Chapter 107: Reckoning!
Chapter 107
The group had been following the scammers for a few minutes now, trailing through turns, twists, corners and whatnot, all while maintaining a safe distance so as not to be detected.
Finally, the group ahead was seen leaving the town and heading out into the woods with wide smirks plastered on their faces.
"Damn! Can’t believe those guys back at the town are such gullible fools to fall for our lies about being from a clan." One of the men chuckled aloud, shaking the pouch in his hand so that it jingled, the shards clashing against each other with a metallic ring.
"For real. Being an awakened sure feels nice. All we need to do is show a little bit of our Veils, and those fools instantly tremble. That fear alone is enough to make them hand over whatever we want." Another man said, stretching his arms lazily as though they had just completed a hard day’s work.
"I still don’t know why the boss decided to make our hideout in the woods. Mehn, what if we got attacked by beasts?" one of them sighed nervously, his eyes darting at the trees as if expecting something to leap out at them.
"Beasts? You fool! Aren’t we awakeneds? We can surely handle a few beasts by ourselves without involving the clans or anything. Stop being a puss about it," another snapped with a frown, causing the nervous man to shut his mouth.
The group walked deeper into the woods until they arrived at a clearing.
It was a small clearing, hidden in the heart of the forest, where a shack sat like a scar among the whispering trees.
The shack was about the size of a medium bungalow, but everything about it screamed decay. Its wooden walls were weather-beaten and warped, the planks stained dark from years of rain, smoke, and neglect.
The roof sagged slightly in the middle, patched here and there with mismatched shingles and rusted tin sheets. Each gust of wind made the metal clink faintly, adding an eerie rhythm to the silence.
A crooked porch clung desperately to the front, its steps missing in places, forcing anyone approaching to tread carefully or risk snapping through the rotted boards. From above, a thin chimney coughed out lazy tendrils of grey smoke that disappeared into the canopy. The faint scent of moss and damp rot lingered in the air, mixed with the acrid bite of woodsmoke.
The undergrowth around the shack was heavily trampled, signs that many feet had been passing through the place often, yet nature was already trying to reclaim it. Weeds and vines had begun curling greedily along the walls, weaving into the wood like veins.
A single lantern hung crookedly beside the door, its weak flame flickering as it swayed. The dim light stretched across the clearing, casting warped shadows that looked like clawed fingers reaching through the trees.
The five men walked straight up to the door, knocking three times at different spots in some odd pattern, before disappearing inside.
Meanwhile, the Reavers trailing them quickly found cover behind a wide tree at the edge of the clearing. They crouched low, keeping their eyes fixed on the shack standing ominously in the middle of the woods.
"So this is where they’ve been hiding all this while, huh." Lyra muttered, her eyes narrowing with both wariness and anger.
"What’s the plan?" Jace asked, pushing aside his coat to reveal the sword strapped tightly to his hip.
It wasn’t only him who wore a coat though. Everyone except Zen had one on, deliberately chosen to conceal their weapons until the right time. Now, with the shack in sight, their hearts beat faster as the reality of confrontation loomed over them.
"We don’t even know how many of them are inside," Tom said quietly, peeking out again to study the shack. "Nor do we have any idea if the A ranked beast is being kept here. I don’t want to go in blind and risk all our lives."
"We knew our lives would be risked the moment we took on this mission, right?" Vynn asked with a raised brow. Sparks of lightning crackled faintly across his fingertips, betraying his eagerness to act. His grin widened, restless energy rolling off him.
"By the way, Zen, kindly do not activate your Veil when we go in. I want to make those fakes pay brutally." Jace said, his fists clenched so tightly that veins bulged across his knuckles like twisted cords.
"Okay." Zen simply replied, though his mind was already racing, calculating.
’None of my skills can let me see through that shack! Damn it! If only I had an ability for this.’ He rubbed his temples in frustration, then his thoughts drifted. ’I really wish I was Max from that webnovel... what was it even called again?’
It clicked a second later. ’Right! The First Mythical Dragon: Harem System. Sheesh! If only I had his dragon eyes right now, I’d know exactly what was inside. But I don’t... I’m powerless when it comes to figuring out the amount of threat we’re about to face.’
"I still don’t know why you all are worrying when you’ve got me with you." Lyra huffed, her silver armor clinking faintly as she crossed her arms firmly over her chest plate. Her chin tilted up proudly.
"Because you are...?" Zen asked with a raised brow, his tone full of doubt.
"Shut your filthy trap before I poke a hole in you." Lyra snapped, her glare sharp enough to cut.
"I don’t think this is the right place or time to bicker." Tom’s voice cut in as he stepped forward, placing himself between the two like a wall. "Let’s focus on the mission. The faster we finish this, the faster we get back to the clan."
"Okay, I’m tired of waiting around." Vynn suddenly spoke up, sparks of electricity snapping around his feet as his eyes gleamed with restless energy. "I memorized the knocking pattern, so I’m going right ahe..."
"Not if I go first." Lyra whispered, and before anyone could stop her, she moved. Her body blurred into motion, leaping high, branches groaning under her weight as she darted from tree to tree.
To the untrained eye, it almost looked like she teleported. Within the blink of an eye, she was standing at the shack’s door, her crimson hair catching the faint lantern light.
Meanwhile, inside the shack, the five scammers had just returned. They stomped in casually, unaware of what awaited them outside.
The interior was cramped yet lively, filled with rickety tables and chairs. Dozens of men sat drinking, their laughter and chatter mixing with the clinking of mugs. The smell of cheap ale, smoke, and unwashed bodies clung heavily in the air.
Looking up, the group could see a staircase winding upwards, no doubt leading to their boss’s quarters.
"Hey, Dan! How was the mission?" A bulky man called out, raising his glass high in greeting.
"It was okay, I guess." Dan shrugged, his black hair falling into his face as he smirked. "Is the boss in? I need to pay my respects."
"Yeah sure, he’s..."
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three distinct knocks echoed sharply across the door, each one deliberate, striking at different points. The sudden sound cut through the noise of the room like a blade, dragging every man to silence.
Instantly, the atmosphere shifted. The drinkers lowered their mugs. Hands slid towards weapons. Eyes darted at one another in suspicion.
"Did we send anybody else out on a mission?" someone asked cautiously, his tone carrying a hint of unease.
"Not to my knowledge." Dan frowned, his smirk fading as he gestured for one of his men to check.
The chosen man crept forward, boots scuffing against the wooden floor as the others watched in tense silence. He leaned close to the door, peering through the small hole to see who it was. His eyes widened.
"Guys!" he called back, turning quickly. "There’s nobody th..."
BAM!
The door exploded inward, kicked wide open with bone-rattling force. The heavy wood splintered apart, slamming into the unlucky man and sending him crashing to the ground with a painful thud.
"Alright, gents. Your reckoning is here." A crimson-haired female declared as she strode in. Her tone was calm, but her steps carried authority, and the aura she radiated made the entire room stiffen. She walked in as if she owned the place, as if every scammer inside was already hers to break.