Progressive Factor II: Lacrimosa Of A Reaper

The Threat of the Fallen

Mito, December 22nd

Minutes later, Mito and her new party returned to the pier they observed the sailors and Fallen Elves unload cargo. Kirito and Asuna lingered behind, using the Argyro's Sheet to cover the Tilnel once again. According to Kirito, it lost ten percent of its durability within five minutes of use, so they have forty-five minutes to make it back to their boat before it is exposed. Jaymes didn't seem worried, given that there were no guards on or around the pier in the first place.

Meanwhile, Mito joins Jaymes and Koharu to ascend the stairs to a metal door at the top of the staircase. The male of the partnership clasps the red doorhandle and gives it a light tug, testing if it is unlocked or not. Once the trio notices the door isn't resisting, Mito reaches out and grabs his wrist. "Try not to open it too quickly. We might make some noise or something."

"Good point. Koharu, you put your ear into the gap when I pull a couple of inches, look inside."

Mito turns to Koharu, unsure what Jaymes speaks of. "You have a sight skill?"

Koharu nods. "Mhm. I decided on it last night, but I have the Night Sight skill. It allows me to see some at night and in extremely dark places, which I'd figured would be useful for excursions like this." To demonstrate this, Koharu leans into the slight gap made by the door and peers inside. At this time, Mito steps back, looking at the second half of the original quartet join them. Kirito eyes the door in quiet interest while Asuna stands beside Mito with a brand new cloak. Its made of a purple, silky material with patterns woven into the cloak. She keeps her opinion to herself, but purple doesn't really suit Asuna compared to red. Asuna could rock a different color, like light blue, but red and white just looked awesome on her.

Mito smirks anyway and brushes her purple tunic. "Trying to match?"

Asuna shrugs. "As if."

A couple of steps in front of them, Koharu backs away and gestures for Jaymes to open the door while she whispers her findings. A long hallway with a single guard visible to her is ahead of them. At its current level, Night Sight allows Koharu to see fifty feet in front of her as if it was daytime or a well-lit room, with progressively darkening vision beyond that point. So for sixty feet, while somewhat lit, she could see everything clear as day, including a guard who wouldn't present them much trouble at their levels.

Kirito and Jaymes are first inside, Koharu and Asuna behind their respective partners, and Mito making up the rearguard. Jaymes reaches the end of the hallway first, leaning against the right wall before the hallway splits, and leans towards the right path. Hand on his sword just in case he has to take action, he gives a thumbs up. Kirito, on the left wall with Mito and Asuna, gestures for the group to head left. By the time the crimson warrior came over, the guard had begun to retrace his steps back to the corridor's center.

The left path turned to the right, which is where everyone made it before the prior guard resumed his patrol. Ahead of them is a hallway that's guardless and presents multiple doors. With no clue where the cargo was, Mito could see the words written on each of her companions' faces and tried raising their spirits. "If nothing else, there might be good loot here."

Kirito nods and faces everyone. "This'll be a long job, even for the five of us, but we'll have to take it slow and careful."

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None of the doors contained the boxes they were looking for. Sure, they had found multiple chests of relatively fine-looking loot and took a small break in one of the rooms, but it was a bust. Mito's experienced mind may love late-night gaming, but she had her limits, and two in the morning is encroaching on that limit. She doesn't know how Asuna and Koharu are still active two late nights in a row...though she can guess her friend may have had many late nights in the real world as the excelling student she was.