Even though the night in New Atlantis was peaceful for ordinary people just going about their lives, for those in the underworld—gangsters, mafia, triads, and various cri syndicates—this was a night to rember.
Amid the silent, darkened streets, muffled by distant car engines and the occasional honking, agents from the Order of Ember and the Whispering Hall ran amok among the syndicates, forcing them to mobilize in the search for Daniel.
— Veneziale Estate —
Russo Veneziale was in the midst of a business discussion with his father, Ardito Veneziale, and Ivan Volkov, the head of the Russian mafia and once Ardito's rival, now his ally. They debated who would secure the largest share of the lucrative New Atlantis entertainnt and tourism district project.
Russo swiped across his tablet screen, displaying a blueprint of an artificial island. The island, circular in shape with a single canal gate for incoming ships, was designed to resemble the mythical city of Atlantis.
"This is the map of the new artificial island that City Hall and Lord Emberweave will soon build. It hasn't gone public yet, but Kuroda-san gave it to because he knows Lord Emberweave needs us to control the underworld on this island, ensuring no… Rats from the outside can disrupt it," Russo explained.
"Just give half of the territory, and we'll call it a deal! Thanks, Ardito. Haha!" Ivan laughed, patting Ardito Veneziale, the old Italian Don, with a heavy Russian accent.
"Half? Has vodka fried your brain? And keep your hand off my suit," Ardito replied irritably. "I'm offering you 10% of the territory."
"10%? Do you think I'm an idiot? You're getting the whole cake of this new entertainnt district and leaving with crumbs? Aren't you being a little greedy, Ardito?" Ivan protested.
"If I may, Father," Russo interjected politely, seeking his father's permission to speak. Ardito nodded, granting the young man the floor.
"Mr. Volkov, you've worked with us for over a year, so you should know that so gangs are backed by mage families who also expect a fair share of this new territory. Yes, we have the authority to allocate the territory as we see fit, and Lord Emberweave trusts our judgnt.
But that also ans we bear the responsibility to prevent unrest, especially among gangs backed by mage families. Considering that you thrive under our guidance without any patronage from a mage family, it's only fair that you receive 10% of the territory.
Even if we were to grant you more, I doubt you could protect it without mage support," Russo stated in a calm, asured tone.
Make no mistake about his politeness; Russo's refined manners were the result of rigorous training in butler school, and his formal deanor, polite smile, and impeccable posture left no room for misinterpretation.
Even though he isn't a powerful mage, his magical pathway and Magic Origin make him a formidable combatant, capable of serving as both butler and bodyguard. His enchanted fists and superhuman reflexes are more than enough to take down any standard battalion of special forces—assuming, of course, they aren't equipped with power armor and anti-magic rounds.
At that mont, the eting room door swung open, and a man with a noble air walked in, leaning on a cane and holding his iconic golden pocket watch. He was none other than Albert Worseley, Daniel's Spymaster and the head of the Whispering Hall, which oversaw the underworld and counterintelligence operations.
"Pardon the interruption, gentlen, but until this urgent matter is settled, you can forget about getting any slices of the pie," Albert said with a smile. He then pulled out a photograph and placed it on the table.
The picture was, of course, Susan Dennis. "This woman is Susan Dennis. I've heard she has many gangs on her payroll and is a star in New Atlantis' business world. And…" Albert's eyes glead with a dangerous light as he continued, "I've also heard she fancies herself the queen of this city and has just abducted Lord Emberweave."
"Abducted Lord Emberweave!?" Ardito and Russo Veneziale repeated in disbelief. The idea that Lord Emberweave, who could take on a Hell Lord and win, could be kidnapped seed as absurd as an ant winning a tug-of-war against an elephant. It was pure impossibility.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! AAAAHHH HAHAHAHAHAH!" Volkov burst out in uncontrolled laughter. "Haha! This is such an over-the-top joke, but I like it, Lord Worseley! HAHAHA!" His laughter trailed off, however, when he realized that no one else was laughing.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Albert asked coldly, his tone sending a chill down Volkov's spine.
Volkov glanced at his partners, Don Veneziale and his son, and noticed their serious expressions.
"How… how is this possible?" Volkov stamred, incredulous.
"I'll take note of your disrespect this ti, and We'll have a talk about it at a later date, now, listen carefully," Albert continued, his tone steely.
"A sudden mana blip disrupted the world's energy for a fraction of a second. Right now, both we and the Hightower are assessing the damage, the consequences of this blip, and the cause.
The change, an event that might only happen once in a trillion occurrences, allowed this woman to ensnare Lord Emberweave in that precise instant. The chance was so infinitesimally small that we overlooked it and had no contingency plan in place.
Now, whether due to this blip or for reasons still under investigation, the Crying Magic and my sources are unable to locate her. I've sent every available agent, but it's not enough—that's where you co in." Albert paused, pointing to the photograph of Susan.
"Help find this woman. She was the last person with his lordship and the one who drugged him. I'll give you until morning." With that, Albert turned to leave, but just before exiting, he paused and looked back.
"Oh, and as for you, Mr. Volkov," he addressed him, causing Volkov to gulp nervously. "Your performance in this task will directly affect your share of the new entertainnt and tourism district." With those words, Albert exited the room.
—
This scene repeated itself in many places as the night beca suddenly busy and chaotic. Many gang leaders, so of whom had already gone to bed or were indulging in other activities with their won, received uninvited visits from agents of the Whispering Hall.
They were all dragged into serious discussions in the middle of the night, regardless of their status. Even so mage families—those lacking the authority or power to handle matters related to the blip—were visited by the formidable Cao Cao and Guan Yu and forced into similar talks.
That night, many gangsters were left bewildered, and several mage families cursed quietly—not at the authorities but at the idiot who had abducted Daniel. So even blad Daniel's rotten luck, as he'd fallen for the trap during a one-in-a-trillion event, leaving him completely vulnerable due to the blip.
— 5 AM —
In the dark corner of an alley, one of Susan's informants was running as if his life depended on it. Several muscular, intimidating n chased after him with faces twisted in anger and frustration, practically ready to tear him apart.
"There's the rat! After him!"
"Don't kill him!"
"Damn it, he's fast! Shoot his damn leg!"
[Shit, shit, shit! What the hell is happening? Why is this happening!?] he thought frantically.
This should have been a normal, peaceful night—he'd just co from having a drink with a friend at a bar in the alley. Usually, his routine was simple: work for that rich woman during the day, then drown his earnings in a bottle in the evening.
Furious shouts echoed behind him, but he didn't dare slow down; stopping ant facing torture, maybe ending up in a ditch, or becoming a permanent resident under the sea.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Argh!" He collapsed to the ground as pain exploded in his leg, as if a hamr had just shattered it. He looked down to see a bullet hole through his leg; he could barely move, let alone run.
"You f*cking little sh*t! You're wasting our ti!" one of the n snarled, delivering a brutal kick to his stomach.
"Argh! Ugh… cough… don't kill … What… What do you want? Please, I'll give you anything, just… don't kill ," the man whimpered, losing any will to resist. Trembling, he quickly answered every question his pursuers demanded.
— 5:15 AM - ??? —
Daniel's consciousness returned slowly. He reached out instinctively for Envy, as he usually did when Greed and Koyuki were absent—she was often his choice to sleep beside. But instead of Envy's familiar presence, he detected an unfamiliar woman's scent.
"Huh?" Daniel's clarity snapped back, his instincts kicking in as he imdiately leapt out of bed. He quickly surveyed his surroundings and checked himself over. His shirt was missing, which alard him, but seeing that he still had his pants on, he let out a sigh of relief.
Then, he noticed a woman lying unconscious by the end of the bed, a visible bruise marking her face. It looked like she had been kicked in the face into unconsciousness.
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