Chương 479: The Heist
Guys, I was thinking that once I finish assembling the new PC, I may start Live Streaming on D-Live. Who would watch? (Just an idea)
Also, thanks for @Crazyapes being a Patron.
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Since this whole Seventh Labour against the Worm Cult started, the one who went through tons upon tons of emotional rollercoasters was none other than Isha. Jon felt a lot of responsibility towards her but he also knew that he must push her forward and be supportive. To anyone in her situation, she was actually doing very well.
That's why after finding out that Zain attacked the Citadel and going on a rampage, Isha was invited by Jon to deliver a painful payback to the Daedric Prince Clavicus Vile.
"We are going on a heist inside one of Clav's vaults, the one that holds everything Zain gathered for Clav."
Feeling reckless and none caring, Isha decided to follow Jon in his quest and thus the two departed from the HoonDing Alliance camp that was moving towards the Alik'r Desert to deliver vengeance upon the Daedra.
Using every spell Jon knows for traveling, they crossed hundreds of miles in a mere hour to arrive at "Shady Grove" on the back of a [Flame Hawk Atronach] reinforced with the Mysticism spell [Acceleration] and the Alteration spell [Zero Friction].
Seeing Shady Grove from above as the sun was falling down, Jon frowned at the sight of the town. It was supposedly a town to the west of Gilane on the road to Hegathe but from the looks of it, the Cultists seemed to have laid waste to it.
"Look… over there." Isha pointed at the town square.
Those who couldn't flee to the east were captured by the Worm Cult and their suffering was just beginning. Stories were heard of the atrocities done by the Worm Cult once they enter a town but that was way worse than bandits and other vermin.
The men were killed by the most barbaric of ways possible which started from ripping them apart by the brute undead horses or slowly burning on tar-smeared crosses known as the Human Torches to impaling and skinning.
The young children were separated in two spots being tested for their talent in Magic, those who had a sense to Magicka were taken away by the cult to raise as Necromancers and those who didn't were taken to the fire pit.
The females had it the worst. They were made to watch what happens to their men and children before being taken in turns by the lusty Cultists and in the end, they get their share of torture.
"What the fuck! What the fuck is that?"
Isha couldn't understand what sort of madness is this. Even the Daedric Creatures would kill for the hunt and only torture when necessary. However, these creatures from the same race she is are way too barbaric.
"That is... Soul Squeezing." Jon said with a solemn face.
Isha looked at him with a face that can't even understand what he meant.
"What the fuck is Soul Squeezing?"
Answering that question required Jon to remember some unpleasant moments he went through.
"... Soul Squeezing is an agonizing process only the lowest among the low perform it. You know of the ritual [Sacrifice], when a mortal offers the soul of another mortal to a higher entity. Higher Entities such Daedric Lords or an Evil CHIM like Mannimarco require Black Souls, souls of the Mortal Races.
Tortured Souls carry more power as they drain every strand of their energy with in agony so once they die, the energy outcome gets to be amplified. If a Black Soul gives you 5000 Magicka Points, a Squeezed Soul can make over 8000 Magicka Pointz up to 10000." He said.
"Jon… people's souls… they aren't numbers!"
"I know."
[A/n: for those of you who feel familiar with the term "Soul Squeeze", is a perk in the Enchanting tree in the game and what inspired me for the idea.]
Soul Squeezing is barbaric but Jon knows it very well. He performed it on one of the enemies that hurt him the most, Alaric of the Forsworn. The method was passed down from Xikil to Jon and it was the deal with Molag Bal.
"Let's get our thing over with." Jon said and started preparing.
"Wait!" Isha held him, "Those people. What should we do about them?"
"If we charged blindly, they will be used as hostages, we don't know what kind of enemy waiting for us down there so let's play smart and slow. Whatever happens to those people, even if we caused collateral damage, just endure it." He said and passed her a bow, "You're decent with Archery, be my eye in the sky. Cast [Muffle Rune] on the arrows you will use to snipe and [Fire Rune] on the arrows for bombardment. I'm going down, we'll be linked."
Jon put on [Greed] as a Mantle and morphed into a Khajiit form with [Lust] all while jumping off the Hawk Atronach, once he landed, he rolled nimbly on a hidden place and stood up as Jonya, the curious ginger Khajiit. Looking left and right, he made sure he was unseen.
"What's my status?" He asked.
{You are in the ruined area of the town, I see little presence and coverage from up here so make sure to advance smoothly.} Isha said.
"Roger."
Despite sneaking, Jon was still in the [Ebony Mail]. Whether he liked it or not, this armor was designed for stealth purposes. It is completely silent, impossibly light, and incredibly sturdy. Jon could run as fast as he wants without attracting any attention. And so he did.
Combining [Greed]'s perfect stealth and the [Shadow Stone: Walk in Shadow] blessing, Jon was as good as a ghost.
He ran as fast as he could leaving behind no footprints and jumped nimbly like a Khajiit avoiding all obstacles blowing the dust off his parkour skill. He jumped between buildings and walls scouting every inch and laying down Magic traps.
One after another, Jon circled the town once and twice for recon.
"This won't be hard." Jon said.
{Jon, we have company.}
"Hm? No one is around me."
{On the other side of the town.}
"I wouldn't call that company, Isha."
{No, they are outsiders. Not Cultists… I think. A bald Imperial and a Khajiit, they are infiltrating like us… shit!}
"What?"
{They are monitoring the situation from above like us. That Imperial has a pet owl and it is flying right below the Atronach.}
"Did it see you?"
{Negative.}
"Keep stealthy and fly higher. I don't think it can see me. Keep an eye on the guests, wouldn't want to hurt friendlies."
{Understood.}
Jon didn't expect the party will have more clowns but as a mad man once said: "The more the merrier. Cheese for everyone!"
Jon sent Nefertiti in the Shadow World to stalk the Owl and analyze its connection with that Imperial then returned to his action.
Jon, in his Khajiit form, lowered his tall body and walked on all four with his tail wiggling around. He imbued himself with [Greed] and maximized its property [Perfect Stealth] then let himself loose. With the flexibility of an animal. Jon moved on all four in an unimaginable speed, he reached the area where people were being tortured and passed swiftly like a feather between traffic. Each Necromancer he came across was stunned with a [Paralysis] spell.
A second, two, three… thirty, forty, a minute. All the Necromancers in town were paralyzed without even realizing it.
The people of the town were still wailing and screaming from the torture and pain. The situation looked as if the Necromancers were just standing over them watching.
Nothing changed.
From above, Isha was holding her breath with wide eyes. She could see Jon because she was allowed to and what she saw was a whole new aspect of Jon. That brute that liked to smash and bash showed some moves that can put both of Mirren and Miranda to shame.
The name Catatoskr wasn't just for show, it was well earned and fully deserved.
"Isolating the town is done. It seems that the Town Hall is the headquarters of the Cult of Clavicus Vile." Jon conveyed, "What is your status?"
Isha woke up from her daze and checked her situation.
{It is clear from up here. Our Imperial and Khajiit friends are avoiding the Cultists carefully. It seems that the Imperial is some sort of a seer… a mystic perhaps.}
"Interesting. A fellow Mystic is always a welcome addition." Jon said while casting [Beacon Rune] around the town.
[Beacon] is a spell developed by Nurina and was lately developed by Jon into a Rune version compatible with the System and the Light Screens, once Jon connects the beacons to himself, he can get visual feedback on what's going on around the Beacon Rune.
Not only was the town under his control, but he also could see and hear everything around. A few minutes after waiting in the shadows, the two guests entered the town stealthy and kept avoiding the Cultists. The Khajiit was very skilled at sneaking while the Imperial kept following his companion's lead and detecting the magic for him.
"This way, Kellen. That big building over there must be the place you want."
"Are you certain, Nagh? I have a strange feeling about this."
"Don't worry, this one is certain the Scroll will be there this time."
The Imperial was called Kellen and the Khajiit is Nagh. Interesting pair and their goal is quite obvious.
The Elder Scroll that Zain acquired.
But even though Jon is a generous man, he won't be this generous to let an Elder Scroll slip by.
"Looks like we have to get rid of them after all, Isha." He said.
{Should I do the honors?}
"Patience. The thief can't kill on a heist."
{Why?}
"Because that's the first line between a thief and a bandit."
Jon kept watching Kellen and Nagh as they slipped through the town to reach the Town Hall and snuck through a window. It was his turn to follow, having those two fools in front of him will make them a good decoy but unlike them, he had his ways in.
He simply walked towards the front door of the Town Hall fully sure that all the Cultists around were totally paralyzed. But beyond the gate, he felt too many concealed auras.
It was time to work. Jon scanned the place quickly avoiding all the strong auras underground and realized that the upper floor was just a decoy for there were numerous underground tunnels.
"Speaking of the Worm Cult, I guess the name is well earned." Jon joked as he cast [Life Vision] and [Death Vision] to gain precise feedback on his enemies' locations.
Now, it was time for the big guns. Jon found a place where the tunnels around him were empty and took out [Pride]. He cast a highly focused red beam that pierced the floor under his feet straight through the ground and cut it in a circle. He then used [Telekinesis] to clear the entrance he made.
[Pride]'s role was over and now came the turn of [Mehrunes Razor], a one man one dagger action.
Jon slid through to the underground tunnel that was dug by some unknown method, it seemed like a non-magical way because it lacked any trace of Magicka so it is safe to assume that some sort of undead was developed in a certain way to dig tunnels just like those Siege Centipedes from the day of Rihad.
Jon took the tunnels one by one discovering a whole new town under the town. It was a large Operation Center for the cult to use. Thankfully, Jon was able to locate the ins and outs of the tunnel network.
He waited until the Imperial and Khajiit pair were in the tunnels too then started sealing those entrances. Once all was over, he contacted Isha.
"I left you a way in from where I entered. Now you handle everything above the ground and leave underground to me."
{Understood.}
At that moment, none of the Cultists could come to imagine that above ground they are trapped with the most spiteful and angry sister in the world while underground they are trapped with a monster who wants to play a thief for the sake of not letting his skills rust.
Every notion of terror was just reversed.
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• From now on, we can begin the countdown. After this Heist event, only two remain: a Short Side Story and the Final Battle.
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