The head guard stopped and thought about it. He never heard about the term Curtained world before. He also didn't dare to overestimate himself as to know every term that is to know in this business but the word Curtained World he heard today was the first.
On the other hand, his instinct warned him to not mess with that mysterious man. That's why he wanted to report it to his boss and let him judge since his boss should know more secrets than him and might have heard about this "Curtained World" term.
"Young master, Have you ever heard of the term "The Curtained World"?" The head guard decided to ask the Young master in front of him since he is the heir of his boss. He should know something more than a lackey such as him.
"The Curtained World?" The young master repeated then confused. "What's that?"
"I'm not sure sir, but I'm afraid these terms should be a word only people with a lot of influence know. Since he said that "If Boss has a lot of influence as people say, Boss should know." " The head guard answered.
The young master tries to remember where he heard of this term. He thinks he heard it from somewhere long ago… Maybe from his dad? Then again, if he heard it but he didn't remember it, surely it wouldn't be that significant. Otherwise, he would surely remember it, like the terms, Kickback, Grease Money, Salty, or Gacha. Well, the last two were just his personal favorite pastime.
"I think I heard it from somewhere a long long time ago, but if I didn't remember it. It means that it's not significant enough for me to remember." The young master said with a little bit of narcissism and arrogance. All he thinks is that if he can't remember then, it's not significant enough for him to remember.
Hearing that, the head guard decided to play safe. Since the young master thinks he heard the terms somewhere before but can't recall it. This means that the mysterious man he met was not just bullshitting but there was actually something in the term Curtained World".
"Then I need to inquire about this from Boss. It's not good if we let him wait for long in case he was truly a VVIP as he presented himself to be." The head guard said and was about to head toward the meeting room but the young master's voice stopped him.
"Wait, You said that he might be the VVIP right? How many people did he bring?" The young master asks.
"He came alone, sir." Answer the head guard.
"Eddy, I don't think those VVIP people would have come to the house of the most influential mafia in the city alone without any escort. Or at least, I wouldn't do that. It would be too stupid to do something like that, don't you agree?"
The young master said with confidence before standing up from the sofa and then inquiring.
"Do you know his name?"
"No sir, He said that his name is not important and I didn't dare push for an answer." The head guard responded.
The young master let out a smile as if this is the answer he had expected all along.
"Eddy, Now I'm 80% sure that he's just bullshitting us. Harris, Max! Come with me. We'll beat up some scammer who got into my house." He called his two friends and walked out of the living room and called some of the men that are guarding the main building to come along with him.
Eddy, the head guard, is still hesitating whether to report this matter to his boss or not because what his young master said was plausible but then again. He decided to trust his instinct that had saved his life more than he cared to count and went toward the meeting room.
—
At the small guest room near the guard post. Daniel was patiently waiting while enjoying tea and cookies while watching some animal national geographic documentary.
At that moment, the door of the guest room was forcefully opened before three young men that looked to be in their early twenties walked in rudely without greeting or declaring their presence.
The three young men walk straight toward Daniel who still enjoys watching the documentary before one of them immediately launches at him and punches him in the face.
But instead of a fleshy feeling with a little impact from the cheekbone that impacts the young man's fist. It was the feeling of hitting the air but that air somehow stopped his fist and he can't move it further.
The thing that blocked him was not the object or anything he could understand but a blue energy-like shield that protected the face of the stranger in front of him.
"Is this how the most influential mafia in this city receive their guests?" Daniel said, then stood up and continued.
"Or are you thinking I'm just some average joe you think you could bully or take advantage of? Seems like I overestimate your people's knowledge and influence."
Seeing the scene out of his expectation, the young man immediately retreats to regroup with his two other friends who are panicking. One of them who seems to be the leader and has more control over his emotions immediately pulls out a gun and fires at Daniel.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kyaaaaaaa
The maid who was stationed in the guest room screamed as she turned her head the other way, not looking at her guest in fear of witnessing the bloody scene. The handgun in the hand of the leader of the young men repeatedly fired until all of its ammo was spent. But the mysterious man seems to not have any wounds or even a scratch on his clothes.
Daniel, who was just shot at, was panicking inside his mind, fortunately, his mind was within his mindscape while it possessed the quick spell card. In the mindscape, he could see the world outside at a much slower pace and he had plenty of time to adjust his state of mind before it could display fear or panic on his face.
[Fortunately, I've prepared before coming here. Otherwise, I might have already died.] Daniel thought as he was thinking back to when he actualized one of the rare cards he got from his previous endeavor, and now the object that was actualized from that card was sticking on his shirt in the form of a golden brooch.
Card: Atlantean Shield Generator
Picture: A small golden-bronze brooch that has an intricate design with a light blue glow from that design.
Rarity: Rare
Type: Artifact
Mana Cost: 4 Non Elemental mana
Description:
[Mitigate 2] to All damage dealt toward the player.
Flavor text: A solution for a short lifespan problem of any Grand Artificer on the battlefield.
[It seems that a bullet from a normal handgun that could kill an average human didn't deal more than 1 damage.] Daniel thought.
"Now it's my turn," Daniel said and opened his suit letting out countless metal scarabs then turned toward the maid who was looking at him in fear.
Daniel didn't say anything, he decided to control the scarabs cloud to push the three young men out of the guest room.
Boom!
The panoramic glasses of the guest room broke to pieces as the scarab pushed the three young men out in the open toward the lawn in front of the estate's main building.
"Ugh!/Grh.." The three young men groan as the pain from the impact and from the bleeding from glass pieces wracks their bodies.
Daniel slowly walked out of the broken room along with a group of thousands of metal scarabs that were circling around him, protecting their master.
Fear starts creeping out from the depths of their heart as their breath begins to feel more and more uncomfortable to breathe. Now, the terms Curtained World that were said by this mysterious stranger start to feel real and ominous to them.
At that moment, Daniel's mind that is still within his mindscape senses the attack intention coming his way. In that split second, He felt that he could use the quick spell card within the mindscape to counter that intention but he didn't.
Daniel looked in the direction where the attack came from and saw that a group of gangsters armed with rifles and submachine guns were coming his way from the main building.
Like a scene in the slow motion film, Daniel saw one of them aim their rifle at him and fire. He controlled the scarabs to block the bullet for him as he was not sure if a bullet the size of an assault rifle caliber could harm him or not.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four bullets were fired and four scarabs were destroyed.
[One bullet per scarab? Is the rifle bullet causing only 1 damage? Or is it the rule of the game that as long as there is no [Penetration] ability or anything that resembles it, the damage won't reach me or other creatures that are blocking the same attacker?] Daniel thought as he witnessed his scarab being destroyed.
[Let's test it.] Daniel then quickly uses one of the cards that could be used like the quick spell card.
Card: Blade Wall
Picture: A wall made out of hundreds of small glaive-like blades that could fly through the air.
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Artifact-Creature
Mana Cost: 2 Non Element mana
Description: [Blocker] [Flying] [Quick]
Power: 1 (2 Strengthen counter) >3
Toughness: 2 (2 Strengthen counter) >4
Flavor text: A fast yet reliable self-protection tool of Artificer.
In that split second two groups of hundreds of small glaive-like blades formed into two walls in one casting from the speck of white glowing light that was formed under Daniel's feet.
Since Daniel Grand Artificer's profession cards had become level 3. He could actualize one more artifact of the exact copy of the one he cast or summoned, and any artifact he actualized was also strengthened from the profession card as well.