— Ahh... gooood.
The boss of the Twilight Leg gang, the one-ard Regan. These past few days, the city had seed exceptionally beautiful to him.
— Very good.
Once, they had been nothing more than one of countless gangs in the Lower City. A shabby little operation dealing cheap drugs and extorting “protection fees” from rchants. But ever since divine grace had touched them... Regan’s life had turned 180 degrees. With satisfaction, he stroked the magi-engineered prosthetic attached to his left shoulder.
— The VIPs will be coming out in about an hour. Prepare the carriage.
— Yes, sir! Should we move the basent victims imdiately as well?
— Not yet. We’ll transfer them after the inspection is complete.
— Ah... Have a pleasant inspection!
The subordinate grinned, flashing a lewd look.
People sell people. Regan felt not the slightest aversion to it. It had been far too long since a human being ant anything more to him than a source of inco.
— Their lives are over anyway. Showing a bit of courtesy and putting them to use before they rot completely—that’s the least we can do.
He slowly pulled out a cigarette and, leaving the bustling subordinates behind, headed toward the basent. Before his eyes, as he descended the dark staircase, piles of gold coins shimred—paynt for this shipnt.
‘Maybe I should save a little more and buy a villa in the Middle City?’
For soone born in the slums, that was the symbol of true success. Just as he indulged in sweet fantasies—
Thud—
Sothing attached itself to his back. Regan didn’t even have ti to flinch or turn around. An emotionless voice pierced straight into his ear:
— You’ve got a magi-engineered prosthetic. So I assu you understand perfectly well what just stuck to your back.
Beeee—
A sinister signal rang out. Only then did Regan realize: he couldn’t see a single one of the underlings left in the basent as overseers. In the middle of the quiet stairwell, the blood in his veins instantly ran cold.
‘...How?’
How could soone have gotten inside, past such heavy security?
— W-who... who sent you?
No answer ca. In front of his eyes there was only a crude chanical device. Barely breathing, Regan stared at the detonator.
— Wrong. You should be asking a different question right now.
— ...W-what do you want?
— There we go. Much better. It would be a sha to die now, wouldn’t it? You’ve probably accumulated quite a bit of savings.
Regan didn’t dare turn around. The click of the detonator button echoed in his ears like an auditory hallucination.
— Now I’ll tell you what you’re going to do.
Not a single curse. But there was sothing in that voice that made even the thought of resistance evaporate. Unshakable certainty that the entire situation was under complete control. Regan squeezed his eyes shut.
— I... I’ll do anything. Just let live.
— Good. Do as you’re told, and I’ll spare your life.
And as if to seal the reassurance, he added:
— ...I promise. On my father’s honor.
***
Beeeeee—
A thin, alien sound cut through the sacred silence. The priest raised the ritual dagger and froze.
‘What was that?’
The sound did not repeat. He must have imagined it. He tightened his fingers again and lowered his gaze to the sacrifice.
‘I need to focus.’
Beautiful golden eyes stared back at him. There wasn’t even a trace of fear of death in them—only burning hatred and contempt. The priest felt that prickling excitent again.
— ...A magnificent offering.
The ritual dagger slowly moved toward her long ear. He intended to savor the ritual, beginning by severing elven pride.
Beeeeee—
...This ti the sound was distinct. The priest lowered the dagger and frowned toward the door.
‘An alarm?’
He had just instructed Boss Regan not to interrupt the rite under any circumstances. The fact that the alarm had been triggered ant an ergency had arisen—sothing the gang couldn’t handle on its own. The priest’s eyelids twitched.
‘What’s going on?’
He hurriedly rose and, lumbering with his heavy body, headed for the door. Just as he grasped the handle to check—
Bang!
The door flew open, and soone rushed inside before he could pull it himself. The priest didn’t even have ti to grow angry at the insolence.
— V-VIP guest! We’re under attack!
It was a gang mber whose face had been turned into a bloody ss. Despite his size, he trembled, pale as a sheet.
— Attack...?
Indeed, beyond the threshold, a red light flashed anxiously in the corridor. The priest instinctively stuck his head out to look around. But there was no clash of weapons, no screams.
— It’s so quiet, and you call this an attack?
— I-in the basent... where the victims are locked up. Our n were found dead. Looks like soone crawled in through the ventilation.
— ...What?!
Only then did a red light flash in the priest’s mind. A certain pagan organization that had recently been obstructing the Theocracy’s operations ca to mind.
‘Could it be...’
No. This transport must not fail. If problems arise, there will be an investigation. And what if they uncover the existence of the “special sacrifice” he had concealed?
No matter how many rits he had, the higher-ups would never forgive that. Without hesitation, the priest broke into a run.
— The victims... where are the victims now?!
— Th-they’ve started moving them outside...
The gangster didn’t get to finish.
Rumble—
The sound of the warehouse’s main gates opening echoed. The priest scread in horror:
— Idiots! Why are you taking the victims outside?!
— B-boss’s orders. Said it’s dangerous to stay in the warehouse...
He understands nothing! In this area, the warehouse is the safest place. A security system worth a fortune had been installed here, and the terrain was ideal for defense. The most reasonable course would have been to gather all victims in one place and hold out for reinforcents.
But loading them into carriages and sending them out? That was practically an invitation to Night Raven: “Co and take them.” The priest hurriedly asked:
— Where’s Diego?
— D-Diego? Who’s that...
— The one who ca with !
At that mont, a strange expression flickered across the bandit’s face. Everything was unfolding exactly as his “friend” had ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) whispered. He delivered the prepared answer:
— If you an the other VIP guest, he’s searching the building with the boss for the intruder!
— No... acting alone at a ti like this...
Diego was a capable paladin. But Night Raven was a dangerous opponent. They needed to regroup imdiately. Having reached that conclusion, he barked at the still-hesitating bandit:
— What are you standing around for? Take to him!
— Y-yes. This way!
The bandit, bowing low, hurried after the priest... and at the sa ti, the tip of his boot nudged sothing beneath the door.
.
.
.
And imdiately after they left—
Click—
In the dark room, the sound of shackles unlocking rang out clearly.
“.......”
Golden eyes fixed on the small note attached to the ring of keys.
***
[Special Ability: “Lizard’s Wall Walk” active. Remaining ti: 78 sec.]
In the corner of the warehouse, concealed in the shadow of towering cargo stacks, Gunther calmly observed the unfolding situation.
‘Good. Everything’s according to plan.’
While the priest prepared for the ritual and the paladin indulged in his perverse hobbies, Plan Z steadily took shape.
The organization’s boss, turned into a puppet, personally triggered the alarm. The reason—corpses of guards found in the basent.
— I’ll inform the VIP guests myself. Move the victims outside first!
The gang mbers obeyed without hesitation. Then the boss went to the paladin. Under the pretext of helping search for the “intruder,” he lured him away from the children.
...The first condition for complete victory was fulfilled.
‘Ryan handled the priest perfectly.’
Lure the priest out and pass the stolen shackles’ keys to Dimona Ryen. Ryan executed it flawlessly. As expected from soone who would smash himself to pieces before failing a task.
Thus, the safety of Dimona Ryen and the other special victims was secured. If she followed the note’s instructions, she would soon move everyone to safety and then support the upcoming battle by overriding the systems. As for the basent victims loaded into carriages—their safety was guaranteed as well.
‘I sent them straight to the building where Moon Wolf is waiting.’
Even if his principle was non-interference, he would deal with that sohow.
In summary: All victims in the warehouse were now safe. No one had died.
[Alphonse of Red Street declares that your cunning reminds him exactly of himself in his youth]
[The Drug-Addicted Saint snorts. Says you must take after your mother’s side(?)]
[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats advises you not to relax—nothing is over yet]
[However, the corners of his lips twitch in a smile]
Yes. The King was right. One thing remained. Gunther looked down where the commotion was beginning.
[Special Ability: “Lizard’s Wall Walk” active. Remaining ti: 45 sec.]
The puppet was carrying out his final task: bringing the paladin to the designated location at the designated ti.
— I-I think I heard sothing over here. The n saw soone suspicious.
— ...Useless trouble, damn it. If there’s no one there again, I’ll cut off your useless eyes and ears.
— S-sorry.
And the bastard, drenched in sweat, completed the hardest assignnt. He led the paladin directly beneath Gunther.
— Diego! You’re alive!
Right on cue, the priest appeared at the end of the corridor. Behind him, Ryan slipped quietly into the shadows. No need to worry about him—no one survived better than that guy.
‘My turn.’
Gunther took a deep breath and slipped his hand inside his coat.
Click—
The mont he gently pressed the detonator button, a faint beep echoed through the corridor again. Reactivation of the bombs that had been disabled to avoid detection. The paladin and priest, unaware, continued their conversation.
— I didn’t see anyone on the way.
— I keep missing him too. Where is he hiding?
— Damn it, maybe it’s a diversion... Have the victims sent outside returned yet?
— That’s Regan and his n... Wait a second.
Their expressions froze instantly.
— What is that sound?
Pi—
The intuition that sothing was wrong surfaced too late.
— Could it be... — muttered the paladin Diego.
The mont his hand reflexively reached for his sword—
— Aaaaaah!
A trembling Regan lunged forward, wailing pitifully:
— I... I did what we agreed! Please, let li—
K-BOOOOOOOOM!
With a monstrous roar, the floor heaved upward and the entire corridor twisted. The shockwave nearly ruptured eardrums. A pillar of raging fla and a rising cloud of dust swallowed everything. At the mont the space filled with fire and debris—
[Special Ability: “Lizard’s Wall Walk” active. Remaining ti: 0 sec.]
Gunther fell downward. The explosion was powerful enough that Regan’s body should have been reduced to ash. But—
‘Both alive.’
He saw it clearly. Just before the blast, a black barrier had unfurled from the priest’s hands. Protective magic of the Cult of Abundance. Even a rare-rank magical bomb could not penetrate that shield with lethal force. One defining trait of the Cult of Abundance was precisely its powerful defense.
...Which ant this was the decisive mont.
The instant they felt relief at surviving. The second when they had exhausted their strength blocking the explosion!
Whoosh—
Cutting through dust, smoke, and fla. With his sword raised, Gunther descended upon the priest from above. A sudden strike from the ceiling. The sensitive paladin detected the threat first and shouted:
— Maruna! Above!
.
.
.
[Level Up! / Lv. 42]
[Agility 33 → 34]
Gunther smirked as he tore the blade from the priest’s fat-swelled nape. Blood trickled down his cheek where a last-mont offensive spell had grazed him, but he felt no pain. Only indescribable exhilaration that the plan had succeeded surged along his spine.
— So your na’s Maruna? That’s a pretty cute na for a pig.
The paladin stared at him in shock. Gunther kicked aside the priest’s limp corpse and straightened.
The corridor, sealed off by a wall of roaring flas. Faint screams and shouts in the distance. There was nowhere to run. No more orphaned children to take hostage.
Yes.
It was ti to finish this.
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