Prologue

There was a tale, a rather old one but still a well talked about story amongst those who enjoyed mystery and wonder.

It went something like this.

Around a few hundred years ago, during the time whence the few countries that existed were experiencing a period of lawlessness and civil unrest, there existed a wealthy man unlike any other. It was said that he alone owned more than half of the world's current monetary value, a feat no one had been able to replicate throughout all of recorded history. This man possessed a kingdoms worth of gold, silver, and jewels, completely bathed in riches beyond the imagination. In an era where thievery, murder, and sheer violence ran rampant, this piece of news caused others to salivate at the mere thought of it, prompting multiple attacks on not only the man's life but the lives of those who happened to be close to him.

Though able to afford the best bodyguards and security the world had to offer, the wealthy gentleman came up with a new plan.

One that would completely change the course of fate.

Using a comparatively miniscule piece of his immense fortune, the man disappeared from the few habitable places on Earth, leaving behind no traces of his presence. Even with the various countries keeping it's eyes on him, the man was able to vanish quite literally overnight, his mansion cleared out and freed from any indication that he had even lived there.

When the various countries attempted to seek him out, the search parties vanished as well.

So, after years upon years of nothing but silence, with next to nothing regarding the wealthy individual, everyone gradually stopped thinking about him, returning to their day to day lives.

And when the world had nearly forgotten he existed a full decade later, he made his entrance once again, barging his way back into the world.

As loudly as possible.

An announcement was handed out to as many people as possible, it being played on loud speaker, radios, transmission devices, Holo projectors, and even written out and handed to those who happened to have none of those things. Percival Mandalete was the name of the man and he proudly declared his proposition for the whole world to hear.

"To those who seek adventure, listen up. To those who desire a lavish lifestyle or want naught but a mound of riches then lend me your ears. If you wish to aquire my own fortune then find ten Key Daggers and let it begin the journey of a lifetime. Only those with true strength and an unyielding perseverance will be able to conquer the quests and finish the game. This is a Treasure Hunt unlike any you've encountered. I've left clues all around the world. Keep your mind open, your hearts steeled, and your viewpoints high off the ground. I wish you all the best of luck."

In just a short minute, the world was ignited with a fit of passion and intrigue.

Thus began the era of Treasure Hunters.

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Knock! Knock Knock!

Kopna SmokeLor looked up from the book he had been perusing, light grey eyes flicking from the thick pages and onto the entrance to his office. Letting out a soft sigh, the man closed the leather bound sheets and slid it towards the top of his desk. On the very front of the book, in big gold letters, sat fours words.

The Legend Of ViewPoint.

"Come in," Kopna instructed, placing his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands.

The heavy oak door creaked open, allowing a well dressed individual to enter the room. Wearing a neatly ironed black coat with a white trim, black pants, a onyx colored sash fastened around the hips, and a long rapier attached to the waist, the feminine figure proudly took the center of the room with confidence. Hair as black as her boots, fair skin and a determined expression, she looked as if she was all but set to march straight into combat without a second thought. On her right hand was a violet colored glove with a white octagon.

"Sir. The target has shown himself in downtown Lumino. We have fellow soldiers en route to make the final capture." Samantha Riggens spoke clean and orderly, just as she had been taught to in training, speaking to a superior officer with respect to the station he possessed. "Roklan Marcus is currently leading his platoon of 50 squadmates into the frey in order to apprehend the criminal in question. I've been told to deliver the news and to relay the status as well as the current plan of action upon which the Roklan is attempting to pursue."

Kopna said nothing at first as he waited for Samantha to properly finish what she had to say. Once he was certain that she had finished what she needed to, the man rose from his seat.

"You said they're in pursuit of the target as we speak?" Kopna asked rhetorically, not really expecting an answer back.

"Sir."

"Well then. I guess we should get on our way then," Kopna said, walking towards a full length mirror positioned near his desk. "We wouldn't wanna miss the big show."

"Sir?"

"Tell me, Riggens. What do you know about the perpetrator? Are you aware of who the Roklan is after?"

Kopna checked himself out in the mirror as he awaited Samantha's answer, fixing his outfit as best he could. Having been napping some hour prior to reading, his look was slightly disheveled, or at least more than he would have liked. As an official within the GOC's (Generation Of Colors) Violet Unit, he would have to look somewhat presentable should he be spotted. Donning a simple black overcoat and white undershirt with matching dark pants, he didn't exactly stand out in any way.

Though that was the way SmokeLor liked it.

The actual outfit for someone of his title was just as ridiculous as the name of his official rank, a word that he himself couldn't even properly pronounce, something called a Condrolope. The only thing that separated Kopna from the common foot soldier other than the outfit was the midnight colored glove attached to his hand, one that bore a white Heptagon on its back.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're asking sir," Samantha admitted, her gaze locked onto Kopna's back. "Are you asking do I know the criminals crimes or about the criminal himself?'

"Both."

"He's a notorious thief whose committed multiple acts of violence on top of countless crimes which include stealing, bribery, impersonating an officer, assaulting an officer, assaulting an officer with a fork, assaulting civi-"

"But do you know WHO it is?" Kopna interrupted, cutting her off before she could fully get into it. "Like the name or history of the character?"

"...No sir."

"I thought as much," the black haired Condrolope muttered. "Would be hard to boost morale if you actually knew whom you were facing."

"Sir?" Samantha just looked more and more confused as time went on. Upon entering the vicinity, she had looked confident and stood with purpose. Now she was fidgeting and looking at a complete loss on how to proceed, thrown off by where her superior officer was going with everything.

"Have you ever heard of the thief known as ViewPoint?"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"I want every corner closed off. Every possible escape route and road cordoned off with soldiers. Prime your guns and keep them at the ready. Weapon wielders will hold the front."

Dozens of individuals dressed similarly to Samantha scurried about, rushing to enact the orders Rokland Marcus had barked out. There was very little time to get things set up and ready, Marcus having only received word of the thief's arrival within the central plaza of Lumino's shopping district. If he wanted to make a move, now was probably the only chance he would ever get, to capture the only thief to have evaded the Generation Of Colors for well over a century on end.

To arrest the one known as ViewPoint.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"To put it simply, he's a thief. A very good one at that." Kopna readjusted his overcoat before walking back to his desk. "He's become so prominent within this city that multiple books have been written on his exploits, hailing him as a ghost in the night. Someone who could never be captured, never found, never imprisoned. It's gotten to the point where he's even being acknowledged as a legend or a folktale. Not a real entity."

"Are you saying that ViewPoint is real?" Samantha watched as Kopna plucked a pitch black fedora off his desk. "But I've been hearing about those stories since I was a girl. If he was real, wouldn't he be old by now?"

"That does raise a few questions now doesn't it?" Kopna once again queried rhetorically. "If it is a ghost or a legend, why would they age?"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

"Sir, we have word that he's making his way down Kindlar Street. He'll be reaching the plaza in about three minutes based on current pacing."

Marcus gave the messenger a quick nod before turning his attention towards the lane the perpetrator was said to be coming from. His hand clutched the flintlock pistol attached to his hip, fingers gripped in anticipation.

"If you have the shot beforehand, lead him this way."

"Sir."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

"Anyways, let us depart Riggens." Kopna tipped his hat downwards as he walked towards his office door. "If we don't hurry then we're gonna miss the good part."

Samantha turned around, prepared to follow the Condrolope out the room. "The good part Sir?"

Kopna SmokeLor looked back and gave the young woman a smile. "The part where they fail to capture ViewPoint."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_-_-_

BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!

The sounds of gunfire littered the air, bullets ricocheting off various surfaces such as brick, steel, and concrete. Screams rang out as those who happened to be nearby ran for cover, seeking shelter indoors and away from the unknown chaos that had only recently unfolded. More and more shots could be heard, echoing through the surrounding area, shouts following close behind them. After a few more minutes of gunfire and repeated shouting, a small figure emerged from the shadows of the intersecting alleys and into the street that had, up until that point, been packed with people. Without missing a beat, the cloaked individual darted through the recently deserted lane, making his way towards the entrance to another alley, cutting through carriages and other obstacles.

However, right before the figure could slip into the shadow of the building, the muzzle of a rifle was placed against the figures forehead, preventing him from progressing any further.

"Hold it right there you little rat," the gun wielder said. "I think you've gone far enough. Puts your hands in the air and kneel on the ground, lest you want to be riddled with bullets.

Marcus gave a victorious grin as the figure before him readily complied with his demands, the individual raising his hands well above his head whilst taking a knee. The sounds of running along with guns cocking surrounded them as one by one, similarly dressed individuals rushed forward, pistols and rifles aimed at the cloaked figures head. Though everyone was out of breath, the vast majority of the new arrivals held looks of satisfaction. And they had every right to be proud. The small squad of officers had just apprehended the city's most notorious thief, one who had been regarded as uncatchable. Though he had managed to slip through their many traps for the last hour, they had finally managed to sieze a victory by circling around and cutting off the thief's escape.

"It's over. Your reign over this city has come to an end." Marcus made his way forward, his gun lowering. "You've gone unchecked for far too long and have stolen far too many valuables from others. You'll be going to the slammer for the next few centuries, and that's if you're lucky. The legend of the master thief will fade away after today and you'll just be another scumbag who couldn't keep his hands to himself."

Marcus reached behind him and unhooked the restraints, a pair of black, metallic cuffs laced with intricate designs. The cool feeling of the metal against his skin sent a shiver of excitement through him as he made his way forward, holding up the handcuffs proudly while walking past his fellow officers.

This moment, this very moment was what had made the long two week period worth the wait.

Two, long, arduous weeks of gathering intel and mapping out routes and potential outcomes, two entire weeks of prep time and manpower. Two weeks devoted to taking down the biggest legend Horae, otherwise known as the City of Clockwork, had ever seen, taking down someone who had previously been labeled as the worlds best thief. The thief who was said to have even stolen from the gods themselves, the individual widely regarded as ViewPoint.

"Don't move a muscle," Marcus said firmly, taking a wide circle around the cloaked individual. "If you so much as twitch, every officer present has been instructed to open fire. I don't want to kill you but you'll leave me no choice if you attempt any funny business.

"That's fine," the figure said calmly in a perfect imitation of Marcus' voice. "I wasn't planning on doing anything anyways."

Marcus stopped in his tracks ever so briefly before continuing towards the cloaked individual. It was so bizarre to have his own tone and dialect repeated back at him, especially when it was coming from someone so much smaller then he was. It was enough to cause some hesitation but it wasn't enough to stop him completely as he stopped a meter away from kneeling figure, unlocking the handcuffs. Though it wasn't exactly a normal occurrence amongst criminals, Marcus had dealt with professional thieves who were able to mimic the voices of others. When considering that this man was regarded as the king of thieves, it wasn't hard to accept that he could do the same. In fact, it was almost to be expected considering the amount of experience ViewPoint was said to possess.

"To the criminal known as ViewPoint. You're under arrest for 1,254 counts of robbery, 2,573 counts of suspected robbery, 354 counts of assault and resisting arrest, and 1 count of assault with a metal fork." Marcus stepped forward and knelt down, ready to cuff the infamous criminal. "You will be stripped of all of your rights as an Kinpo Kingdom citizen and will be given the status of slave until proven innocent by the court. Should you be found innocent, your status will be renewed. If you have any questions or objections, please speak them now or hold them unti-"

Clink!

Before Marcus could finish explaining, a small cylindrical object hit the ground, bouncing two times before rolling towards the feet of the cloaked figure. Looking over the individuals shoulder, the young officer got a good look at the object before it finally clicked as to what he was staring at and what it meant.

"LIGHT GRENADE!!" Marcus screamed out before instinctively using his arms to shield his eyes. He managed to shield himself just in time as a flash of light so bright he could even feel the heat light up the vicinity followed by a boom that nearly ruptured his ear drums.

Click!

"You did good chief, but maybe next time you skip the chatter, yeah?" A voice said into his ringing ears. "You certainly talk quite a bit."

By the time Marcus was able to open his eyes, the cloaked figure had all but vanished and the pitch black handcuffs were wrapped around his wrists and another pair were fastened on his ankles. Positioned next to him were two keys and a piece of paper with words scribbled over the top of it In big but neat words. It was almost as if he was being taunted.

MAYBE NEXT TIME

PS- I STOLE YOUR GOLD COINS.