Global Awakening: Monster Taming Necromancer

Two days later, two figures in black clothes ran in the shadowed night. The moon was shining, but the clouds were blocking its elegant light.

Of course, it wasn't just a coincidence; they picked a moonless night after all, not that it matters that much since Awakeners can see in the dark. No words were spoken as they navigated the dark alley.

Through the past week, Jael and Temur have walked the streets and looked for the quickest and least crowded places to use. Jael's heart beat faster than he thought. He was nervous, but now that things were committed, there was no going back.

Their plans today are two-fold, or maybe even three-folded? Jael leaped into a roof as gently as he could and his companion did as well. He sighed silently into his mask. "This is not going to be easy."

People are trailing him, and that might crash down his entire plan. He had no illusion that the silent dagger might already have even betrayed them, but he was riding on the hope that their rival and shimmering tension would stop them.

Jael hated this part the most of their plan, so he turned to his companion. "Here goes nothing."

And without just a bit of hesitation, he jumped down, throwing up a small ball smaller than a grain of rice that exploded with smoke. Under that smokescreen, Jael and his companion ran into an ally turned into a hidden corner, and then quickly removed the cover to the drainage system.

***

"This is the last place they stood before the smoke explosion." One of the spies that's trailing them said. .net

"Look for them around here. They must be hiding, do as if you don't see them if you did." Their captain said a team of five specialized in trailing and surveillance.

"Captain, the smokescreen is a type of spell. It disturbs the mana in the area. It'll take a while for it to settle and we can then read it to see their movement."

The Captain gritted his teeth. One of them can read the trail left behind in the mana itself. "They must have prepared thoroughly for this. Not bad but we know their destination. We go to the Axe block now!"

The Captain and his team are to read the flow of the battle and call the silent dagger the main force that was stationed nearby when the time is right. But it still stung that they were still able to lose a target.

***

Jael waited below the drainage entrance to see if they would follow, but nothing moved. He sighed gently. "Seems the plan is going as planned for now. You can see well in the dark right?"

He received a nod

"Alright then!" They began to run; the ground was covered in a thick puddles of wastewater and who knows what, but that didn't stop them as they ran.

Just shuddered as he stepped on something squishy. The underground drainage system ran through the whole town, but some parts collapsed. Fortunately, it wasn't part of where they were going.

They ran quickly into the shadows, ignoring the flashes of red eyes they saw– rats or monsters, they cared not. Because he has memorized the layout it was an easy thing for him to navigate.

"We are here," Jael said. He was breathing a bit hard but it wasn't from running. He was getting nervous. Their plan hangs on timing and calculations.

Everything can come crashing down if what they thought wasn't what was happening. He closed his eyes and reminded himself why he was doing this. Litha.

He breathed in slowly and then out sharply. "If we crawl through this tunnel pipe we should find ourselves somewhere in the black axe compound."

He pointed upward where a large pipe was dripped with things better left unsaid and unthought. "I'll go first."

The pipe was big enough to allow them to crawl through, but it was hard with little space to turn and move. They used their belly to crawl upward like worms, but that wasn't the worst part.

The smell and heat! The feel of their body cleaning up the sludge. Jael shuddered and almost threw up more than three times. The heat was also getting to him as they used up the little oxygen left.

He thought he was going to pass out when finally, his head touched something hard. He froze then turned Hermit into heightening his senses.

A big mistake. His head reeled, and the smell of shit and rotten meat slammed into him. He gasped and released Hermit's power. He slammed his head into the metal grate that covered the pipe and crawled out.

He ripped out his mask and and took in fresh breath. "Shit." Even though he almost drowned because of the smell, he sensed that there was nobody outside.

But he was right; they are in the black Axe's territory, alright, the main base of the gang. They were in some kind of waste room where the shit of animals was dumped and then flushed down the pipe.

Jael shuddered, but he pushed all that away with a firm will and the mental promise of having a long bath later. Normal outside watch counts work in the Tower but the one that was strapped on his hand was made right here and powered by mana. "We are right just in time. The show is about to begin."

They went out of the cramped room and saw their first real look at the place. The main building was bigger than Jael expected, made of bricks and thick wood.

They predict that Arkin will be in the guest room, and with the house plan already known, he knew just where to look. "Time to hunt."

Jael looked at his companion, and then he brought back a small sack that juggled as he handed it over. "That's the remaining balance," he told the mute hired man. "You can go now. Good luck."

He heard light footsteps retreating behind him then he turned to the highest window facing him. "Come here, Onus."

Darkness ripped and he smiled.