It was dark outside, the sky was clear and the stars were visible, the moon was only a few minutes from being right above him.
It was also pretty cold, every breath releasing a cloud of steam.
Bonifacius stood before the door to the headquarters of the gang that ruled over the small town in Grimwood.
Through the windows he could see that nobody was inside, no servants or even guards.
Bonifacius looked at the building that he had not previously noticed, a building that made for a good landmark.
Butcherview manor.
A three-story building with dozens of rooms, secret passageways and traps.
He took a deep breath seeing the many houses that stood around the fenced-off mansion.
“Now I am certain, this world truly isn’t identical to the in-game one…” Bonifacius thought.
“The Butcherview manor was a low-level quest hub, and now it stands at the centre of a living town…”
He must have been standing there for a full minute already as his sudden movement towards the gates disturbed the many black crows that gathered around him.
Bonifacius grabbed his shield and sword before approaching the building.
The swung the door open revealing a big open room with two spiral staircases leading up as well as two hallways, one going left, the other going right.
The floor was tiled and made of black and white marble, covered in a violet carpet that stretched throughout the entire house.
Paintings and potted plants decorated the inside.
Bonifacius heard the door behind him slam shut followed by the sound of distant footsteps.
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Bonifacius readied his weapons.
Down the stairs walked an unfamiliar figure, long grey hair, a top hat and small glasses that rested upon their nose.
They wore a black coat that almost reached the ground.
“Welcome!” the figure exclaimed.
Upon his eye was a monocle attached to a golden chain leading into his pocket.
“Please, come inside! The master has much to discuss with you, sir Bonifacius!” his said with a slight bow as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Who are thou?” Bonifacius asked.
“My name is Grestachio, a humble servant of this residence!” he introduced himself.
Bonifacius didn’t feel like the man was a threat, as such he placed his weapons away.
“I have come to speak to the leader of the so-called gang,” he explained.
The grey-haired man nodded.
“Indeed, you have! Well, you’ll be overjoyed to hear that the master has the same thing in mind!”
He grinned.
Sometime later…
Bonifacius stood outside the mansion, it was being consumed by flames.
Out of nowhere, Bonifacius snapped back to reality.
“Have I been staring off into space this whole time?!” he thought.
“Are you feeling alright, shield user?” asked Zephyr.
Bonifacius turned to the man, suddenly remembering him.
“Indeed… I am alright… perhaps I breathed in too much smoke!” he laughed.
After speaking for the first time in what felt like hours, he felt his throat sting.
He placed a hand to his neck and felt it was badly bruised.
“How strange… It appears I was choked at some point in the fight…” he remarked.
“I must have gotten hit pretty badly! I don’t remember a thing!” Bonifacius laughed.
He glanced down and saw that his armour was deformed in places, a quick look at Zephyr and MilkmanTim revealed they were tied-up or bound with druid-roots at some point in the fight too.
“What do you mean!? Don’t you remember my awesome moves!?” MilkmanTim asked.
Bonifacius turned to him suddenly feeling the memory of MilkmanTim being involved return to his head.
“I-indeed… I appear to have forgotten most of it…”
The only thing he could remember was MilkmanTim being choked by something.
“Well, after we woke up, we all went to help you fight the boss!” MilkmanTim explained.
“Frednutter and the female assassin came to help too, but they disappeared mid-way through the fight!” he explained with a sigh.
“Well, at least they’re probably alright!” Zephyr sighed; they were sitting at the stone steps outside the gate leading to the now collapsing mansion.
Bonifacius looked up and saw the moon, right above them.
“Alas, I have completed my mission!” he smiled.
He looked to the fire, seeing the charred remains of a humanoid, a shield on their back.
Meanwhile…
Frednutter stood far from the chaos with the female assassin stood atop a distant home, breathing heavily.
They saw the burning building like a colossal torch in the distance.
“What the hell was that…?” asked the assassin in a mix of awe and fear, slowly she turned to Frednutter who sat on the roof beside her.
She couldn’t recall any recent events.
He was overcome with a deep feeling of despair.
He thought back to the fight, it was just one person, they never even drew their weapons as the home burst into flames.
Last-minute, the assassin leapt out the window, grabbing Frednutter with her as Bonifacius, Zephyr and MilkmanTim were lifted into the air by some invisible force.
Their clothes and armour crumbled as if squeezed by invisible snakes or roots.
The grey-haired man stood there, smiling as he began speaking to the three choking humans.
“Mind re-write!” he exclaimed.
“HEY!” the female assassin snapped Frednutter out of his daze by planting a weak kick to his side.
“W-what?” he asked.
“Do you want me to take you off the roof or are you going to get down yourself?” she asked.
“…”
“…“
“Take me down please…” he relented.
He grabbed his shoulder and shadow-stepped away.
A while later the fire was put out by the locals, Bonifacius returned to the “base of operations” and headed back to the L.F.T.O base the next day.