"As I was sa- what? What the fuck, mate? Are you so drunk you can't see?"
As my shoulder hit the man, he cursed at me in shock.
I immediately opened my droopy eyes wide, like I'd just woken from a reverie, to look up at him, and raised my hands in surrender.
"My bad, brother. My bad, sorry, I didn't see."
Showing a disarming smile, I apologised and walked out of the bar, leaving the grumbling man and his friends in there.
As I left the bar in the night, I had to walk across several streets before I could find a carriage, which I then took to the Wind of Azure inn.
Entering my room, I, who wasn't too hungry after consuming a lot of alcohol, sat on the bed as I stared at the strands of hair I'd cut off from the man's head.
Sighing, I spent 120 Assassin points, and exchanged them for a charm of Sequence 7 Witch that carried the ability to attempt a divination via the spirit world.
I pulled off my shoes, and laid down on the bed.
Holding the charm that felt cold to touch, and the hair of that fellow in a fist, I chanted seven times;
"The location of this person's pocket watch."
"The location of this person's pocket watch."
"The location of this person's pocket watch."
Soon, I fell asleep and then found myself looking down at what seemed like a dream or a distant memory.
Across a large Red Building that followed the architecture style of Rorsted, with a pyramid shaped roof at top, a crowd of people was walking across. Among the people, was a certain man of average height, who pressed a hand to his left breast, and walked carefully.
A few moments later, he looked down at his breast pocket in shock to find it empty. He looked around everywhere in panic for half an hour, before finally sitting down on the side of the street in despair.
After several minutes, he stood up and slowly walked off to his home in misery and despair.
Then, the scene changed, and it opened to reveal a particular house with a gray chimney. In the backdrop of the house, one could barely see a red pyramid like silhouette of a building.
The dream shattered once it reached that point, and I woke up to the darkness of my room, which was barely dispelled by the light of the crimson moon that peeked out of the intermittent clouds in the night sky.
I wasn't sure if the thief was the same person I was looking for, but it was a lead for me to pursue.
I, who had just consumed a good amount of spirituality, now felt a little hungry.
Walking up to the table in my room, I picked up an apple that was left there among several other fruits by the service staff.
...
For the next several days, I went to different bars and gathering places in Bayam, especially those that were close to the Red Theatre, and was on the lookout to find any victims of thefts, especially the victims of pocket watch theft.
In the next 4 days, there had been another gathering at the Amyris Leaf bar, and I went there again. This time there were some new people present, while some of the old ones were missing.
The lady I had sat beside last time, was sitting on a different sofa today, while I chose to sit on a chair on the side.
The gathering had been the same as the previous time, with people calling out for beyonder ingredients, or materials with spirituality.
Yet again, there was no one who was looking for any ingredients of the first three sequences of the Marauder pathway.
I called out the name of a particular ingredient that was endemic to the Fog Sea, only to hear no response in return. I wasn't disappointed, though, that was just something my dear Captain had asked some of the crew members to look out for. Likewise, I had no hopes of actually finding it.
Once the gathering ended, I went back to my room at the Wind of Azure inn. I had extended my stay there for three more days.
In my room, I waited as the night passed and the lights around the City of Generosity gradually darkened.
I, who had prepared all my weapons and tools, stood up from my bed, and thought of everything I carried.
I was packing my three knives that could be thrown or used in close combat, and my three poisoned needles that were more effective when throwing, and would only be useful against normal humans at close quarters.
In my shoulder holster was my revolver, and at last, in my shirt's two pockets were two remaining Black Flame charm each, making them a total of four.
Taking a deep breath, and calming my nerves, I opened the door to my room's balcony, locked it from outside using two needles, and became one with the shadows.
...
Near the Red Theatre, in a small house with a grey chimney.
Fred, who was also called Big Nose Freddy by his colleagues, was a 'treasure' hunter.
He, who'd had another successful day, happily put the two pocket watches from today's catch in his storage.
Fred worked for a gang of thieves who operated from Feynapotter, and had members across the Northern continent and the Sonia and the Fog sea.
He had started as a smuggler first, carrying stolen goods and sometimes people across the Sonia Sea to Feynapotter. It was only a few months ago, that he was discovered for his talent for stealing, and sent to Bayam, after being given a potion to become a beyonder of the Marauder pathway.
He'd had a good time since, stealing whatever that he wanted from people, and they would never even have a clue that something was stolen from them for a good time. By the time they realised, he would already be far away, leaving them searching and suffering. He didn't care for the sufferings that may come after those people, let alone whether they lived past that time or not; he just loved stealing, especially pocket watches.
Having done his day's work, Fred was about to have a late dinner, when he felt the back of his neck turn cold. He felt like there was a great danger coming at him from behind at an incredible speed. He instinctively used all his enhanced body's strength to jump away from his original position.
Even though he was quick to judgement and action, Fred wasn't quick enough to completely dodge whatever was coming for him. As he fell, he felt a stinging sensation below his waist, on his left hip.
He felt that area with his hand to find it warm and wet.
Jumping quickly to his feet, Fred scrambled to look behind, only to find nothing.
He felt another chill pass down his spine, and promptly tried to run through the door of his house. Another thing seemed to have slashed him at his calf when he tried to run off.
Even with the hurt and the wounds, Fred banged open the door of his house, and ran out on the street.
Out on the street, it looked like the shadows were squirming, waiting for a prey to approach them.
In the dark night barely brightened by the crimson moon, Fred ran at his best speed, using the improved condition of his body to outrun his assailant even with an injured calf and a hip.
Rushing through the streets, Fred avoided alleys with dead ends. He soon turned into a narrow street that seemed to go towards the Bayam police station.
Big Nose Freddy was determined to turn himself in and reveal all the possible information about his gang as long as he got to stay alive. In the pressing moment, he had made a bold decision.