The Devil's Cage

The wagon stopped in front of Kieran’s place. After he paid the wagoner, Kieran took his dinner with him and opened the door to his apartment.

Without even looking, his D- Rank Intuition could sense Guntherson’s presence.

"How was it?" Guntherson asked while he stood in the shadows.

"Everything is going well!" Kieran took out a hotdog and munched on it.

"So do you need me to further explain the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts]?" Guntherson asked with a nod.

"Of course!" Kieran answered.

The lecture that started lasted for about twenty minutes. Guntherson kept emphasizing that the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] were the foundation for everything.

Kieran had been hearing that for the past week. It was how Guntherson ended every lecture.

"I understand!" Kieran always gave the exact same answer.

"Kieran, you have already mastered the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] basics. All you need is time and practice to reach the Entry Level. With your gifts, it will take you a month at the most! My experience cannot help you more than your own discovery. Quite the contrary, my experience will only hinder your progress. The same goes for the [Barsical Kick]," Guntherson advised Kieran.

Kieran was his student, and as such, each lecture was crucial for him, even though it might not be necessary. He was the Son of God after all.

Guntherson, who knew all about the records of the Sons of God, knew perfectly well how to train one. All they needed to know was the basics and origins of the knowledge, and then all they had do was wait. Wait for the most basic and primal form of knowledge to bloom into something that others could not even imagine.

If the age of the church had not been long over, and their relationship had been closer or Kieran had asked for more lessons, Guntherson would not have needed to use this shortcut method to teach him.

It might completely be wasting the potential of a Son of God. It could bind him and tie him down.

Guntherson did not know what to say to him, and Kieran seemed to be lost in thought.

"If this was fifty years ago, I think I might have been crucified and burned!" Guntherson mocked himself with a laugh.

Kieran, however, was looking at the system skill notifications.

[Higher rank lecture on the related skill Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts, leveled up...]

[Higher rank lecture on the related skill Barsical Kick, leveled up...]

...

"So there are other ways to level up skills without using points and skill points?"

While Guntherson was telling him about the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] and the [Barsical Kick], Kieran had received a system notification.

The notification was clear. Kieran knew what had happened.

He was quite surprised about the new leveling-up method. He had not encountered a similar leveling-up method in a game before.

After his initial surprise, Kieran asked Guntherson to lecture him on both skills every day. The visible effects might be less, but they would still serve a certain purpose.

Without the use of points and skill points and their instant results, all he needed to do was listen carefully. It was free, given that he had enough time to dedicate.

In fact, Kieran did not have enough time. Both the Main Mission and the Sub Mission had him running around like a blind fly.

Kieran just wanted Guntherson to lecture him about the skills 24 hours a day and allow him to level up to a certain rank, but that was not possible.

Guntherson’s feelings could keep Kieran from achieving his goals. This particular game’s NPCs were not the typical stiff, robotic A.I.s. They were like real people living in that time.

"If I had one more week, then I could level up the [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] and the [Barsical Kick] to the next rank…," Kieran sighed in regret.

He could identify the level of the skills just by looking at the notifications, but he could also feel the difference in power.

When he learned a skill, the transferring process and the synchronization allowed Kieran to understand everything about the skill, including the next rank power up or levels.

Although it was a pity, it still would not hold him back. He knew what he had to do next.

He quickly collected his thoughts and looked at Guntherson.

"They might make a move soon!"

Kieran could only imagine what had happened to the librarian after he had left. He was not some secret spy, and the way he had asked for information had been a dead giveaway.

"Then "Swarko" and "Lushan" will have to make their move as well! Let’s hope they will notice these two bastard’s movements!" Guntherson laughed.

"Don’t worry, they will!" Kieran guaranteed.

Considering the spy’s influence over the whole city, it wouldn’t take long for them to notice those two scoundrels’ betrayal. Unless Swarko and Lushan showed up again. But how was that possible?

Kieran and Guntherson had been preparing for this for a long time.

...

At night, the street was empty of people.

The sudden appearance of a figure would be extremely suspicious at two in the morning.

Two figures, a tall and a short one, appeared and carefully shuttled back and forth between the alleys.

They moved carefully, making very little noise, soon reaching the small sewer beside the train station alley.

Both of them looked at each other, the tall figure lifting up the sewer cap and the short one jumping into the sewer. The tall one followed.

After they entered the sewer, the cap was carefully closed once again.

Mere moments after the two figures had gone into the sewer, another figure appeared. Compared to the previous two, this figure looked more careful.

When the third figure entered the alley, a ray of light shined down on it and the street.

Suddenly, a dozen human figures blocked the alley’s exit and entrance.

One of the figures was two meters tall and extremely eye-catching, however his was nothing compared to the smaller figure in front of him.

Every time the city experienced any sort of commotion, that man was sure to appear in the papers.

It was Duke Wayne.

Everyone addressed him like that. He was the heir to the noble family that ruled that city and had overthrown the churches about fifty years ago.

His family was in control of a big portion of the military and almost half of the politicians’ family heads.

He was over fifty years old, but he looked very young, because he had aged well.

He had curly brown hair, a clean, fair face, sharp eyes and a high nose. If it were not for his eyes, his plain clothes would make him look like a poor clerk.

With that sharp gaze of his, he looked different, his higher class aura oppressing others with its presence.

"I’ve been waiting for you, Detective Kieran," he said slowly, his sharp eyes filled with mockery.