It took Lukas some time to patch together what had happened and what was going on. He had seen Wyrmkin in the clones’ memories, but they were different from the specimens he had encountered before. The last lot looked more like birds than lizards, seemed to follow a tribal hierarchy, and were somewhat airbrained. Meanwhile, the creatures that chased down his clones and killed one were significantly more advanced.

Their frames were the same, but the creatures were significantly more scaly. The few feathers they had appeared concentrated mostly along their arms, the top of their heads, and their spines. Many kept their plumage tamed using ponytails. A few appeared to have added stone or metal jewelry to them, too.

El-Three and El-Four had spent significant time watching the twenty-odd wyrmkin move and act. They seemed far more purposeful and didn’t need a ‘Shamin’ barking orders. Most of them were moving glass containers full of noxious green fluid. They seemed to contain biomass. El-Three—an arcane, specialized clone—detected strong magical energy radiating from within. The sensation accompanying it was identical to the feeling Penelope had highlighted in the undercity. It was draconic magic.

Following the group deep into the ‘underground’ levels of the undercity, uncovered a monstrous cavern. They had set up camp in one corner, and an area that looked like a cross between a laboratory and a giant ritual room sat near it. Most curious of all was the giant swirling dome in the distance. Silver lights danced on the surface, making it challenging to look through the surface.

The clones should’ve turned back then, but they didn’t. Overconfident in their mastery of Silencing Shadows, the pair wandered closer. They got through the camp and Wyrmkin unnoticed, sticking to shadowed patches and low-trafficked areas. A couple of times, they almost got boxed in by individuals carrying containers or equipment, but fortunately, they seemed so busy with work that they walked past the shadow-draped duo without noticing.

Even though the clones got a couple of opportunities to take out an unaware duo, they didn’t. The chances of pulling it off undetected were high. But alarming the Wyrmkin and their masters was counterintuitive in the long run. The mission’s only objective was intelligence gathering.

Most of the Wyrmkin radiated far more power than Lukas or the clones had. It wasn’t just that they were muscled, tall, and well-equipped. The arcane, specialized clones’ keen magic senses hadn’t detected many opponents like them before. It was raw magic with hints of draconic presence. Lukas couldn’t tell if they were a superior species of Wyrmkin or completely different. If he had investigated personally, Inspector’s Compendium would’ve provided valuable insights on the topic.

After passing through the camp and skirting the busy ritual laboratory, El-Three and El-Four cautiously approached the dome. They struggled to get close since the light pulsing from it didn’t leave many spots for them to blend into the shadows. Getting within a hundred feet of it proved enough. At first, they only saw a smooth, silvery-blue mass. But then, the longer they stared, the more details became visible.

A giant mass of muscle, scales, and spines lay within the dome. It was significantly larger than anything Lukas or the clones had seen before. He doubted even Lady Silverspine, in her full form, was as big.

It was soon after, while the clones were making their way back, that things fell apart. Lukas had sent one arcane-specialized clone and the other empowered for agility. The latter’s control over Silencing Shadow’s faltered. It was only for a moment, but enough for one of the Wyrmkin, a colorfully decorated and glowing-stone-carrying specimen, to detect them. It summoned a giant lizard and set it loose.

As previously agreed, the clones separated and ran. Without the arcane-specialized clone guiding the other with Shadow Sight, things got more challenging. Falls and trips occurred. Silencing Shadows faltered further. Once the clone suffered a concussion, it fell apart altogether. Then, the summoned lizard found and devoured him in three mouthfuls, leaving nothing behind.

The surviving clone fled, successfully avoiding detection. He had to skirt several monsters on the way out, but eventually made it out of the depths. Exiting the undercity undetected and making it back to the inn took forever, but came with no further incident.

There was a lot to process, and Lukas didn’t want to take the matter to Esther or Penelope straight away. He worried both would want to get involved. The latter would especially jump at the opportunity since it involved her purpose in Iskander, but Lukas would have far too many questions to answer. He also worried that her academic interests could potentially interfere with the quest.

The Wyrmkin would also remain on high alert for quite some time, making it harder for Lukas or the clones to get close. Even if they got close, he wasn’t sure how or what to do. He didn’t have potent enough magic, and even if he did, it wouldn’t surprise him if the Wyrmkin had wards, enchantments, and other magical defenses in place to protect the ritual sight.

Light bulb.

Lukas summoned a clone.

“I don’t think we have enough time to learn alchemy, boss,” El-Three said.

“We don’t need to learn alchemy,” Lukas replied. “We need to cause an alchemical disaster. How hard can that be?”

“Steal random cheap and common brews and try mixing them in the undercity?”

“It’s a start, but not particularly efficient. We need to cause an incident similar to what happened in the pawn shop but quicker and more violent.” Lukas checked the journal again. Altered Mass had gained another rank. One more, and he’d get a sub-ability. Then, the quest rewards would push it close to the next tier. Lukas wasn’t just eager for the power-up but also the conjunction ability that would come with the next tier. “Maybe we should consult an alchemist—”

“Or we could try to infiltrate the mage’s college and steal someone’s notes,” the clone interrupted. “There has to be a guide or lessons on what not to do, right?”

“That’s brilliant!” Lukas exclaimed. “I didn’t realize I unlocked intelligence-empowered clones.”

“Haha,” El-Three spoke in a sarcastic monotone. “The clone brainstorm always wins. Who needs outside brains when we got the best one?” He grinned. “Right?”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Lukas summoned another clone. Both of them had low mass and were arcane-specialized. “Probe the magic school's security, explore their defenses. See if there is any way we can sneak in that doesn’t involve courier jobs.” Whenever Lukas or the clones delivered packages to either building, they had to undergo strict scanning processes and sign in and out at multiple points. The staff and owners went to great lengths to protect the children of Iskander’s rich and powerful, after all. “Maybe kitchen staff, or maybe even befriend the janitors.”

“Good call.” El-Four nodded. “Janitors can go everywhere and get anything. I’ll see if I can get in good with one.”

“Excellent.” Lukas waved toward the window. “Off you go. Maybe also check out the alchemy workshops in the industrial districts. There has to be a way of disposing of failed batches or sub-standard stock.”

“Right. It doesn’t matter what we use or how good it is.”

“It only needs to go boom.” El-Three grinned before following El-Four out.

Meanwhile, Lukas played with a handful of feathers his clone had retrieved. He spun a quick tale and waited in the dining room, waiting for Penelope to return from the research center.

“You’ve been doing what?!” Penelope exclaimed, eyebrows raised.

“Staking out the hidden docks,” Lukas said. “I know you told me to stay away, but it felt like the best place to train Shade’s Mantle and Silencing Shadows. It's not that I don’t trust your hired assets—I don’t, for the record—but I’m sure the dragon energy and magic are coming through the docks and I needed to see for myself.”

“Your identifying abilities are too valuable. I wish you would risk yourself like that.” She held the feathers up to the light. “What does the compendium have to say about this?”

“Elder Wyrmkin plumage,” Lukas answered. “The compendium says the variant of Wyrmkin are more closely related to dragons, and this lot are descendants of Drakan. The Elder Wyrmkin typically avoids their lesser cousins, considering them backward and their blood dirty. They’ve been trying to bring back the age of dragons for eons, hoping it will make it possible for their ancestor to break through Fracture’s spatial and arcane barriers.”

“Elder Wyrmkin?” Penelope raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize there were distinctions. Some are big. Some spall. Some more scaly. Some are less scaly. I guessed it all comes down to who their ancestor is.”

“Maybe the more concentrated dragon-blooded are the elders?” Lukas shrugged. “I found these around the docks. The tracks were weird. Giant, heavy, and unstable. It was like whoever wore them wasn’t used to footwear or put on a couple of sizes too small.” He leaned forward for dramatic effect. “There were weird swishing, draggy lines in the mud too. I thought they were clumsily carrying stuff at first. What if they were tails?”

“Where did these tracks lead?” Penelope asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It was just a small muddy patch, but they were heading toward the city. I personally think they were heading toward the undercity entrance near the western port. It's in the worst condition and not well-guarded.”

“Santana told me it was because of the crumbling tunnels and walkways.”

“Barely anyone uses it because of how far it is from decent hunting grounds, too,” Lukas commented. “The Shadow Seekers told me to avoid the gate because the time investment compared to returns really isn’t worth it.”

Penelope nodded. “It’s likely the guards only hang around to look out for any creature that might wander out. But it's so improbable they don’t have much to do and are fairly inattentive.”

“And corrupt.”

“Of course, corrupt.” Penelope sighed. “Have you and Elvis been down since the guild job?”

Lukas nodded. “We haven’t been hunting. We just explored paths into the deep and are looking for tracks. It was mostly for a fungi collection job. We just doubled up the purpose?”

“And did you feel anything?”

“Unfortunately, not. There were a few lizard-foot tracks not far from where we fought the phaser, but that could be anything, right?”

“It could. Mutant reports have been increasing. Apparently, there is a big load of samples coming up in the next couple of days. I’ll need you to analyze those, by the way. But, it could also be more.”

“Should we—”

“I’ll send Bass down to investigate. If he comes back with anything credible, we’ll go down together.” Penelope paused, studying him for a moment. “You’ve been going to the markets a lot lately. I’ve heard you’re poking around the academy and research center’s vendors too. Is there something you’re after?”

“I may have leads on a shard and a ritual for specifically what I want,” Lukas answered. “It's just intelligence gained on a guild job, and the compendium suggests it might be credible. I just need to get my hands on a couple of magical essences, but they’re hard to come by.”

Penelope watched him silently. Lukas couldn’t tell whether she could see through him or was mulling over his query. Ever since he told her about Inspector’s Compendium, the woman had fallen for all of his lies. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder if she just didn’t care enough to call him out on his bullshit.

“I’ll see what I can do. The colleges and enchanters hog most of it. I’ll see if I can get you one from their exclusive markets.”

“I’ll pay for it, of course.”

“I didn’t say otherwise. Consider the service as compensation for the information leak. I’ve ensured the same doesn’t happen ever again. All leaks in my team have been silenced.”

“Why does that sound so terrifying coming from you?” Lukas chuckled.

“Because it should,” Penelope said, eyes narrowing. “Anyway. If you need something from the exclusive merchants, just ask. We’re colleagues, and I’m happy to help. The stronger you are, the more you can help me.”

I want to trust her. Is it the dragon blood? Is that why I’m hesitant?

“How’s your Silencing Shadows progress going?”

“Brilliantly. I have the base version down, and I can keep the magic detection thing going as long as I remain focused. It’s going to take some time to make it second nature.”

“The fact that you not only completed the Iskander Pearl Hunt but were one of the top contenders speaks highly of how well your magic is progressing. Because I don’t think two simple shard abilities and martial skills are enough for that.”

“I’ve also been working on a shadow version of the light eyes spell,” Lukas said. “It’s not as potent but doesn’t make me stand out in the dark.”

“You’re trying to come up with your own version of Shadow Sight? That’s a considerably more advanced spell than Light Eyes, you know? I look forward to testing it when you think it's ready. Will do.” Lukas created a shadow sphere. It was almost perfectly solid. “I’m nowhere near figuring this out.”

“It’s not going to be easy. Manipulating and shaping shadows is one thing, but giving something intangible and without a physical form solid involves bending the laws of nature. Mist and smoke weapons are far easier to pull off because they’re essentially specks of solid or liquid suspended in the air. Shadow. Light. They have no physical form.” Penelope nodded at the shadow sphere Lukas held. “The fact that you can do that as a novice with pure intent is already impressive.”

“So, what’s my workaround? Gaining tiers and endless practice?”

Penelope nodded. “You’re going to need a fair bit of magic. That’s unless you get the right conjunction ability and focus it on the shadow aspect over the compendium. It doesn’t have to be solid. Liquid shadows are all you need. Then, learn to freeze them or add sharpness.”

“Sharpness?” Lukas raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t think of that.”