to make enough grenades to cause that level of destruction. I had to use hundreds of corpses to get out. To create bombs with the same power wouldn’t be cheap."
"We’ll get there eventually," Melody said. "And the money isn’t even the problem I’m worried about."
"Then what is?" Lukas asked.
Melody rested her chin in her hand. "The walls. When they closed on Akira, they took her straight into the Underneath. But what if they close on me and just crush me instead of letting me through?"
"We don’t know the rules for hidden dungeons. We don’t even know if the entrance is the same for everyone."
The kitchen was quiet for a moment except for the sound of meat sizzling in the pan.
"How about we buy the information first," Lukas said. "The Le Fay pavilion might have something on hidden dungeons. If not, or if the information is restricted, we’ll go through Karrakas and straight to Morgana."
Melody nodded slowly. "That’s worth trying before we spend anything on grenades."
"Agreed," Akira said.
"Alright." Lukas glanced at both of them, a small smile on his face. "Then we have a plan."
He nodded towards the cabinet. "Now stop sitting there and help me set the table."
***
Sol was laid out flat on his back across a luxurious couch, one leg dangling off the edge, and a naughty magazine held up above his face.
Every few seconds, he chuckled, grinning lecherously at the images painted on the pages.
Then the door swung open and an attendant rushed in, breathing slightly faster than usual.
"Young master." The attendant straightened. "Lukas Valentine has returned to his apartment."
Sol lowered the magazine.
For a moment he simply stared at the ceiling. Then a grin broke across his face and he was on his feet in one smooth motion, the magazine forgotten on the cushion behind him.
"Finally!" He clapped his hands together, already moving. "Get our forces assembled. I want the apartment surrounded and every exit covered before the hour is out."
The attendant hesitated. "Young master, I... forgive me, but a visible mobilization of that scale would be noticed quickly. The government has military officials on standby throughout this district. If we move openly, we’d draw attention before we even execute whatever plan you have."
Sol stopped walking.
He stood there for a second, thought about it, then grinned.
"You know what," he said, "there’s nothing wrong with taking my time."
He turned back to the couch, dropped onto it, and reached for the magazine.
"Have eyes on him at all times," he said, flipping to his page. "Rotate the watchers so nobody sits in one spot long enough to be noticed. And keep reporting to me directly."
He turned a page without looking up. "When the moment is right, I’ll show myself."
"Understood, young master." The attendant gave a short bow and left, closing the door behind him.
Sol chuckled softly to himself, wondering what kind of entrance he should make when he finally introduced himself to Lukas Valentine.
The man had stolen his Fate Key, after all. He deserved something memorable.
