Capítulo 38: Reaching Beneath Her Dress

"They are gone now, but there's trouble inside." Hao shared his findings about the weaponized droids who were currently patrolling the interior of the gallery.

Lanor, who heard him, smirked and said, "I know how to take care of them."

"You do?" Moments later, Hao noticed Lanor reaching beneath the hem of her dress, her fingers slithering up her thighs, searching for something. But what could it be?

Lanor realized Hao's gaze was aimed at her and snapped, "Don't look!" She used her free hand to force his head forward. However, she had momentarily forgotten that Hao's sight was peculiar – he could still see her hands as they lingered near her more intimate areas. It wasn't an intentional lewd act, but rather, she was retrieving a hidden item.

"I've got it." From beneath her dress, Lanor withdrew a cylindrical device, which she called the EMPulsar. The device had a sleek, black design with a series of blue lights running along its side. "This should fry those bots' circuitry for a while, but we have a short window to act. Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are," he retorted.

"Alright." Lanor placed the EMPulsar against the wall and pushed a button to activate it. The device hummed to life, emitting a low-frequency pulse that passed through the wall and into the vault. Inside, the droids shuddered and went limp, their red eyes flickering and dimming as the EMPulsar did its work.

"Ah! My head….!" Unfortunately, the pulse also affected Hao's Vibe Sense, causing it to falter and waver. He staggered, disoriented by the sudden blindness.

"Are you alright?" Lanor asked, sounding concerned as she embraced him, steadying his wavering form.

"Just give me a moment," Hao replied, holding his head as the dizziness persisted. In his disoriented state, he lost his balance and knocked over a crate of liquor, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the room.

Crash!

A guard on patrol just outside the wine cellar was alerted by the noise and entered, sword-light in hand. "Who's there?" he demanded, sweeping the beam of light around the room. His brow furrowed in confusion, unsure of what had caused the disturbance.

Panicking, Lanor hissed at Hao, "Hey, snap out of it! Someone's coming our way. Get your ass up and use your skills to get us out of here!" Her eyes darted around nervously, searching for any possible hidden spots to hide.

"I know somebody's in here. Show yourself." The guard arrived at the spot where the noise had come from but found no one there. "Hmm, that's weird." He also failed to notice the EMPulsar attached to the wall. He scratched his head, puzzled and wary.

Meanwhile, Hao and Lanor had already entered the private gallery, bypassing the temporarily disabled droids. Hao had used his Night Tamer ability, Twin Portal Slash, to teleport them through the wall and into the vault. They moved cautiously, eying the valuable artefacts and treasures on display.

Lanor glanced curiously at Hao, "What happened back there?" She wanted to know why he had delayed and stumbled.

Hao explained, "That device you used was messing with my vibrations, but I'm fine now."

"You better be because I'm relying on you to get us back out of here. So don't screw this up," she said firmly.

Overlooking her temper, Hao questioned, "So where is this elusive item that your mom wants me to help you steal?" He was scanning the opulent gallery while he waited for an answer.

"What we came to steal isn't here in the open. Follow me," Lanor said, leading him to a wall where a spectacular painting was displayed. The painting depicted a cyberpunk cityscape, bathed in neon light, with countless people traversing the futuristic streets.

Lanor interacted with the painting, stabbing a specific spot on the master artwork with a concealed needle. The mechanism hidden within the painting whirred to life, and a secret door behind it later slid open, revealing a lit chamber.

"How did you know this was here?" Hao asked, startled because even with his Vibe Sense active, he hadn't been able to detect the secret door. "Has someone already broken in here, is that it?"

She told him with a sly smile, "Get a man some hot chicks and alcohol, and they'll spill all their dark secrets without realizing it."

"That would never work on me," Hao replied, trying to sound confident.

"Are you sure about that?" Lanor asked, raising an eyebrow as she attempted to pull the door open.

"All women are naked in my sight, so yeah, I'm sure," Hao whispered to himself, not wanting Lanor to overhear. He knew that the admission would only encourage her teasing.

"Stay here," she ordered, stepping into the hidden chamber. Lanor didn't want Hao to see the item they came to steal, thinking that keeping it a secret would give her an advantage. But her decision was foolish because Hao's Vibe Sense allowed him to perceive things beyond normal sight.

A short while after Lanor ventured into the secret chamber, Hao's curiosity grew. What could be so important that it was hidden behind a painting and a secret door? And would they be able to escape with the coveted item before Rector realized it was missing?

"Huh!" The ambience inside the hidden chamber was bright, forcing Lanor to squint as her eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting. When her vision cleared, she couldn't help but stare at the object before her with pure desire. The item appeared to be a simple S-Catalogue at a glance, but upon closer inspection, it revealed itself to be anything but ordinary. The crimson S-Catalogue was covered in dark, shimmering scales that appeared to shift and move as if they were alive.

"Jackpot!" Lanor whispered excitedly, reaching out to steal the item. "Mom will be so proud of me…"

Just as her fingers were about to make contact with the glass, Hao burst into the room and grabbed Lanor's hand, pulling her back with a sudden urgency. "Come here!"

"Huh!" Lanor's expression turned to one of frustration and confusion. "Why did you do that? I told you not to enter!" she protested, trying to shake off Hao's grip.

"Settle down and observe," Hao spoke calmly, ignoring her anger. Next, he picked up a small, ornate object from a nearby shelf and tossed it at the glass case. To their shock, a series of deadly vertical beams appeared from the ceiling and floor, slicing the item to pieces.

"Huh! What was that?" Lanor's anger dissolved into gratitude after she realized the danger she had been in. If Hao didn't manhandle her when he did, she would have been cut into ten billion pieces! "Thank you," she told him quietly.

"You're too hasty. Let me do it," Hao replied clearing her from his path. He alighted into a particular stance where his right flank was poised ahead, his torso twisted backwards slightly, while his right hand grasp the hilt of Vibe Edge.

"Don't breathe." With a swift motion, he unsheathed his sword, using his Quick Draw ability to temporarily sever the security link. This allowed Lanor to snatch the peculiar S-Catalogue without triggering the deadly beams.

"I've got it!" Lanor quickly secured the item beneath her dress, attaching it to a hidden compartment on her thigh. Just how much space she had beneath there to conceal so many items?

"Let's get out of here right now." Hao urged.