Nox stood at the edge of the dark street, looking at the building in front of him. It was a two-story building, with a sign above it that read "The Tavern."
But Nox knew that was not true.
He was now standing in front of the headquarters of the Sequa gang, the gang that had exploited him when he was young. This building was actually their main headquarters, where they kept all their gains and money here. They had chosen to disguise the place as a tavern so that no one would suspect anything.
They had even thought about it carefully. If they placed many guards in front of an ordinary tavern, that would immediately raise suspicion. Therefore, they added some gambling and noisy activities inside it, so that the place would look like just a crowded tavern where people come to drink and play.
Also, the street in which the tavern was built was somewhat crowded, which was also intentional, because the crowd reduces suspicions even more and makes the place look natural.
And thus the gang managed to hide all its assets and wealth here away from prying eyes.
As for Nox… he had known this place for a long time.
In fact, he had been planning for a while to steal it, but the matter was not easy at all.
The risks were many, and he was not completely sure of his ability to succeed. Even if he was skilled in fighting, he might have to face several people at the same time.
But luck finally smiled at him.
After he became awakened, his strength increased noticeably, and now… he began to believe that his plan might succeed.
All he had lacked before was a little strength. But now, he had that strength… and perhaps more.
Even so, he was not completely confident of success.
But for Nox… the risk was worth the attempt.
"Heh, White, Black… go and distract them a little so I can enter. If you do that I will bring you a lot of candy, I promise you that."
"Meow, meow."
"Yes yes, I will. But go quickly, this is the best time for stealing. The place will be crowded, so go."
The two cats immediately ran toward the building, crossing the crowded street among the people. Lights were lit everywhere, and the noise of the tavern was leaking outside.
Nox remained in his place watching them as they approached the building.
"It is time. I will go to the opening that I made… hehe, how stupid they are really, how did they not notice it?" Then he frowned slightly. "Wait… maybe they noticed it already? No… no. They are a group of brainless people. They will not notice anything, especially since I am the one who made it."
Nox was thinking like this while approaching the building, and he had covered his face with a plastic bag so that no one would recognize him. In this city his name was somewhat known among the general people… and the reason was simple.
There was almost no person whom Nox had not tried to steal from one day.
Therefore his face was familiar to many people, and that was also why he lived in the sewers so that he would not be arrested.
Nox stopped in the middle of the crowd and looked toward the tavern door.
The two cats had already arrived. Several people were standing in front of the entrance and entering one after another, when White and Black suddenly pounced. They rushed between the legs quickly, scratching the legs of the people with their sharp claws. One of them screamed and jumped backward, while another stumbled and fell to the ground.
In the next moment White jumped upward, scratching a man's face strongly, and screams broke out and chaos spread in front of the entrance.
Immediately the three guards turned toward the source of the chaos… and rushed toward White and Black.
"What is wrong with these cats in hell? Maybe they are hungry and searching for food?"
"What nonsense are you saying, man? Food? Let it go to the garbage then! Stop saying this nonsense and let us remove them from here before the order is disrupted."
"Stop talking and work! Do you want the boss to come and kill you or what?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
After that the guards tried to drive White and Black away, but they did not succeed. Every time one of them tried to catch them, they jumped away at the last moment.
And thus the chaos in front of the entrance increased more and more.
Meanwhile, Nox was watching the scene from afar while smiling.
"I knew you would not disappoint me when I rely on you… you are really wonderful."
After that he took a deep breath, and Nox rushed running quickly heading toward the back of the tavern. He kept watching with his eyes constantly to make sure the guards were not looking at him.
The matter was extremely dangerous, because if one of the guards turned toward him at that moment… everything would be over for him.
Yet he was not very worried.
This was exactly the reason that made him choose this time for the theft.
Night had already fallen, the street was crowded with people, and the two cats had created great chaos in front of the entrance. In such conditions, it was almost impossible for anyone to notice his movements.
Therefore he moved quickly through the crowd until he finally reached the back side.
Then he removed the plastic bag from his face while panting a little.
"I must find a better mask than this… breathing with this thing is really difficult. I think it might cause my death one day if I do not find something better."
Nox thought about that while his eyes were moving quickly, examining the place around him.
"Here is my entry ticket to here."
Nox was staring at a high place on the back wall. There, above the gray stones, was a small mark that could barely be noticed.
He was the one who had placed it himself.
Because he did not want to forget the correct position.
Nox stepped several steps back, then took a deep breath. In the next moment he rushed forward running at full speed. When he approached the wall, he pushed his body upward and jumped, then placed his foot on the stone wall and pressed on it strongly.
He pushed himself again with his other foot, climbing the wall quickly.
His movement was fast and light, and with the last push, he extended his hand upward and grabbed the small edge beside the mark that he had placed.
He hung there for a moment, extended his other hand toward the stone. In fact… it was not a stone.
That part of the wall was made of wood.
The whole building was built of stones, but Nox had removed this part a long time ago, and replaced it with a wooden piece that he carved himself. Then he painted it with a color that exactly resembled the color of the stones so that no one would notice it.
He did all that for only one reason.
So that he could remove it quickly and enter through it when the day of the theft comes.
"Why did I place it at this height in the first place? Where was my mind at that time? I must have been crazy to put it in this high place."
Nox thought while trying to remove the piece.
Then he began pulling it slowly… until it finally separated from its place.
But in the same moment it slipped from his hand, while Nox's eyes widened immediately.
The piece almost fell downward, but he reacted with lightning speed. He pushed his body to the side in the air, then extended his arm strongly and caught it before it could fall.
His body swung for a moment while he was still hanging on the wall, while he held the wooden piece with his other arm with difficulty.
He remained steady like that for a second… then breathed slowly.
"Damn… it almost fell."
"It would have been the end of me even before it began… uff, I really survived."
Nox muttered that while he was trying to enter through the opening. He gathered his body a little then began to roll himself in the air, moving his shoulders and his waist to get closer to the narrow opening. With every movement his body was getting closer to it gradually.
And when he became close enough, he released the edge that he was holding.
His body fell for a moment in the air.
But before he landed, he quickly extended his arms and grabbed the edges of the opening. His body swung for a moment outside the wall, then he pulled his arms strongly and lifted himself upward, pushing his shoulders first inside the opening.
Nox finally entered the tavern.
In the next moment he quickly returned the wooden piece to its place, fixing it carefully so that it would look as if it were part of the wall again, before anyone noticed the matter.
When he finished, he bent a little and looked downward.
The noise was filling the place.
Men were sitting around the tables while laughing loudly as they drank, and others were gathered around the gambling tables, throwing coins and shouting with excitement. Some of them were laughing happily after winning, while others were hitting the table angrily after losing.
"Pitiful souls…" Nox thought while watching them.
"I do not understand what these poor people are thinking when they gamble with all their money, while they know that they may lose it all in a single moment. And they even know that they are being scammed right in front of their eyes."
"Is it not better for them to save it a little… until a poor person like me comes and steals it? At least I will live with it, instead of giving it to these fools."
Nox bent more while moving over the wooden beams above, heading toward the main room.
For there… the money was waiting for him.
"Ah, damn…" Nox stopped immediately, and in a single moment his body lowered and he hid quickly behind two large barrels placed near the upper wall, sticking to the shadows so that no one would see him.
He cast a cautious look through the gaps.
Two giant men were moving slowly toward the main room.
Their shoulders were wide and their bodies were huge. Nox watched them silently from his hiding place, while his eyes narrowed a little.
"I will wait for the right moment… then I will deal with them quickly."
Nox thought while watching them silently. The two men were walking slowly toward the main room, and their backs were completely exposed to him.
And when they came closer to him… they gave him their backs completely.
Then Nox came out from his hiding place quietly, extending his hand a little toward the shadows gathered on the ground, and focused his mind, while the shadow dagger began to form in his hands.
"Faster… you damned room." He muttered to himself while getting closer to them.
And when he became only two steps away, the shadow blade formed, and then he suddenly rushed forward.
Before the two giants reached the door of the main room, Nox jumped forward and stabbed the nearest one directly in his back.
Shkk!
The shadow dagger pierced the back easily, while the giant froze for a moment, while his eyes widened in shock.
At the same moment his head and the head of his companion turned toward Nox.
But Nox was smiling at them, and before the second one could react, Nox pulled his hand quickly, then threw another shadow dagger that he formed in the same moment.
The dagger rushed through the air like a fast black line.
Thaq!
It struck the chest of the second giant and sank into it. The man stepped back one step, in pain while pressing on his chest.
But the first giant—despite the stab—growled in anger and suddenly pounced on Nox.
His movement was surprisingly fast. He extended his huge arms and grabbed Nox strongly, then lifted him off the ground easily as if he were a child.
Nox was surprised for a moment… but he did not panic. Instead he moved quickly, where he extended his hand to the back of the giant, where the shadow dagger was still stuck there. With a quick movement he pulled it from the wound, then immediately stabbed it beside the giant's neck.
Stab!
Stab!
Stab!
The blood flows like a waterfall, covering Nox's hand and arm. He was stabbing with incredible speed, and in only a few moments not exceeding seconds, while the huge man trembled under the weight of the stabs before loosening his grip and falling to his knees then collapsing to the ground.
Nox landed gracefully on the ground. Nox's face became full of blood, but it did not bother him. He stood looking at the second giant who was approaching him angrily.
Nox rushed toward him quickly. The giant tried to hit him with his huge fist, but Nox bent a little and avoided the strike, then suddenly turned his body around him.
And in the next moment—
Stab.
He drove the dagger into his chest, but Nox did not stop at that. He turned the dagger inside the wound strongly, while pushing it downward, until the blade sank into the giant's belly. The giant trembled from the severe pain, and he was about to release a loud scream.
But Nox moved before that happened. He extended his other hand and inserted his fist into the man's mouth violently, pressing on his jaw to prevent him from screaming, while he continued stabbing his belly mercilessly.
Stab…
Then another…
Then another.
His eyes were completely cold while he stared at the man whose body began to weaken little by little, and after only a few moments, the giant lost his strength and fell heavily to the ground.
"It was a little dangerous…"
He said that while wiping the blood off his face a little, then raised his hand to his nose.
"But what is this horrible smell from his mouth? Didn't he ever wash it even once? Damn…" he said while sniffing his hand with disgust, then sighed.
"It does not matter."
After that, he advanced toward the main room. He was a little worried that someone might have heard what happened, even though he tried to make the fight as quiet as possible. But… he was not sure.
He stood in front of the door, then knocked three times.
A moment of silence passed.
Then he heard the sound of footsteps coming from inside, and at that moment, Nox formed two shadow daggers in his hands, holding them tightly while he waited.
The door began to open slowly.
But Nox did not wait for it to open completely; he rushed inside quickly. The first thing he saw was a thin man standing near the door. The man's eyes widened in shock, and he could not even understand what was happening, so he stepped back and fell to the ground.
But Nox did not give him any chance; he threw the dagger immediately. The shadow dagger flew through the air and pierced the man's head directly.
His body fell motionless.
Nox then raised his head and looked inside the room. There were three other people, at least… he recognized one of them immediately.
He was sitting behind a large desk at the far end of the room.
A middle-aged man, with a strong body and broad shoulders. His hair was dark and combed back, while a long deep scar ran from the top of his forehead through his left eye down to his cheek, giving his face a harsh and frightening appearance.
His eyes were sharp like a predator's. This man… was the leader of the Sequa gang, and the name he carried was Sequa.