NOVPUB
Chapter 32: 32:Infiltration
SWOOSH!
Jumping down the three, he bent forward and sped towards the mansion wearing a cloak and mask which he used to send the parcel previously.
Nearing the wall, he jumped atop of it and landed inside softly
Kael crouched low, his body pressed against the cold stone wall as he scanned the courtyard.
The night was quiet, only the occasional crunch of gravel under a guard’s boot breaking the silence. He moved like a shadow taking each step deliberately and soundlessly. His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he tightened his grip on his sword in one hand and readied a dagger in his right waist side.
A guard strolled past, humming lazily, unaware of the figure lurking in the darkness behind the wall.
The moment the man turned, Kael pounced.
His blade sliced through the air, swiftly and precisely. The guard barely had time to react before cold steel slashed across his throat.
A soft gurgle escaped as the man collapsed, his body convulsing for a second before going still. Kael crouched beside him, placing a hand over the wound. Then he used Devour. A faint warmth coursed through his veins as his vitality increased slightly.
A slow, unhinged grin crept onto his lips.
"Next."
He slunk forward, slipping behind a stack of crates as two guards chatted near a torchlit entrance. He counted the seconds, watching their body language.
The moment one of them turned his back, Kael lunged. His sword’s pommel struck the first guard’s skull with brutal force, and before the second could scream, Kael’s dagger plunged into his throat.
The man gasped, hands flailing as blood gushed. Kael held him close, whispering, "Shh. No need to wake the others."
He let the body slide to the ground.
Three down. Two more to go.
The last pair were stationed near a backdoor, holding two spears as they looked around. Kael climbed onto a nearby balcony, perching above them like a vulture.
He waited, the anticipation making his fingers twitch. When the guards shifted positions, he dropped down.
His boots landed silently behind one, and before the man even realized, Kael’s blade rammed into his spine.
The man turned, eyes wide in horror, but Kael’s sword was already swinging. A clean decapitation. Blood sprayed, painting the stone red but this created a soft sound.
Kael then jumped to the side of the wall and ran alongside with steady footsteps.
"Who!"
The small voice was enough to alert the other one and he turned around to see his partner falling down on the ground.
"Helbo, what happened?"
Worried, he walked near only to smell a metallic scent that made him pause.He was about to turn, when something slammed onto him, diving a sword straight on top of his head and ripped it apart.
Kael exhaled, wiping his blade on one of the corpses.
"Perfect."
He stepped over the bodies and headed for the City Lord’s office. The grand door stood in his way, massive and sturdy. Kael ran a hand along the surface, his fingers tracing the engravings. His lips curled in amusement.
"I can’t break it..." He pulled out a small, thin wire, twisting it between his fingers. "But thankfully, I brought this."
With practiced ease, he inserted the wire into the keyhole, manipulating it with precision. The lock clicked, making Kael grin.
"Running and stealing in the wilderness teach you many things." He gave the door a gentle push, slipping inside.
.....
Entering in, he took a look.
The room was vast, lined with towering bookshelves filled with thick tomes and old documents. A massive oak desk sat in the center, covered with neatly stacked papers, an ink pot, and an ornate quill. The air smelled of aged parchment and candle wax. A chandelier hung above, casting flickering shadows along the walls.
Kael whistled, stepping forward. "Let’s see what you have here."
He began rifling through the documents, scanning each page with sharp eyes. Some were mundane—trade agreements, funding records, resource allocations. But one set of documents caught his attention.
Everything was too perfect.
Kael’s fingers drummed against the desk as he read. "This is a problem. This exact precise data of funding and grants correlates with the utilization of funds without any displacement... that’s a damn problem."
His eyes narrowed. "I’m sure something is hidden around."
Setting the documents aside, he glanced around the room. His gaze swept over the bookshelves, the cabinets, and the fireplace. He checked behind paintings, pulled books off the shelves, and flipped over rugs. He was thorough but impatient.
"Where is it? Where is it?" His frustration grew. He kicked a chair, sending it skidding across the floor. "Damn it, this is too troublesome..."
Then he heard it.
A soft, empty sound.
Kael froze, his ears twitching. He stepped forward, tapping the floor a few inches away from the desk.
TAP....TAP.
Normal.
He walked a bit further and tapped again.
TUNG.
The sound came different.
Kael’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He crouched, running his hands over the wooden floorboards. "Gotcha."
Grinning, Kael clasped his fist tightly. Since he got what he needed, now he can make some noise.
"Take this!"
BANG!
His fist slammed against the hard floor creating a burst of explosion bursting out pieces of wood and splinter.
A loud cataclysmic sound echoed as the floor cracked with a crankle forming a small crate inside which Kael found a safe.
And the safe didn’t look ordinary in any sense.
Kael frowned seeing this.
"I hope there are things I am looking for or else..."
Kael grabbed the safe which was the size of a cuboid box and threw it up in the air. Then he grabbed it and placed it on the table.
As he dusted his hands, he soon heard a loud sound of footsteps and turned around to see a man raising his sword and rushing at him with a scream.
"Scum, who are you!"
Kael grabbed the safe and raised it.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as the man’s sword struck the safe with a crackling sound and he eyed Kael with a venomous gaze to which he replied with a faint laugh.
"Wow!This safe is quite sturdy."
