Night had fallen, cloaking Vicente Manor in shadow as Aaron and Arna pored over intelligence gathered from the Red Moon Gang in a secluded chamber. Flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows over the table, illuminating their cold, determined expressions.
As Aaron scanned a scroll, he spoke to Arna in a low voice. "The Red Moon Gang's defenses are tight, but their elite forces are limited. According to your intel, there are three key figures: a gold-ranked leader skilled in assassination, quick and agile; a silver-ranked demon warlock specializing in curses and summoning; and a hulking ogre at the gold rank, nearly impervious to blades."
Arna nodded, her tone grave. "If those three join forces, they'll be tough to handle. A direct assault would likely fail, especially with a gold-ranked assassin leading them."
A sly smile crossed Aaron's face, his eyes gleaming with dark intent. "We won't face them directly. The Red Moon Gang is merely a branch of the Shadow Alliance; most of their top combatants are hidden behind the scenes. We just need to create enough chaos to draw their main forces away, allowing us to slip in."
Arna's eyes brightened with understanding. "You plan to divert their primary forces?"
"Exactly." Aaron set the scroll down with a confident glint in his eyes. "I'll create the illusion of a high-ranking mage, which should lure them out, thinking they're capturing a valuable target. Meanwhile, you'll disguise yourself as a member of a rival black market faction and attack their base. They'll think it's an assault from another faction, forcing them to split their attention."
Arna considered this for a moment, admiration flickering in her gaze. "A clever strategy. With enemies on all sides, the Red Moon Gang will be caught off guard, leaving them vulnerable and likely forced to seek help, giving us the perfect chance to slip in."
Aaron nodded, his voice steady but laced with deadly intent. "There must be precious forbidden materials stored in their base. While they're distracted, we'll seize everything of value and obtain any contacts they have with the Shadow Alliance."
Several Nights Later, at the Red Moon Gang's Black Market Stronghold
The dark sky hung over the brightly lit Red Moon Gang stronghold, located on the outskirts of the black market. Guards patrolled the courtyard, exchanging vigilant glances to maintain a high level of security.
Cloaked in a mage's robe, Aaron stood in the shadows outside the stronghold. Raising his hands, he chanted a spell, conjuring a large-scale illusion. As he spoke the final words, an intense magical aura began radiating from the air, forming a fiery apparition as though a powerful mage were present and ready for battle.
Using his knowledge from a past life, Aaron drew on the fairy dust's unique properties, combining intricate rune arrays and magical pulses to create the image of a high-level mage. The apparition could simulate strong magical fluctuations and cast basic spells, enough to deceive most foes.
"Arna, get ready," Aaron whispered, then waved his hand. The fiery illusion unleashed several fire arrows that shot toward the Red Moon Gang's front gate.
With a resounding crash, the gang's guards glanced up in terror at the source of the flames, shock filling their eyes.
"We're under attack! Alert the boss!"
Several guards drew their weapons, eyes darting around. Meanwhile, the apparition raised its arm again, sending a flurry of magical bolts that struck several guards, knocking them down instantly.
As the assault continued, the courtyard filled with panicked footsteps and shouted orders. Soon, a dark figure darted into view: the Red Moon Gang's leader—a gold-ranked assassin. His gaze was cold and cautious as he studied the fiery illusion, a flicker of wariness in his eyes.
"Bold of you to cause trouble on the Red Moon Gang's turf!" the assassin growled. He motioned to the warlock and ogre beside him. "You two, flank him! We'll capture this mage and make him regret it."
The demon warlock smirked, chanting as dark curse runes swirled around him. The ogre roared, hefting a massive stone hammer and charging at the illusion.
Aaron maintained his calm, guiding the fiery illusion to retreat into the nearby woods, drawing the gang's top fighters away from their stronghold. He knew the Red Moon Gang's leaders wouldn't back down; the illusion of a "high-level mage" represented a potential source of vast resources, something they couldn't afford to ignore.
Meanwhile, Arna Infiltrates the Red Moon Gang's Stronghold
With Aaron leading the main forces away, Arna slipped into the Red Moon Gang's base. Cloaked in a dark black market-style robe, with her face hidden behind a nondescript mask, she moved undetected, posing as a member of a rival faction.
The stronghold was nearly deserted, with only a handful of low-ranking guards remaining on patrol. Arna deftly avoided their gaze, gliding through the shadows until she reached the storage area.
Inside, rows of rare magical ingredients and forbidden scrolls lay stacked. Arna's eyes gleamed as she quickly retrieved a sack and began filling it with valuable materials—fairy dust, obliteration crystals, demon's blood—rare items that would greatly enhance Aaron's power.
After securing the last vial of fairy dust, Arna slipped back outside and set a series of explosive runes around the storage area.
"If we're going to sow discord, why not set the whole place ablaze?" Arna murmured with a cold smile. She drew her bow, notched an arrow enchanted with fire, and released it toward the storage area.
"Boom!"
The storage area exploded in a blaze, fire soaring into the sky and illuminating half the night. The flames reflected in Arna's eyes as she disappeared into the night, leaving the base in chaos.
Deep in the Forest: Aaron's Illusion Battles the Red Moon Gang's Elite
In the woods, Aaron calmly controlled the fiery illusion, casting mid- and low-level spells to keep the Red Moon Gang's three leaders engaged. Noting that the illusion's attacks weren't particularly powerful, the assassin smirked and gestured for the ogre to charge while signaling the warlock to seal off their target's escape.
But just as they prepared to launch a final assault, a deafening explosion echoed from the direction of their stronghold.
"What's happening?" The assassin turned abruptly, eyes widening as he spotted a huge column of fire rising from their base.
"No! The base is under attack!" The warlock's face paled as he realized they had walked into a trap.
Realizing they'd been lured away, the three leaders abandoned their attack on the illusion, rushing back toward their base.
As they turned their backs, the fiery illusion dissipated into thin air, vanishing as though it had never existed.