Outside the infirmary, Ran finally broke her silence. "Poor guards." she whispered, wiping tears from her eyes. The man nodded grimly, his mind already reviewing the clues they had gathered: the mysterious Lian, the supernatural mist, and the connection to Cintara's missing Crown.

"A mist in human form..." Geminga repeated. "Our man Lian must be an agent of the Mist Thieves. This explains it - he was able to bypass the palace's security measures because he had no physical body. His non-solid form probably allowed him to take the crown and leave without encountering any obstacles. A task impossible for a normal human became quite simple due to his nature."

The man thoughtfully nodded at Geminga's analysis. "A logical deduction." he murmured. "But in that case, the real question is: Why did he stop at stealing just the crown? He could have killed the queen if he wanted to..."

"They don't need to hurry to kill the queen. She'll die anyway unless we find the crown."

"Where to now, sir?"

"We're going to Hatrugar. We need to pursue the man in the mists."

"Sir! If the man is just mist, how will we stop him?"

"We'll try every possible way to get the crown back." said the man with determination. "Being in mist form doesn't mean we can't stop him. Every being has a weakness, and we'll find his."

Ran was taking notes enthusiastically, though the man had no idea how to stop a mist.

"Actually, we don't need to intervene directly. All we need to do is locate their secret hideouts, their lairs. Once we have this information, we'll notify Zeta and the rest falls within their area of expertise."

"YOU COWARDLY BASTARD!" a voice trembling with rage suddenly roared in his mind. This outcry that infiltrated his thoughts was loaded with pure hatred, echoing in every corner of his brain. This unexpected burst of anger was burning through his mind like a volcano erupting from the depths of his soul. The voice was so powerful that it had momentarily suppressed all his other thoughts, leaving no room for anything else in his mind. He felt intense anger towards himself.

"Who is this?!" said the man in bewilderment, trying to understand the source of the angry voice echoing in his mind.

"Another one inside your mind... I can't even guess how many there are anymore." said Geminga.

"IF YOU COMPLETE YOUR MISSION WITHOUT FIGHTING, I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL!" the voice roared in a tone trembling with rage. "YOU WERE BORN A WARRIOR AND YOU SHOULD DIE AS A WARRIOR! BY FIGHTING HONORABLY, NOT BY RUNNING AWAY! NOT BY HIDING BEHIND OTHERS LIKE A COWARD, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"Who are you!" the man called back. But there was no response.

"Are these people just lying in my mind watching everything, intervening whenever they please?!"

"I was also asleep for a while. Our words and actions appear like a dream to them. They only respond according to their own understanding. They're not awake. At least that's how it was for me. Let's continue without thinking too much about it."

Leaving the palace, they entered a clothing store in the city's most elite district, with an elegant window display. The building's impressive facade and carefully designed interior indicated this was no ordinary store. The merchants near the palace were clearly well-versed in ranks, as the store staff immediately recognized the man and began approaching him with extraordinary respect.

Inside the store, various technology-integrated clothes caught the eye - illuminated details, holographic decorations, and pieces made from smart fabrics, though these were all too flashy and attention-grabbing. Preferring a more simple and classic look, the man chose an elegant brown pair of pants and a minimally designed black jacket after browsing the racks. As they left the store, the staff politely offered to handle the cleaning and maintenance of the clothes free of charge, and mentioned they could make minor adjustments if needed.

After leaving the store, they walked down the main street and approached an elderly man sitting at a small, modest stall. Ran couldn't take her eyes off this humble stand.

Golden-colored, crispy-looking desserts were lined up on the counter. The thin wisps of steam rising from them showed they were freshly baked, and sugar crystals were sprinkled on top. Though the man had never seen these local delicacies before, their sweet aroma and appearance made his mouth water.

The elderly man looked at his customers standing before his stall with a sincere smile. Noticing Ran's curious glances, the man turned to his young assistant and asked, "Would you like some?" Ran nodded eagerly, and the man approached the vendor to order two portions.

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The elderly man carefully placed the desserts in paper bags. When they both took their first bites, they were amazed by the dessert's magnificent taste. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the dessert practically melted in their mouths. The perfect harmony of sugar crystals and special spices left a unique taste on the palate.

Ran had closed her eyes, savoring this taste. "This... this is incredible!" she said with her mouth full. The man nodded with satisfaction.

"Sir, excuse me but," said Ran while enjoying the dessert, "shouldn't there be more customers at the stall of a master who makes such delicious desserts? I would expect people to line up to taste such a special flavor. Why aren't more people buying your desserts?" Ran asked, looking at the elderly man's modest stall in bewilderment.

The elderly man smiled with a wise look in his eyes. "Sometimes the most precious treasures are hidden from view, kid." he said in a soft voice. "This stall has been here for years, and those who know me come."

"There seems to be more to it." said Geminga in an indifferent voice. "Let's get going."

As they moved away from the stall, they headed toward the city's crowded streets. Ran was still enjoying her dessert while observing her surroundings. The road to Hatrugar would be long, but at least their stomachs were full and their minds somewhat at ease.

They entered the station. Robot attendants positioned at various points were giving directions to passengers with their holographic displays, carrying luggage, and providing information. The man made his way through the crowd to the ticket counter and bought the tickets.

"The Hyper Train to Hatrugar from Platform 7 will depart in ten minutes. Dear passengers, please take your places on the platform with your luggage. Our on-board services are at your service throughout your journey. For your safety, please do not cross the yellow line and follow the platform attendants' directions" echoed the artificial intelligence female voice.

When they settled into their seats, Ran sat by the window. When the train started moving, there was almost no vibration. As the city's silhouette quickly fell behind, the train, traveling at more than 2000 kilometers per hour in vacuum tunnels, turned the landscape into a blurry streak.

"It will take about two hours to reach Hatrugar." said the man while examining the holographic map. "We should make good use of this time. Ran, take out your notes. Let's review what we know about the Mist Thieves."

Ran quickly took out her notebook from her bag and prepared her pen. "According to the information we've gathered so far," Ran began, "some members of the Mist Thieves — maybe all of them, maybe just one — can make themselves invisible to technological devices and change their physical forms. One of their members, named Lian, was able to easily bypass the queen's personel protection team and door guards. However, as you said sir, every being has a weakness."

"But first we need to find this weakness." Ran continued thoughtfully. "Maybe they still have some physical limitations even in mist form. Or maybe maintaining this form is tiring for them."

Ran nodded to herself and continued reviewing her notes. "What about their interactions with physical objects while in mist form? For example, can they pass through walls, or do some physical barriers still stop them?" she asked, forming new theories in her mind. "Since he could steal the crown and harm people, he must have a physical body."

"These are actually very good observations, the analytical ability is truly impressive.” said Geminga, with an expression of appreciation for his young assistant's notes.

"To learn more about this, we'll need to observe them up close first. Theoretical discussions can be useful up to a point, but real understanding can only be achieved through direct experience in the field."

After about two hours, the train unexpectedly began to slow down in a desolate area. As the train's smooth motion gave way to a slight shake, the scenery visible through the windows gradually became clearer. When they got off at this eerie stop point with no platform or station, they were met with a dense mist curtain that suddenly surrounded them, almost seeming tangible. Although the midday sun was shining at its zenith in the sky, its rays couldn't fully penetrate this mysterious mist. They could only see a few meters ahead on the narrow path winding through the forest covered with withered, grayish plants. They proceeded accompanied by the eerie rustling of dead leaves crackling under their feet with each step. Slowly, Hatrugar's imposing entrance began to appear like a vague shadow through the mist.

The man involuntarily felt a deep fear, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He had lost his life here in his previous two attempts - each time in a different way, but both equally painful. As memories came alive in his mind, he felt cold sweat drops trickling down his forehead. Yet this time there was a different feeling inside him; with his experiences, preparations, and the people by his side, he had a strong belief that this time they would definitely succeed.

After passing through the large gate next to the wall that read "Fuck off Pedals!", they were now inside Hatrugar.

They considered meeting with Ainsley, but she was an information broker working the night shift and was currently unreachable. Instead of waiting for the evening hours and wasting time, they decided to use their time more efficiently. They could use this time to explore the city, talk to locals, and conduct all possible research about the Mist Thieves.

They walked through the dark and winding streets of the city for a long time looking for a familiar place, their eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, stopping at every corner to check their environment. Their main objective was to reach the vicinity of the building where dangerous creatures were kept. The considerable amount of money in their pockets could be a powerful tool to loosen the right people's tongues - especially to learn the exact location of the Mist Thieves. However, the difficult part was finding a reliable source willing to share this sensitive information. Everyone in Hatrugar knew something, but most people were quite reluctant to share this information.

Additionally, the mysterious and threatening group surrounding them could cause unexpected problems at any moment. All their intuitions and instincts were on alert for any danger they might encounter. But this time was different — whatever the threat might be, whether a modern weapon or ancient magic, they had the equipment to —technically— prevent fatal outcomes. Thanks to the cutting-edge nanomachines in his body —even if he didn't know how to use them— and Geminga's experience and knowledge, they had everything they needed to survive this time. This thought somewhat eased their anxiety.