In games, new areas represent new opportunities. As a player, Viers wanted to explore, discover new things, amass resources, find rare equipment, and gain all sorts of power-ups. Although there was something unpleasant about Valkut’s atmosphere, this place was not an exception.

Viers planned to stay for some time since he had made the long trip to get here. The two days of politely soul searching other people’s minds had such a purpose besides finding out about House Wright’s circumstances.

And the opportunities were ripe for the taking. Abundant ruins from the Coriz Empire era and the lawless Underbelly. Since he couldn't put down roots in the last Hive of Scum and Villainy of a city, this would make a suitable replacement. In particular, he was searching for the rumored food cultivation inheritance and Forbidden Artes.

But once he stumbled upon Rose, he changed gears. The appearance of the angel-blessed made him have a bad feeling so he rushed it. With so many Level 4s strolling the area, he was ill at ease.

He was underleveled.

And not from the lack of progress, he was simply coming here too early.

Like crossing the desert in Fallout New Vegas only to suffer numerous deaths from death claws.

Viers didn't like to be near a person who was stronger than him, people that could grievously harm or outright kill him without much effort. He would stay miles away from them if he could.

Some would call him paranoid.

Viers called it survival instinct.

Higher Level Pathseekers usually wouldn't concern themselves with the matters of the juniors. Most of them were not bloodthirsty savages that reveled in killing. But so what? Even if ninety-nine percent of them were not, if he encountered that single percent, wouldn't he die in a grievance?

Furthermore, accidents happened.

Viers' wariness was justified, in his own opinion.

Be that as it may, Viers became wary of the developing situation in Valkut city and decided he should get his main objective of coming here over and done with.

Which was why Viers was now inside a sack of flour in the Wright mansion’s kitchen.

It should be nightfall by now. Time to get out of here.

A tiny, tiny, radioactive green-colored slime made a small hole and slid out from the flour sack along with a flour powderfall.

Arte - Size Up.

Like a certain ant superhero with a shrinking tech, Slime-Viers enlarged himself into a chicken-sized slime.

Size Up Arte and its pair, Size Down are so practical.

In the hands of others, both Artes wouldn't be treated with such importance. Complex organisms couldn't be size-changed, meaning the target of the Artes were mainly inorganic stuff, and the stronger the magical nature of the items the harder it was to make them bigger or smaller.

Viers could only change his own size while in slime form. Becoming as small as a mosquito in his smallest and as big as a twenty meters tall giant at his largest.

Scientifically speaking, a slime life-form was mind-bogglingly complex but magically, it was not.

Henshin!

Toxicell Slime V-morph into… Water Ghost Spider!

After disposing of the flour bag to cover his entry tracks, Viers changed into another monster with stealth specialty. The almost invisible spider became truly invisible as Viers used Fade in Shadow Arte and additional Artes to mask his presence. He crawled on the wall to reach the ceiling and made his way forward upside down.

Toxicell Slime, Size Down, Size Up, Water Ghost Spider, Fade in Shadow, these were Viers’ ultimate combo for infiltration, his Royal Straight Flush.

The monster forms had been upgraded to Rank 3, befitting Viers’ current cultivation Level.

Now I should go… left. Wait, right! Cause I’m on the ceiling.

The layout of the mansion was already in his head because he had soul searched the housekeepers and servants. His preparations were thorough, made magnitudes simpler and easier with the overpowered soul search.

Soundlessly, Viers used his fine octet of legs to make his way to the sleeping rooms of the Wrights on the third floor.

There were guards patrolling the inside of the mansion, golems disguised as ornamental armors, magical traps, sensor arrays, and so on. The security had been tightened since a few days ago.

Good thing that the kitchen supplies route was not so closely guarded. The fact that there were no insect-sized monsters was also a factor that Viers took advantage of.

I’ve arrived in the residence wing, now which room was he in… Nn?

The man in question was seen by Viers exiting a room.

Lucky! Must be thanks to the lucky items I gathered. Now that I think about it, me seeing Rose earlier could be thanks to my luck turning for the better. Ohoho, after doing some late-night sport, eh? Just like in the maid’s memory, the guy never missed a night. It seems twenty children is not enough. Quite the guy.

Jerrold went into the study.

“All right, Paina. This is it. Are you ready?” Viers talked in his mind.

“Ready. Let's go.”

Viers turned into his human form. He adjusted his appearance and pushed the door open.

There he found Jerrold sitting behind a desk, opening a letter. The man looked like he was still in his prime. Unperturbed by the stranger showing up inside his house.

“For you to come this close before I realize it is no small feat. I applaud your skill, assassin. Yet stupid, to try to kill those above your Level.”

Jerrold spoke calmly as if speaking to a guest. They examined each other’s faces, though Viers was wearing a fake one.

“Incorrect, Mister Wright. I’m a courier.”

Viers showed Paina’s form. It was then Jerrold’s expression changed for the first time as he rose from the chair.

Because presentation was important, Viers made the unveiling of Paina more showy than necessary. Blue particles swept like gentle snow before she materialized. Paina was dressed up not with a gorgeous dress but with a chic style. Showing her origin as a commoner yet possessing elegance above her station.

“Apologies for intruding on you at this late hour, Lord Wright,” Paina gave a perfect high society courtesy. Farley taught her that.

“I’m Paina Wattle, daughter of Maiya. Before she died, she told me to go to Valkut city to find my father.”

“Maiya…” Jerrold whispered.

“Lord Wright… Am I your daughter?”

Her gaze was expectant.

The few seconds of silence that passed were deafening.

“...I remember your mother’s swollen belly at our last meeting.”

Paina gasped.

“You are indeed this Jerrold’s daughter,” He said lovingly. “Come closer child, so I can hug you.”

A hand was offered.

“F-Father…”

Relief, as if heavy stones on her shoulder had been laid down. A knot in her heart untangled.

“I have so many questions.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“Why were you and mom separate? Why did she send me here on her death bed?” Those were what she wanted to know the most in the world.

“It’s simple. You were sent here to die.”

“…Huh?”

Viers acted faster than Paina could think. A fist of water as tall as the man hit Jerrold with no hesitation. Jerrold was unharmed but he took a step back to balance himself.

“Impressive power for one so young. Daughter, you've found yourself a great courier. Water… are you perhaps the robber a few days ago?”

“Paina, get away from him,” Viers warned.

“Father,” her voice was trembling. “Why?”

“Now that, is the complicated part. As my daughter, the least I can do is to send you off personally. I’ll make it painless.”

In the slightly wet and spotless room, ashes appeared in the air. The temperature was rising. Those ashes contained burning heat. Despite Jerrold’s hostile intention, his composure and smile did not change.

“Welp, I knew this would happen the second I saw you.”

“Intriguing. Why is that?”

“You have a villain goatee,” Viers snorted. “We’ll take our leave here.”

“Most commendable of you to think you can get away.”

Viers didn't blink because it might be fatal so he saw, albeit very briefly, how the very room transformed into a terrain of gray wasteland. Ashes danced in the air, embers flickered here and there. The temperature multiplied. A vast dreary wasteland of a conflict’s aftermath.

“A Domain… Wow, you really want your daughter to die twice over, hmn? Truly daddy of the year.”

Viers had activated his Unreality Field to defend against the harsh surroundings but it was like donning a hazmat suit against the heat of a volcano. Suit or no suit, it was all the same: he would be burned to death. Paina grunted, trying to withstand the pain. She felt as if she was put into a bath of boiling water and that was after Viers extended his protection.

“Good, you recognized this. Level 4’s unique ability. Escaping out from a Domain is almost impossible for the lower leveled.”

“Almost,” Viers emphasized.

“A confident one, aren't you?”

“I figured it's too good to imagine you’ll hug your daughter in tears of happiness and shower me with gifts but a man can dream.”

Jerrold’s attack arrived in an instant, from all sides. The very space itself was his enemy. Viers’ Unreality Field was as good as air compared to the might of a Domain-backed attack.

Viers was doomed.

He knew this, Paina knew this, Jerrold knew this.

Paina’s gaze never left the man who admitted to being her father. Only at the last moment did she close her eyes and turn away. A gaze filled with bone-deep disappointment.

Against insurmountable power, Viers didn't simply wait for his end to come.

What he did next made the Level 4 raise his brows.

Jerrold saw a grin as savage as a wild beast.

Arte - Suicide You!

There was an explosion. A mighty explosion.

And it had done not a single thing to Jerrold. Not even disturbed his Domain in the slightest.

The man truly committed suicide? Curious… And Paina’s soul was pulled from the outside. Even though soul is not my forte, for the other side to be able to pull her out from my Domain means the soul user is extraordinary.

“Hu hu hu,” Jerrold laughed faintly.

First there’s the Blessed and now a ghost of Paina… The lord was right. Unexpected happenings will emerge as the plan approaches its completion.

***

Paina emerged from a magic circle. When she opened her eyes, she saw Viers on his knees, bleeding from the nose.

“Viers! Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay!”

“Pulling you out was harder than expected… Domain?”

Paina nodded to answer.

“...Let’s get out of here.”

“Yes.”

Paina’s soul returned to Viers and the man swiftly removed himself from the vicinity.

Heavenly Thief Arsène, number of times fallen in the line of duty: 2. God bless you, my other self.