Chapitre 33: Setting the pieces 2
[Area 1, Bluelights. Sunday 3:10 PM]
When I left Sophia for her tasks I gathered the last bits of information and preparation I could.
I need my prediction to be absolute.
It's going to be the way I wanted it to be in the future. And right now.
"Hahaha viperpool? Kid, you have some plans working for it?"
"Yeah, I only have a few green points with me and I don't know if I could last a month with it."
With a fake face thanks to a face mask I went to a member of Viperpool and I asked if he wanted to buy some drugs.
It's fake. Because I know he won't buy it anyway, we talked till we got to this conversation.
"Heh, let me take a look at your knuckles"
"huh? Why?" I said in a confused tone
"Just let me"
He smirked with a look of interest, I showed of course, and my knuckles are hardened, one's a fighter would look like.
"You said you want to join viperpool?"
"Yea, just keep me busy"
I have that gangster accent right now to make my act of a misguided youth look like.
"How did you get in Bluelights?"
"Well, beat up a bitch looking for a fight and when he lost he introduced me here"
"Haha… okay come with me kid"
"Huh? Where?"
"Just follow me"
Acting like a misguided child and a child who seemed ambitious I followed the man, well of course with real ambition.
He made me follow through a building, it seemed out of place but that didn't matter as it was explained by the people inside.
Nobody would know I am here and with a mask because I killed the ones surveilling me.
I started eying the place while keeping my act mild. Also acting like I'm curious I asked.
"Why are we here?"
"Oh, you wanted to earn some extra right?"
"Yea"
"Here"
He showed me a room full of Unregistered artefacts. Artefacts ranging from utility to damage and offensive of any kind.
"Damn this place is hella expensive"
I'm not wrong, these artefacts are artefacts, and how they are supplied doesn't matter.
"Yeah, you want some extra cash? Here"
He tossed me a few bracelets and necklaces.
"What is this for??"
"They sell a lot… probably… a few red bps?"
My eyes widened and I bobbed my mouth like a fish looking at the artefact and the man.
"T-this?"
Acting like I'm surprised with these items is necessary. I'm a youth with ambition after all.
"Yeah, I'm from Viperpool by the way, and kid you have talent."
"i-i do?"
"If you join us that's what we can give you"
My eyes twinkled and greed could be seen in my eyes.
"Can I join? How do I join??"
"haha! Put those in your pocket first, come here"
He urged me to follow while I hastily put the items in my pocket. I walked behind the man, we walked to a corridor and he entered one of the rooms.
I followed suit and when I looked inside it was in a room.
"Kid you remind me of my youth"
It was just the two of us, I silently pulled out a pistol off my Arsenal when the door behind us was closed.
"A reckless youth, but let me tell you this, are you homeless? There's an empty room here"
I shook my head for a moment as he walked to a locker. His words were all spoken with warmth. As if he is looking at a child.
"Being in the business is dangerous, kid, so let's just start small, yea?"
As if advising a kid not to get in a much more dangerous situation I returned my pistol at Arsenal.
He looked at me and tossed some proper clothing. It seems good, I dressed with some second hand used clothes to make myself believable but is this development?
"don't get involved too much, just stay as an Artifact dealer, yeah?"
"wha… "
The man was serious about this, I followed him like before but right now without acting.
"Alright, I'll tell my boss about you so stay low kid"
He left me alone but I was left confused, I clenched my fists tightly and lowered my head after leaving a small chuckle.
'right… What am I thinking? Clumping a whole group together?'
I sighed.
[Circle of Merchants establishment. Sunday 4:50 PM]
[Sophia's POV]
"What's the meaning of this?"
Everyone in the room spoke with grim expressions on their faces. If looks could kill I'd be dead.
"I asked you—!"
"As said in those papers. Murder, assault, rape and even pillaging. I don't know why you would pillage if you're that rich but I don't know if these went out in public."
"Haha… "
With a weak laugh, Neil Arman glared at me.
"Why do you think we'll listen to you?"
"Well I mean you'll be only cutting ties with Viperpool, so there's not that much loss."
"What makes you think of that?!"
I just sat properly and didn't answer, I didn't make any noise and let them regain composure.
"You think you'll get away with this?"
Some people surrounded the room, probably guards
"It's fine, I'm just a messenger you know?"
"Who's the messenger?"
"Who's hunting Viperpool as of now?"
The merchants before her fell in silence as they started thinking.
Ever since the Highway Truck-bus accident, the Mayor has been targeting the small opening that Viperpool has shown.
This means the messenger is probably the mayor.
The moment they realised that is when the merchants before me started sweating profusely.
They won't dare hurt me here, they won't provoke the mayor, or rather they can't.
"Tsk"
Flint, the merchant with a thick beard and Greek nose left the room, understanding the situation.
Finally one by one all of them left if the messenger can have contact with the meaning that they already know their location. They can't risk provoking the mayor.
"You can leave."
I nodded and stood up, nobody stopped me on the way out. I didn't have to use the BP's to bribe them. Which made them hostile but it didn't matter.
Was all this planned by Sir Damian? If so he's terrifying.
Bluelights is large as a city, and it was organized into areas. Right now is area 3.
I checked the time and it was 5:02. I went to area 6 as discussed with Sir Damian.
As I walked there, Sir Damian was already wearing a neat suit.
"Sir?"
"Did you get it?"
"The..?"
"Black ops?"
"Yes, I did"
I handed him the mana contracts which are the extras after I signed one myself.
"Sir, did you know about them?"
"Yeah, they are needed"
He only gave me a brief answer, and after signing the mana contracts they disappeared off his hands, probably into his storage.
"I already found several bases, there aren't many but here are the insides"
He showed me an inside map of 4 bases in particular.
"Make 'them' follow a higher executive of these four bases, two each"
As always with unchanging emotions, he told me what to do. Well, I don't have to do that as he already signed the mana contracts they will listen to him.
And they're everywhere at the moment, I don't know where but they're here.
"Well it won't matter, they hear me right?"
He briefly glanced around, wait... Can... Can he see them? At that thought, chills went down my spine.
This boy– or rather man is too dangerous, I wonder what Viperpool did! I only know he was a student in Insidious High.
I can't dig for information unless told because of the contract. I made sure my emotions aren't in sync with my head, I need to keep it in check to survive.
"I'll call you all Black ops, for now, gather as much information from them."
I then felt some relief for some reason, I don't know why but it was just out of nowhere.
"Sophia."
"Yes?"
I answered immediately.
"If you're tired, go back for now. I'll call you later"
"...Understood"
Hesitation could be heard in my voice albeit momentarily. But Sir Damian didn't seem to notice or rather… he just ignored it.
I went back as he said, my stamina is not that good. So I'm rather thankful to be able to rest.
"Also"
Before I turned around Sir Damian called out to me.
"Go back and tell Anna that she should know that I'm going to be late"
I nodded
"understood"
And left.
[Bluehouse, Bluelights. Sunday 8:50 PM]
The whole place is being cleaned up, not just the dirt and dust though, that's maintenance.
The whole place is being swept off spies, laid out traps and cameras if you will.
The place will be made 'clean' in any possible way, after all the people who will use this place would be higher-ups.
"Ned!!"
"What?!"
"Have you seen a black neovagi Wallet??"
"What now?"
"I kept my ID there!!"
"Sucks to be you"
"Please please check it on cameras!"
"Ugh. Fine fine"
The man named Ned checked the cameras, it has 13 places to check up on total.
"Your wallet fell here, in Hall 2, what the hell that was so subtle"
"oh, shit! You're right, okay thank you!"
"Yeah don't lose your shit again"
The man talking to Ned left, and after he did he went to the same spot where his wallet fell and picked it up. Even giving a thumb up to the camera and leaving.
"..."
Although someone is watching over the shadows. It went quietly as it passed by and left.
Ned then suddenly shook his head, confused about why he did that. He didn't seem aware of what he had just done.
"huh..? I'm supposed to be helping in hall 3… "
He walked off wondering why it felt like he walked into a room and forgot why he was there.
He just shook it off.
*
"I see."
They have 13 cameras in total, all of them seemingly hidden. According to number 3, he saw the following steps.
These black ops skills are too dangerous. His skill makes people unaware of what they're doing, even making them subtly confused.
He can apply it on many things without getting noticed, and that's not all as all black ops members have the same martial Manual, which is [The steps of the Shadows] which allows them to sink and blend with shadows. Perfect for spying.
From the four Viperpool establishments, one member went somewhere, and it turned out to be a spy from another group, leading the shadow member inside the Bluehouse, even though its security is tight it didn't pose any problem with the black op member.
"it's just getting closer and closer, you're dismissed but keep close tabs on the establishment you're supposed to be in"
"Understood… "
Then the black op member left. I made them report every 30 minutes, they're capable as I asked them 'if there are any problems, say so, so we can proceed smoothly'
They merely shook their heads at that question. I guess that's how capable they are.
After that and two hours of just monitoring them, they already gave me another establishment from the same group.
I plan to visit this one since It's not so bad to have control over one establishment. I heard the report of the other earlier, and the whole place is filled with douchebags.
The few of the Viperpool establishments have some men only trying to fill the quota, I plan to eradicate them. Tsk.
I started walking towards the location of the newly found establishment on the report.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone