Assimilate All Talents-Chapter 377: Anti-Theft Measures

Sol acted fast, using [True Sight (Variant)] to scan the container.

At first, nothing appeared out of place. But he didn’t stop there, he knew something was there.

Psychic energy poured out of him, sweeping through the container as he thoroughly inspected it. That was when he found exactly what he was looking for.

With urgency, he reached inside the cylinder and scraped out a tiny black slate that had been stuck to the interior.

With the slate in hand, he stood up and bolted to the door outside. He swung it open with one hand while summoning shadows in the other.

The darkness coalesced around the slate, taking the shape of a bird, not just any bird, but a Ferrus Windora, a creature with a sharp metallic exterior and the fastest bird he could recall from memory.

The shadow Windora didn’t need instructions. The moment it took form, it knew its purpose and took off into the sky. Its dark form was nearly imperceptible in the night, and after reaching a high enough altitude, it veered eastward, flying at full speed, leaving a thin trail of shadow in its wake.

Sol gave it one final glance before shutting the door and moving to wake Thorwyn. He gently shook him, whispering urgently, “We need to go. I‘m not sure if they’ve already sent someone after you, but if they have, they’ll know we’re here soon.”

“Hrng? (What's happening?)” Thorwyn let out a groggy whine, stirring from a pleasant nap.

Amber, already alert, gave a nod, she was ready to move at any moment. However, she still had a question. “What was that?”

Sol continued packing as he explained. “Anti-theft measures the Adventurer’s Guild uses. They try to prevent theft in the first place with guards and protective enchantments, but on the off chance someone does manage to steal something, they stick one of those black slates onto the item. It’s a tracker, small, subtle, and hard to detect if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Inside is a tiny Sonoran crystal that can be tracked within a certain range, but it’s so small that it doesn’t disturb the surrounding mana. And if someone does find and destroy it, it releases Dreameater Moth dust as a failsafe.”

Because of Annabel constantly pulling him into her guild work, Sol knew more about the Adventurer’s Guild than most, even though he had never officially worked for them. These trackers were actually a well-kept secret, with only a handful of guild workers even aware of them.

Amber frowned slightly. “Dreameater Moth?”

She wasn’t familiar with the trackers, but she knew of the moths. Rare and elusive, Dreameater Moths were said to exist only within dreams, and that was largely true. They spent most of their lives floating from dream to dream, rarely entering the waking world. But on the rare occasions that one did, it could be captured and harvested for its dust.

The dust wasn't inherently dangerous. But the moment it made contact with someone’s skin, it would be absorbed, causing the person to emit a powerful pheromone. That pheromone could be tracked, and the only way to stop its spread was to undergo a special procedure to extract the dust from the body.

Because of how rare Dreameater dust was, these trackers weren’t placed on just anything, only on items the guild deemed truly valuable.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Amber’s grip on her cloak tightened slightly. “Sorry. I failed.”

She hadn’t noticed the tracker. If Sol hadn’t found and disposed of it, they might have gone to sleep as usual, only to wake up surrounded by adventurers, guild agents, or, worst of all, the Guildmaster herself. It wouldn't be impossible to fight them off, but it would they didn't want to become wanted criminals.

But Sol shook his head. “You didn’t fail.” He held up the map and waved it slightly. “You got what we needed. Sure you made a small mistake, but don't worry about it. You should know by now, I’ll always have your back.”

“Arwoo! (I’ll help too!)”

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on ƒгeewebnovёl.com.

Properly awake now, Thorwyn chimed in, eager to lift her spirits. His keen instincts picked up on the subtle changes in Amber’s tone, even if her face remained unreadable.

“Thorwyn says he’ll help too.”

Amber was silent for a moment, uncertain how to respond to the unwavering support. Normally, a mistake like this would have meant punishment. But she was reminded once again that she was no longer bound by those old rules.

It wasn’t something she often thought about, but after spending time in the ruins of the underground base, those memories had surfaced again.

The realization left her with a sensation she was unable to describe. But, maintaining her usual composure, she gave a small nod. “I understand. Thanks.”

Sol was about to let the moment pass, until something caught his attention. A flicker, almost imperceptible.

“Wait! Was that a smirk I saw?!”

“No.”

“Yes, it was! It was just for a brief moment, but I saw it!”

“You’re wrong.”

“I swear I saw it! Right, Thorwyn?!”

“Hyu… (I didn’t see it…)”

It had been so quick that even Thorwyn had missed it, but Sol was certain.

‘Is she still suppressing herself subconsciously, or is this a conscious choice to hide how she really feels?’

He wasn’t sure. Her mind had been tampered with, suppressing her emotions and much more. But Sol believed she was actively fighting against that conditioning, so he doubted she was doing it intentionally.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to admit it, he let the subject drop. “We should be safe now that we got rid of the tracker, but we shouldn’t stay here. Let’s leave tonight, just in case.”

With that, they finished preparing to leave. Sol returned the keys to the rooms he hadn’t even stepped foot in, but he considered himself lucky. On the way out, he saw Harvey taking the stage.

Far beyond Kerman City, the shadowy Ferrus Windora sped through the sky.

As the mana sustaining it faded, the bird sensed its impending end and descended into the plains below. It landed gently on the branch of a solitary tree, scanning the area to ensure no one was nearby. Then, with careful precision, it placed the black slate inside a crack in the bark.

Its mission complete, the shadow unraveled, fading from existence.

Not long after, a distant figure appeared in the night sky.

A woman, riding a long staff, approached the lone tree. She clutched a white ring embedded with a green crystal that vibrated softly, projecting an arrow toward the tree.

She sighed, already knowing what this meant. Reaching into the crevice, she retrieved the black slate.

‘They ditched the tracker.’

Her chase had come to an end. She pulled out a communication gem and activated it.

“Reporting in on the stolen map. They found the tracker and ditched it east of the city. I believe they’re heading toward Ujel. If we contact their guild branch, we can intercept them before they arrive. Shall I continue pursuit?”

A response came through almost immediately. “East? Are you certain?”

The woman stiffened. She recognized the voice instantly. Straightening her posture, she replied with renewed energy, “Yes, Guildmaster Loraline!”

On the other end, Guildmaster Loraline frowned in thought.

“Return. They aren’t heading east. They stole a map of Sylmasera, the tracker was a distraction.”

It was a clever ploy, but not enough to deceive the guildmaster. No matter which direction Sol had sent the tracker, the item they had stolen told her everything she needed to know about their true destination.

“Understood, Guildmaster!”

Back in the Adventurer’s Guild, Loraline deactivated the communication gem, her frown deepening.

‘Who would be reckless enough to enter elven territory? Those elves are just waiting for an excuse to kill anyone who enters without permission…’

A few names came to mind, but without more information, she couldn’t be certain. Instead, she retrieved a large communication crystal and activated it.

‘I have to inform them before they get the wrong idea and see this as spying or an invasion and declare war…’