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Chapter 16 - Spatial Perception

When he finally opened his eyes, the courtyard felt… wrong. The distance between the fence and the chair looked shorter, though he knew it hadn't moved.

With a thought, he asked Synapse.

'Observe my eyes and brain and tell me what's currently happening.'

[Observation: Host's spatial perception has increased by 3.2%.]

Shen rose slowly, flexing his fingers. His body felt like a loaded crossbow.

He didn't know how, but he felt heavier and his strength a bit terrifying.

He knew the feeling was caused by the sudden increase in strength and was merely a hallucination, but it still felt good nonetheless.

The first step was taken.

And now, he thought, ' Now, one of the main problems is fixed, the other one is still...' Shen gazed at the mansion that lay behind his wooden room, and a sigh escaped his lips before he shook his head and focused on himself once more.

' Since I got a bit of strength, I can finally stop suppressing myself as well.'

Hehe...

A demonic glint flashed in his pupils before it vanished right after.

***

Hidden Continent: Chaos City, a hundred kilometers from where the Larsen family's hidden town was located.

The sound of iron-shod wheels grinding against cobblestone echoed down the main street of Chaos City. Dozens of carriages creaked forward, their barred sides packed with prisoners.

The chains around their wrists and ankles clinked in rhythm with each jolt of the road, making the people witnessing this scene gulp with unease.

The city's people, lining both sides of the street, cheered as the convoy passed. Some spat at the prisoners, others laughed, and children clutched their mothers' hands and pointed with wide-eyed excitement. To the crowd, this was nothing more than justice being paraded in the open and a symbol that law and order still ruled the kingdom.

It might sound cruel, but when one knows of the terrifying deeds these criminals have committed, they would be the first to launch an attack on them and finish them for good. Alas, such a thing was impossible given the guard's identity.

Yet behind the roars of approval and cheers of the citizens, a different vibe, totally different from this procession.

At the very front, riding tall on his horse, the captain of the guard lifted his chin and surveyed the crowd. His armor gleamed in the late afternoon sun, but his eyes remained cold and calculating. Beside him, another slightly younger rider, though with lines of weariness etched into his brow, leaned forward.

"Is there truly a need for all these prisoners?" he muttered, keeping his voice low so the cheering crowd or any mages in between wouldn't catch it. His gaze flicked to the packed carriages behind them, then back to the captain. "Wouldn't it have been simpler to move alone with a small squad?"

The captain's lips curved, though it was far from a smile. His gaze never left the road ahead.

"Of course not. A cover is necessary. Without it, questions would arise. People who have eyes on us will surely detect the anomaly, and suspicion will breed. This way…" He swept one gauntleted hand to the crowd, who jeered at a sobbing prisoner pressed against the bars. "…this way, they believe we are merely transporting criminals. A righteous act, nothing more and nothing less."

Hiss!

The younger man's brows knitted as he sucked in a breath of cold air. "Then the rumors are true, aren't they? The young master ordered this?"

The captain gave a sharp nod. "Who else could think so far ahead? He anticipated prying eyes long before we set out. Every detail is accounted for till we finish our mission and even till we go back to the family grounds. Even..."

The captain was about to finish when he recalled something and shook his head, deciding not to.

For a moment, the rider fell silent. His eyes drifted over the prisoners; some sank in defeat, while others glaring back with hollow rage. He exhaled slowly through his nose. "The young master indeed thought of everything."

His words weren't random pleasantry; he truly meant it since he knew that the plan wasn't as simple as merely hiding one's tracks. He was sure that something else was at play, but he was too weak to be told about such details.

But in the younger guard's heart, he felt fear as a thought surged from inside of him,' If only you knew… the true depth of his plan.'

His knuckles whitened around the reins, though his expression remained stoic.

The convoy rumbled onward.

Above, the sun dipped lower, casting the street in a molten glow. Dust rose beneath the horses' hooves, curling like faint smoke trails that drifted between the iron bars of the carriages. The prisoners coughed and wheezed, but the cheering crowd drowned out their voices.

Every turn of the wheel, every cheer, every clatter of chains. Everything was going as planned, as the captain was very pleased that no one was following him along the way.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that if the true purpose of this carriage were found out, the whole city would go into uproar, and multiple families would intervene.

The captain, unaware of the younger guard's unspoken thoughts, adjusted his grip on the reins and let his eyes flick toward the towering gates ahead. "Once we leave the city walls, silence will return. Until then, don't silence them and let them cheer. It makes the deception cleaner, understood?"

The younger man forced a short nod. His lips parted as if to speak again, but he stopped himself midway. It was always better and safer to remain quiet.

As the saying goes: Better not to ask questions whose answers could choke you to death or kill you as a consequence of hearing it.

A gust of wind tugged at the banners hanging from the lead carriage, emblems painted in proud, striking colors. Seeing this scene from far away, hiding in a dark alley, a figure clad in black armor closely followed behind.

'The Nord family? What are they up to now? Since when did they even care about the mortals and holding justice and whatnot? The man snorted, and he immediately informed his team captain. 

Waiting for several minutes, a voice could be heard as someone suddenly appeared behind him.

"You called me so urgently. Is anything the matter, Derik?" The man wore a puzzled look as he looked at the ecstatic expression on his underlying.

Derik didn't look back but instead pointed at the multiple caravans filled with prisoners," Captain, tell me. What do you see by looking at the display of the Nord family?"

The guy Derik called captain looked to where he pointed, and he instantly replied," The Nord family is trying to amend its reputation and plead to the royal family for forgiveness so they can get allocated even more resources and spots for certain events. It's easy to figure out at a glance."

He shrugged and headed back," Stop fooling around, we've got a mission soon, our mercenary group can't support itself if we don't do work."

Derik chuckled but didn't say anything; instead, he uttered a few words under his breath before he followed his captain.

The streets narrowed as they neared the western gate, the crowd pressing tighter, cheers swelling one last time before the city fell behind them.

The captain straightened his back, his face proud and unflinching. As for the younger man, he didn't care as he just followed along. Finishing easy missions was always great news for him; he wished it could take even longer.

'Space element isn't it? I wonder what this obsession with recruiting these people? They are useless!' The young man didn't say that aloud and kept his thoughts to himself as they soon entered a pitch-black forest and followed a narrow road ahead, barely visible to the naked eye.

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