Grand Game 369: Subterfuge (Patreon)

You have lost a backpack.

You have successfully concealed the small weapons: ebonheart and faithful.

You have cast facial disguise, assuming the visage of Loskin, a level 292 archlich. Duration: 3 hours.

Stashing my bags in a secluded hedge, I strode openly towards the main entrance of the archlich’s mansion wearing his face and the robes Farren had provided.

Two armored brutes stood guard at the door. According to Adriel, the possessed’s tendency to switch bodies made detection wards problematic, forcing Loskin to rely on manned security posts everywhere except where no traffic was expected.

Two hostile entities have failed to pierce your disguise.

Your hidden weapons have gone unnoticed.

No suspicion sparked in the guards’ gazes as I drew closer. “Back early, boss?” the one on the right asked.

I nodded brusquely. I hadn’t heard Loskin speak so couldn’t mimic his voice. Brushing past the guards, I entered the mansion unchallenged.

I didn’t pause in the entryway. With the direction I’d received from the lichs memorized, I strode confidently across the entry foyer, turned right at the first corner, left at the next, then crossed over the next two branches before coming to a halt.

Casually, I looked around.

I was alone.

The entrance to the casting chamber was not much further, and before I barraged in, I had to prepare. Removing my scabbards from where I’d concealed them beneath the robes, I buckled them on the outside.

No doubt, the swords would draw attention if anyone spotted me but for the next bit, I planned on relying on my stealth. Armed, I cast my buffs.

You have cast heightened reflexes, load controller, fade, and trigger-cast quick mend.

Ready, I dropped into a crouch and crept forward.

✵ ✵ ✵

Two hostile entities have failed to detect you! You are hidden.

A pair of fighters had been posted outside the entrance to the casting chamber. Sitting twenty yards away in the corridor leading up to the entrance, I observed them silently for a minute.

The two, while obviously bored, stood stiffly at attention and the door they guarded was securely bolted. Neither of those things would be a problem, though. Opening my mindsight, I surveyed the room beyond.

Just as Farren had promised, there were four mages on duty in the casting chamber, the minimum number required to maintain the shield around the complex. If the court was ever attacked, more mages would flood the room to reinforce the defenses.

But for now, it was only the four I had to deal with. Drawing psi, I reached into the minds of the two fighters.

You have cast slaysight.

You have hidden your presence from 2 of 2 targets for 40 seconds.

Rising to my feet, I spun more psi. I had given myself forty seconds to slay the mages—ample time for four unshielded targets caught unawares. Completing my spell, I shadow blinked to the strongest of the possessed.

You have teleported into Maligen’s shadow.

I stepped out of the aether, unseen and undetected, and with ebonheart already descending.

You have backstabbed Maligen for 2.5x more damage! You have killed your target. You are no longer hidden.

The four mages were standing close to each other, forming a small circle around the glowing artifact at their center. Spinning on my heel, I thrust faithful into the next possessed.

You have killed Suktar with a fatal blow.

The third mage’s eyes widened. “Loskin? What are you—”

Bringing faithful around in a sweeping arc, I decapitated him before he could finish.

You have killed Yaris with a fatal blow.

The last possessed whirled around. “By the Powers!” he screamed, making a dash for the door. “Guards, help! There is an impos—”

Darting forward, I plunged ebonheart through the back of his throat.

You have killed Canevar with a fatal blow.

The creaking of bolts heralded the door’s opening, and the arrival of the two fighters.

“My God!” the first exclaimed. “What the bloody hell happened here?”

“This is bad,” the second said, biting his lip. “Loskin is going to blame us!”

The guards could not see me, of course. Killing the four mages had taken less than a handful of seconds and I still had time yet before their mental bleeding faded.

Raising ebonheart aloft, I approached the glowing artifact that had been the focus of the mages’ channeling. It would run out of mana soon, and then the court’s shield would fall of its own accord, but I was not inclined to wait. Bringing the black blade crashing down, I shattered the artifact.

You have destroyed a tier six shield focus crystal.

You have triggered an alarm!

A siren wailed from somewhere deeper in the mansion.

I didn’t panic. According to Regus, the alarm had been set to sound the moment the shield was lowered. Disabling it would have required sneaking into Loskin’s chambers, one of the most protected areas in the mansion. Venturing there would have been ill-advised, especially when simple subterfuge might serve instead.

“Did you see that…?” the first fighter asked, his face a mask of confusion. “The crystal just broke on its own!”

“No, no, no,” the second guard cried, burying his head in his hands. “Loskin is definitely going to kill us now.”

Ignoring the pair, I dashed out the room. Less than twenty seconds remained before the guards would be able to see me again, and I was sure others were also hurrying this way.

I didn’t go far, though. Drawing to a halt outside the two fighters’ immediate line of sight, I raised ebonheart to my throat and scored a thin line across—just deep enough for it to bleed profusely.

In the distance, I heard the pounding of approaching footsteps. I was almost out of time. Sheathing my swords, I hid both blades beneath my robes once more.

You have successfully concealed the small weapons: ebonheart and faithful.

Blood, meanwhile, flowed unchecked down my robes. Clamping my right hand around my throat to hide the shallowness of the wound, I staggered drunkenly back into the casting chamber.

Two hostile entities have failed to pierce your disguise.

Your hidden weapons have gone unnoticed.

Both guards whipped around.

“Loskin!” the first fighter greeted in relief. But only a moment later, his expression grew horrified as he spotted my bloodied throat. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“I swear boss, we don’t know what happened,” the second stuttered nervously. “We came in and found them like this. Please don’t—”

“Sh-hut-t up, you f-fool!” I croaked, deliberately mangling the words. “Th-h-here is an… i-intruder in the mans-s-sion.”

“Yes!” the second guard said, nodding emphatically. “He did this! Not us.”

I glared at him but ignored his babbling. I doubted the real Loskin would’ve paid his excuses any heed either. “You-u,” I said pointing a trembling finger at the first guard, “go and t-t-turn off the damned alarm.”

He looked at me doubtfully. “You sure? You don’t sound too good, boss. Shouldn’t we stay here and—”

“Go!” I growled. “Don’t need… p-protection.”

He went.

The alarm was loud, but its siren call wouldn’t extend farther than a few villas. Chances were that Loskin and his retinue—all the way across the complex in Regus’ house—wouldn’t hear it. The longer they stayed ignorant, the better.

Multiple hostile entities have failed to pierce your disguise.

More figures rushed into the room.

Ignoring them, I turned to the second guard. “You. I-idiot. Guard thissh room. M-make sh-sure no one… enters.”

He nodded vigorously.

I rounded on the other guards streaming it. “W-what… y-you fools doing here? The intruder… n-not here! Sh-s-spread out and… s-search the mansion!”

“Yes, boss!” they sang in chorus.

Safely wrapped in my disguise, I stomped out of the chamber.

✵ ✵ ✵

I made it out of the mansion with no one the wiser about my deception. As an added bonus, the alarm shut down before I left, and I smiled in genuine pleasure. My ploy had worked beautifully.

Now, I only had one last bit of subterfuge still to enact. Wrapped in shadow, I returned to the secluded hedge and retrieved my belongings.

You have acquired a backpack.

Before moving on, I spared a moment to review the waiting Game alerts.

You have reached level 191!

Your Dexterity has increased to rank 60. Other modifiers: +24 from items.

Other than rewarding me with another player level, the battle in the casting chamber hadn’t yield any significant benefits. My deception had improved nicely but not enough to reach the next rank.

Dismissing the Game messages, I surveyed my surroundings.

The vicinity around Loskin’s mansion had grown busy, with multiple possessed running in and out. Not a few glanced upward, but the sky looked no different in the absence of the shield.

Not yet anyway.

My gaze sought the buried seeds.

There had been much debate between Adriel, Farren and me about them, specifically around how long the seeds would need to establish a fog bank. Given everything I had told her, Adriel had been certain that they would, and I saw no reason to doubt her.

Since the seeds remained unbroken, the minds within them were still whole, which meant that sooner or later they would start attracting—or was it gathering?—nether from the void sapling. The only question none of us could answer with certainty was how long it would take. And in the end, we had decided to give the seeds a single night.

Of course, my mishap at the gate had changed all that, and now, the seeds would have minutes instead of hours. Still, even if they failed to draw the nether in that time, a few minutes would suffice to bring the harbinger, and in the end, that was all that mattered.

He should be here soon, I thought, breaking off from my musings. I glanced again at the spot where I’d buried the seeds. Nothing had changed since the last few seconds I’d been studying it. Shrugging, I slipped out of from behind the hedge and tiptoed towards the vault.

The squat building was tightly sealed, and I would not be getting inside anytime soon. But its outside was less protected, and I rather thought the vault’s flat rooftop would serve as an ideal platform for what I intended next.

Slipping from building to building, and timing my movements to avoid passing players, I made it to the rear of the vault without being detected.

Here, things were less busy. Staying crouched, I weaved psi.

You have cast windborne.

I glanced around. What will the possessed think if they spotted Loskin hopping about like a rogue? I wondered, chuckling at the thought. But no one was close enough to observe—which was almost disappointing.

Time to move. Setting the windslide against the side of the building like one would a ladder, I hopped on and shot aloft. As I reached the end of the ramp of air, I extended my hands.

My fingers found the roof’s edge, and flipping myself over, I dropped lightly into a crouch on the roof.

You are hidden.

I smiled. I had made it to my perch unseen. Craning my neck upward, I turned my gaze northwest.

It won’t be long now.