Area 1. Of the 6 Areas, Area 1 is the second most populous region within The Hole. There are no notable resources or fields of expertise in this Area excels in. It largely functions as its isolated society with laws, schools, services, trade, and church. As such, it was exceptionally difficult for Testament to invade the territory without the intervention of Naraka, the rival gang that currently rules Areas 1, 3. and 6. Getting so many civilians involved would surely lead to an all-out war within The Hole.
Enter the mercenary duo, Ying and Derrick, invading Area 1 under an "independent contract". This meant that if any attack on Area 1 were to be discovered by Naraka, Testament couldn't be traced back to the incident. It would simply be considered the work of mercenaries hunting for rare treasures based on leaked info.
They arrived at an old church of the Sun Goddess Solest, a common idol among wraith and elven tribes for her association with the sun, life, and prosperity. Derrick let out an expression of distaste.
"Are they seriously doing a smuggling operation in a church? Isn't desecrating a holy site a bit too far?"
"The people of The Hole have long since abandoned their Gods since the Severance Age. It's information that you won't find in any modern-day textbook, so now it's just a myth passed down from word of mouth. These churches don't hold any significant meaning."
Derrick reluctantly nodded before scanning the area with his spirituality. The act of expanding your spirituality outside of your body in a fixed location was a technique called "Authority". It was a skill unanimous among any race, but wraiths were esteemed at utilizing the technique. However, Derrick could only sense anything within a forty-yard radius due to his weakness.
"There are about seventeen Naraka members within the church. Ten on the balcony and seven on the ground floor. What do you think we should do? Perhaps we should introduce a distraction. If it's a dangerous distraction, such as an explosion or a fire, we could very likely cause them to flee in terror and fail at retrieving the item. We need another solution."
The kid has grown at an impressive rate over the past two weeks. He can think through a particular situation before acting upon his impulses. It's best to entertain his thought process for now and see how he improves here.
"What do you suppose we do?" Ying asked with an intrigued smile.
"We'll simply become one of them. We'll sneak in through the ceiling, disguise ourselves as fellow members, and take them out one by one. There is no need to rush with anything flashy or lethal. After all, we're being paid for keeping them alive."
"Good thinking. Let's get to work."
Derrick noticed that certain parts of the church's ceiling consisted of worn-down, unstable pieces of pallistone, an ancient material commonly present among churches for its symbolic significance within the Solestian religion. They carefully removed the unstable bricks and successfully entered the church. Ying and Derrick quickly subdued the two guards on the balcony.
They then used their spirit flames to mask their physical appearance and disguise themselves as guards via the wraith technique, "Liar Mask". The technique's effect is the direct imitation/sister technique of the witch tribe's "Deep Fake". It was merely an illusory appearance, so attributes that involved manipulating one's spirituality on a deeper level like 'personality' or 'memories' couldn't be replicated.
They quickly silenced the other eight guards on the top floor before slowly working their way to the bottom. The guards on the bottom floor were too grouped to take out completely silently, but silence wasn't needed anymore.
Ying led the charge first, his martial arts experience being invaluable for precisely knocking out four of the Naraka members. Derrick had a bit of trouble keeping up. While he was able to deal with the three guards, he sustained a cut to his shoulder and consumed much more stamina than Ying.
"Your precision needs work."
"Yeah yeah. Before we get the target, let's eavesdrop a bit on their deal. If a major gang like Testament is willing to pay 50,000 Dan for such an object, then it must be of incredible value."
"I suppose you're right, but it's a risky plan."
"It's fine, I don't like my life is in danger when you're around."
"That's quite the compliment."
Derrick took deep breaths and focused on expanding his "Authority". Rather than expanding his awareness through tactile sensations, he honed in on the specific vibrations in the air to 'enhance' his hearing dozens of times over.
"So, do you have it?" The stern-sounding man said.
"O-Of course I do! Do you know how much trouble I put myself through to get this thing? Testament will hang me on the streets if they find out about this."
The stern-sounding man sighed, indicating his pity for the scrawny, weak-sounding man.
"Well, that doesn't matter to me now. That isn't any of my business. Let me see the product."
"S-sure..."
The scrawny man opened the dirty briefcase to reveal the mysterious "thing". Derrick couldn't tell what it might be, since his 'Authority' could only infer data from sound waves in the air.
The stern man analyzed the "thing" silently. A brilliant flash of spirituality engulfed the room, temporarily stunning Derrick and interrupting his 'Authority'. The heirloom exuded a profound madness that nearly made Derrick vomit. Just where did these notes come from?
The two businessmen used their spirituality to suppress the madness before sealing the case. Thankfully, the madness only lasted for about two or three seconds, so Derrick had no problem initiating 'Authority' once again.
"I see, so you truly do have the notes."
"That's right! Straight from King Gordou of the Gordou Empire. This shit is ancient!"
"These documents are easily over 4000 years old, yet they've been preserved in such splendid conditions. I won't ask you where you could have gotten such a legendary heirloom, but I'm willing to pay 100,000 Dan for it."
A 4000 year old document? King Gordou? Just what type of information could these notes contain?
"Very well, I'll accept 100,000 Dan. No, perhaps I'll accept an extra 12,500 Dan for putting my life at risk for such a delicate heirloom."
The stern-sounding man winced at the demand. 100,000 Dan was an insane amount as it was. It was the amount an average working-class citizen in Mathers City or The Hole would ever see in a year of work. So 12,500 extra Dan was like pouring lemon juice on an open wound.
"You are truly greedy...but very well. With this, Naraka will conquer The Hole."