Published at 18th of May 2026 7:19 am

Chapter 357: Hostile Action

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Nicolai found Serrin in the market. Specifically, he was in Lee and Maras shop, and had somehow found his way into conversation with Lee.

Here he is, said Lee, grinning at Nicolai, while Serrin turned. Ive been told Serrin here is a friend of yours. I recognised the camouflage when he came wandering in.

Nicolai nodded. I hope youve been good to him.

Of course! said Lee.

Hes been telling me about the City, said the Hornet. You never mentioned there are tournaments here, he added accusingly.

Did I not? murmured Nicolai. No, he hadnt. Hed known Serrin would want to take part, and that the Hornet would only be disappointed. He was 99% sure Serrin wouldnt be able to join without a Mark.

And youve won the Level One Tournament twice, added Serrin. Nicolai had the impression the Hornet was giving him one of those difficult to read looks, though if he was, then the skinsuit helmet made it even more unreadable. Serrins Soul was tightly guarded now they were out in the City and amongst others, he only loosened it when they were alone. I intend to take part, he added, clenching a gloved fist.

An intention that was doomed to failure, at least on this trip. Nicolai actually considered that a bit of a shame. Hed have enjoyed seeing how the Hornet performed, and it would be interesting to face him in a situation with a little more at stake than their typical spars. Plus, the Free For All round would likely go quite a bit more smoothly with an ally of Serrins calibre. Hopefully Xuejing would be competing today, as he was sure shed be willing to team up with him for that phasethough this all assumed hed have time in the first place. His plate was pretty full with the Queens demands.

Sure you wont tell me where youre from? said Lee, frowning thoughtfully at Serrin. Never heard an accent like that, not in all my years.

Uh sorry, no, replied Serrin, fidgeting.

Its rude to pry, added Nicolai, which led to Lee giving Serrin a series of increasingly verbose apologies that only made the Hornet more uncomfortable.

Nicolai left them to it, seeking out Mara. He hadnt been gone long, but theyd already managed to sell a number of anti-materiel rifles. He was definitely going to create far more of those to sell next time, they were by far the most popular item. Plus, he was also providing the ten-round magazines for a couple thousand each. Not a lot, but people would need them, and it all added up.

He would have sold.50 cal rounds too, for slightly cheaper than the Trade Link did, but after what had happened the week before he was wary of selling ammunition. Not until he had stockpiled enough to kill a literal army of bugs, then bring them back to life and kill them all over again. His paranoia wouldnt be soothed until he had multiple rooms packed full of ammo.

After trading more goods for funds, he collected Serrin and they headed off. Hed intended to head directly to Xyrrith and Drekhul. He was late for their meeting. Either unaware of this or simply uncaring, Serrin veered away, turning eagerly towards the cultivator-owned shops.

I already went in the one selling stuff from your planet, Serrin chattered, acting as though he didnt feel the wave of annoyance Nicolai, forced to follow after, emanated at him. Very interesting, but I could barely understand most of it. Lee sold things I recognise, but he also confessed to me that his wares arent quite up to the standard of the other shops. Can you feel the emanations? This one must have some amazing stuff inside!

Serrin arrived right before the largest cultivator shop, making a beeline for the open doorway.

Stop right there, barbarian scum, came a sharp voice, one of the Shenran guards wrenching Serrins gaze over to him as he stepped forward. Your kind arent welcome here, the man growled.

Why not? the Hornet asked, confused. I want to see what you have for sale.

The guards exchanged faintly confused glances, then the lead one turned back. You! Are! Not! Allowed! he yelled, apparently deciding Serrin must be especially stupid. You can try one of those! and he pointed to one of the smaller shops, which, grudgingly, allowed those from Earth.

But I want to come into this one?

The man pointed up at the no barbarians sign. Not allowed! Go away! He looked over at Nicolai and scowled. Are you as stupid as he is? If not, take your friend away. Apparently the man didnt recognise him, or hed have anticipated a different reaction. His reputation amongst the Shenrans couldnt be much lower.

Serrin turned to him, hands half raised in confusion. Nicolai managed to get a hand on the Hornet and drew him into following, though this time he was far less resistant, if anything he seemed almost afraid.

Serrin began to ripple only to cut it off, returning to his halting Shenran. Do do they know? he hissed, voice low, sounding very worried. What I am?

Its not that. The opposite, if anything. The skinsuit seems a very effective disguise. They are convinced you are one of my people, and my people are not allowed in there. He gestured around the Market. Havent you noticed the division at work? There are two races here, and neither likes the other.

But you are all humans, said Serrin, sounding even more confused. Youre all the same. Theres no reason for you not to all just work together. He looked back at the shop. I mean, arent you? They are human, arent they?

Yes, I believe so. My investigations reveal very few significant differences between us.

But you all hate each other? Do you hate them?

No. His views on this were very simple. People are people. It doesnt matter which planet theyre from, nor how they look. Ultimately, they are all quite similar.

Serrin cocked his head. You speak of humans like you arent one.

A habit of mine. I find it easier to analyse things from a removed perspective. Nicolai gestured onwards. Serrin fell into a troubled silence after that, hopefully ruminating on this new information, and not Nicolais slip. He set a quick pace and before long theyd found who they were looking for.

The Queens two spies were loitering midway down a quiet backstreet. Drekhul was sitting on the steps leading up to the porch of one of the houses. His large, barbaric-looking Cultivator body wore all the signs of boredomchin in his hand, elbow on his knee, staring aimlessly into the distance. Surprising, that, as these differed from typical Hornet body language. Xyrrith, meanwhile, was pacing impatiently up and down in front of his brother, belt of fine chains clinking around his slender hips with his movement, and his pinched features, framed by long black hair, were almost entirely expressionless.

The pair stirred the moment Nicolai and Serrin came into sight, Drekhul rising hastily to his feet. They stood side by side, Xyrrith with arms crossed, Drekhul resting a hand on the mace hanging from his beltthe same one hed used in their first encounter.

The pair stared at Serrin, faces blank, then their eyes flicked to him. They werent quite as good as guarding their Souls as he and Serrin, and from the minuscule emanations leaking from them, Threat Analysis and Psychology determined they were feeling a combination of wariness and confusion. He guessed they didnt recognise their brother, and thought he was bringing someone uninvited.

That changed when they came close enough for Soul Senses to touch.

Serrin? said Drekhul, disbelieving, only to burst out into delighted laughter. Look at the two of you, youre a matching set. The human has turned you into his little clone!

I am not a clone, growled Serrin. This is my disguise. You two look far more ridiculous. The pair scowled back at him.

Good expressions, said Nicolai, noting the scowls. Youve gottn better at expressing yourselves as a human would with those bodies.

Xyrrith shrugged (a little stiffly, but still). It is happening by itself, as we spend more time in these forms. It is quite annoying. My face starts to move without me wishing it.

Where have you two been, anyway? said Drekhul. Weve been waiting here for almost an hour. Dont you know your job is to do what the Queen ordered?

My apologies. I was stuck with some business I simply couldnt get away from. In the future, I promise to arrive sooner.

Drekhul snorted, a little spike of irritation emanating from him.

But, added Nicolai, I was also completing one of our tasks. I now have access to a large number of mercenaries, ready to be hired whenever Vexira needs them.

Queen Vexira, corrected Drekhul sharply. So you arent entirely useless, he added.

Well done, said Xyrrith, pale features shifting into a reasonably natural smile. Who are they? How shall we contact them?

Ive used my personal connections to arrange this, its best if you dont speak with them until we need them. He sighed. Ill have to be the go-between. He shook his head and let out a few faint emanations, doing his best to give the impression that managing mercenaries was a big pain and he didnt want any part of it. From the sidelong look Serrin gave him, he knew the Hornet knew he was putting on an act, but the other two seemed convinced.

In fact, he intended to keep himself in the middle of this as much as possible. Gregory was taking a cut of 20%. He, in turn, hoped to get as much as 40%. The Hornets were rich, and Players, all new arrivals to this world, tended to be poor. He was sure he could hire a good number quite cheaply, then greatly inflate the price when he presented it to the Queen. Plus, if he could ensure he was the one holding the mercenaries wages, they would effectively see him as their employer and ultimate boss. That could come in very, very useful, but it would only work if he could make sure the Hornets didnt get a direct line to Gregory.

Xyrrith nodded. Lets get moving, he said, starting off. We need to begin our investigation of House Veyron, and wed rather not go alone. If they notice were spying theres no telling what they might do, these People Houses are a little unpredictable.

They arent the only ones, muttered Drekhul, eyeing Nicolai.

As the group moved through the streets, Xyrrith also filled him and Serrin in on what theyd been up to.

It transpired there were a number of Keystones in the Sector. Each of the three minor Houses possessed one, House Thrynn and Veyron possessed two each, and House Morvain had threewith the third captured from Veyron sometime in the past few months, before the City had officially opened.

Interestingly, as they told him of these Keystones, Nicolais Mark pulsed. Checking it, he found his map was updating with the information. It was more and more filled out, now. All the servicesDuel Arena, Gambling Hall, etc.,were listed, plus the Guilds, the main compounds held by the various Houses, and now the Keystones, too.

Not long later, their walk through the streets ended when Xyrrith led them to the top of a small tower. House Veyron, he proclaimed, standing up against the railing and waving out at the view.

Nicolai gazed down at the large estate. It was surrounded by a wall several metres high, manned by skeletal undead. Inside the compound were numerous sprawling buildings with a few large towers.

You see the problem, added Xyrrith. Earlier hed spoken of the difficulty of infiltrating this place.

Meanwhile, Drekhul pulled what looked like a gnarled root from his pocket, the sensing device Arcritch had created. It shimmered faintly in spiritual sight, and that glow intensified as he fed Oma into it. It also began releasing increasingly large ripples, pulsing them out.

Just as discovered last time, the Relic is in there somewhere, he murmured. Shrugging, he added, I dont know why he felt the need to give us this, we already trailing off, the brutish features of his human skin twisted into a rather dumb looking frown. Nicolai felt the expression quite fitting for Drekhul. Wait, theres the Hornet continued, confused, turning and waving the root around, another Relic?

Nicolai accepted that easily enough. One, two, whatever. Serrin didnt even seem to notice, busy staring down curiously at the Veyron compound. Xyrrith, on the other hand, seemed very confused.

Are you using it right? he asked, trying to take it off Drekhul, but the other dodged out the way.

Of course I am, Drekhul snapped. If theres a problem, its with this thing, not my use of it.

I dont think Arcritch would make a mistake, and there is only one Relic. Mother was very clear on that, said Xyrrith testily. Come on, give it here

Maybe its in two halves? spoke up Serrin idly, glancing back. You know. He made a gesture as though holding an invisible rod then mimed cutting it in half, with accompanying sound effects.

Could that be possible? muttered Drekhul, exchanging an uncertain glance with Xyrrith.

Nicolai clapped his hands, rolling his eyes. Why not? Lets go see. He had to make a show of helping these two, because everything here would get back to the Queen, but he wanted to waste as little time as possible. He herded them all towards the stairs. The Tournament was starting in an hour and he didnt want to miss it.

###

The four of them peered around a corner and down a long street which terminated at a bell tower. This one was more heavily fortified than usual, and Drekhuls device said Relic #2 was there. Nicolai recognised this compound as being controlled by House Thrynn, of which he informed the others. An easy judgement to make, as each House had its own brand of undeadin this case, tall, long-limbed, armoured ghouls, alongside some kind of floating ghosts or shades that resembled flying shadows.

This is just an outpost, he added, not their main compound. That was about two miles away.

Good, very good, murmured Xyrrith. This place looks far easier to steal from.

The four of them were surprised when the large gate swung open, and they quickly retreated around the corner. Peering around it with Soul Senses, they saw rank after rank of ghouls come shambling out. These were followed by a gigantic cart, or at least the Peoples version of one. Formed from undead flesh and bone rather than wood, it had six elephant-like legs that thumped the street with each swaying step. Above that it turned into a large, flat platform, in the centre of which was a large metal box inscribed with runes. Standing in front of the box was a Person wearing ornate robesthe colours of a noble of House Thrynnand beside him was another wearing light armour, made particularly striking by the bat-like wings folded against his back.

A few more ranks of ghouls followed after the cart, then the gates swung closed as the procession turned and marched down the street. Based on the direction they turned, Nicolai quickly concluded they were most likely heading to the main Thrynn compound.

This was giving him a bad feeling. Hed wanted to spend an hour engaged in reconnaissance, then head to the Tournament. He certainly didnt want to make any actual progress on the Relic finding goal, not today. He glanced at Drekhul, the bad feeling turning into an unpleasant certainty.

Drekhul was staring at the stupid root. He waved it a few times, dumb eyes widening in his dumb face. They have it, he breathed, disbelieving. The half. Its in that box! Noting the powerful ripples coming from the root, he quickly deactivated it.

They must be moving it! said Xyrrith excitedly. What a chance! We might be able to steal it! Nicolai could see the wheels turning in his eyes. Doubtless thinking of how the Queen might reward him for such a quick success.

How? he spoke up. The Restriction stops you from stealing anything. We cant attack them, we cant steal from them, and any attempt to do so will only show our hand.

Thats true, said Xyrrith, now in a thoughtful tone of voice Nicolai didnt like one bit. But you never know what opportunities might arise. Well stick close. We have to see where they take it in any case.

Not scared are you, human? asked Drekhul, smirking.

He didnt bother to reply, deep in thought. This was a dangerous game he had to play. If the Queen gained the Relic, she might be able to remove the Binding. Hopefully the Relic was just one part of whatever she had planned, but he wouldnt rely on hope. If she got the Binding off she would have little need for him and he would most likely be killed. But if he simply refused to do her bidding or otherwise obviously worked against her aims, that would also push her into killing him.

He had to do his best to act as though doing everything he could to further her goals, while ensuring they didnt actually succeednot until he had worked out how to deal with the poison construct, at a minimum.

The cart and its procession moved off. The area they were in had very few players wandering around. There were no services nearby. In places where there wasnt something to do, players didnt tend to congregate, and the four of them would be very obvious if they followed. So, after a brief discussion they engaged Cloaking Symbiotes then rose up to the roofs. Even in their disguised forms, the Hornets could still make use of their Wing Symbiotes.

Xyrrith and Drekhul continued to whisper eagerly, using ripple-speech through touching Soul Sense tendrils, trying to come up with a way to steal the Relic from the box. Nicolai was just waiting for it to reach its destination, and spent his time shooting holes in their ideas. As most of these ideas were idiotic in nature, he managed this quite easily and all under the guise of wanting to ensure they did things perfectly.

The procession was halfway to what he guessed was its destination when Threat Analysis pulled at his attention. Via the drones he had throughout the area, it had seen the signs of an ambush. He called a halt. They were on a sloping roof which had large outcrops for windows that served as handy coverCloaking wasnt entirely foolproof, after all.

Its an ambush, he murmured, seeing undead moving within houses either side of the street, just ahead of the procession. Whichever group it was had known about this move and set up beforehand. Xyrrith and Drekhul let out excited gasps. Even Serrin, whod been staying quiet, perked up with interest.

Perfect, said Xyrrith. Which House?

Morvain, he answered. The undead were pouring onto the street, now, and Morvain had a very recognisable type.

The procession below was currently going down a long, winding street, with a blind turn ahead of them. The Morvain forcesblack armoured undeadwere emerging from houses just around that bend, out of sight, and massing. After forming up they marched around the bend, coming into the direct view of him, the other three, and the Thrynn procession.

The ghouls and the cart shambled to a stop, shock obvious in the two People standing atop it. Immediately the cart started moving back, as did the ghouls, but from the houses behind them doors opened and a smaller number of Morvain undead flowed out. Only, these ones were hauling large chunks of wood, and immediately set to building a barricade. They managed it with impressive speed, and the ghouls came to a halt. The noble was turning in all directions, desperation clear.

The procession was blocked in.

Nicolai nodded to himself, thumb on his chin. Nicely executed, he thought, and the Modules mirrored his feelings. the Morvain were going to win here. They had a numerical advantage and had set up a nice ambush. He frowned, afflicted by that same unhappy feeling as earlier, only magnified, when he thought through the ramifications of all this.

He and the Hornets engaged in rapid-fire discussion. Unfortunately, Xyrrith had managed to think it through and arrive at similar conclusions he had.

Stealing from Veyron, the second strongest, will be very difficult, the Hornet hissed. The other half of the Relic being held by Thrynn is good for us because they will be easier to steal from. But Morvain is the largest, strongest House! If they take it, our task will be made far harder! Not only that, but in the chaos of battle we might have a chance to grab it with no one the wiser! We have to act!

Xyrrith was right, and Nicolais only remaining argument was swept away before he could even make it when the air all around them grew faintly dark and heavy, taking on a reddish tint, and then his Markalong with Xyrrith and Drekhulspulsed.

Warning:

Due to the initiation of a hostile action between Houses Morvain and Thrynn, the Restriction is being lifted in this area. Those who do not wish to be involved are advised to leave now. After 20 seconds this area will be sectioned off from the rest of the City until the conflict is resolved, and anyone who remains within will find it very difficult to leave.

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