Assimilate All Talents

Sol arrived at the slums, and with the help of [Invisibility] and [Muffled Movements], he easily passed through without any encounters. After walking a fair distance, he leaped onto the roof of a nearby building and slid across it, landing in an alleyway. Though it was an alley, there was no entrance at street level; the passage had been completely sectioned off by two homes built at either end. This wasn’t intentional. Slum residents, constrained by the small plots of land allocated to them, had made the most of the space they had, unintentionally blocking the alleyway.

Being part of the slums, city planners and officials were either unaware of this or didn’t care enough to address it. Little did the residents or officials know that this isolated alleyway would later be discovered by the Black Market and repurposed as the perfect location for a tunnel leading out of the city. While not particularly useful for smuggling goods in, the tunnel served well for discreet escapes.

Upon landing in the secluded alley, Sol deactivated [Invisibility] and waited. He didn’t have to wait long, Amber appeared beside him almost instantly, having already been there in stealth, waiting for him.

Acknowledging her presence with a nod, Sol moved to the center of the alleyway. Using [Terra Manipulation], he brushed away a thin layer of loose dirt, revealing a wooden hatch. Lifting it, he exposed a set of stairs leading into a long underground passage.

Even with the tunnel open, Sol hesitated at the entrance, a conflicted expression on his face.

"Want to stay?" Amber asked succinctly, noticing his reluctance.

He shook his head. "A little, but that’s not the main reason. I’m more worried about what will happen to the city. It doesn’t feel right to leave now."

Amber tilted her head, confused. Sol realized he hadn’t explained and quickly caught her up on his brief encounter with the Saintess.

"I know we got what we came for, but leaving now, with whatever’s about to happen, leaves a sour taste in my mouth. What should we do?"

This wasn’t solely his decision. Amber had an equal stake in their plans. While Sol’s primary goal was to reunite with his parents, Amber’s goal was to find his father and free herself from the mental conditioning she was under.

There was a possibility that Sol could attempt to cure her himself, having unlocked his psychic potential. But he had intentionally avoided trying. It wasn’t because he wanted Amber to remain as she was, but because he feared making a mistake with such a delicate procedure. Unlike the vampire they had captured in the sewers, where breaking its mind to extract information would have been acceptable, he didn’t dare risk Amber’s well being. After consulting her, they agreed it was safer to let his father handle the procedure or to wait until Sol had gained more experience in psychic manipulation.

When Sol asked for Amber’s input, she silently weighed the pros and cons. Logically, the safest choice was to leave and avoid the risk of whatever might befall the city. There was also the additional risk of them wasting too much time and by the time they arrived at Lominsa his parents could already be gone. Yet, taking everything into account, her answer was clear.

"Stay."

Sol was surprised by her decision. "Are you sure? This could get very dangerous. We don’t even know what’s coming."

Amber nodded. "Will regret if people got hurt."

’She’s saying I’ll regret it if people get hurt because I could have stayed to help. She’s not wrong…’

Amber knew Sol well enough to predict his actions. He would always try to help others, even at great risk to himself. If he left now and later heard of a tragedy befalling the city, he wouldn’t forgive himself. Though Amber didn’t care much for others, she didn’t want to see Sol burdened by regret. It was, after all, his selflessness that had saved her when they were enemies.

"You’re right. Thank you." Sol said with a big smile. "I’ll head back and see what I can do to help. Given everything that’s happened, it’ll likely involve the vampires, so if anything happens, it’ll be at night. That gives us time to prepare."

He was certain Commander Zaman had already begun mobilizing every available soldier to defend the city, but another A-Ranker like himself would be a valuable asset. If nothing happened before sunset, Sol could use his law technique, [Lesser Channel Control], to elevate [True Sight (Variant)] into a law technique and survey the entire city.

’It would cost me a level, maybe two, but it would be worth it.’ he thought.

As he prepared to head back to the palace, Amber caught his hand, stopping him.

"I’ll follow you. Fight together."

Amber wasn’t about to sit idly by while Sol risked his life for the people of this city. Without knowing what they were up against, it was safer for them to stick together.

Sol hesitated, worried about bringing her to the palace, but separating didn’t feel like a good idea either. He nodded. "Okay, let’s go."

The two leapt onto a rooftop and began traversing the city, running and jumping from one roof to another to save time. But as they moved, the daylight around them began to dim.

At first, Sol thought it was a thick cloud blocking the sun, but as the darkness deepened and a tinge of red painted his vicinity, he glanced upward out of curiosity.

"What the—?"

His eyes widened in shock. Looming above them wasn’t a cloud but a blood red moon that entirely obscured the sun. It bathed the city in an ominous red that caused many to look up at it in both curiosity and fear.

While most were unaware of what it meant, Sol instantly understood its purpose. "The vampires are attacking!"