LOST RABBIT

    So, I gained an AP upon making sure Sura was okay. And now, if I were to go to Rusty Chalice and take a quest, I'd gain another. The best part was, I didn't even have to complete the quest; I just had to take a quest and that's it. Free AP. Though, I wish I'd gained gold instead of AP. Eh, well, it's better than nothing, I guess.

'Let me see my stats'

[Strength: 2

Agility: 4

Dexterity: 4

Intelligence: 3

Constitution: 1

Wisdom: 3

Charisma: 2]

"Let's put one point into Strength," I said as I watched the wall slide down.

[Confirm?]

"Yup."

[New points assigned.

Strength: 3

Agility: 4

Dexterity: 4

Intelligence: 3

Constitution: 1

Wisdom: 3

Charisma: 2]

Rusty Chalice was as full as ever. I walked toward the counter, where Barton was chatting with a patron. He seemed drunk, as usual. His eyes were red, and he couldn't stand still, constantly swaying slightly from left to right.

I gave a quick nod and put a silver coin on the table, gesturing my head to the orange juice on one of the shelves.

"Axel, me boy!" he said, wiping his saliva. "How are you?"

"Got any quests?" I replied, ignoring his question. "An easy one."

"Easy one? Hmm –" He rubbed his chin. "There's a thing one of my customers wants stolen."

"Accepted."

[Quest Completed: Take a Quest From Rusty Chalice.

Rewards: 1AP, 10g.]

"That easy?"

"Yep."

"Well, okay. So – here's the deal, there's a nude painting of the King's wife."

"Uh-uh." I said, watching him pour me orange juice. "So?"

"This pervert pays 500 gold for it."

"500?" My eyes opened wide. I was going to cancel Barton's quest after I got the AP, but now my interest was piqued. "You take 250, I take 250?"

"Yes." He put the glass in front of me.

"Great. Where's this painting?" I asked, taking a small sip of the orange juice.

"In one of the King's wife's villas. It's in Idemi district, close to the north gate."

"Know the place." I gulped the drink down in one sip. "I'll get that thing in two hours or so."

"Nice." He smiled. "Go get it, ya goddamn thief. I'll be here… if I'm dead drunk, Mira will be here."

"Yeah, yeah."

    The villa was something else. It was a four-story behemoth, sprawling out across an immense stretch of land. The building itself looked more like a miniature palace than a villa. Its white marble walls glistened under the moonlight, and its numerous windows reflected the soft glow of the garden lanterns. The sheer size of the villa was staggering, and it had an imposing presence that made me feel like an ant in comparison.

The garden surrounding the villa was as expansive as one of the city's districts. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was hard to comprehend that a single person could own such a vast amount of land. There were statues of the King himself placed throughout the garden, each one capturing him in various triumphant poses. One statue, in particular, stood out; it was nearly ten feet tall and depicted the King on horseback, his sword raised high as if rallying troops to battle.

"My, my. This is some serious shit, King."

In the middle of the garden was an enormous fountain, its water cascading down multiple tiers Surrounding the fountain were meticulously maintained flowerbeds bursting with vibrant colors. Roses, lilies, tulips and such.

There were guards everywhere, patrolling the grounds in pairs, their eyes scanning the area for any sign of trouble. Each guard was armed to the teeth, making it clear that infiltrating this place wouldn't be a walk in the park.

"What a place to keep a nude painting," I muttered, taking in the enormity of the villa. "Wow…"

I was perched at least 200 meters away, observing the colossal structure from the rooftop of a two-story tavern. The sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and lively chatter filtered up from below.

Without rope arrows, I had to rely on my Shadow Step ability. Fortunately, my mana was glitched, allowing me to use Shadow Step nonstop. It was more efficient and definitely more discreet.

"Okay, Axel. Let's go."

I used Shadow Step, teleporting to the next building. The front gate was heavily guarded, with five guards to the left and five to the right. They didn't look like ordinary guards; three of them wore robes, likely higher-level wizards capable of disintegrating me with a single spell. It wouldn't be a pleasant way to go…

Crouching down, I became nearly invisible to the naked eye, thanks to my ability.

"Let's see if there's a side entrance…"

I jumped off the building, and while in mid-air, used Shadow Step again, grabbing onto a window sill of a nearby house and pulling myself up. This was as close as I could get to the villa. Even with Shadow Step, I couldn't bridge the remaining gap to the villa's garden. It was still too far.

"Hmm…"

I leaped forward, rolling as I hit the ground and, without missing a beat, slid toward a cart, using it for cover. I peered to the left and saw the guards at the front entrance.

"100 meters…" I muttered under my breath. "Shadow Step can't reach that far."

I moved closer, hiding inside a thicket of bushes, and closed the distance further. Now just twenty meters away, I was still too far from the villa's massive walls, which towered at least fifty meters high.

"Have you heard about the King's wife?" one guard said to his companion. "She's here."

"What?" his friend replied. "She's here? I didn't even see her!"

"I think..." the guard glanced over his shoulder. "I think she's cheating on the King. I saw some stud with her... linked arms!"

"I heard she was making him paint her! Excuse my language, but – nude! Paint her nude."

"What a perverted woman. Let God judge her and her actions."

"Okay, Mia's heart. Do your thing, show me the possible entrance points," I whispered to myself.

[Entry Points Identified:

Main Entrance: Guarded by ten guards. High Risk.]

"Wow… that's it?" I shook my head. "Welp, time to improvise."

I created a duplicate of myself, its face covered with a neck gaiter like mine. It looked around, took a big breath, then crouched beside me.

"Go distract the guards," I instructed, looking at it. "Buy me some time while I climb these walls."

The duplicate began running in the guard's direction. The guards immediately sprang into action, drawing their weapons and repeatedly warning it to stay away. My duplicate, of course, didn't listen. Instead, it drew two daggers from its belt and gestured for them to come and get it.

I ran along the wall, finding the small nooks and crevices to grab hold of. Once I was high enough to use Shadow Step, I aimed my hand upward and cast the spell. My body turned into swirling smoke, moved upward, and then reappeared in mid-air. Unfortunately, I was still falling from ten meters. I tried to use Shadow Step again, but it didn't work.

[Please wait for 5 seconds before using Shadow Step.]

"Oh, shit."

I fell to the ground with a loud thud and winced in pain. However, with years of experience, I was used to this kind of pain. I quickly recovered and hid behind a statue.

"Fuck, that hurt."

"Get out of here, you clown!" a guard yelled. "This is the King's villa! Shoo! Shoo!"

"Sheathe your dagger, ya idiot, or you'll get killed!" another guard yelled at my duplicate. "Bugger off!"

I moved quickly along the garden and reached an open window of the building. Inside, I saw a long rectangular table. Candles were lined neatly on the table, and an expensive red carpet covered the entire room.

I slipped inside and scanned my surroundings. To my left, there was a small room, and a guard was standing in front of a closed window, checking outside. To my right, there were two adjacent doors. One of them had a 'K' initial written on it. The other had nothing.

"Let's see…"

I peeked through the keyhole of the door with the 'K' and saw two chefs cooking something in the kitchen. Checking the other door, I saw a long and poorly lit corridor. At the end of it, there was a spiral staircase going upstairs.

"I guess the painting would be upstairs. Hidden away from prying eyes…"

I opened the door, crouched, and walked down the corridor. A guard passed me while I was walking, but he didn't notice me, as my ability was active and made me nearly invisible. Though, I knew if I moved suddenly or did anything weird, I'd be seen since I wasn't fully invisible – just hard to see.

I quickly ascended the stairs and came to a halt when I saw the huge door that loomed over me. It was just to my right, on the east wall. There were other doors as well, but this one looked the biggest and most expensive.

"It has to be here…"

I peeked through the keyhole, and, like a long-lost forgotten treasure, I saw it. The painting of the King's wife. She was quite the woman, younger than the King, probably twenty-five years old.

I entered the room quietly and closed the door behind me. Just as the door closed, a stranger held a knife to my neck.

"What do we have here?" A woman's voice whispered into my ear. "A little thief."

"Shit…"

"A little… lost rabbit."