Eternal Rest

Tristan withdrew his hand, turned, and approached Fluvis. Placing a hand on the old man's shoulder, he murmured, "I'm sorry," as he walked past him. Fluvis, with a sorrowful expression, moved towards the crystal where Rayne was encapsulated. For a few minutes, he stood silently, gazing at his fallen disciple trapped in ice. Finally, he shook his head and gently laid his hand on the crystal.

"Dispel," He uttered softly.

The crystal shattered into thousands of ice shards, and Fluvis caught Rayne before he could collapse. Tristan observed from a distance, directing his men who arrived after Fluvis to extinguish fires and secure the area. A pulse of mana surged through Tristan, spreading throughout the city. He turned and glanced back at Fluvis, who approached carrying Rayne and shaking his head.

"Is he…" Tristan began, though he knew the answer.

"Yes... he used Ice Prison on himself as a last defense, but he still perished. His core... is shattered," Fluvis confirmed solemnly.

"Silva..." Tristan murmured.

Fluvis nodded, informing Tristan that he had sent a pulse of mana throughout the city but couldn't locate Silva amidst the chaos.

"Master Fluvis..." Tristan started.

"...this isn't your fault, Tristan," Fluvis interrupted firmly. "If anyone should shoulder blame, it's me, for allowing Rayne to act as he did. You have more urgent matters at hand," Fluvis finished, then vanished from the square.

"I know..." Tristan responded quietly, feeling disheartened. The snow continued to fall, spreading from the main square to surrounding areas, blanketing the entire central district and beyond. The fires were extinguished, and under Tristan's command, the city was placed on lockdown. He enlisted the entire Adventurer's Guild, including its operatives and remaining adventurers, to assist in handling the aftermath of the tragic events that had unfolded.

The prince refused to delay any longer in beginning the repairs, knowing the urgency of the situation. The sewer bombs had triggered explosions that, due to the intricate network of tunnels, threatened the entire city's underground infrastructure. Several streets had already collapsed into the sewers, and even the Underground City had suffered damage.

Velasquez, Domino's right-hand man and a third-tier gold-ranked adventurer, mobilized a sizable force of reluctant helpers to manage the torrent of waste flooding into the streets of the Underground City below.

By midnight, the streets of Hagos had emptied, leaving only guards to patrol the area while the snow continued to fall unabated.

Amidst the chaos, unnoticed by all, an alarm sounded and smoke billowed from one of the mansions in the wealthier eastern part of the city.

"Blimey! It's still snowin'!" exclaimed Hemdus, watching as unexpected snow blanketed everything in white.

"Apparently so. Come on, Hem, it's time Bones finished unlocking the vault!" urged Darsumi.

"Aye. Once this is done, we'll be finished here!"

Early that morning in Stonefalls, two dwarves woke up and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast while Bones put finishing touches on the engravings of his other arm. A knock interrupted them, and five more dwarves barged into the smithy, raiding the kitchen for food and ale without waiting for an invitation.

By noon, all the dwarves were accounted for and ready to travel to the capital by carriage. Thaddeus, familiar with the guards at the gates, smoothly navigated their passage through inspection. They headed towards the eastern part of the city.

Arriving at the outskirts of the central area, Thaddeus parked the carriage in front of a charming tavern. He opened the door, and six dwarves plus Bones disembarked, stretching before heading inside.

Bones followed the boisterous group, eyeing the sign "Uppity Gent" above the tavern's entrance before stepping in. Thaddeus led them to a private, spacious hall used for events, with a stout woman following closely behind. Unfamiliar to Bones, she was Thaddeus's wife and owner of the tavern, assuring them of privacy as they prepared for their upcoming heist.

After exchanging greetings, Bones observed as each dwarf settled into the hall, unpacking their belongings. Bones himself carried no baggage, his role solely to use the Skeleton Key for unlocking doors and vaults.

Comfortably making themselves at home, the dwarves gathered around a large table assembled from smaller ones, with a map of the city spread across its surface. Once seated, Bones took in the group.

Mirami, their master burglar, meticulously planned the operation. Darsumi, the highest level among them, was designated to handle any complications. Thaddeus and three other dwarves specialized in infiltration, while Hemdus, with minimal heist experience, simply tagged along.

This heist wasn't their first; they had successfully executed one a few years ago, though not on this scale. The first three houses they targeted posed little challenge, guarded by bronze-ranked personnel and a single silver-ranked security head. The real difficulty lay with the last two houses.

The House of Hartmore and Covingster boasted higher status and reinforced security. Hartmore employed silver-ranked adventurers, while recent intel indicated that Covingster had upgraded security, now overseen by a gold-ranked guard from the prestigious Forsaken Garde guild.

Gold-ranked adventurers rarely undertook city security roles, typically doing so during injury recovery or special events. Their formidable reputation was usually enough to deter most threats. But dwarves thrived on challenges.

They waited impatiently for the delayed opening ceremony to begin. When news reached them that the start was further postponed, they swiftly gathered their gear and departed. Time was critical, and the prolonged delay had frayed everyone's nerves. To avoid drawing attention, Mirami divided the group into pairs. Each pair was tasked with robbing a designated house, with a rendezvous planned at the Hartmore Estate once their missions were complete.

The streets bustled with crowds, lined with food and drink stalls extending beyond the central area. The festival drew merchants eager to capitalize on the occasion.

"Do we really need these disguises?" Bones questioned.

"Maybe not, but blending in will help us move unnoticed amidst the festivities. After all, it's a costumed event," Darsumi replied, noticing Bones's perplexed expression. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I get it, I do. But why do we look like clowns?"

Their outfits consisted of baggy, mismatched clothes, masks with painted faces and exaggerated features—dark circles around the eyes, oversized red noses, and lips stretched into grotesque smiles.

"Come on, Bones. Embrace it! It suits you... well, sort of!" Darsumi chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "At least you're wearing a mask and not full makeup!"

"You're not very convincing, but fine. Let's get going," Bones grumbled, dropping the subject.

Bones and Darsumi formed one of the pairs, making their way towards the third house on their list. Despite the dense crowd, they navigated towards the eastern district, where guards stationed at each entrance ensured controlled access.

The guards didn't prevent anyone from entering but managed crowd control efficiently. Once the duo crossed into the district, Darsumi let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally! If I'd known it would be this crowded, I'd have suggested we go in the morning and wait hidden somewhere until evening," Darsumi grumbled, slightly out of breath.

"Didn't expect a crowd? Isn't there a festival every year?" Bones remarked.

"Of course, Bones! We expected crowds, just not in this area! No matter—we're through now. Our destination is just two hundred meters ahead, then a right turn into a small alley. We should see the house from there. Let's go..." Darsumi said, pulling out three small balls, skipping a step, and motioning for Bones to follow. Bones could sense Dar was stressed but also enjoying himself, especially playing the clown role. He could actually juggle...

Three minutes later, they turned a corner and spotted a narrow alley leading to large iron gates with guards stationed in front. The guards appeared relaxed, even bored, their attention drawn to distant trumpets as they chatted and laughed, likely reminiscing about past festivals and good times. Despite the delayed ceremony starting, their enjoyment would be short-lived this year.

Darsumi approached them leisurely, then quickened his pace. Before the guards could react or even notice him, he hurled the juggling balls at them. Bones marveled at the power and accuracy with which the wooden balls struck their heads, bursting into splinters on impact. The guards slumped to the ground like puppets.

"Wooden balls? Are they okay?" Bones asked, surprised.

"Yeah, wooden! Thought metal ones might be a bit much! I... I think they're fine," Darsumi replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as they approached the fallen guards, noting the pools of blood beneath their heads.

"Maybe the wooden ones were a bit too much, too," Bones muttered, glancing at Darsumi. Dar nodded and proceeded to open the gates. He grabbed one guard by the hands and began dragging him inside.

"Bones, the other one!" Darsumi urged.

Bones quickly followed suit, grabbing the second guard and pulling him through the gates. Darsumi had taken the calculated risk of neutralizing the guards at the gates because they had prior knowledge of their numbers and patrol routes. With no other feasible entry point into the estate besides scaling the fence, Darsumi opted for the direct approach.

A garden filled with colorful flowers welcomed them beyond the gates, with a tall hedge encircling the estate along the fence wall. They left the unconscious but still breathing guards in the flower bushes and stealthily maneuvered around the mansion. As they crept low, Bones whispered to Darsumi, questioning why they hadn't cleaned the blood at the gates.

Darsumi stopped and turned. "No time, and I doubt anyone will visit at this hour. Besides... didn't you hear the trumpets?" Bones nodded, and Dar continued, "They signaled the start of the opening ceremony. If your friends from the capital are planning an attack, it will likely be during or after the ceremony. That gives us a few hours, at best."

Darsumi paused, then added, "Honestly, I don't know what will happen when the attack starts..."

"Alright, so I guess we won't stick to the original plan and wait until nightfall?" Bones asked. Darsumi confirmed they would adjust the plan slightly, rushing the easier tasks while considering how to handle the Hartmores and Covingtons.

Bones inquired about their approach. "Do we kill the guards and force our way in, or...?"

Unless absolutely necessary, Darsumi adamantly opposed killing. He explained briefly that unnecessary deaths would only complicate matters after the heist. "They'll come after us, Bones. Whether we kill or just rob makes a big difference in how hard they'll pursue us!"

Bones nodded in understanding but pondered his options. His skills were geared toward maiming, incapacitating, and killing, not rendering someone unconscious. Then it struck him—he had the perfect skill at his disposal if incapacitation was all that was needed.

"I think I have just the thing!" Bones declared, taking the lead. Darsumi followed silently, curious about Bones's plan. A guard patrolling near their location approached, unaware of the two hiding in the garden.

Bones focused on the guard from a distance and established a Soul Link with the target, causing the guard to freeze as if paralyzed. Darsumi watched as the guard trembled, attempting to move or shout but unable to produce a sound. Moments later, the guard collapsed face-first to the ground. Dar turned to Bones, who smirked and said, "Soul magic!"

Darsumi appeared as if he wanted to object, but instead grunted a warning to avoid killing. Two more guards were stationed at the mansion's entrance, now on alert since their colleague had not returned. Bones assured Darsumi he would handle them, circling back toward the entrance.

Bones could only maintain his Soul Link with one target at a time, so he acted swiftly. Focusing on the first guard, he applied pressure in a quick burst. The man collapsed before he could react to the link. The second guard started to move towards the fallen first guard but stopped abruptly and collapsed a moment later.

Staying low and at a distance from the mansion, Bones waited for Darsumi to catch up. When Darsumi joined him, he asked, "What now?"

"First, does your skill work on any target?" Darsumi inquired.

"Yes, but its effectiveness varies based on the target's strength and other factors," Bones explained. Dar pointed towards the guards, prompting Bones to add, "It worked well on them because they were lower level."

"Could it affect a silver ranker?" Darsumi asked.

"To some extent, yes, but a second-tier silver ranker? Unlikely," Bones replied.

They circled back around the mansion and entered through the kitchen's backdoor, which Darsumi skillfully lockpicked.

Once inside, they knew they had to act swiftly. Any alert among the mansion's silver rankers could derail their plans. Darsumi took the lead and efficiently dealt with any guards they encountered inside the mansion. However, their movements weren't entirely silent, and the more perceptive silver rankers soon noticed the commotion.

"Guards!" a voice echoed from the main hall of the mansion. A man peered over the railings of the upper floor, scanning the area.

A single guard rushed through the doors on his right. "Sir? What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the head of security looking flustered.

"Didn't you hear the commotion? Where are the others?" the head of security demanded.

"No, sir, I didn't..." the guard replied, scanning the surroundings.

"Go and tell them to assemble here in the main hall!" the silver ranker ordered. The guard promised to locate the others immediately and turned to leave but stopped abruptly at the clank of weapons clashing. From the left side, Darsumi rushed the silver ranker, engaging him in a fight. Meanwhile, Bones strolled leisurely into the main hall. Before the guard could take a step, Bones cast Bone Spikes beneath his feet. The guard cried out in pain and was swiftly knocked unconscious by a sudden pressure applied to his soul. Bones turned his attention to the duel between the two silver rankers.