Rico stood atop a shipping container in the warehouse. She spun around playfully and stuck her tongue out at Abel. Then she vanished into the darkness.
"I'll give you the ring next time!"
Abel finally snapped to reality. Rico's sudden betrayal left him utterly speechless.
After a long while, he gritted his teeth. If they ever met again, he'd grab that mischievous white cat first and pin her down—no questions asked.
His sister was right, after all. The prettier the face, the better the liar.
What a lesson for someone so young.
Meanwhile, Shea entered the warehouse and began searching for the Shadow Orb.
Honestly, she'd only meant to trick Abel with the ring. She never expected this Hunter to step on the trap and gloat—it cracked her up.
Mischievous thoughts swirled in her head. She had zero plans to save Abel. Pulling him up would just doom her.
Besides, leaving him there had perks. First, tonight's mission got simpler—no fear of him catching her.
Second, she saved a fake ring. That was money! Why hand it over so easily?
Third, it preserved her "naughty little sister" image in Abel's mind. Remember, to him, Rora equaled Rico.
Nothing to do with Shea~
After stomping on Abel's face, all past grievances—being groped, missing out on ten thousand gold coins—vanished from her thoughts.
Simply put, that kick felt amazing. Truly amazing.
But now, where was the Shadow Orb?
The warehouse was massive. A quick search seemed impossible. Yet as a seasoned thief, Shea had her tricks.
"Peek Spell."
Hidden by invisibility, she cast the magic. It revealed items imbued with power.
Such magical items were pricey. The Shadow Orb was no exception.
Brought from the Corrupted Land, its value needed no explanation.
Soon, Shea spotted the Orb. It sat at the warehouse's heart, heavily guarded. Even invisible, breaking through looked tough.
Of course, she had a plan. Ever heard of luring the tiger from the mountain?
Perched on the container, Shea waited. She'd planted some "art pieces" outside. The guards would love them. Just a little patience needed.
Meanwhile, Abel struggled endlessly. Finally, he broke free from the glue trap.
Clearly, the nobles were desperate to capture Rico alive—using a harmless trap like this.
Thankfully, Abel was unharmed.
Except for Rico's kick.
Free but frowning, he surveyed his state.
Not tragic, just... exhibitionist.
His clothes were glued fast. Only his boxers remained.
He stuck out like a sore thumb in the high-security warehouse.
"If I chase Rico now, I might still catch her..."
But Abel hadn't taken two steps when a damp, salty stench hit his nose. He melted into the shadows instantly.
"Those idiots! Failing the mission was bad enough—but losing the Shadow Orb for the catalytic array?!"
A Tide Cultist grumbled, then spotted the hole in the warehouse wall. "What happened here? Did someone beat us to it?"
"Phantom Thief Lico? The cult leader warned she might target the Orb."
"We move now. Go!"
As the three Cultists skirted the glue trap, Abel lunged from darkness. His grotesque Demon Hand seized two heads.
"Skull Crusher!"
He slammed their skulls together.
*Crunch!*
Brains and blood splattered everywhere.
"Silver Hunter! You again!"
The last Crescent Moon Rank Cultist gaped at the naked man. Why was he bare?
Abel gave no answer.
His bloodied claw pierced the final Cultist's skull. No survival possible.
"A catalytic array with the Shadow Orb... Full Moon Forbidden Spell—Corruption Field."
Combined with their plan to poison the water with Corruption powder, Abel realized a city-wide horror spell. One that could rot entire lands.
"Disaster! I must stop Rico from selling this to the black market."
If the Tide Cultists got it, Vag City would become a wasteland.
Panicked, Abel ignored his nakedness and rushed inside. But then—
*BOOM!!*
An explosion shattered the night near Elson Warehouse's secret entrance.
Alarms blared. Guards snapped to high alert, hunting intruders while checking the blast site.
"Rico? Or Cultists attacking?"
Abel couldn't ID the bomber. But guards flooded toward the explosion.
"Breach in the wall! Intruders!"
Post-blast, guards found Abel's torn entrance. Shouts erupted. Soldiers surrounded him.
Luckily, he'd grabbed a Cultist's robe earlier. Wrapped in black, his identity stayed hidden. They'd assume he was one of them.
"Cultist! Take him down!"
Seeing the familiar robe, guards ignored the three corpses. Spells rained down.
Abel dodged, eyeing the swelling ranks. He clicked his tongue inwardly.
"Can't let Rico succeed. If she sells the Shadow Orb, I can't afford to buy it back."
Breaking free without hurting these ordinary guards—guilty nobles' pawns—would cost precious time.
Trapped himself? Then Rico wouldn't escape trouble. Abel cleared his throat.
"Hehehe... Rico's been bribed by me. She's retrieving the Shadow Orb now. You've been lured away!"
