Chapter 631
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Chapter 631
As they approached the walls of Sieburn from underground, Chidi couldnt help but get nervous. All it would take was one person feeling their movements or hearing something underground, and they would be compromised. Aconite was digging deep enough that they should be fine, but he couldnt help but worry. Perhaps that was because he was barely contributing.
With little else to do, he kept his ears and other senses open for anything that might be above. Sensing for the vibrations of someones footsteps wasnt easy, since he had to try to break through Aconites movements, digging huge chunks of dirt. He honestly wasnt sure if he succeeded at his goal- but he didnt sense anything.
Soon enough they were past the walls. They stopped a bit away from the walls, under a basement of what seemed to be an unoccupied building. It seemed like it had been that way for a while, which at least made Chidi less concerned. He didnt want to think about the people who had probably just died in the citys takeover. But of course, he did anyway.
They broke through into the dusty basement and made their way onto the streets after shaking off most of the dirt coating them. In many places, Chidi could have simply blended in with all the other cultivators. However at the current moment the only people out and about were the disciples of the Harmonious Citadel. Those who didnt cultivate- still a significant portion of many planets populations- also seemed to remain inside, even if they might technically be allowed to move about.
The pair of scouts made good use of the cover of darkness, as well as buildings and alleyways. Their target was somewhere central. Neither of them knew exactly what, and since they werent familiar with Sieburn they would just have to figure it out. Some administrative building, or anywhere else they thought would be of use.
Even if they thought nobody would hear, the two of them refrained from speaking. Aconites words would be concerning to anyone if she was heard, and they didnt want to accidentally give away their presence.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.
Hairs began to rise on the back of Chidis neck as they approached the center of the city. Was this the sort of time he should retreat? If they couldnt complete the mission, then leaving was the best for both them and the squad. Otherwise, they would just be killed or captured, and the squad would be waiting for people that would never return- likely to meet the same fate soon enough themselves.
As they continued closer, Chidi was able to place a source of his unease. It was a cultivator radiating an unbalanced sharpness. A cultivator so far above Chidi he couldnt even pretend he might have a chance to defeat them in a fight. Not an Augmentation cultivator- hed seen Tauno a couple times- but an Integration cultivator was still infinitely beyond him. Chidi wasnt even in Essence Collection yet. He was only a step away, but he couldnt figure out which step would bring him the right direction and not set him on a dead end path. And he couldnt easily change his answer.
Perhaps Chidi could have turned to leave, but he instead chose to press forward, after pausing to make sure Aconite was aware of the presence. She didnt seem to want to leave either.
No doubt an Integration cultivator would have useful information, but Chidi wasnt so crazy as to think he could get any of it. Instead, he kept the individual of unbalanced sharpness in his mind. The feeling was so strong, he wondered what happened to them. Or was it some sort of intentional trick to conceal their true threat?
The streets were fairly empty, because the Harmonious Citadel members who were present were not terribly numerous. Likely only hundreds in a city that could support thousands on the street, and not all of the occupying forces were just wandering about. They were still an annoyance, but all of them were loud in both displaying their cultivation and how they walked. Even their vision was not hidden, and Chidi could almost feel their arrogant gazes through walls. Or perhaps he did feel them, it was just that they werent looking at him. Or Aconite.
The pair darted across streets to alleyways, or scurried along them for a distance. Chidi could afford to be spotted from a distance, as his concealed cultivation would make him seem like a local citizen. Aconite would be more obvious, if they saw more than a vague shape. Though if they were spotted, looking like they were hurrying wouldnt be good for them.
Aconite had a solution, though. She reached for a powder in her bags. This time, Chidi had no reason to stop her. If she thought it would work, he would let her make use of it. He had no solution of his own.
Out of the bag came a powder, which Aconite placed at the bottom of the door. Then she inhaled strongly, before blowing the powder into the room under the threshold. Nobody reacted to the finely dispersed powder, but Chidi could feel the way their energy began to pulse strangely.
Breath through this, Aconite growled as low as possible, two little bits of energy plucking something from her bags and then shoving them into Chidis nose. It smelled bitter, and spicy. But he complied with Aconites instructions as he felt people in the room begin to collapse one at a time, unconscious and seemingly without sensing anything being wrong. It wont last long, she warned. We must hurry.
Inside the room, there were more papers- but also a large table with pieces sticking up from it. The table had a relief map- which made Chidi quite pleased- and it showed various pieces which should represent the Scarlet Alliance and the Harmonious Citadel. Chidi was also able to pick out different shaped banners, over what he presumed were various cities. He found Koton and Sieburn, recognizing the terrain, but standard maps werent of much use to him so he didnt have any familiarity with the rest.
There was an alarming amount of Harmonious Citadel presence, however. Whether it was simply plans or the current scenario, it was bad news. Chidi took in as much information as he could, while wandering around to gather documents.
He also had a question for Aconite. Wont they notice when they wake up? Shouldnt we already be running?
She nodded. We leave soon. In a few minutes, they wake. A few more to shake off brain fuzz. Then, it will be dangerous.
Chidi would have liked to get more information without alerting anyone, but he didnt know if they could have gotten far. That was why he didnt protest Aconites actions. Now, it was time for them to go. They needed to make it out of the city and report back to the squad hopefully before anyone realized they might be nearby. If all went well, they would presume spies were staying in the city. Hopefully, their tunnel wouldnt be discovered for a day or two.
Moving through the streets at nearly a run, the pair avoided the limited number of individuals out and about. They found themselves briefly approaching Rakiya, but she was not quite in the right section of city for their abandoned building.
Then they were back in their tunnel, the loose dirt only slowing them slightly as they basically swam through it and out the other side. All that, and they were still alive. Just in case, they waited inside the exit to their tunnel, wary of ambushers or someone following them. If they had been discovered and led someone to the squad Chidi didnt know if he could live with that. Emotionally, of course. Practically, he was certain to be dead along with the rest.
Not too long after that, they had returned to the squad. As he was reporting what they learned to Captain Tiras, he felt a huge sense of relief wash over him. They had survived the mission- and been successful. At least as much as could be hoped.
Something stirred inside of him with the burst of confidence flowing through his veins, though he didnt notice anything at that exact moment.
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Chapter 631
As they approached the walls of Sieburn from underground, Chidi couldnt help but get nervous. All it would take was one person feeling their movements or hearing something underground, and they would be compromised. Aconite was digging deep enough that they should be fine, but he couldnt help but worry. Perhaps that was because he was barely contributing.
With little else to do, he kept his ears and other senses open for anything that might be above. Sensing for the vibrations of someones footsteps wasnt easy, since he had to try to break through Aconites movements, digging huge chunks of dirt. He honestly wasnt sure if he succeeded at his goal- but he didnt sense anything.
Soon enough they were past the walls. They stopped a bit away from the walls, under a basement of what seemed to be an unoccupied building. It seemed like it had been that way for a while, which at least made Chidi less concerned. He didnt want to think about the people who had probably just died in the citys takeover. But of course, he did anyway.
They broke through into the dusty basement and made their way onto the streets after shaking off most of the dirt coating them. In many places, Chidi could have simply blended in with all the other cultivators. However at the current moment the only people out and about were the disciples of the Harmonious Citadel. Those who didnt cultivate- still a significant portion of many planets populations- also seemed to remain inside, even if they might technically be allowed to move about.
The pair of scouts made good use of the cover of darkness, as well as buildings and alleyways. Their target was somewhere central. Neither of them knew exactly what, and since they werent familiar with Sieburn they would just have to figure it out. Some administrative building, or anywhere else they thought would be of use.
Even if they thought nobody would hear, the two of them refrained from speaking. Aconites words would be concerning to anyone if she was heard, and they didnt want to accidentally give away their presence.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.
Hairs began to rise on the back of Chidis neck as they approached the center of the city. Was this the sort of time he should retreat? If they couldnt complete the mission, then leaving was the best for both them and the squad. Otherwise, they would just be killed or captured, and the squad would be waiting for people that would never return- likely to meet the same fate soon enough themselves.
As they continued closer, Chidi was able to place a source of his unease. It was a cultivator radiating an unbalanced sharpness. A cultivator so far above Chidi he couldnt even pretend he might have a chance to defeat them in a fight. Not an Augmentation cultivator- hed seen Tauno a couple times- but an Integration cultivator was still infinitely beyond him. Chidi wasnt even in Essence Collection yet. He was only a step away, but he couldnt figure out which step would bring him the right direction and not set him on a dead end path. And he couldnt easily change his answer.
Perhaps Chidi could have turned to leave, but he instead chose to press forward, after pausing to make sure Aconite was aware of the presence. She didnt seem to want to leave either.
No doubt an Integration cultivator would have useful information, but Chidi wasnt so crazy as to think he could get any of it. Instead, he kept the individual of unbalanced sharpness in his mind. The feeling was so strong, he wondered what happened to them. Or was it some sort of intentional trick to conceal their true threat?
The streets were fairly empty, because the Harmonious Citadel members who were present were not terribly numerous. Likely only hundreds in a city that could support thousands on the street, and not all of the occupying forces were just wandering about. They were still an annoyance, but all of them were loud in both displaying their cultivation and how they walked. Even their vision was not hidden, and Chidi could almost feel their arrogant gazes through walls. Or perhaps he did feel them, it was just that they werent looking at him. Or Aconite.
The pair darted across streets to alleyways, or scurried along them for a distance. Chidi could afford to be spotted from a distance, as his concealed cultivation would make him seem like a local citizen. Aconite would be more obvious, if they saw more than a vague shape. Though if they were spotted, looking like they were hurrying wouldnt be good for them.
Aconite had a solution, though. She reached for a powder in her bags. This time, Chidi had no reason to stop her. If she thought it would work, he would let her make use of it. He had no solution of his own.
Out of the bag came a powder, which Aconite placed at the bottom of the door. Then she inhaled strongly, before blowing the powder into the room under the threshold. Nobody reacted to the finely dispersed powder, but Chidi could feel the way their energy began to pulse strangely.
Breath through this, Aconite growled as low as possible, two little bits of energy plucking something from her bags and then shoving them into Chidis nose. It smelled bitter, and spicy. But he complied with Aconites instructions as he felt people in the room begin to collapse one at a time, unconscious and seemingly without sensing anything being wrong. It wont last long, she warned. We must hurry.
Inside the room, there were more papers- but also a large table with pieces sticking up from it. The table had a relief map- which made Chidi quite pleased- and it showed various pieces which should represent the Scarlet Alliance and the Harmonious Citadel. Chidi was also able to pick out different shaped banners, over what he presumed were various cities. He found Koton and Sieburn, recognizing the terrain, but standard maps werent of much use to him so he didnt have any familiarity with the rest.
There was an alarming amount of Harmonious Citadel presence, however. Whether it was simply plans or the current scenario, it was bad news. Chidi took in as much information as he could, while wandering around to gather documents.
He also had a question for Aconite. Wont they notice when they wake up? Shouldnt we already be running?
She nodded. We leave soon. In a few minutes, they wake. A few more to shake off brain fuzz. Then, it will be dangerous.
Chidi would have liked to get more information without alerting anyone, but he didnt know if they could have gotten far. That was why he didnt protest Aconites actions. Now, it was time for them to go. They needed to make it out of the city and report back to the squad hopefully before anyone realized they might be nearby. If all went well, they would presume spies were staying in the city. Hopefully, their tunnel wouldnt be discovered for a day or two.
Moving through the streets at nearly a run, the pair avoided the limited number of individuals out and about. They found themselves briefly approaching Rakiya, but she was not quite in the right section of city for their abandoned building.
Then they were back in their tunnel, the loose dirt only slowing them slightly as they basically swam through it and out the other side. All that, and they were still alive. Just in case, they waited inside the exit to their tunnel, wary of ambushers or someone following them. If they had been discovered and led someone to the squad Chidi didnt know if he could live with that. Emotionally, of course. Practically, he was certain to be dead along with the rest.
Not too long after that, they had returned to the squad. As he was reporting what they learned to Captain Tiras, he felt a huge sense of relief wash over him. They had survived the mission- and been successful. At least as much as could be hoped.
Something stirred inside of him with the burst of confidence flowing through his veins, though he didnt notice anything at that exact moment.
Chapter 631As they approached the walls of Sieburn from underground, Chidi couldnt help but get nervous. All it would take was one person feeling their movements or hearing something underground, and they would be compromised. Aconite was digging deep enough that they should be fine, but he couldnt help but worry. Perhaps that was because he was barely contributing.With little else to do, he kept his ears and other senses open for anything that might be above. Sensing for the vibrations of someones footsteps wasnt easy, since he had to try to break through Aconites movements, digging huge chunks of dirt. He honestly wasnt sure if he succeeded at his goal- but he didnt sense anything.Soon enough they were past the walls. They stopped a bit away from the walls, under a basement of what seemed to be an unoccupied building. It seemed like it had been that way for a while, which at least made Chidi less concerned. He didnt want to think about the people who had probably just died in the citys takeover. But of course, he did anyway.They broke through into the dusty basement and made their way onto the streets after shaking off most of the dirt coating them. In many places, Chidi could have simply blended in with all the other cultivators. However at the current moment the only people out and about were the disciples of the Harmonious Citadel. Those who didnt cultivate- still a significant portion of many planets populations- also seemed to remain inside, even if they might technically be allowed to move about.The pair of scouts made good use of the cover of darkness, as well as buildings and alleyways. Their target was somewhere central. Neither of them knew exactly what, and since they werent familiar with Sieburn they would just have to figure it out. Some administrative building, or anywhere else they thought would be of use.Even if they thought nobody would hear, the two of them refrained from speaking. Aconites words would be concerning to anyone if she was heard, and they didnt want to accidentally give away their presence.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.Hairs began to rise on the back of Chidis neck as they approached the center of the city. Was this the sort of time he should retreat? If they couldnt complete the mission, then leaving was the best for both them and the squad. Otherwise, they would just be killed or captured, and the squad would be waiting for people that would never return- likely to meet the same fate soon enough themselves.As they continued closer, Chidi was able to place a source of his unease. It was a cultivator radiating an unbalanced sharpness. A cultivator so far above Chidi he couldnt even pretend he might have a chance to defeat them in a fight. Not an Augmentation cultivator- hed seen Tauno a couple times- but an Integration cultivator was still infinitely beyond him. Chidi wasnt even in Essence Collection yet. He was only a step away, but he couldnt figure out which step would bring him the right direction and not set him on a dead end path. And he couldnt easily change his answer.Perhaps Chidi could have turned to leave, but he instead chose to press forward, after pausing to make sure Aconite was aware of the presence. She didnt seem to want to leave either. No doubt an Integration cultivator would have useful information, but Chidi wasnt so crazy as to think he could get any of it. Instead, he kept the individual of unbalanced sharpness in his mind. The feeling was so strong, he wondered what happened to them. Or was it some sort of intentional trick to conceal their true threat?The streets were fairly empty, because the Harmonious Citadel members who were present were not terribly numerous. Likely only hundreds in a city that could support thousands on the street, and not all of the occupying forces were just wandering about. They were still an annoyance, but all of them were loud in both displaying their cultivation and how they walked. Even their vision was not hidden, and Chidi could almost feel their arrogant gazes through walls. Or perhaps he did feel them, it was just that they werent looking at him. Or Aconite.The pair darted across streets to alleyways, or scurried along them for a distance. Chidi could afford to be spotted from a distance, as his concealed cultivation would make him seem like a local citizen. Aconite would be more obvious, if they saw more than a vague shape. Though if they were spotted, looking like they were hurrying wouldnt be good for them.Aconite had a solution, though. She reached for a powder in her bags. This time, Chidi had no reason to stop her. If she thought it would work, he would let her make use of it. He had no solution of his own.Out of the bag came a powder, which Aconite placed at the bottom of the door. Then she inhaled strongly, before blowing the powder into the room under the threshold. Nobody reacted to the finely dispersed powder, but Chidi could feel the way their energy began to pulse strangely.Breath through this, Aconite growled as low as possible, two little bits of energy plucking something from her bags and then shoving them into Chidis nose. It smelled bitter, and spicy. But he complied with Aconites instructions as he felt people in the room begin to collapse one at a time, unconscious and seemingly without sensing anything being wrong. It wont last long, she warned. We must hurry.Inside the room, there were more papers- but also a large table with pieces sticking up from it. The table had a relief map- which made Chidi quite pleased- and it showed various pieces which should represent the Scarlet Alliance and the Harmonious Citadel. Chidi was also able to pick out different shaped banners, over what he presumed were various cities. He found Koton and Sieburn, recognizing the terrain, but standard maps werent of much use to him so he didnt have any familiarity with the rest.There was an alarming amount of Harmonious Citadel presence, however. Whether it was simply plans or the current scenario, it was bad news. Chidi took in as much information as he could, while wandering around to gather documents.He also had a question for Aconite. Wont they notice when they wake up? Shouldnt we already be running?She nodded. We leave soon. In a few minutes, they wake. A few more to shake off brain fuzz. Then, it will be dangerous.Chidi would have liked to get more information without alerting anyone, but he didnt know if they could have gotten far. That was why he didnt protest Aconites actions. Now, it was time for them to go. They needed to make it out of the city and report back to the squad hopefully before anyone realized they might be nearby. If all went well, they would presume spies were staying in the city. Hopefully, their tunnel wouldnt be discovered for a day or two.Moving through the streets at nearly a run, the pair avoided the limited number of individuals out and about. They found themselves briefly approaching Rakiya, but she was not quite in the right section of city for their abandoned building. Then they were back in their tunnel, the loose dirt only slowing them slightly as they basically swam through it and out the other side. All that, and they were still alive. Just in case, they waited inside the exit to their tunnel, wary of ambushers or someone following them. If they had been discovered and led someone to the squad Chidi didnt know if he could live with that. Emotionally, of course. Practically, he was certain to be dead along with the rest.Not too long after that, they had returned to the squad. As he was reporting what they learned to Captain Tiras, he felt a huge sense of relief wash over him. They had survived the mission- and been successful. At least as much as could be hoped.Something stirred inside of him with the burst of confidence flowing through his veins, though he didnt notice anything at that exact moment.
