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Chapter 511 115.9 - First Mission

The beast lunged at me, its dark form a blur of shadow and ferocity. But I was ready.

In one fluid motion, I pulled out my daggers, their edges gleaming faintly in the dim light of the alley. My movements were swift.

As the creature closed in, its claws outstretched, I slashed my blades through the air.

The daggers cut through the beast\'s body with a whispering hiss, their sharpness almost unnatural. Indeed, they felt unnatural.

\'This is really different. The feeling of powering up is indeed real.\' SLASH! The creature let out a guttural snarl, but its momentum carried it right into the path of my strikes. My blades met little resistance, slicing cleanly through the creature\'s form as if it were made of mist and shadows. Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

For a brief moment, the alley was filled with shimmering darkness, the beast\'s body unraveling as it split in two.

The halves of its form twisted and dissipated into the air, leaving behind a faint, lingering echo of the growl that had heralded its attack.

I stood still, my breathing controlled, watching as the last remnants of the creature dissolved into the night.

The alley was silent once more, the oppressive tension lifting as quickly as it had descended.

I took a moment to observe the remnants of the creature as they dissipated into the air, my mind quickly analyzing what I had just encountered. The beast\'s form, while twisted and grotesque, revealed certain features that were familiar to me. Its dark, shadowy essence, the way it moved, and the predatory intent in its attack—all pointed to a specific kind of creature.

\'A rank-3 [Umbral Wraith],\' I realized, my thoughts aligning with the knowledge I had acquired during my training. This particular type of creature was known for its ability to manipulate shadows, often lurking in areas where negative energy was abundant.

While it wasn\'t among the highest-ranking beasts, a rank-3 [Umbral Wraith] was still dangerous enough to be a serious threat to anyone unprepared.

The fact that it had been stationed here guarding this specific alley indicated that it was serving a purpose beyond mere survival.

Someone—or something—had placed it here to deter intruders, to protect whatever lay deeper within the shadows.

I knelt down and reached out with my hand, channeling a small amount of mana to stabilize the creature\'s fading essence.

The remains of the [Umbral Wraith] responded to my touch, allowing me to gather what was left of its carcass. With a fluid motion, I opened my spatial storage.

The carcass vanished into the storage, leaving the alley empty once more. I stood, my presence blending seamlessly with the shadows around me. With a practiced motion, I activated [Shadowborne], effectively erasing my presence from the physical world.

Now hidden from sight, I settled into a quiet stillness, my thoughts turning inward as I assessed the situation.

\'The fact there are not many mentions of attacks around the place when the Local Awakened Association or the organization had investigated means that they were already anticipating that. The way they do it is through a channel of sensing mana. If an Awakened is detected, they can just lock the monster, and when there are no awakened, they can send the monster.\' I waited, my presence completely masked, allowing the shadows to conceal me from any prying eyes. Time passed slowly in the stillness of the alley, but I remained vigilant, knowing that something—or someone—would eventually show up.

And then, it happened. A subtle shift in the air, a disturbance that rippled through the mana around me. I looked at them, my senses sharpening as I detected the movement. Someone had appeared, materializing from one of the nearby buildings.

The figure moved with purpose, stepping into the alley with an air of cautious authority. His face was obscured by a mask, the kind that concealed both his identity and his intentions. He carried himself with a certain confidence, suggesting that he was familiar with this place and its secrets.

The masked man paused, his eyes scanning the area, searching for something—likely the remnants of the [Umbral Wraith] I had just dispatched. I remained motionless, my presence completely suppressed, knowing that any detection of mana would alert him to my location.

The man continued his search, his gaze passing over the exact spot where I was hidden. I could sense his frustration building as he found nothing, no trace of the creature that should have been there to report back or to continue its patrol. His hands moved subtly, checking a device he carried, likely something that monitored the area for any anomalies.

After what felt like an eternity, the masked man let out a low sigh, his frustration palpable even from where I stood. He gave one last look around, his eyes narrowing as if he suspected something was amiss, but with no evidence to support his suspicion, he eventually turned to leave.

I watched as he disappeared back into the building he had come from, his movements precise and calculated.

As soon as the masked man disappeared into the building, I knew this was my opportunity. I waited a few more seconds to ensure he wasn\'t coming back, then activated my [Eyes], focusing on sending out small amounts of psions. My [Eyes] allowed me to perceive what lay beyond the walls.

Through the walls, I saw the man descending a staircase that led to what looked like an old, narrow well. The passageway was cleverly concealed, its entrance masked by the structure of the building itself. The stairs spiraled down into the earth, but as they descended further, the thickness of the ground interfered with my perception, blocking my ability to see deeper.

\'So, that\'s how they\'re hiding it,\' I thought, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. The well likely led to a subterranean space.

The further down it went, the more it seemed that whatever was below was shielded by layers of earth and, perhaps, additional barriers meant to block or distort mana.

With a quick, controlled breath, I activated [Shadow Leap], slipping through the physical barrier of the wall as if it weren\'t there. I moved swiftly and silently, reappearing inside the building just beyond the point where the man had entered.

As I slipped through the wall and into the building, I found myself in a dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and old wood.

The room was sparsely furnished, with only a few pieces of worn furniture—a table, a couple of chairs, and some shelves lined with nondescript items.

Everything seemed ordinary at first glance as if the room had been designed to blend into the background, to be unremarkable.

But my trained eyes picked up the subtle signs that told a different story. The floorboards were scuffed in specific areas, suggesting frequent use. A thin layer of dust coated some of the shelves, but the table in the center of the room was spotless as if it had been wiped clean recently. There was a faint imprint on the surface where something heavy had been placed—a box or a case, perhaps.

\'This place is definitely in use, and regularly at that,\' I thought, my eyes narrowing as I moved silently through the room.

I turned my attention to the well in the corner, partially concealed by the shadows cast by the dim light. It was ancient, and the stones had worn smoothly over time, but there were signs that they had been renewed recently. The mortar between the stones was fresh, the surface free of the moss and grime that should have accumulated over the years. It was clear that someone had gone to great lengths to maintain this well, keeping it functional despite its age.

\'A well this old should have been abandoned long ago, yet it\'s been preserved—no, restored.\'

As I moved closer, I noticed a faint shimmer in the air around the well, a barely perceptible distortion that indicated the presence of an illusion. It was subtle, designed to make the well appear ordinary to the untrained eye, but my [Eyes] saw through it with ease.

I reached out, my fingers brushing against the surface of the well. The illusion rippled slightly at my touch, revealing the true nature of the structure. The stones were engraved with symbols, old and faded, yet still powerful.

These were likely the remnants of an ancient protective spell layered with more recent enchantments meant to conceal and protect whatever lay beneath.

\'As expected.\'

I knelt down, examining the base of the well. The symbols etched into the stone were partially obscured by the fresh mortar, but I could still make out enough of them to recognize their purpose. They were designed to ward off intruders, to confuse and mislead anyone who might stumble upon this place by accident.

\'All of this confirms what I think.\'

The mission was completed. The only thing left for me was to gather some more evidence and then press it in tomorrow\'s gathering.

That was it.

*******

The following evening, as the clock struck 7 P.M., the team gathered once more in the dimly lit meeting room at the Veilcroft branch.

The atmosphere was tense but focused, everyone acutely aware of the growing urgency to uncover the source of the disturbances plaguing the city.

"Let\'s get started," Shanks said, his voice cutting through the quiet. "I hope everyone has something to contribute tonight. The situation in Veilcroft is deteriorating, and we\'re running out of time to get ahead of it."

He glanced at Lira first. "Lira, you mentioned yesterday that you were continuing your investigation into the psychological patterns of the victims. Any updates?"

Lira shook her head slightly, her expression indicating the frustration of a stalled investigation. "Not much to report," she said. "The patterns are consistent, but there hasn\'t been any significant change since yesterday. The victims are still showing signs of heightened anxiety and fear, but no new insights into why specific individuals are being targeted."

Shanks nodded, his expression neutral, before turning to Mikhail. "Mikhail, what about your end? Any progress on the historical records or underground network?"

Mikhail sighed, a rare display of emotion from the usually composed man. "Unfortunately, no. I\'ve gone through all the available records and cross-referenced them with the city\'s maps, but there\'s nothing new that stands out. The tunnels are still our best lead, but without further information, we\'re hitting a wall."

Shanks let out a low grunt, his frustration evident. "If that\'s the case, it seems like today\'s meeting will be short. We\'re running out of time, but it looks like we\'ll have to regroup and—"

Before he could finish, I raised my hand, catching everyone\'s attention. Shanks paused, his gaze shifting to me with a hint of curiosity. "Astron?"

"I have something to report."

It was the time to reveal everything.