The moonlight was high over the central plaza by the time I slipped back into the inn.
The tailor and Alice didn't even bother asking me questions, all I care about is killing the man who killed the maids from the manor, only that is my goal.
The floorboards groaned softly under my boots as I hurried down the hall to my room, the heavy bundle of Dominik's suit tucked firmly under my arm. My mind was already miles away, navigating the streets of the central plaza, when I pushed my door open, only to find a pair of glowing, golden eyes watching me from the shadows.
Mochi was leaning against the bedpost, his feline ears twitching as he took in my disheveled appearance and the expensive fabric I was clutching.
"Roxy, there you are. Where have you been? It's nearly midnight."
He looked down at the nobleman's suit, his tail flicking with annoyance.
"This is a mission, Roxy, not a shopping spree. We are heading into the heart of a viper's nest tomorrow. It's the middle of the night, we need rest, not new clothes."
I didn't have the energy to explain the shapeshifting or the plan to wear a dead man's face. I just tossed the suit onto a chair and turned to him.
"I had things to settle, Mochi. But more importantly... why are you in my room? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"
Mochi stood up straight, his expression softening as he reached into a small pouch at his belt.
"I wasn't going to let you head into the east without a way to reach us. Here."
He held out a small, polished stone. It was no larger than a pebble, but it hummed with a faint, steady pulse of blue mana.
"It's a communication device, a mana-imbued earpiece. Lord Phillip wanted us to have these so we aren't flying blind. Attach it to your ear." Mochi explained.
The humming blue mana looks like a communication stone that White gave me an earlier back. It is small, like very small, that it can attach to my ear. It's is similar to the earpiece back in the real world.
"What is this, Plasma?"
"This stone is entirely imbued with radio waves, basically acts as a communication stone. But more smaller and portable."
"Tell me Plasma, how did you know all of this stuff? I thought your a human soul trapped in my body, not some AI assistant."
"Roxy, I'm a man of culture, I was previously a adventurer with an IQ of 200, I can't tell you my real name, but you can call me Plasma."
I took the cool stone from his palm. It felt surprisingly light. I tucked it behind my right ear, just beneath the edge of my hair. The moment the stone touched my skin, it fused with a soft click, and a sharp, clear static filled my head.
"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me, Roxy?"
The voice wasn't coming from Mochi's mouth, it was vibrating directly into my inner ear. I jumped slightly, the clarity of the sound catching me off guard.
"I hear you, It works." I whispered, touching the stone.
"Good, now, no more errands. If we are to survive Tata, I need the Butcher at her best, not exhausted from playing tailor." Mochi said, offering a rare, small smile.
He walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle.
"Goodnight, Roxy. Try to dream of something other than vengeance."
With a quiet click, he was gone.
I stared to the mirror once again, recalling all the past events that had happened this week, the attack on the manor all the way from the preparation, I was done for.
I didn't even check my blood curse throughly, I used inspect to view my blood curse.
[176L/200L = evolution for phase 5]
Phase 4
[176L/ 105L= +50 agility (completed)]
[176L/ 109L= +50 defense(completed)]
[176L/ 117L= +250 mana(completed)]
[176L/ 129L= +1000 mana(completed)]
[176L/ 137L= +50 strength(completed)]
[176L/ 148L= +100 agility(completed)]
[176L/ 157L= +1000 vitality(completed)]
[176L/ 169L= +100 strength (completed)]
[176L/ 173L= +skill(shapeshift)(completed)]
[176L/ 180L=+1000 mana]
[176L/ 192L=+50 defense]
After that, Plasma responded
"Well ,well, Roxy. You've gotten yourself stronger, your progress is very welcoming. A few more drops of blood, you will overcome fifth evolution."
Then, a question suddenly pops out in my mind.
"Plasma, I have a question for you?"
"What is it, Roxy?"
"Do you happen, by any chance, the previous wielder of the blood curse. Don't tell me I was the first."
"Roxy, don't tell me that, I was just a trapped soul in your body. I have no clue whom wields the blood curse."
"Well, this sucks."
Then, I began using my appraisal skill to view my current stats.
Eirene Rynd
Skill: Inspect, Blood Curse, Blood Sword, Defense Reduction, Blood Bow, Pain Manipulation
Vitality:5500
Strength: 7550
Defense: 5350
Agility: 4500
Mana: 10000
Even though my stats were higher than Dominik's, I still get beat up in hand-to-hand combat. All because he possess a unique human skill known as Brawl.
Dominik's brawl skill doubles his strength when he faced hand-to-hand combat. Even though his strength was exactly 6500, it is a huge threat when his brawl skill is activated. Meaning his strength will double into 13000 when faced to hand-to-hand combat.
I learned this when his kick shattered by femur, and his punch was equivalent to a moving van back in Earth. Even though his knife skills were no hire threat, his punches and kick were powerful enough to kill me.
An to top it all off, Dominik's invisibility skill also opposes a huge threat, whenever he activates his skill. He vanishes into thin air, making all attacks untargetable, and worse, it cannot fully detect from the heat signatures. Making it useless.
"Plasma, how could I counter Dominik?"
"Dominik? That thing is a walking beast, I don't know if he's agile or not but stay away from him at a long distance, use your blood bow to be exact."
"Good idea, well how could I counter his invisibility skill?"
"His invisibility skill cannot fully detect you heat signatures, so it is impossible to track him down. Try using your prediction to counter his attack. Dominik usually attack from behind, also, he lost a lot of blood during your fight, you drained his body up to two liters. I can tell that he is probably weakened at this point."
"Thanks Plasma, I knew I could count on you."
I was finally alone. I didn't even bother undressing, I simply collapsed onto the bed, the weight of the day, the cemetery, the blood, the suit, and the mission, pulling me down into a heavy, dreamless sleep. Tomorrow, the sun would rise on a new identity. Tomorrow, the hunt would truly begin.