Chapter 114: Chaos over a Kettle Rever cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck from side to side. "So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go and thin out the competition."
Yuzuro couldn’t shake her unease. She really wanted to give the item to Xin, but she was afraid that they would get wiped out in the process with all the players trying to take it for themselves.
"G-guys . . . am I the only one who thinks that this is a bad idea?" She voiced her concern, but her words fell on deaf ears.
In a swift and almost ethereal motion, Midnight Duchess disappeared from view, her form dissolving into shadows. Her reappearance was just as abrupt, and she held the coveted item in her gloved hand.
She had used one of her extraordinary skills to replace the kettle with a convincing fake, and the others didn’t notice a thing.
Without a word, she handed it to Lord Schrodinger, a sly smirk playing on her concealed lips as she glanced at Victor. Her expression seemed to convey that she had effortlessly won this little game.
A stunned hush enveloped the group as the reality of what had just occurred sank in. Xin accepted the kettle with a blank face, his mind struggling to process the swift and audacious theft that had taken place right before their eyes.
For a moment, they had all assumed they would need to engage in a fierce battle to obtain the rare item, but Midnight Duchess had effortlessly obtained it without as much as a drop of blood.
Rever found himself in a daze. "A top player really is something else," he mumbled, his voice filled with awe.
Victor, however, was the first to recover from the shock. His eyes narrowed as he processed the situation, and he couldn’t resist delivering a snarky comment. His tone dripped with thinly veiled annoyance. "No wonder you have so many enemies. Did you steal their items like you just did now?"
Midnight Duchess responded with a cryptic smile, her eyes gleaming with amusement from behind her mask. She didn’t appear the least bit bothered by Victor’s accusation; in fact, she seemed to thrive on the tension that her actions had stirred.
Rever, always enthusiastic, chimed in with admiration. "Wow! Having a skill like that would be incredible! Imagine stealing items and replacing them with fakes. It’s like being a legendary thief!"
Midnight Duchess’s smile deepened beneath her mask. "I was a thief before I became an assassin. I can rob you blind, and you wouldn’t even know it."
A shiver ran down Rever’s spine at the thought. "That’s amazing . . . and kind of terrifying, don’t you think?" Imagining his hard earned items being stolen sent tears in his eyes.
Midnight Duchess continued to smile, casting a mature allure with her phoenix-like eyes and enigmatic grin. Rever felt his heart race for a moment but quickly shook off the odd feeling.
Victor couldn’t help but comment dryly, "It suits someone of your stature."
Victor approached Xin, he placed an arm around his shoulder and whispered, loud enough for all to hear, "Be cautious, Lord Schrodinger. If you ever find yourself missing something, you’ll know where to look."
Midnight Duchess’s smile remained unflinching. "Don’t fret. I don’t pilfer from temporary allies. But for you, I might just make an exception."
Xin couldn’t help but pick up on the subtle undertones in Midnight Duchess’s words. As long as they remained allies, they were safe from her cunning ways.
Victor, however, wasn’t so amused. He bristled with anger, and the two engaged in a heated exchange.
"You should consider yourself lucky that we’re on the same team," Victor warned, his voice laced with frustration.
"Or what?" Midnight Duchess taunted, her tone carrying a low, melodious chuckle.
"Or you’ll find yourself in a very precarious situation," Victor shot back, his irritation palpable.
"Ara? A level 100 threatening a level 114? You’re not sleep-talking, are you?" Midnight Duchess responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The tension between the two top players continued to escalate, and Yuzuro attempted to intervene.
"W-we shouldn’t be fighting among ourselves!" she pleaded, trying to calm the situation.
"Hmm . . . two top players going head-to-head? I’d love to see that," Rever chimed in, rubbing his chin while imagining the battle.
"H-hold on, Rever!" Yuzuro scolded him, desperately trying to keep the peace.
Xin couldn’t help but notice the brewing tension between Victor and Midnight Duchess. While Victor was generally easygoing, he seemed to harbor a strong dislike for her.
Xin wondered if it was solely because of her notorious reputation or if there was something more to their animosity.
Before he could intervene in their argument, a loud roar echoed through the halls, drowning out their voices.
"It’s gone! The kettle is gone!"
"What?! Who stole it?!"
"The kettle is gone!"
"What happened?! Where is it?!"
The sudden commotion drew Xin and the others’ attention to the chaos unfolding around them. The fake kettle, which was placed on the counter with the other kitchen tools, had disappeared.
"What happened?" Rever mumbled in confusion.
Suspicion instantly fell on Midnight Duchess, and their accusing gazes turned to her.
Midnight Duchess simply gave an elegant half shrugged. "The spell wouldn’t last forever."
"You should have told us that from the start!" Victor growled.
As the situation spiraled out of control, players started accusing each other, and chaos ensued.
Fortunately, Xin and his group were far enough from the kettle that they weren’t immediately implicated in the brawl –– not yet at least.
Accusations flew like arrows.
"It was you!"
"You stole the item!"
"No! You did!"
"Damn it! Return it now!"
"Enough, all of you! Give me that kettle!"
The brawl quickly escalated, with players caught in the midst of the chaos near the counter.
"Let’s get out of here before they decide to investigate us," Rever said.
"Good idea," Yuzuro agreed, visibly shaken by the unfolding violence.
Without drawing any further attention to themselves, the real culprit slipped away from the chaos and quietly proceeded to the next area.