The clean and shiny inner city is left behind as I walk into the much more dangerous and less regulated side of town.
Wearing my ring of concealment from Sector 1, the high quality black suit makes it look like I'm not from around these parts. However, as long as no one sees who I really am, I don't care if I stick out like a sore thumb.
The faint smell of garbage and the suspicious wandering eyes from everyone I pass aren't a sight I missed very much, but it feels nice to know I'm really back roaming the streets of the capital.
Less and less people line the roads, and the houses and shops become more dilapidated until the familiar 3-story brick building comes into my view. With my advanced perception, I can see the two large-bodied guards that stand outside the front entrance, and over a dozen workers inside are sensed by my enemy detection skill.
I slip into an alley without anyone nearby and activate my legendary stealth skill. It completely conceals my presence to anyone near me below my mana control base. The veil of energy around me acts as a skill imbued blanket and even fully suppresses my intimidation's passive outgoing energy. So, it's safe to say I'm completely invisible.
Stepping out from the shadows, I walk up to the guards and neither of them see or sense me from even 10 meters away.
If I just revealed who I was, they'd surely remember me, and I'm positive Bri, the legendary Craftswoman, would gladly take me as a guest.
However, I'm supposed to be dead. As far as the Association knows, and many people that follow the paper, every single one of my teammates was killed on a mission out of the continent.
This is far from the truth, and I don't plan on revealing this to anyone. On top of that, I'd like to give my new potential business partner a loyalty test.
With all this on my mind, I wait by a nearby building, keeping an eye on the two guards and the door behind them. They chat between themselves, and not much happens until the top of the hour when a short man in a grey suit walks up to them with a confident stride.
He shows them a piece of paper, and one of the guards nods while the other opens the door of the building.
At this, I jump forward and make my move.
With less than 5 seconds to act, I maneuver my way through the guards and into the building undetected while the businessman walks through the bottom floor over to a thin metal spiral staircase at the back of the room.
As he goes up, the door behind me clicks shut. I'm left with my stealth skill activated in a room full of workers sifting and sorting through random E and D class items.
There are rows of tables, and about 16 workers here all going about their daily tasks, placing groupings of items into boxes, taping them up, and writing shipping details and names on the front sides.
I watch a short brown-haired woman pack a 12-pack of [Temporary Strength Enhancement Potions] with a 3-minute 25% buff on them into what looks on the outside to be a children's toy box. In a matter of seconds, with a vacuum seal and an extra layer of lightly mana-imbued tape around the outside, my appraisal skill senses start to pick up its reading fainter and fainter.
By the time an extra box and packing peanuts are put around the mana-imbued tape, it's nearly invisible.
With my high level of mana control, and special grade appraisal skill, I'm still able to see through it faintly, but I wouldn't be surprised if anyone below a ranked-up level couldn't see through it. It's a smart way to transport and ship valuable materials far distances without the worry of them being detected and stolen.
I smirk inwardly while continuing to look around the room.
Some workers have basic non-combat-related skills like inspect, imbue, small mental strength buffs, and even a few with a basic no-grade craftsmanship skill.
Others are just weaker hunters, with common skills like swordsmanship or body hardening.
No one in this room is above level 200. Getting stronger and risking their lives in dungeons is not part of their daily lives. Some look like thugs and runaways, while others just look like simple family men and women that are bringing home money to raise their kids. These are all workers for Bri. Nothing more, nothing less.
I nod to myself while walking around the room for another minute or two, observing the work being done a bit longer. Then, I make my way up the stairs.
Even the sounds of my steps are drowned out by my stealth skill as I make it to the second floor and see the tall thin man in a suit and glasses reading a dark purple hardcover book at his desk at the back of the room. Bookcases line the walls behind him, and every book on the shelves look as if they've been thoroughly read many times over. His right leg is crossed over the other, and his chair is pushed back in a much more casual position than I remember him looking.
The two twin girls on the far right wall of the room sort and test higher grade magical items along with books and some potions. Some of the gear here reaches high grade D or low grade C gear at most.
I wait patiently, then hear a familiar voice echo through the staircase above me.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Garcia. Your new updated subscription will be processed today. I'm glad you decided to increase the volume, you're always welcome back."
A high-pitched and slightly nervous voice replies.
"Of course, Ms. Briana, the pleasure is mine. I'll be sure to come by again for any future changes."
Footsteps begin to come down the stairway, and the man passes right by me. Bernard looks up from his book with one raised eyebrow, but goes back to reading once the man starts walking down to the first floor.
On this cue, I walk up the stairs myself and enter the very dimly lit room on the top floor.
Walking back to her desk, I see the tight black clothing and curvy figure of the olive-skinned businesswoman who was my first reality check to the harsh world of hunters.
She crafted my Flame Emperor's sword and gave me a much-needed boost in gear, money, and underworld reputation back in the day. Along with that, she was the only one to warn me about joining the Association. Maybe that was just a personal grudge, or a one-time thing. Time has passed, and people change. I'd like to get some firsthand insight into her current style of business before asking for her help.
Revealing myself in front of her now could elicit a shock-driven or overly emotional response. I want to know her baseline morals and how she treats all clients, not just me.
The plan I have may be a bit harsh, but I'm sure she can handle it.
The moment Bri turns around and sits back at her desk, she completely turns off her light magic skill, and the room returns to total darkness.
To my surprise, she speaks in a calm and calculated tone.
"Whoever you are, show yourself and tell me what intentions you have spying on my operation. I thought we came to a clear agreement that the Association's hands do not belong in my business."
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Won't she be surprised.