Protect the Code (2)

Kali pulls her hood down and grabs her spear. A drop of blood was caught in her black boots.

"Hmm?" She stares at the rarely seen stain and shakes it off.

Kali passes by the bloody body in the ground and walks towards the terrace. It was a small terrace on the second floor.

'Can I jump from here?' She asked herself as she glanced down the 2 story level height.

*Bang

The door of the room burst open and several masked men entered. Kali looked at them over her shoulders.

"From what guild are you?!!!" One of the men asked angrily, while one of them rushed towards the laying body. The manservant's white shirt is now swimming in blood.

Kali ignored them and put on her poorly made white mask before she jumped down.

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 01:54:29

The pursuers glanced down the terrace and did not see even Kali's shadow. That is because right after she jumped down she entered the first window back to the mansion.

Kali adjusted her mask and dust off her black outfit before she slowly opened the door and glanced left and right.

'Clear.'

She walked the quiet and lonely corridor and came across a large mirror. Her reflection is clear. She is wearing the outfit she wore at the casino and auction house. If one will not look closely she can be mistaken as one of the masked men after her but her white plain mask stands out.

"Haaaaa. . . I think I'll have a nightmare tonight" She exhaled hard.

"Masked men again. . . ."

With Kali's hunting eyes, a few meters away she briefly saw a silhouette of a person moving fast at the end of the corridor. She immediately opened the nearest room.

'It is safer, outside.' She ran towards the window and exited.

'What am I thinking? Why did I go back inside ?' She stopped in her tracks and crumpled her expression in confusion of her actions.

*bzzzt *bzzzt

"..!!!" She grit her teeth as she squeezes her temples to remain conscious. In a matter of a few seconds her sweat forms in her forehead and slides down to her chin. The throbbing head is making her lose her balance and sense of reality. She had been suffering from memory surge ever since the lab but she still can't get used to the pain. The images are still blurry and impossible to watch, like it was a series of chaos scenes with the sole purpose of making her suffer.

All that is clear are the screams and cries.

She succeeded in suppressing it after a few minutes. If there is one thing that improves against the memory surge is her ability to stay conscious and not let herself drown from the memories.

Kali was panting with her back against the wall, calming herself down. She swipes off her sweat by the back of her hand.

'That freaking hurts.'

Kali is walking around the palace ground nonstop and somehow she can't navigate her way out. She was on full alert the whole time. She avoided everything that was moving. The passing servants, pursuers and even shadows that slightly move whether due to the night air or not.

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 01:12:51

While she roamed aimlessly, she spotted a familiar figure passing not far from her. She ran stealthily towards the figure and she found Francis Delacorte walking in an empty hallway near the garden. At the end of the hallway his father, Fabian Delacorte is waiting. She hides behind one of the pillars and focuses on eavesdropping.

"Did you find her?"

"Not yet father, Theo said she is resting. The blackout scared her."

"Have you checked if she is really in there?"

"Giovanni has been guarding the door while Lord Alexander is inside."

"Tsk! " Count Delacorte clicked his tongue and give some nasty side comments

Kali narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"They might be lying. She is somewhere here. Go find her. Make sure to check her code. We cannot guarantee we will have another chance aside from today."

Kali knows that the Alexanders Family is detached from the social world; they live in solidarity as guards of the Monster Territory. Due to its high population of soldiers they are considered as a powerful military family and for some reason even the king let them do whatever they want.

"Father, if we fail tonight. We can try another way."

"What is it?"

"The young lady expressed interest in me. if Theo didn't take her away immediately, I might've checked her code by now . . ."

Francis' father was easily impressed at the information and told his son to make Kali fall for him as their secondary plan.

The father and son part ways and Kali was torn on who to follow. If she follows the son, chances are, he might lead her to the great hall. From there she can look for the said 'room' she is supposed to be in but if she followed the count, it might lead to more clues on their plan.

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 01:00:42

Kali ultimately followed Count Delacorte with the reason the hall might not be that far from their spot, she can just look for it after her business with the Count.

The Count is suspiciously looking around before turning in one dark corner. She jumped out of her hiding place and walked towards the corner when she felt another presence.

"We meet again, my conscience."

Kali calmly looked at the direction of the voice. She had a hunch that if she ran, this would turn into a chasing game. Rather than playing tag she chooses to confront and avoid bigger commotion after all she is a fugitive.

"Are you stealing again?"

Number 32. The fox masked man appeared behind a tree.

". . ."

He was wearing a high quality suit under the cloak last time but now he is wearing an all black outfit with a cape and hood.

'Is he after Kaleena's code too?'

"Who are you?" Kali made it thick and low as much as she could.

"Heh. You can guess"

". . ." Kali ignored his playful words and started walking towards the corner.

'I can't waste my time here. That Count might be meeting with his accomplices.'

"Are you also here for that black hair girl ? What was her name again?"

'also? Is he really one of them?' Kali frowned as look at him again and maintained a struggle to calm her beating heart.

The fox masked man begins to release an oppressing aura. It was a different feeling from the freezing coldness she felt from the Alexanders father and sons. Kali felt the surrounding begin to rise in temperature and a feeling of two thick boulders sandwiching her body.

*Ting

[Bloodlust detected]

'This is bad if I lost to him, I would suffer a penalty and I will not be able to return and the possibility of getting caught is higher . . . but if I win, It's the worst, openly killing on the imperial grounds.'

Unlike earlier, she was in a room and not in an open space, If someone saw her and reported it. It will alert all the royal guards and will hunt her. The pursuers can use their passage and safely exit the palace ground.

'. . . but what about me? The hall will be heaviest guarded next to the royal residences since nobles are there. I will not be able to sneak in.'

'Ugh. should I lead him to one of the rooms? ah nah. . nah I doubt he'll come quietly. Then I should try my best not to make a mess with his body and throw him in one of the rooms after, I will be long gone after they discover the body. . . haaaaa! Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.' She tries to visualize the possible scenarios before an emergency quest like before appears.

". . . or are you here to return them?"

'and. . . it turns worse.' Kali distorted her face under the mask. His aura becomes thicker and it is starting to strain her body. The invisible force on her side makes it harder for her to move freely.

She knows that 'them' means Luna and the Fox.

". . ."

"Heh. You don't talk much huh?!"

*Clash*

Their weapons clash. Kali grit her teeth with heavy force pushing her from all sides but the heaviest is coming from his sword.

'Dammit he is using mana to press me down.'

Against the fox masked man, Kali lost in raw strength. She had to evade the fall of the sword but she landed a kick in his stomach in the midst of stepping side a few inches away.

She hates losing.

"Hey! Thief. I am starting to lose patience." The man said in a threatening voice and bright red and white mana sparks danced around. His mana sparks mini fireworks against the dark surrounding.

*Ting

[Commencing Emergency Quest. . .]

"MY LORD!" a group of black outfit men dropped from the surrounding trees and some came out behind the pillars.

They are respectfully kneeling in one knee in his direction.

"Please control your mana, They will spot us." The nearest guy continued

Kali stood up and took a defensive stand. She was surrounded in a split second.

'8, 9. . . 10, There is no presence.' Kali carefully looks around. Even though they are right before her eyes, there is barely any presence at all.

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 00:56:28