Chapter 32: Ousvault

Neolan reappeared in a completely different place, one that was slightly dark and illuminated only by small lamps floating above the streets. The dim light barely reached the surrounding buildings, leaving most of the area covered in shadows, while only a few people could be seen walking through the streets with masks covering their faces.

The moment they sensed Neolan’s sudden arrival, several of them became startled and immediately took defensive stances, clearly accustomed to treating every unfamiliar person as a potential threat.

Neolan paid little attention to their reactions and instead immediately lifted his wristwatch, opening its blue holographic screen in front of him. ’I need a mask, and this one would be good.’

He scrolled through the available options displayed on the holographic screen before selecting a particular mask. The moment he made his choice, space fluctuated directly in front of him, and a circular mask appeared from the distortion before floating quietly in the air.

Its design was relatively simple, with the image of a small fox placed near the upper-right edge of the mask, giving it a distinctive appearance without making it overly conspicuous.

Neolan picked it up and wore it without wasting any time, and the moment the mask covered his face, its thin edges flickered with holographic codes before automatically adjusting themselves to perfectly fit his features. ’Hmm, this one should be good enough to negotiate with someone like "Him," especially since he values masks above almost everything else.’

Neolan remembered the particular man he had dealt with many times during his previous life, and a faint smile appeared beneath the mask. ’Now it’s time to surprise them a little. This mask can even conceal my strength level, so he won’t be able to guess who I really am.’ He nodded to himself before taking another step, and his figure vanished from the spot without leaving anything behind.

A moment later, he reappeared inside a certain building in the same area, where three people were gathered around a table and discussing something while a small suitcase rested between them. The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar person caused all three of them to immediately stop talking, and their expressions changed as they sensed Neolan standing inside the room.

In a single instant, all three vanished from their original positions and reappeared around Neolan, with each of them holding a dagger against his neck from a different direction.

Neolan calmly raised both hands in surrender, showing no intention of fighting as he spoke, "Why so worked up? I am here to have a deal with ’K’." His voice came out mechanically because of the mask’s voice-altering function, making it impossible for them to identify his natural voice.

The three men immediately widened their eyes when they heard the name K, clearly recognizing the significance of the person Neolan had mentioned. The man standing behind him was the first to speak, "You want to meet the Boss? You sure took an entry like some protagonist, but you need some reality check."

Without giving Neolan any time to respond, the man immediately moved his dagger forward and attempted to cut his throat. The blade approached with enough speed and precision that it would have reached Neolan’s neck in an instant, but just as it came within an inch of his skin, it suddenly stopped in midair.

"What?!"

The man’s eyes widened, while the other two also stared at the scene in disbelief before all three immediately retreated from Neolan. Their eyes remained fixed on the invisible obstruction in front of him as the same thought appeared in all three of their minds. ’Is that his Aspect Ability?’

Neolan, however, simply grinned beneath his mask as he watched them create distance between themselves. ’Only an idiot would enter a place like this without making preparations.’ A tiny amount of shadow mixed with Astrine energy floated in front of the point where the dagger had struck, forming an extremely thin defensive layer that had completely stopped the blade.

This was simply an application of his Aspect Ability, Shadow Render, using the fundamental principle of rendering to alter the properties of space through the combination of Shadow and Astrine Energy. ’By rendering the space with Shadow and Astrine Energy, I can easily turn it into something similar to a spatial barrier. It is difficult to maintain for a long time, but for situations like this, it is more than enough.’

Neolan looked toward the three men as they repositioned themselves at different corners of the room, their daggers still firmly in their hands. He did not show any hostility and instead calmly explained, "I did not come here to stir things up or to fight, as I said, I want to meet ’K,’ and I can assure you that he will love the deal I have brought to him."

The moment Neolan finished speaking, a slow clapping sound suddenly echoed from behind him. Neolan immediately turned around and lifted his head toward the balcony, where he saw a man wearing a black straight jacket with a white shirt underneath standing there while calmly clapping his hands.

His expression was hidden behind a mask, but the casual manner in which he stood there made it clear that he had been observing the entire exchange.

"An amazing technique, and you say you have a deal that can interest me? Well..." The man paused for a moment before his attention shifted toward the mask covering Neolan’s face. He studied the small fox design carefully, and there was an obvious trace of interest in his movements before he finally spoke, "Let him in."

The three people who had been standing in their defensive stances immediately became startled, but none of them dared to question his decision. They lowered their weapons, bowed respectfully, and answered at the same time, "Yes, Boss."

The man who had previously brought his dagger toward Neolan’s neck stepped forward and gestured for him to follow. Neolan simply nodded and followed without hesitation, a faint smile hidden beneath his mask as a thought surfaced in his mind.

’Knew it. He liked this mask.’ The man led him through the building until they eventually reached a floating staircase suspended in the dark interior. He stepped onto the first stair, and his entire figure vanished instantly, causing Neolan to understand exactly what was happening before he followed in the same manner.

Both of them reappeared in front of a room a moment later, having traveled through the staircase using the same principle as the lifts inside Neolan’s Estate. Just like those lifts, the floating stairs were using Wrap Drive technology to distort and connect different spaces, allowing someone to instantly travel between distant sections of the building.

Neolan did not bother examining the mechanism because he already knew about this. The man gestured toward the room in front of them, and Neolan simply stepped forward without hesitation.

The doors opened automatically as Neolan approached, revealing a dark room illuminated by soft lights. Several paintings were hanging across the walls, and beside each painting was a unique mask suspended in place as though it represented the painting on its behalf.

The arrangement immediately made the purpose of the room obvious, and Neolan could only shake his head beneath his own mask. ’Truly a madman. Running an entire Black Market like Ousvault simply for his own satisfaction in collecting masks.’ He remembered something from his previous life as he looked around the room, but he quickly dismissed the thought and continued walking forward.

Neolan eventually arrived at the desk where "K" was sitting behind it, calmly observing him. Without waiting for permission, Neolan pulled out the chair positioned across from the desk and sat down, making it clear that he had no intention of wasting time with unnecessary formalities.

K seemed amused by his behavior and looked closely at the mask covering Neolan’s face before speaking. "You seem to know Ousvault’s rules quite well, but you’re new here. Is it some close friend of yours who mentioned us?" His voice carried an amused tone, as though he was already trying to figure out the identity and background of the mysterious person who had suddenly appeared inside his territory.

"You could say that, now, can we discuss the deal?" Neolan immediately got to the point as he leaned slightly forward, his altered mechanical voice echoing through the room. He had not come to Ousvault to waste time talking about how he had discovered the place, and K would understand that soon enough.