On a bustling morning near the fountain in the middle of somewhere within the Dorian Citadel, Robert blended in the background with an easel, small improvised chair, and a nice painter's hat. He would look really friendly with a smile if not for an excessive face scarf and an alchemist goggle that made him somewhat blended even more?
From outside, nobody would know what he stared or whether he was smiling behind the cloth.
'The marked location had been fully prepared, now I only need a legit Usurper to bait.'
His eyes wander from person to person, one of them was a busty well-built female feline with a somewhat tattered outfit, with menacing otherworldly dragon plated arms and legs. She was nonchalantly eating a whole skewered street bbq on both hands. Robert wanted to look at another target but this woman had some serious muscles of pure effort. Although the only thing that made it stand out was the fact that she carried a whole mini shrine strapped onto her back.
'The description of a Usurper is a superhuman and this foreign screen in my eye described the face to face situation when meeting one of them to be unfair. She must be one of those Usurpers with that physique.'
Although he was wrong about Usurper needing to have beautiful muscles, Robert had found his target. By theory, he had to emit any kind of animosity intent or intense staring. His goggles made people didn't know which way he was gazing. By facing in another direction, he cornered his pupils and began to stare at the feline excessively.
The feline stopped and began glancing back suspiciously. It seemed like Robert's staring behind the goggles was perceived by his target. The silver haired feline faced at him and began walking into his direction.
'Great perception, another sign to check off.'
But before the fit feline was able to reach him, another muscly man suddenly appeared and blocked half of Robert's vision.
"Mr. Painter! I want some sketches of my gorgeous body, please!" The man threw a mid rank crystal at the mug beside him, he then opened his patterned battle robe with some segmented protection and held it by his waist. The man then started to flex his muscles.
The feline felt deterred and began to walk away in the opposite direction. Robert's disappointment was unfathomable. Another heavy sigh had been hurled.
'Gosh-darned bullock!'
As he painted the man onto the sketch almost realistically, he realized that the person he painted could actually be the Usurper he searched for.
"Mister, do you happen to be a Usurper?" Robert casually asked him while simultaneously working on the painting.
"Golden Orb Stage, of course! Comrade! Do you need anything? Considering that it's weird for a street painter like you to ask such things."
"Indeed I do." Robert stopped painting, knowing that he had purposely brought insufficient paint beside him so that he wouldn't finish his sketch. Without moving his lower part of the body. He then tried to reach for the canvas and painstakingly redirected the easel for the buffed man to see his unfinished sketch. "As you see, I really wanted to finish your beautiful image but I'm running out of a unique kind of oil paint that made your muscle look protruding from the image."
"Man, this is one hell of an unfinished paint. It would be a waste if you didn't finish this one, especially with how stunning your art style is... Want me to buy them for you?"
"Well, you can't buy them from a normal vendor, you see. I'm actually homeless and my temporary settlement is down on the west alley near the market, let me go there to restock my painting equipment—"
Robert then tried to stand up, he acted as if something was wrong with his legs. He made himself stand unstable and then fumbled over as the man caught his hands.
"Are you okay?" The Usurper was genuinely worried.
"I-I'm fine, it's an inherited disease and I think it began to act up."
"Man, how about I go there and you wait for me here? Only a few street painters are as skillful as you, I admire your talent so let me help you!"
If not because of the face scarf and the Victorian goggles, the man in front of Robert would be terrified of the devilish wide grin he made.
With some lengthy description of the pathway, Robert gave him the path he needed to take to reach his secluded fake shelter.
Before the man left, Robert asked him, "What is your name?"
"Dunir Pail, how about yours? Lanky man."
"I'm Jack." Robert paused before continuing, "Jack the Ripper."
"That is one hell of a weird name, but I got your back, Jack."
Dunir then left for his final destination and gave him a thumbs up.
Facing down to the ground, Robert pupils were glued to the muscley man until he was out of sight. He spun his painting knife on his finger, muttering a sentence.
"Always guard your throat."
Being the happy go lucky man, Dunir goes into a complicated junction of the alley one corner away before reaching his destination.
"Why do I feel something bad is going to happen? Nah, must be some invisible mystical beasts sprinkling their essence onto my head."
On the edge of the corner, could be seen an everlasting windmill made out of easily accessible material spinning gracefully. It created a distinguishable small creaking every time one of its protruding mills rubbed the wall. Dunir felt infested to the point that he didn't notice stepping onto contraption hidden on the floor, seemingly blended with the floor using high skilled painting skill.
A tube that was connected to the edge of the windmill began secreting flour and the mini windmill spread them all over the place.
"That Jack fella sure lived in a weird p-p-pla-plac—acchoo!"
The flour had been mixed with crushed red peppers. Despite being a Usurper, Dunir didn't expect a condiment being inhaled within a foreign alley path that he might've never come to.
With his sight and smell impaired, Dunir kept moving onto the corner and there he was met with a darkish area. A long and elaborate shade made with a cheap rug had been installed on top of this specific location.
Dunir saw some stuff there and there. He then found an improvised bed and a painting box set near to it. Or so he thought because he could only squint while coughing some nasty substances that he had inhaled.
"That guy might be a long time dweller here, urgh, my eyes…"
Unbeknownst to him, he had activated another contraption. It played a joyful melody that came out of the self-made barrel organ music toy. Dunir managed to peek at the well crafted device. He didn't question why the music suddenly played because it was a pleasing one.
Without bearing any guard or feeling of cautiousness, Dunir approached forward and grabbed the box that he deemed to be the painter's tool. The moment it was picked up, one of the rugs on the edge to another darker corner fell down and the light shone over a wooden doll. Everywhere was oily there and the light amplified it.
Because of the alluring sequence of events he encountered, he was a little bit excited and curious. Dunir squinted hard while trying to bear the pepper's pain.
"What is a doll doing there?"
Above him, there were numerous chain reactions of contraption that started from the falling rug at the end of the corner. It made quite a noise but the music and the pain had occupied him. Before he knew it, goosebumps traveled through his skin.
A crack of wind and a protruded sound of a swinged object could be heard.
Alas, it was too late.
A scimitar connected to a long timber landed on his neck, piercing through his vocal cord. Shocked, he dropped the box and an explosion occurred from the improvised shock-sensitive bomb, damaging his legs. His body dangled as the scimitar hanged him and rose through the jaw.
One of the pillar supports on the wall to the rug where he was standing was damaged by the explosion. Six scimitars facing the ground together with a whole platform of contraption fell on him.
He might survive if not only for the toxin within the scimitars. Robert had already killed another person and was testing its toxin potency, all for his goal.
The painter near the fountain took off his goggles. The digital purple screen on his pupil got refreshed.
[ Congratulations! Mr. Robert Holmes! You've finished your very first mission smoothly like a criminal!_
[ As a reward, please open your left palm to receive the Free Rebate Token! ]
Robert dropped his painting knife and opened his hand. A circular token with numerous purple engraving was ingrained. The object was cold, fitting for him.
The silent killer tightly clenched on it. He got up, and walked away, leaving all of his painting set equipment behind.