Chapter 178: The Broken Mask

Ned and Sasani parted away after strolling around the central market, which made Ned scoff to himself since he couldn't afford items he needed to buy. Like vials of potions, temporary weapons, since he only has a handful of gold left.

Under the sprinkle of rain, Ned decided to walk back to Forgotten Pint. He determined that by walking, he could reach the tavern faster than carriage. But, after he turned to a street with shops and people passing by, he sensed that something was following him among the hundreds of people in the plaza.

Ned turned to an alley to his right. The front of the building was bustling with people, but behind that, the true nature of every city revealed. Gloomy, especially under the rain. Both humans and rats strolled the dark alley waiting for someone to toss them coins, not much, but a single bronze coin was enough for them to get by the day.

With Kurashinpi, the half-broken mask, held on his right (since he doesn't have the chance to put it inside his pocket dimension especially since he was with Sasani), Ned exited the gloomy alley. By then, he reached a river compounded with cement and gravel, a man-made river. Rain sprinkled on the river, it formed tiny ripples, a hundred of ripples. Ned decided to cut through the crowd, and entered another alley, trying to lose the people following him.

There, Ned had to act quickly, as far as he knows, magic wasn't supposed to be used inside the city of Sudden Plate, or any other city there was. It was prohibited, but none could stop a hunter from doing so. Especially if the alley was dark and empty.

It hasn't been a month since Ned stepped inside the Sudden Plate City. Yet, this was the second time he was being followed, first being Kwan, and second, he doesn't have an idea. He was an outlander, as Liv had said to Ned.

Liv? Ned thought, could be.

There were at least two people following him, one hiding among the crowd, amateur, as Ned had thought. His presence was too open that Ned could feel the intent coming out from him. The other guy, behind the wall at the entrance. Same as the other one, Ned doesn't even have to expand his focus to pinpoint their location. Detect couldn't be used, since it detects life, not the intent, and there were almost hundreds of people in the crowd.

The alley was cramped of wooden dumpster, some sack—maybe grain, and stairs that lead to each establishment.

Surprisingly, for a city with a hundred of thousands of citizens, so far, Ned hasn't met vagrants dumped on the streets or alleys. An indication that the city has an economic advantage. An empty alley was also a good chance for Ned to use the mask.

Ned stopped between the shadows of the alley, cast by the bricked buildings, and rested his back against the wall. He wanted to try Kurashinpi. Why was the mask leaking of mana? Even though it was half-broken.

The mask was sleek in black and broken in half, and with a single hole on the right side. Ned raised the mask smudged with drizzles of rain.

It did nothing, and Ned felt nothing as the mask was fixed over his face. Ned could see through the hole on his right eye, it was clear. If he bought a non-magical mask, maybe he could understand why the item did nothing to him. But Ned could feel the leak of mana, like ripples of water slapping his hands.

Ned frowned and pushed himself farther inside the shadow.

"He was here," the man said. "The kid's here, I'm sure if it.

"Then where?" The other man said.

Ned couldn't get a clear vision of their faces as the shadow cast over them.

His black motif did help as he was almost invisible under the veil of the shadow, luckily, his eyes were dusky at this moment. No light to reflect it.

But they won't leave Ned, they knew somewhere between the gaps of the buildings he was there hiding. So, one by one, the two of them checked each gap. Footsteps clapped against the stony ground, it was getting closer to Ned.

Against the sound of the rain, Ned heard a sharp whistle from above. Experience told him to take a step to his side, which he did. A knife: almost two fingers long, thin, and sharp, a throwing knife stabbed almost an inch on the ground, an inch beneath Ned's foot.

It didn't stop there, light glimmered from the surface of the knife, another one flew-in toward him. Instinctively, Ned raised a hand, forced his mana, and let it flow toward the tip of his palm. Fireball was then conjured which gave his location away to the two.

"There!" The follower cried as they saw the orange light exited from the gap of the building.

Ned let go of the spell. But instead of hurling it toward the man above the building, the Fireball scattered into tiny beads of fire and was sucked in by the mask.

No time to check what had happened. Experiences, instincts, and training snapped inside him, Ned summoned the broken Butterfly. His right held the sword, his left held the mask over his face. Ned successfully parried the throwing knife. After which, the man from above grunted.

From above, the man descended toward him. To his left, the two figure was approaching, their shadow ahead of them.

[Inject mana to the mask, Ned.]

ICE did the probing and shared the result with Ned.

Ned did as what his A.I. asked, he injected mana into the mask. The mana flowed away from his hands, Ned redirected the route and let it flow above his head. There, from every pore of his skin, the mana oozed out and sipped in Kurashinpi.

Like a beast that hasn't eaten for weeks, the mask absorbed Ned's mana without delay.

Ned felt his face getting warmer, his right eye as if he was wearing a thin glass, it was more clear. The broken part of the mask slowly healed itself, like a wound clotting visible. The regrow of the mask stopped until it fully covered Ned's face. Now, only his hair from behind could be seen. For some reason, the mask attached itself to Ned's face without having to use a strap to lock it.

The broken Butterfly was almost half a forearm long, the tip was tiny like that of a needle. But it didn't shine green like it did before it was broken. Ned felt the sword lifeless, no energy, no leaking, no mana, just a piece of an unknown metal. Yet, it saved his life.

Ned spun to face the man from above that landed four meters ahead of him. Now, the mask was fully equipped on Ned's face. Two holes, both for his eyes, covered his ears, and below his jawlines.

Silver hair fluttered from behind as Ned jumped backward to exit the gap before the three of them corner him. He did, eventually, the two men arrived before they could pin Ned inside the gap.

Of course, Ned thought, after seeing the two wore a mask as well. Broken Butterfly was raised in a defensive position across his chest. His left hand hung freely at his side, ready to conjure Fireball.

"Who are you?" Ned did the privilege to broke the silence.

"Is that him?" One of the men in white masks with cracks on its forehead whispered to the man beside him.

"I don't think so." Replied the other man, much taller and much longer hair than the other. Both their voices were muffled.

"You," said the first man, he stretched his hand holding a dagger and pointed the tip to Ned. Just like his dagger, worn and rusty, his mask was nothing much as well. "Who are you?"

Ned didn't answer. He was waiting for the man to emerge out of the dark alley. So the man did and said, "he's mine," walking leisurely out of the shadow.

"But, Boss," the first man said with a rusty mask. "He's not our target."

"Not yet," the man from the shadow said. Same as the two, he wore a mask. Designed as imposing as it could, the mask was fixed with sharp jagged teeth and fake eyes that shone red. Must be his magic, or just for a show. But Ned doesn't want to know about it.

He raised the broken Butterfly, the only thing that could mark him from his followers. Steam oozed out under his mask ae breath-in in a calm manner. His eyes were veiled with darkness under the mask. After the warmth of his mask, it was followed with fresh sensation following the transformation.

"So what now, Boss?" The second man said with a white mask.

"Find the target," the man with the toothed mask said. "I want this one, it's been a long time since someone dodged my knives." He wore a pale blue jacket and pale blue pants, with pale blue shoes. Leather belt and leather straps over his waist. Several knives circled his waist, they were tucked inside his belt and locked with the straps. Both his hands, between his fingers were knives clipped and ready to be thrown. "You," he said. "Why did you help the kid?"

Silence.

"Ah," toothed mask said. Raised his hand then his subordinates left and exited from the alley. "Now." He cracked his knuckles with knives in between and chuckled after the two left. "Who are you? Who sent you? Why helped the kid?"