Chapter 156: Heist [2]
Chapter 154
───────────
Episode 35 - Heist [2]
─────────────────────────────────
’This should be the place.’
’Yes, now extend your hand 45° upward, then move it about ten centimeters to the left, and you’ll be able to do what you have in mind.’
I did as she said and finally used my Inventory.
A notification appeared in my mind, and a smile spread across my face.
’Ha, ha, got you...’
"...?"
"So there was a rat after all."
’Shit...’
A voice reached my ears from behind me. Instantly, I realized I had been discovered.
Without wasting any time, I moved my body backward while quickly turning around.
Then I raised my hand toward the voice and murmured:
"Annihilation."
"...?"
The man’s voice reached my ears, filled with obvious disbelief and shock.
I didn’t waste any time and used Gravity.
Boom!
I wasn’t sure where exactly I had aimed my hand, but after a deafening blast, the owner of the voice was probably thrown a great distance away by Gravity.
The next second, I jumped off the stage and started running.
Behind me, everything fell silent, and then...
"The rings, the rings have been stolen."
Shortly afterward, another voice followed, one that only made me shudder.
"There, that guy running must have stolen them."
"After him. First group and second group, surround him."
A chill ran down my spine, and without wasting any time, I rolled to the side, propelling myself away.
Crack!
Something struck the spot where I had been standing, creating a powerful explosion.
I hit the ground while feeling my shoulder dislocate. Intense pain surged through my entire body like an electrifying shock.
"Ugh... shit, this is awful..."
I groaned in pain as I got back up and, using the little strength left in my legs, ran straight ahead.
The rubble beneath my feet nearly made me lose my balance and fall.
’Astella, now.’
I felt chills behind me, a sign that another attack was about to hit.
At my words, I heard Astella’s voice not far away.
"Confusion."
The next second, even I felt confused, but thanks to my Willpower, I broke free from that state in just 0.1 seconds.
Without wasting any time, I kept running.
Astella must have run over to me and grabbed hold of me.
Shortly afterward, Astella sprinted forward with all her strength, and without wasting any time, I pulled a scroll out of my Inventory.
"Use your Power of Chaos on the scroll."
Astella took the scroll and used her Power of Chaos. Shortly afterward, I felt a strange sensation spread throughout my entire body.
The next second, I felt my body become weightless, and then...
Flap!
I fell onto a wooden surface.
I got back to my feet and hurriedly said:
"It worked..."
"Yes, but where are we?"
"It should be an inn near the outskirts of Black City."
Although the scroll’s magic was an exchange spell, it had a distance limit.
If it had been a more powerful spell, I probably could have set a point inside the cave, but that wasn’t possible.
"First, help me check the situation outside."
At my words, Astella seemed to nod and shortly afterward walked toward the room’s window.
A short while later, Astella said:
"It seems they’ve already reported the theft of the rings. There are suspicious movements not far from here."
"They’re probably already starting to look for us."
Only a few seconds had passed since I left the Auction House; however, these people were anything but slow.
The faction that wanted to steal the rings was probably already on the move as well, or perhaps looking for a way to escape.
I wasn’t sure why they wanted to steal the rings.
Their power was something villains would not want to have in their hands.
’In any case, I have them now.’
I checked my Inventory and, sure enough, there were seven rings.
I felt the excitement rising as a smile spread across my face.
"C-can I ask something?"
I turned my head toward Astella’s voice.
"What is it?"
"Well, I... was wondering what exactly those rings do."
"Ah, the rings."
Good question; however, I had no intention of talking about them.
"It’s a secret."
"I understand, then..."
"We’re leaving. Heading north, out of Black City. It shouldn’t be difficult to find the cave."
The cave where I had the Teleportation Array was difficult to spot at first glance; however, if someone looked carefully, it was possible to find it.
After leaving the inn through the window, Astella guided me along the way.
We moved through alleys and, from time to time, ran alongside other people to blend in.
The goal was to reach Black City’s wall; once there, we would have to find a way to get outside.
’The walls surrounding the city are probably being watched.’
I had been able to take Clana back earlier and tell the others to head to the cave because I had not yet stolen the rings.
However, now that the rings had been stolen, all of Black City’s guards would move either to the walls or to the teleportation center I had used earlier.
Naturally, security would increase.
Clap! Clap!
As I walked, Astella suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me somewhere.
Then I heard voices not far from where I was.
"They say the thieves are two people, a man and a tall woman."
"The identities of both are unknown; however, the man is wearing the armor that was auctioned, as well as a black mask."
"The woman is also wearing a mask and a robe, so it will be difficult to identify her. However, if anyone finds a duo matching these descriptions, detain them and recover the rings."
"We can’t lose the rings this easily."
From their words, it seemed they were the people who had originally intended to steal the rings from the very beginning.
I still wonder what exactly they want these rings for.
Yes, they are Relics with extraordinary power.
But at the same time, they are an enemy of villains, more specifically of their Power of Chaos.
Because these rings, together with a hidden piece, will be of great help to me in Chapter Four and perhaps in another Chapter in the future.
’Now that I think about it, isn’t their leader the Sorcerer King’s brother?’
Although he is not one of the Five Greats, according to my memories, the Sorcerer King’s brother almost never appears again in the future.
The only more shocking moment was when the final item of the auction was stolen, which, depending on the probabilities, could be something other than the seven rings.
So, in theory, their targets are always different, regardless of what the final item is.
This time it was the rings; however, what happens with the others?
’Well, I don’t know. Unless the Sorcerer King’s brother becomes someone important later on, there’s no reason to pay much attention to him.’
And in any case, I have no memory of whether the Sorcerer King’s brother ever appears again in a Chapter of the Main Story.
At any rate, the voices of the people talking gradually faded away.
"They’re gone now."
I asked Astella, and she nodded.
"Yes, I think they turned a corner about ten meters away."
"Then let’s continue. Getting past the walls will be the hardest part."
The wall would be the most difficult obstacle to get through.
Because, according to my memories, the owner of the Dome should be there.
’That guy must be absolutely furious.’
Although he was a Class 9 villain, in about two years he would become a Class 10 villain.
***
Not far from Black City.
Alessia and Zoey had been searching for the supposed cave mentioned by the man who saved them.
At first, they felt frustrated because they could not find the cave; however, shortly afterward, they finally spotted something.
It was imperceptible to the naked eye. Alessia narrowed her eyes and noticed a crack in a mountain not too far away.
"That should be the cave, right?"
Zoey said while looking in the same direction.
Both girls quickly headed there, and upon arriving, they noticed footprints.
Judging by the number of tracks, several people had passed through recently.
That was when Alessia and Zoey heard faint voices echoing from the other side of the crack.
"..."
"..."
Alessia and Zoey exchanged relieved smiles. Shortly afterward, both of them sighed and then entered the cave.
It was then that, farther ahead, they could see a group of teenagers talking among themselves.
"He said that the leader and Senior Zoey would rescue them, but it’s been quite a while already, hasn’t it?"
"Hey, Julian, aren’t you being a little too paranoid? Obviously, rescuing them, wherever they were taken, won’t be an easy task."
"Well, uh, I guess that’s true, but that was a 6-Star Awakened, and there are villains much stronger than that guy in that place. Whoever captured the leader and..."
"Ugh, hey, just stop talking, okay? Let’s wait for them to get here."
"Come on, guys, stop arguing, okay?"
They were the voices of Julian, Charlotte, and Rinna.
Alessia and Zoey had stopped to listen, and shortly afterward, the two girls exchanged knowing smiles.
"Yeah, a little prank wouldn’t be bad at all."
"We’ve been thinking the same thing for a year."
Both of them burst into laughter.
