The bell above the Xiangcao Pharmacy door gave a muted jingle as 'Harvey' and his partner stepped over the threshold. Behind them, the shopkeeper quickly shut and re-bolted the door, sealing out the drumming downpour and the dreary afternoon light.
"We found the place that bitch and her helper were staying, so I'm sure the boss will be happy." 'Harvey' said with a smirk.
The shopkeeper's eyes, lit up with predatory interest. "Excellent, excellent. Did you and Anthony see anyone else? Was the place well-secured?"
"Nothing. Just the two of 'em. Place was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Not a single extra guard or ward." 'Harvey' clicked his tongue. "Guess the dumb woman never realized she needed it."
Amused, the shopkeeper let out a low, rasping chuckle in response."Heh… women who fancy themselves more cunning than they truly are," he murmured. "There's a certain… entertainment in that. Breaking such illusions reminds a man of the strength he still holds. Makes him feel as though he's a dragon once more."
'Anthony's brow twitched as he immediately held back the urge to strike the shopkeeper. How he yearned for them to enter the back area for him to teach the man a lesson in manners. Among the temporary memories 'Anthony' had received from the transformation spell, there were many marred by the degeneracy of the man before him.
With concealed disgust, 'Harvey' let out a laugh, throwing an arm across the shopkeeper's shoulders in an act camaraderie. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Tāo Zhang. A woman like that would break you first. Be honest… you sure you've got the stamina for something like that?"
"Hah! Don't underestimate me, boy. I've still got the spirit of a young bull." Tāo Zhang snorted, puffing up a little he shook off Harvey's arm.
Standing behind, Anthony's eyes gave the faintest, almost imperceptible roll. Walking closer, he gave the Shopkeeper a slap on the back,"Yeah, yeah, dragon bull, whatever. Come on. The boss is waiting."
"Good. He'll want to hear everything personally, I assume you already told him you were returning over comms." Tāo Zhang straightened his coat and gestured for them to follow.
But before the man could even take a step, Anthony's hands wrapped around his head. His left hand cradled the base of Tāo Zhang's skull while the right cupped under his jaw.
Without a moment's hesitation, 'Anthony' pressed his fingers into the bone and twisted sharply. Violent cracks, sounded as the man's neck bent in a strange angle.
For a moment his body shuddered in response before going completely limp. The brain simply had no time to comprehend what had happened.
Acting quickly to muffle the noise, 'Anthony' lowered the corpse silently to the tiled floor then stood up and said, "That was easy"
Stepping over the corpse, 'Harvey' responded with a stern expression, "Tāo Zhang was just normal human using serums to slow his aging and maintain his strength, there's no telling how strong the rest are. Don't forget the plan".
Walking through the curtains, they followed a short hallway to a half open door situated on the end. Surprisingly, they did not encounter any other workers on the way. The entire building was as quiet as a cemetery.
'Anthony' thought of using his Echolocation to sweep the area but quickly discarded the idea. The enemy would certainly become alert the instant his spiritual energy fluctuated.
Beyond the door, a soft red and brown carpet covered the floor. A bookshelf and a work bench took the opposite side walls of the room. The books with their purplish covers and the dark red blotches staining the bench looked haunting under the ceiling lamp light.
On the bench, there was a set of four beakers, two round bottom flasks, a funnel, a set of syringes and various chemical bottles. Beside the bench, there was a smaller wooden table with a glossy surface finish.
Behind it, A man sat with his eyes closed in a state of meditation.
As their gazes settled upon him, the pair felt certainty bloom in their hearts, this man was undoubtedly the one they sought. The pale dome of his shaved head gleamed under the light, and a jagged scar split his lips as though some unseen hand had once tried to silence him.
Yet the most noticeable trait of all was his spiritual energy. It was a pool of malicious intent, the unmistakable presence of one who had intertwined his fate with multiple spiritual creatures.
As they approached him, 'Harvey' called out nervously,"H-Hey, Boss."
The word was spoken soft, but in 'Anthony's' perception, something deeper snapped. The link that bound them to the real Harvey and Anthony had been cleanly severed. A faint ache left his temples as spiritual pressure lifted from his mind and the temporary memories began to fade.
'Just in time', he mused. 'To think we'd cross paths with a Grade One Contract Specialist…'
Contract Specialists were a peculiar branch among Specters.They intentionally divided their abilities across the mental, elemental, and spiritual categories. While such dispersion weakened the raw strength their bodies could naturally unleash, it gave them the ability to form up to three summoning contracts that each grant two skills.
"Its good you made it back" The man answered calmly as his green eyes suddenly snapped open. "Did you find anything noteworthy…?"
Stepping forward, 'Harvey' recounted what he had seen with confidence. As he recited the directions, the boss leaned back in contemplation, silently weighing the possibilities. His fingers tapped the armrest of the chair in a slow, rhythmic cadence.
The silence stretched as they anticipated his next words.
"Uh. Boss since we found em so quick… could we, uh, get a little something early?"
Harvey quickly cleared his throat lightly. Taking a nervous step forward, he rubbed his hands together with unrestrained greed.
Immediately the tapping ceased.
The man's gaze shifted to Harvey as a flicker of emotion sprouted within his eyes. Observing him closely Anthony could sense the mixture of contempt and amusement hidden within. The next second, he leaned forward and said, "Your right, You do deserve a little reward"
He stood up in one fluid motion and turned, moving towards the bookshelf on the left wall. His posture eased as presenting them his back in a gesture so casual it bordered on contempt. One by one, he shifted the volumes on the third shelf, fingers moving with practiced familiarity, until the wooden facade clicked, and a concealed safe was revealed in the wall.
At this very moment, 'Harvey' leaned forward slightly and suddenly rushed across the room with a pocket knife in hand.
As though forewarned by some unseen omen, the man pivoted sharply. His arm traced a clean arc through the air, and the blade in his hand opened Harvey's throat before the latter could even complete his lunge.
But instead of fresh blood, only icy water spilled forth.
Before the man's widening eyes, Harvey's figure crystallized, fractures crawled across its surface until the entire form hardened into a frosted sculpture.
"Damn it's an ice clone!"
Capitalizing on the man surprise, 'Anthony' leapt forward, breaking through Harvey's ice clone, he threw s a straight punch reinforced with her technique.
The man's expression shifted.
Knowing he could not evade, he thrust his shadow outward. It writhed and stretched unnaturally, attempting to devour the incoming force using the second skill granted by his summoned shade.
But the moment fist met shadow, he realized that he had misjudged the output of force carried within the blow.
A deafening bang tore through the cramped room.