MoP: Ch. 166

---Third POV---

Four sirens, two men and two women, all eerily beautiful, stood boldly at the entrance of the auction house.

The blue-haired siren, Josef, glanced at the others and frowned.

"Where are the rest?"

Tina stepped forward to explain. "Hannah and Selina couldn't make it. They had something to take care of. Mona's probably still on her way."

"Couldn't make it?"

Josef repeated, his expression darkening.

"Selina is the captain. What could possibly keep her from coming?! As soon as we find the Fallen Siren, we can go back. Does she plan to stay on land forever?"

Tina lowered her head under his reprimand, her eyes flickering in the shadow.

That's not necessarily true...

Fortunately, Josef only grumbled and didn't press further.

After all, it was just a small human city, one that barely even had a few advanced mages.

Even sending three sirens would be more than enough.

"Forget it, we won't wait. Let's finish this quickly before the humans catch wind of anything."

Josef's eyes burned with excitement.

With Selina gone, as the vice-captain, he was the one in charge now. And when they did find the Fallen Siren, having one less person to share the credit with would only work in their favor.

The four sirens made no effort to hide their presence as they entered, storming straight toward the auction house's backstage area.

A guest who was knocked aside looked up in anger.

"Do you know who... wait, you're... a siren?!"

His gaze locked on Tina's finned ears, his eyes widening in horror. A noblewoman beside him let out a shrill scream.

"Why are sirens here?!"

Tina snapped her head toward them, and both instantly fell silent, frozen where they stood. Only then did she curl her lips in satisfaction.

"Speaking so lightly of sirens... You really are reckless."

She flicked her delicate hand, and a nearby usher who tried to stop them was instantly hurled backward, slamming into the wall and leaving spiderweb cracks.

Then she nodded to the others.

"The nuisances are dealt with. Let's go in."

The others didn't hesitate and continued toward the back. Guards, trembling, stepped forward.

"My lords, perhaps we can sit down and discuss this... ah!"

"This is, after all, a respectable... ugh!"

"If there's anything you require, please just tell us, no need to tire yourselves... uh!"

No matter who approached, the moment they came within five meters of a siren, they were flung away, like kites with their strings cut, crashing into walls and losing consciousness. All anyone could do was watch helplessly as the four sirens rampaged through the backstage, throwing open doors and searching every room.

The manager on duty grabbed a guard by the collar.

"Where's the branch head?! Go get Paki right now!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The guard nodded frantically, about to run out when the manager called after him again.

"No, get the mayor too! Those sirens have gone insane!"

The guard bolted off.

Meanwhile, the guests who'd been knocked down earlier were slowly recovering from their terror.

"Damn it... Four adult sirens? Here?!"

They scrambled to their feet and grabbed their attendants.

"Hurry, bring around the carriage! We're leaving, now!"

Judging by how the sirens were acting, they clearly hadn't come in peace. There was no way they'd stay and die along with the auction house.

"Mr. Quill!" The noblewoman's voice trembled. "Please, can you take me with you?"

Quill turned to look at her. She was so terrified her legs had given out, unable even to stand. No wonder she was begging a stranger like him for help.

"And you are?"

"Grace, from the Principality of Elise," the richly dressed woman replied, swallowing nervously. "I'm an alchemist."

"I don't have any means of transportation," she added quickly, "but I can definitely help you leave this place faster!"

A sharp glint flashed in Quill's eyes.

"The Principality of Elise?"

An alchemist with the strength of an advanced mage could indeed be quite useful. He gestured to his servant nearby.

"Help Miss Grace up."

Supported by the attendants, the two of them quickly left the chaotic Redstone Auction House.

---

By the time the manager finished giving orders and went to look for the four sirens, the entire row of rooms in the backstage corridor had already been violently torn apart. A few beastkin slaves who had escaped happened to run into him, but the moment they saw him, they turned and bolted.

His face twisted with rage. He grabbed a nearby idle attendant and shouted, "What are you standing around for?! Catch them!"

The slaves kept in the underground level were all merchandise scheduled for auction today or tomorrow, already entered into the catalog.

Losing even one would cause immense damage to the auction house's reputation.

Not that the auction house had much reputation left, after this mess caused by the sirens.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The attendant nodded quickly and ran off to chase them.

The manager took a deep breath and stepped into the room where the noise had been loudest. The moment he entered, a wave of blood stench hit him in the face. The floor was muddy and filthy, with old, dried layers of blood that had long since soaked into the ground and could never be washed away. A rusted iron cage had been violently twisted open, leaving a gap wide enough for two people to pass through. Two sirens stood inside, looking completely out of place amid the filth.

Dozens of battered, bloodstained slaves huddled in the corners, pressed close together, staring at the sirens with fear and wariness.

His heart sank.

This room was used specifically to imprison and "train" disobedient slaves. Could it be... the sirens were here for them?

He touched the hard object hidden inside his chest pocket, steadying his nerves as he stepped forward.

"The prison is quite filthy and disorganized. If you have any requests, perhaps we could..."

Bang!

Before he could finish, the moment he stepped close to the cage, he was hurled backward!

Just as he was about to slam into the wall, a faint blue light enveloped him, absorbing the impact and gently setting him down.

"Oh?" Tina lifted her head. "This human seems to have some standing."

Josef finally tore his gaze away from the slaves.

"Perfect. We happen to need someone to lead the way."

They had already checked every room along the corridor. To avoid the heavy stench of blood masking their target's scent, they had even inspected mixed holding pens like this one in detail.

And still, no sign of the Fallen Siren.

They needed more precise information about the slave holding areas.

The manager's eyes flickered with fear. Bracing himself against the wall, he climbed to his feet.

"My lords, perhaps we could sit down and discuss this calmly..."

"If we hadn't wanted to talk things over, you'd already be dead!" Tina cut him off sharply.

"If you don't want to die, lead the way!"

Seeing the green-haired siren bare her sharp claws, the manager froze, then nodded frantically.

"N-No problem! Wherever you wish to go, I'll lead you right away!"

He didn't say another word and bent deeply, gesturing respectfully for them to proceed.

The two sirens strode out without hesitation.

Inside the cage, a man covered in blood lifted his head. Leaning against the rusted bars, he looked after them with envy.

"Damn... two people intimidating a whole crowd. Special races really are different." He tapped a few lines onto the glowing panel in front of him:

[Redstone Auction House, underground level breached. Two sirens sighted, one blue-haired, one green-haired!]

In order to grasp the overall situation, and to figure out the exact layout of the auction house's lower floor, the player had arranged an undercover agent on the first floor.

Now, that arrangement was finally paying off.

Messages from others appeared on his interface.

[At the Fray Auction House, there's a red-haired merman, super handsome!]

[The siren at Corale Auction House has blue hair though, and she's a woman. Judging from the direction, she probably just rushed over from Redstone.]

[So the sirens have split up?]

[No problem. They'll regroup sooner or later. Everyone just stick to the original plan!]

The undercover player read the chat with great interest.

It was a shame he couldn't take pictures or record videos. Otherwise the forums would be exploding right now.

He looked around.

Two giant siren statues stood there. The guards hadn't bothered with the broken iron cages at all.

They had simply locked the main gate and left.

"Since that's the case... time for me to join the fight."

The undercover player flexed his wrists.

Though whip marks covered his body, they didn't hinder his movements. He slipped out of the cage, pulled a ladder from his game inventory, and climbed up to the ventilation duct.

As expected, there was no one outside.

With a few swings of a hammer, he easily knocked the grille loose and tossed it aside.

Clang!

The player turned his head and met several pairs of eyes quietly watching him. In the common Aeltian tongue, he spoke an invitation, "I know a way out. Anyone want to come?"

Those hollow eyes flickered, each with a different glint of light.

Anyone locked in here had either already given up on escape, or had once fought back fiercely.

A player secretly possessing a storage space, a hostile group of sirens on the move...

Clearly, something big was about to happen.

Making a choice didn't seem all that hard, did it?

---

Inside the Church of the Goddess of Spring, beneath the spotless white statue stood ten nuns in white uniforms, neatly tied up, alongside the furious Kasse.

His beard trembled with rage.

"Is the Radiant Church trying to start a holy war in broad daylight?!"

"Release us now!"

Bored, watching the translated dialogue, furrowed his brow.

"Was it really necessary to tie them up? If they've got any trump cards, won't all our work be wasted?"

"I've been living here for two weeks," Lux shot him a glare. "You think I wouldn't know if they had a trump card?"

She crossed her arms.

"If we don't restrain them, what happens when the NPCs find the signal transmitter we hid?"

If a fight broke out and half the players got disconnected or lost their comms, that'd be a disaster. The risks had to be strangled in the cradle.

"Relax. ProGamer_Daddy's signal-jamming device works perfectly. They can't get any messages out."

Lux tilted her chin toward the doorway.

"See? That old man's tricks have already been exposed."

Gaeman entered, holding three steel paper planes, each about the size of his palm.

The moment he appeared, Kasse fell silent, his pupils trembling. All his magical distress devices, intercepted!

What in the world were these people planning?

Bored took one of the paper planes, turning it over curiously.

"I thought a signal jammer only blocked communications... it can even shoot down physical objects?"

Lux snorted, arms folded.

"Well, someone decided to play double agent with the Lucky Stars. No wonder he doesn't know the latest developments from HQ."

Bored coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.

"Since we've already caught the targets for you, the rest's up to you. I've got to head back to the Lucky Stars side."

Lux stared at him flatly.

Bored felt his scalp tingle under her gaze. He quickly raised the six-faceted crystal in his right hand.

"I swear I really do have something to do! The teleportation array in the mayor's mansion is waiting for me to dismantle it!"

"You can dismantle a teleportation array?" Lux looked skeptical.

Tampering with or damaging a magic formation could easily cause a mana explosion.

"Of course! Don't underestimate a genius."

Bored backed away as he spoke.

"The kid's in your hands now. I'm taking off!"

"Wait!"

Gaeman, who had been silent until now, suddenly stopped him.

"I'm going with you!"

Bored froze. "Huh?"

Lux frowned in disapproval. "Kid, people die on the battlefield."

Players fighting large-scale battles was one thing, but what business did an NPC have joining in?

Bored nodded in agreement.

"She's right. We understand you want to save your friends, but rushing in blindly is just foolish. Don't make a move that's not worth the risk."

"I know," Gaeman said seriously, locking eyes with him. "But you still haven't found Helena's exact location. Take me with you. I can help!"

Bored looked at the young siren's face, which practically said 'If you don't take me, I'll just run off on my own.'

He sighed in defeat.

"Fine, fine. You win."

He just hoped the system wouldn't accuse him of employing child soldiers and tank his SAN value. He tossed the paper plane aside.

"Let's move. Dawn's almost here!"

Gaeman hurried to follow.

The two walked down the empty street.

"Three... two... one." Bored glanced behind them. "Yup, the militia's been reassigned."

Looked like the commotion caused by the White Dove sirens in the underground city wasn't small.

A good number of the patrols had been pulled away.

He tilted his head at the kid beside him.

"Tell me, why are you always so eager to throw your life away?"

Last time, Gaeman had insisted on going into the underground city. True, he'd found crucial intel that helped them uncover the connection between the White Dove and Nary Town, but he'd ended up bedridden for days afterward.

His wounds had barely healed, and now he was charging back into battle again.

Was he trying to die?

"Do underage sirens really have it that rough?"

"It's responsibility," Gaeman said firmly, eyes fixed ahead. "They were captured protecting me. I have to rescue them myself!"

He knew the Watchers had acted behind Viktor's back. To just sit and wait for the players' updates, that wasn't something he could do.

Bored's mouth twitched. He muttered under his breath, "This is basically a suicide rescue mission..."

Not that the players were exactly reliable either.

Well... maybe just a little unreliable.

He spoke offhandedly, "I know you're some kind of noble or something, but don't push yourself too hard. Don't keep forcing yourself to do things you hate. Take care of your own feelings once in a while."

Gaeman froze for a moment, then turned to look at him.

"What are you looking at me for?" Bored shrugged. "Being afraid of pain or death is normal."

If it weren't for the players' ability to infinitely respawn and toggle pain settings, they'd be the most cowardly of all. NPCs didn't need to imitate them.

He took the chance to bring up something he'd thought of earlier.

"If you like braiding hair, you can ask Lux to teach you. She might have that rich-girl temper, but she really likes you. Just ask and she'll say yes."

"Taking responsibility doesn't mean I can't be myself," Gaeman murmured, looking down at his dark blue hair that reached his knees. He said nothing more.

Bored, busy communicating with other players, didn't notice the change in Gaeman's expression. He just said offhandedly, "Stay close," and turned his attention back to the forum.

[Bored]: So far, we only have intel on six sirens. Where's the seventh one?