In an unknown city with unknow places and unknown people, Jacob felt lost. The mass panic was slowly dying down and city guards have started to divert the people into safe areas while trying to find the source of the explosion.
Large shockwave and a loud explosion with no smoke or area of interest? This was most likely underground. In a city like Arlum, Jacob suspected that it either had a sewage system or an underground area.
He didn't know exactly where Magnus went but he found a drainage hole a few buildings away from where he last saw Magnus. Thankfully his body was still small enough to fit and it was mostly hidden so he could sneak in while things were finally starting to calm down.
— In an undisclosed location
"IDIOTS!"
A man with his hair cut thin and an scar on his right eyebrow were kicking another man who had fallen to the ground.
Behind him was a cart... or at least what was left of it. With soot covering an area, it looked like something had exploded.
"Great, now all of Arlum knows we're here!"
Bloodshot with a vein on his head pulsing from his frustration. He had trusted the advice given to him about using the locals but it seemed he overestimated them with a simple task.
"Do you know how much it costed to smuggle that Mana Crystal? I'll gut you right now if I could!"
In his hand was his cane, the bottom part bloodied from the punishing the man bellow him who went into a fetal position.
His body was shaking but he had to act quick. He came as fast as he could to the origin of the explosion and now he had to make sure to cover their tracks.
A man in dark and grew robes placed a hand on his shoulders.
"Polos, what are the chances the surface heard the explosion?"
Calming down his anger, Polos, the man with a scar on his right eyebrow, gathered his composure.
"The entire city might as well have heard it."
The dark and grew robed man shared a glance with his the other people who share the same robes.
"Then perhaps there is opportunity to this?"
Polos found a tiny hope in salvaging the situation from the man's words.
"What are you planning?"
"Westfield's Dog will surely come running here, no?"
His eyes widened slightly from the man's words.
"Are we moving up the date?"
"The holding artifact is nearby, yes?"
Polos looked at a man with a large burly beard. He nodded.
"It is."
"Then be ready, if the he shows up then prepare. We'll do everything we can do reverse this mess you made."
"Thank you for your consideration. Should I clear a path for him?"
The robed man simply went to one of the sewers' tunnels along with the other robed people.
"Leave it, It might alert him if there was nothing on his way. However, have your forces push in from the outside once he's inside. We'll corner this dog today."
Polos nodded and left. One of his packages were prematurely detonated but that wasn't a huge loss. The problem was that their covert operations might not stay as covert as he wanted to.
"I want you to prepare every available hands we have. Once we're done with Westfield's Dog, we'll have to make a cover up for the explosion. Have that Winfrey or whatshisname, be ready in case we need eyes above."
The burly bearded man nodded.
— In another undisclosed location
Magnus was hiding under the shadows, his steps light and quick.
'There's more of them than I thought...'
He was carefully watching a group of thugs run through the sewers, they were running with a path in mind, clearly they knew this place.
'Is it the Gutek Syndicate? No, last I check they didn't handle anything explosives. Palatio fence? But what client would want explosives?'
There were a lot of questions Magnus couldn't tell. He was sure security right now was tight but he knew these thugs a lot more than anyone does. They shouldn't have anything above what he can handle.
He moved in, area to area, shadow to shadows, hiding from the senses of the patrols. Magnus could smell something fishy as the more he thought of it, the more it didn't line up. Perhaps someone could chalk it up to another criminal overlord rising and having a slight management issues with their products but he'd know when something big enough to handle something as dangerous as large explosives. That explosion was not a few barrels of gunpowder, that was at least a few crates worth.
Security shouldn't be as tight and chaos was most likely running through the few thugs' mind. Magnus could tell these were lowly thugs, the small time criminal groups from the slums. From the looks of it, they were arms for hire. Labor force perhaps?
Magnus was uncertain but what he was certain is that they shouldn't be expecting him so soon. He knew that the reputation he has with Arlum's criminal underworld has spread far but even he doubted they'd be ready for him.
'Strange... were they always this organized?'
Magnus was doubting his eyes, the usually high and prideful low lives were coordinating well despite their personalities.
'Those look like delivery lines...'
A few wagons carrying crates, sacks, and barrels were being pull deeper into the sewers. None of them seemed to have noticed him.
'This leads to the abandoned tunnels, normally they don't have access to this. Did a wall collapse again?'
— Sewer System near the Market District
Jacob immediately discovered the smell. It was foul but it wasn't unbearable. Exactly what he expected when he dropped down.
'Alright, first phase complete. Second phase, try and get to the bottom of this without dying hopefully is a go!'
Did he know what he needed to do? No, but it was worth doing anything. This could very much change the course of the future and by the law of the coin flip he had to do something.
Staying low and moving along the walls of the sewer, which had a small area where you didn't have to touch the water, thankfully, Jacob kept his ears and eyes open. It was a bit dark but after a few minutes of his eyes adjusting to the darkness, he could barely make out what was in front of him.
A neat trick he found was that he could use his mind to drag the status window to his side. Checking if he had anything useful for this situation.
[ Status Window/ - Skill/ Task
(Class Passives)
[ True Knowledge]
[ Converging Heart ]
[ False Lies ]
[ Caster's Grace ]
(Available Skills)
[ Will Fortified ]
[ Mana Shot ]
[ Simple Slash ]
[ Sprint Rush : Gain 8% extra movement speed for 1 minute. (Cooldown: 2 minutes) (Mana cost: 50)]
(Unlockable Skills - "Unlock Skills with Achievements!")
[ Not Today: Block an attack with a shield ( Unlock: Shield Up) ]
{Click to Expand} ]
Besides the new skill he had, which he unlocked after doing a full 20 minute no stop sprint a few days ago when he tried running for failure, was a great escape tool if ever things get messy.
Browsing the expanded achievement list, Jacob search for a night vision skill. There was one before where players needed it for the 'Dark and Darker' update where everyone had to maneuver a dungeon filled with mobs that snuff out torches or light skills.
[ Eye Spy! : Complete the Trial of Darkness ( Unlock: True Sight )]
'Well that's fuckinguseless.'
First of he didn't know what the 'Trial of Darkness' even was, and secondly he didn't have time to complete it. There were other option he could try and find that those would be making a light source in which he'd be a walking night light in enemy territory.
'Welp...'
Faced with no available options, Jacob decided to go in blind. With his back up against the wall and his hand following it, He should eventually find a way right? He may not have a good memory but when it came to maps, he had a knack for remembering the way back. It was always to hug the left wall... or right, whichever one you like.
Besides darkness, there wasn't much for Jacob to see. It's been a few minutes since he started moving his way and he had made a few lefts and rights but nothing that would suggest the walls looped around. If anything he was moving deeper and deeper into the sewers.
"Is that everyone?"
"Yeah, I think so."
After turning a sharp corner, Jacob could hear the faint sounds of voices. There was light a few turns away from him, he couldn't exactly tell who or what made the light but his vision did get slightly better.
"The boss said to bring all your guys and head down."
"Is this something about the explosion a while ago?"
"Eh, beats me. They've been paying well lately and I don't like to ask question. I get paid, I stay quiet."
Jacob was inching more and more closely, making sure he doesn't get spotted. It felt like it was three in the morning and every sound he made were loud screams. Thankfully his slightly audible steps were drowned by the people's idle chatter.
Glancing behind or around him, Jacob made sure to keep his position safe. He was a few steps away with a sharp turn between the voices and him.
"I'll go and bring the guys down. Tobias, Eric, you guys stay behind and make sure the city guards aren't coming down on us."
"Alright, boss."
The sound of footsteps moving slowly got quieter. At a stand still, Jacob was at a loss. There were two people in between him and what he assumed was the deeper part of the sewers.
He wanted to peak beyond the turn but he was afraid of getting spotted. Weighing his options, he could try using his Mana Shot skill but then again there were two of them and he was at a homeland disadvantage.
Jacob felt out of options, looking around and trying to find anything of use when he spotted someone also sneaking towards the light. It was an E shaped hall with the two voices of the people before on the middle, Jacob on one side and the other person on the other.
Facing the sudden change, Jacob was reached his hand and was about to fire Mana Shot when the person across from his quickly made signs of shushing and silence.