Chapter 50: Price of Beauty

Chapter 50: Price of Beauty

That was foolish. Faline said after they had departed the square and were walking down a deserted street. You spoke of an uncle in the Academy. What if they asked after the uncle? How would you have responded?

Nathan pursed his lips. I probably would have used the name of one of the mages I killed in the battle. Maybe one of the war mages protecting one of the other archmages? He thought about that a bit more and winced. Youre right, that was a mistake.

She nodded and started lecturing him in a fast and intent voice. Lying well is a matter of giving few openings. If you give your foes a detail, they may pull on it and force more from you. You never know what may reveal you. A master of deceit will seem to give much information, but it will dissipate like mist when grasped. Instead of speaking of an uncle in the academy, speak of a victory in the wilderness, or a favor owed by a high-placed figure who cannot be reached. Cala dho Drex would be one.

Low-tier Disguise 7 achieved!

Dang, low-tier skills level up fast in hostile territory when you have a master mentoring you.

Wouldnt they know shes dead? Nathan asked.

Faline rolled her eyes and snorted. Shes pretended her death before. Some have claimed to own her demise, only to be slain in turn. She is known as tricky by reputation and deed. It will take some time for people to believe that she is truly dead.

She paused for a moment, eyeing Nathan suspiciously. Verified truth, she is dead?

He chuckled, remembering the confusing combat that had ended with the feeling of ribs crunching underneath his knees. Shes dead. She had some kind of healing artifact that tried to save her from the mortal wound, but I ate it and got the notification from Davrar. Its what pushed me over level 81 in my [Assassin] class.

He was struck by a sudden thought. How did she convince people she was dead before? Did she fake a notification from Davrar?

Mind magic. Faline said patiently. Mages are not allowed to use mind magic against each other, and it is reason for an immediate duel. But the Nails have bare respect for those mandates.

She looked around calmly, surveying the street while seeming to take in the densely packed slave housing. The Nails patrol the streets after night during a lockdown. Be aware for them and any eavesdropping or sensor magic, and kill any you see.

Nathan had been keeping an eye out for any spells that came near them, but there hadnt been much. Now he looked around, alert for any hazy patches, either on ground level or in the sky. There was nothing.

Im not going to get caught by that trick again.

They rounded a corner and emerged into a larger thoroughfare, where litters were being carried back and forth by well-muscled slaves. Faline gripped Nathans arm again, seeming to be entranced by one litter that seemed to gush gleaming lace. It was a convincing act, and he was drawn into it.

As they kept walking, Nathan was trying to keep track of the layout of the city. The Ascendant Academy was a landmark in the center, and it seemed like large roads branched out from it like spokes on a wheel, each terminating in one of the major gates. Other roads circled the city at various intervals, with squares at the intersections between the two. It wasnt perfect, and there were definitely areas where the simple design was broken up by large estates that forced the road to divert around. The design was easy to grasp. The problem was that Nathan didnt know the names for everything. There weren't any street signs or maps, and he had no clue where to find the Silver Square.

But Faline did. She guided him through the city, pointing out various landmarks as they went. She didnt even try to hide the actions, simply acting like a native showing off her hometown to a partner who didn't know it well.

Id be a bit screwed without her. She has the skills and experience to infiltrate Giantsrest and the knowledge necessary to make plans. Without Faline Id be a big dumb oaf trying to punch down a mountain. Shes guiding me to find the best place to dig a mine so we can plant a bomb and bring the whole thing down.

Faline stepped close and hissed instructions to Nathan under her breath as they approached their destination. We are not here to free slaves. After Halsmet, all know that the Mage-breaker can free slaves with a touch. They must think that mages of Giantsrest are the hands behind this attack. She shot him a warning look. We may spare them, but do not let a slave see obvious antimagic, or else they must die.

Nathan frowned, looking at the paving stones underneath him. They were laced with a delicate tracery of bright silvery metal that reflected the light from the magic overhead. He drew Faline closer and whispered in her ear, aware of the presence of people around him. I agree about freeing slaves, as we cant keep them safe afterwards. But is it worth a life to keep my presence secret?

Faline studied him, but didnt seem annoyed. She seemed to be carefully considering his question, and leaned against him to whisper her response. Yes. Many slaves will die if Giantsrest is to fall, and the secret of our presence is worth a dragons hoard. With the lockdown, they will believe this attack came from within. We must be invisible until suspicion has added its weight to greed and mage fights mage.

People might die, but thats not permission to kill for convenience. Nathan responded stubbornly, drawing Faline into a corner of the square, away from the other people.

Faline sighed airily, though there were traces of aggravation in her voice. Hear me, this argument will be a prophecy of death. We can attempt to subdue any inconvenient witnesses, but I will not stay my daggers when they are needed.

Then she giggled, jarring Nathan out of the argument. The sound was both adorable and disconcerting because of who it came from, and the assassin grabbed his hand and prancing towards a small compound that took up half of one side of the square. Over the closed gate hung a large crimson dart, and inside stood at least three separate buildings barely visible through abundant foliage.

They approached the gate and Faline made a show of knocking while not actually striking the wood. She spoke out of the side of her mouth. Break the enchantment, but dont throw the gate open.

Nathan probed the magic on the gate, finding it to be robust and functional. The gate would resist tampering, stop a battering ram and sound an alarm in either case. He resisted the urge to just absorb the entire enchantment. Instead he took a few seconds to understand how the whole thing worked. There was a bar that would slide aside when the gate was fed the proper authentication.

Probably better to make it look like this got hacked by a skilled mage, instead of somebody with the ability to absorb magic completely.

He couldn't spoof the authentication part of the spell, and that meant the alarm would activate if the gate was opened. So Nathan destabilized the targeting portion of the [Message] alarm with a tiny application of antimagic and drained the mana reservoir that would sound an audible alarm. Then he used the attractive properties of his aura to manipulate the portion of the enchantment that actuated to unlock the gate, but not the part that would cause it to swing wide.

Mid-tier Aura Manipulation 5 achieved!

The whole process took him about ten seconds, including understanding the enchantment and disabling it in a minimal and non-obvious way. He gave the gate a small push and it opened slightly, allowing both of them to slip inside before pushing it back closed. Nathan prodded the enchantment again, locking the barrier behind them as the bar slid back into place.

Inside was a sculpted garden, decorated with trees, decorative flowerbeds and a small pond. The path meandered around to the left and towards the first building, which looked inviting and hospitable. There was a shirtless and well-muscled slave tending the garden, but he had his back turned to them as he pruned a bush.

Faline jerked her head and led the way off the path, moving towards the third building. It was hidden from view by the garden, and they dove into the brush to approach. The assassin was almost completely silent, stealing through the trees like a breath of wind.

Nathan activated [Airwalk], stepping a few inches above the ground to avoid snapping any sticks and hopping over a bush without rustling any branches. It cost a bit of Stamina, about the same amount hed gotten from messing with the gate.

They emerged from the garden to find a large home or small manor, complete with a beautiful patio set against the pond that lay in the center of the compound. The area looked purpose-built to host parties, with groupings of comfortable weather-proof chairs and low tables situated to hold food and drinks. Various small animals in the pond and trees chirped to provide a pleasant background noise.

There was a guard on the front door, standing stiffly against the wall. Nathan reached out and tapped Faline on the arm, motioning to the side of the house and pointing to a second-floor balcony.

She nodded, and they moved out of the guards line of sight, skirting around the edge of the garden.

Before they turned the corner, Nathan studied the last of the three buildings in the compound. It was tucked away in the back and was the least aesthetically pleasing of the structures, with a large storage area and what looked like a forge attached to the side.

His companion saw him looking. She pointed to the first building and whispered an explanation. Stable, sales and demonstrations. Then she pointed to the one in the back. Workshop. Then her finger moved to the balcony above their heads. Home. Up?

Up. Nathan scooped Faline up once more. Shed left her dimensional pouch on her hip, not removing anything Nathan needed to be worried about. He bounded into the air, setting her down on the balcony after just a few steps, then stepped down himself and moving to the door. It had an alarmed magical lock, but the construction wasnt fancy. Nathan bypassed it in seconds and they stepped into the bedroom beyond.

The centerpiece was a perfectly made bed big enough to sleep eight. An open door led to a tiled bathroom, while another opened into a huge closet. Magical auras abounded, from the plush carpet under their feet to the hairbrush on the vanity. Nathan had to pull his aura in tight to avoid disabling things, but he still paused to take a measure of the space.

This looks a lot like a luxury bedroom on Earth. Luxury is the same across worlds. Though theyve probably got one of the zero-gravity baths here, and the enchantments do better than even the most expensive materials could on earth. This carpet feels like walking on warm clouds.

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 9

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 9

Permanent Talent 3: Airwalking 4

Class: Void of Magic level299

Deepened Stamina: 7527/9270

Void of Feeling

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Magic Anathema

Airborne Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Voluminous Aura

Denial of Wizardry

Mana Severance

Class: Magekiller level 125

Regenerative Focus: 976/1350

Catastrophic Blows

Battle Stealth

Mage Infiltration

Forgettable

Unsuspecting Strike

Antimagic Stealth

Spell Redirection

Lethal Index

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 10

Inspiration 1

Acceleration 2

Wizard Senses 3

Alertness 4

Wizards Intuition 3

Effortless Dodge 1

Mental Fortress 6

Tutoring 2

High-tier Tumbling 10

High-tier Noticeability 3

Low-tier Disguise 7

Mid-tier Battle Cry 7

Mid-tier Aura Manipulation 5