MIDNIGHT PRINCE: Empire of Sin

When Adam and Viktor started to take out the luggage, Adam was quite surprised to notice that there was next to no equipment in the luggage they carried with them.

From what Cecilia had relayed to him they were here to make a weapon for him. He doubted that they could create a weapon like that in the basement of the house with absolutely no equipment but at the same time, it wasn't as if he understood how Prana-filled weapons were created, in the first place.

For all he knew, perhaps they were created out of nothing.

Thanks to how light everything in the luggage was, they were able to finish the task of unloading the items pretty fast.

"So… Now what?"

"Now laddie… We work the magic."

Makarov grinned wide, showing his pristine white teeth, as he walked behind them and inspected everything.

Once he was satisfied, he nodded and took two of the luggage out from the pile before walking down with Cecilia.

"Come. I am sure you will be quite surprised by what I am about to show you."

The more mysterious they acted, the more intrigued he became with everything.

———

When they entered the basement of their home, both Makarov and Viktor started their work.

For starters, they reached the farthest wall of the underground room and touched it slightly as if they were judging the quality of the wall. Once they were satisfied with whatever the hell they were inspecting from the standard wall, Makarov took out a chalk from one of the pieces of luggage and started drawing something on the wall. Meanwhile, Viktor took out what seemed to look like a large shawl out of somewhere.

The drawing of the art continued for ten minutes straight and when the circle was finally finished, even Adam had to admit that he felt a little dizzy trying to remember all the shapes of architecture and the drawings that were drawn in the middle of the shapes.

It was extremely complex and he admired how dexterous Makarov had been to be able to dish something like this out in just ten minutes.

"This, you see, is a magic circle created by the Dwarves. Those midgets may act like uncouth brawlers, but when it comes to things like these they are extremely dexterous and competent."

The old man chuckled as he put back the chalk and received the shawl alongside a few nails made wholly out of wood as well as a hammer that also seemingly looked to be made out of some wood. It was a bit confusing.

"This a construct made by a spider monster. Very resistant and filled with Prana so it's extremely useful when it comes to rituals. As for the wooden equipment, heh, even though it may look like this but these fragile-looking things are as hard as the hardest metal you can find on earth. They have a really complicated name in the Dwarven tongue but I simply call them metal wood."

Makarov laughed and once the shawl was draped and fixated by the nail over the previously drawn circle.

He took a vial filled with red liquid of an unknown yet magical substance, judging from the eerie glow it was giving off,

"This is where it becomes interesting. This vial is filled with my blood and a few ingredients. Only the ones who had been recognized by the dwarves can obtain such a vial and learn how to draw this circle. This also means that without their approval, learning this circle is utterly useless as it just won't respond and would remain just a complex geometrical shape on the wall."

He chuckled as he gave a pointed look at Viktor, causing the latter to blush, "I was just a kid. It didn't even work out, in the end."

Makarov snorted, "Be happy that it didn't work. Those nasty guys put a trap so if you actually succeeded, you would have been sent to a rather dreadful and deadly place."

By now, Adam was able to understand that they were drawing something akin to a portal.

Makarov stopped teasing his grandson and took a small brush, dipped it in the blood-filled vial, and started to draw again.

The circle was nearly identical to the previous one but since he had a perfect memory, Adam was able to notice some subtle differences in the emplacement of a few shapes and images and the addition of a few new signs.

"The first circle is fixed and used to open the gate. The second circle will always change depending on your actual position. Even moving a few centimeters on the side would need completely new coordinates and all of these are things only dwarves know about."

"This seems rather complicated."

Makarov shook his head at Adam's words, "The dwarves are the most peaceful out of all earthly supernatural creatures. They are also the weakest and most easily deceived. All they wish for is to mold metal. Now tell me, what would you do if you saw a bunch of small and weak guys who could create weapons of mass destruction for anyone and everyone?"

"Hah…"

"Indeed. Either get them to work for you or make sure they can work for no one else."

Sadness colored his voice as he continued drawing and spoke about the dreadful circumstances of the dwarves, "The Dwarves' history is filled with mass exodus, slavery, mass genocide, and the like. So they all fled undergrounds and created ways for them to move fast and hide in special bunkers when it was dangerous."

He then laughed, "Well, nowadays things are a little easier for them. So they started creating those gates. I am pretty sure they even sold a few more customized ones that were not connected to the dwarven network."

He was able to complete the circle while joking around and once the work was done, he stretched his bones.

"Sigh, I am getting old. Viktor, we should work on your initiation soon. I can't always be the one to open this."

Unlike what Adam imagined, Viktor did not show a happy face at those words. He simply let out a sigh and stood up.

"Let's do this."

The pair placed their hands on the new circle and slowly started pouring Prana into it.

Light flashed, blinding everyone for a while, and when it slowly stopped, at the place where the shawl was, now stood a rusty-looking door.

Makarov nodded, "This isn't an emergency gate. So the full calibration will take a few days. So in the meantime…Why don't you show Viktor some sights around LA? My boy was never really able to leave his village until now."

Adam looked up and down toward the shy giant that was Viktor and thought for a while.

Who could help him visit the interesting places of LA, do some shopping with him and perhaps go to a few clubs and show him the steps for a few dances?

The answer was more than evident when all things were considered.

"Excuse me a sec."

Taking out his phone. Adam wrote a simple message,

[Sae, I choose you.]

Adam knew that he wasn't the best for an outing like this. Only a wild Sae was up to the task.

The answer came as fast as he had thought of messaging the girl.

[What is the mission?]

He grinned, this was going to be fun. At the same time he thought of Natasha and Alberto. Mainly Alberto. The man had not been coming to school for nearly a week now.

At first, he wasn't worried. Skipping a few times was normal. But now he wondered if he should pay him a visit.

[Hey, Alberto, are you free now for an outing?]

He also sent the same message to Natasha. Generally, he was the one skipping activities like this. It was a first for him.

(AN: I am doing a marathon writing five chapters in one day to fill up the Privilege. I feel like I am going to faint. Also need to write MP. Damn.)