Heavy Metal

"Hold on, my dear Rusty. You're just going to waltz in there with no idea how many enemies are inside? You must be joking."

Aburdon's voice was sharp with irritation. Rusty glanced at the darkened doorway of the decrepit structure. He stood before it, concealed in the shadows in case someone decided to step outside. Gleam was pressed against his backplate, out of sight, and his eyes glowed as his two guides argued.

"If he waits too long, the children could be—"

"So what? Those brats are probably fine. Rusty's life is more important!"

Rusty remained still, eyes fixed on the building as his guides continued their argument. He understood both perspectives. Alexander was right as they had to act before it was too late. He still wanted to save the children as otherwise this whole little mission would be a waste of time. But Aburdon wasn't wrong either. Rushing in blindly could cost him his life, and then none of this would matter. Gleam shifted slightly on his back, her antennae twitching. She, too, knew that they needed a plan.

"Gleam."

" ( ╹ -╹)? "

Rusty murmured, keeping his voice low.

"Can you slip inside and scout?"

" ( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و "

The ant chirped softly, understanding the task. Her small form made her ideal for infiltration. Rusty's life detection skill was imperfect, so he needed Gleam to provide more precise information. It was even possible that the children were not here or that they were already dead. If that were the case, he could only avenge them, but killing people in this unknown settlement was probably unwise. It would be best to resolve the issue another way, but he was not sure how.

"Be careful Gleam, if there are any signs of trouble, just run."

Gleam hesitated for only a moment before skittering toward the side of the building, her nimble legs making no sound against the cold ground. Rusty watched her disappear into the darkness, her small form blending seamlessly with the shadows. His glowing eyes flickered as he leaned against the rough brick wall, waiting.

"She'll be fine… right?"

Rusty was a bit worried because the people inside did not seem like the type to ignore a monster ant wandering around. While she could use a silencing spell, her body was still shiny and silvery. She did not have any stealth spells to conceal herself yet, but her small size allowed her to hide behind cover quite well. He gripped his sword tightly, preparing for the possibility that she might be captured or followed outside if she was seen.

Inside the building, Gleam moved swiftly and silently, pressing herself flat against the ground when needed. She scaled the outer wall with ease, slipping through a crack in one of the rotting wooden panels that made up the structure. The interior was dimly lit by flickering lanterns, their glow barely penetrating the layers of dust and grime that covered every surface. She moved carefully along the edges of the room, her antennae twitching as she picked up various scents: sweat, alcohol, and something more distinct, like old blood.

She paused behind a broken crate, taking in the scene before her. The room was large, a former warehouse or storage area, now repurposed into a hideout. Several rough-looking men sat around a table, drinking and laughing. They bore the marks of mercenaries: scarred faces, mismatched armor, and the casual posture of those accustomed to violence. They had weapons strapped to their sides, though none seemed particularly alert.

"( •̀ - •́ ) "

Gleam moved closer, creeping along the underside of another crate. From this position, she could see most of the area, but there was no sign of the children. Her tracking skill revealed a trail leading further inside, but she would have to slip past a few loud mercenaries to reach the path leading into what seemed to be a basement.

For a moment, she hesitated before following the scent deeper into the hideout. She kept to the shadows, scurrying under tables and behind discarded barrels. The men at the table continued their drinking, their conversation growing more animated. One of them slammed a fist against the wood, causing a tankard to spill over.

"Damn boss is late. He said he'd be back before sundown!"

One of them grumbled.

"Relax."

Another replied, leaning back.

"He's probably just finalizing the deal. That merchant looked ready to pay top coin!"

"He better be, those girls don't come cheap!"

"Hah, do you think they will let you back into the pink rose after that thing you pulled?"

The man laughed loudly as they discussed their next payment, but soon the conversation shifted.

"But what do we do about those brats?"

"What about them? We'll just set them straight, and if they're unwilling, there are always ways of getting rid of them… Just don't tell the boss and we'll handle that armored bastard ourselves, later…"

The men started laughing again. Gleam did not truly understand what they were talking about since her knowledge of human language was still somewhat limited, but she knew it was not anything good. One thing she did realize was that the man who was speaking was someone from before. He had previously tried to capture the four children who hid at their lair, and the smell of the children was still on him.

" ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡) "

Gleam was annoyed and wanted to instantly blast him with a well placed mana bolt but held herself back. She needed to stay focused on the mission. The children were her priority, and attacking now would only expose her presence. After making sure the men weren't looking, she pressed forward, slipping further into the shadows.

The basement entrance was guarded by a lone thug leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed. He looked bored, his weapon, a chipped sword was resting against the wall beside him. The smell of stale alcohol clung to his clothes and he seemed rather bored, even ready to sleep.

Gleam hesitated. If she tried to sneak past him, there was a chance he would spot her. To make matters worse, the door seemed closed. A bunch of keys was attached to the man's hip, but getting to them without being caught would probably be difficult. Even if she had them, she was still an ant so opening the door without Rusty's help would be difficult.

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She skittered around, searching for any openings to crawl through, but the only thing she found was an eye-sized hole. Peering through it, she saw the children, all alive but trapped in a rusty cage. Her antennae twitched as she analyzed the situation. The children were unharmed, which was good, but they were locked up, and the only visible way inside was through the locked door.

There were no windows to crawl through from the outside. The basement was completely underground. The only entrance was the same door they would need to use to escape. Getting them out without alerting the mercenaries would be tricky. She skittered back to the crack she had entered through and slipped outside to report to Rusty. Reaching him, she tapped urgently on his leg, her antennae twitching in rapid succession.

"( •̀ - •́ ) "

Rusty crouched down, allowing her to climb onto his shoulder.

"You found them?"

Gleam nodded vigorously, then tapped his helmet with her antennae before drawing a small pattern on his shoulder with her front leg.

"They're locked up but alive? That's good. How does it look inside? Any guards?"

Gleam continued to chirp as she relayed all the information. Both Alexander and Aburdon listened closely, understanding what the small ant monster was saying.

"Over twenty men inside, all armed mercenaries. This will be tricky..."

Alexander, who had been the most insistent on rescuing the children, whispered with worry. Even he understood the gravity of the situation and how dangerous it would be for Rusty if he attempted to rush in or got caught.

"We still have time to turn back. From what Lady Gleam said, they aren't planning to kill them... yet."

"You want us to wait until they hurt them? Have you no heart?"

"No, I don't, hero. You should already know that."

Rusty was troubled. He wanted to save the children and make it clear to the people in this new settlement that anyone who intruded on his lair would be punished. But this situation was complicated. The mercenaries were all around the level of E-rank adventurers, which was not a problem individually, but their numbers made them a serious threat. Then there was their boss, who had not yet returned. When he did, he would likely bring even more men to stand in Rusty's way. If Rusty wanted to act, he needed to do it now.

The odds were not in his favor. A direct assault would be suicide, and a stealthy approach was hindered by the locked door. He needed a way in that would not immediately raise the alarm. His mind raced for a solution, but just as he was trying to decide, the entrance to the building swung open wide and an armored man stepped out.

It was one of the mercenaries stationed here, and he was clearly drunk. Rusty remained still in the shadows, his body blending into the darkness with ease. The man did not notice him at all. After glancing around and muttering profanities, the mercenary shut the door behind him and stumbled into the alleyway to relieve himself.

'Wait... that is it!'

An idea struck Rusty. The mercenary's armor was heavy, and his helmet looked identical to one of the models Rusty had stored in his inventory. This was his opportunity. If he could knock the man out silently, he could disguise himself and enter undetected. He had done it before and knew that as long as he placed his helmet on the man's head, he could take over, even if the mercenary was still alive.

The drunk mercenary staggered a few steps away from the door, fumbling with his belt as he leaned against the wall. His head swayed, unfocused, and he muttered something unintelligible to himself. Rusty moved quickly, the noise of his metallic boots muffled by the silence spell Gleam had cast.

In a single, fluid motion, Rusty yanked the man's helmet away and clamped his metallic hand over the man's mouth to muffle any noise. The mercenary's eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, Rusty delivered a precise strike to the base of his skull. The man's body tensed for a moment before going limp, collapsing against Rusty's frame.

Rusty quickly dragged the unconscious mercenary into the shadows, ensuring no one had witnessed the altercation. Using his SP, he shifted the appearance of his helmet to match the one the mercenary had been wearing, a design with an open cross pattern missing a visor. Once the transformation was complete, he placed the helmet on the man's head and activated his possession skill to take control.

The man's body started twitching as his skill activated and took hold of his nervous system. Rusty could now see through the mercenary's eyes, control his movements, and even mimic his voice if needed. It was an ability that had proven invaluable in previous encounters, and now, it would be his key to infiltrating the hideout.

"( •̀ - •́ )"

"I'll be careful."

The rest of his body needed to be discarded for now, so it dissolved into his storage system. If he needed it later, he could recall it or reform himself from the helmet. After adjusting the mercenary's stance, Rusty made the possessed body stagger slightly, keeping up the act of drunkenness as he turned back toward the door. Gleam, still hidden in the shadows, gave a tiny approving chirp.

"Alright. I'm going in. Gleam, go back inside through that hole, if something goes wrong…"

" ( •̀ ᴗ •́ ) "

"Glad that I can count on you."

Gleam nodded and skittered back into the building and hid away and he returned inside while trying to gather enough of this man's memories to act natural. He possessed one of the Black Hound mercenaries, someone who wasn't too exceptional, one of the bottom members with no real authority.

"Wait, Rusty!"

"Hm?"

Just as he was about to move, Aburdon called out to him. Now floating freely, he had removed himself from the body he usually inhabited.

"What will you do once you get into that basement? Do you even have a plan to escape?"

"An escape plan? Yes, I do!"

Before Aburdon could argue further, Rusty dismissed him along with Alexander. He then adjusted his new body's stance, keeping his movements sluggish and unsteady as he stumbled back through the entrance. The wooden door creaked as he pushed it open, stepping inside the dimly lit room where the other mercenaries were still drinking and chatting loudly.

The men barely glanced at him as he entered, too absorbed in their conversations to care about one more drunk among them. He let out a loud, slurred grunt, mimicking the behavior of the mercenary he had taken over.

The plan was simple: get in, get the key, and let the children out of the basement. Once inside, he had a few options for escape. His first was to let the children run free into the night after distracting the other mercenaries. If things went wrong, he could rely on Gleam to create a diversion, or he could always summon his black mist to disable his enemies. Once outside, he could release the possessed man, and everyone would assume he was the perpetrator, it was a sound plan that he truly believed in.

He made his way toward the group of men still sitting and chatting around a table. Without saying a word, he staggered forward, hoping for the best. Luckily, they were too absorbed in their drinking to pay him any attention. Soon, he reached the entrance to the basement, where the lone guard was sitting. The man looked bored and cranky, probably frustrated that he was stuck here while everyone else was having fun. The possession skill didn't provide much information, but Rusty at least knew the man's name.

"Oi, Theo…"

Rusty slurred, his voice low and drawn out, trying to sound as drunk as possible. The guard looked up, squinting at the figure standing in the doorway. Theo had a deep frown etched into his face, but he didn't immediately react to Rusty's approach.

"What do you want, you drunk bastard? Shouldn't you be back with the rest of the crew?"

Theo muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"Eh… just… wanted to get away from the noise…"

Theo seemed suspicious of him, but Rusty continued to move closer and kept speaking.

"How about I take your place? I'm sure you're bored of sitting here…"

"You want to take my place on guard duty? What are you…"

The man was clearly suspicious, as no one would willingly take up boring guard duty, but soon it seemed he realized something, and his facial expression changed.

"Hah, I knew you were a sick bastard… but aren't those three a bit too young?... Fine, not like I care, just don't tell the boss that I let you in, and keep it quiet."

"Huh?"

Rusty wasn't sure what the man meant, but soon he was handed the keys to the basement. Theo moved away, grinning at him for some reason. Nevertheless, Rusty now had the keys and free access to the basement. Now, he just needed to free the children and get out of there. It couldn't be that hard, right?