Demons are one of the main powers of the continent. The first and most powerful of their kind were created by a single man, almost a thousand years ago. Solomon Warhand terrorized the continent with the help of his demon army, until he was killed in battle against Arkosa the Godless. The six demons fled to the western side of the continent, and the land they inhabit is now known as Zelgarad’s Rift. As the centuries passed, the six demons grew in power and became even stronger through the use of soul contracts; binding exchanges that would give them sole ownership of the user’s spirit. Many seek out their powers for many reasons, but it is inevitable that their soul would be forfeit upon establishing a contract with the most evil beings alive.

“Maps, maps, MAPS!” A voice could be heard as he entered the humble building.

Almost every surface in the shop displayed some sort of map. Whether it be the floor plan of an antique shop or directions to an ancient ruin, Chester’s eyes were filled with charts. Even the floors were covered in a glass surface that revealed more maps of several buildings

The Sandman was a peculiar fellow with gold teeth and an eye-patch on the left side of his face. Like a senile old man cosplaying a pirate, he hobbled along, caressing the walls gently. His gray hair was long and thin, reaching down to the man’s chest.

“Hey, can I get a copy of the Corpsfield Warehouse floor plan?”

Sandman turned to him, a blank look in his singular eye. His mouth was pursed into a small frown.

“Corpsfield? Hmm…Let me see, let me see….”

The man opened up a drawer; it extended up to fifteen feet, going over halfway across the room. It was filled with documents and arranged in alphabetical order.

He pulled out a red folder, and revealed a map for the warehouse. It only consisted of one floor and two entrances. One for shipments to arrive through, and another for employees. Dozens upon dozens of shelves were lined up, but left a space in the center for a circular construct. It wasn't listed as to what was going to be in the middle, but Chester could guess.

‘..Could that be a teleporter?’

Chester remembered his talks with Roy Lanes, and the technology they used to efficiently transport items from the warehouse to their building.

‘Why couldn’t they just have it sent from the other kingdoms? Do these things have a distance limit?’

He did his best to tune out the old man’s ramblings as he theorized on why they didn't make teleporters in other cities.

“I got these twelve years ago from the construction company in charge of building the warehouse. They also gave me the original plan for Stillwater's Mine as well. It cost me a pretty penny, but boy was it worth it!”

Sandman began discussing the beauty of maps and how they stimulate the aesthetic and analytical part of a brain. Chester could barely find a time to cut in and interrupt since he said everything without even taking a breath.

“How much for the map?” The illusionist asked, his patience wearing thin.

He shook his head wildly. “No, no, no, no. Map isn’t for sale. I can get a copy ready for three silver, though.”

Chester cared little about the originality of the map, and paid the fee. He had to wait for a few minutes, but the Sandman came back with an identical copy of the floor plan. The illusionist exited the shop, and decided to peruse the items in the Black Market. He saw many items on sale; drugs, cursed equipment, necromancer services, and even a shop that exclusively sold body parts.

‘Connor’s Organs?’

One peek into the store and Chester decided to move to the other side of the street.

A street peddler had several amulets on the ground, with their prices ranging from seven to fifteen gold.

“What’s this, old man?” The accessories were plain, but it had a peculiar effect when he viewed it.

????

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- ????

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“Stealth charms. You can prevent people from observing your equipment and status.”

The old man explained that the more expensive ones possessed greater utility, as it displayed a false status instead of just showing question marks upon observation.

He purchased the most expensive amulet, haggling over price and getting it down to twelve gold. Along with his amulet of intelligence, a simple trinket hung around his neck.

STEALTH CHARM

- Deceive observation checks. Will prevent low-tier observations from seeing true status and equipment.

- Construct a false status, deceives second tier observation items.

Happy with his purchase, he returned to the tunnel and made his way back up to the surface. He constructed an entirely different status, using his previous identity; Sir Carvell. Chester decided to have fun with his identity, since it was unlikely anybody had an item that could observe his status right now.

FRANK CARVELL

PERK(S):

Ladies' Man - Seduce 100 women. +20 to CHA

Level: 4

Race: Human

Class: N/A

HP: 100/100

MP: 70/70

PRIMARY

STR- 7

DEX- 4

END- 10

INT- 7

SPECIAL

CHA- 28

LUC- 7

‘Well, time to scout out the warehouse.’

Damien sighed. Although the pain from battle had faded, he didn’t feel truly recovered. His mind had yet to fully take in the fact that he almost died during that tournament.

‘Father has made sure I learned the importance of near-death experiences and to keep calm, but this is the first time it happened outside of Wisperium…’

The vampire was going back home after purchasing the instant cube and returning to the coliseum to collect his reward. Some soldiers had come in to question his role regarding Jasiah and the state he was left in the medical wing. Damien played dumb, saying that he had ran off when a mysterious person protected him from the warrior. They didn't question him any further, and he received the twenty-five gold along with the potions.

He had dropped the coins on the shopkeeper’s desk and waited for them to verify the amount, before being handed the instant cube.

The vampire clutched it in his hand, fearing that he would lose it. Although he grew up as a prestigious noble, it was the most luxurious item he had in his possession aside from the family ring. Damien remained vigilant despite his mental fatigue. He had earned himself some notoriety as the tournament champion. The vampire resorted to wearing his hooded cape around the city.

By the time he reached the inn, it was the afternoon. The vampire had heard whispers of the warrior he faced in the tournament being a spy for a terrorist organization, but couldn’t bring himself to care about it. He was tired and wanted to rest some more with that matter over and done with.

'Chester can't complain I didn't play my part.'

He walked past a man in a hooded robe as he clambered up the stairs. Upon unlocking the room, he noticed a sheaf of papers that had been slid under the crack under the door.

“Is this a part of Chester’s schemes?”

He rustled through the extra-dimensional bag, fishing out a canteen and the bag of blood he had purchased. To pass the time, he decided to read the papers.

‘Looks like some sort of scouting report.’

Names, physical descriptions, and a summary of the people’s skills were present on the papers. All possessed an average level of thirty, and from his personal analysis seemed like a well-balanced squad with no true weakness. A priest from the Church of Pernatia, a rogue and wizard employed from the Echo Guild. It seemed like overkill for a peaceful city, but Damien guessed that it was a formality due to the amount of treasure they had secured.

“Although I’m sure he’ll be alright, it would be a tall task for him to get away from this group effectively…”

In a straight fight, he had the illusionist’s chances at near zero. Despite his all-rounded stats, he lacked any serious firepower that would allow him to defeat a veteran squad like this.

Damien knew that defeating them wasn’t Chester’s goal; and from personal experience believed that his chance of escaping was reasonably high.

“Well, if he gets caught, I’ll make sure I have some sort of backup plan…”

Although the vampire didn’t enjoy the thought of the illusionist being arrested, he considered the possibility. He did his best to look at it from a logical perspective, but felt a pang of guilt at the thought of abandoning the man to his fate.

“...I can’t do much. It’s truly up to him at this point. Hm?”

Absorbed in his thoughts, he realized that he had yet to finish reading through all the papers.

He flipped to the next page, and his heart sank upon reading about another scouting report. The rest of the pages were scouting details about one person. An extremely powerful swordsman at level forty-five, boasting secondary dark magic skills and high proficiency in combat. Not only was he one of the most powerful adventurers, the paper seemed to stress the importance of avoiding the man at all costs, as he was known for his brutality and efficiency when it came to cutting down enemies, human or monster.

As one of Wisperium’s guardians, he is presumed to have great experience dealing with human combatants, far more than the other adventurers. Joseph Devon is a target to be avoided.

Damien dropped the papers and ran out of the inn. He headed straight for the Echo guild, and asked around for his fellow vampire.

Nobody knew where he was, and the boy began to explore the city in hopes of finding his relative. It took almost half an hour of wandering, but he finally spotted the man deeper in the adventurer’s district. Wearing his signature black armor, and the sheathed blade resting against his hip comfortably. The expression on his face changed from neutral to happy as soon as he spotted the younger vampire's face.

“Prince! I’m glad to see you’re okay! I congratulate you on your victory in the tournament!”

Damien shook his head. “Never mind that; are you guarding the Corpsfield warehouse for this week’s auction?”

The older vampire tilted his head. “Yes, how’d you know? My shift just ended, I am returning to the Echo guild’s inn for the night.”

His mind was whirling with many conflicting emotions. He knew that there was little chance of Chester surviving a battle with his relative; Damien had seen the swordsman in action before, and it didn’t speak well of the illusionist’s chances.

The younger vampire had no desire to see either of them embroiled in a life or death battle.

“...Do you recall my…friend? The one who has been a consistent thorn on my side?”

Joseph nodded, putting his hands on his hips. “Yes, if I recall, he was the one who rushed you to the medical wing upon your victory. It's admirable to see you've made a reliable ally."

Damien put his head down, sweating, as he was unsure about the right thing to do in this situation. Even though by all means, stopping a crime from occuring and protectig his relative from imminent robbery attempt was the right thing to do.

So why did he feel like he was betraying the man's trust? Why did he hesitate to do the right thing?

“He’s planning on robbing the warehouse soon, and…”

An immense wave of guilt washed over him, feeling somewhat remorseful about double-crossing the man when he's been mostly done good things on behalf of Damien.

“I don’t want to see both of you get hurt. He’s strong, but I know you’d be able to take him down. I can’t control his actions either. Is there any chance I can convince you to avoid hurting him?”

Joseph’s face remained blank, then he bowed his head towards his younger compatriot.

“I am a servant of Wisperium first, and an adventurer second. Do not fret, prince. I will do my best to ensure things don’t inconvenience you.”

Although it wasn’t a firm yes like Damien had hoped, it wasn’t a no either. He felt like he couldn't ask much more of Joseph. Using his connections like this didn't rub him the right way.

The young noble nodded his head, feeling as though he had done all he could. Damien was grateful that the man even bothered to hear him out and didn't immediately go to cut Chester down.

“Were you watching the tournament?”

They walked together. Damien wore civilian clothing, with no weapon. The armor felt too stiff, and he decided that he would only wear it for certain occasions. Unlike Joseph, who wore an entire set of dark plated armor with no discomfort showing on his face.

“Yes. I am impressed with your performance. Your skill with the sword is great for your age.”

He rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed at the praise. “It’s not much. I wouldn’t have learned without you teaching me back then.”

Joseph’s face darkened. “I have heard that the shielded warrior you fought attempted to attack you after the battle. Is that true?”

“I was unconscious, but Chester protected me. He was standing over the man once I woke up.”

“That is a relief.” The older vampire nodded his head in approval.

Rumors spread faster than a virulent disease, and many had begun to pick up on the fact that the warrior tried to assassinate a vampire of noble blood. People began to wonder if the Omen was trying to pit Wisperium and Elway against each other. Joseph decided that reporting to Lord Dracule was imperative upon the completion of this mission.

“Wisperium has known about their ilk, but this is the first time the Omen has actually dared to cross us. They shall be taken care of by the time you return home.”

Damien sighed. He knew that his family was overprotective in some aspects. They had become actively hostile against Pearl Island after learning they had sent a bounty after his elder brother. They cared little about whether or not Braham was the aggressor.

‘I sincerely hope no casualties come out of this…’

They went their separate ways upon arriving at the guild. Damien bowed his head, thanking the man for all the help and support. Joseph still had a small smile on his face, doing his best to assuage the younger vampire's worries. They didn't interact like how nobles that are distantly related to each other would, but closer to a real family.

“Think nothing of it, prince. Focus on your goals and succeed, that is all I ask.”

The boy still felt remorseful, despite knowing that his options were limited. He reminded himself that it was too late, and that he would have to face the consequences of his decision regardless of whether it was the right thing to do or not.

He bought food for Chester, as a silent way of apologizing and as thanks for protecting him when he was asleep.

Upon arriving at the inn, he noted that the door was unlocked. The vampire opened the door, revealing the man relaxing on the bed with papers.

“How did you get in? We only have one key.” He checked his pocket to ensure that he had brought the key along with him when meeting up with Joseph. The man spared a single glance at him before turning back to the papers with a critical eye.

“Don’t worry about it. Is that food? Thanks.”

Damien handed him the paper box of food. It was still warm, and Chester sat up to eat while reading the scouting report.

“Hey, do you know Joseph Devon by any chance?”

The boy stilled. “Yes, what about it?”

“He’s one of the guards for the warehouse I’m going to rob. Says that he’s from the same place you’re from. Got anything I can use?”

He turned to look the man in the eye. Damien’s eyes were deadly serious, and he spoke with an urgent tone.

“You will not win. Do not, at any point, attack him. There's no way you can win.”

Chester raised a brow. “You seem confident. Even with all I’ve shown you?”

The vampire shook his head. “I don’t think you understand. If both of us fought him, he would have us dead within a minute. Joseph taught me how to fight. I can guarantee that he’s only gotten stronger since.”

He took this warning seriously. Although Chester was prepared for any opposition in his heist, he elected to completely avoid the vampire completely, despite his trump card hidden in the extra-dimensional bag.

“And also,” Damien shifted uncomfortably. “He’s a relative of mine. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

The boy was kind and considerate. Chester knew that since he had seen the boy fearlessly join a battle to save the village they had met in. He even fought off Chester when he caught the man trying to rob an apothecary. It spoke volumes about his self-righteousness.

“Fine, fine. I’ll do my best. But if he comes after me, I can’t guarantee anything; alright?”

The vampire agreed, as he didn’t want the man to be inconvenienced by his added request. With that matter over and done with, the man read up on the last page which described the Omen; their symbol, goals, exploits, and general threat level.

‘Even if they’re incompetent, the fact that they’ve been around for over a hundred years…’

The paper listed them as a low-level threat that almost always failed when major powers got involved in their schemes. The Omen were generally looked down upon as a mad cult, which attributed their continued existence with the fact that their operation was seemingly a bunch of independent parts that worked towards a collective goal.

There was no information on their leader, and Jack's information surmised that there was none, and the cult had seemingly split into several factions that acted on their own accord.

‘Just a bunch of lunatics that want world domination…I can make something work. If all goes well, any attempt to chase after me would lead in a dead end.’

Although he had been resting for less than an hour, Chester got up and told Damien that he would be making his final preparations for the upcoming robbery.

“Get ready to leave by tomorrow. Here’s the plan…”

Damien absorbed all his instructions as best as he could. He requested the boy to complete a few errands before they left the city, along with finalizing their method of transport into their next stop.

The man took his personal bag with him, leaving the child alone in the inn. Alone with his thoughts, Damien could only pray that everything turned out well.