Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part Two]

CHAPTER 229: Crimrose - The Playground of the Elite

A lone Gophersquirrel squirmed restlessly, its small limbs thrashing against the tightly bound rope. Its beady eyes darted wildly in panic as it squeaked and kicked, sensing the cold promise of death looming barely six meters away.

Stynx stood on the other end of the crude shooting range, gripping a crossbow. He adjusted his stance, squinting one eye down the iron sights, trying to still the anxious rhythm in his chest.

Beside him, Lord Vaerythos hovered with a smile carved from honey and poison, his hand resting lightly on the boy's shoulder. "Calm yourself," he murmured smoothly, his voice warm and fatherly. "Inhale... hold... steady. Patience and precision. That's the difference between a future king and a forgotten name."

To the untrained eye, the man looked every bit the doting mentor. But beneath the warm timbre of his voice and the softness of his touch lurked something colder. His smile was practiced, his eyes far too calculating.

This wasn't love—it was an investment.

And Stynx, wistful and eager, drank in every word like it was gospel.

Vaerythos's expression hardened. "You've done well, Stynx," he said affectionately. "But the next step is crucial. If you want the council to accept your rightful claim to the throne... if the crown is to grace your mother's brow... then the next task cannot be fumbled. There are no second chances."

"I won't fail," Stynx vowed, his voice brimming with conviction. "I'll make them see. I'll prove I deserve it."

"Good," Vaerythos said with a faint nod before stepping back. "Then show me."

Stynx inhaled slowly. Then he steadied his stance again, anchored his breath, and exhaled as his finger lingered on the trigger.

At the target, the Gophersquirrel shrieked and flung its body wildly.

TWANG!

The crossbow snapped.

The bolt streaked across the clearing, and in the final second, the rodent broke free, darting down the post just as the bolt slammed into the dead center of the bullseye.

Stynx grinned, proud of his precision. But beside him, Vaerythos remained still, his expression unreadable.

Then he leaned in close, lowering his voice until it was barely above a whisper. "The bullseye," he murmured, "means nothing if the target escapes." His hand fell away from Stynx's shoulder. "Next time... make sure the true target doesn't get away."

Stynx said nothing, his eyes fixed on where the rodent had vanished into the dark.

***

Night had fallen over Lunarel like a velvet curtain, the streets pulsing with light and life. Daisuke and Lumielle moved through the city, guided by instinct and the vague promise of a lead. Their destination loomed ahead—a building of dark stone, wood, and glass. Crimrose, one of the most exclusive nightclubs in the capital.

"What do you think our chances are of finding her?" Lumielle asked softly, her voice partially muffled beneath the sheer veil that covered the lower half of her face.

Daisuke gave a sideways smirk, hands tucked into his coat pockets. "Fifty-fifty, I guess. Though, if I were an information broker trying to get close to high-profile individuals... I'd set up shop right in the middle of their playground."

Lyndoria remained behind at the tower, tasked with covering for them should anyone—especially Captain Hynes—came by seeking an audience. Naturally, she was less than thrilled with the arrangement and cursed Daisuke's name under her breath.