In a local tavern in Offshore city, a total of eleven individuals sat around a table. These were none other than the main casts, the supporting casts, and an extra.
In the end, the three classes had decided to work together after talking it out, so Aric, Levi, and Sasha were also among the group.
Anastasia spoke first. "I’m guessing everyone here has already figured out there’s a ton of heretics in this city."
"Unfortunately yes." Aric sighed. "And it’s a no brainer that they’re responsible for the disappearances."
Alistair frowned. "But what is the reason why they’re abducting people?" He asked looking around the table.
Sasha smiled uncrossing her legs and leaned forward."Well, of you ask , it probably has to do with so grand sche, or ritual."
"It doesn’t matter what they’re trying to do, our only job is to eliminate them." Levi stated.
Anastasia turned to him.
"That is easier said than done. They’re probably spread around the city, it’d take forever to find them. They could be disguised as a simple farr or a loving mother for all we know." She said.
"An example would be our resident bartender over there." She added flashing a bright smile at the otherwise average bartender behind the counter who responded with a graceful smile.
"Maybe we should interrogate him, I have a feeling he can tell us where the rest of his comrades are." Delilah proposed.
"Speaking of comrades, where is Damon?" Anastasia turned to Dion.
Dion blinked. "Uhhh.... he said he’d be right behind us, right Aric?" he threw the ball to Aric.
"Well, it’s been an hour since you two got here, and he still isn’t here." Anastasia argued.
Just then, a wrinkly old woman with a hunch back staggered towards the group’s table, and took a seat on one of the empty chairs.
"....."
"....."
The group stared at her with a bewildered gaze while Rose simply rolled her eyes.
"Uhhh, granny? this table is already reserved." Dion said with a puzzled look.
"Kids these days are so disrespectful." The old woman shook her head. "What’s with wanting a seat to rest? These old bones have been working throughout the day." The old woman said with a tired sigh.
The group looked at each other, not knowing what else to do. It wasn’t like they could forcibly throw an old woman away.
"You kids aren’t from around here, are you?" the old woman asked.
"No we’re not." Alistair smiled taking the lead in conversation. "What do you ask?" He asked while subtly probing the old woman. He could hide his shock when he sensed the old woman was at the Theta rank.
"That’s enough don’t you think, or do you want to burn your skin off?" Rose suddenly said, her gaze piercing through the old woman.
The old woman looked clearly frightened from Rose’s words. "No... no need, I’ll get up now."
"There was no need for that, Rose." Alistair sighed as the old woman scrambled to get up.
Rose ignored him and continued looking at the old woman. "Enough with the act, I know it’s you, brother."
"...."
"...."
Everyone went silent for a bit, while the old woman froze.
"W...what? brother?"Dion’s head snapped towards the old woman.
The old woman suddenly smirked which looked disgustingly ugly, before dropping down on the seat she had just stood up from.
"Took you long enough." The old woman’s ugly visage vanished in an instant, replaced by a handso young man with striking features.
"I knew it was you from the start." Rose argued.
"It was cool and not cool at the sa ti." Dion punched my shoulder.
"What was this stunt for?" Delilah asked frowning.
I wagged my hand.
"Relax, I was rely testing out my acting skills, and dare I say they are the best since I managed to fool you all."
"Well then, if you’ve had your kick, could we proceed with the discussions?" Anastasia asked flatly. For so reason I felt she was angry with .
"Yes, the discussions," I humd while silently erecting a silence barrier around us. "I’m sure it must have co to your attention that there are heretics in this city." I said knowing for a fact that they’d figured it out.
"I’ll say this once, abandon your plans on going kamikaze on them, it won’t...."
"Kamikaze?" Rose asked looking puzzled, and so did the others.
Oh right, they didn’t know what that ant.
"I ant abandon your plans on going subterfuge on them, it won’t end well."
"Why, what happened?" Alistair asked.
"The heretic’s aren’t rely taking people for the fun of it, they’re steering up a ritual, and the disappearances is linked to it. It’s quite simple actually, the ritual they’re setting up requires a lot of preparations, energy, and of course.... nutrients."
"Wait, are you trying to say the people who disappeared are the nutrients required?" Delilah asked in shock and disbelief.
"Bingo." I clapped. "There are two places where the ritual is fueled. One is out in the sea, in a cave at the base of a hill habituated by Naga beasts and..."
"Wait, Naga beasts?!" Delilah shuddered. Oh yeah, she was scared of anything with relation to snakes.
"Yes." I affird. "The Naga beasts are under the control of the heretics and help to lure humans there to be sacrificed in the ritual’s furnace.
The other one anwhile, is in the forest north of this city. The heretic’s fuel this one themselves."
"How did you know all these in such a short ti?" Anastasia asked.
I smirked.
"Well a heretic captured a small child trying to find his way around this city. And took that small child who was in reality in disguise to feed the ritual."
"Long story short, I reversed the scale, captured and interrogated him." I lied.
"A heretic really opened their mouth and spewed their plan to you?" Anastasia tilted her head. "That does not sound very believable."
"Well, he didn’t want to know how it felt like to be flayed alive." I shrugged. "Anyway, the only thing he didn’t tell is where the nexus of the ritual is, and that is where our current problem lies."
"How is that a problem? I still don’t see why we should not overwhelm and eliminate them." Fabian said.
"You make a point, but if we don’t destroy the nexus first, the heretics could activate the ritual anyti they wish."
"How bad is the ritual, or how bad do you supposed it’s effects would be if it’s activated?" Alistair asked.
"In the best case scenario, we might survive if we quickly leave this city with all our speed." I said.
"What about the worst case?" Rose asked.
"Well, this city and the few next to it might be wiped off the map."
"..."
"..."
Seeing their expressions I sighed. How would they react if they heard that even destroying the nexus would trigger the ritual?
"Now, my reflection are already in the city searching for the nexus, and if all goes well, I should be able to find it by nightfall."
"So I would need you guys to do sothing in the anti....."
"Hold on, who put you in charge?" Delilah asked.
"Well I was the one who found out all these information, so I figured I should be in charge, anyone who doesn’t want to listen to what I have to say can go do their thing, it would be good if this city ends up disappearing off the map die to their actions." I retorted.
There was a certain heretic, a human, he was the one who can activate the ritual, and confronting him or any of the heretics under his direct command could lead to him activating it earlier. Right now, he was probably within the Naga’s cave.
Hearing what I said, none of them said a word further. So I proceeded.
"What I propose is this; My reflections would continue to look for the nexus, and we, the heavy hitters will head for the Naga’s cave. On the contrary, the rest of the mbers of our class will try to locate all the heretics in this city, and continue to tail them, and when I give the signal, they’ll instantly eliminate the heretics."
"What we must absolutely make sure of," I continued. "is to prevent the ritual from being activated at all cost." I kind of felt bad for lying to them, but the ritual would be activated no matter what we did. It was a forgone conclusion at this point.
The only thing that could salvage the situation was to destroy what the ritual would unleash before it finished unleashing it, but even that would be incredibly tough. Which is why I wanted to find the nexus, then destroy it myself, so I had control of when the ritual would be triggered.
"Aren’t you taking the heretic’s words a little much at face value? What if he lied to you, and everything is a trap?" Anastasia asked.
"You might be right, but do you want to risk it?" I asked back.
With that, our plan was solidified, I just hoped I found the nexus before tomorrow.
********
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