Eevy leaned against the wall of an alleyway and crossed her arms.

She looked at Kai with a raised eyebrow and let out a soft sigh.

"If we are going to a masquerade ball hosted by a Duke, we need to look the part," Eevy stated matter-of-factly.

"We cannot just walk into the grand ballroom wearing bloodstained armour and expect to blend in with the high society crowd. They will throw us out before we even get past the front foyer."

"I agree we need proper disguises," Kai replied, resting his hand casually on his hip.

"But I refuse to spend a single gold coin on a coat I am only going to wear once. That gold is for funding our long-term survival, not for playing dress-up for a bunch of corrupt politicians."

Eevy shook her head.

"Then how do you plan on getting tailored formal wear before sunset without paying for it?"

Kai pulled out the hand-drawn map he had looted from the dead handler earlier.

He unrolled the paper and tapped his finger on a large estate located near the merchant quarter.

"We do not buy the clothes," Kai smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"We borrow them from someone who does not deserve to keep them. Your handler marked this estate as belonging to Lord Vance. The notes say he is a corrupt merchant who profits off the starving refugees by hoarding grain and driving up the prices."

"Vance is a parasite," Eevy agreed, her expression darkening at the mention of the man.

"He hires private muscle to beat the poor when they cannot afford his bread."

"Then he is the perfect target," Kai said, rolling the map back up and tucking it into his belt.

"I need some practice moving quietly anyway, and a corrupt merchant’s house is the best place to test out my new footwork."

They navigated the streets until they reached the edge of the merchant’s property.

The estate was surrounded by a tall wall topped with sharp iron spikes.

Eevy pointed out the faint red lines of magic woven into the gates.

"Those are warding runes," she whispered, crouching behind a decorative marble fountain across the street.

"If you touch the gate or try to climb over the stones, the magical alarm will trigger and alert the entire city guard. They are very sensitive to physical contact."

’A warding rune only works if you actually touch the physical barrier,’ Kai thought to himself, studying the shadows cast by the tall trees lining the property.

’So I will just skip the barrier entirely.’

Kai focused his attention on the shade pooling near the base of the stone wall. H

e tapped into his mana core and activated his new skill.

The world blurred around the edges for a split second as he stepped forward into the nearest shadow and instantly materialised on the other side of the high wall, standing perfectly balanced on the soft grass of the inner courtyard.

He looked back and saw Eevy watching him through the iron bars with wide eyes.

He gave her a quick wink before turning his attention to the grand manor house ahead.

This was the perfect opportunity to test out the stats he had absorbed from the rogue.

Kai moved toward the building, keeping his footsteps intentionally light.

He practised blending his direct spellblade combat style with the new stealth mechanics.

Instead of marching forward with boots, he rolled his weight smoothly from heel to toe.

The grass did not even rustle under his boots.

He felt fast and highly precise, slipping between the decorative statues like a ghost hunting for its next meal.

Two private guards stood near the side entrance of the manor.

They carried long wooden clubs and were laughing loudly about a joke, ignoring their surroundings.

Instead of using a weapon or Ice magic, He activated Shadow Step once more, jumping from the shade of a tall hedge directly to the =corner right behind the two men.

He reached out and grabbed the back of the first guard’s neck.

Squeezing his fingers tight, Kai applied a dose of strength directly to the pressure point.

The guard’s eyes rolled back, and he dropped to the ground without making a single sound.

The second guard spun around in surprise, raising his wooden club to strike.

Kai did not even flinch.

He simply pivoted on his heel and delivered a fast, open-handed strike to the man’s throat.

It was not a lethal blow, but the power behind the hit stole the breath straight from the guard’s lungs.

As the man gasped and stumbled forward, Kai caught him by the shoulders and carefully lowered his unconscious body to the soft grass so the armour would not clatter and make noise.

’Well, that was almost too easy,’ Kai thought to himself, dusting off his hands.

’Having good agility makes close-quarters combat feel like a slow dance.’

Kai picked the lock on the side door using a small trick Eevy had taught him on the boat ride over.

He slipped inside the quiet manor and made his way up the grand staircase.

The merchant was clearly living a life of extreme luxury while the rest of the city suffered. Fine paintings lined the hallways, and the floors were covered in thick, expensive rugs.

He found the master bedroom easily and walked straight into the sprawling wardrobe.

It was filled with rows of tailored suits, silk shirts, and fine leather boots.

Kai grabbed a charcoal red coat that looked roughly his size, along with a white shirt dark trousers.

He found a pair of intricate silver half-masks sitting on a velvet display cushion and grabbed those as well.

While rummaging through the drawers for a matching leather belt, his hand brushed against a leather pouch hidden beneath a pile of silk handkerchiefs.

Kai picked it up and untied the strings.

The pouch was filled to the brim with rubies and cut diamonds.

"Lord Vance will not be missing these," Kai chuckled softly, tossing the pouch of jewels into his rucksack right next to the stolen gold coins.

Kai stepped out of the shadows near the front gates a few minutes later, holding a beautiful green dress over his arm for Eevy.

She stepped out from behind the marble fountain, her eyes widening as she took in his new look.

"You actually look like a real noble," Eevy admitted, sounding genuinely surprised as she took the folded dress from his hands.

"I did not think you could pull off the high society look so easily."

"I look ridiculous in this velvet coat," Kai sighed, pulling at the stiff collar of the white shirt.

’But if it gets me close to the target, I will play dress-up.’

[Skill Proficiency Increased: Shadow Step]

Kai dismissed the notification with a quick mental command and handed Eevy the silver masks.

"Go find a quiet alley to change into that dress. The sun is going down, and we have a party to crash. It is time to see what kind of monster is running this city from the shadows."