As though decreed by fate, one of the few planets that had the drug called Sense Stabber and knew much about it was Maia's planet. Added to the fact that most planets had no understanding of the drug, it was no surprise that Maia was able to easily use it without getting caught. Not only was it tasteless and odorless, it had no real color. And even more convenient, it was a powder and could spread through the air without anyone noticing.
'So that's why you gulped down that juice before you left for the bar! You were taking a sort of antidote!' Finally some things that Reiki had ignored in the morning started to make sense. He didn't know much about women because he had never had a female owner before, and he had learned quite a bit from Maia. His newly acquired knowledge included the differences between men and women, and he had learned not to question Maia whenever she took in anything strange because it was a case of privacy. And that was why he had ignored her action in the morning.
'Well, it isn't an antidote per se because Sense Stabber isn't a drug. But it does heighten your senses for 24 hours; a perfect counter to the effects of Sense Stabber.' Maia explained.
Since her planet had explored Sense Stabber to the maximum, they had obviously explored plants with opposite effects. After all, there was no yin without yang. Just as Maia had an abundance of Sense Stabber with her, she also had the counter to that, Stabber Nullifier with her as well. And she wasn't shy to use it.
The first thing Maia did when she reached the bar was to act in a way that would make Nola interested in her. Once that was accomplished, all she had to do was wait for Nola to extend her hand for a handshake. After living in Planet Celestial for a while, Maia knew that it was a common show of friendship here. That came as a surprise to her since she was expecting Celestials to greet each other with their swords or something.
Anyway, Maia powdered her palms with Sense Stabber and once she had shaken Nola's hand, she did extend that friendship to the others on the table. She did that because she was confident Nola would send someone after her, and needed each person to be just a bit duller so that she could escape quite easily. And she was correct in her decision. The only reason she was able to easily escape the eyes of the tracker sent after her and activate Reiki's shielding ability was because Sense Stabber was occluding the man's senses. So he wasn't completely hundred percent. In fact, he was barely at the fifty percent mark. If he was at a hundred percent, even with Reiki's help, Maia would have been discovered.
'You really are a genius,' Reiki sighed in praise. He knew that Maia was smart, but seeing her using her brain like this, scheming and counter scheming, was very impressive. He finally understood why Maia's teacher insisted that she try to be a Scholar was well. It truly was a waste to ignore her impressive brain's abilities.
'Wait a minute,' Reiki realised that Maia's aura was growing calm, suggesting that she was about to sleep. And he was having none of that.
'Don't sleep just yet. I have more questions.'
The inquisitive Eternal Throne had Maia sighing in exasperation. She tiredly opened her eyes and asked, 'What is it?'
'How did you know that she had Devilstone on her?' Reiki wondered. 'Oh wait, never mind,' however the same Reiki was quick to dismiss his own words. That was because he remembered that Maia's ring wasn't a simple storage device. It was also a mapping system, capable of taking in scores of land into its database and transferring them into Maia's extraordinary mind. This map was a fully detailed one, and it included treasures and rare artefacts within that particular area. This was possible because it was a Scholar's Ring. It was a divine artefact that Scholars sought for, and it was made with the remains and power of a Scholar Emperor or Empress, making it a very reliable sensing tool.
And this meant from the moment Maia stepped into Outer City, she had already seen the location of Devilstone. Now all Maia's preparations from the days before started to make sense.
'I don't know why you don't tell me these kind of things beforehand,' Reiki grumbled. That was Reiki's one complaint. He felt like he always told Maia everything, yet didn't receive the same kind of feedback.
'That is because you question everything. You can never just contribute ideas or solutions. You always have something negative to postulate.' Maia smiled wryly and said. Reiki usually acted like a child. But whenever Maia would suggest something that was mildly dangerous, his old side would come out. Complaints; resistance; constant nagging; and trying to change her mind where among the many things that he resorted to doing in such instances. So Maia had started keeping some things away from him. It was tough since they were bonded; they were one. But distract Reiki well enough, and you can paint him white.
'I need to get a good rest. So if you have no more questions, I ask that you allow me to sleep peacefully. After all, I have to go to God's King tomorrow. Good night Reiki' Maia informed Reiki before slumping onto the bed. The day had been exhausting for her and she was too tired to take a shower. Right now the only thing that called to her, was her bed. As for the devilstone, she tossed it nonchalantly into her storage ring.
'Goodnight Dear Maia,' Reiki affectionately called out.
'I wonder how she is going to react when she realizes that something so precious has been stolen,' Reiki guffawed gleefully, his laughter the last thing that Maia heard before she lost her consciousness to sleep. As for Maia going to God King, it wasn't a surprise to him for he already knew. It was her Master's decision that she go there, and she wasn't going to disobey.
Elsewhere in the Outer City, someone's mood was quickly turning sour.
"So you came all the way here to tell me that you lost her?" the Scheming Empress's eyebrows were lifted in mock surprise.
Yet her aura which pressed onto the poor Celestial who was sent after Maia suggested that mockery was the last thing the guy was worried about. Her aura was at the peak of the Heaven Realm, and the tracker who was merely at the 3rd Stage of the same realm was finding it difficult to breath. The current location was different from the bar. They had returned to their base of operations.
So that meant that the tracker wasn't the only one here. There were others here as well. Apart from those Maia had seen at the bar, there were a few more people. These were the direct subordinates of the Scheming Empress. And though she trusted no one, she did place her faith in these people a few times. And for someone who was dubbed the Scheming Empress, this said an awful lot about them.
"I'm sorry Nola. She just suddenly disappeared," the man pleaded. Unlike Maia, Nola had given her real name. She had done this confidently because very few knew her name, so it didn't matter if Maia did. She wouldn't know whether it was true or false.
Nola wasn't best pleased by her man's decision to talk back. And she made sure she expressed her dissatisfaction. One of her long, slender legs whipped towards the tracker's shoulder like a pole of great flexibility. Before the man could even see it, it had landed on his shoulder.
*Boom*
*Crack*
"Umph," the man bite down hard on his own lips, causing them to explode into a mess of blood and flesh. Although he was in excruciating pain, for Nola's kick had broken the head of his right humerus, his scapula, and somehow a small section of his clavicle; yet, he dared not complain or voice out any discontent. For if he did, Nola would do much worse.
"All of you, leave at once!" Nola ordered, her mood soured by the most recent news. The men left quickly, none of them willing to be on the receiving end of Nola's wrath. However, none left faster than the injured tracker. He was hurt, but his legs still worked fine, didn't they?
"Crafty kid," Nola slumped onto her chair and gritted her teeth in rage. Suddenly she felt that there was something missing. The bulge that was always present in her large jacket was no more. That bulge was a treasure, one so important that Nola didn't dare to leave it anywhere else but on her person.
She hastily reached into her pocket, yet it was empty! Her eyes widened as her body shook slightly. She thought back to the events of her day, recalling the last time she knew she had her treasure on her, and the events that occurred after that. In all this, there was only one thing which stood out.
"That brat!" Nola screamed, her aura allowed to run riot and wreck the room. With a powerful bellow she struck at the ceiling and tore the whole thing off, including the floor above hers!
*Boom*
"Just pray I don't find you, you measly little twerp!"
Her fury was not just because she had lost her treasure, but because she understood that she had been played! She was the Scheming Empress, yet it was she who had been played. And that by a child no les! How insulting this was for her!
Her subordinates who had only just made it out shivered in fear when they heard her angry below. As for the destroyed building, it wasn't largely surprisingly. Their leader destroyed at least three building each month – and a few bones. As long as their bones remained intact, they had nothing to complain about. At least all of them were fine except for the poor tracker who was being rushed to a clinic for treatment.