There were 8 lairs marked in total on the map of Shenzhen created by the Midnight Syndicate. Feng Mian, Qing Yue, Yu An Xue, and I decided to investigate each one. Reason being, it was highly likely that the man who had captured Yu An Yan was the boss of all of the Midnight Syndicate members here in Shenzhen, so it made sense for him to also have a lair. If this plan worked out, it would be two birds with one stone - we would both verify the legitimacy of this battle plan, and also save Yu An Yan in the process.

I had proposed we investigate each one on our own in order to save time, but apparently the other three girls thought it was too dangerous. Thus, we decided to search each lair together. There wasn't a specific date listed on the battle plan documents, but that is precisely the reason I want to get this over with as soon as possible. The Midnight Syndicate could attack in a month, a week, perhaps even tomorrow. We had no way to know.

We also asked for assistance from the Yu family, and the patriarch generously accepted our request. We now had a dozen or so Advanced Mages at our call.

I took the day off today, since I knew there was going to be a Magic Training Class. For the record, that's what I've been doing ever since the Awakening Orb incident. It was just a precaution to...avoid causing more drama.

As a side note, the principal also made sure not to spread around my performance at the duel with Feng Mian to anyone, but there were plenty of students watching live at the time, and so this procedure was not very likely to work. The Yu family didn't seem to know anything about it though. They still thought I was just a magic-less trash.

*****

- After School -

It was time. I met up with Feng Mian, Qing Yue, and Yu An Xue just outside the front gates of our school, and began heading to the nearest lair location. Out of the 8 different locations marked on the map, 7 were in the slums of Shenzhen, which made sense. The dark and narrow alleyways provided an ideal place to hide. But the 8th one...it was marked as somewhere INSIDE the Coastal Metropolis.

There are a few reasons why this is suspicious. For one, considering how populated the place is with people going in and out constantly, it would be near impossible to hide a Midnight Syndicate lair in there. What's more, the security around that place is insane as well, since the Four Great Families of Shenzhen all had their manors relatively close to the area.

Thus, this location was the least likely to be the headquarters (here in Shenzhen, anyway. The Midnight Syndicate's true headquarters has to be far bigger than this.) of the Midnight Syndicate.

But at the same time...defying logic, it also seemed to be the most likely. Perhaps the lair was hidden in plain sight? That certainly could work, though it definitely would be difficult.

In any case, the four of us decided to save that one for last. And with that, we headed off to the slums of Shenzhen, once more.

*****

- At the first base, somewhere within the slums -

"...It should be here," I murmured, eyes darting back and forth between the map I held in my hands and the solid wall in front of me.

"But it's just a stone wall...?" Yu An Xue arched an eyebrow, skeptical of my conclusion.

Feng Mian and I exchanged glances, and we both smirked. "Just watch and learn," Feng Mian said smugly.

I closed my eyes and began channeling my mana. After several milliseconds, it was complete, and I snapped them back open. "Level One Light Magic - Dispel."

A familiar bright light illuminated my surroundings once more, and when it dispersed, a narrow stairway leading downwards had replaced the stone wall. The entire process had little to no difference compared to the one Feng Mian's parents had been kept in. For the record, we were skipping that one. It was originally going to be the 4th one on the list, but since I had already investigated it, there was no need to do so again.

Yu An Xue and Qing Yue blinked a couple of times to make sure what they were seeing in front of them was real. It was at that moment that the guards sent by the Yu family arrived on scene, and we prepared to go in.

I headed in first, and Feng Mian was next. Yu An Xue and Qing Yue came last, along with the Advanced Mage guards we received from the Yu family patriarch.

The endless staircase down took quite a while, but by this point, I was used to it already. Take comfort in knowing that the way up will be ten times worse. Wait...that's not really comfort, is it? Oh well.

We reached the bottom, and the layout was very similar to the lair I had been in before. There was also a massive door that was locked by large steel chains with a lock in the middle, and I used the same technique I had used in order to get Feng Mian's parents out of the cell without hurting them from a blast - Metal Morph.

But this time, I wasn't the one to actually do it. I didn't want the Yu family guards to find out I can use magic now, and every single element at that. Instead, I just casually listed this as a viable strategy, and got one of the guards that had a Metal Element affinity to do it.

The three girls seemed to understand my purpose in doing so, and hence didn't say anything unnecessary. I'm honestly pretty shocked that Yu An Xue was helping to hide my secret from her own family, but I'm not complaining.

The guard was soon finished with getting rid of the lock, and all of us piled into the room. Even the interior of this place was very similar to the one I had just visited yesterday. That only helped confirm the validity of this map.

"There's nothing even in here," the guard muttered angrily. Then, turning to me, he yelled haughtily. "Oi, you talentless waste, there aren't any enemies here that your weak ass needs us to protect you from. Can we go now?"

I bit back my anger and was about to respond calmly, but was interrupted by Yu An Xue.

"Watch your tone." Yu An Xue glared at the guard who had just spoken. "He's the one who got us in here in the first place."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but after glancing at me, she swallowed the words back down her throat. I'm guessing it was something along the lines of 'besides, he can single-handedly obliterate all of you.' 12 Advanced Mages...I should be able to beat them as I am now if all 12 aren't exceptional talents like my parents were, but even then it would certainly prove difficult. I definitely wouldn't survive unscathed. In conclusion, she was overestimating me. But not by too much.

The guard seemed shocked at the young heiress's defending tone, but still reluctantly cowered back and murmured a slight apology, though not before giving me a glare.

I sighed. I was already used to this type of treatment, so there was no need for Yu An Xue to defend me like that. But nonetheless, it felt good having someone back you up.

I instructed another guard with a Light Element affinity to cast Dispel on the area, and once more, a trapdoor appeared below us. The previous guard that had shouted at me averted my gaze when I turned to look at him with a smug expression.

But just as the guard who had cast Dispel lowered himself and opened the trapdoor-

"Look out!" a voice shouted. No one could tell who the sayer was. Because that was not important.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the guard who had opened the trapdoor. Just a few minutes ago, he had been laughing and trash-talking with his friends in the guard team.

...And now, he was pinned to the wall, impaled by a massive blue skewer of ice, painted crimson red with his blood.