"So you're like me," Alex said as he pulled out another energy drink and handed it to Kealin, but the latter refused, saying he didn't like them. Alex just shrugged his shoulders and gulped down the drink in one long swallow.
"Well, I'm not exactly like you," Kealin said, still processing everything that had happened.
"What do you mean?" Alex continued to gulp down the drink, the can crinkling loudly in the quiet apartment.
"I'm a mage," Kealin answered, causing Alex to nearly choke on his drink before glancing at him in disbelief.
"You're kidding, right?" Alex said as he wiped the stain from his shirt, his eyes wide with surprise.
Kealin just shook his head, telling Alex that he wasn't joking around.
"But how? I saw those moves, and I thought mages could use, you know, spells and stuff," Alex said, genuinely confused by this revelation.
But even Kealin didn't know the reason he couldn't use spells. When he tried asking the system, it told him that he'd have to reach level 2 to unlock his mage profession. Kealin's method of leveling up was slow because he'd have to find strong opponents—like the phantom assassins—before he could level up properly.
"Wait, wasn't there a quest that said I'd have to defeat 8 phantom assassins?" Kealin thought back to the incident and opened his status page.
[Quest Failed]
[You had failed to defeat the phantom assassins and as a result you will not be rewarded]
"Curse you, system," was all Kealin could say, frustration evident in his voice.
Kealin went on to explain to Alex that even though he was a mage, he couldn't use spells and had decided to use his mana in his attacks instead. But unlike Alex and Max, Kealin wasn't a pro and would still lose in a real fight.
"Well, since you're a mage, I take it there were some parts in your story that you didn't tell me," Alex said, reminding Kealin of why they were in this situation in the first place.
Kealin went on to explain how he found out that April was a dreamweaver and how it had affected his current predicament.
"But I don't get it—why would she do something like this? Why did she help me back then? And if all of it was just an act, does that mean she's working with Rudy?"
There were a lot of questions that remained unanswered, and Kealin didn't understand any part of it. But unlike him, it seemed like Alex was already putting the pieces together as he began to explain his theory.
"Hmm... let's see. If April and Rudy really are working together, it means that there's also the possibility of them working with the men who attacked us. Judging by your story, I think I finally have all the pieces...
"April and Rudy tried to capture you, so they devised a ruse to lure you into their trap by staging a fake bullying incident...
"...With April as the victim and Rudy as the aggressor, and you being the good samaritan tries to intervene. April, still playing the role, runs away supposedly seeking help. This is a crucial part of their plan as it is meant to create a sense of urgency where you feel responsible for April's safety and is also meant to lure you into their trap...
"Then there's also the case where she seeks help.
"If I'm correct, this is to add credibility to the act, making you believe she is genuinely seeking help, making the situation more believable and also creating an opportunity for Rudy to capture you, and to heighten the tension...
"April returns with help, raising the stakes, and Rudy's failure to capture you becomes apparent...
"Their failure has consequences, and in a subsequent attempt, Rudy and his goons beat you up and leave you in an alleyway. So why not just capture you? Well, for one, to avoid leaving a trail of evidence that could lead back to them. And so, by involving a second party—and I mean those assassins—they could maintain plausible deniability. By not directly capturing you, they might have been trying to distance themselves from the act, making it harder for investigators to connect them to the crime."
"Avoid leaving fingerprints by using a second party—it would allow them to keep their hands clean, avoiding any dual evidence that would incriminate them. And finally, shifting the risk. By having someone else capture you, they might have been trying to shift the risk of getting caught. If you ask me, this approach would be consistent with a cautious and calculated plan where April and Rudy prioritize minimizing the risk and maintaining their cover. By using a second party, they might have felt more secure in achieving their objectives without exposing themselves to unnecessary danger..."
Alex had finally finished his lengthy explanation and then looked at Kealin, who had a surprised look on his face.
"Are you some kinda detective?" Kealin asked, clearly impressed by Alex's deductive reasoning.
To which Alex just shrugged his shoulders modestly.
"With all of this information, it only proves that these two are dangerous, Kealin. I know you don't want to, but I suggest you leave this case to the police," Alex said seriously.
Kealin thought about it for a while. He knew that in terms of strength, he was clearly outmatched, but that's when something crossed his mind.
"Would Max and Lena let it go if it were me?" Kealin mumbled under his breath.
"What?"
"I said, would Max and Lena let the case go?" Kealin asked with his voice a little louder this time.
"No, they wouldn't. So I'm not giving up on them either," Kealin declared with a determined look in his eyes, his resolve hardening.
"Well, that was expected. But you still need to workshop your skills. So, how about training with me?"