Two days after Keshav's shadowy attempt to breach the restaurant's secrets, Surat's beachfront hummed with the steady cadence of progress. The Vora Trading Company's restaurant basked in acclaim, its tables a whirlwind of patrons savoring butter chicken and kheema pav, while silver and gold memberships flew off like monsoon kites. The blacksmith workshop's foundations deepened under Kofi's watchful eye, hammers ringing like temple bells. The sea whispered promises of empire, but the air carried a subtle chill of unease.
The work had gone smoothly—too smoothly, perhaps. The 500 workers swarmed like bees, their loyalty forged in fair wages and Jai's quiet inspiration. Sarita's People Management kept the cloth and medicine shops' preparations on track, Leela's herbal wisdom guiding the medicine emporium's stock. But beneath the rhythm lurked trouble. Jai's instincts, honed by his modern knowledge and the Emperor System's warnings, prickled. The system, his secret AI-spirit confidant, had pinged earlier: "Eyes are watching, Jai. That Keshav's departure yesterday? No coincidence."
The storm broke at late eveaning. A commotion erupted from the restaurant: shouts, the clash of metal, then silence broken by groans. Amir, head of security since his blade work mastery at the gurukul, burst into the hotel site, his face etched with fury. "Jai! Spies—stole the spice mixes, recipes, and the safe's funds. Our guards confronted them—two dead, seven injured." Jai's heart iced, his mind racing, Jai was standing at the hotel construction site, his small frame casting a long shadow as he discussed expansions with Vikram, Ram, and Shashi. The spies had struck when the site was busiest, slipping in like shadows. Keshav, the furtive laborer who'd left yesterday, topped Jai's suspect list—a guild plant, perhaps, or a rival's pawn.
Jai's voice was steel. "Gather everyone—now. Vikram, Ram, Shashi, Amir—fetch the others. Twenty minutes, basement room." The four nodded, dashing off. Jai slipped to the secret entrance near the blacksmithing shop, a concealed trap door under a stack of timber, leading to a basement room carved for such emergencies. One by one, his ten followers arrived: Vikram, Ram, Shashi, Kali, Kofi, Amir, Sarita, Ravi, Manoj, and Annu, their faces tense, loyalty a silent anchor.
In the lamp-lit room, Jai addressed them, his Charm a calming force. "Spies hit us—stole recipes, spices, all our funds. They killed two guards, injured seven. But don't ask how—I know where they are. I've pieced it from whispers, from who sent them. Keshav, that worker who vanished yesterday—he's involved." (In truth, the moment Amir reported, the system had triggered a quest: "Reclaim What Was Stolen. Reward: +10 Strength for all followers. Bonus: Tracker on thieves." A glowing marker in Jai's mind followed the culprits like a hunter's arrow.) His followers exchanged glances, their trust unwavering, no questions asked.
"We go now," Jai said. "Arm up—Kofi's new weapons and armor." They donned face-covering long hoods, full-body leather armors, and masks, blending into shadows like ghosts. Swords, blades, and bows in hand, they exited through another secret trap door in a garden near the hotel construction, masked by tall trees that rustled like guardians. Eleven strong, they melted into the night, the marker guiding them toward the thieves' lair—a secluded warehouse on Surat's fringes.
The pursuit was swift, their months of training turning them into a coordinated storm. Jai's voice cut through the darkness: "We take back what's ours, subdue them. No mercy for killers." The group nodded, their resolve a quiet thunder.
Jai Vora (9):Power=20 (+5 quest, +5)Stamina=28 (+10 quest, +7)Endurance=24 (+7)Health=34 (+7)Agility=22 (+8)Wisdom=108Perception=19Luck=17Charm=18 (+5 quest)
Vikram (10):Power=25 (+8)Stamina=22 (+8)Endurance=23 (+7)Health=22 (+8)Agility=24 (+7)
Ram (14):Power=21 (+7)Stamina=20 (+8)Endurance=19 (+9)Health=21 (+6)Agility=18 (+9)
Shashi (14):Power=23 (+9)Stamina=22 (+7)Endurance=24 (+8)Health=24 (+7)Agility=21 (+7)
Kali (15, male):Power=22 (+7)Stamina=25 (+8)Endurance=22 (+7)Health=23 (+7)Agility=21 (+7)
Kofi (16):Power=36 (+8)Stamina=28 (+8)Endurance=22 (+6)Health=21 (+8)Agility=14 (+6)Blacksmithing=29
Amir (15):Power=41 (+8)Stamina=24 (+6)Endurance=22 (+8)Health=19 (+7)Agility=19 (+7)Bladework=27
Sarita (16):Power=13 (+6)Stamina=15 (+6)Endurance=18 (+8)Health=18 (+6)Agility=19 (+7)People Management=30
Ravi (20):Power=24 (+8)Stamina=22 (+7)Endurance=25 (+8)Health=25 (+7)Agility=18 (+7)
Manoj (18):Power=22 (+8)Stamina=21 (+8)Endurance=24 (+7)Health=22 (+6)Agility=22 (+7)
Annu (22):Power=24 (+7)Stamina=22 (+7)Endurance=22 (+8)Health=24 (+6)Agility=20 (+8)