"We found the Amphene!"

Thalos gripped his sword just a bit tighter, but he didn't draw, not yet. He sank deeper into the darkness, stilling all signs of life and waiting.

The hall branched left and right in front of him, at the intersection was a simple door carved from the grey stone with two guards standing there. Each guard was heavily armoured in what looked like scaly green metal. They both turned right upon hearing that voice.

A man wearing more civilian-like clothes under a brown cloak ran over to show them something. He wore a hood over his head to hide his identity, which Thalos suspected a lot of people did here.

"I just got confirmation from Viper, he said I should prep the teleportation anchor circle," the man in civilian clothes explained.

One of the guards raised his wrist to his lips. The cuffs of his armor glowed red with symbols similar to what Whispers bracelets had.

"Viper, this is Fang one. Can you confirm access to the main circle room for—"

"Confirmed," a voice hissed from his wrist.

The two guards shrugged and turned back to the man in civilian clothes.

"Are you ready to get to work?"

"Yes," the man said, squeezing past them to enter the main circle room. Then he stopped. "Wait, I actually need three crystals from my office and one of the salt—"

"Be quick," the guards said harshly and pushed the man out, entering themselves. The civilian man ran back to his office and Thalos followed like his shadow.

The dark caverns of the hideout were lit by simple lanterns that made it easier for him to hide. He stayed close enough to the man to hide in his blind spots and using the shadows hide if people came down the other end of the hallway.

Soon they both reached his office, which was bustling with other men in masks, shuffling documents and speaking to people using Whispers, the man grabbed some keys out and ran out. He waited outside for his target to run out and followed him to the storage room that was rather far out. It didn't seem to be important because there were no guards.

The civilian man picked what he needed and almost ran out, but Thalos stopped him at the door. He pushed the man back inside and closed it behind them.

"Who are you," the man whimpered, glancing at Thalos' sword. "I'll raise the alarm."

"I'll cut your throat before you can," he answered. "You only get out of this alive one way. You give me all your clothes and tell me how to sabotage the teleportation circle."

Two minutes later he walked out of the storage room wearing the man's clothes over his. It was an attempt to look less lean and more fat like the man who he stole from. But there was still the problem of height.

He wasn't much taller than the man, but he could bet the guards would notice the slight increase. So he drooped his knees and drew his cloak together to hide it. He still had the man's mask at least.

It could work, he thought, as he got back to the main circle room. The two guards wore those green helmets that obscured their faces, but he could see the contempt in their eyes.

"It's about time, you worm. You waste our time like this again, and I'll take one of your fingers."

That was a bit extreme. He nodded and hobbled his legs over to where he had been told was used to set up the teleportation circle.

Thankfully, he always listened to Percy talk about his circles, so he had a basic understanding of how all circles worked. Activating the teleportation circle was similar.

The circle was a blood red maze of lines on the ground. It had the basic components for a circle: the circle itself, the Tap, and six spirit gates.

Spirit gates were the points where spirits would enter the spell. Most circles only used one or two. But more complex multi-layered circles like this had six spirit gates to contain all six elemental types.

But it was technically a Dark spell, so it needed more Dark spirits than Light or Fire spirits. He got down to setting the crystals at the points that the civilian advised him.

Then he used salt to isolate some of the circle's lines to prevent them from activating while the teleportation circle was on.

While he poured a line of salt over the circle, he saw one of the spots that Percy told him about and poured salt over it. Using the knowledge both Percy and the civilian man had, he was able to come up with a simple plan.

Once the teleportation circle activated, all the extra salt he poured on those lines would cause it to malfunction and draw more power. Not enough to cause an Evil spirit, but enough to at least shut down their power supply to circles that protect their information and communication.

After a couple minutes the guards grew bored and started talking.

"Do you think we'll be transferred to the temple?"

"Probably, with Viper," Fang one said. "He's done good work for House Eurides these last few weeks. They should have heard of him by now."

"We can move up to the big leagues then," the second guard sighed. "I hate this place, they should move us up to the Sun Empire or the Red Lands. That's where the real money is at."

"And real women," Fang one joked. "In the next few months, we should make some leaps at least. All the hard work and late nights will finally show something."

"I'm taking my mom if we get moved to the Sun Empire," the second guard agreed. "She says we have some ancestry there, and I know she hates it here."

Thalos rolled his eyes and got up and walked past them.

"Okay, I'm done."

He tried walking past them, but Dorian walked into the main circle room. Sweat dotted his bald head, but Thalos could see the strength of his spirit.

Dorian is strong, he'll have good senses.

This whole time he had been using [Dead man walking] to dampen the strength of his spirit, in fact he did it unconsciously most times, but Dorian might be able to sense it.

He was so worried about the guard commander sensing his strength that he didn't notice the two guards behind him dropping to their knees.

"Commander Dorian!" they both chorused.

Dorian looked at Thalos, eyes narrowing as his spirit warned him of danger.

"Who the hell are you? Take off your mask."

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