I didn’t wait to see the results but immediately threw myself backwards, trusting my bronze-rank agility and robustness to land without injury. I landed on an adjacent roof and rolled, leaving a Hunter's Tether behind as something smashed through the window I had just left. I kept running.

From the swearing, it was a person who came through the window after me, and my poisoned Cutting Webs were annoying him. They distracted him enough that the Hunter Tether caught him, and he crashed hard onto the roof, smashing through it and exploding the crystal rod. It must have been a bronze ranker that tried to follow me.

The silver ranker just smashed through the side of the warehouse wall and came after me. I dropped down into the alley to be less of a target. I pumped my legs as fast as they would go as the silver ranker was coming fast.

When I hit Death Alley, I literally ran along the wall with my Hunter's step. I could hear an angry bronze ranker jumping back onto the roof and the security guards reacting from the warehouse with the smashed roof.

The silver ranker was tough and hit Death Alley, ploughing through the first net and ripping it off the wall. I don’t know if he didn’t see it or didn’t care. I was exiting the alley at that time and dropped Fire Kai as I darted around the corner. Bat Kai dive-bombed me to empower my claws, as I needed something if the silver ranker caught up with me, which seemed likely.

My aura defences flared as the silver ranker tried to suppress me, and I spiked back. The aura was strong to reach that far, but it was half monster cores. I heard swearing, so him trying to suppress my aura must have taken effort, and he should have been looking at his surroundings.

Fire exploded from the rooftop as the bronze ranker triggered another trap above. It was nice to know the explosive part of my industrial alchemy was in working form. Up till now, I had only used it in controlled testing.

Death Alley lit up as Fire Kai did his thing. All those cutting webs the silver ranker was barging through were treated to burn hot. They would have also made some scratches into the silver-rank skin. Thinking about it now, I realise that it may have been enough to kill a bronze ranker. He is lucky he took to the roof, even though he may not think so.

I took the opportunity to duck into full stealth, hoping I was not in the silver rankers sensing range. The fire should be the distraction. I was still moving and started circling to the main road. The fire is attracting the attention of the private security in nearby properties, as well as the town guard.

Several additional explosions happened in the area, set off by some Kais, to add to the distraction and confuse the senses, so there wasn’t just one trail to follow.

There were five Kais in the warehouse. I had Bat Kai, and the other three were running around, setting off explosions. They weren’t big explosions—minor property damage at best. They were a layer of distractions and misdirections.

The real work was happening in the warehouse with the five Kais and Ardisia. It was their job to get Kim out. By my count, there were only two injured bronze rankers in there, the stealth one and the one with the spear in his shoulder. The question marks were Rob and Mike. If they were loyal to Kim, getting her out would be no problem. If one was not loyal, there would be problems. If both were not loyal, we would be in shit creek. I didn’t plan for Kim not to be conscious.

The other problem was that the warehouse had a stone floor. That meant Ardisia could not burrow into the ground. The plan was for Ardisia to drop onto the stealthy guy and tangle and poison him. He probably had the least strength to break out, but hopefully, he was still recovering. Two Kais were on freeing Rob and possibly Mike and keeping the spear guy busy. The other three were moving Kim out of the warehouse. Three Kais should be able to move Kim or, if she is awake, chew through the suppression collar.

Did it work? I didn’t expect Kim to not be conscious.

I had a silver ranker hunting me, so I couldn’t spare much attention to my familiars. I was afraid the explosions would draw the silver rankers' men in as well. The bronze ranker that went to deal with Follower #2 was close.

I heard when the silver ranker gave up on me and headed back to the warehouse, and I did the same, but I went to the front. This told me he was not into stealth, and he was not that observant. His Aura was strong, and I smelled wood, strength, and a heavy weapon, possibly a hammer.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I felt that what was happening in the warehouse, as the silver ranker, would not be long. Kim was not out yet, but close. Mana Kai and the two Chitin Kias were drag/carrying her. I got the impression Night Kai freed Rob, who finished off the bronze ranker with the spear. And was now freeing Mike.

I directed Water Kai to squirt water to hide the drag marks from Kim and Night Kai to guide Rob and Mike out the way they came in and to hurry.

Ardisia was still in there with an unconscious or dead stealth guy. I got Ardisia to roll into a ball and Water Kai, be on the inside, and run, making Ardisia roll for the back door. The Rats running to roll Ardisia worked better if there were two of them. Ardisia could move by pulling with her vines and roots, but this was faster and easier.

They all busted out the back door as the silver ranker entered his hole in the wall, took a look around, and then went after them. Ardisia just needed to get to soil, and she could go to ground. It was a muddy alley.

To be quite frank, Rob and Mike were decoys. The three Kais were bringing Kim to the front of the warehouse, not the back door that they had used before and that everybody else exited from.

The security guards in the front yard were iron rank except for a single bronze ranker. The bronze ranker was in the guard hut, and the Iron rankers were taking turns patrolling the yard, but staying away from the warehouse, as I expected they were paid to do.

I poured acid on the lock and broke it open. There was a lot of noise in the neighbourhood, drawing the attention of the security. I grabbed Kim hoisted her over my shoulders, and made a break for the nearest wagon. I found an empty one and climbed in. I figured the safest place for us at the moment was this “secure” yard.

My Kai-enhanced claws were the best at removing the suppression collar, and Kim started coming around as soon as it was off. I ensured she stayed silent, although she probably had a thousand questions. It was obvious we were not yet safe.

I swapped Bat Kai for Mana Kai and sent the two Chitin Kais out to scout. I sent Bat Kai off with a message for Mara. I had planned two emergency exits with her and was enacting one of them.

This was going to be tough on Rob and Mike, as they would be left behind, assuming they were not now at the mercy of the silver ranker. This is all on Kim. It is her deal, and it is her responsibility.

Two hours later, we exited the wagon and the yard without being seen. Kim really needs some stealth skills or equipment. I picked up Ardisia just outside the yard.

They knew Kim had arrived by boat, and they probably even knew which boat. Mara should be gone by now, and we headed inland instead of to the lake, as expected. I found a place to go over the wall. Kim had to use her Mirage Step to get to the top, and then she used it again to get down to the other side.

We waited in the bush near the walls as the Kais made their way to me over the next half hour. We kept going inland. The sun was well up when we finally got away from the farms and roads. It was lunchtime before I was happy we had got away.

“What happened?” she asked finally, “How did you do it? I didn’t expect to be hit or collared. How did you get me away from Knot?”

I assume Knot was the silver ranker. I shrugged, “I got you out, but Rob and Mike probably didn’t make it. They didn’t have much of a head start on the silver ranker, who I assume is Knot?”

She nodded, expecting me to carry on talking, but I just stayed silent. “Are you seriously not going to tell me? He was silver rank.”

“I am seriously not going to tell you. You knew he was silver rank but failed to share that beforehand. Mara probably now has a target on her back, as do I. He knows my Aura.”

Kim winced.

“Yeah, you knew he had a strong Aura, didn’t you?” I carried on. “You probably also knew his temperament. How many times have you dealt with him in the past?”

“That was the first time in person. I usually use an agent.”

“I suggest you keep using agents. This is not your area of expertise. This was so close to failing, and you would probably be dead,” I said.

“Yeah. I am sorry. This didn’t go anywhere close to what was planned. I thought they had caught you.”

“You had another follower. Who would that be?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied.

She might not know, but I bet she could make a good guess. I stayed silent from there on.

Eventually, we came to a small clearing, and a rope ladder dropped down. We both grabbed it and started climbing. Mara moved the ship straightaway as this was pushing her skills. By the time we got to the top, the lake was in sight, and Mara was under a lot of pressure. We came down hard onto the lake, but it was successful.

“What the fuck, woman!” were Mara’s first angry words to Kim once we were in the water. “My office now!” The captain was on the warpath. “You keep her steady on this bearing,” she said to me and marched off. There were only the three of us on board.

I would have listened in, but she has soundproofing enchantments on the cabin.