by Neven Iliev
“Oh…”
“I’m sorry, love. You showed up so suddenly that I didn’t get a chance to request time off. I might not have gotten it anyway. The war effort’s straining our supplies, so the clinic needs all hands on deck.”
“I see,” Keira’s smile wavered for a brief moment. “That’s fine. I have some things I need to do, and it may be best if I did those on my own.”
“Alright. Just… I’m here for you if you need me.”
“I know.”
The two of them shared a light kiss and returned to their plates in relative silence. The unspoken question surrounding her parent’s visit hung heavily over the elf. Rowana’s mother didn’t specify when and where, so she unilaterally put it off until Keira was back from that stupid war for good. As long as her lover was safe, the elf wouldn’t mind if she were disowned or even run out of town. It probably wouldn’t come to that, though. Even if her father couldn’t approve of the relationship, her mother seemed supportive enough. Doris Slyth wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her children, including her temperamental husband.
Her support was reassuring but did little to make Rowana feel any less awkward about formally introducing her girlfriend to her parents.
Once breakfast was done, Keira dressed casually in a loose white blouse paired with an ankle-length red skirt. It wasn’t the tomboy’s usual style, but her lover gave her the outfit as an impromptu welcome-home gift. The redhead put a thick coat on top to protect against the chilly autumn weather and slung a heavy leather bag over her shoulder. She was about to head out when Rowana reprimanded her for almost leaving barefoot in such gloomy weather, but the beastkin insisted she would be fine. One brief argument later, Keira left the house wearing some ironically ugly boots.
The rookie Ranger’s first order of business was to show her face around a few shops and establishments, mostly to assure friends and acquaintances that she was alive and well. Those social obligations out of the way, Keira swung by the Central Consortium building. Boxxy took this opportunity to get the Rogue Job out of its Status by posing as a traumatized rookie adventurer who didn’t want to be drafted. Next, it reassumed its catgirl persona and dropped off a ceramic jar containing Faehorn’s ashes with the Hidden Arrow guild. Condolences were passed around, and they informed Keira that the funeral ceremony would be held the day after tomorrow, which the girl obviously would attend.
The next stop on the catgirl’s itinerary for the day was a visit to the Hammers of Horkensaft – the craftsman’s guild Fizzy officially belonged to. It was truly convenient that all these guilds were in the same building complex. Keira put in a large order of Artificer parts on the golem’s behalf, as well as some extras for her own tinkering needs. Her business with the Central Consortium finished, she moved on to the nearest shopping district. She sought out a guild-recommended fletcher’s shop in order to purchase a magic shortbow and a large supply of steel-tipped arrows. While the Republic Legions had standard issue weaponry, it was common – and to some degree, expected – for adventurer conscripts to bring personalized arms and armor. Thus, Keira stopped at the leatherworker down the street where she was fitted for a new set of cold-resistant gear in preparation for the coming winter.
However, the redhead’s shopping spree hit a slight hitch. She wanted personalized gear rather than off-the-shelf stuff. There were undeniable benefits to this approach since there were as many ways of adventuring as there were adventurers, but there were certain drawbacks as well. Preparing the items to order required time and money, and Keira was supposed to ship out to the front lines within a week. She had to pay extra upfront to have them ready before then, but she could comfortably afford it.
The Republic government had quite a few problems on their hands, but finances weren’t one of them. They paid their standing army and adventurer conscripts a regular salary while also offering generous combat bonus incentives. These were particularly effective on the latter group, as gold was an adventurer’s lifeblood. Given Keira’s exceptional performance during the siege, she had received quite the sizeable sum indeed. Her guild membership also earned her a small discount with those particular shops, which lessened Keira’s financial burden even further.
It seemed a bit strange at first, but Boxxy had gotten used to separating its private wealth from its public persona’s earnings. Though it could easily afford all kinds of high-end gear for its alter ego, it had to be careful not to spend more money than Keira should have had. Doing so would attract the attention of the government’s Public Tax Authority, or PTA for short. It was run by a fanatical sect that worshipped Mortimer, God of Death and Commerce. It was well within their legal and moral authority to collect what the government was owed even if it meant putting someone in the ground. Rumor suggested the most egregious offenders found themselves on the infamous Hero of Death’s hit list. Boxxy didn’t feel like pissing off a divinely sanctioned super-assassin, so it made sure to carefully obey the PTA’s regulations.
The final stop on the catgirl’s shopping spree was a magic item emporium. She bought a short brass wand anyone could use to easily start a campfire as well as a silver bracelet which provided a moderate boost to cold resistance. The purpose of these items was not to act as a cover for Keira, but to actually help combat the incoming winter. Acting aside, Boxxy held genuine concern for the season’s freezing temperatures. It hadn’t been subjected to extreme weather like that, so it wasn’t sure how well its body would handle it without magical assistance.
After spending most of the morning throwing money around, Keira stopped by an inn near Rowana’s house for a late lunch. The food was a bit more expensive than other restaurants, but earning Doppelganger XP from all the familiar faces was more important than saving a few Gold Pieces. Keira chatted about inconsequential things while eating her fill for almost an hour before finally leaving. She didn’t have anything else to do for a few hours, so she took the opportunity to go for a long walk around the city. Eventually, she came to a small, rather desolate park. The late autumn season had just finished robbing most of the bushes and smaller trees of their leaves, although the stubborn hylt canopy far overhead was as vibrant green as ever. The catgirl smiled solemnly, sat down on an old bench, and gazed up at the leafy tapestry as if lost in thought.
While it wasn’t strange for Boxxy to maintain its act at all times, it was unusually thorough that day. Under normal circumstances, it would have already ducked into an alley or sewer before sneaking off to do monster things. It could have returned to its lair to continue playing with its treasure or perhaps indulged in some light tinkering. Alternatively, it could have sought out some victims to feast on, experiment with, or torment for its own enjoyment. It could have even performed some petty theft along the way. Indeed, there was much the man-eating monster wanted to do, and spacing out in a windy park wasn’t even on the list. It was, however, a perfectly reasonable activity given Keira’s personality and circumstances.
Which was exactly what Boxxy wanted to show the two people that had been tailing it since morning.
Chapter Two
The Faceless
Part One
Boxxy first suspected it was being followed in the middle of its shopping spree. It noticed a certain pair of elves that were always loitering in its general vicinity, actively avoiding its line of sight. Unbeknownst to them, the redhead had a mimic-grade Mana Locator Gland tucked away in her chest cavity. The monstrous organ sensed the pair darting in and out of the effective range of its omnidirectional perception and managed to sense them through a few walls and around a few corners. Once it noticed something was amiss, Boxxy created a number of tiny eyes hidden inside Keira’s crimson locks. It was a risky bit of shapeshifting, but it paid off.
The beastkin’s pursuers were a man and a woman. The former was a plain-looking young adult with short green hair typical of elves his age. He had the sort of forgettable appearance that was easy to lose in a crowd. The girl was in her mid-to-late teens with unremarkable fe
atures that matched the male’s, aside from sporting a more feminine shoulder-length haircut. Their clothes were similarly unassuming, consisting primarily of long brown coats and knee-high boots. On the whole, it was as if someone had breathed life into the phrase ‘generic elf couple.’
And yes, the two of them were most definitely together, at least in a professional capacity. They were far too coordinated and far too well-armed. Their weapons were concealed beneath their coats, up their sleeves, and in their pockets, yet Boxxy’s MLG spied all of them. The equipment consisted of several hidden blades and a few vials filled with unknown alchemical substances. More important, they had no badges or identifying papers on them. Thus, they weren’t part of the Republic’s Foreign Intelligence Bureau. And if they weren’t with the FIB, that meant they were either foreign spies or agents of some underground organization.
In short, the authorities wouldn’t notice if the pair suddenly disappeared. That was good, but Boxxy needed to know why they were following it. Were they targeting its redheaded alter ego? Or had someone deduced the shapeshifter’s true nature? The doppelganger had an idea or two about how to get the answers it needed. Given its opponents’ emphasis on stealth and subterfuge, it deemed that a direct confrontation was not its best option. Sure, it could kill and gobble them up, but then it wouldn’t know who sent them. It opted for a more subtle approach – lure them in and force them to play their hand before turning the tables on them at the right moment. Admittedly, this plan was hastily thrown together, but if the shapeshifter had learned anything during its mimic days, it was how to set, bait, and spring a trap.
To that end, it had ducked inside a public restroom during its post-lunch hike and used the Voidcaller staff to quickly and quietly summon Drea. It ordered the stalker demon to stealthily tail the two elves, keeping Boxxy telepathically posted on their movements. This way it didn’t have to personally observe them, lessening the risk of its pursuers figuring out their quarry was onto them. There was a chance they might have spotted the stalker demon, of course, but it was so miniscule it wasn’t even worth considering.
More importantly, the monster had some reliable back up ready for when the proceedings turned violent. And, according to the creature’s instincts, they absolutely would. Thankfully, those two were far too young to be a serious threat. Enlightened needed time to develop their Levels, and the elves tailing Boxxy couldn’t have been stronger than Level 40 or 50. Even that estimate was generous. They likely felt confident taking on an adventurer of Keira’s strength, but stood no chance against the shapeshifter’s full might.
Boxxy’s only worry was compromising its disguise. It chose this out-of-the-way old park for its counter ambush because it knew the place was usually empty at this time of day. There was also a slight fog that limited long-distance visibility, further lessening the chance that a random pedestrian would see what was about to transpire. However, it was impossible to guarantee that there would be no witnesses. Boxxy had to be quite careful about going all out in the open. It decided to exercise restraint until it felt its life was in real danger, at which point it wouldn’t hesitate turning those two morons into an afternoon snack.
However, the shapeshifter’s ‘guests’ weren’t taking the bait. The elves had yet to make a move even though twenty minutes passed since Keira sat down on that bench. The shapeshifter figured they perhaps needed a nudge, so it made its outward appearance even more vulnerable by pretending to nod off. The redheaded catkin’s head gently fell to the side, resting on her shoulder while her eyes slowly closed. The rest of her body went gradually limp and her breathing became shallow. It was a picture-perfect imitation of an impromptu afternoon nap in the park.
The two stalkers waited a few more minutes before finally taking action. The man slyly approached his mark from behind while his partner acted as lookout. The girl even checked the branches and trees overhead for abnormalities, suggesting a certain degree of competence. However, she didn’t have a hope of spotting Drea. Between the arachnid demon’s centuries of experience and her species’ natural predisposition towards hiding, it would take much more than a cursory glance to catch sight of her. Even the stalker’s master had difficulty keeping track of her whereabouts at times.
The beastkin kept snoozing quietly as the elf crept closer and closer while using Stealth to mask the sounds of his footsteps. He reached into his coat and pulled out a strange cylindrical flask, but its contents were more gaseous than liquid. He intended to spray his quarry with a dubious substance meant to knock her out for a while. Or so Boxxy assumed. If the elf wanted to kill Keira, he would have reached for one of his blades instead.
When he was two or three meters away, however, the man failed to notice a dry twig hidden beneath the foliage.
*CRACK*
It produced an audible sound the Stealth Skill could not eliminate.
Goddamn amateurs.
Boxxy scoffed inwardly. It intended to maintain the ruse, allowing itself to be captured, but there was no way a Ranger of Keira’s Level wouldn’t notice the disturbance. Thus, it had to put up some token resistance.
“Zzzz…. Hm!?”
The girl ‘woke up’ and instantly stood from her seat while turning around. Her eyes agape, she took in the suspicious individual for a few tense moments before speaking.
“Do you have business with me?!” she aggressively asked.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just that you really shouldn’t be sleeping at a place like this. You’ll catch a cold.”
His reply was instantaneous and delivered with a sincere, casual tone. Any regular person would be fooled ten out of ten times, but Keira was an adventurer who had just returned from the front lines. A person in her position should be exceptionally suspicious or perhaps even paranoid. Or at least that was how Boxxy chose to play this out, so it had the catgirl’s eyes quickly scan the stranger toe-to-tip for anything suspicious.
“Is that so?” she took a step back. “Then what about that thing sticking out of your coat pocket?”
The alchemical spray he was holding earlier had been hurriedly stuffed in there, but it was too big to fully fit into the shallow pocket.
“Oh, this?” he pulled out the item in question. “It’s little something for self-defense in case muggers show up. Can never be too careful, you know? Especially during these turbulent times.”
“My thoughts exactly!”
The catgirl’s ears twitched slightly just before she abruptly rolled to the side. She just barely dodged a thrown knife covered in some suspicious liquid. It grazed her coat’s shoulder and cut open the fabric, but failed to scratch her skin. The blade had been thrown by the man’s accomplice, who had circled around to the beastkin’s blind spot while he distracted the girl with his words.
“Master, can I eat her up?!” Claws enthusiastically asked.
“Not yet,” Boxxy replied to the mental prodding. “Remain on standby until I say otherwise.”
The male quickly reached for his own substance-coated dagger. He dashed forward, slashing at the catgirl’s side, but she stepped closer to him and caught his outstretched arm by the wrist. She noted the above-average force behind that blow and grunted a bit, then slashed at his clenched fist with the claws on her free hand. The man yelled in pain and dropped his weapon, blood gushing out from his fingers. Keira snatched the blade before it hit the ground and created some distance between them. She put the dagger in her mouth, clung onto the handle with her teeth, and dropped down on all fours. Next, she turned tail and ran away in a zigzag pattern. Her assailants immediately gave chase and unleashed a flurry of throwing knives. Most of them missed, but Boxxy allowed one of them to pierce Keira’s thigh.
“Aaargh!”
The catgirl screamed in pain and fell to the ground, dropping the dagger in the process. She tried to get up and continue running, but her leg wasn’t listening to her. The tiny knife didn’t do much damage, but its paralytic poison was already coursing through
her blood.
The elven couple caught up with the crippled beastkin a few moments later. The man grabbed her from behind in something akin to a sleeper hold and forced her to her feet. She struggled and screamed, but she couldn’t break loose. His cohort then sprayed the captive in the face with the same stuff they tried to use on her initially. Keira coughed and thrashed about, her movements rapidly turning duller and more lethargic until her body went completely limp.
The two assailants carefully looked her over, making sure she was unconscious while they scanned the surroundings for any would be witnesses. After concluding the target was subdued, the man pulled out a large, thick bag and stuffed the catgirl inside. He then threw it over his shoulder and calmly walked out of the park alongside his accomplice. Their captive was packed so well it was impossible for a passerby to mistake the bag’s lump for a victim, further implying this wasn’t their first abduction.
“Now can I eat them up, Master?!” Drea insisted again.
“Not quite yet. Just shadow them.”
“Aw… Okay…”
Boxxy wasn’t actually unconscious, but merely playing along. The elves obviously had no idea what they were dealing with. If they did, they would have used at least five times the dosage. Between its concentrated biomass and absurd END Attribute, it took quite a lot of poison to adversely affect Boxxy. The amount it was exposed to had only made it a tiny bit drowsy. In any event, the hard part was over. All the shapeshifter had to do now was carefully monitor the situation until it learned what it needed to know.
“You almost screwed the pooch on this one, K.”
The female assailant barely waited a minute before she quietly ripped into her partner.
“You saw the part of her file that said, ‘unusually observant,’ right?” she added.
“I know, I know!” the man shout-whispered. “It’s just been a while since I was out in the field, okay? Besides, you completely cocked up the chance I gave you after she woke up.”
