Jack adjusted his collar. And then, he and Reina stepped out of the dingy motel. The two warlocks from the Undeath Sect and the innkeeper were still fast asleep inside.

  Outside, the scent of coal smoke, grease, and sweat permeated the air. Mixed with the salty tang of the ocean. Not surprising. Sapphire City was a typical city in the mid industrial revolution era. Busy, dirty, and heavily polluted.

  "So, where do we go next, Dear? Big Bill's house?" Reina asked.

  Rune was hovering near Jack's shoulder. She pulsed with a soft, steady curious amber color. Also questioning.

  Jack shook his head. "He won't be home at this time of the day. He will either be doing mission or in the Union Headquarter. Let's go there. It wasn't far."

  They began their trek toward the Mercenary Union Headquarters. But as they rounded a corner into the central plaza, they saw the great clock tower of Sapphire City. It loomed over them. A classic structure of iron, stone, and glass. Housing the gears that regulated the rhythmic life of the city.

  Jack paused. His eyes narrowing as he looked at the high belfry.

  "Love, the cultist mentioned some relic was hidden away up there, didn't he?" Jack asked. "What is it again? A [Soulcatcher Bell]?"

  "That's right." Reina replied. "They were planning to use that relic to create a large scale soul-harvesting incident once the chaos started. Removing it will definitely reduce the risk. Shall we do it?"

  "Let's do it." Jack agreed.

  Reina didn't need further instructions. She took a deep breath and activated her illusion power to blanket them. To any passerby, they simply became an uninteresting background view. A blind spot in the human eye.

  They slipped past the tower guards with the ease of invisible ghosts. Rune led them. Glowing golden in confidence. She had already detected the artifact.

  Inside, the tower was an ensemble of clicking brass and groaning iron. They climbed the internal scaffolding. Avoiding the massive swinging pendulum that marked the clock's seconds with its tick-tock sound.

  Near the very top, Rune zoomed quickly. Stopping behind a primary drive gear the size of a carriage wheel. Jack immediately spotted the target.

  It was a plain big bell. Made of a dull, leaden metal. It exuded a mental deterrence that made their heart beat faster with unease.

  Jack activated his [Eyes of Judgement]. The world was instantly overlaid with great number of data. And the bell in his eyes glowed with a pale purple outline.

  [Name: Soulcatcher Bell]

  [Grade: Epic]

  [Durability: Extremely Tough (87%)]

  [Special Ability: Soul Breaking Soundwave; Soul Prison; Soul Transfer]

  [Description: A relic forged in the depths of the Necropolis. This bell does not ring with physical force. Instead, it resonates with the spiritual agony of those nearby. When activated, it emits a frequency that tears the souls from the bodies, imprisons them, and transfers them to the nearest Soul Containers. It can only be triggered through intense chaos, excessive panic, and a great number of deaths in its immediate vicinity.]

  Jack whistled faintly. "Nasty piece of work. It could indeed turn this whole city into a giant soul-funnel."

  "It's unsettling." Reina whispered. "It hasn't even been activated, but it already makes my skin crawl. Terrifying."

  Jack nodded. It was indeed a troublesome artifact. But still, it was an artifact. A treasure. And he could always gain benefits from any treasure.

  He focused on his secondary class, the Treasure Hunter. And then, he reached out and placed his hand on the cold, silent metal part of the bell. Immediately, a system notification flashed in his vision...

  [NEW SPELL CARD ACQUIRED!]

  [SPELL CARD: SOUL BREAKING SCREAM]

  In the air, a fancy tarot-like card materialized. Shimmering, spinning and hovering in front of him. It had a classic painting of a bell with screaming human face coming out of its metal body.

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  Jack quickly checked the details of his new card.

  [Spell Card: Soul Breaking Scream]

  [Type: Evocation]

  [Effect: The caster emits a concentrated, high-frequency spiritual shriek. This sound ignores physical armor and direct magical barriers, dealing massive spiritual damage to the targets' souls and stunning them for at least a second. It has a 20% chance to cause a soul fracture that significantly damages the targets' willpower and concentration.]

  [Requirement: Usable by any transcendent. Caster must possess a minimum Mysticism of 60.]

  [Maximum Duration: 3 seconds]

  [Cooldown: 10 minutes per use]

  "Not bad." Jack muttered. "My first pure offensive spellcard. Not bad at all."

  "Are you going to leave it here, Dear?" Reina asked.

  "And risk an accident that might activate it? Not a chance."

  Jack raised his hand, casting a simple cantrip [Water Splash] twice. A small water puddle appeared nearby. Exactly where the sunlight fell after it pierced a hole on the roof.

  "Wait a moment here, Love." He instructed.

  Holding the [Soulcatcher Bell], Jack activated the [Mythical Mirror Realm]. The tiny water puddle shimmered for a moment. And then it sucked Jack and the bell into it. As if the puddle was a vacuum cleaner and the two were just dirt.

  It had become portal to Jack's Mirror Mansion.

  Jack vanished for a few seconds. Then, he reappeared. No longer holding the relic. It had safely been tucked away in his Mirror Mansion. It couldn't hurt anyone there. And Jack could study it later when he wanted to.

  "Problem solved." Jack said. Dusting off his hands. "Now, let's go find Big Bill."

  They exited the tower as silently as they had entered.

  ...

  Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Mercenary Union Headquarters. It was a sprawling, multi-story building. Made of concrete and reinforced with iron beams. Over the entrance, the symbol of the Union was hung proudly. A pair of crossed swords in front of gear-like shield. All in shades of silver.

  Inside, the atmosphere was a mix of a chaotic tavern and a disciplined military barracks. Mercenaries of all shapes and sizes were drinking, shouting, and checking their equipment. All while maintaining orderly queues and undisrupted Union's facilities.

  Jack quickly found out the one he was searching for. Standing near a massive notice board was a big, muscular man. Comparable to his own huge size. Big Bill.

  "Bill!" Jack called.

  "Jack! Reina!" Big Bill replied. Clapping Jack on the shoulder. A gesture that would have sent anyone else sprawling on the ground. Jack, however, easily took it as if it was just a tap.

  "Come on, Big Guy!" Jack complained. "What about normal handshake? You'd kill someone with that shoulder clap one day."

  "Nah. I only do it to you and Danny. You guys could take it fine." Big Bill easily replied. "Anyway, I thought you guys are on vacation. Why the hell would you come to this job fair of insanity?"

  "I heard that, Bill!" The young receptionist lady nearby shouted. Jack recognized her. Viola Netter. Big Bill's long time crush.

  Bill grinned wider. "I know you heard it, Sweetie. I'm jut trying to let you know how much I love you... for your tolerance to these insane job requests you've just shared."

  The receptionist just snorted. Mercenaries around her were chuckling and grinning widely. It was quite common occurrences in that place.

  "Why haven't you married her yet, Bill?" Jack asked. Grinning too. "You and Viola had bickered like old couples for ages."

  Big Bill coughed with a red face. "Forget about that for now. Let's just talk about why you come here."

  "Well..." Jack looked at the big man with serious expression. "We need a favor, actually. You said you know Big Boss Lodegrey well, didn't you?"

  Big Bill raised his eyebrows. "Know him? We practically share a pint every Tuesday! Of course, I know him. What's the trouble? You look serious, both of you."

  "It is quite serious." Reina interjected. "We need to speak with him, discreetly."

  Jack added. "We've just found something... troublesome. It's related to a potential threat to the city. One that involves multiple dangerous factions."

  Big Bill's jovial demeanor shifted to one of rare seriousness. He looked at the couple. Trying to find out whether they were pulling his legs. And he quickly found out that they were dead serious.

  His eyes grew sharp now. "A threat to Sapphire? That's heavy. Alright, follow me. He's usually in his office this time of day."

  The mercenary led them through the crowded hall and up a flight of stairs. Soon they moved past two guards. Two sleepy mercenaries who didn't bother stopping them. Instead, they simply moved aside to let them pass.

  He hammered on a thick oak door and pushed it open without waiting for an answer.

  The office inside was surprisingly elegant. Large windows overlooked the harbor. Behind a massive mahogany desk sat Big Boss Lodegrey, the current president of the Mercenary Union. A middle-aged man with a heavy-set build. He looked quite imposing with his thick beard and grim face.

  To his left stood Lady Janette Gemrose, the vice president of the Union. A sharp-featured woman in a tailored dark blue battle suit. Her fingers were idly playing with a rubic-cube-like puzzle.

  "Bill! I hope it's not about your mecha creation proposal again." Big Boss Lodegrey said in annoyed tone. "You need to reach the standard of five steamrunes to start that project."

  "I'll reach that standard soon enough though." Big Bill said casually. "It's not about that, Boss. It's not me this time. It's my friend, Jack. He's got news. The bad kind."

  He stepped aside to reveal Jack and Reina.

  "Bad news?" Big Boss Lodegrey looked Jack and Reina. "What is it?"

  Jack met the union president's gaze directly. Projecting calm confidence. "We have information. Three dangerous factions are planning a joint operation. The Undeath Sect, the Eternal Soul Cult, and the Purity Cult. They will have a meeting tonight."

  "At midnight." Reina chimed in. Her voice was clear and precise. "In the basement of a factory called 'Gemstone Grinder'."