NOVEL WEB Chapter 44: Someone Is About To Die
The imposter, pressed her hand against the gleaming golden vault, ensuring all five fingertips made contact.
DING!
A single green light flickered on the vault, then held steady.
Violet watched with bated breath as the lady drew closer to the door, whispering the next code. The very next moment, a second green light illuminated, and with a soft whir, the massive door glided open, revealing a breathtaking sight: rows upon rows of shining gold, shimmering jewelry, priceless treasures, ancient scrolls, and potent potions.
The lady's eyes, mesmerized, took on a golden hue as she beheld the vast hoard.
'Compose yourself, girl!' she chided herself internally. 'As of this moment, all these belong to you. If you look so shocked, the manager might suspect something.'
With a practiced calm, she slowly stepped inside, Violet, trailing behind her.
Her gaze settled on a golden box, perched atop a five-foot tall pillar, seemingly awaiting her with a silent smile.
'This must be the most important thing here,' she mused.
The lady walked towards it, and the moment her hand reached out to touch it.
WHOOSH!!
She dodged with a lightning-fast backward leap as a massive claw whizzed past her, smashing into the wall with devastating force. The manager, still standing at the entrance, was stunned into silence, and even the imposter was momentarily speechless.
Both turned their heads towards the source of the attack: a magnificent tiger that emerged from the depths of the vault. It stood an imposing ten meters tall, with long, razor-sharp claws and a coat of shimmering golden fur.
"...Huh? Why would the Queen's pet attack her?" Violet muttered in confusion, then her eyes widened in dawning horror:
"Could she?!!"
Before Violet could react, the lady swiftly threw a needle. It struck the elf with pinpoint accuracy, and Violet instantly collapsed, unconscious, to the ground.
GRAAAA!!
The golden tiger let out a guttural roar and lunged towards the imposter, its enormous paw extended, claws extended and gleaming.
"This?!" the lady exclaimed, startled. She quickly leaped to the side as the tiger's claws, like a deadly projectile, shot out from its paw and struck the wall once more, leaving deep gouges.
'A Mystic beast?! How did she get one?! They are almost extinct,' she thought, her teeth gritted.
"Whatever skill it has, detected my disguise. I need to move fast, or I will be found... By now, it would have alerted its master. If she gets here, I am dead." She muttered, her hand instinctively drawing her dagger.
"Come on!!" she yelled, a defiant glint in her eyes.
WHOOSH!
The tiger shot towards her, its massive maw wide open, ready to engulf her. The lady waited, a calculated calm settling over her. The moment it was ten feet from her, she executed a flawless leap, soaring over the huge beast's head and landing deftly before the golden box.
RGGAAA!
The tiger spun around, a frustrated growl rumbling in its chest, and lunged towards her again.
"Sorry, baby, I don't have time for this," She muttered, snatched the box, then quickly pulled out a direct teleportation crystal and activated it. To her shock, nothing happened.
The lady looked up just as the tiger's colossal paw bore down on her.
"Shit!!"
She swiftly activated a defense skill, creating a shimmering barrier around her.
BAM!!!
The tiger's claws connected with the shield, sending her flying backward.
BOOOOM!
She smashed into the wall, collapsing to her feet, though still clutching the golden box tightly.
"You are strong!" she muttered, a hint of grudging respect in her voice.
GRAAAAAAA!
The tiger let out a low growl, its piercing orange eyes fixed on her.
'There must be a security formation here, which blocked the teleportation crystal... I need to think of a way to get to that door,' she muttered to herself, as she stared intently at the entrance.
"Okay, big guy... Let's dance." She gripped the box tightly and sprinted towards the tiger, which let out a loud roar and lunged at her.
"NOW!!"
Mid-run, she hurled the golden box high above the tiger, watching it arc through the air and land precisely at the entrance, right behind the unconscious manager.
GRAAAAAAA!!
The tiger instantly turned its massive head towards the box.
"Oh no, you are not!!!" the imposter yelled. She used another skill, boosting her speed exponentially.
...Before the tiger could even fully comprehend what was happening, she had reached the box.
"...?!!"
The beast was stunned, clearly not expecting the imposter to be so incredibly fast.
"Adios," she said with a smirk, taking a single step back, just outside the vault's threshold. Then, she crushed the teleportation crystal once more. This time, with a shimmer, she vanished from the bank.
TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!
At that very moment, Matilda entered, clad in a striking red dress and a face veil, flanked by five Imperial guards, all of them of heavenly rank.
She stopped at the entrance, her gaze sweeping over the scene, then settling on her magnificent tiger, which rapidly shrunk in size and rushed towards her. Matilda squatted down, her hand stroking the beast's golden fur.
'I failed you, master,' the tiger spoke telepathically, its voice filled with sorrow.
'No... Don't worry, we will get...' Matilda stopped mid-sentence as her eyes fell upon the empty pillar where the golden box had once rested. "Where is the Box?!" she demanded, her voice sharp.
'The Thief took it,' the tiger replied, its telepathic voice tinged with regret.
"Check the surveillance cameras! Now!!" Matilda commanded, her fury palpable.
"No need!"
A man, presumably the bank owner, rushed towards them, tapping on a device in his hand. A holographic screen materialized, displaying the imposter's actions...
...Matilda stood up, her gaze fixed on the image of the woman who looked exactly like her.
"This?" Matilda uttered, stunned.
"....!!!"
The Imperial guards were equally dumbfounded.
"I thought your bank can detect this?!" Matilda asked coldly, her voice laced with dangerous calm.
"Empress, I am also confused," the man stammered, his face a mask of mild horror.
Matilda watched the feed, observing as the imposter reached the golden vault, placed her hand on it, and then spoke the password.
'Hmm, came prepared... This person must be a top-notch expert! Not only did they take my appearance, they even copied my voice and fingerprints?! How can someone copy a fingerprint?' she thought, a flicker of shock in her eyes, the next moment; a slow smirk spread across her face:
'I am not a lady who never leaves any weak joints!'
She activated a cosmic brain, and a miniature planet shimmered into existence before her. A red light pulsed on the planet's surface.
"Send the Imperial guards to the planet of Xinoc! You must find this person at all cost!" The five soldiers nodded in unison and swiftly rushed out from the passageway.
"My Queen, I am deeply sorry for this. As the owner of Star Bank, I will take all responsibility!" the man declared, bowing his head in deference.
Matilda waved her hand dismissively and turned to her tiger, which instantly grew back to its imposing size. The man watched as she gracefully mounted the golden beast.
'What do you say, old friend? Let's go hunting... I need my thing back!' she communicated telepathically to the tiger.
WHOOSH!!
The man took a startled step back as the tiger glowed for a few seconds, then, with a silent roar of energy, disappeared into thin air.
'That beast is as strong as a celestial rank! And it wasn't even in its armor,' the man thought, wiping sweat from his brow.
'I pity this Thief; the Empress is personally hunting him.'
"Hmm..."
The man turned to Violet, who was just beginning to stir, groggily sitting up. "What happened?" Violet mumbled, clearly disoriented.
"Someone is about to die," he answered her, his voice grim.
"...Huh?" Violet was stunned, utterly bewildered by his cryptic response.