Chapter 100: Gold vs Silver

Aiden smirked when he noticed on his system map that the figure started moving and making his way towards them in a roundabout way. 

Turning around, he looked at Granny then at the singular wooden door at the back. 

"He started moving Granny." 

Then walking to the door, he grabbed the handle and continued.

"Shall I handle him? Master still needs time."

Thinking about it for a moment, Granny smilingly shook her head.

"No, Aiden, let's just capture him. He could have important information for us. He may have information about Lily, and her current situation."

Continuing to gaze at the door's lever, Aiden silently nodded his head and pushed on it, opening the door with a loud creaking noise. 

He leisurely walked out and closed the door behind him. Dusting his black linen shirt and wrinkly maroon khakis, he calmly paced towards their approaching intruder's direction. Although he carried a certain amount of mystery with his strange white faceless mask covering the entirety of his face, it wasn't something that the average citizen hasn't seen before. 

Many chose to hide their facial features, especially in the Slums, not just your everyday criminals, but adventurers, mercenaries, or sometimes even the citizenry as well. 

To the average onlooker, he looked almost like the usual poor city kid. Apart from his lush black silky hair fluttering against the wind and his unique golden eyes that shone through his mask, the average man wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

He wasn't carrying any weapons or bags. He wasn't even wearing anything on his feet. Ever since he started being more proficient in using his transformations, he found it uncomfortable to force himself into restricting clothing. 

If it weren't for the stern lecture he would receive from his Master and Granny he probably wouldn't even be wearing these two pieces of clothing either. To him, it just didn't really make sense.

Although he looked carefree as he strolled towards the sneaking enemy, he was in fact deep in thought. He wasn't sure what he should do to only disable and not outright murder the man. He never had to control his strength, so now that he was supposed to, he wasn't sure what to do.

'Hmm… I can't use any of my forms that's for sure. Should I just try to talk to him? No, that's stupid, he would just try to escape… Oh, right! I should just grab him! So simple, I'm such an idiot!' 

While Aiden was lamenting on how he should handle the upcoming battle, the person in question, Drake was carefully sneaking from wall to wall while making sure he always stuck to the shadows. 

When he was finally behind the building and only a few blocks away, he noticed as the door creaked open, and a young boy calmly walked out. Even though he was garbed in dark clothing, and was also covering his face, he didn't have any foul vibe on him, he looked like the average city pauper.

'Bah!' He shook his head. 'I can't be deceived by the looks. Someone inside that building is holding an artifact that he stole from my family! He doesn't look like a threat, let's just capture him, what do you say?' He caressed the pommel of his sword while asking the question inwardly.

In response, the knob of the sword glowed in faint blue warm light momentarily. 

'I knew you would think the same way!' Drake donned a caring smile and caressed the pommel once more, before silently continuing his way, this time closing in on the 'poor' boy. He was gripping the handle of his sword. As the boy looked relatively weak and helpless, he thought that a single definite hit on the back of his head would do the trick. 

After all, he looked so weak…

---

Finally completing her spell, Number 3 opened up her eyes. Although still being covered by her mask, Granny still noticed the change and walked over. With her usual gentle smile, she asked.

"So? Did you have any luck?"

Nodding her head, Number 3 answered. Quite unusual to her demeanor, Granny could hear the smallest tinge of happiness from her tone.

"Yes. I know exactly where she is. Also…" she looked at the wall, towards the direction where Aiden and Drake were closing rapidly in on each other. With a sigh, she switched her attention back to Granny. "...care to tell me what is going on? Why is the third artifact holder here? I sincerely hope you at least told Aiden not to kill that man. He is actually very high-profile… not to mention we will need his help unless we plan to have a bloodbath inside the city."

Grabbing her forehead, Granny let out a tired groan.

"Aiden noticed the man spying on us while you were busy with your spell. After a while, he disappeared, and Aiden said he is trying to sneak around and ambush us from the back. I'm not sure about his intentions, but still, I told Aiden not to kill but only capture and bring him back, so we can question him. We thought he might be a lookout and could have some useful information about where they are holding Lily. But what do you mean high-profile? Is he a noble or something?"

"Well…" Number 3 trailed back at the scene just starting to unfold a few blocks away. Smiling under the safety of her mask, Granny frowned hearing her cheeky undertone. "...something like that. Let's just say he has the authority to lawfully resolve the situation." 

As she continued to speak, she also started slowly walking towards the door.

"But enough talking, come, let's stop them before the whole situation escalates too much." 

Leaving the building, with Granny closely following behind, they quickly rushed towards Aiden who was already fighting against the 'mysterious' figure.

---

***A few minutes ago, outside the building***

Aiden continued to stroll towards the general direction of the figure. He could clearly see his movement through his system's map, but he pretended he was clueless. He actually still wasn't sure what to do, his fighting style is what you would call feral, wild, uncultured even. 

He honed for all these years wasn't aimed to defeat his opponent. He always fought for survival. Either kill or be killed. That was the rule both in the forest and in the Pocket World. He could easily rip the average human to pieces in mere seconds, or just the mere power of his punch could cause gruesome, horrific damage. 

Sure, the trained soldier, mercenary of adventurer would probably have higher defense and resistance, but Aiden had no knowledge about that. From what he had seen from humanity apart from his family was that they were weak and pathetic compared to the other creatures of the world. 

Still, for some reason, they were the dominant race. There had to be a reason for it, he just doesn't know what. Sure, his master was powerful, maybe even stronger than himself, and Granny had her deeply rooted secrets, but apart from them, the ones he had met and seen were even weaker than the weakest of predators in the forest.

As he was thinking about these deep thoughts and turned around at the corner, he suddenly felt a light hit on the back of his head. Quickly checking the map, he smiled and halted his steps. Without turning around to face the man, he growled in a low tone.

"What was that? That's all your power?! If you are this weak, I'm not sure how I will be able to hold back this much... *Sigh* They will be so mad at me..." 

As he finished, Aiden vanished from sight the next moment, only to appear behind the hooded figure the next. Grabbing the back of his head, he effortlessly picked the boy up and threw it towards the nearby wall, destroying it in the process.

Looking at the rubble, he grumbled.

"Damn, that was still too much…" Raising his voice, he shouted. "Hey, you alive there?! Sorry, I may have used too much strength, it's not that easy to use so little!"

Instead of a verbal response, blue light started to shine between the cracks from under the rubble, exploding in the next second. 

Battered, and with his hooded linen cloak torn, a silver-haired young man, probably close to Aiden in age walked out from the rubble. A thin line of blood was flowing from his bruised forehead and with his angry expression, he looked menacing.

"It was my fault for underestimating you… It won't happen now. Previously, I only wanted to capture you, and get some answers, but… I don't care anymore, YOU ARE DEAD!" 

He bolted forward with his sword tightly gripped, he swung forward in a wide horizontal arc as he closed in on the masked boy. The blade of the sword shone in faint blue light and hummed as if to second his master's rage-filled exclamation.

However, before they could clash against each other and start round two, Number 3's figure appeared between them. With his left hand, she effortlessly stopped the arc of the blade, while signaling with her right hand for Aiden to stand down.

Looking at the silver-haired boy, she spoke in a stern tone.

"Stop it! Young Prince, he is not someone you can defeat, and Aiden," she turned her head to face him "he is someone we need to rescue your sister!"