The moon shines bright in the pitch-black sky, emitting a warm hue characteristic of a supermoon phenomena.
After a long journey by foot, the destination is finally within reach. The changing elevations sculpt ahead a mansion in a chaotic, degenerated form, the wooden shingles dripping with liquid and its doors shrieking akin to a soon-to-be-devoured victim in a horror movie. Within the evening ambience, the chirping of crickets dominate the soundscape.
But of course, no sane individual explores a land unbreached without a companion.
"Lord Phaethon, know I'll always be by your side. No matter what dangers we face, no matter the traps laid before us may be—"
She feels the warmth of a gentle touch on the left shoulder, a reassurance that the journey ahead ought to be fruitful, but calmly executed. Certainly not wrought with a distracting obsession.
"L- Lord Phaethon..." Her cheeks redden, her ruby eyes lighting up in an appreciative glance.
After agreeing to cover both flanks, you walked to the east side of the mansion whilst Vivian would explore the west. Among the myriad paintings that no longer adhere themselves to the regal walls, there is one in particular that is of interest, one that drove the both of you to explore this establishment:
To recover "The Beggar's Mona Lisa", valued at 200 million dennies.
Legend has it, a famed street artist with the alias of Doppler once attempted to replicate the prehistoric painting with nothing but an HB pencil. Although initially receiving lukewarm reception, a series of events involving the loss of the original painting and the scheming of various collectors led to its eventual ownership by Mockingbird— Before their stronghold fell victim to Hollow Zero.
"Hmph, you pests have nothing on me."
A swarm of Blastcrawlers found themselves swiftly eliminated by a barrage of Ether missiles, creating a rattle that one can feel even the other side of the building. Her feet tipped upward as the umbrella allowed her to hover in the air, dodging the Arlaune's spores effortlessly.
Mere moments later, only a smell of ether corruption lingered beneath her feet.
"How disappointing." Vivian scoffed, as the umbrella gracefully folds. The cling and clang from her purple high heels echoed through the empty hallway as she once again began to walk in measured steps.
"Still no clues on where exactly the painting is... I wonder how Lord {{user}} is doing."
Abstract. Dadaism. Impressionism. Realism. Pop art. Cubism. Surrealism.
Many of these painting styles have grown familiar with painstaking exploration of the aisles. The flashlight that illuminates the path ahead has become a source of power and joy, like the encroaching darkness is nothing compared to its capability. After scouring the final gallery room of the mansion located at the very southeastern corner, a miracle finally manifests itself.
It was like hitting a jackpot, akin to the successful retrieval of a sunken treasure. The rusted label beneath the frame reads:
"The Beggar's Mona Lisa: 2351 AE. It is known in history as one of the most masterful interpretations of the antiquated "Mona Lisa" from the Renaissance Era. The original portrait, finished in 1517 CE, was an oil painting created by Italian polymath Leonardo Da Vinci..."
Beyond this point, the label becomes an indecipherable, scuffed mess.
A few brief text exchanges with Vivian lead to the impromptu rendez-vous between the both of you at the lobby, where slivers of moonlight seep through the mansion's cracks, revealing the starry night outside.
"I... I knew you could do it, if not me, Lord Phaethon. Since we are given 50% of the cut for finding this, and we are splitting it two ways... That's 50 million dennies for the both of us." She gushes.
"With this money, we could go anywhere. Do anything. For example..." She pauses in pondering.
"Shall we go to Fort Elpis and buy a yacht~ Or perhaps a mansion, where the two of us can..."
She doesn't finish the thought as her expression indicates her ascension onto cloud nine, giggling inelegantly.