Chapter 199: The Masked Man

Entering the abyss portal room, Thorian addressed his two teammates, “You two remember how the last floor ended, right?”

“That stuck-up noble we were supposed to protect died, right?” Nox responded. “I was so pissed off at that. It felt like such a waste of time.”

“We’re not sure if he truly died, but there was nothing we could do about that,” Thorian clarified. “In any case, if this 22nd floor starts around the same time and place as the 21st, we need to stay sharp. Our task definitely includes gathering information about what happened to Elian.”

“We will keep that in mind, my lord,” Vigil nodded.

Acknowledging Vigil’s understanding, Thorian looked back at the abyssal portal. Without concrete information about the next floor, there was nothing more to discuss. Speculation would only distract his team.

With confident strides, the trio stepped into the portal, activating the notification.

[Do you wish to enter the twenty-second floor? Note that your restrictions have softened, and all of your stats other than mana are now limited to 120 points.]

Confirming his entry, Thorian was surrounded by a blinding light. When he opened his eyes, he saw the floor quest notification hovering in front of him.

[Welcome to the twenty-second floor of the abyss.]

[To clear this floor, complete the floor quest.]

[Floor Quest:

Register with the mage court and prove your worth as an outstanding magician by completing the exam. (Time limit: 7 days).

Uncover the mysteries surrounding the attack on Elian Valtor.

Rewards:

300,000 Experience Points.

150,000 Arcane Coins.]

A double quest? This floor is going to be complicated.

“Lord,” Vigil tapped Thorian’s shoulder and whispered. “Look.”

Thorian glanced around and found his group surrounded by civilians, all focused on the scene in front of them. Following their gaze, he saw guards apprehending the kid who had stabbed Elian.

“You filthy rat!” One of the guards beat the kid in the face with his baton. Other guards joined in, striking and kicking until the boy’s body was bruised.

“A rat like you dared to stab a noble?!” One guard seethed. “It won’t end with just your death, you better believe that!”

While some guards were beating the kid, others were tending to Elian.

“All of you, make a path!” one of the guards commanded the crowd. “Anyone who interferes and delays us from bringing the noble to the church will suffer the consequences.”

As the guard's command echoed, the crowd swiftly dispersed. Women tugged their overly-curious children away, hushing them urgently. The air filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps and murmured fears. People stole nervous glances back, eyes wide with a mix of fear and curiosity, before quickly moving aside, driven by the unspoken threat of the guards' wrath.

“What should we do, Thorian?” Nox asked as the crowd dispersed. “If we hang around too long, we might get in trouble.”

Furrowing his eyebrows in thought, Thorian looked back at Vigil, now in the body of Father Francis. “Vigil, go and present yourself to them as a priest. Tell them you’re going to give preliminary aid to Elian.”

Without hesitation, Vigil nodded. “Right away, my lord.”

With confident strides, Vigil approached the guards. “Gentlemen, my name is Francis Lima, a priest who was in charge of escorting Sir Elian. May I provide some—”

“Do you not have ears, or do you choose not to use them?!” one guard barked, his face twisted with wrath. “Scram right now, or you will be jailed for two months!”

Confused by their reaction, Vigil turned back toward Thorian, who immediately signaled for him to return.

With a nod, Vigil said no more and rejoined his party. The trio quickly made their way to a back alley, following Thorian.

“This is weird,” Nox commented, glancing at Vigil. “Why are they not letting you help? Do they not want that idiot noble to live?”

“Maybe they truly don’t,” Thorian muttered.

Hearing those words, Vigil’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you believe there is a conspiracy brewing, my lord?”

Thinking back to the bandits and the monster wave from the twenty-first floor, Thorian sighed. “The existence of a conspiracy isn’t even a question. What we need to know is how deep it runs, who the perpetrators are, and what their goal is.”

Looking at the two groups of guards, he saw one group dragging the unconscious boy to jail while the other escorted the wounded Elian to the church.

With quick wits, Thorian formulated a plan. “Vigil, I want you to follow the kid to jail. See if they do anything to him. Nox, you and I will follow Elian. I have a feeling he won’t make it to the church.”

Without questioning Thorian’s reasoning, Vigil nodded. “As you wish, my lord.”

With that, the group separated. Using Nox’s shadow transportation, Thorian and Nox followed the guards escorting Elian, teleporting from one roof to another to ensure their movements remained unseen and unheard.

“Thorian, why do you think people want that noble dead?” Nox asked in a hushed voice, stealing glances at the guards below while hidden behind a chimney. “Is it just because he’s annoying?”

Suppressing a chuckle, Thorian laid out his thoughts. “I think it’s a multi-layered conspiracy. That kid screamed ‘Long live the revolution’ before stabbing Elian, so he must be part of some rebellious group. But the guards are also acting shady, so the conspiracy must run deeper than that. The only reason I can think of that strikes at the root of the matter is the mission Elian was entrusted with by the duke.”

“You remembered all of that?” Nox raised an eyebrow. “How do you do that? Do you keep track of every little thing that happens?”

“In the abyss, especially in narrative floors, it’s important to be sharp at all times,” Thorian explained while watching the guards carry Elian. “It’s something you gain with experience.”

“In either case, let’s move,” Thorian signaled as he noticed the guards taking a turn into a back alley.

Following suit, Nox activated his shadow transportation, and the two teleported to the roof of another house. From afar, Thorian could see the marvelous cathedral towering over the rest of the buildings in the district. Yet as they followed the guards, he couldn’t help but notice that the route they were taking didn’t make any sense.

It’s been a couple of minutes since they took a detour, and they’re showing no sign of going back on course.

Minutes passed as the two followed the guards from one back alley to the next. As the guards took one final detour, they were met by a masked man in the middle of the empty street. He stood with an air of authority, his lithe frame accentuated by a long, flowing red coat that fluttered slightly in the noon breeze. His silver hair gleamed in the sunlight, contrasting sharply with the dark mask that obscured his features. The man’s presence was commanding, his posture relaxed yet undeniably vigilant.

“Sir, we’ve brought him as you commanded,” one of the guards murmured, falling to a knee.

But the man was not pleased by the show of respect. Even through the mask, his eyes glared with fury at the guard.

“Stand at once if you wish to keep your head,” the masked man growled. “You seem to have forgotten that this mission needs to be conducted with utmost secrecy.”

The guard gulped, his expression terrified, and quickly stood up. His knees shook from the fear gripping his heart.

“Take him in,” the silver-haired man ordered the rest of the guards before making his way inside a shabby house.

Watching the scene, Nox grinned. “Finally something happened. I was getting bored.”

Thorian shushed his comrade without a word. His eyes locked back on the silver-haired man before he activated his Elemental Sight.

That’s a decent amount of mana he has.

The silver mana emanating from the masked man shone brightly. Even at a quick glance, Thorian knew the silver-haired man was a master.

I can’t make a quick judgment as he could be hiding his strength. But even with just the mana he’s leaking, he should be at least at the peak of second-advancement.

“What should we do?” Nox snapped Thorian out of his reverie. “Should we follow them inside?”

“No,” Thorian shook his head, knowing they would have a hard time escaping the senses of the masked man. “Let’s just observe from afar for now.”

Nodding at Thorian’s words, Nox activated his shadow transportation once again, and the two teleported to another vantage point. Standing atop the house right in front of the one their target had entered, Thorian used his predator’s gaze to spy on the masked man.

Though their view was limited, Thorian could see the masked man stabbing Elian through the same wound he had incurred earlier, confirming his death. The man then began stripping the noble of his clothes.

“How nasty… What is he planning to do with a naked corpse?” Nox muttered in disgust.

Meanwhile, Thorian’s eyes were sharp as an eagle’s, following the masked man’s every movement.

He is looking for something… Perhaps some information? Understanding the urgency of the situation, Thorian formulated a plan. However, just as he looked at Nox and was about to lay out his orders, doubt gripped his heart. Would it be fine to assign such a dangerous mission? The strength of the masked man is not completely clear.

“Is something wrong?” Nox tilted his head, noticing Thorian's intense stare.

“No,” Thorian shook his head with a sigh. “I have a plan. I need you to create a distraction to lure the masked man out, but remember: safety is the most important. Use as much mana as you need to escape once he takes the bait. Understood?”

“Ah, you were worrying about me?” Nox scratched his head, then his lips parted into a confident smile. “There’s no need for that. My speed boosted with mana manipulation is unmatched. Plus, I have my shadow teleportation to fall back on in case of an emergency.”

Hearing Nox’s reasoning, Thorian nodded. “Then I wish you luck.”

“You too. Find out what information that bastard is looking for,” Nox grinned.

After teleporting Thorian to a safe spot, Nox unsheathed his dagger and covered it in shadow energy. With one slash, he destroyed the door of the shabby house.

“Who dares?!” The masked man bellowed, rushing outside with his sword drawn. The wind from his dash created a shockwave, amplifying his daunting presence.

Without wasting a second, Nox dashed out, his form a blur as he sped through the street.

“Guard this place with your life. Do not let anyone enter!” the masked man ordered with a wrathful voice. “I will catch this sneaky rat who doesn’t know his place.”

With those words, the masked man unleashed a silver aura that covered his body before rushing after Nox. His speed was impressive, crossing the alley in a second.

He is fast, but still not fast enough, Thorian smiled, feeling the burden on his shoulders lift. Even when using aura to strengthen his physique, he can only match Nox’s base speed.

Feeling relieved, Thorian looked back at the terrified guards standing outside. He knew they could not pose a challenge to him. Using his Silken Step Drift, Thorian bypassed the guards and entered the house through the destroyed wall. He then hid behind a wooden pillar, glancing back at the guards outside.

Good. They didn’t notice my presence.

Turning around, Thorian found Elian’s corpse lying on the ground, his guts protruding from his stomach. His clothes were scattered haphazardly around him. With silent steps, Thorian gently patted the clothes, making sure not to make any noise. As he checked the jacket, he felt an object in the breast pocket.

Carefully, Thorian took out the object and found it was a letter. It read: “The bald eagle has left its nest, and the snakes are vying for its eggs.”

This must be a coded message, Thorian deduced as he read the letter. Looking back at the guards outside, Thorian had a choice to make. Now that I know the message, should I take the letter for safety or leave it so they do not suspect any foul play?