Zeke immediately perked up. "What did you find?"
[Answer]
A departing entity carries a hidden item for message transmission. This method is known for its use in counteracting remote scanning capabilities akin to ours. Additionally, the aforementioned entity displays discernible indications of heightened nervous system activity.
Without turning his head, Zeke focused his perception on the person Akasha indicated. Like most everyone here, his face was obscured behind a hood and mask. However, such measures didn't pose much of an obstacle to Zeke's spatial perception.
The man was of medium height, with dark skin and black hair, exhibiting all the typical traits of a Korrovan native. The only noticeable thing about him was the many scars strewn all across his body. In a place where Life Magic was readily accessible, the presence of such scars was significant.
From this one fact alone, Zeke could deduce a lot about the kind of life he led. First, he was often embroiled in violent confrontations. Second, he didn't have the money or connections to visit a healer. Third, he was most likely a native of Undercity, as he would stand out like a sore thumb on the surface.
Zeke had a good guess about what kind of person this was. However, there was no point in speculating. He rose to his feet in the most languid, unhurried manner he could, and after leaving a couple of coppers on the table, the two left the restaurant.
"Where are we going, Master?" Ash asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
"That man," Zeke said, pointing at the suspicious individual, "is most likely carrying a secret message."
Ash nodded, not asking how he knew. "Are we just going to follow him?"
Zeke pondered the best way to go about this. Essentially, he had two options. He could either follow the man to find out who he was working for, or he could attack and rob the man of the secret message. Both routes came with their own set of risks.
"No," he eventually said. "We don't have the time to take this slow. Here is what I need you to do..."
***
Shakuni glanced around, his head on a swivel. He didn't know why, but he had felt a constant sense of unease for some time now. However, no matter how often he checked, he couldn't find anything suspicious.
With hurried footsteps, he rushed into another alleyway. This was a very strange experience for him. Usually, it was the others fleeing while he strutted around with his head held high. However, he couldn't bring himself to act like that at the moment. He felt like a single wasted moment could spell his doom.
The ominous feeling was so tangible that even the once-familiar surroundings seemed menacing now. The darkness and fog in this alley were so thick that he couldn't even see the other end. Wait, fog? Since when was there fog in this area? His question was answered as all the haze started to move at once, coalescing into the outline of a person.
Shakuni couldn't see their face as a thin layer of mist concealed their entire being. His spine started to tingle at this ominous sight. This had to be an incomparably powerful being. In the next moment, he heard a voice inside his head.
"Are you a member of the Shadow Hunters?"
It was a slightly higher-pitched voice that might belong to a woman. However, if Shakuni was being honest, it didn't sound like a human being at all. The tone was monotone and seemed to lack any and all emotions. He had only ever encountered this manner of speaking when talking to the most seasoned killers of his gang. It was the voice of a person who had nothing but contempt for human life.
"Are you a member of the Shadow Hunters?"
Shakuni was snapped out of his reverie by the repeated question. What should he do? He was almost certain that he had no chance in a fight. However, he couldn't reveal too much about his identity either. Should he try to run away? No, that was hopeless.
"I don't belong to them," he called out in desperation. He still had a trace of hope that this monster would leave him alone if he disclosed that much. After all, he really didn't belong to such a gang. In fact, he had never even heard of them.
The figure opposite him didn't react, and Shakuni began to hope that he might escape this situation. However, his hopes were dashed at the next moment.
"We'll see about that," the monotone voice said before the stranger approached with a speed that left him unable to respond.
Shakuni felt his throat being grabbed. In the next moment, his feet left the ground. He tried to struggle, but the stranger's grip was incomparably firm. The assailant completely ignored his opposition. As time went on, his arms started to get sluggish. They seemed to suddenly weigh so much that he could hardly lift them anymore. Eventually, he helplessly dangled in midair without the strength to even move a muscle.
A single thought went through his mind as the darkness slowly crept into his vision. Is this how I am going to die?
It was a peaceful thing to accept one's own powerlessness and to simply let go. However, the opposite was true when roused from such a state.
Shakuni awoke with a gasp, the remnants of unconsciousness clinging to the edges of his vision. The cold cobblestones beneath him sent a shiver through his weakened frame. As he lay there, Shakuni felt the lingering grip of invisible fingers around his throat, a haunting echo of the peril he had narrowly escaped.
His breaths came in ragged intervals, each inhalation a tentative embrace of life reclaimed. He could taste the acrid residue of fear and desperation, a bitter reminder of the events that had led to his current state.
With hesitant movements, Shakuni propped himself up on one elbow, his eyes squinting against the dim light of the alley. With every passing moment, his senses slowly acclimated to the surroundings. The distant hum of the Undercity's nocturnal life reached his ears. It was a symphony of distant footsteps, muffled conversations, and the occasional scream.
In the murky recesses of his mind, Shakuni's memory stirred like a slumbering beast, reminding him of what he had forgotten. A surge of urgency propelled him to reach down, fumbling with the worn leather of his left boot. As his fingers brushed against the artifact hidden there, a sigh of relief escaped his lips.
"Thank fuck."
The tension left his shoulder as he slumped against the cold alley wall. The consequences of losing the artifact would have been unimaginable. The mere fact that he was caught like this might be enough to get him severely punished. Fortunately, he had not been injured in the encounter, making it easy to cover up his mistake.
It was challenging to tell the passage of time in Undercity. However, as a veteran of many years, Shakuni naturally had his ways. Hunger, for example, was a good indicator. Focusing inward for a moment, Shakuni determined that he could not have been unconscious for very long. His people had most likely not yet noticed his absence.
It seemed he would manage to overcome this crisis after all, at least if he hurried back. Shakuni was already thinking of possible excuses as he ran down the alley. In his excitement, he didn't notice the two figures hiding in a particularly dark shadow just a few steps away.
***
"Go," Zeke ordered, his gaze fixed on the man who had just regained his consciousness. "And make sure he doesn't notice you."
Ash nodded. "I'll be back, Master." Like a specter, he vanished from his spot beside Zeke, discreetly following the unwitting messenger.
Meanwhile, Zeke reflected on what they had learned. Unlike what the man must have thought, they had known about the artifact all along. Zeke had merely put it back after decoding the message.
Unfortunately, the contents of the message had confirmed one of Zeke's fears. The Firebrand school wasn't working alone. They had a close partnership with the Ember Scar Cartel.
As it turned out, this crime syndicate was actually run by a relative of the head of the Firebrand school. Even worse, the message discussed the strategy to eliminate the Lion's Den. At least he had found out about this connection before clashing with the other side.
Zeke wasn't very knowledgeable about the criminal underworld of Korrovan, but he wasn't surprised to learn that it existed. In a place like Undercity, where the guards had next to no presence, somebody had to fill that void.
"Do you know something about this?"
[Answer]
Affirmative. I have a good idea about the power dynamic of the criminal elements in Undercity.
Zeke blinked rapidly. He had not expected much when asking the question. "What…?"
[Answer]
Host has spent a long time in the proximity of large groups of people. From their conversations, I was able to extrapolate and verify the relative strengths, territories, and hierarchy of most of the organizations active in this city.
Zeke was well aware of how powerful a tool his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] could be. However, its true worth only revealed itself when combined with Akasha's frightening computational ability. This level of information gathering could already be called a secret weapon.
He shuddered at the thought of what he would be able to do once his sphere of awareness extended even further. His advancement to Grand Mage would most likely increase the area of this ability by an order of magnitude. At that point, he might only need to take a casual stroll in a new city to learn about everything and anything of importance. As for his advancement to the Archmage Level…
With a violent shake of his head, Zeke dispelled those thoughts. That level was still so far away that it was completely meaningless to speculate. Especially now, when he could ill afford such distractions. "Please tell me what you know, Akasha."
By the time Ash returned, Zeke had a good idea of the power structure in Undercity. The place was divided into four districts, one for every cardinal direction. Each of those districts was run by a major crime syndicate, with many smaller ones paying tribute.
The Venomous Cabal managed the North. This was the only major organization that was wholly made up of Chimeroi. A small group consisting of the strongest fighters led the organization. They seemed to be the most aggressive of the four, as they were known to oppose the government of Swarnaloka openly.
The Spectral Dominion controlled the South and was the complete opposite of its northern counterpart. It was an organization run by a single powerful Death Mage, who seemed to want nothing but to be left alone. This enigmatic figure didn't take part in any of the power struggles the others were constantly engaged in.
The Blackthorn Covenant held the East. It was the most mercantile of the four organizations and by far the most affluent. This organization ran all the businesses Zeke had encountered in the central district. Their business model seemed to be centered around the exploitation of the people living in Undercity. From prostitution to blood sport to Chimeroi meat vendors, they had their fingers in every industry.
Finally, the West was under the control of the Ember Scar Cartel. They were the newest of the four organizations and had seemingly come out of nowhere. Zeke was almost certain that they had only managed to establish themselves smoothly through their hidden alliance with the Firebrand school. However, Zeke knew better than to take them lightly because of this.
According to the information Akasha had gathered, each of the four major crime syndicates was run by a person with the strength of an Archmage. This meant that the Firebrand school had two people at that level, while Ravi was the only Archmage Zeke's side could count on. With such a lopsided power dynamic, a clash between the two would end in a massacre.
In fact, they had no need to employ any strategy at all, as they would undoubtedly be able to crush the Lion's Den in a frontal attack. Zeke figured the only reason they held back was that they didn't want to display their alliance openly just yet. However, this was a fragile peace that wouldn't last much longer — like the calm before the storm.
"Master, I found their hideout," Ash said the moment he returned.
Zeke glanced at him with a weary gaze. "How bad is it?"
Ash removed the mask, his face displaying a deep frown. "Pretty bad. Just from a casual glance, I've seen many strong fighters. Even if I teamed up with Gravitas and Vulcanos, we wouldn't stand a chance."
Zeke nodded, having expected as much. It would be impossible for the Ember Scar Cartel to hold their current position without at least that much strength, and this was still ignoring their leader. No, they wouldn't stand a chance in a frontal clash, no matter how he looked at it. However, that wasn't the only option he had.
"Show me."