"It is. Why? Is he here?"

Bri looks around the room in a startled manner, spreading out her aura, but it doesn't reach as far as mine, so I reply by pointing at the wall nearest to the street.

"Not yet, we still have a few minutes before he arrives. Why is this such a big deal? I've seen him meet with you here before and it wasn't an issue to have me in the room."

She replies.

"This isn't just a casual sibling meetup. Rodrigo is coming to do the Association's monthly logged checkup. I advise you leave right now if you'd like to remain dead in their eyes. He'll be bringing a recording device with him. This meeting is meant to be unannounced, but he gives me a heads up when the dates get closer."

I open a spatial magic portal in response, letting the luminite in containment and book outlining its intended use into my item storage while standing to my feet.

"In that case, I hope you don't mind if I borrow this."

She nods and turns to her desk to begin organizing things and making sure no evidence of us meeting is left behind.

I continue to scan the A-Rank hunter walking our way and decide to examine the odd readings on his status again while I still have an opportunity to look at them.

The first thing I check are his skills, if I remember correctly he had light magic just like Bri, as well as a unique skill.

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Respawn [i]

Combat Magic [Advanced Light Summoning]

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At his level, he definitely has enough PP to upgrade these skills, but hasn't had the chance to do so it seems.

There are miscellaneous 100-200% stat boosting items on him, and a large blue diamond-shaped recording crystal just like the ones Lith gave me floats around him in a slow-moving circle as he walks through the streets.

At the bottom of his active item readings I see that he still is bonded with 4 demon cores just like I remember.

However, when looking at their readings, one looks a bit out of place.

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[Arch Demon's Core] +150% All Stats

[Greater Demon's Core] +50% All Stats

[Greater Demon's Core] +50% All Stats

[Greater Demon's Core] +50% All Stats

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His Arch Demon's core feels slightly more dense than my own, and the stat reading on it reads like it's been combined with a Greater Demon's Core. There is no better explanation for its additional 50% stat buff and increased density.

This would be the most intriguing reading if my eye didn't catch his buff's sheet too.

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[Hand of the Illusionist]

[Ultimate Attack Form of the Light Warrior]

[The Sun God's Curse Mark]

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His first two buffs look like interesting ranked up buffs granted for reaching level 500 and 1000, but the 3rd buff on his status looks very familiar.

My eyes widen while reading it, so much so that I walk closer to the wall nearest to the street and expand my perceptions range further to get a perfect visual of him and my suspicions come true.

As the A-Rank hunter walks through the streets, an invisible golden collar rests around his neck.

It looks just like the collar I saw around the lightning wolf on the 40th floor of the Vice City Labyrinth.

His strength readings seem similar too. Rodrigo doesn't have any Qi or Soul Energy inside his body, but looks as if he's able to manipulate this golden energy with this buff [The Sun God's Curse Mark].If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

So many connections and theories begin to fly around in my mind, but I calmly take a deep breath and step back toward the couches and speak up.

"Actually, I think we'll stay and watch this meeting of yours."

I turn to Ember and share my stealth skill with him, and we both disappear into thin air for a few seconds and reappear on the far side of the room, leaning against the wall.

"You won't even know we're here... I just want to know what the association is up to these days. It's nothing personal."

Bri lets out a sigh and sits down at her desk, letting the room fall dark to its natural state that she leaves it in before visitors arrive, then replies.

"I sense his presence getting closer now too. Do as you wish. There may be a point in our meeting where the surveillance is cut, would you like to meet him again, for old times' sake? I'm sure Rodrigo will keep another secret for me."

I pause, thinking about this question for a moment before answering, but eventually do.

"Yes, I'd like to have a word with him. Give me a signal once it's safe to appear unmonitored. I'll decide then if I feel it is worth showing my face."

She nods, and I smile.

Ember and I disappear using stealth to watch from a back wall as another 2 minutes pass and footsteps start to echo up the stairs.

A man with olive skin just like Bri's, white eyes like a demon, dark hair, and the graceful walk of a dancer walks forward through the room.

A bright golden Soul Energy collar shines with intense light only visible to those with Qi senses.

White Light magic shines off both his and Bri's body in unison as the room lights up.

A faint blue glow illuminates from the recording crystal that circles around him and takes a moving picture and audio of everything in the room.

I can see its mana radiation seeping through everything in a 10-meter radius, but it's clear that this is just a high C grade, possibly low B Grade item. There's no possible way it can detect me and Ember where we stand.

Rodrigo takes a seat and speaks up.

"Good to see you again, Bri. I'm here for our monthly check-in."

He pulls a list out from an item box on his waist and begins to ask a series of questions in a robotic manor, not even waiting for his sister's response to his greeting.

The questions range from how her normal business is going, to if there are any reports of association members that have tried to contact her or any partners in the black market, and wanting an update on a special order for one of the Association's events in another region coming up in a few days.

Rodrigo expands on that final point.

"I picked up the goods in the lobby on my way up. The higher-ups thank you for the prompt response after the disappearance of the sector 2 leader. However, this past week the Vice region has made contact with another source that is said to produce just as much as the previous trade boss out there in the dark continent. If all goes well on that deal, I believe the Apex region will jump on next month's orders. That still doesn't give us enough time to prepare for the 8 nations coming together for the annual B-Class exams. We're going to need some help from a few trusted freelance craftsmen contractors like yourself."

Rodrigo hands a few more papers over to Bri and explains the terms, and basically doesn't allow her to say no.

"It's good money. 300 gold for a few weeks of work, that comes from the higher-ups so I need a verbal confirmation you can get it done."

Bri reluctantly nods and takes the papers.

"It's fine. I can get it done."

Rodrigo continues asking her generic questions from the list in his hand, and by the end of it, they both look tired and saddened by the situation they're both in.

I still don't know all the details of their arrangement, but from what I can assume just looking at this situation, one of the higher-ups has a tight Soul Energy leash around Rodrigo's neck and is using this as blackmail to keep everyone in line.

Someone capable of controlling an A-Rank hunter like this, but also has roots so deep that monsters in the Vice City Labyrinth are even inflicted by its curse mark must have immense power.

This is a meticulous person. There is much more to this than I can see on the surface.

Even the Vice Region's Director, Brutus, doesn't seem to be the true leader pulling the strings to all of this.

He wears a golden ring with similar Soul Energy to Rodrigo's collar, but they are both just pawns in someone elses game. I'm sure there are missing pieces to this puzzle that I have yet to see.

I stand in full stealth mode observing the rest of the conversation, trying to pick apart any extra details he will drop, and wait for Bri's signal or get a visual that the surveillance has ended, but the time doesn't come.

The interrogation continues until the sun goes down, and Rodrigo points to the blue glowing gem that slowly spins around him.

"Oh, now would you look at the time. The recording space is almost up. I need to get this meeting file back to headquarters as soon as possible."

He stands up from his seat and shakes Bri's hand.

She replies in an artificially happy tone.

"Of course, it's always nice to see you brother."

"You too, sister, I'll see you next month."

They smile and the A-Rank hunter turns to leave while the blue gem that spins around him loses altitude and stops glowing as bright with mana as before.

As soon as he makes it to the stairs, the gem falls into his palm and stops emitting waves of mana.

He grins and places the crystal into the item box then turns around to let out a long sigh that turns into a groan of distaste.

His face relaxes and he speaks.

"About damn time. I swear they keep making those recordings longer and longer. Finally, we can talk without my boss looking over my shoulder after every word."

He sprawls out on the couches in the middle of the room, and I see Bri lighten up a lot too.

"Alright, anything goes now. No more wires we can say whatever we want for about 30 minutes before I need to actually get going back."

Bri's serious business expression fades, and that of a concerned and compassionate older sister comes over her as she stands from her desk.

She walks over to sit down next to him and he speaks up again while she gets comfortable.

"You got a lot stronger since the last time I was here... Did you finally find a way to rank up as well? I heard Brutus has the labyrinth on lockdown recently. Only Elites and B-Class are allowed to enter these days."

She smiles back.

"Yes, I managed to rank up. And well- maybe you'd be interested in meeting the one that helped me do it."

Her gaze turns to the back wall where Ember and I disappeared before, and I take this as a cue to finally make my presence known.