The next morning, Anom woke up before dawn and started to meditate on his bed. The event with his spirit the day before had allowed him to realize the importance of having a stronger spirit. Besides, if he wanted to go to the capital, he would surely require a certain level of strength to match his skills. Otherwise, no matter how proficient his execution was, it would surely be a shame if someone just blew it up using brute strength.
As for how he was going to train, until now he had been focusing on circulating his internal energy and making it split into finer threads to reach the surface of his skin. Well, he could do it now too, but doing it without damaging the tissues and cells was a real challenge. That was also the process for reaching the materialization state. Actually, although it was called materialization, there would not be any solid substance created through it. He had mistakenly interpreted this point when he saw Loreana using her internal energy to turn on the light switch. He thought that energy had touched the formation plate on the wall.
But in reality, it was just that the internal energy that came out of her body created an intangible reaction after coming into contact with the outside world's energy. The real thing that turned on the switch was the pressure.
Anom could feel that as his body was constantly adjusting itself to the new environment, his control over energy was improving on its own. Another factor was that whenever he visited Della in his soul world, the strain on his spirit proved to be good training, especially yesterday, when his spirit was taut to the limit because of the extra burden of three other spirits.
He was sure that he only needed a bit of extra energy to work with to reach the new state.
It's a shame I don't have a fruit like the one I ate at the little devils' den. Anom mused before shaking his head. That fruit was nice and all, but the risk that came with it was not easy to handle at all.
Coming out of his thoughts, Anom stood up from the bed and freshened up before leaving the room.
…
Nia and Kristin had already arrived at the place they had decided on the day before. Loreana was there too, while Crystal and Luna were busy packing their stuff. After all, they had to leave with Anom soon.
"Have you rehearsed your lines?" Anom asked with a smile as he looked at the girls.
Nia's expression contorted as she said with a frown, "Why do I feel like we are doing a play rather than a serious mission?"
"Think of it however you want." Anom folded his arms in front of his chest. "But remember to do your best." Then a smile appeared on his face. "Besides, who says it's a complete act? Won't you get to beat a bunch of guys later?"
Nia blanked for a moment before her eyes glowed. "Hehe, I'm looking forward to it then!"
Kristin looked at her friend and shook her head. "What a muscle-brained girl!"
"And you, Kristin." Anom suddenly walked toward her. "You have the most important role to play, you know? Nia and I are both depending on you. No! This whole plan rests on your shoulders. Nia is a good fighter, but we'll have to depend on your verbal skills when dealing with Selvo in the second phase." His solemn stare flustered her so much that she didn't even notice his hand on her shoulder. Giving it a light squeeze, he continued, "If and when our mission succeeds, you will have undeniable credit when we report it to your families."
Gazing deep within her eyes, he asked, "I can trust you for this, right?"
Kristin tried to control her nervous emotions, but the scene that Anom painted before her eyes was making them glow in anticipation.
Hurriedly nodding her head, she promised, "Don't worry, you can totally rely on me for this!"
Meanwhile, Loreana, who was standing at the side, had to bite her lower lip to hide the laugh that was threatening to spill out of her mouth.
"Alright, let's go." Seeing that the girls were prepared, both physically and mentally, Anom gestured for them to start moving while he himself walked towards Loreana.
The girls were about to move but turned curious as they saw him walking in the opposite direction.
Then, in front of incredulous gazes, the thief grabbed a flustered Loreana before stealing a deep kiss from her lips.
The immoral sound that was produced as they separated their lips made the girls come out of their daze as they continued staring at the two with their eyes wide.
"Hm? What are you idling around for? Let's get going already!" Anom raised his brows as he saw the two girls standing at their spots woodenly. Calling out to them again, he was the first to move out of the estate.
…
After half an hour, Anom finally arrived at the Giro gang's base. Following him was Kristin, while Nia had left for another place as per their plan.
Changing his attire, Anom once again turned himself into Nedar and waited for Selvo to arrive.
Kristin was sitting on the bed as she looked at him, clearing his throat and repeatedly speaking many words in different tones.
"This doesn't seem to be your first time doing this," she couldn't help but say curiously, "given the practiced ease with which you are performing everything."
"Oh, I have some experience," Anom replied. "It's a handy skill for a thief, you know?"
Kristin was once again a bit amused and exasperated. "What does that have to do with being a thief?" she asked. "Isn't being a thief all about being sneaky and stealing something before the owner realizes it?"
"Thieving is an art, you know?" Anom said. "While there can be some cases where it would be fun to steal something sneakily, personally, I prefer stealing in front of everyone's eyes instead of under their noses."
Kristin fell silent for a while before letting out a simple, "You're a sadist!"
Just as Anom was about to reply, he suddenly detected some sounds coming towards the room they were in. Listening more closely, Anom gestured to Kristin, who immediately lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. She took some deep breaths, and her breathing became even, making her look like she was sleeping peacefully. Meanwhile, Anom had taken a seat on a chair and gazed in the direction of the door.
Knock! Knock!
"Sir, someone-"
"Let him in," Anom interrupted.
The person voiced his agreement before the door was pushed open. A black-cloaked person entered the room. As the door closed, he lowered his hood and gazed at Anom.
"Is everything prepared?" Selvo asked.
"That should be my question, Selvo," Anom replied with a gruff chuckle. "Are you prepared?"