Finding The Magic Circle

Devin and Alex received a face-changing pill from the city lord, allowing them to disguise themselves as servants. They followed Alfred's servant, who led them into the Kramer family estate. The estate was bustling with activity as the family head's birthday party was scheduled for the next day. The servants were busy going up and down, making it easy for Devin and Alex to blend in quickly. It seemed that the guards were also scared of Alfred, so they had no trouble entering.

Alfred's servant took them to a quiet courtyard, which he referred to as "Master Alfred's secret spot in the house." He made it clear that whatever they did from that point on was none of his business, as he had fulfilled his end of the deal. "My advice to you," Alex advised, "is to escape during the chaos, or you won't end well." The man smiled bitterly in response and left.

Under the cover of night, Devin and Alex infiltrated the Kramer mansion. They felt a tingling sense of anticipation as they stepped foot into the lavish mansion, their eyes scanning the opulent hallways and intricate chandeliers. Suddenly, a system notification appeared:

[Players Devin and Alex have triggered the task, 'Sinister Plan.' This is a trigger chain task; players do not have the initiative to reject it, and more than 80% must be completed to leave the task chain area. Players need to explore to trigger the tasks attached to it.

Please note that the areas and tasks ahead are not suitable for non-players at their current level, and the possibility of death is extremely high. If players complete the task, they will gain high experience points, but failure to complete it will result in the same amount of points being deducted.]

Task Chain release: players infiltrate the Kramer house to find the magic circle. After completion 8000 Exp will be awarded. Failure to complete will result in the same amount of points deducted]

Devin and Alex looked at each other and smiled bitterly, realizing that the system was giving them no way out.

Devin and Alex decided to split up in order to cover more ground within the mansion. They planned to keep in touch through the in-game messaging system.

As Devin wrapped himself in his cloak, he blended into the darkness while continuing his search. Luckily, he stumbled upon four guards dragging four old men in chains through a different passage. Curiosity piqued, Devin followed them through the passage and patiently waited for the guards to leave.

Hidden in the shadows, Devin observed the imprisoned men. One of them uttered in despair, "When will this hell end?" Another responded, "Well, at least we have it better than the forgers. Our task is just to draw the magic circle, and none of us have died. The guards mentioned that forgers lose their vitality easily."

One of the men expressed a sense of foreboding about the magic circle they were assisting in creating. "There's something ominous about the magic circle," he whispered. "It feels familiar, like one of those forbidden circles we're strictly prohibited from drawing."

A somber realization fell upon the prisoners, as one of them admitted, "Well, it seems our fates are sealed either way."

Without warning, a task chain notification appeared:

[Task Chain release: Help the four Grandmasters of Magic runes escape the Kramer prison cell. Completion rewards: 2000 Exp.]

Devin understood that he needed to aid the imprisoned men in their escape.

"Grandmasters, I can help you escape from here," Devin said, still cloaked in shadows.

"Old Finn, am I hallucinating? Did someone just speak?" one of the old men questioned in disbelief.

"I heard it too," responded Old Finn. Turning towards Devin, he asked, "Who are you?"

"Who I am is not important. What matters is that I am the only one who can save you," Devin replied, relying on the desperation of the old men.

One of the men, skeptical, cautiously inquired, "There's no free lunch in the world. What's your condition?"

"You are wise," acknowledged Devin. "I am not, or else I wouldn't find myself in this situation. I have only one condition: I need you to tell me where the magic circle is."

Frowning, the old men exchanged glances. Old Finn finally spoke up, "Getting to the location of the magic circle won't be easy. It's heavily guarded, and outsiders cannot access it."

Devin's frown deepened as he realized the difficulty of reaching the core of the magic circle. "How about you inform me about the number of guards and draw me a detailed map?" he suggested. Presenting them with papers and pens, he instructed each old man to draw separate maps, allowing for comparisons and discrepancies based on different observations.

The old men diligently drew their maps, marking the guard placements as accurately as they remembered. They handed their work to Devin, who noticed varying levels of detail among the maps.

"Do not worry. Tomorrow, I will definitely save you. Just pretend you know nothing. If you want to live, follow my instructions," Devin assured them.

Leaving the prison, Devin knew that forcefully opening the magically-sealed door would trigger an alarm, possibly activating hidden traps. He also knew the exact time the guards would arrive to retrieve the old men, providing the best opportunity to begin their escape.

Devin and Alex arrived at the room simultaneously, sharing the information they had gathered. Alex revealed his suspicion that the lady next to Alfred was potentially working for someone else, adding an extra layer of complexity to their mission.

Under his cloak, Devin patiently waited for the guards to arrive and retrieve the imprisoned grandmasters, as they did every day. The old men conversed amongst themselves, expressing uncertainty about whether the promised savior would truly come to their rescue.

"Don't worry, I always keep my promises," Devin declared, hoping to ease their worries. This statement brought some relief to the old men, with one even threatening the others not to mess up his chance at freedom, warning them that his ghost would haunt them if they did.

As the guards entered the prison cell and unlocked the door, Devin discreetly signaled Alex, who used his shadow meld ability to merge with one of the guards' shadows. With a swift and precise strike, Alex took down two guards with a short knife, while Devin swiftly dispatched the remaining two guards, leaving them unaware of what had attacked them.

The grandmasters were both surprised and relieved to see Devin and Alex standing before them. "Change into the guard's uniforms. I will escort you out. We need you to deliver a message to the city lord. Lives depend on it," Alex instructed, knowing they had to exploit the deserted road behind Alfred's secret house and the guards' aversion to Alfred as their key loophole.

The old men quickly changed into the guard's uniforms, disguising themselves. They wrapped one of the dead guards' bodies and disfigured his face beyond recognition to avoid suspicion. With their new appearances, they followed Alex as he led them through the Northside door of the mansion. Fortunately, the busy atmosphere in the mansion worked in their favor, and the servant presented them with a token that allowed them access.

Suddenly, one of the guards intercepted them. "Stop! We need to check before you leave," he demanded.

Alex remained calm, presenting Alfred's token. "Are you sure you want to check? These guards were sent by Master Alfred himself," he asserted confidently.

The guard's expression changed as he glanced at the token, immediately recognizing its significance. "Let them go! That's the young master's token, and I saw Simi, the senior servant, leading this guard inside yesterday," he declared.

Relieved, the guard allowed them to pass. "Don't take too long. Master will be needing everyone. According to Senior Simi, today is going to be a crazy day," Alex added, feigning a somber expression.

The four guards nodded in understanding before they left. Alex knew that the rest was now in the hands of the old men as he quietly made his way back.

Devin received a system prompt confirming his success in completing the task of freeing the grandmasters, rewarding him with 2000 EXP.

"It appears that the grandmasters are now free. Let's hope they were able to deliver the message," Devin remarked as they waited anxiously for any sign of progress.

To their relief, the grandmasters did not disappoint. Thanks to the token they had obtained, they were able to successfully deliver Devin's message to the city lord guards.

With the grandmasters' presence, it became clear that there was indeed a magic circle involved in the scheme. Devin's message had commanded the city lord guards to surround the Kramer family and create chaos.

Now, it was a waiting game to see if the message had been received and if the plan would come into action.