The night air carried a faint chill as a cool breeze swept through the empty streets.

Under the dim glow of scattered lanterns, Mirean Moon moved silently, wrapped in a hooded cloak that concealed her face. A large parcel hung over her shoulder, its weight nothing to her lithe frame. She paused briefly, glancing behind.

No one followed.

A small, knowing smile played on her lips. "High-grade magic tools are worth every coin," she whispered to herself. "Their stealth enchantment is flawless."

Behind her, somewhere in the shadowed distance, Elara and Alina Noor trailed unseen—hidden by the very artifact Mirean had given them earlier. They were both key parts of tonight's operation, handpicked by Luciel himself, and Mirean thought of them as her backup—clever, spirited girls with more courage than sense.

Without further hesitation, Mirean leapt gracefully, clearing the high city wall of the Tenth-Floor City in a single bound. Her figure vanished into the darkness beyond.

---

Not far behind, two faint outlines shimmered into sight.

"Is it really okay to let her go in alone?" Alina whispered, her voice tinged with worry.

Elara chuckled softly, white hair glinting faintly under the moonlight. "Don't be fooled by her elegance. Mirean Moon is far stronger than she lets on."

Of that, Elara was certain. Aside from Luciel himself—and a few tamed beasts that obeyed his every command—no one in Black Tortoise City could match Mirean's power. Her composure hid a dangerous, calculating woman beneath.

Alina tilted her head, frowning as she thought. "Now that you mention it… she seems familiar. I just can't recall where I've seen her before."

"The Moon Lord of the Moon Lake Tribe," Elara said casually, a hint of amusement in her tone.

"wait!" Alina's eyes widened as realization struck. "She really does look like that Moon Lord!"

Elara's smile deepened. "Not just a resemblance. She is the Moon Lord."

"What?" Alina almost yelped, quickly covering her mouth. "You're serious? Why would someone like her be here?"

She had only left the Moon Lake Tribe a few weeks ago, and yet everything around her seemed to have changed drastically.

"I'll explain later," Elara said, already moving. "For now, we finish the mission."

"Tch. You always say that." Alina pouted but followed. "One of these days, I'm going to bite you, you know that?"

Elara only smirked in reply, vanishing into thin air as the stealth charm activated once more. Alina sighed, doing the same before bounding after her partner.

---

They reached a quiet district soon after. The faint light of distant torches flickered across rows of identical courtyards—one of which belonged to Liyi Yi.

"This is the place," Elara murmured.

"I'll go first," Alina said, scanning the surroundings. "You keep watch."

Agile as a cat, the pink-haired girl vaulted over the wall, landing softly in the dark courtyard. She crouched low, senses sharp, and picked up a pebble. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it into the shadows—testing for traps or hidden guards.

Nothing stirred.

Moments later, Elara joined her. The two exchanged a brief nod before slipping toward the main building.

Inside, muffled voices could be heard.

---

Dozens of people were gathered in the lobby. Their faces were tight with unease, their movements restless.

"Miss Liyi Yi," a retainer said, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice. "Can we truly leave the Tenth-Floor City tonight?"

Liyi Yi, sitting stiffly on a chair, clenched the hem of her robe. "Yes. The City Lord of Black Tortoise agreed to it," she said quietly. "He's already accepted our beast spars."

Her tone was steady, but her fingers betrayed her anxiety.

Another voice rose from the crowd. "But, Young Miss, should we have given the spars first? What if the City Lord goes back on his word? If there's no cover when we flee—"

"That's enough." Carson, standing beside her, raised a hand. "The City Lord of Black Tortoise is not someone who breaks promises."

Still, uncertainty rippled through the group. Liyi Yi lowered her gaze, saying nothing. At that time, she had no choice but to trust Luciel. It had been a gamble made out of desperation—a cure sought at the edge of the blade.

From the shadows above, Elara listened quietly, lips curving in faint disapproval.

"What our City Lord promises," she said, stepping forward, "will always be fulfilled."

Her voice cut through the air like a blade.

Everyone froze.

"Who—who's there!?" Liyi Yi cried out, leaping to her feet.

"I am," Elara answered, letting the invisibility charm fade. Her figure shimmered into view beside Liyi Yi—white hair cascading down her back, eyes calm and sharp.

"You—who are you?" Liyi Yi stammered, backing away instinctively.

"I'm a dark guard under the Black Tortoise City Lord," Elara said coolly. "I've come to deliver his orders."

Liyi Yi blinked in shock. "A… dark guard?"

Elara gave a small nod. "Your departure will begin soon. When you hear a large commotion—no matter what happens—take your people and leave the Tenth-Floor City immediately."

"What kind of commotion?" Liyi Yi pressed, her voice trembling.

Elara's gaze hardened. "You'll know when it happens."

Without another word, she activated her stealth again and disappeared, Alina already waiting by the door.

Inside, the silence lingered for a heartbeat before panic erupted.

"What did she mean, a big movement?" someone shouted.

"Send scouts!" Liyi Yi ordered sharply, regaining her composure. "I want reports the moment something happens. The rest of you—get ready to move at once!"

"Yes, Young Miss!" her men replied in unison, hurrying to their positions.

---

Outside, Elara and Alina reappeared near the corner of the street.

"They're not completely hopeless," Elara said, watching a few of the retainers rush out to investigate.

"Where to next?" Alina asked.

"Waldo," Elara replied flatly. "He's the final target—and the loudest one."

"Shouldn't we check on the others first?"

"No need. Mirean can handle herself. If anything goes wrong, she'll be the one causing the accident."

Alina chuckled nervously. "That's… comforting, I guess."

The two slipped away through the alleys toward the heart of the city, where the largest and most ornate building stood—the residence of Waldo, the First Host of the Tenth-Floor City.

They took their positions in the shadows, waiting.

---

Half an hour later, Mirean arrived.

She walked up the grand staircase with her usual poise, the moonlight tracing the curve of her figure. When she reached the doorway, she stopped.

Inside, Waldo sat behind a table, flanked by his guards. His eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

He hadn't sensed her approach at all. That alone put him on edge.

"I'm a thief," Mirean said, her voice hoarse and low. "Here to make a deal."

A faint but powerful aura rippled from her, enough to make Waldo's guards hesitate. This wasn't someone they could carelessly attack.

Mirean had already played this game eight times tonight—appearing before each of the other Hosts with a different disguise, pretending to be a rogue trader with stolen goods. None had dared to challenge her, not when she radiated the unmistakable power of a Tier Six Thief.

Waldo leaned back slightly. "A deal, huh? What kind of deal?"

"Star tea," Mirean said simply. "And seedlings."

His brows furrowed. "Are you from Black Tortoise City?"

"You could say that." She gave a slight shrug, eyes gleaming beneath the hood. "But let's just say I don't get along with your friend, the City Lord."

Waldo's gaze sharpened. "Oh?"

"I can offer you better prices than what he did," she said smoothly. "If you're smart, you'll hear me out."

He crossed his arms. "And how do I know you're not lying?"

Mirean turned as if to leave. "Then don't trade with me."

She took a step toward the door, then paused deliberately, smiling faintly. "Though… the other Hosts already made their purchases. They seemed rather pleased with the discount."

Waldo's pupils contracted. "Wait."

He signaled subtly to one of his men hiding in the shadows. The figure slipped away to verify her claim.

"Tell me your price," Waldo said slowly.

"One cabbage seedling for ten low-to-mid grade beast spars," Mirean replied, her tone calm but decisive. "That's two cheaper than the City Lord offered you. As for star tea—" she sighed lightly, "—I've only got a little left. If you want it all, it'll cost one hundred mid-grade spars. Take it or leave it."

Waldo's jaw tightened. He could tell she was stalling for something—but the deal was too tempting to dismiss outright.

"Let me think about it," he said finally, voice grave.

Mirean inclined her head slightly. "Of course."

She could already feel the tension building in the city—the hum in the air that always came before chaos. She didn't need to see Luciel's plan unfold to know it was nearly time.

All she had to do was keep Waldo's attention a few minutes longer. Then, when the "super big movement" began, every soul in the Tenth-Floor City would be too distracted to notice how neatly the pieces had already fallen into place.

And Mirean Moon—ever elegant, ever dangerous—smiled faintly beneath her hood, waiting for the storm to break.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.