Chapter 5: The Unusual Suspects part 2

" So, what do you think old man? How long will it take to repair it? " Reeve asked while the smith was inspecting his weapon. The hunter wasn't joking when he called him an old man, the smith was indeed way past his prime. Though it was hardly noticable. If I had to describe him, I would say he was in his late sixties. Had short grey hair and a giant moustache of the same color. His height was average, but it was paired with a muscular frame.

When finished with the diagnosis of Gilver's Rifle Spear, he said. " Around an hour. "

" Come on! That's not good. If you would let me use your tools I would do it twice as fast. "

" You only wish! Now get out and let me work. " His order met deaf ears for the Powder Keg was already messing with the weapons he already made. " HEY! Do you listening?! "

Aperantly not. The hunter was holding a rifle in his hands. Its component were made out of steel and wood with additional brass ornaments. " Did you started making guns? "

" I said don't touch them. "

" Why so grumpy? I have been working with firerarms for decades. I know how they work better than you. And you're well aware of that. "

" That's not the problem! What I have enough of is you 'testing' all the new weapons indoors every single time you come. " He said angrily. Then he took the rifle from him and put it back where it originally was. " Get out already. "

It took great effort for the aging mant to push the hunter out of his workroom. Sadly it was a temporary victory. While repairing the Rifle Spear didn't required as much time as other, more complex firearms, it was a bothersome task.

As reeve left, he saw Shavrone and the blacksmith apprentice having a conversation. The other stray was seemingly uncomfortable and annoyed, at least till he noticed Gilver leaving the workroom. Realisng it was a good opportunity to slip away from the woman, the scholar approached him.

" Shavrone! It looks like it will take the old man for a while to repair my spear. But we don't have much time left so Let's go and pick up our new stuff. "

" Finally. " Shavrone said, Feeling great relief as his bizarre conversation with the novice were comming to a close.

They left the smithy immediately which greatly satisfyed the scholar. With quick steps, the duo went to the forge where they were supposed to pick up the weapons. The way there was boring and most of the time was spent in silence. It was something Gilver wasn't able to tolerate for a longer period of time. No wonder he immediately found a topic to talk about in no time.

" Something tells me you don't like it here. " He declared bluntly.

" How could you figured? "

" I just saw you chit-chatting with Erica. She likes you by the way. "

" I can't say the same about her. " Shavrone remarked. Just thinking about the girl made his skin crawl.

" Okay, She can be hyperactive. I give you that, but was it realy that bad? "

" Of course! She was bombing me with all kind of asinine questions. Never leaving me be. And she even tried to hit on me. Not once, but five times. Seriously! Is everyone lacks subtlety in these lands? I was patient and told her to stop. Trying to be as polite as I can be. Mind you. But unfortunately, it was fruitless. "

" I'm sorry to hear that. Well. On the bright side, What is awaiting us in that forge will put a smile on your face I'm sure. For your information, they don't make firearms exclusively.

" Today it is the second time you promise me something. And like before, you will most likely let me down. "

" Don't be so sure. "

On their way, they spotted a placard on a building's wall. It was a simple advertisement, so most people ignored it. They did not however, for there was one detail that caugt the interest of the two. On the paper was written that the in the next month, a tournament will be held at Castle Krakenburg. When the duo first read it, they couldn't believe their eyes. An easy way opened up before them to reach their target, the Dragon's blood.

Though after thinking more about it, Shavrone realized that they should not partake. The reason being because the Sanguhems will be present as well. And they are better of not to get in a fight with them, directly at least. Moreover, even if they come out victorious it's not guaranteed that they can put their hands on the royals afterwards. In the end, it just didn't worth it, no matter how the scholar looked at it. All in all, If they make a mistake, their chances will become rather thin being successful next time. Still, he took down the placard with the intention to show it to the others. Thinking they can come up with something clever. Then, the stray put away the placard and returned on the road.

" Oh, are you interested? " Asked Reeve.

Shavrone perfectly understood what his companion implied not so subtly at all. For that reason, he said the following. " I warn you to don't even think about showing up there. you will cause more harm than good. I'm just curious what is the opinion of Inimicus on it. Perhaps he can use this tournament to turn the tides to our favor. That's all. So don't do anything rash. Clear? "

" Aye captain... "

And with that, they returned to the road once again. Since nothing interesting or worthy of their attention crossed their way, they arrived in no time to the edge of the city where the 'Löwencraft Metalworks' was to be found. From afar, the first thing they were to notice was a tall and sturdy forged iron gate seperating the area on which the forge laid upon and the streets. It was rather tall, around 4-5 metres. However it was nothing compared to the facility itself, which was truly enormous. So tall that the two hardly saw the top with its walls built of similarly massive slabs of red brick. The next notivcable things were the windows or rather how few could be found. And those were built in the higher floors. And as they reached the entrance of the gate, Shavrone got a closer look on the facility as a whole. From there, he noticed that behind the giant of a building a river was running. Most likely that's where they disposed their wasteproducts. Then, he looked further behind the river and saw a fores which seemed to be man made. A couple more kilometers away, the scholar spotted a small building with his superior vision. He was sure it was purposely built deep inside the forest.

' I will ask about it later. ' He thought. Then he turned back to the facility.

Before the entrance stood a man who was mostl likely waiting for Gilver to show up. For how long was he standing there was unknown. However it hardly mattered for the two. The other additional individual was a surprise for him since he was only waiting for one person. " Well met strangers! One of you must be Mr. Reeve I take it. My employer informed me about your arrival. And what about the other good sir? " He asked.

The old Powder Keg stepped closer to him, then offered a handshake. " Yes. I'm Gilver Reeve. " He said while they shook hands. " And he next to me is my companion, Darseo Shavrone. "

" Pleased to meet you. Now follow me. I will show you the place where you supposed to take up your weapons. "

With that, the man lead them inside. There they had to face a new problem. The place was rather crowded as an army of workers bustled around the numerous, giant melting furnances and even larger melting pots that were hanging from above. Leaving no room for the the strays to reach the lower levels to a large room that was built under the forge. That was the place where the new weapons were tested.

But after they started pushing the workers away a little more forcefully as they headed forward, they reached the stairs in no time. When they got to the lower levels, their escort signed them to follow him once again. This, underground part of the forge was just as big if not bigger than the one above the surface. All the paperwork, all the logistical work and much more happened in those offices that the two were walking past. Then finally, they got to the testing room. The place where Gilver's new toys were waiting for him.

The room itself was rather spartan. The walls were built of thick and hard stone that was further reinforced with metal plates. Why was it built underground? While it may seem nonsensical, it helped keeping the newly developed arms as a secret which gave the forge a great advantage over the other competitors. Also there was a secret tunnel made in the office of the boss that made escaping easier when an assasination occured. Since he was a rather influental man even during King Garon's reign, he had to face with assilants quite often.

Speaking of the boss, the man himself was present as well.

" Greetings Mr. Reeve. I see you brought company as well. " He said with a smile.

" Yes. My name is Darseo Shavrone. " Said the scolar.

" Well. Welcome to Lövencraft Metalworks. I'm Colt Maxim, proud owner of this forge. "

" Colt." Cut in Gilver. " I don't want to be rude, but shall cut to the chase. What I mean is... Where do you hiding those bad boys? "

" Patience. I want to show you something first. "

" I can't say I don't like surprises, however this is not the right time for that. Still, I humor you. Let me see what you have to offer. "

" So, do you remember the last blueprint you sent me? "

" Oh, that. If you manufactured that thing I'm in for a treat. "

Letting his work speak for itself, the founder ordered two of his workers to bring a firearm inside the testroom. A minute later they returned with something that beared heavy resemblance to the Gatling Gun. The most notable difference being the material they were made. While the Gatling Gun was made of wood and brass, the new desing was purely made of a shiny silvery metal.

With a grin painted on his face, Gilver took the weapon in his hands and started inspecting it. " It's surprisingly light. What is it made of? "

" In these lands, there is a special metal called silver. Looks nice. Isn't it? "

" True. Appearance is not everithing though. Tell me. Does its performance matches its looks? "

" I would gladly demonstrate its firepower, however we ran out of gunpowder. Although worry not my friend, I just sent some of my employees to restock. So if you wait a little, you can try it out yourself."

" Sounds like a deal. Now. Can we get back to the business? "

" Of course. So about the new weapon... Look over there. " Colt pointed at the wall behind them. On it was a rifle like object suspended. They went there to have a better look on it.

" Uhmm... It looks like a normal sniper rifle to me. Except for the bayonett. And there is no magazine. " Shavrone remarked.

" To live with your friend's words, appearance is not everything. " Replied Colt. Then, he pulled back the cartige handle. Inside was a bright, transparent crystal. The two stray hunter just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. " To put it simply... This is a quartz crystal. Its purpose is to concentrate energy. When the amount of said energy reaches a point where the crystal can't contain it anymore, it will leave with high speed. To prevent it from dispersing everywhere, we made a barell coated in a special ceramic. I can safely say that the destrucive capacity it bears won't leave you unsatisfied. On the down side, to operate the weapon, you have to use your own supply of energy. Still we tried to make this weapon as minimally demanding as possible. "

" So an arcane cannon? " Was what Reeve drawed as a conclusion.

" Technically yes. So, who wants to try it first? "

At the warehouse

The duo which consisted of the hunter and the agent was hiding behind a large pile of crates when three people entered. At firs glance, they seemed like plain average workers of a factory or some workshop. Hiding in the covers of the crates and barrels, they listened carefully and processed every bit of information. It didn't take much time till both had to face with the fact that they are not the hunters they are looking for. While disappointed, they didn't gave up on finishing what they started. So they kept eavesdropping.

In the end, the two could safely declare that all that planning for a great ambush was for almost nothing. After the three left with several barrels of gunpowder, the Yharnamites left the spot where they were hiding in low spirits. Then they went to seek the help of their new 'helpers' one again. They thought that they sill had some chance to catch the stray henter. The two heard some interesting details after all. Firstly, there is a forge in the town that develops firearms and technologically advanced ones at that. Secondly, they needed this kind of gunpowder to make suitable ammunitions for them. And lastly, at the moment, the very man who drew the blueprints was there as well.

" Why didn't you show up? " the businessman asked.

" Things didn't turned out how I expected. " Maxwell replyed.

He jus looked at him with a questioning look. " Explain please. "

" They are not the ones we are after. Still, the forge they were talking about caught my interest. Could it be that you know something about the place? "

" Well, not enough to satisfy you to be honest. But I can lead you there. "

" Then waste no time and lead on. "

" But would't it look strange if we showed up not long after we just made business with them? "

" just start walking already! " Said Levis loudly. " Besides, you don't have to come that far. In fact, I would prefer if you get the hell out of my bloody sight after that. "

When they heard that the hunters don't intend to use them as their 'slaves' for much longer, The five immediately turned to the exit door and started guiding the duo to the peculiar forge. The road to the facility was long, going through half of Löwenburg. For that reason they had to be as quick as they could. Making matters worse, the businessman and his goons were significantly slower than Levis and Maxwell which meant more time thrown out of the window. When they reached halfway through, they finally spotted the tall chimneys of the forge. From that point, they were able to navigate to the building on their own. And with that, the fives' help wasn't required any longer. Thus the time has come to bid farwell to each other.

Their departure was short, very short. Mainly because of the mutual dislike both the hunters and the gruop felt toward each other. The former mentioned duo found the five a spinless bunch of incompetent morons who were wasting air arund them. The other team of gentleman resented the two for ruining their chance of starting a very successful business.

Although the five wanted to voice their displeasure with the hunters, they dropped fast. Fearing that they will provoke the hunters' wrath. And so, they left with no words. On the other hand, the hunter in black made one last jab at them by shouthing: " I hope we never meet again. And If I get to know that you started doing shady busineses again, I will shove up the Bloodletter in your bloody arses. " Hearing him was enough to make them quicken their steps and vanish under the horizon in mere seconds.

Since nothing slowed them down anymore, the duo could head to the forge at inhumanly high speed. They could be compared to a bullet as they charged closer to their next destination. In fact, they were so fast, that only a handfull of civilians noticed them passing by. Most only saw a large cloud of dust suddenly appearing before their eyes. Despite the distance was great, around 13 kilometres(8 miles), they made it under five minutes.

What surprised them is that there was no sign of security. That one gatekeeper couldn't be called one. Upon noticing the presence of the two, he asked: " Hey! What are you doing here?! " His voice alerted as he saw them getting closer.

" Oh. We were just walking around the town, looking for someone. Sadly we got lost. Can you help us? " Thinking quickly, Maxwell formed a lie that was convincing enough to make the gatekeeper lower his guard a little. He was still wary of their presence however. Though it's understandable for both looked rather strange. One of them looking like a plague doctor while the other like a mercenary. Still walking, Levis summoned a short, curved boneblade blade behind his back. Yessy shot a brief glance at the hunter tool. Then his eyes wandered to the face of his partner and formed a questioning glare. The hunter in black gear grimmaced back in return.

" How can I help? " The man asked. He sounded more calm this time.

The hunter in black waited till they were only an armlenght away from him. Then, Levis made a light cut on him faster than the blink of an eye. He saw no point coming up with something clever since the the blade worked immediately. The gatekeeper had no chance to wonder about what happened since the spinal fluid that coated the blade already took an effect. Because the cut was shallow, it altered the blade's effect greatly. Instead of disturbing of the gross motor skills, it made the gatekeeper hallucinating.

All in all, getting past the first obstackle was childplay. They saw no other uses in the man so they left him alone with his delusions. And it will take time till others found him. With that, they went to the entrance door. The thing was purely made of hardened steel. On it 'Löwencraft Metalworks' was etched.

Maxwell had a hard time trying to figure out how to open it. So much that the seconds turned to minutes as he was standing before the object, his mind racing. The agent's musing was interrupted by his companion who clearly lost his patience.

" So. when will you start doing something? " Levis asked impatiently.

" Don't interrupt me! I'm on it. " Still not turning his gaze from the door, Yessy retorted. He was annoyed by his inability of opening a single lock. Still, he never met with a similar type before. To his dismay it couldn't be open wia lockpicking. " God damn it! These assholes came up with one hell of a locking mechaninc. " He cursed loudly.

Not satisfied with the agent's response Levis readied his weapon. " Step aside. " He said.

" I warn you this is not such a good idea, Sanguhem... "

" Do you know better? "

In that moment Maxwell did not. For that he put his faith in his companion and hoped that only few will hear them. " Yes, just give me a minute. "

Maxwell tried for twelve more minutes without succsess. It was enough time for the already lacking patience of Levis to run dry. " Seems like. You don't! " With that, Levis positioned himself, leaving a few second for the other man to step away from the door. The young hunter intended to punch a hole where the lock supposed to be. After concentrating his strenght, he thrusted forward with the Bloodletter. A loud clang could be heard after the weapon made impact on the door. Levis hit so hard that the lock was replaced with a wide, gaping hole. Brute forcing themselves through the obstacle worked this time. Although loudly I have to add.

Fortunately, the forging process in the building was even more loud, so they weren't heard and the workers, who at another section, have not noticed them. However, in the forge, they didn't see the strays anywhere. So, Levis and Maxwell started looking around frantically. Still, no sign of a stray hunter was found by them. Looking around for a second time, Yessy found a flight of stairs that lead under the building. Reaching the end of the stairs they saw a corridor.

Not long after they got halfway through the corridor, things started to get more complicated for the two. The responsibles for that being the security team. They must have found their sort of drugged colleague and the wide hole in the entrance door.

Being a gunforge forge, albeit not officaly, the main priority of Löwencraft Metalworks was to create weapons. And to guard the blueprints and the new models, they employed several security workers. However their number didn't reach fifty. As the overall numbers suggested, they were menat to take care of ordinary intruders, as ordinary I mean humans. Which they excelled in. On the other hand though, going against hunters was out of their league. Even if they were ten times as much, they could only dream of taking down a weaker one like Yessy. The gap in power between them and Levis, who is more than capable slaughtering countless beasts and other attrocities of the cosmos was immeasureable.

To the guards luck, The main priority of that certain hunter was to remain steathy. He didn't want to be discovered by the strays. So when he heard the security comming closer, Levis started running down the long corridor that was on his left. Maxwell following him closely. As they were sprinting down the hallway, they became aware to the fact that another group was waiting for them at the end. However before they could cath a glimpse of them, They entered the nearest door.

It happened to be that the room they entered was a workroom with several engineers and researchers. They were seperated to three different groups. The first one were drewing blueprints of weapons at a workbench. At another workbench, some were experimenting with unknown chemicals. And at the third one, others were testing different kind of metals and alloys.

They don't even had the chance to panic as Levis raised his index finger before his lips, signing them to stay quiet. " Don't even think about it! If one of you dare to make a single sound, I will smash in all of your faces. " The hunter in black threathened them. Seemingly with success. Truth be told, he didn't want to inflict harm on these people when they were only doing their work. But he could not let them slow him down either.

Seeing that none of them intended to stand up against him, the young hunter crossed his arms and began. " Well. Believe it or not, the bloody security is working really hard to hunt down our arses at the moment. Fortunately for them though, hacking and slashing through them would do more harm than good for us. So, would you be so kind and help us out? "

" Oh my. I didn't expected you to have such a good hart. " Yessy, faking being surprised, cut in before the others were able to give an answer. " Not after what you did with those thugs in that island. That is. "

" I don't know if you have noticed, but I'm in a middle of something important. Don't you have something better to do? " The hunter asked. Clearly visible how irritated he become.

" No. " The agent replied immediately.

With a frown, Levis waved him off and continued threatening his 'helpers'. " Anyway, we are going to hide somewhere in this place. We would be thankful if you don't mention that we are here when the security comes. Thank you. "

With that, the hunter and the agent hid in the storeroom. Around half a minute later, four security worker indeed stepped in to investigate the room. Fearing for their life, the engineers told them that they saw nothing so they should search for the intruders elswhere. The security believed them and left the room.

After hearing the door slam, the two waited a little before they came out of their hiding spot. Then, the agent went closer to them. His steps were slow to don't scare them, but confident at the same time. " Phew. That was close. We realy appreciate your cooperation. Now, there is one last thing I need your help in. "

That thing was confirming that the strays were indeed in contact with the forge. The answer they recieved made a smile creep onto their face. It affirmed that somewhere in Löwencraft Metalworks, at least one stray hunter was present. They just had to find where they were. Of course, the engineers could help them this time as well.

They got to know that there were not one but two hunters inside the testroom. One of them being unarmed. While reassuring to some degree, it didn't change the fact that they are facing against a hunter. And Levis learned in most painful way that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer.

Since they had no other questions, the two left the workroom immediately. Expecting a possible ambush, They carefully looked around after every step they made. However the said ambush never came. They managed to avoid the security squad. Calmed down, Maxwell turned to a large wooden door at the end of the corridor. Unlike the other doors, the nameplate was significantly larger and was made of gold, implying that someone important was working in that office. He had a feeling it contained something that would help them in their quest. After reaching the object, he started knocking first. The agent heard no response so he grabbed the doorknob and turned it. Then with a light push, he opened the door.

Inside the romm was a desk, some houseplant, shelves, two wardrobes and an old looking gramophone one the table. In the gramophone was a disc with the label 'Enter Shadman by Ironica'. Levis immediately recognised it. Interestingly, that song was one of Tiber's favorite. Though the song itself was not important by any means, it made Levis question how did something so technologically advanced end up there. ' It has to do something with those strays I'm sure. ' He murmured to himself. Then he put the object in his pocket dimension for he knew that Tiber will appreciate it.

" You are interested in that gramophone too I take it. " Said Yessy.

" Yes. But I don't think for the same reason. "

" Still, I know you came to the same conclusion as me. Right? " He asked while he was reading through a large stack of documents. Meanwhile, his companion walked to a shelf and started fiddling with the things that the owner of the office kept there. Five minutes later, Maxwell started waving his hands with a paper in it. " Come here Sanguhem! You're going to love this. " He declared in a thriumphant tone.

" What is this? " Levis asked upon taking the document from his hand.

" It's a report that came from a place called Weißgipfel. Not a single clue where the heck is it though. "

" Then why do you think that paper is so important? If you don't know where that Weis...whatever is, that thing is only good for wiping our asses with it. "

" And that's where you wrong. "

" Elaborate. "

" This report goes into even the tinest details about the number and types of the weapons they transport to Weißgipfel. And if you would truly put some effort into actually reading it, you could connect the dots yourself and realise that it is an another scheme of the strays. "

" Why waste my time when you already done it yourself. Now get going, we have two of those wankstains to take care of and the entire bloody security of this building in our asses. Blondie will take care of them later. " With that, the young hunter turned his back and left. Leaving Maxwell alone in the office. The agent was looking at him emotionlessly for some seconds. Then, he took away the report and started murmuring " It would be nice if you at least try to pretend that you are grateful you know. " before he started catching up.

From there, they managed to get to the lover levels of the building without getting caught. While once they ran into a smaller team, they easily knocked them out cold. Then, they dragged the bodies elswhere. Not long after however, when they wanted to progress further, the duo spotted a noticeably larger group of security guards comming. However before they could be spotted, they took cover behind a corner and leaned closer to a wall.

" What now, Maxwell? "

" Let me think for a second... "

" We don't have a second. Think faster! "

' Fuck off! ' Thought Yessy. But he couldn't afford wasting time with talking back thanks to the situation they were in. Instead, he tried comming up with a plan to avoid the guards. ' If only we could turn invisible.' After thinking about it, the agent suddenly got an idea. " Well. Do you have some blue elixir? "

" Yes, I have. " Said Levis with a grin. Then, he summoned two flasks of the strange liquid. After giving one to his companion he raised his flask and said " Cheers! " Then, both drank the content of the strange vial. Since the elixir's original purpose was to be used as a sedative, it slowed their thinking process greatly. Though it was not much of a concern thanks to its side effect.

With their transparent body, they had far better chance sneaking past their pursuers. Still, they didn't become completely invisible so they avoided comming too close to them. When they saw that they were far enough, the two rushed forward with the intention of getting further away from the security.

Soon, the hunter in black started feeling that something was horribly off. Like something unnatural was nearby. And Levis knew exactly why. They were getting closer to the opposing hunters. With each step, the atmosphere become heavier. However, that cloud of dark feeling eventually became less potent again. That could mean only one thing, the enemy was changing position.

" They are near, I feel it. But they are moving. " ' Bloody assholes. Do they want to use a trap? '

" How d'you know? Could it be some kind of arcane hocus pocus shit? "

" I'm not sure. Gehrman told me something like When a strong foe is nearby, your eyes inside will open. Then you will be able to truly see how things are. " While speaking, Levis tried to imitate the old man best to his skills. " At first I though he had gone insane and senile because of old age, but the more time we spent in Yharnam the more sense it started to make. Of course I'm talking about insight. "

" You mean like the first hunter Gehrman? " The agent spoke with bewilderment.

" Yep. "

Dispelling his awe with a shake of his head, Maxwell concentrated all of his brainpower once again at the task and begin. " You know what? We will talk about it later. "

And so, the two young man continued to rush through the building as they were planning how to take on the stray hunters.

While Reeve was marvelling at the destruction the newly designed gatling gun made in the testing dummies, Shavrone and Colt gathered around a young worker after he stumbled inside the room. The former approaching him with a calm analytical gaze, while the later was more than infuriated.

" What is the matter? I told you not to bother me while I'm having guests unless it's realy important." Said the owner with a raised voice.

" Intruders. " Was what the young man could mutter between a fit of deep heaves.

" What a coincidence, I have to say. " Shavrone remarked in a deadpan manner.

Ignoring his customer, the boss leaned closer to his employee. " Can you tell me how many? " He asked.

" Their... numbers are... unknown... But reports... says... that they... got past... the gatekeeper... using... an unknown drug. Moreover... they somehow... penetrated... the... great steel door... After that... they... completely... vanished. No... known casualties... so far... " Still having problem with breathing, the worker replied.

" Intruders, you say. " Chimmed in Reeve. Sounding more enthusiastic than ever. " Perfect timing. I realy want to know how these beauties perform in real combat. "

Hearing that, Colt lost his balance and stumbled a little before he found his footing again. If someone like that two begin fighting in his forge, nothing will remain of the facility. Just thinking about it made him sweat. " Please no! " He bellowed. " If you want to use those weapons, choose a far away place. For I don't want to see my forge in ruin. "

" I have to agree with him. " Added Shavrone. "It can not end up well for anyone if the whole building collapses. Especially if we are staying in the lower floors. Such as now. You can't say you do not agree! "

" You got me. " Said the Powder Keg sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. " What do you suggest then? "

" Firstly, we wait for them to get close enough for me to feel their presence. "

" That's a horrible idea! " Paniced, the founder of the forge forcefully gripped Shavrone's garb. " What good can come out of that? "

When he finally pushed the man's hand off of his clothes, the scholar began speaking. " I take you as a clever individual. At least based on the fact that the most successful forge in these parts of the knigdom is yours. So use your brain please. "

" What do you mean? "

" Well, As the fellow said, there were no casulties and they completely vanished after they broke in. Which means that our intruders must posses remarkable skills in stealth. Therefore, we need to lure them in a more open space. That would not only make them unable to surprise us, but they won't be able to hide anywhere as we blast them from a distance. "

" I see... A clever strategy. Allow me to help you. " Colt said much more calmly.

" Now that's what I like to hear. " Gilver pulled him closer with his right arm.

While not happy with the enthusiastic hunter's antics, the founder of the forge ignored him and went further into the details. " So, there is a hidden escape route in my office which leads to the nearby forest. I think that place would be suitable if you realy want to clash. "

" We end up at that small building I have seen earlier take it? " Shavrone asked. To whom colt merely nodded. " Hmm... That's good. " he mumbled. " Are there any traps perhaps? "

" Unfortunately not. It is an escape route. "

" Well, we are still good. And how far your office is? "

"It's pretty close. We just have to go one level lower. "

" Okay. It's really good that we figured it out how to deal with them, but how will we lure them to the forest? " Asked Gilver. His finger on his chin as he was thinking about the possibilities.

After thinking about it, even Shavrone had to admit that the question his companion proposed attracted his attention at a problem he didn't think about before. Though, he was not able to come up with a bulletproof plan, he still had an idea. " Hmmm... " While humming the scholar pointed at the others. " You go ahead. I will comfront them directly. Then I will lead them to the hidden door. There is not a chance they won't try to come after me. But only if they proven to be a worthy opponent. That is. Othervise I will obliterate them myself. "

" Well. Sounds like a plan. But why not I am the one who greets them? I mean I'm a more capable fighter? "

" While that is true... I fear you will not stick to the plan and do something... unreasonable. I shall meet them. "

" -,- Talking about trust. " Reeve mumbled with a sour face as he turned his back to Darseo and went after Colt.

As they got closer and closer to the testing room Levis started to have a clearer picture regarding the position of their next opponents. He realized that while one of them was steadily aproaching, the other was moving... to a lower level. ' So there is another level below us. There must be something important if one of them went there. ' The young hunter thought.

" Maxwell! " He placed his hand before his partner to prevent him from getting any further and started whispering. " One of them is moving toward us. Be ready. "

" I see... " Yessy replyed while he unsheated his trusty Church Pick.

A few steps later Levis stopped to put a hand on Maxwell's shoulder, stopping him as well. " He isn't moving. I'm sure he is in the testing room, most likely setting up traps and waiting for us now. "

" I Don't think he had enough time to set up any traps. There must be another reason. " Argued back his companion.

" Well... we are about to find out what this bloody rascal is planning. Still, be careful. Just in case. Who knows what he has up in his sleeves."

" You think I'm an ameteur? He has to wake up a hunred years early if he want to catch me off guard with cheap tricks. "

" If you are so sure of yourself, then get ready. We are about to charge in."

And that's all for now folks. Time for the author's note.

Well. It took me a while to finish this chapter. The main reason being my lack of motivation and ideas, some rally important tests and I also started working part time. Moreover I hade to rewrite some parts after I read them for a second time.

That being said... There are some issues I have to address. So, as I mentioned before, the idea of this fic just came out of the blue after I played fates. This means that I didn't and still don't have any plans regarding the plot. Basically, I made up everything on the go and hoped for the best. I feel like this was really bad for the overall consistency of this story of mine. And thanks the absence of clear vision from me, I noticed that it became harder for me to write. Moreover, the direction where this story is going, started to become a giant mess which will become more and more harder to follow in the future. At least for me.

And while I still don't think that It's a dead end, don't have high hopes for any update. At least till I figure out something.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day.