boyutpedia Chapter 65 Preparations Before the Infiltration
Chapter 65 Preparations Before the Infiltration
"Take advantage of the midnight patrol shift change," the man in black said, pointing to the tower entrance.
"Aveline, you're in charge of climbing the tower and dropping the rope. You only have five minutes; everyone must be up before the next patrol." He looked up at Aveline. "Is that enough time?"
"Of course it's enough," Evelyn turned her head, her gaze sweeping over Ron. "But I have a question. Aren't we on an infiltration mission?"
She pointed in Ron's direction. "Are you sure this person is here to infiltrate and not storm the auction house?"
"We'll enter from inside the tower. There shouldn't be any guards at the auction house at this time. Of course, if anything unexpected happens, we'll have to rely on Geralt and Ron."
"Alright," Evelyn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, glanced at Ron, and curled her lips slightly upward.
"Looks like I need to prepare a thicker rope, otherwise I'm afraid it won't be able to support this big guy."
The man in black didn't respond to her words, his finger moving down the map. "After entering the auction house, go downstairs to the vault. Cheetos will be in charge of unlocking it. We'll enter the vault, loot it, and then leave through the secret passage."
"A secret passage?" Geralt straightened up from the wall. "Why not just go in through the passage?"
"I only know that the exit of the passage is in the treasure vault. As for the other end, believe me, if I could really find it, why would I need to look for you?"
Ron twirled the hilt in his palm, seemingly a little unaccustomed to the feel and weight of the standard longsword.
What security measures should I be aware of in the treasure vault?
"It's nothing, except there's a rope on the first floor connected to an alarm bell. If someone pulls the rope, it could be dangerous."
"How can you guarantee it won't make a sound?" Evelyn asked.
"Don't pull the rope. I told you there shouldn't be anyone in the auction house." The man in black rolled up the blueprints and tucked them into his palm.
"Alright, everyone understands now. I've already bribed the camp's cook to put laxatives in the guards' dinners, so we'll have more time, but it's still very tense. If anything goes wrong with the plan, then everyone will have to rely on their own means to save their lives."
At midnight, the five men gathered in the shadows of the tower, the night wind blowing in from the direction of the Pontal River, making the torches on the outer wall flicker.
Evelyn tightened the rope around her waist, looked up and surveyed the exterior of the tower, gripped the first crack in the stone, and silently pressed herself against the wall like a gecko.
Her climb was effortless, with each hand switch placed on the most energy-efficient support point. The rope swayed gently around her waist, and in the blink of an eye, her figure disappeared behind the battlements at the top of the tower.
A muffled thud came from the tower, the sound of someone struggling after being gagged. A moment later, a thick rope was thrown down from the crenellation and landed steadily on the ground.
Evelyn poked her head out and gestured downwards. The four of them climbed the tower one by one. After Chedo and Geralt went up, the man in black was about to reach for the rope.
Ron had already gripped the rope with one hand and grabbed the gap in the outer wall with the other. With a push of his feet, his whole body rose up quickly like a suspended ladder being pulled up by a winch.
As he vaulted over the crenellations and landed on the tower platform, Evelyn stared at him for a moment, then looked away without saying a word.
"Is this what you mean by no guards?" Evelyn lowered her voice and lightly kicked the fallen guard on the ground with her toe.
"Looks like the informant was wrong," the man in black replied nonchalantly.
"Let's go, we can argue later," Geralt said, having already drawn the wooden sword he had prepared beforehand.
"Well said. If there are guards, there's more than one. You'd better draw your sword, put on your mask, and let's go."
After going downstairs, five guards were scattered around the first floor, and next to them stood an elderly auction house employee who was recording and counting something.
Hearing the commotion, the guards almost simultaneously looked up, drew their swords, and surrounded the enemy. The battle ended quickly; Geralt accurately struck two guards in the neck with his wooden sword, and they collapsed to the ground.
The remaining three didn't even last a few breaths against Ron. Ron didn't even draw his weapon. With his current speed boost from his agility, he could easily defeat any enemy formation unless it was too dense to avoid.
The scattered attacks couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes. Several jabs landed on the guards' faces, and in the blink of an eye, the three guards collapsed in the corner as if their bones had been removed.
In the end, only the clerical employee remained. He leaned against the stairs, trembling, the ledger in his hand falling to the ground, the quill still clutched in his hand.
"No, don't kill me, I... I'm just a paperwork worker."
The man in black walked up to him, ignoring his pleas, and slashed at him with his sword in an arc.
The blade stopped half a finger's width from the neck when Ron grabbed the wrist. The man in black struggled twice but couldn't break free.
"He might go out and report. What? Are you trying to show your compassion, just like that witcher?"
"No need, just knock them out."
The man in black stared at Ron for a moment, then sheathed his sword. "Suit yourself." Before the old employee could even thank him, Geralt delivered a precise blow to the back of his neck, and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back in his head.
The vault's door was made of a single, thick piece of metal, with neatly arranged rivets. Three safety locks were embedded around the door frame. Chido squatted in front of the door, and a pry bar made a soft rubbing sound in the keyhole.
The first lock popped open, then the second. When Cheto opened the last lock, he heard a faint, unusual clicking sound from inside. He hesitated for a moment, but the man in black was already urging him on.
The man in black stood at the door, tapping his sword hilt back and forth. Just before the door opened, he turned to Geralt and said, "You go first."
"On what grounds?"
"Then why should I hire you! Hurry up!" Geralt gave him a cold look, said nothing more, and pushed open the door.
The door made a dry, scraping sound, and the stone slab under his feet suddenly flipped down—it was a trap. Geralt instinctively jumped back, but he didn't have time to grab the edge and fell into the pit below. A dense rustling sound came from the darkness of the pit.
Several enormous shapeshifting spiders emerged from the darkness, their eight legs scraping the ground with a piercing screeching sound. Geralt's wooden sword could only barely defend itself; it was no match for killing these monsters.
Without further hesitation, Ron leaped down, his blade slicing through the dark tunnel with a cold light. As the last shapeshifting spider was pierced by the blade, Geralt stepped forward and glanced at the still twitching spider legs.
Once the vault doors were fully open, candles were lit inside, their light reflecting off the gold coins and creating golden ripples.
Various gold and silver coins were piled up haphazardly, oil paintings and other artworks were placed in a corner, and jewelry inlaid with gemstones and pure gold statues filled the shelves.
A bald man in a magnificent robe stood at the innermost side, with two fully armed private guards in front of him.
"Do you fucking know who you've messed with?"
The man in black stepped forward, raised his hand, and removed his mask, revealing a broad, flat face beneath. The firelight danced in his eyes. "Of course I know. I know perfectly well."
Horst's expression shifted from anger to disbelief, and he forced a name out of his throat. "Eivad? How could it be you?"
"What do you say, my dear brother! Of course I'm here to reclaim what's rightfully mine. Father's will stipulated that I should inherit the auction house, but you framed me, causing me to lose everything, end up on the streets, and suffer enough poverty and contempt."
Horst turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Ron, Geralt, Chido, and Evelyn in turn.
"That's because all you do is gamble and play with women. It was a mistake to hand over the family business to you. Father may not see through it, but that doesn't mean I don't."