It took them a bit of time, but eventually they managed to navigate the tunnels and found their way out of the underground area.
Biggie had controlled the rich and had them all feeding out of his hand. He had a lot of power, at least in terms of the organization he was in charge of.
His place of operation went beneath the entire city and even past its borders, which was how they had been able to get into it in the first place, since they dug down. All the tunnels were just as abandoned and worn down as the rest of the place. It was still very odd that the entire place was left behind. Sieg assumed it'd be turned into a place of storage or at least something, but instead, all there was was sand.
In fact, there was a strange amount of sand. Like a lot.
Weird.
When they did finally reach an exit, it opened up into a familiar nightclub. Sieg glanced around, finding himself back in Biggie's old joint. This had been where he first met the small man.
The entrance to the underground area was apparently behind the bar, through a series of stairs that led down. The three of them made their way up and were relieved to see that Biggie's place was also abandoned.
Everything was in disarray, and the windows were boarded up. The lights no longer worked, and a mix of sand and dust coated everything.
"Seriously, what's with all the sand?" Ken frowned and ran her finger along a table. "I'm not the only one noticing it, am I?"
Sieg just shrugged while Ragna opened his underwear up and reached in. He pulled out three cloaks and tossed two of them to his teammates. "We can wear this and keep our heads down. Hopefully it'll let us blend in a little bit."
Ken took the cloak and put it on. She pulled the hood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Won't we stand out more like this?" She pointed a thumb back at herself. "I mean, who wears shady clothes like this?"
"You'd be surprised." Sieg put his on and also pulled the hood up. He fiddled with his oni mask and covered sections of it with some torn cloth to hide it. "Mutants usually wear things like this to hide themselves. Most people will assume we're some hideous thing and likely steer clear. After all, people fear the 'ugly mutants' and are scared of becoming one."
"People are dumb," Ken stated bluntly.
"Yep. It's also raining pretty hard out there, so it shouldn't be too weird to see some people running out in coats like this."
"It's been raining for nearly ten days." Ken folded her arms and gave Sieg a look. "It started around the time your headache did, right? You wouldn't happen to be the one causing all this, would you?"
"What would I even gain from that…"
"I dunno, maybe you're going to evolve or something!" Ken said excitedly.
"You mean like fully become a monster?"
"I guess it isn't as cool as I thought when you put it that way," Ken said sheepishly.
"Yeah."
Ragna finished covering himself up, and he slowly walked over to a boarded-up window and peered out. The street was bustling with cars and pedestrians despite the heavy rain. He also saw dozens of guards scattered around and plenty of people in the same cloaks they were wearing.
"Damn. Security is just as tight on the inside as it is on the outside. That's troublesome." He grunted.
"It's the Lord of Threads' fault." Ken stomped her foot and growled. "He and his group pissed the entire kingdom off! Now they're going to be constantly looking for trouble! And we're trouble! Should we just storm the place and screw stealth?"
"No." Sieg shook his head. "I don't want innocent people getting hurt. Besides, if we do get spotted, it'll be a lot harder to escape the Arcane Knights. Last time we only got away thanks to my Electric-Shadow Vault and Vlad's own skills. Without him, we'll be sitting ducks."
"That's true." Ken sighed. "Fine. We'll keep up this stupid stealth for a bit longer, I guess."
"Let's go out the back way," Sieg said, and he checked on the boarded-up windows, seeing an alleyway that thankfully lacked anyone in it. Pulling the boards off was easy enough, and once that was done, the three of them were officially standing in the city.
Daffodil was just as Sieg remembered it. The city was very steampunk, with metal buildings and pipes scattered everywhere, blowing hot steam. All the cars had various gadgets and cranks on them, and people were dressed in very weird clothes that made their cloaked selves not stand out that much.
On the streets, tall golems made of gears and scrap metal unfolded, their chests turning into a cockpit that guards got into and piloted, and up in the sky, various airships flew around. The city looked pretty cool, but it was also super big, and with how odd all the buildings looked, it made it hard to tell where anything was.
Worse yet, there was a large mist in the air, brought on by the constant steam that made their lungs ache and caused them to constantly cough. Everything was also really dirty, stained with oil or even more sand.
The streets were filled with hundreds of people going about their day, and they only got a few odd looks as they walked around. Luckily, none of the guards paid them any mind, far too busy playing around with their cool mech suits, but who knew how long that would last.
Nothing looked like a prison. So they'd have to search around and hope they could find it before a guard spotted them or someone got curious. Sieg's mask especially stood out, so he kept having to duck his head down and kept his cloak pulled up tightly over his head. Luckily for them, while they were wanted and considered fugitives, the kingdom was more concerned with the Evil Seven and was on the lookout for guys like the Lord of Threads more than they were for a few rogue Arcane Knights. Of course, that would change the moment they were actually spotted.
They walked around for a bit and were quickly soaked to the bone by the never-ending rain. The lightning above crackled and hissed.
"Now that we're all in the city, we should split up." Ragna hummed. "I was against it before, but we're all close enough that we'd be able to come to the others' aid, should we get in trouble."
Sieg gave a hesitant nod. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was so weird. Some gnawing sensation was in the back of his mind, telling him that there was something off about the situation. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, however. Unlike Davi, he lacked Danger Sense, so this had to just be a gut feeling or his paranoia talking. Right?
"If we get into trouble, let's flare our mana." Sieg finally said after rubbing his head. His brain was killing him.
"That'll get the attention of everyone here." Ken snorted. "Are you trying to get the city's army on our asses?"
"Weren't you the one who wanted to storm the place?"
"It'll do more than that. It'll get the attention of the king." Ragna sighed. "Without our bodies, the king has placed his circuits." He glanced down at the mark on his wrist. The symbol of an Arcane Knight they all got when they joined the guilds. "The reason we've been able to hide for as long as we have is because we're not using our mana. Our signals are turned off. However, once we start using our energy, we'll basically be broadcasting ourselves directly to the King. He'll know exactly where we are and can monitor us."
"So that's why you told me not to use any mana?" Sieg rubbed the back of his neck and winced. "That sucks. We're like that Max kid basically. We can't use our mana and have to rely on brute force."
"Well, you can use a small bit for a short period of time," Ragan explained. "A tiny bit of aura won't be noticed, but using spells or fully bringing your aura out is bound to get his attention. This is especially bad for you, Young Sieg. I have Greenie, who isn't marked by the king. I can use him and my raw strength. Likewise, Young Ken has Yujin. As long as she doesn't use her own Qi from her Qi Lines and just uses the Qi Yujin provides, she'll be fine, just at a much weaker state than she normally is. You, however, have no workarounds. The Circuit Core within you is a miniature bomb waiting to go off. The moment your aura flares, the King will surely send his people out toward us."
Sieg gulped but gave another nod. "So, don't flare our mana? Got it. Then we should stick together, right?" The pounding in his head caused him to wince. It was getting worse. Seriously, what was going on? It shouldn't have been this bad, right? Was his mutation getting out of hand?
"We also can't use the system." Ragna further explained. "So no looking at stats or other things. I mentioned this three months ago but didn't fully explain why since we were dealing with a lot. As it stands, luck is not on our side."
"Is it ever on our side?" Ken asked flatly. "We seem to always be at the edge of something horrible going wrong."
"True enough. That's the curse we bear, however." Ragna said sternly. "If luck refuses to be on our side, then we'll just have to forge our own path and force things to go our way."
"You make it sound so easy." Ken snorted.
"Well?" Ragna gave her a half smirk. "Maybe it will be. We just got to try. If we can figure out where Vlad is, then I'm sure we'll get Young Olivia back."
Ken's smile faded, and she quietly walked next to the large man while Sieg continued to massage his aching head. "Why are you here?" Ken asked after a bit of time.
"What do you mean?" Ragna questioned, confused by her statement.
"None of the others came," Ken said bitterly. "Not Laerton, or Falco, and not even Miranda or Clause. It was just you who showed up to help us. You didn't even hesitate. You were down a leg, bleeding out, yet you still jumped to our aid and bought Sieg enough time to open his vault. Then you were able to guess what that Alpha guy was planning and use his attack to get us all away. Why? I get why Sieg and I are desperate. Sieg wants Davi back, the same as me, and I care for Olivia and love her as much as Davi, so it's only natural I want to force Alpha to help, but why are you here while the rest of the guild aren't?"
Ragna stroked his chin and listened to her question. It took him a moment to form the words, but when he did, he smiled softly. "Olivia is my junior. I trained her just as I trained you, Sieg, and Young Davi. Each of you is a Squire of my guild. A student is akin to a master's child, and what sort of parent would not go out of their way to save their own child? Even if it is at a risk to myself, I am bound by duty to at least try. No. Not try. I must succeed. As for the others, I think any one of them would have done what I did, but I acted first. It isn't that they don't want to be here; it's simply that they cannot. Coming to us would bring the King's wrath as well, and so meeting up is impossible. I know for a fact, however, that when we need them, the entire guild will be here."
"Are you sure about that?" Ken hesitated for a moment. "You guys still work for the king, right? I get things aren't the best for you all, but would the Phoenix Flight guild really be so keen as to throw its position and life away to save one member?"
"She isn't just one member." Ragna placed a hand on Ken's shoulder. "She is our member. Part of our guild and every member of my guild is a treasure. Would I throw everything away to save a precious treasure? Of course. For you, Young Olivia, Davi, Sieg, the Captain, every one of them. And they would all do the same. No matter what the king tries to do or what he says, I am confident. Phoenix Flight will stand together."
"Does that include Vlad?" Sieg spoke up while he rubbed his aching skull. "He bailed on us."
"Vlad is…" Ragna frowned slightly. "Come to think of it, I don't even truly recall him joining us. It's weird. I could have sworn he was here since the last captain, but the more I wonder about it, the more it feels like he just showed up one day." The dark-skinned man shook his head. "Anyway. Vlad is still part of the guild. I have confidence that we can come to an agreement with him and get him to work with us."
"And if he doesn't listen, I'll crush his balls," Ken announced.
"Sure. That can be plan B."
They continued walking through the crowd of people and passed by the opening of an alleyway. Just when they were about to cross into it, Sieg finally stopped and nearly crashed to his knees, but Ken thankfully managed to catch him.
He grunted and almost cried out but bit his tongue. His hand pressed into the side of his head, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
"What's wrong?" Ken asked, concerned. "Sieg? Are you okay?"
Sieg let out another grunt and wobbled. He grabbed at his head with both hands, and his teeth began to grind together. His brain felt as if it was on fire, and his skull was shrinking. The headache he felt began to spread down to his neck, which felt tight and full of knots, and his flesh began to burn. Somehow, though, the worst pain was in his stomach. He could feel it. Within his soul realm, his Core was acting up.
His mana wanted out of his body. It was trying to erupt out of him in a wave, but he was managing to keep it held back in. It was sort of like resisting the urge to vomit when you had the flu, but a thousand times worse. He felt like he was going mad, and there was a powerful pounding in his ears, which wouldn't stop.
He could hear his own heart beating. Like a drum.
'Bump!'
'Bump!'
'Bump!'
Over and over again. Finally, he was unable to hold it in, and he let out a scream of pain. His mana thankfully didn't explode out, but the yelling had caused a commotion at this point, and several guards took note and rushed over. At any moment now, they'd be surrounded.
"Shit." Ragna cursed. A large robotic suit was stomping toward them. Right now, the guards were more concerned, thinking they were civilians, but the moment they got near, they'd know the truth. "We need to go."
"Psst. You look like you could use a hand." A voice chuckled, and Ragna whipped around. In the alleyway they had been about to enter a pile of sand had spoken? "Luckily for you, I can offer a hand."
A large awning hung above, blocking out the rain, and scattered on the ground was a massive pile of sand that hadn't been there before. It twisted and flowed as if it were alive, and it took the shape of a mouth grinning toward the three of them.
"Over here. Through me." The sand stated. It then began to rise up and took on the shape of a door? It swung open, and instead of the back of the alleyway, Ragna saw a room that wasn't actually there. It had made a portal?
"What do we do?" Ken asked with wide eyes.
Ragna grabbed Sieg and threw the boy over his shoulder, and then he, along with Ken, jumped through the doorway right as the suit arrived. The guard turned the corner and frowned when he saw an empty alleyway. All that remained was a pile of sand, which was swept away by the wind.
"Where the hell did they go?" One guard asked, completely baffled. "I didn't sense any mana or hear any spells? Could they have found a sewer system?"
The guard in the robotic suit shook his head. "No. I think Ock has them."
"Ock! Shit, not that guy." The guard cursed. "You got to be kidding me."
"Relax." The man in the armor smirked. "If it is indeed Ock, then there are only a few places they could have ended up." He folded his arms and turned away. "Call in the Four Beastly Stars."
"Are you sure, sir?" The guard asked. "We could let the Knights know-"
"No." The captain in the armored suit shook his head. "The Arcane Knights might work under the king, but they are not directly part of our nation. We do not need them! Esteria has might, which it has cultivated through its own strength, and we'll show that off here and now! If Ock has taken a fascination with those people, then I am sure they are someone important. We will prove here and now that we do not need the power of a Knight. The Esteria military will handle it!"
It wasn't talked about a lot, but it was a well-known fact that the Arcane Knights and the military did not get along.
The military served directly under the king, and it was their job to protect the people and the nation. Arcane Knights were similar but with a key difference. A Knight existed to uphold the order Haru created. They were not completely on the side of the kingdom or the king, and while they did have an alliance and listened to the king, it was well known that Knights did not follow the same law as other organizations in the kingdom.
It was much harder to become a Knight, as it required having a great amount of power and dedication. A person could only evolve their core by going into a dungeon, but only Knights were allowed to enter dungeons and fight monsters. This was because one of the requirements for being a Knight was being blessed with a body and mana that could resist the dungeon's radiation, something that was extremely rare and hard to come by.
This is one of the reasons there weren't hundreds of people running around with the strength of a Knight in the kingdom. Most people in the military lacked the body that was needed to become a Knight, and so no matter how hard they trained, they'd eventually hit a wall and would stop growing since they couldn't evolve their Core to the E1 state, and without an E1 Core they couldn't master enchanted items or spells the way Knights could.
Everyone who failed the Knights exam either failed because they were too weak or failed because they didn't have the constitution needed to be a Knight. This is why people like Garon were doomed from the start. No amount of training would make up for having a body that couldn't resist magical mutation.
Because Knights could, they were naturally far stronger. A single Arcane Knight was worth a hundred normal soldiers. A Title Knight with Knight Gear was worth a million soldiers, and a full-on Captain was worth more than the entire military, air force, and navy combined.
In short, the military were basically just common foot soldiers, and they'd be thrown at other nations to deal with their common foot soldiers. They never fought monsters; they never fought Spell Swords of Cultivators; they simply existed to stall for time until a Knight would arrive or to look cool.
This has resulted in there being a lot of bad blood between several captains of the military and the Arcane Knights since the military didn't like that the guilds were getting better gear than they were.
After all, it was always the Knights who got the enchanted gear and Knight Gear.
The captain inside the mechanical suit of armor balled his hand into a fist and let out a laugh. "Yes! We'll show our might here and now! The king only needs us! We'll prove we're better than the Knights! We are the Esteria Military!"