The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet
Side Chapter Blazers 1: Do we have anything?

Side Chapter Blazers 1: Do we have anything?

Aluber, who wore his red vest with a black diamond pattern adorn over it, complained and sighed. “So after four weeks we have found no lead on the Hood, Celestira, or how the Area C8 barrier was overridden.”

The Blazers had reconvened in their hideout. Well in truth Aluber never left it because of him being declared dead. While Jordan and Susan went out exploring and did their own, more public investigating, however all three members couldn’t uncover much.

The government was also investigating all these matters. Susan and Jordan also had it setup so they could see the updated reports from the government investigation. This was possible because Jordan had worked within the government’s investigations team before he quit to pursue his old love music, and he used those old connections today in vain attempt to help his new family.

Susan, who was leaning on the red couch, replied to Aluber, “To be fair, we did have some leads on Dominous Hood, just none of them were substantial enough.”

Jordan grumbled, “Which again, does mean we have basically nothing.” He took a large sip from his water bottle and then crashed onto the couch.

Aluber asked, “What about those captured Hood goans?” 

Jordan replied, “All just hired to do a job, basically no relation, some didn’t even believe that Dominous Hood hired them and just laughed at their interrogators when they brought that up.”

“Okay, what about Celestira? I understand how we haven’t found them. But have we really found nothing at all?”

Jordan replied, “Stop chasing after a girl you haven’t even met.” Which got a glare from Susan, “Just trying to make a joke.” He threw his hands into the air. Jordan continued, a little more serious in his answer this time. “The government’s investigation team whose results were shared with us, found absolutely nothing.”

Susan added, “Well there were over a hundred possible suspects, but none met all the criteria listed.” She pulled out her phone and changed into a tablet shape and scrolled through the information listed.

“Analytical reports of the damages of the mall and from the investigation done of the museum that was demolished and buried. The main cause of the damage was a powerful fire monster that was sealed away. However, the additional damage within the concert has been associated with two very powerful Fire aligned creatures. With some heavy lightning damage as well, but that has been speculated to be from another now deceased source. Added on to that with the information collected about the brief recounts of Celestira, it is likely it was the one who fought the unknown beast.”

Susan swiped her stretched phone to pull forward another table of information.

Aluber pointed and asked, “If none of the suspects passed. Who is the most likely out of the denied candidates?” He was hoping that something was just overlooked.

“A tie between, Eva Kostberra, Ceella Stella, and Tiemual Kover.”

Aluber asked, “The latter and former are hunters I recall, but who is the second?” The Blazers, while a band, also did a fair amount of hunting–for inspiration and to relieve stress. And so Aluber made sure to know of, most of the higher levelled individuals in an area he was working in. 

Susan sighed and began recounting the report. “Ceella Stella. Age twenty-seven, standing at 1.86 metres tall. At least over level 200, with a J3 soul rank, a tier VI variant Fire skill and a heavily scarred appearance.”

Jordan added, “Can’t say I’ve heard of her myself.”

“You won’t find much by looking at her profile, no family, no prior jobs or income.”

Jordan questioned, “Is this some poorly put together fake identification?”

“No, but instead a recently found PLS.” Said Susan, which caused Jordan and Aluber to go silent. She continued with a sigh and frown, “In all investigations like this–where a big incident has recently happened–PLSs are basically always automatically added to the list of suspects. Usually unwarranted, but this time she did check a few boxes.

Aluber shook his head, and then asked. “So what boxes did she tick?”

Susan answered, “The use of Fire, being at the mall, being reportaly extremely strong as noted from her recent hunting expeditions, and…” Susan put her right hand on her head, disgruntled, shook and sighed. “Her name being ‘similar’ to Celestira.”

Jordan and Aluber both cringed at the last reason given, but curious Jordan asked, “For what reason was she crossed off the list then? I mean while not a clean fit, it seems she fits the bill.”

“Well apparently she only went to the mall after the accident happened because she had family at the concert, her soul rank being decently lower than what was predicted for the entity known as Celestira, besides for tier VI Fire skill the rest of her known skills seem to be survival oriented–further lowering her combat statics–and under a lie detector skill, she confirmed her name wasn’t also Celestira.”

Celestira’s strength was a big factor why many people were deemed to not be her, from the final attack, other signs of attacks and the evidence of her killing multiple tresspasses. The estimated range of strength was a soul rank of G3 - E3 and a minimum level of 300 with a combat focused Vocation. Her strange appearance was deemed to be the result of skill, but no-one knew what that skill could be, and the known skills that were seemingly similar acted differently. 

“Do we even know that Celestira was the entity's name?” Jordan questioned, “Assuming that had to be true has crossed most people off the list.”

“The doctor at the scene confirmed with his own lie detection skill, so it can’t have been a name they just made up.”

For all the weakness of lie detection skills, they were experts at detecting if something was just made up, even if the one in question believed it to be true. They were weird skills that most didn’t understand how to use properly but those in the professional industry usually received training to make excellent use of such skills.

Aluber decided that lead was dead, “Okay, okay, Ceella is also a dead end. I know of the other two, neither seemed to have the appropriate skills besides their Fire ones.”

“Pretty much what the report here says as well.” Susan sighed. She turned her head to Jordan “Were you able to find anything on the Hood’s movements?”

Jordan adjusted himself on the couch, “Ermmm… haa.. Sadly nothing substantial.”

“Substantial? Even worthless crumbs might have some value.” Said Aluber.

“Look, beside a no longer important lead, all I was able to find was just what everyone else already knew. They seem to have people everywhere, but most of these people are just zombies working for a couple individuals in each country. I don’t know shit.” 

Susan pressed his point, “The no longer im–”

Jordan, annoyed, interrupted “It was the name of one of the main operators in Metous. A lady by the name of Oval, but it seems they’re dead. So as I said, that lead is dead.” Jordan sighed, “Look, I wish that led somewhere. Spoke to over a hundred people just to find out that an important operative of the Hood is dead.”

“So no leads whatsoever?” Aluber sadly asked, “...We don’t know where they will be or what they want?”

“Artefacts, right?” Susan mentioned. “I mean that’s not the only thing they go after, but it's one of the most common targets of theirs.”

“What artefacts?” Jordan criticised, “I want to crush these bastards, but there are literally hundreds of thousands of power artefacts, we can’t just choose one on random or one we think they ‘might’ go after. We will just be wasting our time!” 

Jordan stood up, “We should just stick to training, the government can keep looking for the Hood, but we need to prepare for the chance, when it appears to crush those bastards skulls!”

Susan quietly agreed, while Aluber just looked towards the floor contemplating.

“That’s it. You’re right Jordan.” Aluber stood up excitedly, “We don’t know when they’re going to appear, so we gotta make it so they have to!”

“Huh?” 

“Simple. As you mentioned, if we have no idea what artefact they will go after next, then we just need an artefact they have to go after, and then make it so there is only one opportunity to get it.”

Susan, being pragmatic, asked, “But Aluber, it's going to be obvious if it's a setup.”

“Then we will make it real! A performance, a show, an item they will only be able to get their hands on if they take this ONE opportunity!”

Jordan started to smile, “I’m liking this plan.”

“We need time to prepare ourselves and the stage for the initial performance of our justice for Boss!” 

Aluber's heart was blazing. “Jordan, inform our associates we are leaving. Susan I need you to pull on your connections, we need to have a meeting with one of the highest levelled individuals, the wizard, Craftalot.”