Zane emerged from the building, dusting himself off. Didn't need the potion after all. I was wrong about the purple grade being a problem.
He turned toward the swordsman.
"I'm an assassin class, so my stance is always light," he said casually. "That's why your strike only pushed me back instead of cutting through. Nothing serious."
He glanced at the swordsman's blade, then back at him with a faint smile. "Your purple-grade sword has better momentum than the last one. Clearly, it's stronger than I thought."
The swordsman froze. How is he standing there unscathed? His defense artifact must be a higher grade than my blade.
Zane let out a sigh. What should I do about this guy? Normally, I'd kill him, but that would just make me a bigger target. He looked toward Kai on the rooftop and signaled him down.
Kai gulped at the signal, wondering what Zane would tell him as he descended.
The moment the swordsman saw Kai, he said, "Where have you been? Actually, never mind. Just keep him company. I'm going to get reinforcements—this kid might be more dangerous than we thought." Then he ran.
Zane watched him go, then turned to Kai. "So this was the best your boss could come up with?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Does your boss have an establishment around here?"
"Yeah, just down the road," Kai replied, pointing in the direction the swordsman had fled.
"Good," Zane said quietly. "I plan on collapsing it. You know what to report back to your boss. Understand?"
Kai nodded, then hesitated. "What about the people in the building? Are you planning on using them as collateral?"
"That's none of your business," Zane replied. "I'll handle it."
With a swift motion, Zane was gone. As he reached the entrance of the establishment, he noticed it was a casino. The massive neon billboard blazed against the cool night sky, casting an artificial glow across the street.
He chuckled. A casino in an apocalypse? Now this world doesn't disappoint. He stepped inside.
The place was huge—a real California-style casino. Smoke filled the air, game noises echoed in the background, and waitresses moved around as if this place hadn't skipped a beat.
"How would I set off a panic?" Zane muttered as he walked through, scanning the casino. There has to be a fire alarm button somewhere.
A waitress approached him. "Hello, how can I be of help?"
He turned toward her. "Actually, do you know where the fire alarm button is?"
The waitress blinked, confused. "I'm sorry to ask, but what would you need that for? Is there a fire?"
Zane replied smoothly, "Never mind. By the way, did you see a swordsman come in? Bulky guy, sword sheathed on his back, ruddy hair."
"No, I haven't," the waitress said.
Zane nodded. "Okay, never mind then."
"Oh, by the way, where is the restroom?" Zane asked.
The waitress replied, "It's down the hall to your left."
"Okay," he said, and left.
As he reached the restroom and confirmed there were no peering eyes, he activated Shadow Merge—his ability to merge with shadows, even his own. He moved through the casino unseen.
The swordsman wasn't on the ground floor. But Zane did spot three fire alarms as he searched, and more importantly, he noticed the pillars that held up the building's structure.
Then he ascended to the upper floor.
That place was breathtaking—a paradise for kings. The opulence was staggering, every detail screaming wealth and power.
He searched, but the swordsman still wasn't there. However, he did notice an auction taking place—artifacts being traded in deals that felt decidedly shady. There were slaves, too, and wealthy patrons of the sort that made Zane's skin crawl.
More troubling were the high-level fighters scattered throughout—at least level 50+, each equipped with quality gear and artifacts.
He ascended to the next floor, the highest one.
The atmosphere shifted immediately. This floor felt prestigious, designed for those with real power. This was where the boss would stay.
As he searched, Zane found more equipment and artifacts—far stronger than the purple-grade sword the swordsman had used. These were in an entirely different tier.
Then he noticed a room with voices coming from inside. One sounded like the swordsman. Three or four others were discussing him.
Zane tried using Shadow Merge to slip through the door's gaps, but it wouldn't pass through. The door was built specifically as though designed to block assassin-class abilities.
But he didn't care. He was going to bring the place down anyway.
Zane went back down and triggered the fire alarm. People rushed toward the exits, but many lingered, unsure or unwilling to leave their games.
The guards from upstairs descended to check the situation.
Before they arrived, Zane slashed one of the building's pillars. The impact alone sent a deafening crack through the structure, and smoke and dust filled the air.
He slashed the second pillar, destroying it completely.
The system chimed: Any destruction made on someone's property will alert the owner.
Zane didn't mind. He slashed the third pillar.
"Two more pillars to go," Zane muttered. But the situation was already critical. People on the upper floors were jumping through glass windows to escape. He could hear guards rushing down the stairs.
Zane paused. The slaves he'd seen earlier—in a collapse like this, they'd be abandoned. Chained like that, escape would be impossible. Plus, they had nothing to do with his conflict with the swordsman or the organization.
He made a decision.
Using his speed, Zane reached the auction floor in seconds. He knocked out the remaining guards, broke the slaves' chains, and carried them to the back of the building—far enough to be safe. Five in total.
The building was already bending dangerously now, groaning under its own weight. Structural failure was imminent.
As Zane ascended, he grabbed some artifacts on his way up. There's no point in wasting them.
As he reached the top floor, he could hear them clearly now. One voice said, "What's going on down there? Check the security cameras."
Zane knocked on the door.
Someone inside shouted, "Who's that? Didn't we say no one should disturb us?"
Zane was confused. Don't they realize the building is collapsing? He knocked again.
But they were still focused on the security cameras, trying to figure out what was happening downstairs. They hadn't noticed the structural damage yet.
Zane then replied, "Ah, I'm looking for a swordsman who attacked me a while ago. Plus, the building is collapsing."