Chapter 105

Always the Same (II)

Strange rumors have begun to circle through Initiate Strata; supposedly, there was a new gang in town, made up of a bunch of rug-rats and misfits hellbent on upending the status quo. They came from various backgrounds, some even having descended from the higher floors after meeting their ceiling with the desire to make a difference in their lives.

They called themselves ‘The Greedy Seven’, though there were conflicting rumors about just how many members they actually had; some claimed it’s just three and others yet claimed there were dozens of them roaming the streets at night and preying. Their biggest haul yet was breaking up one of the Parasite’s mainstay slave auctions by busting in and saving all the slaves. Reports from those who faced them range from ‘terrifying, masked existences without a match’ to ‘I passed out the moment I saw them from how scary they were’.

The group became the talk of every major gathering as everyone tried to discern their true identities but to no avail. Nobody was quite certain where or how the rumors started, only that by the time they realized it, nearly everyone knew of The Greedy Seven. Even still, they weren’t put on the same rank as other major groups of Initiate Strata -- after all, they were just a small group of individuals rather than an organized force. At best, they were just nuisances and, at worst, just a passing musing to kill boredom.

In the meantime, the group had settled into their ‘house’, now with an assortment of twenty-eight other souls all corralled into one corner, with the exception of Larua who was sitting with the rest of the group, feasting on some beef with a gleaming expression.

“Shouldn’t we have been more stealthy about it?” Emma quizzed Cain. “Now... everyone knows we’re here.”

“Meh, stealth is fine for certain occasions,” Cain replied, taking a bite out of a chicken. “But, from time to time, you gotta make a bang, you know? Announce to the world that you’re here and that you’re not to be fucked with!”

“So, what’s the plan now?” Senna quizzed.

“Behave according to the rumors.” Cain replied with a faint, mysterious smile. “You six will now move with Larua and act as ‘The Greedy Seven’; she’ll lead you to other hideouts and such and your job is to bust them all, one by one.”

“What about you?” Larua asked with curiosity.

“I’ve other jobs,” Cain shrugged.

“Like lazying around here?” Jamal butted in.

“Pretty much.”

“He’s gonna do something stupidly dangerous again,” Senna scoffed. “I guarantee it.”

“Oh, well, if you guarantee it.”

“Bite me.” Senna flipped Cain off as she dug back into the meal, prompting the latter to laugh.

“How far do you want us to push it?” Daniel asked with a rare sight of interest in his gaze.

“... far,” Cain replied simply after a momentary silence. “Stay clear of the place called the Den; everything else is up for grabs.”

“Why save the Den?” Larua asked.

“’cause I eventually plan on becoming the owner of the place.” Cain replied with a mysterious grin, prompting Larua to grin back.

“My, my, big aspirations, eh? I like a man who can dream big.” she said, causing nearly everyone on the table to glance at Emma.

“What?” she quizzed back.

“Man, the confidence she has...”

“I mean, looking at her, would you really feel insecure?”

“Y-yeah, Emma is the best...”

“Ah? Wait, don’t tell me -- you’re already taken?! Aww, man! The best ones always are!”

“... I think you are ripping a young boy’s heart into pieces,” Cain mumbled under his breath. “Chill.”

“...” Larua tilted her head as she followed Cain’s gaze and landed onto Daniel who looked a bit dazed. “He’s fine,” she said, smiling. “If he can’t get past this, he’s a lost cause anyway.”

“...” Cain said nothing, digging back into his meal instead.

The atmosphere was light, even under the scrutinizing gazes of twenty-something others on the other end, similarly eating, though doing so in silence. Even if Larua explained to them the gist of it all, it was still happening too quickly for them to comprehend it. Especially after they were tasked with spreading rumors about ‘The Greedy Seven’ and their diverse backgrounds -- when it was clear that they were all new challengers of the Crucible.

“Alright guys,” Larua walked up to them as everyone finished their meals, having already donned a mantle of a leader. “Your job remains the same -- spread rumors like crazy as we clean up the hideouts! I want even the corpses in that cemetery to know about us by the week’s end! If you need to rest, come back here; there will always be some food in that weird cupboard or whatever the Dragon built.”

Cain inadvertently grinned at the mention of his nickname, resulting in audible groans from the rest. Every member of the party had a nickname according to their masks -- Cain was ‘Dragon’, Diya was ‘Foxy’, Emma was ‘Wolf’, Jamal was ‘Bear’, Senna was ‘Viper’, Lukas was ‘Lion’, and Daniel was ‘Ghost’. When around others, that’s also how they referred to each other.

Though it wouldn’t truly hide their identities forever, as their skillsets were fairly unique when it comes to the new Conquerors, it would at least help temporarily and shield their group on the outside, if nothing else.

While the others began packing and preparing to depart on the bout of vigilante-work, Cain went through a plan of his own once again -- which was to kidnap Rikur while making it seem like a combination of other two groups did it -- the so-called ‘Creepers’ and ‘Yosels’. From what Cain could remember, the former were, at this time, being led by a Ryper, Sjeer, while the latter, Yosels, were exclusively ante-Human group and were led by Yamel.

The reason he settled on these two groups was largely due to convenience; their 'territories' were near Seribum's, who led the so-called 'Fiends' whom Rikur belonged to as well, and their business often clashed as they grappled for the market in Blood Trinkets, Scrolls, and Cursed Items.

It would be fairly easy to make it seem as though those two groups kidnapped him -- each group had a calling card that only the members knew how to make. However, Cain vividly recalled them as they would eventually become public when the groups were taken over by people from Earth, and the sigils themselves remained the same. It was a part of countless ‘tutorials’ in which people taught how to make certain things, and ‘how to make a sigil -- a true Tower method!’ was just one of many.

For Creepers, the sigil was a flay rounding a skull, and the 'proper' way to etch it was to use a combination of Fire, Aether, and Nature while carving it on a wooden surface. For Yosels, on the other hand, the sigil was an eye with three stars as irises, with the method of carving it requiring a combination of Creation, Earth, Aether, and Blood.

That would be more than enough, he knew, to start a conflict; and even though it likely won’t escalate into a full-out war, it was more than enough for the time being. Furthermore, Cain was certain that he would be able to use Rikur as a further bargaining chip in the future. As long as they don’t get caught, Cain mused, glancing at the seven who were prepared to depart. We don’t need to blow our cover. There are basically no inspections of this Strata, though we do need to be careful not to draw eyes of those above just yet.

“Alright, everyone ready?” Emma asked.

“Yup, ready.”

“Yes.”

“C’, we’re off!” she called out.

“Good luck,” he said before adding a few last-second reminders. “Remember -- kill on sight and leave no witnesses behind. If you can loot some stuff while you’re at it, loot away. If it gets too hot, retreat here and wait for me. If Larua steps out of line with her heroism, kick her butt and leave her there.”

“Hey!!”

“Off you go.”

“Tsk...”

Cain waved them off with a smile, reaching into his inventory and taking out a cigarette. Soon after, the twenty-seven others departed as well with slouched back, ready to fulfill their mission. Cain had, similarly, had them Bond with various members of the party as a precaution. ‘Bond’ simply ensured that neither of the two parties involved could betray each other, but it was hardly impervious as they were countless methods of dissolving it or just outright brute-forcing it. It's still too early, he thought. The likelihood of someone knowing how to break the Bond is low... but I should still have a plan in case that happens. The best way would be to secure an extra few properties, preferably even down under. Hmm... Ber is near Mercy. No, wait, that was the case years into the future... aah, whatever. It doesn’t hurt to check it out. I might luck out into an early and easy land.

As he slowly stepped out and headed toward Mercy, before moving on toward kidnapping Rikur, the city was seething silently, awaiting the spark that would kindle the flames of war... one that would arrive much sooner than anyone involved truly expected, in such a way that even fewer thought possible, and by the unlikeliest of souls at that.