Sneaking through the main lobby of the Silver Crest Guild hall was like walking into a high-end luxury hotel, if the hotel was owned by a billionaire dragon. The floors were solid, polished marble that reflected the golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Rich merchants in silk robes were walking around, arguing about grain prices and magic core shipping rates.
Nobody noticed a three-foot-long, completely invisible phantom snake sliding smoothly along the baseboards.
I pulled out the low-grade mercenary map from under my scales using a tiny flick of my tail, holding it flat against the floor with my chin to check the layout.
[System: Left corridor. Up the grand spiral staircase to the third floor. That’s where the executive suites are. Try not to get stepped on by the guy carrying the box of mana potions.]
I dodged a clumsy clerk and glided up the thick carpet of the stairs. The third floor was much quieter. The floors were covered in velvet rugs that muffled all sound, and the walls were lined with dark mahogany doors.
As I slithered past the second door on the left, a very distinct, strange sound caught my attention. It wasn’t the sound of signing papers or counting coins. It was a low, heavy gasp, followed by the soft creaking of wood and a deep, rough groan.
I paused, my slitted yellow eyes narrowing out of thin air.
The mahogany door wasn’t fully closed. It was open by barely an inch. Being a curious reptile with a history of five years in retail where staff gossip was the only entertainment, I slid my invisible head through the gap to check the inventory.
My snake brain instantly short-circuited again.
Inside the office, a wealthy merchant in a half-undressed velvet tunic was pinned against a large desk by a stunning, voluptuous woman wearing aloosened silk gown. Her long, dark hair was messy, falling over her bare shoulders, and her breath came out in sharp, heated gasps.
"Ah, hngg... slower, you fool..." she whispered, her voice incredibly smooth, soft, and dripping with heat. "If the Commander walks up these stairs, he’ll split your head ope—ohh,ahh.."
"Let him look..." the man said loudly, his hands gripping her waist tightly as the desk creaked loudly under their weight.
The room reeked of expensive perfume, sweat, and unfiltered desire. The sight was incredibly detailed, the moonlight filtering through the curtains and hitting her exposed, curved back.
My little snake tongue flicked out in pure, unadulterated shock.
Holy mother of inventory logs. The workplace environment in this fantasy world is absolutely—
[System: Visual asset acquired. Look at you go, Barry. First the riverbank, now looking in room. You’re compiling a whole legal case of workplace harassment here. Want me to record the audio for your premium collection? ]
The rhythmic thudding of the desk and the soft, breathless moans echoed through the small office. It was highly distracting. As a single guy who used to spend his Friday nights stocking soup cans, my human instincts told me to stay right there and watch the whole show.
’No, shut up, System!’ I snapped mentally, forcefully tearing my slitted eyes away from the gap in the door, my scales burning with intense heat. ’Focus on the margins. High-tier entertainment doesn’t pay the bills. Bae Suzy owes me five hundred gold pieces, and she’s the one with the real checkbook.’
I backed my invisible body out of the room, leaving the lovebirds to their panting dynamic, and slithered down to the very end of the hallway.
The doors at the end of the corridor were made of solid white oak with a gold plaque that read: OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR - BAE SUZY.
Before I could figure out how to jimmy the lock, the sound of a heated argument inside the room cut straight through the thick wood.
"You’re being reckless, Suzy!" a sharp, arrogant male voice shouted from inside. "The Silver Crest Guild cannot afford to lose a Tier 2 Calamity core to a bunch of low-life thieves! The board of directors is already talking about replacing you!"
"The core wasn’t lost to the thieves, Jared,’"Suzy’s smooth, velvet voice responded, though it was dripping with pure, icy fury. "The thieves were outsmarted by a magical entity. And if you think you can use this minor shipping delay to slide into my seat, you’re welcome to try. My blades are still sharp."
I pressed my invisible nose against the bottom gap of the door, listening intently.
[System: Oho! A hostile corporate takeover in progress. Perfect timing, boss. The lady is cornered, the rival is gloating, and you happen to hold the exact item that solves her entire problem. Let’s make an entrance.]
I activated Shadow Step, letting the cold espresso magic flood my core. My invisible body dissolved into a silent cloud of freezing black smoke, slipping right through the keyhole and materializing directly inside the luxurious office, resting safely behind a tall leather armchair.
Standing in the center of the room was Bae Suzy, fully dressed in her sleek rogue armor, her black-and-silver hair catching the light as she glared at a slim, wealthy man in an expensive cloak. Jared had a smug, annoying grin on his face, holding a thick ledger book.
"Words won’t save your position, Suzy," Jared sneered, tapping the book. "Unless you magically produce that Calamity core within the next two minutes, I am officially filing a motion to freeze your assets."
’Time to provide excellent customer service.’
I deactivated my camouflage, letting my sleek, matte-black Phantom-Fang body appear right on the armrest of the leather chair. With a flick of my tail, I unhitched the glowing purple Shadow Wolf core from under my scales, letting it tumble out onto the floor.
The fist-sized crystal rolled across the plush rug, stopping right between Jared’s expensive leather boots, pulsing with brilliant magic.
Jared froze, his smug grin completely evaporating as he stared down at the legendary core. Suzy’s deep black eyes went wide, her jaw parting slightly in pure shock before her gaze snapped right to the matte-black snake sitting on the chair.
’Looking for this, manager?’ I thought, letting the System flash the blue text straight onto the white wall behind her desk.