"And where is this layer you speak of? Slurp!" Nick asked as he sucked the last bit of juice from the box and threw it away. But then he noticed a small round substance attached to his hands…
"The layer is in a large hollowed-out mountain west of the city. The place has two entrances and we keep Loyd in one of the cellars we dug underground the mountain." Shadow Two changed up tactics. Since he had already compromised some information, then Master Crow would kill him regardless of how much or how little he told Nick. So, the best thing he could do now was help Nick as much as he could and avoid being abused by a beast.
"Is there a way for me to enter the layer by pretending to be you?!" Nick asked while trying to fling the dark tiny black thing off his hands. But no matter how hard Nick tried, the thing just kept on sticking from one finger to the other, annoyingly!
"No, Master Crow would sense any intruders instantly!" Shadow Two shook his head. Sneaking into the layer while Master Crow was there would be near impossible.
"Then, is there any way to lure Master Crow out of the layer?" Nick now felt like the black thingy on his hands looked kind of familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"No, I don't think there is anything that can get Master Crow out of the layer. Why would he when he has five subordinates who will do his bidding, well, four now that you've captured me." Shadow Two couldn't be of help this time.
"Booger! It's a booger!" Nick finally identified the substance. What was sticky, small, slightly rubbery, and felt disgusting to the touch, it was a booger! Nick ran to the side and hurled out every drop of the juice he had drunk.
Blue soul flame!
Next, he set himself on fire and burned every foreign particle on his body except for the storage ring! And just like that Nick's cloth burned up as well, but Nick didn't mind it as he took out another set from the system and wore it. Nick knew for a fact that he hadn't picked his nose ever since he entered this Secret realm, he had just been too busy to do so. So, that booger wasn't his, but someone else's!
Nick's guess was one of the twins but he wasn't going to accuse them of anything. It was better if he took this disgusting story to his grave.
Silver who was watching all this from the side didn't find Nick's action out of the ordinary. He had long come to terms with the fact that Nick was a weirdo, and that he would always do weird things regardless of time or place.
"Do you have any way of sending Master Crow a message in case of emergencies?!" Nick recomposed himself and asked.
"…" Shadow two didn't answer quickly this time. If he told Nick the methods they used to communicate, then he would lose his last escape line.
"Oh well, it seems you need a little more play date with my pet before you answer, that's fine too. But just know that I will go to bed this time, and I won't wake up for the next few hours. Hopefully, you survive until then though." Nick sounded like he really didn't mind waiting. And then he began lifting his feet and stomping them back down to make Shadow Two think he was really walking away.
"Wait! There is no need to scare me anymore. I have already given you most of the things you asked for, and I will tell you what you want to know now too. But please promise me that you will let me go. I have already signed my own death warrant by telling you all this, and Master Crow and the others are bound to come after me, so please let me go and give me a fighting chance." Shadow Two was sincerely begging Nick this time.
"Look to the sky, buddy, and tell me what you see." Nick didn't mind humoring this man a little.
Hmm… Shadow Two hadn't noticed the sky this whole time because he has been facing threat after threat. But now that Nick mentioned it he realized that the sky was actually different from the one he was used to, and the space they were in didn't seem stable at all. And yet, this scary-looking space, which should have enough turbulence and void quakes to turn any being to mincemeat, was being kept at bay by the light force field around this weird place!
"This is no longer the Secret realm, boy! Welcome, to…The Palace! And no one, not even your dear Master Crow, can find you here!" Nick felt a sense of pride well up in him. Yes, in here, he was untouchable!
"This…and, I can stay here?!" Shadow Two asked, a little hopeful and worried. He wanted to stay here, but he also didn't want to stay as a captive for a long time.
"That's up to how I feel about you! Now, answer the question!" Nick was getting impatient!
"Okay, I will help you as much as I can! We use a technique called Shadow Radio! It's a technique which links all the minds of those who cultivate it together to a single frequency, which we can all tap into when desired." Shadow Two just gave in. If he cooperated, at most he will get killed, and at best he will get to live. But if he didn't no one can save his ass, literally!
"Well, do you have the manual for this technique with you?"
"No, I don't need the book since I have already memorized the technique. I am kind of a genius when it comes to memorizing, you see. And even if I had it with me, you won't be able to learn it in a short amount of time."
"I don't believe you memorized the whole book! Humph, read it to me then!" Nick was hoping that the system could also enable him to learn techniques orally.
"…" Angry and annoyed as Shadow two felt though, he still swallowed it all down and narrated the technique to Nick page to page.
Ding! Do you want to learn the 'Shadow Radio' technique?
[Shadow Radio(Transcendence level)- Is a technique created by the infamous Master Crow in his pursuit of the perfect hive mind. This technique enables multiple users of the technique to send each other messages over long distances. This technique at its last level can even read the thoughts of those who cultivated this technique and are on the lower levels of it. But Master Crow has kept the last level for himself in hopes of using this art against his teammates in case they ever betray him. (Incomplete technique.)]
The technique only had two levels, and it was extremely cheap to cultivate since it wasn't too complex or powerful.
'Ahhh! I hope this Nick guy is a man of his word. Otherwise, if this large beast were to…ah, the image is just too scary! Oh, daddy, I hope your soul has long departed and you aren't seeing this, or else you will probably turn in your grave!' Nick activated the technique and immediately Shadow Two's thoughts came rushing in without a dam to hold them at bay.
Nick then hurriedly turned the technique of and began thinking up a plan that wouldn't end up killing him. And after thinking for a few minutes Nick came up with a plan that just might work.
"Get out here, little Piggy!" Nick roared at the palace.
And a few seconds later, some light trots resonated throughout the palace as Piggy came out in a relaxed jog.
Oink?! (What the fuck do you want?!)
"Leave the attitude for you momma, and get over here before I turn you into pork slices!" Nick snapped, he didn't have time for Piggy's attitude at the moment.
Oink. (Why are you so mad, I was only joking around. Can't a Pig enjoy some intelligent banter?) Piggy still walked over with her head bowed down though.
But unable to wait for the slow Piggy to reach him Nick rushed over and picked her up before instructing, 'System, anchor the Palace to Piggy!'
Ding! Anchor successfully set!
"Okay, piggy! This is your moment to shine! And if you do a good job, I will give cook you one of my signature burgers!" Nick petted the piggy a little as he spoke. And after piggy nodded to show her understanding, he gave her a set of instructions to follow. He explained the instruction twice, once in human language, and the second time he had Silver explain it to her in the beast language.
But after realizing what the plan was, piggy squealed and refused to adamantly by shaking her head. She didn't want to get out of this wonderful palace!
"Good luck piggy, I will be rooting for you!" Nick gave piggy a thumbs up, then kicked her out of the palace.
Piggy was the only creature among those in the palace who could move around the city undetected. Even Silver, who could manipulate his size for a short period of time would be detected by the powerhouses in Gathering city.