Joyfully moved his hands upside down, dreaming of the stat points, Leon.
'Let's do one last check before doing it. Status.'
[Name: Leon Rastia]
[Race: Human]
[Universal Energy Arts: Level 1]
[Chaos: 1]
[STR: 6 (+12) STA: 0 (+13)]
[AGL: 0 (+14) INT: 0 (+15)]
[Unassigned Stat Points: 4]
[Magic: ----]
Although he was delusional, he was aware of the current situation. Being consistently informed about what to expect also played a role in this, but he remained sane, so to speak.
'I don't know how many guards would be left at the station after all those fights, but I hope I can raise those unassigned ones to around thirty today.'
While Leon's eyes were fixed intently on his less-than-great status screen, Triss was nearly done with her preparations. The mask, knife, and guitar case—preparations that didn't require days—were finished quickly.
"Stop looking into the air like an idiot and get prepared."
Leon looked at Triss first, then at the guitar case that was taller than her, "I think we shouldn't bother with those huge a*s things. They'll just get in our way."
"What if we need a weapon? I'm talking about a big one."
"If we ever end up needing a big weapon, that probably means we've f*cked big time, and we might as well bid farewell."
"Well, you've got a point. But what if we—"
"Forget that we're staying underground? We might come up for a bit, but carrying those things will just slow us down."
A short sigh of defeat escaped her lips under the wise words of Leon. She tossed her guitar case onto the bed while Leon used his telekinesis to pick up his knife and mask. Lifting two things simultaneously was his best bet for now, even though he had quite a talent for telekinetic power.
Meanwhile, the vampiric cat patiently waited for them in front of the door. Its red eyes moved between Leon and Triss, as though it were a sentient being listening to the conversation between two people, attempting to understand them.
"Meoowr."
"Yes, we're ready. Lead the way, please."
"Can you understand what it's saying?"
"Not at the moment. But it felt like she was asking if we were ready."
"Triss," shot her a pity-filled glance, "Rebellious should have doctors."
"Of course, they do."
"Doctors from every field."
"Are you hinting at something?"
"We don't have much time."
"Then quit wasting it!"
Their first destination was the basement where they had emerged.
Then back to the tunnel, a narrow but not tiny place, it was the backbone of the entire second part of the operation. Despite its size, it worked wonders and was about to spell doom for the guards.
This place, William's success, was also one of the reasons why Rebellious chose to ignite the spark of revolution in Neaire.
William Bloodear, revered by the entire populace of Neaire, stood as a paragon of magnanimity in his role as a distinguished entrepreneur. His affections knew no bounds, extending impartially to individuals of every race and age.
He embodied the qualities of a benevolent saint, a divine offspring of the Goddess herself, destined to be showered with favor if ever he were to cross paths with her. That was the personality he presented to others.
Endowed with striking handsomeness, wealth, astuteness, and an amiable personality, he epitomized the ideal for those inclined toward the male gender. However, such perfection was not without its drawbacks.
Jealousy emerged as one of the most insidious foes, adept at hurling unfounded obstacles in one's path.
Nevertheless, he executed his mission with consummate excellence. To achieve such mastery, he found himself compelled to undertake a myriad of preliminary tasks.
Firstly, he needed to embody a towering figure, a presence beyond any shadow of doubt. Secondly, he undertook the intricate task of earning the trust of the highest person in the city—the chief of guards, Aishah.
Naturally, she held the esteemed rank of Sting Tier in the city, second only to the Goddess's Priestess. Furthermore, her exceptional skills hinted at the potential ascent to the coveted Scepter Tier in the days to come.
These factors constituted only a fraction of the myriad reasons why she occupied the role of chief, setting her apart from the other five contenders.
In Neaire, the city boasted a total of six Sting Tier guards. Among them stood Aishah, the chief of guards, followed by two seniors who, due to their advanced age, harbored slim prospects of ascending to the coveted Scepter Tier.
In fact, these three emerged as the primary contenders for the esteemed position, poised to step into the role following the retirement of their predecessor.
The other three were younger ones with less experience than Aishah, also out of the city right now.
Each of them represented a formidable risk to the mission, for any possessed the capability to kill them effortlessly. While the ease of such an act might vary contingent on the circumstances, the overarching reality remained that any one of them could inflict fatal harm with relative ease.
Particularly noteworthy among them was Kurt Kaiden, currently situated outside the city. William harbored a heightened sense of wariness towards Kurt, primarily owing to the peculiar feature of blind pupils that distinguished him.
Success pivots on the axis of patience.
William, owing to one of the inherent traits of his race, possessed a remarkable aptitude for patience. A vampire by lineage, he inhabited a life that mirrored eternity for some, though not quite god-like in perpetuity. Nonetheless, traversing thousands of years posed no significant challenge for them.
The older generation, exemplified by people like William, boasted an exceptional attribute—patience. Much akin to a predatory beast vigilantly stalking its prey, William ensnared everyone within his grasp, even succeeding in winning the heart of the chief of guards.
Such was the essence of William Bloodear from Rebellious.
They continued along the path, one room seamlessly blending into the next. Ten was the minimum count of rooms they traversed, with the majority featuring a stairway leading downwards. This pattern persisted for a while until the cat came to a halt before a door.
"Seems like this is her limit," Triss.
"Seems like so," let out a sigh for some reason, "I'll give them a big one."
"But what if there are normal people in there?"
'Here we go again. Teaching a rebel how to be a rebel.'
"Triss, who are we?"
"I know who we are."
"Did you forget what I said before? Do you want to risk the entire operation, even while Laima and Belenus are putting their lives on the line for it?"
"Well…"
"You're from Rebellious. Act like one."
"I've yet to kill even a guard."
"I know."
"Then…"
"Then what?"
Gulping nervously, hands struggling to maintain composure, she stammered, "L-Let me handle it..."
"Sigh…"
'Do you think I'd let you take my stat points?'
Gently patted her back, "I'll do it. You just get yourself ready for the next one, okay?"
"T-Thank you, Leon…"
'People talk a big game, easily saying stuff like 'I'll kill you' or 'I'll do this and that,' but when it comes down to it, they can't do a thing. Sigh... Well, at least she's getting there.'
---
"Are they from Rebellious?"
"Most likely."
"Sigh… Those b*stards just don't know when to die, huh?"
"It's none of our business, you know? We're weak and all."
"I know, I know. And we're the only ones left behind."
"There's literally nothing we can do about it. Getting into the ranks of God's Guards is just pure luck for us, anyway."
"Well, I doubt that," once again let out a deep sigh, the woman playing with her phone.
"What are you trying to imply?" Asked the man, his eyes fixed on the blue screen of the hologram computer.
"They're letting us join them so we can do all the meddlesome jobs for them. They expect nothing from Level 2's like us."
"But you're earning a good amount of credit every month. Plus, you have a great position in society. Am I wrong?"
"And those are the only benefit of this damn job," a sigh once again filled the room where five people sat, three of them quietly listening while doing their tasks, "One day, I'll reach Level 3 and show them that I'm not just their errand boy."
"Did you mean errand girl?"
"So funny."
"Come on, girl. You have to smile a little in life. You can't keep on living by thinking bad things."
"I'm pretty sure someone would have asked your tier before."
This time, the man refrained from moving his lips.
"I'll take your silence as a yes. Seems like the same thing has happened to you. To all of you, in fact."
The once jubilant atmosphere in the room withered away, replaced by a somber mood. Nods and gazes now carried the weight of melancholic memories, vividly expressed in their eyes. One of them, in particular, seemed to be veiled in a cloud of rain-laden clouds, encapsulating the essence of sorrow within.
"'Are you a God's Guard?' 'Yes, I am.' 'Wow! What's your tier?' 'I don't have one; I'm just a Level 2.' Then, you can see the pity as clear as day in the person's eyes. Isn't this the same for everyone at our level?"
Sighed for a second, "No one cares about us. We're just here to do this and that to earn some money, that's it. Guards have a position in others' eyes, yes, but not the low levels like us who don't even have a tier."
Instinctively took out a cigarette from her pocket, "Our lives have no meaning to the ones at the top. Us being guards has no meaning in the eyes of the others. We're not the guards they want to get acquainted with. We're just normal people to them. Make sure you know your position, alright?"
Her insight proved accurate. Hence, the silent ambiance persisted for about ten more seconds following her words. It was only then that the man, wearing a smile, broke the silence by opening his mouth.
"But we can get stronger and earn a tier. That is also a fact. In fact, reaching Level 3 isn't that hard. Being a true Level 3 is kind of hard. But, it's doable."
"Yes, yes. Keep on drea—"
Buuuummm!!!
--
Ding!
[Congratulations!]
[Chaos +1]
Subsequently, a cascade of blue screens ensued.