I leaped from one roof to another. I’ve got just under five minutes to bring this package to its destination.

Jump. Jump. Crack.

One of the roof tiles splits in half and I’m sent sliding down this apartment’s rooftop.

I quickly pull out my hook from my bag and throw it over to the other side of the rooftop. My descent stops immediately just as I’m about to crash head first onto the paved road.

I better pull myself up.

“You there, stop!” a city guard shouted at me.

Not happening, buddy.

I pulled myself up. Once safely back on the roof, I checked my pocket watch.

I lost 38 seconds because of that slip.

I took out a magic ring and put it on the middle finger. A surge of crackling energy flowed around my body.

I zipped forward in lightning speed. It’s better to be early than late when dropping off a package.

The world began to blur around me. I could no longer rely on sight alone as I was moving too quickly.

Instead, I rapidly clicked my tongue.

[Skill Activated!]

[Echolocation lvl 9]

If I can’t see using light, I might as well use sound.

Though I couldn’t see in colour, I could make out the shapes of the buildings in front of me. I adjusted my jumps accordingly.

Jump. Jump. Jump.

I must admit, using [Echolocation] is awesome but it does have its limit. I’m still level 9 in the skill, just shy on the level cap of 10. It would seem like a small difference but it is significant. See, when I accelerate my speed, the world around me becomes blurred. This blurring effect becomes worse as my speed increases and the rate of my acceleration. Until I get to level 10, I’ll have to tolerate some blurring as I jump around.

I stopped when I heard an ear piercing sound. A whistle coming from the busy streets below.

“Stop that masked thief!” shouted a different city guard. Damn, they are getting better at tracking me these days

I’ll probably need a decoy.

Whoosh! An arrow passed my face by mere centimetres. When did the City Guard get crossbows?

Another arrow darted for my face; I dodged it by ducking down. These aren’t ordinary crossbows but repeating crossbows; essentially the guards can shoot several arrows before needing to reload.

A new invention from the Imperial Capital? I’ll have to get my hands on a few, I’m sure there are plenty of dealer who’ll want to get their hands on it.

Before the situation could get any worse, as more guards were now aiming at me and readying to fire, I fled the area by jumping to an adjacent roof.

Soon, I jumped from this rooftop into the many alleyways of this district. The hot stench of piss assaulted my nostril. Gods be damned, but I need to get these guards off my back so I pressed on.

There was a fairy kid, around 16 or 17, with dull crumbled wings on his back. Perfect. I approached him.

“Huh?” he stared at me with bloodshot eyes. Another opium addict of this city.

I took out my wallet and waved 8 crown coins in front of him. He smiled.

“Look kid, where this cape and mask and try to get the city guard to chase after you,” I said to him.

“Sure, whatever.”

Since I always carry an extra cape and mask in my bag, I gave it to him. I could hear the city guards approaching.

The fairy slowly wore the mask and cape and I gave him the eight crowns.

“Now run! Their coming.”

He took off. Judging by his sluggish gait, he was certainly going to get caught by city guards. Probably also get tortured into telling where the package is, which he will not be able to give any information off.

Tough luck, kid. Business is business. I kept my end of the deal; it won’t be my problem if you get caught.

I checked my pocket watch again. Time to get the hell out of here.

Using my heightened hearing, I evaded the city guards and quickly ran around until I got to the drop off point.

I checked my pocket watch again. I’m on time. However, no one was around here. Why do clients always have to be late at picking up their packages? Am I the only person in the world who cares about punctuality?

I sighed and waited around for five more minutes. Finally, a human with a scar on their left cheek arrived. The description of this lady is what my boss gave.

“Password!” I said out loud. If she said the wrong password, I was ready to bolt out of here. It wouldn’t be the first time I almost got caught due to a mix up.

“Red Sparrow in Mist.”

Good. I gave her the package. She took it and stared at me for a long time, an uncomfortably long time.

Just to be sure, I checked whether my mask was still on my face. Yep, still on.

“Did you open it?” she asked sternly.

The nerve of some humans. I’m a professional, I don’t have time snooping at packages that I need to deliver from point A to B. The contract was simple: steal a certain box in the master bedroom and bring it here.

“No.” I said calmly and pulled out a receipt form. Even criminal organisations need to have their paperwork in order. “Please sign.”

She groaned but did as told. Once she was done signing, I put the receipt in my pocket and took off.

Mission accomplished, it’s payday time.

I went to an abandoned warehouse to get my second bag. I took off my mask and cloak and wore my usual civilian clothes; a plain tunic shirt and leather pants.

Time to hand in this receipt. I avoided the busy city square, I don’t want to come across any guard, and navigated through the complex alleyways of the city.

You know you’ve reached the slums when the well paved roads of the inner city give way to dirt pathways filled with animal faeces and hordes of biting flies. Domestic animals like pigs, chickens, feral cats and street dogs outnumber the people living here. And of course, the sight of fat rats that chase after cats isn’t uncommon here.

The houses around here aren’t made from concrete but rather mud, unlike the houses in the richer districts.

And the majority of the people here are beastkin.

It’s truly a welcoming sight.

Someone whistled behind me as I walked by.

“Flower Boy, what you’ve been up to?”

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I gritted my teeth. If I had a choice, I’d wear a mask everywhere just to avoid this nonsense. But wearing a mask here in the slums makes people uneasy. They think that you’re an agent for the City Guard.

I forced a smile and turned around, “Nosan, it’s been awhile.”

Nosan approached slowly and grinned. Ah, that signature smug face of his was begging to be bludgeoned with a brick.

His goons followed behind him.

Nosan’s ears twitched as he sized me up. I can’t believe this upstart gang leader is actually an adventurer. He even has silver bracelet around his neck to show off. Truly the Adventurer Guild has no principals.

Nosan is a gnoll, just like his goons behind him. Meaning that he’s a humanoid hyena. Gnolls have a reputation for being imbeciles and Nosan is not helping in ending that reputation. He walked up to me, placed his rather large hand on my head, and ruffled my hair.

“You like that, Flower Boy?” he taunted me.

Being the only elf in this city does come with its many downsides. One being my body figure. Compared to Nosan who had a ripped body with biceps the size of my head, I was a twig next to him. The situation wasn’t helped that Nosan was way taller than me. He was over 10 centimetres higher than me.

His goon cackled behind him. “You show him, Nosan!”

I remained silent as he tugged my hair forcefully.

“I don’t like repeating myself,” Nosan growled at me.

“Hmm?” I was still lost in thought at my utter disgust of those spineless creatures behind Nosan.

Nosan ruffled my hair once again.

“What are you going to do now?” he grinned.

I clinched my hand into a fist. Just breathe.

Nosan’s eyes wondered down to my arm and he stared at my fist.

“I’d like to see you try to hit me.”

No. He wants to get under my skin. I can’t fight him, he’s physically stronger than me. Though my [Bard] class is level 18, Nosan has the [Warrior] class, which is specialised in combat.

I could run away but that would just feed more into his ego. So fight is out of the question. Flight is also out of the equation too.

That only leaves one other option for me: fluster! I’m a bard after all, words are my weapon.

I smiled at him, “Honey Bee, what are you doing?”

Nosan crossed his brows, “Honey Bee?”

“Well you gave me the pet name, ‘Flower Boy’ and I thought it will ring well with the pet name ‘Honey Bee’. Flowers and bees do go hand in hand.”

He twisted his mouth, “It wasn’t a pet name.”

I crossed my arms, “Honey Bee, do you wish for us to debate the proper usage of terms of endearment?”

“End…endu…” he was struggling to say the word.

“Endearment. Let’s say it together, one syllable at a time.”

Nosan took his hand off my head, “Do I look like a joke to you?!”

“You seem upset for some reason. Did I say something wrong? ”

He grabbed me forcefully by the collar, “Don’t fuck with me, Ruihyn.”

So now he knows my name.

Now he was red in the face He lifted his free hand up, prepared to punch the living shit out of me.

Playtime is over.

“I don’t need to remind you who I work for, Nosan.”

His fist remained suspended in the air.

“If you’re so desperate to die, then punch me. I won’t stop you. I don’t need to remind you what the Boss does to his enemies,” I grinned at him.

Nosan pushed me away from me. His goons were now looking at him concerned.

“What’s going on, Nosan?” they asked him, confused.

“Nothing. We’re done here!” he barked at them and turned around to leave.

Well I wasn’t done yet.

“Honey Bee!” I called out to him.

Nosan stopped but he didn’t turn around to face me. I could see the veins popping from his clenched fist.

I continued, “Stay safe and don’t let the flies get to you.”

He didn’t reply but simply walked away from me.

For someone who likes dishing out insults, Nosan sure is sensitive when insults are thrown his direction.

I exhaled. My heart was beating rapidly. Riling up Nosan like that was a bit too dangerous for my liking. I better steer clear from him now on.

I kept walking down the dirty pathways of the slums until I got to my Boss’s house. Unlike the other buildings here, this house was big and gated. Guards patrolled the perimeter constantly and hellhounds roamed the yard.

The guards knew who I was and so I was let me in with little fuss.

As usual, I got escorted to the front entrance of the house where a butler was waiting for me.

“It’s good to see you again, Ruihyn,” said Gert as he let me inside the living room.

“It’s good to see you again, Gert.”

“Yes, would you like some gum while you wait for Mr Thurber?”

I shrugged, “Sure.”

I gave the butler the receipt and he gave me a pack of gum. I chewed it as I sat on one of the couches in living room.

Boss’s house never ceases to amaze me. It’s so big. Animal trophies hang on the walls around here. A permit to hunt game is very expensive so Boss having over a dozen of different species hanging around does show that he has a lot of money to spend.

After waiting for over half an hour, Gert arrived to tell me that the Boss was ready to see me.

“Do fix your appearance, Ruihyn,” Gert said to me.

Right. My hair was still in a mess thanks to Nosan. Gert gave me a comb and a hand mirror to help groom myself.

My long  curly black needed a bit of time to get sorted out. Since I was a Wood Elf, I had emerald green eyes and a rich copper skin.

“Do you have a hair pin?” I asked the butler. I must have lost my hairpin whilst Nosan was ruffling my hair as though I was his pet dog or something.

Gert pulled one out for me. Looking at the hairpin, it was made out of ivory. Far too much expensive for my liking.

“Do you have a hairpin that’s…cheaper. I can’t accept such an expensive gift.”

Gert shook his head. “Just accept the gift, Ruihyn. You wouldn’t want to keep Mr Thurber waiting just because of a hairpin.”

I’m not that crazy to do such a thing. My hair reached my mid back and so I had to use pins to tie it up into a bun, leaving a hanging strand of hair on the side of my face.

“You look presentable now,” Gert said to me.

I nodded. He twisted the door knob and let me inside Boss’s private office.

Boss stared at me while he cleaned his tusks with a special brush.

“You look thin, Ruihyn. You’re eating well?” he said to me as I sat down.

I chuckled.

“I try, Boss.”

“Well, try harder. Can’t have my star employee dropping dead due to malnourishment.”

He threw a bag of coins in my direction. Luckily I caught them in time.

“Your payment. You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks.” I nodded to him.

Boss took out a box of cigars.

“You want one?”

I shook my head, “Thanks Boss. But smoking isn’t for me.”

“I wasn’t asking, Ruihyn.”

Okay then. I took one cigar and he lit one for me. I coughed violently from one inhalation.

“Ah, I can still remember you where this young when I came across you on the streets.” He smiled.

He had to remind of my past. Yeah, I was seven years old when I lost contact with my mother. Boss took me in before the slavers could get a hold of me. Now that I’m 19, I put my past life behind me.

“I’m forever in your debt because of your kindness,” I said to him.

He nodded at my words. I took another puff at the cigar and ended up coughing again. No more, I ain’t going to keep smoking this thing. I put it on the table and left it there.

The Boss looked at me, “There was a time when you followed my orders without question. Now look at you, I give you one of my cigars and you refuse to finish it.”

“I meant no ill, Boss. But I know the limits of my body. If I push myself to smoke it then I will no longer perform at my best for you. And as your best employee, giving less than 100% will be unacceptable.”

He chuckled, “Ah, Ruihyn. You always had a way with words.”

I nervously scratched my neck, “Thank you?”

“It was a compliment. Lighten up, boy.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He leaned back on his chair. Boss was a boar like beastkin and had a very intimidating gaze, “Ruihyn, do you want to be free from the contract I have with you?”

“Of course not, Boss. Serving you is my life’s goal.”

“Enough with the sweet talking, boy. Tell me the truth.”

I sighed, “Yes. But I’m still prepared to finish out my remaining 15 years with you diligently.”

“You’ll be 34 when you leave my employment. How about I give you the opportunity to set you free now. I’m sure that dream of yours to be a bard or whatever is something dear to your heart.”

I looked at him confused. Is he joking? Boss isn’t someone known for being sentimental. He mentioned my dream of being a bard. Well, I can’t say it is my dream. More like it was my mother’s and…

Look, when I first worked for the boss, he gave me the option of taking the class [Thief]. I was and still reluctant to take that class. So I stuck with the lie of wanting to be a famous [Bard]. It was far easier saying then explaining…

Focus, Ruihyn. The past is the past. I have to ask more about Boss’s offer for my freedom.

“I’m sure there is a price to my early freedom?” I stared at him, uneasily.

He smiled, “Of course. There’s no free lunch in this world.”

I nodded at him, “But I don’t have the money to pay you to set me free.”

He waved his hand, “No need for money. Just one job.”

“One job?”

“An S-ranked mission.”

Crap. Usually I take missions ranked A or B but never S. That’s some hardcore stuff there. The last time I took an S-ranked mission, I nearly died.

“You look nervous,” Boss said to me.

“I don’t think I’m the right guy, Boss.”

“Rubbish!” he slammed his fist onto the wooden desk separating us, thus causing a chip. “You’re my best, I know you can do it. Besides, don’t you want your freedom badly.”

“Yes, but I don’t want to die during an S-ranked mission.”

“You won’t die. I can guarantee that.”

I looked sceptically at him. How can he even guarantee I’d survive such a risky mission?”

“Boss, sorry but I can’t.”

Boss angrily stood up, he was huffing with much force. “I took you in when no one did. An elf boy that was weak and close to death. I took you in Ruihyn and gave you a second chance to life. Is this how you’re repaying me now?”

“Boss…”

“I wouldn’t be asking you to do this mission unless it was very important to me.”

“Why can’t you pass it to some other person?”

He shook his head, “I too have debts to repay, Ruihyn. So, can I rely on my star employee on this mission?”

“Is this mission really that important to you?”

He nodded his head. Something about Boss’s eyes concerned me. I’ve never seen him like this before.

“Add 5,000 crowns to the deal and I’ll do the mission.”

“5,000 crowns!” he shouted in shock.

If I’m going to put my life on the line, freedom alone is too cheap to risk everything. I’ll need plenty of money.

“It’s just business, Boss.” I smiled at him.

Boss took a deep breathe, “You’ve grown bloody cocky, Ruihyn.”

“Are you rejected my proposal?”

“No. Fine, I’ll add 5,000 crowns to sweeten the deal.”

We shook hands.

“So tell me the details of the mission.”

He shook his head, “I can’t. You’ll get the details of the mission on the day of the mission.”

“How in world am I suppose to prepare for the mission if I don’t know what I’m going to be doing?’”

Boss laughed, “It’s too late to back away now, Ruihyn. We shook hands. You’ve got a week to prepare for the mission though.”

A week? But next week is the Grand Lunar Festival.

I stood up and prepared to leave.

“Stay safe, Ruihyn.”Boss said to me as I left.

“Sure thing. You too, Boss.”

I was escorted out of the house.

When I stepped outside the gates, I had only one thought in mind. What have I gotten myself into?