A TRIP

"You lied to me, Adrian," Emilie exclaimed, her voice laced with disappointment.

"It's not lying when I didn't even know what was going on in the first place," Adrian defended himself.

"Is that why you've been reluctant to take me with you?" Emilie questioned Adrian.

"For the hundredth time, I wasn't lying."

"Are you hiding a sister in that city from me?" she asked, her eyes searching for the truth in his.

"I'm not hiding anything from you."

"Is that why you've been coming home late, as usual?" She inquired, her tone filled with a mix of anger and sadness.

"Alright, cut the theatrics. You heard what Alaya said," Adrian responded, trying to keep the conversation straightforward.

Emilie didn't respond and averted her gaze, clearly hurt by Adrian's actions. Observing her, Adrian let out a sigh and began packing his and Emilie's clothes.

4 hours back:

"So, formal introductions aren't necessary. Understand that everyone present possesses the necessary skills for the task at hand. Let's not be distracted by inconsequential details. Each one of you will receive your assigned roles, and we'll execute our plan seamlessly," Alaya announced, her eyes earnestly meeting the gaze of each individual in the room.

They had gathered at Alaya's house, the same place Adrian had visited on a previous occasion. This time, however, all eyes were fixed on a little girl who sat quietly, munching on a bag of chips.

"Why is there a little girl here? No one mentioned anything about a child being involved," inquired the red-haired man, his entire face concealed beneath bandages.

Alaya responded, her voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty, "It's not a problem. In fact, it might prove to be quite advantageous for our mission." She explained that Adrian had called her earlier that day, requesting to bring his younger sister along for the gathering.

With Alaya's consent, the others in the room remained silent. Initially, Alaya had assumed that Emilie was just an ordinary girl, but upon meeting her for the first time, she realized that Emilie was indeed pure blood. However, the exact nature of her abilities remained uncertain.

Adrian, casting a curious glance around at the assembled individuals, inquired, "Could someone remind me why we're here in the first place? I haven't been filled in on the details."

Alaya explained their mission, "Our objective is to steal a relic from the house of the Gentle Tablet." She studied Adrian's reaction, but he displayed little concern, his expression seemingly unaltered by the gravity of the task at hand.

"Do you even comprehend who we're talking about?" the bald man couldn't help but question, his bewilderment mounting at Adrian's nonchalance. It perplexed him that Adrian wielded such power without any discernible cores. Alaya had already laid out the plan, including Adrian's role, but the bald man struggled to grasp the implications of their mission.

Adrian's role in the mission was undeniably the linchpin. The place they were planning to infiltrate belonged to one of the most entrenched organizations in human society, comprising highly influential individuals with abundant resources and strong support.

Nonetheless, lacking cores didn't guarantee success, and it didn't make it accessible to an average human. Infiltrating the organization remained an arduous endeavor for anyone, even without cores.

The human body and soul were inherently fragile, incapable of withstanding the aura emanating from pure-blooded individuals or those who had received powers from relics. They were inherently weaker and not intended to engage in combat against those who possessed superiority.

This was simply the way the world operated, with disparities between the rich and the poor.

Yet, it remained an enigma how someone without cores could rival an individual possessing three cores, a feat that seemed implausible. Alaya couldn't fathom how it was possible, especially given the rarity of such powerful relics.

Even if they did exist, they were often accompanied by severe consequences, making them undesirable, except perhaps for those who were willing to risk significant sacrifices.

"Adrian will serve as our primary asset for infiltrating the premises since he possesses the unique ability to remain undetected," Alaya announced, noticing the lack of objections from the group. She provided reassurance, saying, "You needn't be overly concerned. In Yilvale, the local branch of their organization doesn't house anyone more powerful than possessing three cores. Our main challenge will revolve around an individual named Kove, who accompanies the relics. He has four cores."

Hearing about Kove's four cores, the room fell into a tense silence. Beyond the fourth core lay a territory considered untouchable and fraught with peril.

"I'll personally take care of him," Alaya declared, eliciting a few sighs of relief from the room. Adrian, however, was inquisitive. "What's your plan?" he asked, recognizing that even with a limited number of personnel stationed there, combating them as a collective posed a significant challenge.

"The plan is straightforward. They are actively seeking me out due to some actions I've taken, and they can't ignore that," Alaya explained with clarity. "However, they won't send their entire force. They're not foolish. It's likely that they'll dispatch Kove or perhaps another member with 3 cores stationed there. That should leave you all contending with 6-7 individuals, and I believe you can handle that many," she continued.

"So how do we involve those 6-7 core members? I doubt they'll just leave their posts, leaving the main building undefended," the elderly lady inquired, much to Adrian's surprise, as he hadn't expected her to be involved in this matter.

"You're underestimating their defense system. No one can enter their establishment if they don't possess cores matching the ones the relics are linked to. This is the power of a Level 9 relic. Relics are categorized into levels as a symbol that only a the relevant core holder can attempt to harness their power. That's why an individual with a core of medium strength can never access a relic designed for higher cores," Alaya explained, shedding light on the intricacies of core havers and relics.

Alaya smiled slyly as she confidently declared, "I have a plan in place for how to lure them out."