"So you're like me" Alex said as he pulled out another energy drink and handed it to Kealin but the latter refused saying he didn't like them. Alex just shrugged his shoulders and gulped down the drink.
"Well I'm not exactly like you" Kealin said.
"What do you mean?" Alex continued to gulp down the drink.
"I'm a mage" Kealin answered causing Alex to spill his drink before glancing at him.
"You're kidding right" Alex said as he wiped the stain from his shirt.
Kealin just shook his head telling Alex that he wasn't joking.
"But how I saw those moves and I thought mages could use like... you know... spells and stuff " Alex said, but even kealin did'nt know the reason he could'nt use spells when he tried asking the system, it told him that he'd have to reach level 2 to unlock his mage profession and kealin's method of leveling up were slow because he'd have to find strong opponents like the phantom assassins before he could level up.
"Wait, wasn't there a quest that said I'd have to defeat 8 phantom assassins." Kealin thought back to the incident and opened his status page
[Quest failed]
[You had failed to defeat the phantom assassins and as a result you will not be rewarded]"
"Curse you system" was all Kealin could say.
Kealin went on to explain to Alex that even though he was a mage, he couldn't use spells and decided to use his mana in his attacks, but kealin wasn't a pro like Max and Alex and would still lose.
"well since you're a mage, I take it they were some parts in your story that you didn't tell me" Alex said reminding kealin of why they were in this situation. kealin went on to explain how he found out that April was a dream weaver and how it affected his current situation.
"But I don't get it why would she do something like this?..why did she help me back then and if all of it was just an act, does that mean she's working with Rudy?"
There were a lot of questions that were left unanswered and Kealin didn't understand any part of it. But unlike him, it seemed like Alex was already putting the pieces together, as he explained.
"hmm... let's see if April and Rudy really are working together, it means that there's also the possibility of them working with the men who attacked us. Judging by your story, I think I finally have all the pieces...
"April and Rudy tried to capture you, so they devised a ruse to lure you into their trap by staging a fake bullying incident...
"...With April as the victim and Rudy as the aggressor, and you being the good samaritan tries to intervene. April still playing the role, runs away supposedly seeking help. This is a crucial part of their plan as it is meant to create a sense of urgency where you feel responsible for April's safety and is also meant to lure you into their trap..."
"Then there's also the case where she seeks help."
"If I'm correct this is to add credibility to the act, making you believe she is genuinely seeking help, making the situation more believable and also creating an opportunity for Rudy to capture you, and to heighten the tension..."
"April's returns with help raising the stakes and Rudy's failure to capture you becomes apparent..."
"Their failure has consequences and in a subsequent attempt Rudy and his goons beat you up and leave you in an alleyway. So why not just capture you?...Well for one to avoid leaving a trail of evidence that could lead back to them and so by involving a second party, and I mean those assassins, they could-Maintain plausible deniability. By not directly capturing you, they might have been trying to distance themselves from the act. making it harder for investigators to connect them to the crime."
"Avoid leaving fingerprint by using a second party, it would allow them to keep their hands clean, avoiding any dual evidence that wold incriminate them and finally shifting the risk. By having some else capture you, they might have been trying to shift the risk of getting caught. If you ask me this approach would be consistent with a cautious and calculated plan. where April and Rudy priotize minimising the risk and maintaining their cover By using a seond party, they might have felt more secure in achieving their objectives without exposing themselves to unnecessary danger.."
Alex had finally finished his rambling and then looked at Kealin who had a surprised look on his face
"Are you some kinda detective?" kealin asked to which Alex just shrugged his shoulders.
"WIth all of this information it only proves that these two are dangerous, Kealin I know you dont want to, but I suggest you leave this case to the police" Alex said
Kealin thought about it for a while, he knew that in terms of strength he was clearly outmatched but thats when something crossed his mind
"Would Max and Lena let it go if it were me?" Kealin mumbled
"What.."
"I said would Max and Lena let the case go?" Kealin asked with his voice a little louder.
"No, they wouldn't so I'm not giving up on them either" Kealin declared with a determined look in his eyes
"Well that was expected, but you still need to workshop your skills. so how training with me"