Chapter 3560: Game On (Part 1)
Chapter 3560: Game On (Part 1)
At the same time, outside the mana crystal walls surrounding the Ernas Household.
Seven people covered from head to toe in mottled brown and green clothes were huddled behind the cover of a patch of trees. Their clothes were as light as silk but they were actually a suit of armor made of an alloy of Adamant and Darwen.
Their most basic enchantment constantly changed the color pattern of the armor based on its surroundings, making the members of the seven-man unit nigh invisible even when they stood in the open.
What looked like ski masks covered their faces and non-reflective glass lenses covered their eyes, adjusting their color based on the armor so that no part of the body would stand out to a casual observer even when exposed to direct sunlight.
The Darwen of the suits not only suppressed the magical auras of the Awakened and their equipment to near zero, but it also made it hard for magical formations to detect their physical presence.
The Darwen-Adamant alloy would bend the mana flow of an array just enough to cloak its wearer as a random fluctuation in the world energy. That, however, worked only on a single magical formation.
When several of them overlapped, the mana flow became much more complex and a sudden fluctuation in all the arrays at the same time would be identified as an intruder.
The Gernoffs had solved this problem by training their members to advance while dodging as many arrays as they could, moving along the mana flows of those that went in the right direction, and going against only a few magical formations at a time.
That kind of technique was complex to master and could only be performed by someone who could observe the patterns of the different mana flows with Life Vision and time his steps accordingly.
An almost impossible feat for most people on Mogar and basic training for the Gernoffs. Those who failed to complete basic training were considered lesser members of the family and used only as grunts for menial tasks.
’The time has come and we haven’t long to complete our mission.’ Okham Gernoff, the team leader, said via a mind link for brevity’s sake. ’Remember, we are not here to kill the traitor Jirni Myrok, only to start the battle.
’The first weeks are vital in the development of a baby and the life of a Myrok isn’t worth the risk of ruining the potential of someone who might grow into another Phloria Ernas if not even a Valeron.’
The Gernoff bloodline’s greatest wish was to give birth to someone who had inherited Oghrom’s mind but carried Valeron’s heart. Someone who wouldn’t shy from doing what was needed without ever straying from what was right.
The problem was that most Gernoffs born with a good heart were so repulsed by the family business that either failed basic training on purpose or ended up mentally scarred for life.
The current patriarch of each generation was the closest thing to a good-hearted Oghrom the Gernoffs could produce, which usually meant an emotionally stunted killer constantly tormented by his conscience. Experience exclusive tales on
The Gernoff didn’t look for redemption because they believed they did nothing wrong. They only wanted guidance from someone who could match the genius of their forefather without the sadistic impulses that had led Oghrom to forbid Awakening someone like him.
’Our mission today is split into two steps.’ Okham continued. ’One, recon. We can’t trust the official blueprints and the people we bribed to have a description of the inside of the Ernas Mansion duped us.
’They sold us almost identical information but every time one of us entered the house as a vendor, a delivery man, or a minor noble, they have all spotted minor but crucial inconsistencies in our intel.
’Jirni Myrok proved to be too cunning and her house staff has either been fooled like us or is loyal beyond even our considerable means of persuasion. We can only trust our eyes and ears, so scout deep and discover what we are missing.
’Part of our information is correct, and once we spot the traps, Jirni Myrok’s attempt to deceive us will result in her giving us the keys to her house.
’The second step is our declaration of war. Displace small objects around the house. Nothing important or enchanted, and don’t bother moving them to another room. Just turn a vase slightly, alter a flower composition, or clean the hair from a brush.
’Insignificant things that a normal person would overlook but a Myrok is bound to notice. Once Jirni Myrok realizes we have entered her house, she’s going to start seeing enemies hiding in every shadow.
’She’ll rearrange the arrays, double-check her plans, and with every small imperfection she finds she’ll keep second-guessing herself. Every time a servant bumps into something, she’ll mistake it for another intrusion and her paranoia will wear on her nerves.
’We’ll use her own keen mind and obsession with the details against her. We’ll let her fight a war against herself until she’s too tired and confused to think clearly. Only then will we come for her and take her life.
’The Gernoffs aren’t just thugs with a knife or a mage with a deadly spell. We wage war with our minds first and use our bodies to deliver the final strike only after our victim delivers herself to us on a silver platter.’
The other six Awakened nodded and left the protection of the trees. They advanced toward the Ernas Mansion in a quick jog, their amors constantly switching between the green of the grass and the brown of the soil.
When they reached the crystal walls, the news of Dripha’s birth had reached the guards who were celebrating the event with toasts and cheers. They never left their position and drank only water they conjured but it was distraction enough for the Gernoffs to pass unnoticed.
They ignored the stables and the servants’ quarters and went straight for the main building. The places easier to access were also bustling with activity, and walking slowly without bumping into someone would be impossible.
The main entrance was empty, but the thick layers of arrays made it also an unnecessary risk. The Gernoffs’ goal was the many windows left open to air the corridors or let the floors dry.
The recon unit’s members had just started climbing the walls with the grace of chameleon spiders when a voice forced them to a halt.
"That’s as far as you go, kids." An over three meters (10’) tall wolf-fox hybrid covered in a black and silver fur floated in mid-air right in front of the Gernoffs’ bewildered eyes.
They hadn’t seen, heard, or even felt him coming. They had used Life Vision all along yet somehow, they had failed to notice him until that moment. The creature in front of them had the presence of a ghost.
They couldn’t sense any threat from him or hear his breath. According to their trained battle senses and keen instincts, the Fylgja wasn’t there. Yet their eyes and Life Vision begged to differ.
Ten long bushy tails whipped the air behind Tezka as he came out of the window and walked as if he were standing on the ground.