Proofread by Thomas F
Geldnim Marlais
"Everyone knows their part?" I asked. The four of them nodded. "Good. Move."
Immediately, they did.
They are a diversion. Most would likely be caught; all of them might be, if Greltheaven's guards were as capable as I had heard.
I cared little as long as they did their jobs. Everything would be fine.
This job paid well, and the only thing I have to do is sneak into the secure underground room, where expensive pieces of art borrowed from powerful people are kept.
Not to steal, of course. Much worse.
I waited until it was eleven at night, when I took out the crystal and placed it on the wall, before walking out of my room, activating Ghostwalk.
I also activated Veil of Anonymity, just as I had when I had come into the inn.
People looked at me, but nobody would remember me a moment later. Soon, I walked out of the inn, toward my destination: the tower covered in colorful mist.
It's not my destination, but near it.
I walked along the road, still surprised by how many people were on the street. Usually, in cities of this size, most streets get empty by this time.
I watched it, keeping an eye on everything. I don't believe anyone here is watching for me, much less following me, but it didn't hurt to be cautious, especially after the last incident a few months ago.
I nearly got caught. That man was relentless and had a set of skills that countered mine.
I am Level 42, Agent of Disorder and Havoc.
My class is a little pretentious, but it's powerful. It gives me the ability to do what I want. I wanted to challenge myself. This job is purely for money.
It's not all that challenging. The security here is much stronger than in cities of its size, but I have worked where there were Lv. 50 and escaped under their noses.
One such job is lined up for me in Kalgha. I am going to do that after I finish this one.
It came from contacts in the guild, but given what the job is, one doesn't need to think who it had come from. Not that I care; I only care about the money.
Which they are paying. A lot.
I hadn't planned to take any job before Kalgha, but this one came with a rush, and they are paying very well for it.
I suspect it might have come from the same source, but I am not sure, given that the lord of this city has many enemies, most of whom are rich enough to pay for it.
I pushed those thoughts aside and looked at the city and the crowd.
I passed it a year ago, stayed here for a few hours, and even visited the Legacy. Since then, the city had changed massively; there are more people, more buildings, and more powerhouses.
It's why I need to be careful despite being confident; not a single one could catch me.
Soon, I had reached the garden; the massive, thousands-of-acres space. I have heard rumors of what the Master is planning to do with this space, and I have to say he is ambitious.
Even this late, people are watching from the distance. Most focused on the legacy, but my eyes roamed.
They stopped for a moment at the Artisan's Garden.
There have been a couple of offers to raid and destroy this place as well as the Alchemy Garden, not far away from it, but the money was not good enough.
Many had tried, including the few people I know, but all have failed.
Worse, they all had been captured.
Obviously, there is tight security. When I canvassed that place, all the hair on my body stood up. There are very few things that could cause me such a reaction.
Once I finish this mission, I am going to up my rate for this place; it's dangerous even for me.
I only looked at it for a moment before turning north. There is a four-story building where they have stored those pieces. It is heavily guarded, with powerful suppression wards.
I didn't move to it immediately, despite scouting the location a couple of times yesterday and today.
For half an hour, I looked around before finally moving, activating Empty Sight and Chameleon's Veil, turning myself effectively invisible.
I moved toward the building, with Saboteur's Intuition active. If someone so much as glimpsed me, I would sense it.
My class is powerful, and it becomes more powerful when I am on the job. Even the assassins couldn't hide themselves from me. If they sensed me or looked at me, I would know immediately.
Still, despite this, I moved cautiously and carefully. I reached the building a few minutes later.
There is heavy security around; there should be. In here are objects of immense financial and cultural value to the continent. So, of course, there will be heavy security.
I stopped at the closest tree, nearest the door.
I love this place; there are a lot of trees. It's quite easy to hide, especially since all the trees are essence plants or trees that are fed essence.
In the dark inns and parlors of nobility, people discuss the amount of essence Velvet Garden produces.
Nobody knows the number; Silver has guarded it so zealously that it is said he didn't even tell the two imperial princes, despite being questioned many times.
It is said the secret is only known to Silver and his whore, who is more tight-lipped than he is.
Speaking of her, she is quite a beauty; all that power makes her extraordinarily beautiful. There had been a contract to kidnap her, but I straight up declined.
I might not have sensible limits, but I don't go against the Synod.
It's simply a matter of self-preservation. Even if the backer gives me more than enough money to last me a lifetime, I need to be alive to enjoy that.
She is an heir. If something harms their people, they hunt them to the end of the world.
Take the pirates: a few months ago, a group of them encircled Vanis Lindgren of Twilight Hall. A few weeks later, they were found gruesomely murdered.
Synod, take such things very seriously, and despite all my powers. I do not have the confidence to go against them.
I will, if I reach high enough. I really hope I do because I want to go against the Synod. That will be the real life lived.
I was lost in my thoughts when I heard the explosions, and massive plumes rose through the city. They wanted maximum destruction, and they will get it.
They want to inflict immense material and political harm. These blasts have gone to mercantile, cultural, and popular centers, creating massive destruction.
I am a little surprised that every pawn was successful. I thought the guard would at least stop some.
I chose the right people, and these were quite capable, but I heard things about the capability of the guards; maybe they are only capable against minor actors.
Not true professionals.
I laughed and turned to the guards; they were alarmed but did not move from their spots. They seemed to have trained well. Well, it didn't matter; this place was going to suffer the same destruction as those five.
It will be even greater. Far greater, with the preparations I made. It's going to impress the client.
Nearly a minute passed when those doors opened, and an orc in a uniform walked out. I remember his details; he is the head of this facility.
He looked in alarm at the fire that was burning, while I swiftly passed through the door.
The moment I entered, my hand struck the wall and a crystal attached to it. A moment later, it turned invisible as I activated Concealed Payload and Invisible Fuse.
I moved across the hallway, my arm moving across the wall, slapping an explosive.
I had brought a large stock since the client had demanded it; the destruction would be such that nothing should remain. Everything should be pulverized to dust.
And that shall happen.
Once I finished the first floor, I moved to the second and then the third. Slapping on over fifty explosives, when twenty would have done the job.
I went back, easily avoiding the guards who were at every step. They looked panicked, barely keeping themselves in their spots.
Seeing that, I couldn't help but smile.
Soon, I reached the door and waited. I didn't have to wait long before the door opened, and I slipped through and moved through the city. Once I was at a sufficient distance, I would trigger it.
"Leaving so soon, Mr. Marlais," said the voice, suddenly to my surprise.
A moment later, I saw a woman step out from behind the trees in front of me.
She was a beautiful woman. Lithe, poised, and clad in what appeared to be enchanted archer's armor.
A shock spread through my heart. I saw her eyes trained on me, with a small knowing smile on her face. Knowing my name, and most importantly, she did not trigger my skills, as she should have.
I calmed myself and smiled.
"Ms. Carter, it's a pleasure," I greeted. She is Stena Carter, the head of security of Legacy and the garden. This is her domain; not even city guards have authority here.
"I hope you will stay, Mr. Marlias. I have reserved a beautiful place in our jail for you," she said, with a smile of a gracious host.
They knew I was here and prepared for me. It made my heart beat faster, but I controlled it and turned to the woman. "My apologies, Ms. Carter, but I can't; I have prior engagements which I cannot miss."
Her expression didn't change, but emotions hardened in her eyes.
"It is not a request, Mr. Marlais," she stated. I smiled. "Nor am I asking for permission."
I replied. "I am keeping Instant Trigger ready."
Seeing her confidence, I knew I was in trouble. She is here, which means others know about me as well.
I would have felt much better if I could have seen them surrounding me, but all I could see was her and a few of her people, which worried me, but not as much as my skill staying silent.
"There is no other choice, Mr. Marlais. You can surrender either in peace or pain," she threatened.
"Don't injure him too much, little sister. We like to interrogate him as soon as possible," said another voice, and I saw a tall, handsome man walk out with a beautiful woman in a wheelchair.
Shaun Carter, Chief of Intelligence. The woman in the wheelchair is Rayna Sable, Deputy Chief of Intelligence; also their chief interrogator.
I shuddered, not at the prospect of torture; I bore it many times. No, at their appearance. I didn't sense it all; they simply appeared from behind the trees.
A tree, which was not big enough to hide them all.
I looked at them as they looked at me, with smiles on their faces. They were filled with confidence; there was no shred of doubt in their eyes.
"It seemed like I had been caught," I said with a long sigh.
"But I hope you will let me go, or the building behind me will turn into ashes along with all the cultural artifacts stored there. Even you and your men will not be spared.
I expected alarm, panic. Instead, they laughed.
"With what?" she asked a moment later. "Explosives; I have placed them all over the building." Here once more they gave the opposite reaction.
"You mean these?" Stena asked, and suddenly, the explosives appeared in her hand, floating above, all fifty-two of them.
And they are mine; I could recognize them.
How? I couldn't help but ask myself. If they had touched them, I should have sensed it, but now they are in front of me. It was then that I noticed another thing.
From the earlier explosions, there is no smoke or fire. It's like it didn't happen at all.
What the hell is happening? I asked myself, but the very next moment, I moved. Activating my speed skill at its fastest. I had fallen into some trap, the length of which I could not see.
I need to escape as soon as possible.
That very moment, I activated my speed skill and ran. I also activated Instant Trigger to trigger the bombs, but there was no reaction, which made me curse again.
"There is no use in running, Mr. Marlais; it will only make things painful for you," she said, and her voice didn't come from behind, but from ahead and up.
I looked up at the sky and saw her there, with a loaded bow in her hand pointed at me and beautiful wings behind her back.
"Last chance. Surrender, Mr. Marlais," she offered.
I didn't reply. Instead, I increased my speed further. I will not surrender; I have escaped in many situations, and this won't be any different.
I can escape. I will escape.