Is this really a Game?!

As Reign walked through the bustling streets of Doncaster, the weight of the impending confrontation with Nicholas pressed heavily on his mind. The morning sun cast long shadows, and the city buzzed with activity, but Reign felt a sense of urgency that made him quicken his pace. He arrived at the monastery, the tiny house looking more like an apartment for one.

He entered, and of course, the interior was vastly different than the exterior, as it always was.

The interior of the monastery was serene, with the soft sound of chanting echoing through the halls. Reign made his way to the inner sanctum then headed to the upper floors and right toward the main office, where Drayce was known to reside most of the time.

Upon getting close to Drayce's office, Reign suddenly stopped and glanced to the side as he saw Drayce who was reading a book and leaning against a wall before glancing up at him.

"Reign," Drayce greeted, setting the book aside. "What brings you here at this early hour?"

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Reign took a deep breath, steadying himself. "We need your assistance, Drayce, or to be more exact, I need the assistance of the informants that your monastery has."

Drayce's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Reign before glancing at his office.

"Let's go in the office, we won't discuss such matters here."

Reign nodded at Drayce before entering the office and sitting down while Drayce continued staring at him.

"Our informants are only for the monastery, we don't 'lend' them out or allow others to employ their services."

"I know, but I need them, I need to find a person, I have already gone to the auction house and talked to their information brokers, but I need more, I need to be certain some clues about that man will be found."

"Who?"

"Who could it be to make you act like this and try so hard to find him?" Drayce asked Reign whose aura slightly changed as he stared back at Drayce.

"His name is Nicholas," Reign said, his voice steady but tinged with urgency. "He goes by the alias 'Richard', as well as a couple of more."

"He's a cunning and dangerous man, and he is almost definitely the person responsible for my parent's death."

Drayce's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Nicholas, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"I can see why you are acting like this then."

"Hmm … I can't personally offer help, but you can go to the other priests, more specifically, those right below me in rank here in this monastery."

"With my letter of approval, they will tell the informants to keep an eye out for any news regarding this individual, but I will not be able to help any further as the system will punish me for doing so, understood?"

Reign nodded, understanding the constraints Drayce was under. The monastery had its own rules and regulations, and asking for more would not only endanger Drayce but could also compromise the entire operation.

"I appreciate your help, Drayce. A letter of approval will be more than enough," Reign said, his gratitude evident.

Drayce took a piece of parchment and began writing a detailed letter. The room was silent except for the scratch of Drayce's quill. After a few moments, he handed the letter to Reign.

"This will give you access to our informants."

"Speak to Father Elias first; he's in charge of our network, and he'll direct you further."

"Thank you, Drayce," Reign said, taking the letter. He stood up to leave, but Drayce's voice stopped him.

"Reign, be careful."

"This Nicholas is not just dangerous; he's a master of deception, trust no one outside of your team."

Reign nodded the weight of Drayce's warning settling in. As a Transcendent, Drayce had his own means of finding out about people, and he probably already knew much more about Nicholas than any of them, he might even have his location.

Of course, he would never disclose that as the punishment would be too severe.

He left the monastery, the letter tucked safely in his coat. His next destination was Father Elias, a man he had met briefly but knew of his reputation as a meticulous and resourceful leader from the players who had joined the monastery.

Finding Father Elias in the monastery was relatively easy. The older man was in the library, poring over ancient texts. Reign approached him quietly, not wanting to disturb his work.

"Father Elias?" Reign said softly.

Elias looked up, his eyes sharp and assessing. "Yes, how can I help you?"

Reign handed him the letter from Drayce. Elias took it, reading quickly. His expression softened slightly as he looked back at Reign.

"Drayce speaks highly of you," Elias said, folding the letter and placing it in his pocket. "What information do you seek?"

Reign repeated his request, explaining the urgency of finding Nicholas. Elias listened intently, nodding occasionally.

"I'll put our best informants on this task," Elias said finally. "But remember, the network works in shadows, it might take time to get concrete information."

"I understand," Reign replied. "Anything you can find will be invaluable."

Elias gave him a reassuring smile. "We'll do our best."

"Stay in touch, and I'll update you as soon as we have something."

Leaving the monastery, Reign felt a slight easing of the tension that had gripped him. With the auction house and monastery both working on finding Nicholas, there was a glimmer of hope.

Back at their base, the team was bustling with activity. Plans were being made, strategies discussed, and defenses strengthened. Wolf coordinated with his father's network, which was mostly there thanks to the system, while Mia and Shadow gathered as much information as possible on potential allies and enemies.

Reign gathered everyone in the main meeting room once more. "I've enlisted the help of the auction house brokers and the monastery's informants, we should get some leads soon."

Reign's words seemed to lighten the mood in the room, giving the team a renewed sense of purpose. Everyone nodded in agreement, their resolve hardening.

"Alright," Mia said, her eyes scanning the room. "Let's divide up the tasks and make sure we're covering all our bases, we need to be prepared for anything."

Reign agreed. "Yes, let's break into smaller teams."

"Mia, you and Shadow will continue to work on our contacts and gathering intel, Beast, Jin, you two focus on fortifying our defenses and making sure Doncaster is secure."

"Wolf, prepare for your father's arrival and keep coordinating with your network. I'll handle the brokers and keep in touch with Drayce's informants."

With their tasks assigned, the team dispersed, each member diving into their responsibilities with renewed vigor. Reign felt a glimmer of hope. They were making progress, and with each step, they were getting closer to finding Nicholas.

Reign spent the next few days in a whirlwind of activity, meeting with various contacts and following up on leads. He visited the auction house brokers frequently, checking on the status of their search for Nicholas. Kieran, the broker, assured him they were making progress but needed more time.

At the monastery, Father Elias kept him updated on their efforts. The network of informants was extensive and skilled, but finding a man as elusive as Nicholas required patience and precision.

One evening, as Reign was returning to their base after a long day, he received a message from Kieran. The broker had found something. Reign hurried to the grand auction house, anticipation and anxiety gnawing at him.

This was the first time Kieran had contacted him ever since Reign employed him, and he was anxious to find out what information Kieran had.

Upon entering the office, Reign sat down and stared at Kieran who sighed.

"You arrived faster than I thought."

"What did you manage to find out." Reign asked immediately as Kieran simply chuckled.

"We managed to uncover traces of a person that seems to be the one you are after, the traces are in multiple towns and cities across 3 regions, the alias the person used was different each time, but the one thing that was the same was the fact some people stated that the face of the person was weird."

"They all stated that there was some sort of disturbance or distortion around the face of the person, even though it was barely noticeable, people remembered that as the feeling one had when looking into the man's face was simply awkward."

Reign's face lit up as he stared at the documents Kieran took out.

"We will continue monitoring and searching for more information, here is what we have right now, the price for these documents is 70 000 S Coins."

Reign didn't think twice before giving Kieran the money and then taking the documents.

"Pleasure doing business with you, but let me give you a piece of advice, free of charge," Kieran said with a smile.

"Be careful, you are probably stronger than the man you are looking for, but he is anything but ordinary, he is just too damn slippery and difficult to track."