Chapter 54: Thieves
The heavy iron doors of the Weeping Catacombs groaned shut behind them sealing the damp rotting smell of the dungeon away. Glenn Mcdonald stood in the dimly lit transit tunnel of Sector Four breathing in the harsh chemical smog of the industrial district. It was not clean air but it was better than the scent of gray ash and blood. He rolled his shoulders feeling the dull ache in his muscles. The C Rank dungeon had pushed them hard but the heavy canvas bag slung over his shoulder was filled with enough glowing cores to finally buy their way into the Astra Guild vault.
Beside him Isla Sinclair leaned against the concrete wall. She was staring at her hands. Her pale fingers were trembling slightly. The absolute zero mana she had channeled to execute the Hollow Crawlers had long since dissipated but she still looked freezing cold. Glenn watched her for a moment. He remembered the horrifying claim she had made inside the dungeon. She believed the monster had looked at her with human terror and screamed for help. Glenn had dismissed it as dungeon fatigue and lack of sleep. He had to dismiss it. They had a vault to rob and he could not afford to let his partner lose her nerve over a trick of the dungeon. He needed his mind sharp. He needed to be the Skill Predator.
"We have the cores" Glenn said his voice echoing softly in the empty tunnel. "Three million credits worth of condensed mana. Let us get to the Rust Grid and find Silas. The joint expedition launches tomorrow morning. We are running out of time."
Caleb Sterling pushed himself off the wall tapping his wooden staff against the ground. "I am right behind you Glenn. But maybe we should let Isla catch her breath. She looks like she just saw a ghost."
"I am fine" Isla snapped dropping her hands to her sides and standing up straight. Her green eyes hardened the vulnerability vanishing behind a wall of aristocratic discipline. "Do not patronize me Caleb. I said I am fine. Let us go pay the rat and get our blueprints."
They moved through the subterranean transit lines avoiding the main security checkpoints. The Rust Grid was a sprawling black market hidden beneath the factories of Sector Four. It was a lawless zone illuminated by flickering neon signs and the glowing stalls of illegal alchemy vendors. Heavily armed mercenaries from the Grimhunt Guild patrolled the walkways their eyes scanning the crowds for easy marks. Glenn kept his hood pulled low his hand resting casually on the hilt of his massive black longsword. The weapon alone was enough of a deterrent to keep the scavengers at bay.
They navigated the labyrinth of narrow alleys until they reached the reinforced steel door of the old maintenance hub. Isla stepped forward and held up her silver family crest to the optical scanner. The heavy door hissed open revealing the chaotic server room inside.
Silas the information broker was sitting in his leather chair surrounded by glowing monitors. His cybernetic eyes whirred rapidly as he focused on the trio. He offered a wide smile that showcased his silver plated teeth.
"You survived the Catacombs" Silas noted leaning back and lacing his fingers together. "I am impressed. Most independent teams do not walk out of a C Rank death zone with all their limbs attached. Tell me you brought my payment."
Glenn stepped forward and dropped the heavy canvas bag onto the metal desk. The impact echoed loudly in the small room. Silas eagerly unzipped the bag his mechanical eyes scanning the glowing red and purple crystals.
"Perfect quality" Silas muttered picking up a core and examining it under a desk lamp. "You even managed to keep the energy matrices intact. Very clean kills."
"We held up our end of the bargain" Isla said crossing her arms. "Give us the blueprints to the Astra Guild vault. And tell us everything you know about the Abyssal Prism."
Silas chuckled tossing the core back into the bag. He typed a rapid sequence of commands into his terminal. A glowing blue holographic projection materialized above the desk displaying a highly detailed three dimensional map of the Astra Guild headquarters.
"The vault is located on the subterranean level beneath the main spire" Silas explained pointing to a heavily fortified section of the map. "It is surrounded by a mana dampening field. If you try to cast high tier magic the alarms will trigger instantly. The floor is lined with kinetic pressure plates and the hallways are swept by thermal lasers."
"That is a lot of security for a building that is supposed to be empty tomorrow" Caleb observed leaning on his staff.
"The building will be empty of personnel" Silas corrected. "Viktor Rostova is taking all fifty of his elite hunters to the Red Gate. But the automated defenses remain. You will need to bypass the pressure plates without touching the floor and you will need to blind the thermal sensors without triggering the mana dampeners."
"I can handle the pressure plates" Caleb said confidently. "I can cast a localized gravity well to render us completely weightless. We can float right over them."
"And I can handle the thermal lasers" Isla added her voice cold and professional. "I do not need to cast a massive spell. I can just bleed absolute zero mana from my skin to drop the ambient temperature of the hallway blinding the thermal optics."
"Which leaves the vault door itself" Glenn said studying the massive titanium seal on the hologram. "How do we open it?"
"You do not" Silas smiled. "The door is forged from an S Rank Behemoth shell. You cannot break it. But the locking mechanism is electronic. If you can get close enough you can manually override the power supply. But be warned. The Astra Guild has one final surprise waiting for you inside that vault. The Abyssal Prism is not just sitting on a pedestal."
"What do you mean?" Glenn asked his dark eyes narrowing.
Silas leaned forward his expression turning serious. "I told you that Eden is looking for the Prism. But do you know why? Eden is not just a terrorist organization Glenn. They are fanatics obsessed with the outer worlds. They have been studying the gray ash left behind by the anomalies. They believe the Prism is the only vessel in existence capable of containing pure anti mana without degrading."
Isla crossed her arms her green eyes narrowing. "So they want to build a bomb."
"Or a new god" Silas whispered his voice barely audible over the hum of the servers. "They believe if they can understand the void they can control it. The Prism is the key to unlocking the true nature of The Lost. If you steal it you will be holding the most dangerous artifact on the planet. Eden will not just send mercenaries after you. They will send their highest ranking scholars."
"Give us the data drive Silas" Glenn demanded his voice harsh and commanding. They had to keep moving.
Silas smirked ejecting a small silver drive from his terminal and tossing it to Glenn. "Good luck kids. Try not to get vaporized."
They left the Rust Grid in silence. The weight of their impending heist hung over them like a suffocating shroud. They were about to rob the most powerful organization in the city and paint a massive target on their backs for a shadow faction of fanatics.
When they returned to the Sinclair Estate the sun was just beginning to rise casting a pale gray light over the overgrown courtyard. They gathered around the stone fountain projecting the stolen blueprints from the data drive.
"We infiltrate tonight" Glenn said pointing to the subterranean access tunnels on the map. "The joint expedition forces will be marching on the Sunken Necropolis by midnight. The entire city will be watching the broadcast. The Astra Guild headquarters will be a ghost town."
"I will prepare the gravity anchors" Caleb said his usual lazy demeanor replaced by a quiet intense focus. "If I miscalculate the weight distribution the pressure plates will trigger the lockdown."
Isla did not say anything. She was staring blankly at the holographic map her mind clearly miles away.
"Sinclair" Glenn said stepping closer to her. "I need you with me on this. If you are compromised we call it off."
Isla blinked looking up at him. She took a deep breath forcing the aristocratic mask back into place. "I am not compromised Mcdonald. I am just focused. If what Silas said is true then Eden is playing with fire that could burn this entire city to the ground. We need to get that Prism before they do."
"Then we tear their plans apart" Glenn said his dark eyes burning with absolute resolve. "But we cannot do that until we understand the power we are dealing with. We need that Prism. We need Eden to find us."
While Glenn and his team finalized their heist the rest of the Mega Sanctuary was preparing for war.
Miles away at the edge of Sector Seven the massive military mobilization was reaching its peak. The streets surrounding the Sunken Necropolis were lined with heavy artillery tanks and armored personnel carriers. The blue energy shields of the city flickered overhead casting a surreal glow over the gathered army.
One hundred of the strongest hunters in Johannesburg stood in perfect formation. Fifty from the Valor Guild wearing heavy crimson armor. Fifty from the Astra Guild wearing pristine white and gold robes. They were the absolute elite. A Rank veterans who had conquered countless dungeons. They radiated an overwhelming aura of confidence and power.
Standing at the front of the Astra formation was Elena Rostova. She wore a tailored white combat uniform her blonde hair tied back in a strict braid. She held a silver staff in her hands looking every bit the brave traumatized survivor ready to avenge her fallen comrades.
But behind her blue eyes The Wanderer was drowning in absolute sadistic joy.
The ancient demon looked at the gathered army. He did not see brave warriors. He saw a magnificent buffet. He could feel the dense rich mana pulsing from their cores. It was a feast that would elevate his anti mana density to unprecedented levels.
Elias Vance the S Rank Guild Master of Valor stood on a raised platform overlooking the troops. His massive scarred face was grim. He gripped his heavy battle axe knowing deep in his gut that this expedition was a catastrophic mistake. But the politics of the city had forced his hand.
Viktor Rostova stood beside him projecting an image of absolute corporate authority. "Today we reclaim our city" Viktor announced his voice amplified by magical acoustics. "Today we march into the Red Gate and we execute the Ghost of Valor. For the fallen!"
The army erupted into a massive deafening cheer. They raised their weapons to the sky their voices echoing through the ruined streets of Sector Seven.
Elena Rostova cheered with them raising her silver staff. The Wanderer smiled a perfect flawless human smile. He could smell their arrogance. He could taste their blind foolish pride. They were marching willingly into the Abyss and they had no idea that the god of the Abyss was standing right beside them cheering them on.
The massive jagged crystalline structure of the Red Gate pulsed with a dark ominous light. The barrier slowly began to part opening the doorway to the Sunken Necropolis.
The slaughter was about to begin.
Back at the Astra Guild headquarters the rain began to fall. It washed over the towering glass spire slicking the dark streets of the upper sectors.
Glenn Isla and Caleb stood on the roof of an adjacent corporate building looking across the massive gap at their target. The Astra headquarters was a fortress of wealth and power a monument to the corruption of the guild system.
"Gravity anchors are set" Caleb whispered raising his wooden staff. "I can give us exactly three minutes of weightlessness to cross the gap and breach the ventilation shaft."
"Temperature is dropping" Isla added her breath pluming into white mist as she channeled her absolute zero mana. "The thermal optics on the exterior wall are already freezing over."
Glenn drew his massive black longsword. The dark metal drank the ambient light of the city. He felt the fragment of The Lost pulse in his chest a steady rhythmic heartbeat of pure anti mana. He was about to rob the most powerful organization in the city. He was about to step into the crosshairs of a global conspiracy.
"Let us go" Glenn commanded.
Caleb slammed his staff into the roof. The gravity vanished.
The three hunters launched themselves across the rainy abyss flying silently toward the glass fortress. The heist had officially begun and there was no turning back.
