with fire in the middle of the night (1)
The poison penetrates. My skin tingles. The fine poisonous powder attached to the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth instantly caused cell necrosis and inflammation.
Excited.
And my heart throbbed.
Excited.
A normally quiet energy began to burn fiercely in the blood vessels extending to the extremities of my limbs.
Cheeeee!
Dead cells burn away. Newly grown cells filled the space. When it dies again, another cell takes over its role as if it had been waiting for it.
The miasma that was penetrating through my skin faltered at the waves of unreasonable regeneration.
The heat rushing from the blood vessels began to drive out the poison.
“Off, off. “It’s hot.”
Dallen turned his head. The Silver Masked Assassin was left hanging in his grasp.
The crushed one’s hands and wrists were red. It is cooked by the high-temperature steam emanating from Dallen’s body.
“Off. how. How can you withstand this deadly poison! People can’t do that. Even if you…!”
It’s so fucking loud.
“Wow!”
Dallen grabbed the silver masked assassin’s neck.
Even though it was inhaling the poisonous fog, it struggled very vigorously as if nothing had happened.
As a vampire, his strength far exceeds that of an adult man. Dallen tightened his grip a little more than usual.
Crack!
The assassin’s body fell limp. Even a vampire dies if his neck is broken.
‘It might be a little different if you’re a high-ranking vampire.’
If it was a high-ranking vampire, it would have already transformed its body into something like a bat or a shadow when it was caught by Dallen. It was a difficult entity to deal with using only physical methods.
Of course, there was no need to deal with those guys right now. Dallen put down his lifeless body.
Cheeeee!
The poisonous dance slowly subsides. There seemed to be no need to worry about civilian damage.
The poison it uses is as lethal as it is surprisingly easy to decompose and disappear.
This is because the most important virtue for an assassin is not to leave evidence.
Dallen inadvertently raised his hand and rubbed his eyes, then frowned.
“…Fuck.”
Steam rises from the eyes. I didn’t realize there was still residual poison on my fingers.
Fortunately, the regenerative factor of the skill Dragon Blood obtained from the sewer was able to regenerate even the delicate tissue of the eye.
Cheeeeeee-
“…….”
But that didn’t mean it would take away the pain.
After blowing out a puff of steam from his eyes, Dallon checked the corpse on the floor.
The ashen corpse of an assassin.
The corpse, which looked as gaunt as a mummy as if all its blood had been sucked out, was the end of the assassin character he had developed a long time ago.
[The corpse of an assassin splitting the night sky]
– This is the corpse of an assassin with an amazing leaping ability. It is said that the sight of him crossing the roof with just one step looked like a ghost splitting the night sky. There were also rumors that he had unusually strong strength for an assassin. He attempted to assassinate the Silver Mask Apostle Stray Lutherhafen, but was defeated and his blood was sucked.
‘I was definitely planning to raise him as a strong character, but I ended up learning skills suitable for an assassin.’
Thinking about the past I had forgotten, I inadvertently burst into laughter.
It was a character I raised during my early playing days when I wasn’t yet fully accustomed to the game.
However, as time goes by and now, it is a legacy from the past that will become an invaluable strength to him.
Dallen held out his hand.
‘Body absorption.’
[The body of the assassin splitting the night sky has been recovered. Ability is inherited.]
[Inheritance Reward: Strength +3 Leap (E)]
Knock knock!
Muscles tremble. The muscles that didn’t seem human before were now entangled as tightly as steel fibers.
Quarr!
“this.”
I unconsciously placed my hand on the chimney on the roof, but the brick chimney crumbled like a sand castle.
Dallen had to spend some time calming himself down as the excitement filled his body and felt like it was about to explode.
and.
“Seup-”
I take a slow breath. Concentrate your entire attention from your spine, through your thighs, and all the way to your toes.
It is not a movement that can be performed with pure strength.
Even a simple jump requires a certain level of finesse when expressed as a skill.
It’s not excessive, but packs just the right amount of power as needed.
Before I knew it, I was looking at the Galios Company building across the street in the distance.
Teuung-!
Dallon’s new model leaped into the sky and disappeared.
***
Volkmar felt like his heart would explode.
Even though the Bronze District was a lawless area, I knew that the boulevard extending around the square was a safe area.
But those thoughts were shattered when I saw the arrows flying into the room.
‘Safety is a mess. Even the tsarist kingdom in the north, which frequently comes into conflict with barbarians, is probably not to this extent. ‘With arrows flying around inside the castle walls, it’s no different from a battlefield!’
Why on earth did they think of setting up a branch in this city? Why are you interested in the leather workshop business?
It was a moment when I felt resentful of my past self.
There were many nights when I couldn’t sleep because the recent movements of Telia Company were unusual.
Telia Company had a near-monopoly on the leather workshop business in the Bronze District, so conflict was inevitable.
But assassination.
This is an assassination in broad daylight!
‘Let’s calm down. ‘My neck is still in good condition.’
Volkmar clenched his fists tightly. He decided to be brave.
Dallen told me to hide under the bed, but I couldn’t just trust his words and stay silent.
Even a great warrior who split a goblin in two is ultimately still a human being wearing skin.
Following the merchants’ adage to always minimize risk, we had to prepare for unexpected situations.
Susssseu.
Volkmar quickly crawled out of bed. Then, he took out a full cowhide armor and a sword from the closet.
Although he said he was doing it secretly, his actions were extremely sloppy.
After putting on the armor on his own with difficulty, he carefully looked out the window.
“…….”
It was quiet.
Unlike what I imagined as a battlefield raining down arrows, the streets were peaceful as usual.
The streets are filled with only the noise of cows and horses and people walking around and talking noisily.
‘Where is Dallen?’
Suddenly, anxiety comes over me.
Volkmar slowly walked away from the window.
The fact that the streets are quiet means that the battle did not last long.
And no matter how good Dallon was, he wouldn’t have been able to take out the snipers shooting arrows in such a short period of time. I don’t know if it’s the other way around.
‘I hope Dallen is still alive…!’
Volkmar gritted his teeth. Now that things are like this, something has to be done.
There would be no choice but to gather employees, start a sit-in protest inside the building, and hold out until security arrived.
The moment he finished making his decision, he grabbed the door handle with trembling hands.
Kwazijic! Wajikkeun!
Something in the shape of a human fell through the roof and ceiling into the room.
“……Huh.”
Inyoung, who fell on him who was so shocked that he couldn’t even breathe, shook off the dust and said.
“Tsk, I guess I need to control this power a little more precisely… What are you doing there, Sangdanju?”
“What about Dallen?”
“I told you to stay under the bed. “Why are you making such a fuss by coming out again?”
Dallen said in an indifferent tone. Volkmar’s gaze wandered for a moment at that strange attitude.
Pieces of tiles and wood fragments stuck to Dallen’s body. Debris falling from a gaping hole in the ceiling and a sunken floor.
After seeing everything, Volkmar changed his mind.
Maybe that warrior in front of me is not a human wearing cloth.
***
It took nearly an hour for Volkmar to come to his senses after being half lost.
And Dallen realized that it was more difficult to calm down one person than to kill a group of assassins.
After ordering the staff to clean and repair the room, the two moved to the living room where they had talked earlier.
Volkmar was still wearing his cowhide armor and had a decorated sword at his side.
“So…you mean all the assassins have been dealt with?”
“exactly.”
How many times have I asked this already?
To relieve his frustration, Dallon put a strawberry in his mouth and chewed it.
Sweet fleshy flavor and slightly undercooked, crunchy texture. With this level of texture and taste, the quality was quite expensive.
“Anyway, you opened a leather workshop? “Because we are a competitor with the trading company, there was some friction.”
“yes. Of course, I was a bit aggressive in sales. But does that make it an assassination attempt?”
Even as Volkmar spoke, he picked up his teacup and drank it in frustration.
He drank all the tea in one go, then sighed and put the cup down.
“Whew. The merchant’s fight is to release money and attract connections. “It’s not like we’re exchanging swords and arrows like this.”
“You didn’t even try to hire me?”
“That was because they had already attacked our employees twice. And that too within about three days.”
Hmm, there was something like that behind the scenes.
While listening to Volkmar’s story, Dallon was able to confirm once again.
The movement of the retrograde apostles has become more active than ever.
In order to respond to that movement, we also needed to move forward quickly.
“Anyway, you seem to have calmed down, so I’ll just go. “I enjoyed my tea.”
Dallen stood up. I was planning to go straight to the crow’s nest.
Knock knock.
At that time, an employee knocked on the door.
“The owner of the business, a guest has arrived.”
“It’s not the time to receive guests right now. “Tell him to come next time.”
“That’s it.”
Sigh.
The door opened. Dallen slightly raised his eyebrows.
I thought I was capable a long time ago, but this is beyond my imagination.
Again. Again.
Low-heeled shoes bounce lightly on the floor.
The staff member tried to catch the guest who broke into the room, but he closed his mouth and lowered his head with a single gesture from her.
Long black hair and equally black eyes. A fluffy yet luxurious dark-colored fur suit.
The woman with pretty long eyelashes looked at Dallen and opened her mouth.
“Dallen.”
“I was just about to go visit you. How did you find out?”
“Hehe. “I guess you were a little surprised this time too.”
Sienna smiled. It was a charming eye smile.
Volkmar quickly sensed the changing atmosphere and motioned for the hesitant employee to leave.
It rattled.
The door closed and Sienna naturally joined the table. She greeted Volkmar first.
“I heard a lot about your new business, Lord Galios Merchant. “I heard Telia Company invested a surprising amount of money, right?”
“…Could you possibly be an intelligence dealer from the Crow’s Nest?”
Volkmar spoke in an uncertain tone. Sienna grinned.
“yes that’s right. It is called Sienna of the Crow’s Nest. “You are excellent at spreading rumors, but you are weak at remembering other rumors.”
“Well, it’s kind of like that. “If it doesn’t make money, I tend not to remember it.”
hmm. They’re talking heads and criticizing their ability to gather information as being weak. I guess you didn’t understand.
‘It wouldn’t matter as long as I wasn’t the only one feeling offended.’
Dallon thought so and munched on another handful of strawberries.
Meanwhile, Sienna took out the map and spread it out on the table. She said.
“The silver mask you gave me. “I found out what organization it was.”
“Who?”
Dallen asked, pretending not to know. Sienna narrowed her eyes. The look in his eyes was as if he knew why he was pretending not to know.
“They are cultists who serve evil spirits. They call themselves ‘Apostles of Retrogrades’. “Wear a mask with a big, exaggerated mouth like the one you gave me, as a symbol.”
Dallen added strawberries again. It was the last handful.
On the other hand, Volkmar was listening to her with wide eyes. Because this was my first time hearing this story.
“The reason I figured this out isn’t just because I’m good at it. “It was timing.”
“timing?”
Sienna took out another stack of papers.
Numbers and letters written tightly in the table. There were familiar units such as florins and shillings mixed in. Volkmar shouted.
“Isn’t this a ledger?”
“that’s right. “It’s the ledger of Telia Company.”
She nodded. And then he turned his head towards Dallen again.
“I’ll just get to the point. Telia is a member of the Apostles of Retrograde. “It’s also an executive-level silver mask.”
“no wonder. “Their heinous methods were something no merchant could imitate!”
Volkmar stood up in righteous indignation. Sienna ignored it and continued speaking.
“In the past few days, Telia Company has been purchasing a huge amount of supplies. Mainly herbs, weapons and metals. “There are even rumors going around among merchants that they are selling off their sales or that they have signed an exclusive trade agreement with the southern empire.”
“this! These guys have no morals! “If they buy everything like that, what will happen to the small and medium-sized merchants…!”
“But it’s all nonsense.”
Volkma, who was venting his anger, became mute.
Sienna glanced at him with salty eyes and pointed out a point on the map.
“The purchased supplies are being gathered right here. “To a warehouse that is known to have been abandoned after being purchased by the Telia Company a long time ago.”
Dallen looked at the map with sullen eyes. It was a place he also knew.
A five-story building that is not common in the back alleys. Sienna asked with sparkling eyes.
“Do you know what’s going on around here?”
“It looks like masked cultists have been spotted.”
“Exactly. In addition to the merchants and artisans they kidnapped, they also paid money to hire gangsters and street vagabonds.”
Dallen shook his head. Be a scoundrel and a vagabond.
There is no prey so easy to turn into a monster.
Gangsters could be tempted by offering strength and money, while vagrants in the back alleys were people who would risk their lives for a loaf of bread.
Gather the apostles and raise an army of monsters. At the same time, using merchants’ funds and artisans’ labor, they produced weapons to arm the army.
“The war will soon begin.”
“that’s right.”
Sienna straightened her back. And then the bell on the table rang.
She asked the employee who came in for some more refreshments.
Volkmar’s eyes widened when he saw that.
“This can’t be right. “Did they plant someone inside my top as well?”
Sienna smiled provocatively at Volkmar, who was making a dumb expression.
“of course. Otherwise, how would you know that Dallon was here? “How did you get up to the living room?”
“…….”
Soon the refreshments arrived. Dallen stuffed another handful of strawberries into his mouth. He said.
“Is there anything special about the Bronze Guard? “You don’t know the silence company commander very well.”
“I already said it. He said he would cooperate there as well. But…”
“But?”
Sienna fiddled with her teacup. Unlike before, when he was full of confidence, he looked a little nervous.
Although he was able to gather information and understand the situation faster than anyone else, it seemed difficult to come up with an alternative.
It was natural.
Unless you have experienced hundreds of episodes, even indirectly, like Dallan, how can you come up with an appropriate response to the rapidly changing movements of cultists?
It is a great thing to reveal the true face of an organization that is close to a conspiracy theory without knowing anything about it.
Sienna sipped her tea and continued speaking.
“But they said that no matter how much the security team is, they can’t attack the upper building without clear evidence. This is especially true if it is a warehouse in a back alley outside the patrol area.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
Dallen stood up. He placed his hand on the ax on his belt.
“Shouldn’t I just give the security a reason to intervene?”
Sienna opened her eyes wide.
“…how?”
Dallen grinned.
“Even if it’s a back alley outside the patrol area, if there’s a fire as a security guard, you’ll have to run to put it out.”
It is a five-story warehouse filled with cultists and monsters.
It was the perfect place to play with fire at night.