Chapter 10: The Index and the Empty Throne (Part 2)
Location: Caelum's Bedchamber, The Arken Manor.
Time: 11:00 PM.
Weather: Thunderstorm.
The rain lashed against the stained-glass windows, turning the room into a kaleidoscope of flickering lightning shadows.
Caelum sat on the edge of his four-poster bed, staring at the crumpled letter Ren had placed on the velvet duvet.
"The Shipment of 'Livestock' from the Slums has been delayed... - V."
"Livestock," Caelum whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and rage. "They mean people. Children from the Outer Rim."
"Yes," Ren said. He was standing by the window, peering through the gap in the curtains. He was watching the courtyard below. "The dungeon beneath the forest isn't just a monster den, Caelum. It's a farm. Someone is feeding people to the Gluttony Chest to unlock it."
Caelum looked up. "Father... he knew?"
Ren turned. His grey eyes were unreadable. "The letter is signed 'V'. It could be Valerius. It could be Vargo. It could be someone we haven't met. But Thorne knows. He tried to cut your funding to stop us from finding this."
Caelum crushed the letter in his fist. "I am the Acting Lord. I will have Thorne arrested. I will have the guards drag him to the dungeon cells."
"No," Ren said sharply. "Thorne controls the payroll. Half the guards belong to him. If you move against him openly without hard proof, he will kill you and claim it was an accident. 'Tragic fall down the stairs,' they will say."
A soft tapping sound came from the balcony door.
Ren didn't flinch. He walked over and unlocked the latch.
Kaelith slipped inside, shaking rain from her green cloak. She brought the smell of wet ozone and pine into the room.
"Nice security," she scoffed, tossing a heavy leather sack onto the floor. It clinked with the sound of gold. "I climbed three stories and no one saw me."
"The guards are distracted," Ren said. "Thorne is moving his pieces."
Kaelith pulled off her hood. "I sold the bear parts. And I asked around the Shadow Market about your 'Livestock'."
"And?" Caelum asked, leaning forward.
"It's bad," Kaelith grimaced. "The Shadow Pavilion has a special auction scheduled for the night of the New Moon. That's in three days. The main lot is listed as 'Unawakened Potential'. Slavers have been sweeping the slums for weeks."
"Three days," Ren calculated. "That matches the letter. The delay is over. The shipment is coming."
"We have to stop it," Caelum said, standing up. "We take the gold. We hire mercenaries—"
Click.
The sound was almost inaudible. It was the sound of the door handle to the bedroom turning.
Ren's head snapped toward the main door.
It was locked. He had locked it himself.
The handle stopped turning.
Silence.
Then, a faint hissing sound.
Ren's [Analytical Eye] zoomed in on the keyhole. Green gas was seeping through.
"Poison!" Ren shouted. "Kaelith, the balcony! Get Caelum out!"
Ren didn't run. He grabbed a heavy silver candelabra from the table and hurled it at the door.
CRASH.
The candelabra didn't hit wood. It hit the door just as it exploded inward.
Splinters flew like shrapnel.
Through the smoke, a figure stepped into the room.
He was clad in tight-fitting black leather armor that seemed to absorb the light. He wore a mask made of white porcelain with no mouth. In his hands, he held two curved daggers that dripped with a viscous green liquid.
[ Enemy Detected: The Silencer ]
[ Class: Assassin ]
[ Level: 18 ]
[ Affiliation: The Black Hand Guild ]
"Level 18," Ren cursed. This wasn't a stable hand or a Ghoul. This was a professional killer.
The Assassin didn't speak. He moved.
He didn't run; he flickered.
One moment he was at the door, the next he was in front of Ren, the dagger slashing for Ren's throat.
Ren activated [Flash Step].
ZOOOM.
Ren vanished, appearing three feet to the left. The dagger cut a lock of his hair.
"Fast," Ren thought. Faster than me.
The Assassin didn't pause. He spun, slashing horizontally with the second dagger.
Ren raised his left arm. [Gauntlet of the Starving Wolf].
CLANG.
The dagger hit the metal knuckles of the gauntlet. Sparks flew.
"Go!" Ren yelled at Kaelith.
Kaelith grabbed Caelum by the collar. "Move, Lordling!" She dragged him onto the rain-slicked balcony.
The Assassin saw his target escaping. He ignored Ren. He threw a throwing knife at Caelum.
"No!" Ren lunged.
He couldn't reach the knife in time.
[ Skill Activation: The Index ]
[ Source: 'Basic Geomancy' ]
[ Borrowed Skill: Stone Wall (Rank D) ]
Ren slapped his hand on the floor.
A slab of stone tile erupted from the floor in front of the balcony door.
THWACK.
The throwing knife embedded itself in the stone slab, inches from Caelum's back.
The Assassin turned back to Ren. He tilted his head, the porcelain mask eerie in the lightning flashes.
"A Mage?" a muffled voice came from behind the mask. "Thorne said you were a Null."
"Thorne is an idiot," Ren said, drawing his Prisoner's Shiv.
"True. But he pays well."
The Assassin vanished again. [Stealth].
Ren stood alone in the center of the room. He couldn't see the enemy.
"Analytical Eye."
[ Target hidden by Advanced Stealth. Cannot detect visually. ]
Ren closed his eyes.
"Grim," he commanded mentally. "Eyes."
In the Archive, the ink-doll Guardian floated up. It touched the main console.
Ren's perception shifted. He didn't see the room. He saw intent.
A red line appeared in his mind's eye, tracing a path behind him.
Duck.
Ren dropped into a crouch.
The Assassin's dagger slashed empty air where Ren's neck had been.
Ren spun, sweeping his leg.
The Assassin jumped over the sweep, landing gracefully. "Good instincts."
He attacked again. A flurry of blows. Ren parried with the Shiv and the Gauntlet. Clang. Clang. Clang.
Ren was losing. Every impact jarred his bones. His Stamina was dropping. The Assassin was Level 18; his stats were nearly double Ren's.
I can't win a contest of speed, Ren realized. I need to cheat.
The Assassin lunged for a killing blow to the heart.
Ren opened his arms. He left his chest wide open.
The Assassin took the bait. He thrust forward.
Ren didn't dodge. He activated [Mana Weaving].
He cast two spells simultaneously.
[Shadow Veil] (Self)
[Mana Drain] (Target)
Ren wrapped himself in darkness just as the dagger hit him.
SQUELCH.
The dagger pierced Ren's left shoulder. Pain exploded, hot and searing.
"Got you," the Assassin whispered.
"No," Ren grabbed the Assassin's wrist with his Gauntlet hand. "I got you."
[ Mana Drain: Overdrive. ]
Ren didn't just sip the mana. He pulled with everything he had.
Black lightning erupted from Ren's hand, coursing up the Assassin's arm.
"AAAAGH!" The Assassin screamed.
He wasn't a mage, but every living being had mana in their system to function. Ren was draining his stamina reserves directly.
The Assassin's knees buckled. He tried to pull away, but Ren's Iron Grip (borrowed from the Index earlier, still active on residual time?) No, just desperation and the Gauntlet's strength buff.
"Let... go..." the Assassin gasped.
Ren pulled the Shiv out with his right hand.
"You attacked my brother," Ren snarled, his eyes glowing violet.
He drove the Shiv into the Assassin's thigh.
SHUNK.
"And you ruined my shirt."
Ren ripped the Shiv out and stabbed the other thigh.
The Assassin collapsed, his legs useless. Ren kicked the daggers away.
He stood over the fallen killer, blood dripping from his shoulder.
The door to the balcony burst open. Kaelith stood there, an arrow drawn. Caelum was behind her, holding a sword.
They saw the scene. The room destroyed. The Assassin on the floor. Ren bleeding but standing.
"Ren!" Caelum ran forward.
"I'm fine," Ren winced, clutching his shoulder. "Just a flesh wound. The poison is... annoying."
He looked at the Assassin.
"He's paralyzed from the leg wounds. And I drained his energy. He can't move."
Ren knelt down and ripped the porcelain mask off.
Underneath was a plain-looking man with a scar on his lip.
"Who sent you?" Ren asked calmly. "We know it was Thorne. I want to know where he is."
The Assassin spat blood at Ren. "Go to hell."
Ren wiped the blood from his cheek.
"Wrong answer."
Ren looked at Caelum.
"Caelum. Give me the letter opener from your desk."
Caelum handed him a silver blade.
Ren leaned close to the Assassin.
"I am a Keeper of Secrets," Ren whispered. "I can see yours."
[ Analytical Eye: Deep Scan ]
[ Target Secret: He has a daughter named Ilya held hostage by the Guild to ensure his loyalty. ]
Ren smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.
"Ilya," Ren said softly. "She has your eyes, doesn't she?"
The Assassin froze. His defiant expression shattered into pure terror. "How... how do you know that name?"
"I know everything," Ren bluffed. "Thorne doesn't care about your daughter. If you fail, he will discard her. But if you talk... I can ensure she lives."
The Assassin trembled. He broke.
"Thorne... he's in the wine cellar," the Assassin rasped. "The old wine cellar. There's a secret passage behind the cask of 'Red Dragon' vintage. It leads to the Underground Dock."
"Dock?" Kaelith frowned. "We're miles from the ocean."
"Not the ocean," the Assassin coughed. "The Underground River. That's how they move the Livestock. The shipment... it's arriving tonight. Thorne is there to oversee the transfer to the Dungeon."
Ren stood up.
"Tie him up," Ren ordered Kaelith. "And heal him. He's a witness."
Ren looked at Caelum.
"The shipment is tonight. If those kids go into the Dungeon, they die."
Caelum gripped his sword. "We go. Now."
"Ren, your shoulder," Kaelith pointed out. "It's green."
Ren looked at the wound. The poison was spreading.
He reached into his Inventory. He pulled out the Bear Bile they had harvested.
"Raw Bear Bile is a universal antidote," Ren grimaced. "It tastes like acid, though."
He uncorked the jar and downed a mouthful of the thick, yellow sludge. He gagged, nearly vomiting.
[ Poison Neutralized. ]
[ Status: Nauseous. ]
"Let's go," Ren wiped his mouth. "We have a Steward to depose."
Location: The Old Wine Cellar.
Time: 1:00 AM.
The cellar was cool and smelled of vinegar.
Ren, Caelum, and Kaelith stood before the massive cask labeled Red Dragon.
"Behind this?" Caelum whispered.
Ren nodded. He found the hidden catch—a loose brick on the wall. He pushed it.
Click. Hiss.
The cask swung outward on hidden hinges. Behind it was a dark tunnel, illuminated by glowing moss.
The smell of running water wafted up.
"Stealth formation," Ren whispered. "Kaelith, rear guard. Caelum, stay behind me."
They descended.
The tunnel opened up into a massive underground cavern. A fast-flowing river cut through the center. A stone dock had been built on the edge.
Thorne was there.
He stood on the dock, flanked by four armored guards (Thorne's personal mercenaries).
And tied up on the dock were twelve children. They were ragged, terrified, and gagged. They ranged from age six to ten.
A flat-bottomed boat was approaching from the dark tunnel downstream. On the prow of the boat stood a figure in red robes.
[ Monster: Cultist of Gluttony ]
[ Level: 12 ]
[ Affiliation: The Maw ]
"Finally," Thorne called out, his voice echoing. "Load them up. The Mistress is hungry."
Ren watched from the shadows of the tunnel entrance.
"Four guards. One Cultist. Thorne," Ren counted. "And the boatman."
"We can't let them get on that boat," Kaelith whispered. "If they do, they're gone."
Ren looked at the water.
"Kaelith. Can you hit the Cultist from here?"
"At this range? Easy."
"Caelum. You take Thorne. He's a coward; he won't fight back if you rush him."
"And the guards?" Caelum asked, eyeing the mercenaries. "They are Level 10 at least."
Ren drew his Shiv. The black iron blade hummed.
"I'll handle the guards."
"All four?" Kaelith looked at him like he was crazy.
"I have a new trick," Ren said.
He reached into his mind. [The Index].
He didn't have a book for "Mass Slaughter". But he had the [Grimoire of the Devouring Void].
He focused on the [Heart of the Void Beast] sitting in his Archive.
"Grim," Ren commanded. "Channel the overflow."
Ren's body began to emit a dark, smoky aura. His mana bar began to drain rapidly.
[ Skill Activation: Void Presence (Prototype) ]
[ Effect: Intimidation Aura. Lowers enemy stats by 10%. ]
"Now!" Ren shouted.
Kaelith stepped out and fired.
THWIP.
The arrow struck the Cultist in the chest. He fell backward into the river with a splash.
"Ambush!" Thorne screamed. "Kill them!"
Ren leaped from the ledge, landing on the dock with a heavy thud.
The four guards turned to him.
"It's the Null!" one guard laughed. "Get him!"
They didn't see the aura until it was too late.
Ren looked up. His eyes were completely black.
"Kneel."
The Void Presence slammed into the guards. It wasn't a physical force; it was pure, primal fear. Their knees buckled. Their grip on their swords loosened.
Ren moved. [Flash Step].
He appeared behind the first guard. Slash. Hamstring cut.
He spun. Stab. Kidney shot on the second guard.
The other two guards recovered and swung their halberds.
Ren didn't dodge. He grabbed the shaft of the nearest halberd with his Gauntlet.
CRUNCH.
He crushed the wood. He yanked the guard forward, headbutting him with a skull reinforced by Mana.
The guard collapsed.
The fourth guard dropped his weapon and ran.
Ren let him go.
He turned to Thorne.
Caelum was standing over the Steward. Caelum held a sword to Thorne's throat.
Thorne was on his knees, weeping.
"Please! Young Master! I was forced! Vargo made me do it!"
"Liar," Caelum hissed. "You sold these children for gold."
Ren walked over. He looked at the terrified children. He cut the ropes of the nearest boy.
"You're safe now," Ren said softly.
He looked at Thorne.
"Caelum," Ren said. "This is your house. What is your judgment?"
Caelum looked at the fat, sobbing traitor. He looked at the children.
Caelum's face hardened. The boy who cried over a dead rat was gone.
"Thorne," Caelum said coldly. "You like the Dungeon so much?"
Caelum kicked Thorne toward the edge of the dock, where the dark water churned.
"Go visit it."
"No! NO!"
Caelum shoved him.
Thorne fell into the underground river. He screamed as the current caught him, dragging him downstream into the darkness, toward the deeper levels of the Gluttony Dungeon.
Ren watched him disappear.
"Fitting," Ren noted.
He looked at the boat. The boatman had jumped into the water and swam away.
"We have twelve kids," Kaelith said, cutting the rest of the ropes. "What do we do with them?"
"We can't send them back to the slums," Ren said. "The slavers will just take them again."
Ren looked at Caelum.
"We need recruits, don't we?" Ren asked.
Caelum blinked. "Recruits?"
"For the Guild," Ren said. "We train them. We feed them. We give them a purpose. In five years, they won't be livestock. They will be the Shadows of Oakhaven."
Caelum looked at the huddled children. He nodded slowly.
"Alfred will have a stroke if I bring twelve orphans home," Caelum smirked weakly. "But... I am the Lord now."
"Long live the Lord," Ren said.
[ System Alert ]
[ Quest Complete: The Empty Throne. ]
[ Reward: Guild System Unlocked. ]
[ Reward: Loyalty of Caelum (Max). ]
[ Reward: 1,000 XP. ]
[ Level Up! ]
[ You are now Level 12. ]
Ren looked at the dark tunnel. Thorne was gone. The immediate threat was neutralized. But "V" was still out there.
And the Dungeon was still waiting.
"Let's go home," Ren said. "Tomorrow, we clear the Boss Room."
End of Chapter 10
Summary of Events:
The Intel: Ren and Caelum confirm the "Livestock" plot. Kaelith brings intel on the slavers.
The Assassin: Thorne sends The Silencer (Level 18 Assassin) to kill Caelum.
The Fight: Ren battles the Assassin. He gets stabbed (poisoned) but uses a double-cast of Shadow Veil + Mana Drain to defeat him.
Interrogation: Ren breaks the Assassin by revealing a secret about his daughter. He learns Thorne's location.
The Raid: The trio raids the Underground Dock. Ren uses [Void Presence] to debuff the guards.
Judgment: Caelum executes Thorne by throwing him into the river leading to the Dungeon.
The Guild: They rescue 12 children and decide to adopt/train them as future guild members.
Level Up: Ren reaches Level 12. Guild System unlocked.