[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dawn-walker":3,"chapter-dawn-walker-dawn-walker-chapter-196":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Dawn Walker",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1836753,2443,"Chapter 196: Midnight Theft IV","dawn-walker-chapter-196",196,"\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet moved like a man who had learned how to keep his heart steady in places where panic killed faster than enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reached a narrow observation slit—an old ventilation gap overlooking the corridor below. From here, Sekhmet could see them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty-plus bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distribution was exactly what Auri had reported.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two rank three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven rank two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest rank one and below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed.\"Too many to kill cleanly without noise. Too many to let them leave with nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not want a massacre inside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not tonight. Not right before the auction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he also would not allow them to walk out with his dignity in their hands. He will capture them. If they don’t compromise they will be his food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke in a voice barely above breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twins did not argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They understood the tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the treasury door began to open. Reyan and Dickon and fifty men hear the sound, Creak...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin line of darkness appeared first. Then the line widened. The hinge groaned softly like a throat opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door moved another inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air coming out of the vault felt colder, heavier, as if the room inside had been holding its breath for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon leaned forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan’s face tightened with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men behind them went still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the rank-two fighters quieted, because everyone knew this moment. The moment the door opened and greed became real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The treasury door opened enough to see inside. It was not fully open. But just enough to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that exact moment, their expressions changed. Shock struck them all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fear yet. Not understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the first violent crack of expectation hitting reality and breaking in the wrong direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon’s smile froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan’s hand went rigid on the handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the rank-two men whispered without meaning to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rank-three escort’s eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor behind them felt suddenly too quiet, because fifty men had all stopped breathing properly at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because whatever was inside the vault was not what any of them expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And before any of them could understand it, the night around them had already begun to close —quietly, patiently— like a trap that had been waiting for the door to open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The treasury door opened wider and wider. The first thing they felt was cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a normal cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind of cold that belonged to sealed stone rooms where valuable things were supposed to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when the lamp light spilled inside, there was no glitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No stacked chests. No legendary glow. No weapon racks. No artifact hum. Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just an empty stone. A clean vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clean enough to feel intentional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a heartbeat, nobody moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty men stood frozen in the corridor, staring into the mouth of a room that should have been full of treasure and was instead full of mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon’s smile cracked like thin ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan’s fingers tightened around the handle, confused at first, then suddenly terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the Rank One thugs laughed once, a nervous stupid sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he stopped when nobody else laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Rank Two stepped forward, squinting into the room like the treasure might be hidden behind air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s... nothing,\" he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words landed like a slap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon’s breath became sharp. He stepped to the threshold and shoved the door open harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door slammed against its stop. The lamp light flooded the vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empty. Only a stone floor. Stone walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single pedestal in the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And on the pedestal—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wooden plaque.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple. Cheap. Ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A carved hand stood upright on it. Not a noble hand. Not a statue hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hand with one finger raised. It was the middle finger. The finger looked almost polite in its craftsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like someone had taken time to make the insult elegant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small rune circle glowed under the plaque, and the moment the light touched it, a word window rose in the air above the pedestal like a floating announcement in a tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>MESSAGE: FUCK YOU\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For two full breaths, silence ruled. Then the corridor exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where are the items!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this a joke!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone check the walls!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two Rank Ones rushed into the vault, boots slamming stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They kicked the corners, slapped the walls, checked the floor like idiots, as if ten legendary items might be hiding behind an invisible curtain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing. No secret compartments. No false panels. No hidden racks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the finger. Just the message. Just humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon’s face turned red so fast it looked like his blood had boiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He whirled on Reyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this,\" Dickon hissed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan backed up, hands lifting instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I—I don’t know,\" he stammered. \"It was here. I swear it was here. I saw the transfer. I have the key. I—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the corridor wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wham!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan’s head hit a stone. He gasped, eyes watering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon’s voice rose, sharp and shaking with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You told me he stored ten legendary items here,\" Dickon snarled. \"You told me you had the key. You told me we would empty it and laugh tomorrow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan choked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did!\" he insisted, voice cracking. \"I did! I swear! How could he— how would he know—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the Rank Three escorts stepped closer, eyes narrowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop squealing,\" he said coldly. \"You were bait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word hit him harder than Dickon’s grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another Rank Two looked around the corridor suddenly, his gaze shifting to shadows, to ceiling beams, to the corners where torchlight did not reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice went quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This feels wrong,\" he murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first Rank Three escort’s eyes sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is wrong,\" he said. \"We were led.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon’s grip tightened until Reyan’s throat strained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan’s feet scraped the floor as he tried to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You set me up,\" Dickon hissed, not even sure who he was accusing anymore. \"You stupid dog!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan’s eyes were wide with panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not— I’m not— I didn’t—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Rank One thug near the back suddenly pointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone’s here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heads turned. A shift in the air. Not footsteps. Presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold pressure sliding into the corridor like a blade entering skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Sekhmet stepped out of the shadowed side route behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not rushing. Not dramatic. Just there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind of calm that made people feel like they were already dead and only hadn’t realized it yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For half a second, nobody moved because their brains struggled to place him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was supposed to be a silent theft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a confrontation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the empty vault and the raised finger had already proven the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet had known. He had been waiting. He looked at Dickon first. Then, at Reyan pinned against the wall. Then, at the fifty men filled his corridor like rats in a pantry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice came out even and quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reyan,\" Sekhmet said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan’s eyes snapped toward him, desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young master—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet cut him off with one flat word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Trash.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reyan flinched like he had been punched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dickon’s face twisted, anger and humiliation colliding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You,\" Dickon spat. \"You set this up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s lips curved faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" he replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the Rank Two fighters lifted his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet did not flinch. He looked past them slightly, toward the upper ledge. His voice stayed calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Vera. Vela.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above, two shadows shifted. The twins dropped. And the corridor stopped being a corridor. It became a battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>",1261,"2026-06-09T06:31:32.937Z",1,"novelbin.me","7d861933558b9d56fd914e5d460479b2bdd476886d597ffafe585c0267c9c6a4","dawn-walker-chapter-197","dawn-walker-chapter-195",359,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdawn-walker-cover.jpg"]