Chapter 119: Key obtained.
A cold breeze swept through the dilapidated alleyways of the Forgriam barony, but Dorian felt none of it.
Perched beside Lili atop the skeletal remains of an unfinished building, his focus was absolute, his gaze locked on the heavy oak door below.
’This dude sure is taking his sweet time; isn’t it closed? What could he still be doing in there?’ Dorian thought, his eyes narrowing.
Come to think of it, the simplicity was almost insulting. A vast, depraved network of criminals and nobles, and the front door could be opened by a single, tangible object.
’Just because they believe no one would think to look for crime in this place, they grew arrogant, not that i am complaining anyway. Works well for me.’
He glanced at Lili, who was vibrating with barely contained excitement in her bat form.
"Lili, when he comes out, I want you to cast a sound-dampening barrier around the alley to our left. No screams, no sounds of a struggle. Just silence."
(Understood, Master! A silent party!) she chirped telepathically.
Dorian almost sighed. ’Close enough.’
He didn’t have to wait long.
The faint, grinding sound of the hidden mechanism echoed in the night, and the heavy door creaked open.
The cloaked figure of "Mr. William" stepped out, pulling his hood tighter around his face as he muttered under his breath.
"Waste of a damn trip," the man grumbled, his voice laced with the frustration of a spoiled child. "Headmaster gets his head straight? More like he’s off with the new merchandise before the rest of us get a chance. Ought to report him..."
Dorian watched as the cloaked figure they’d been tracking ignored the ominous, windowless building and instead turned into a dead-end alley beside it.
The man walked with confidence, reaching the grimy brick wall at the end without slowing his pace.
And then, he was gone. He didn’t open a door or touch a rune; he simply vanished into thin air, as if the wall had swallowed him whole.
(Master, he disappeared!) Lili chirped telepathically, her bat form zipping closer to Dorian’s shoulder.
(That’s what the others did, too! They just walk into the wall and poof!)
Dorian’s eyes narrowed, a faint red glow emanating from them as he focused his intent on the exact spot where the man had vanished.
[The skill Analysis is now active.]
[High-Tier Illusion Magic Detected on target surface.]
[Mana signature indicates a concealed passage triggered by a specific magical input.]
’Illusion magic,’ Dorian’s internal monologue was sharp, his theory now confirmed. ’And high-tier at that. So, a Mage is definitely involved, and a competent one. They’re not just using brute force and secret doors alone.’
He and Lili waited in the oppressive silence.
A hidden door was one thing, but a magical illusion required a specific trigger. He couldn’t just tear it down without announcing his presence to every mage in the vicinity.
He needed the key, the very key these people were using to access the building itself.
Patience was a virtue he rarely enjoyed, but tonight, it was a necessity. After nearly an hour, his patience was rewarded.
Another figure, this one taller and broader, shrouded in a similar cloak, entered the main street and headed for the same alley.
The man moved with an air of importance, scanning the area before stepping into the alley’s mouth.
He approached the wall and bent down, his hand reaching for a loose cobblestone at the base of the wall.
Dorian could see the faint shimmer of mana beginning to gather around the man’s fingertips. That was the trigger.
Before the man’s fingers could make contact with the stone, Dorian moved. He dropped from the rooftop like a phantom, his flight ability killing any sound.
In the space of a single heartbeat, he was there. His hand shot forward, phasing through the very edge of the illusionary field, and clamped down on the collar of the man’s cloak.
With a powerful heave, Dorian yanked the man backward, pulling him clean out of the magical threshold just as he was about to activate it.
The man stumbled, caught completely by surprise, and was dragged unceremoniously into the true darkness of an adjacent alley before he could even shout.
A swift chop to the neck silenced any protest.
Dorian waited for the man to stir, his face an unreadable mask.
When the man’s eyes finally fluttered open, they weren’t filled with fear, but with annoyance that quickly morphed into a shocking recognition.
"Lord Dorian of the Aurelian Barony," the man said, a sneer curving his lips. He was surprisingly calm too. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Slumming it tonight, are we?"
"The hell you speaking to me like we know each other, just answer my question and maybe i won’t have to kill somone this night.," Dorian’s voice was flat, disgust written on his face.
"What happens in that alley? Who’s in charge?" His question came one by one.
The man chuckled, a low, grating sound.
"Oh, I see. The rumors of your sudden wealth are true. You’ve had a taste of real power and now you want more." He leaned forward conspiratorially, his eyes glittering with avarice. "Looking to buy a pretty little elf for your bed? Or perhaps a strong male for labor? I can arrange a private viewing, for a price. A man of your... appetites... surely understands."
The taunt hung in the air for a good while.
This man looked like a noble through and through, the corrupt kind that needed to be put down. And he thought Dorian was just like him.
"I’m not interested in buying," Dorian said, his patience wearing thin. "I’m interested in answers."
"Answers are expensive," the man sneered, his arrogance growing.
"But you look like you can afford them. So, what’ll it be, Lord Dorian? Will you indulge in the pleasures our little club has to offer? Or will you scurry back to your fledgling barony and pretend you saw nothing? Everyone has a price. I’m eager to find out yours."
Dorian stared at the man, a profound silence stretching between them.
He had wanted information. He had wanted to understand the network, to find the head.
But what stood before him was not an informant. It was a cancer, a smug, self-assured representation of the rot he had come to eradicate. He felt no desire to play games any longer. He had made up his mind.
"You’re right," Dorian said softly, a chilling stillness in his voice. "Everyone has a price."
His eyes glowed with a hellish red light.
"Too bad, I didn’t bring my contract tonight.."
He took a step back. "Lili."
The man’s arrogant smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion, then dawning horror as Lili detached herself from the shadows.
She was no longer a small bat. Her form twisted and grew, her body elongating, her wings stretching into leathery appendages.
Her jaw unhinged, revealing rows upon rows of needle-like teeth, and a guttural, inhuman clicking echoed in the confined space.
"W-what is that thing?!" the man shrieked, scrambling backward. "Get it away from me!"
His final, terrified scream was brutally cut short, swallowed by a sickening, wet crunch that echoed briefly before the alley fell utterly silent once more.
Dorian stood impassively, his expression unchanged.
A moment later, he stepped forward, knelt, and sifted through the tattered remains of the man’s cloak on the ground. His fingers closed around a single, cool object.
He stood, wiping his hand on his trousers as he examined his prize: a small, ornate key.
It was the only thing left and the only thing he needed.
"An arrogant fool," Dorian muttered, turning the key over in his hand. "He could have sold me information. Instead, he gave me this for free."
[A/N]
Last Chapter for the day. Thank you all for reading. I assume the quality has dropped, but i can’t tell. Either way, I’ll try to improve it from now on.