CHAPTER 100: VEIL? WHAT VEIL?

Chapter 100

A few minutes earlier, when the kids went into the shop to get their weapons, they were completely unaware that they had been trailed. Four men now stood outside the shop, leaning against the wall calmly, as though they had not a single care in the world.

The leader of the small group, a man wearing a round hat on his head and a pair of black gloves on his hands, was currently smiling in a way that seemed far too relaxed.

"Wait, why did you even drag us all the way here? Who are the targets?" one of the other three men asked, his voice low with suspicion.

"According to our intel, they are rich kids who were escorted into an inn by a man and a woman. Both of them looked quite strong and could possibly be bodyguards." The hat man explained.

"Huh? And how sure are we that they’re rich?" another man asked with a raised eyebrow, clearly not convinced yet.

"They paid ten shards for two rooms without a single complaint. They didn’t even stop to think about whether they were being ripped off or not. They just paid without hesitation." The hat man replied firmly.

"Guess our intel was right, huh?" the third man said with a cheeky, quirky smirk spreading across his lips.

"One thing bothers me though." The first man spoke up again, folding his arms tightly. "They just came into a weapon shop. Doesn’t that mean they know how to fight? If they’re buying weapons, it means they might actually be strong."

"And what of it?" The hat man frowned slightly, his expression sharp. "Don’t forget who we are. We have power on our side. They’ll be forced to surrender, and once they do, we can extort as much as we want from them."

"And if they refuse to surrender?" the second man asked with a slow grin creeping on his face.

The hat man’s grin widened until it was ear to ear, his eyes glinting with malice. "Then we send them straight to their makers."

---

A few minutes later, the kids walked out of the shop after successfully purchasing the weapons they wanted.

Their faces carried happy smiles, their chatter light, and none of them seemed to notice the danger lurking just behind them. Either they hadn’t realized the presence of the men following them, or they simply chose to ignore it.

The weapon shop they had visited stood on the edge of a quiet street, far away from the bustling parts of the town where people usually moved about. The silence of the area made the atmosphere heavier, and only then did the kids finally notice something was off.

The moment the hat man’s voice rang out, it broke the stillness like a sharp crack.

"Took you all long enough."

Hearing those words, the kids quickly spun around, their cheerful expressions fading as they caught sight of the four men. Each one wore a devilish smirk that promised nothing good.

"What?" Jace asked with a raised eyebrow, his tone brimming with irritation.

"I don’t like wasting time. There’s a saying that time is money, and I love money." The hat man’s grin widened, his voice calm yet mocking. "So let’s get started."

"Get started with what exactly?" Aria asked, raising her brow as she subtly shifted her weight, already preparing herself.

"You see, we are a group of Reavers that protect this town. We belong to a famous clan. Every single resident here pays us a small offering in exchange for our protection. It’s how things are run here." The hat man explained, his tone smooth but laced with greed.

"Since you aren’t from around here, we thought we’d save you the trouble and come directly to you. So now, it’s time for you to pay your offering."

"Offering? What is this place supposed to be? A church?" Zen asked, his brow arched as his sarcastic voice cut through the tension.

The hat man’s grin faltered for a moment, a vein bulging across his temple as his face twitched in anger.

"Look," he growled, trying to keep his composure, "we don’t want to force you. So kindly drop whatever amount you’re carrying and we’ll call it even."

The street grew quiet again, the weight of his words lingering heavily. But it was clear from the glint in the children’s eyes that this would not go the way he wanted.

"Too bad that we spent all our money getting new equipment so... shoo!" Vynn said, waving his hand in the air with a mocking grin.

"Then drop the damned equipment you got instead. I’m sure they are worth a lot." Another man chimed in angrily, his fists tightening as if ready to lunge.

"No can do." Vynn replied, grabbing the sheath that housed his sword even tighter, his playful demeanor masking the growing tension.

"Then we will have to force you all to." Another man roared, his eyes blazing with hostility as he glared at the kids.

"I want to see y..." Vynn was about to respond when Jace raised his hand, cutting him off.

"You said you were Reavers from a clan? What clan?" Jace asked with furrowed brows, his tone carrying weight.

’What I would hate the most is for us to get into a brawl with a powerful clan. If that happens, the master won’t spare us a...’

"From the SilverFall Clan. That’s where we are from." The hat man replied without hesitation, and instantly, a hush befell the group. The kids froze, staring at the men with rapid blinks as if they had just heard the most ridiculous claim.

"Huh?" Jace muttered in disbelief.

"We are from the SilverFall Clan. Any problem?" Another man asked, his voice rising with anger, almost as though daring them to question it.

"You really are from the SilverFall Clan? Kek! Disgusting." Zen scoffed as his glare sharpened, venom dripping from his words.

’Th... these bastards... they have been extorting the citizens of this town while using our clan’s name as cover? For real? What the hell?!’ Jace roared internally, veins bulging at the side of his head. His jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ground audibly as his rage simmered.

’It’s clear these guys aren’t from our clan, which means they are the very people this mission is targeting. The group of awakened extortionists causing chaos in this town.

But are these all of them? Just four? No... it can’t be. I refuse to believe that it’s just four people doing this. There must be more hiding somewhere.’ Zen thought as his sharp eyes swept over the men again and again, taking in every twitch and detail.

"You all want to prove stubborn, huh? We will make sure you all pay willingly or forcefully!" One of the men roared, his voice cracking with desperation.

"You all disgust me." Vynn said, his clenched fists trembling at his sides. Despite the fury blazing in his eyes, a twisted smile tugged at his lips as if he welcomed the confrontation.

"You want to make us pay? Let us see how you are going to do that." Jace said firmly as he pushed his coat aside, the motion revealing the glint of the sword strapped to his waist.

"We will make you pay, by using our Veils." The hat man smirked confidently as icy mist began to seep from his hands.

The others followed, their own Veils flaring as faint glows and streaks of energy radiated from their bodies. Smirks spread across their faces as if they believed the kids would finally tremble in fear.

"Veils?" Zen asked with a raised eyebrow as he stepped forward, tilting his head in mock curiosity.

Tring!

[Veil Activated!]

[-50EP]

[Skill: Null Field Activated!]

"What Veil?" Zen asked again with a devilish smirk spreading across his face. His eyes turned pitch black in an instant, and right on cue, the icy mist surrounding the hat man’s hands vanished. So too did the manifestations of the other men.

They tried again, again and again, but no matter how hard they pushed, they were unable to activate their Veils. Panic set in, raw and unfiltered, crawling across their faces.

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{A/N}

🥳🥳🥳

We hit 100 Chapters guys! What a milestone. Congratulations to us all. Congratulations to me for writing this far and congratulations and thank you all for reading this far.

And the book just gets better so kindly keep reading. I love you all! 😊🫶