After leaving Mahika's hut, Ashima went straight to the Record Crystals Centre, where she could access the footage of what had happened during the unloading. If she could see the faces of those behind the theft, she might be able to track down the culprits herself.
"Well hello, Miss Ahima," said the guard, his tone the kind used by men who rehearse cheesy pickup lines daily, desperately hoping one might land and earn them a girlfriend someday.
"Can I see the footage of when the stealing happened?" she asked, her voice laced with command, not request.
The guard quickly understood his place and stepped aside, guiding Ashima to the control panel room where they monitored, reviewed, and replaced all the footage. Once inside, the guard whispered something to a man in black sunglasses. He was entirely dressed in black, and his skin was a deep brown—so dark that if he walked out at night, he might just disappear.
The man in black handed Ashima a crystal—pure blue, perfectly round, and shining with a soft glow. Tiny particles shimmered around it every time it moved. She accepted it and pricked her finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the crystal.
Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in mid-air. Movement began to display—people walking, a carriage arriving from the back. A few workers came with it, tied the horses, and then wandered off, likely for lunch. Everything seemed normal—peaceful even—for the first few moments.
Then someone entered the storage room, moving slowly, glancing left and right like someone up to no good. His sneaky demeanor screamed, "I'm about to do something very illegal." Moments later, more people entered with another carriage, this one seemingly empty. Without wasting a second, they began transferring the lotus fruits from the storage room into their carriage. Efficient and quick, they completed the entire heist in under thirty minutes—faster than the usual workers on a good day.
They might've gotten away with it, too—masks and all—if it weren't for one mistake. Just one. One of the thieves sneezed. His mask slipped.
Ashima recognized the face faster than she had ever recognized her school crush.
It was one of the most infamous bandits in the region—part of the group known as The Stealers. They had a reputation for looting anything and everything within hours—or even minutes. Everyone knew they were behind the city's biggest thefts, but no one ever had solid proof.
Until now.
After watching the footage a few more times to be sure, Ashima confirmed her target. She left the Record Crystal Centre with purpose and rage in her steps.
Her destination? The Stealers' hideout.
Deep within the forest, nestled in a cave that even locals refused to enter, was the bandits' base. Their presence had made Taralaya a dangerous place for any traveler without a proper guard. Originally, they had planned to steal the lotus fruits en route. But something had gone wrong. The members assigned to that job had vanished—no trace, no message, just gone. Left with no choice, the bandits had struck after the fruits had arrived and the guards had relaxed.
The moment Ashima stepped into the cave, three bandits blocked her path.
"Leave while you can," one of them warned.
She didn't.
Ashima didn't hesitate to injure them. Her heart had no sympathy for thieves—just like Shyam. Maybe they'd make a good team someday?
With the three guards silenced and groaning, Ashima walked deeper into the cave. Sitting on a rock ahead was a man, face obscured by a sleek mask. He wore a butler-style outfit—all black—and somehow elegant.
"I'm here to retrieve what was stolen!" she shouted, dashing toward him with her sword drawn.
The man didn't move. He sat calmly, like her attack was a minor inconvenience.
"Not so fast, miss," he said, tilting his head as he narrowly dodged the sword's point.
Ashima spun around, ready to strike again, but before she could charge—he had a spear.
A real one.
Shocked and slightly alarmed, Ashima instinctively took a step back. Before she could retreat far enough, the man hurled the spear at her. It cut through the air, aimed directly at her chest.
Too fast. Her reflexes weren't going to save her this time.
But something else did.
CLANG!
A sword deflected the spear—sharp, shiny, and definitely not hers. And the wielder?
Shyam.
Ashima's eyes widened in disbelief. He was supposed to be in jail. Yet here he was—alive, armed, and deflecting spears like some fireball prince.
For now, she said nothing.
The man retrieved his spear and hurled it again—this time faster, sharper, deadlier. Even Shyam's sword struggled to keep up. The intensity of the fight rose rapidly as the spear shot straight for his neck.
CHOK.
A sound. Not loud, but clear. The sound of metal slicing through flesh.
"No way!" Shyam gasped.
Wait… Shyam?
Then who got hit?
Ashima's gaze dropped to the creature that had jumped between them—a boar with golden stripes. No blood poured out, yet the spear had pierced clean through its belly.
It was Shyam's first shadow creature. The Golden Stripes Boar.
A notification appeared in mid-air:
> [Golden Stripes Boar – HP: 0 | Cannot be revived]
Shyam stood frozen. He had begun to consider that creature a friend, a companion… and now it was gone. For good.
"You'll pay for this…" he whispered. Suddenly, flames enveloped his body—hot, red, with flickering yellow tongues. His rage lit the cave like sunrise.
[FireDash] — a combo move combining Fireball and Dash. It enveloped Shyam in a burning orb and launched him forward at wind-speed. But it required over 150MP—two-thirds of his mana pool.
As the fire surged and the man in black prepared to counter, Ashima shouted, "That's enough, Shyam! Stop!"
Too late.
Shyam had already launched. The next moment, he stood before the masked man, sword at his neck. The steel glimmered with such intensity it could hypnotize a weaker soul. Fortunately—or unfortunately—this man wasn't ordinary.
He was likely the group's leader… or at least a core member.
Still, Shyam had deactivated his attack just in time. Not to kill, but to terrify.
It worked.
A few suspicious drops leaked beneath the masked man's robes. Yep… the fear had hit the plumbing. Instant karma.
"Ask fast," Shyam growled. "Because I'm this close to turning him into sushi. Just like he did to my pet."
"Thank you," Ashima said, stepping forward, her eyes sharp and murderous. Her footsteps echoed like thunder. She looked ready to end the world if needed.
"Tell me, unknown man… where is my pink panty?!" she shouted.
The silence was absolute. Even the shadows seemed afraid to move.
"Wh-what… I-I don't kn-know!" the man stammered, trying to breathe evenly so Shyam's sword didn't accidentally slip.
Ashima didn't buy it.
"Don't lie! Your life is in our hands now! Speak! WHERE IS MY PINK PANTY?!"
Her voice got louder with each word—like she might explode if she didn't get an answer.
"I rea—" the man tried, but another voice interrupted.
"Hey, I've smelled enough. You can have it now," said a second man, stepping out from one of the inner rooms of the cave.
He held… the panty.
The moment he spotted Shyam and Ashima, he bolted.
"You can stop me… but not the ritual!" he screamed while trying to escape.
Ashima didn't care. She had a net. A very accurate net.
She had promised herself not to use it.
But seeing him holding her pink panty? That was it.
The net flew.
Game over.
---
ch-19