Chapter 42 (1/2)

Chapter 42: The Occult Viktor Part 1

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The cave was still and silent.

Viktor remained immersed in the task of checking his documents in the library. He completely ignored the matter of the intruders.

There were so many documents for him to deal with, each one concerning huge amounts of money, so he had to pay close attention.

Oh, the Broughwell Manor’s rent is overdue for two weeks? It’s time to teach them a harsh lesson then! And Princess Annie’s entourage will pass through River Cove next month? Better tell my brothers to keep their swords then, we wouldn’t want to vex her royal highness, after all. Ever since the disaster in Gladstone happened, so many people are moving south now, hehe, what an opportunity for me to earn some gold coins.

Viktor was so immersed that he dealt with each document swiftly and efficiently. He liked the feeling of power he got by holding the fate of others in his hands; he didn’t find any of it dull or uninteresting.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly he heard a sound from outside his study. It was the sound of hurried footsteps.

The footsteps are unstable, they must be terrified, Viktor deduced from the sound of the footsteps.

From outside, the voice of his second-in-command Collins was heard, “Leader, we have a problem!”

Viktor was startled, he couldn’t make a response. The realization dawned on him as he was able to put two and two together. He linked the problem Collins just mentioned with the intrusion into the cove earlier.

How could those few people ever be a threat to him? Unless, if it were a Level-6 Warrior. But what would a Level-6 Warrior have to do with a small fry like him?

“Speak,” Viktor finally managed to say.

Viktor swiftly put down his documents and opened a drawer in the room. In it was a pure black, lightweight, leather armor, the quality of which was very special. Its surface was shrouded in a black fog. As long as he remained in the dark, he could completely disappear into his surroundings and never be found.

This was Catskin Armor, a magical gear from his lordship who gave it to him as a gift.

Viktor quickly took off the normal clothes he had on and began to put on the powerful Catskin Armor. Collins walked into the room and said in a flurry, “There are four of them coming in from the cove. No one was left from the cove to give any message or information. Even in the cave the bodyguards dropped one by one, none of them returned alive.”

“Where’s Grinth?”

“Grinth is… he’s dead. There’s a Magician amid the intruders,” Collins’s voice was shaky as he spoke.

The intruders were just too quick, in fact, they were so quick that no one survived to even warn the others. Even the message Collins received was a bit vague.

“What? A Magician?” Viktor was surprised. For the first time in his life, he thought of escaping rather than staying to fight. Magicians were too mysterious; he wouldn’t dare face such an opponent.

He didn’t know why a Magician would bother him, he had always been careful with them. He never bothered the lands belonging to the East Cove Higher Magic Academy, so how did things come to this?

He had no idea, but he knew that the one thing he should do now is to escape and save his skin.

Putting on the headgear of the Catskin Armor, Viktor hurriedly packed up the documents on his table. There were too many of them, he couldn’t take them all with him, so he chose a few important ones.

He put the documents into a knapsack and carried it on his back. Then he grabbed the crystal that the special guest previously had thrust upon him. This would go with him too.

That important guest was a Magician too. He would never dare keep that Magician waiting.

Apart from the precious gemstones and most of his possessions, Viktor also packed up a dagger that emanated a black aura. It was another piece of magic equipment of his, a special weapon that was a gift from Grinth who had spent a lot of money on it.

He slid the dagger into a pocket of the leather armor on his leg, then turned to Collins and said, “Let’s go, we’re getting out of here.”

“What about our brothers?” Collins repeatedly, gulping anxiously.

“There’s nothing I can do about them, it’s too late.”

They were just rogues and bandits anyway, with money, he could easily hire new ones. And money was not a problem for him!

Collins nodded and silently followed Viktor’s footsteps.

But the two had underestimated the intruders’ speed. No more than 10 seconds passed since they got out of the study, and as they walked by a long and narrow passageway in the cave Viktor had no choice but to halt.

In front of them, a giant brute whose whole body was covered in a glowing reflective aura was blocking their way. Behind the brute were four others: one was a swordswoman, one an Archer, and the other two were a pair of identical twins that looked like thin and frail young men. One was Link and the other his avatar, though Viktor did not figure this out yet.

Damn it! They can’t have been this quick! Viktor creased his brows.

The intruders were all standing there right in front of him.

The Archer Gildern couldn’t hold in his laughter when he saw Viktor, “Would you look at that, aren’t we lucky to get here before the little mouse burrows his way out again?”

Viktor and Collins were both carrying knapsacks on their backs, and their footsteps were distressed. Anyone who saw them could tell that they were trying to escape.

Collins stuttered out, “Leader, what should we do now?”

Viktor said nothing. He wasn’t even sure how to save his own skin, let alone try to save other people.

Viktor’s eyes stared fixedly at the intruders’ movements, he took a couple steps backward until he reached a pitch-dark corner. In the thick of the darkness, the effects of Catskin Armor worked, and his body completely blended into it as if disappearing into thin air.

Collins, realizing that his leader had just vanished, immediately understood that he was abandoned. As he saw the intruders slowly closing in, he dropped to his knees, and begged, “Please don’t kill me! Please! I don’t want to die!”

“How pathetic,” Lucy said with disgust.

Gildern drew his bow and prepared to shoot the little coward, but Link stayed his hand and said, “Let him live. We’ll dig Viktor’s secrets from him.”

At first, Link thought he should keep Viktor alive, but now, he seemed too dangerous alive. It’s best to just kill him on the spot!

The mercenaries’ eyes shone. Yes, of course, this coward looked like he could be Viktor’s second-in-command, he must know all the secret spots this cunning fox hid his treasures.

Jacker walked up to Collins, and with one hand he hit Collins neck. The bandit immediately fainted.

“Viktor’s gone.” Lucy’s brows furrowed.