-Lowlight, Nighttime-
(“Sieg! It’s night cycle already, can we go now?”)
(“FUCK!!! It’s that time already?”) -Siegfried-
His movements from pyful fighting suddenly changed as he moved in short bursts of speed & power. Fully intended to hastily overwhelm his opponents.
No matter how many times I’ve seen him doing this style, it always fascinated me.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *THUD*
If I remember correctly, that’s the monk that defeated him prior. They’re all smiling like old friends as I chuckle and at the st moment, Siegfried closes the gap taking advantage of a blind spot as he gives a groundbreaking punch.
*CRACK*
The ground itself cracked as visual effects, its berserker {Skill} I think that deals damage based on the amount of stored damage taken.
“GG!” -Monk Pyer-
His figure vanished as he teleported out from the arena leaving Siegfried as the victor as it’s being announced.
“Whoop! Cya.” -Siegfried-
He leapt ignoring the pleas of the announcer NPCs and nded next to me.
“We gotta go!” -Siegfried-
He offered his hand with confidence, a signal for me to cast [Teleport] as I take it.
“Haaaaaa...[Teleport]”
*FWOOOSHHHH*
Our scenery changed into that of the adventurers guild of Lowlight.
“Sorry, I only remembered this pce to tele.”
“It’s fine, it's better in fact! We can start disguising ourselves here.” -Siegfried-
(“True!”)
*TINGGG* *TINGGG*
Sounds of metal attached echo as my artefact has been unsheathed. It intermingled into a circur tablet as it dispys myriad keywords of various {Spell}.
As if reading or knowing my intention, it narrowed down to illusion-based magic and I found what I wanted from it.
“[Double: Veil of Obscurity]”
Once the cast bar is finished, the visual effect settles in. As we’re draped in a somewhat transparent cloak before it mingles with our bodies.
I can see an outline of the fabric on my skin and Siegfried including the buff added to our {Status}.
This magic simply ‘obscures’ the vision of others towards the affected. They (most likely NPCs) will see us as normal NPCs.
“[Double: Lunar Shadow]”
The visual effects kicked in as our figure was engulfed in shadows and a buff was added to our long list of buffs.
This {Spell} helps in reducing detection chance and giving us ‘Sneak’ mode.
In other words, including making it ‘harder’ for the eye icon to be open. We are constantly in sneaking mode even though we’re running or walking.
“Heheh... This is pretty neat.” -Siegfried-
He snickered as I began giving the usual buffs just in case we were going to have a fight or something...
After all of that’s done, Siegfried activates his Beast Warrior Css {Skill}
Finally, we left towards the Royal Pace...
-Royal Pace’s Road-
(“It is pretty quiet here, don’t you think?”)
Currently, we go through interconnected alleyways avoiding the patrolling guards carrying their nterns.
(“Yeah... In front, there’s a group of people. Any good {Spell}?”) -Siegfried-
(“I do.”)
“[Double: Unknowable]”
Our bodies turned translucent as we pushed through several beggars, drunkards, and more. This magic has a short duration so it’s better to use it for important stuff like this.
Wow...
To be honest, I felt disappointed and angry as we arrived at a luxurious gate dividing the lower css and upper css. A direct contrast to the poor conditions beyond the gate.
If my memory serves right, Lowlight is a monarchy that’s been quite prosperous for years until recently when the King changed. His personality differs from that of the previous ruler, favouring the nobles and their greedy request.
Resulting in dissatisfaction and an ever-expanding gulf between the lower css and the upper css (nobles). Then, it fester until breaking out into rebellion.
This is the after-effects, we don’t know if the rebellion succeeded or not. But I doubt it did, seeing the state has not changed...
(“Hello??? Earth to Mag.”) -Siegfried-
(“Oh!!! Sorry, sorry... I got lost in thought.”)
(“Focus please, haaaa...”) -Siegfried-
I chuckled as he already knelt gesturing me to leap using him as a jumping pad since my physical {Status} is... Abysmal.
With a quiet grunt, Siegfried gives me a boost.
(“Wait!! That’s a bit too much!!! [Slow Fall]”)
I was catapulted into the area and thanks to [Slow Fall] I nded safely and silently as I pouted and telepathically connected to Siegfried at the other side of the gate.
(“That’s too much force!”)
(“Hahahah... Sorry, sorry.”) -Siegfried-
I can hear his mischievous ughter in my mind as I sighed. Then he leaped with ease and not even a thud was made after he nded.
Come to think of it... Isn’t he more slender than usual? Looking downward, I saw his legs are not human-like.
Ah, it’s his speed form I guess that helps with stealth since it’s directly scales from AGI {Status}.
(“Time to go?”) -Siegfried-
(“Wait...”)
He urges but hearing my reply, I can tell his demeanour changes to a serious manner as I see something... I’m sure of it.
Taking a quick second or two to focus alias squinting my eyes, I can see it not too far from us.
Several magical circles with runes embedded in them including a faint force field encompassing almost the whole noble neighbourhood.
Not a moment too soon simir to when I see a magic caster using {Spell}, I see the name of the magic circles and this force field.
(“That is a widened [Arm] and each of these magic circles contained crowd control {Spell}. A bit of a hassle...”)
(“Any pns to disable them?”) -Siegfried-
Hmmmm... I thought for a moment.
(“I can cast a {Spell} that disables them but I am not sure if I did that, they will know.”)
(“Why don’t you try? We can always retreat and come back for another night-cycle.”) -Siegfried-
True... So far it’s been a breeze to enter the ‘upper css’ area of the city. We can just return if we alert anyone as long as we’re not seen.
(“All right then Sieg. I’ll start.”)
I extend my hand to one of the nearest magic circles and utter the keywords after taking a deep breath.
(“[Dispel]”)
Just like that one of the magic circles fades...
Then we wait...
And wait...
And wait...
Although hidden by his bangs, I can feel Siegfried’s stare as he connects through the telepathic connection.
(“I don’t think, they noticed it. If they do, this pce will be swarming right now.”) -Siegfried-
(“I agree... Well then!”)
Without further ado, I started to spam [Dispel] even putting in Mass Meta Magic to hit multiple at once and finally...
(“[Dispel]”)
I aimed at the force field as it too fades essentially dismantling their defences.
(“Shall we?”)
I pyfully commented earning a snicker from him as we march on stealthily.
--
Whoa... This pce is, how should I say this? Uhm... Elegance of all sorts. Well-maintained gardens, fountains, and paved roads including fancy houses stationed here & there.
It shows how luxurious life the upper css are having and...
I felt disgust and resentment seeing this lifestyle occurring while just beyond the gates; all the NPCs had sullen and despaired looks on their face, their clothes were tattered & dirtied, and the guards were extremely corrupt.
“Haaa...”
Maybe this quest can change this! That’s one way to look positively.
-Royal Pace, Courtyard-
It’s gated but not a problem as I dispel any kind of magical enchantment which allows us to pass through rather easily.
Though... I do wonder why this has not alerted anyone? Nah, let’s not jinxed it!
We quickly manoeuvre ourselves to the sidelines hiding behind well-trimmed bushes and I noticed above us is a balcony that views the upper-css neighbourhood.
Siegfried notices that too as he connects the telepathy line.
(“Mag, I can leap over to that balcony and infiltrate. Any pns?”) -Siegfried-
Hmmmm...
I have an idea.
Opening the palm of my left hand, crystals began to form around 7 of them as they shone in faint silvery light. These are my fragments...
Two of them I assigned to stay on my left and right while the other five I give them to Siegfried.
(“These fragments shared senses with me so I want you to carry them and I can assist you. After all, with my abysmal physical {Status} I’ll be a burden in a running scenario.”)
Particurly more so if my teleportation or movement magic is in cooldown.
(“Good idea...”) -Siegfried-
I ordered five fragments to envelop themselves in [Extend: Greater Invisibility] {Spell} boasting longer duration.
*SCHLUP* *SQUELCH*
He pressed the fragments to his shoulder and neck area like a jeweller embedding gems into rings.
Fascinatingly, his flesh gives in like py dough as the fragments stick like glue to his body. Bits of it began to connect like a mesh of ligaments holding my fragments.
I know it’s invisible to others but not to me so it kind of looks nice. Maybe I’m biased because it’s my fragments after all.
(“How do I look?”) -Siegfried-
He asked while exaggerating shrugging his shoulder to show glimmers of my attached fragments.
(“Looks cool though like an overcompensating rapper.”)
(“Oiii!!!”) -Siegfried-
I giggled a bit as he just exasperatedly sighed before telling...
(“Got everything ready?”) -Siegfried-
(“Yeah, you go and I’ll assist.”)
[Mirage Field] and [Arm] have been deployed so I went to my cosy corner and sat down criss-cross.
He nods as a gesture and signal as Siegfried expertly leaps to the balcony emitting no sounds at all.
I then closed my eyes and focused on wanting to see through the lens of my fragments as within the darkness of my view several screens began to emerge like a drone’s camera.
It’s... Hard... There’s a lot of shifting but at least I can somewhat see that he is in a room. An empty guest room of some sort as the view suddenly changes to the ceiling.
I don’t know how he does it but I think Siegfried’s attached himself to the ceiling as I see pinkish tendrils bearing a simir look to raw flesh spreading on the ceiling before dislodging and continue moving.
(“Helloooooooo? You there mag?”) -Siegfried-
(“Yes, I’m here.”)
(“Oh! Good. Just testing.”) -Siegfried-
We marched on as Siegfried ‘squeezed’? Through gaps between the door. How does he do that? It is like he turned into an octopus!
(“Seriously, the flesh sculpting {Trait} of his! It offers so many varieties.”)
Dwelling on that thought for a bit, I remember the st sentence on my {Trait} [Word of Creation] saying ‘{Spell} are customizable’.
(“But... I don’t have the normal {Spell} system.”)
My brain thought of Spell-Crafting mechanics that other RPG games I have pyed. So comparing things to that, I do not know how to.
(“Maybe it is like Meta Magic but more versatile, probably it’s different words?”)
That’s the most likely expnation...
(“Mag! I entered the audience chamber.”) -Siegfried-
His voice abruptly broke my train of thought as my gaze nded on my fragment’s screen to see what he was seeing.
It’s a rge chamber brightened by a fancy chandelier and decorated with vish items with a wide red carpet right in the centre leading to a raised ptform where several grandiose throne chairs were pced.
Since Siegfried attached himself to the ceiling, I get to see all of it at a higher altitude.
1 figure is seated on one of the chairs, particurly the middle one and the rgest. Signifying is a person of importance while several figures are on the other side facing that seat kneeling in reverence...
Then all of a sudden, Siegfried’s voice enters my mind again.
(“Btw, Mag I can’t move. This is a cutscene.”) -Siegfried-
As soon as he said it, I recognised an icon appearing on the top right corner of my fragments screen. All of them to be exact as they’re in cutscene same as my avatar.
(“Well let’s wait it out then.”)