Riven turned the stone in his hand, letting the faint glow settle into a steady rhythm as he examined it under the dim light of his room. The structure felt clean, unmodified, exactly what came out of a dungeon before anyone tried to resell it after use.
Selling it as it was would be straightforward. Daris would move it without questions, and the credits would come back quickly, just like every other transaction he had relied on so far. But he wasn't dumb enough to sell stolen goods in the same week he stole them.
He considered modifying it instead. An upgraded output would fetch more, especially if the efficiency improved even slightly. The problem wasn't the process itself, but the limits surrounding it. Rank didn't change without using a strand of the same rank. Using anything lower would only enhance the performance a little without changing it's rank. But a refinement like that would hit too close to home for anyone keeping an eye out for this skill.
Riven closed his hand around the stone and locked it in one of his table drawers. It wasn't worth circulating yet, not until he had a clearer picture of how far he could push things without exposing himself.
A quiet knock broke the stillness of the room before the door opened without waiting for a response. Leah stepped in, her eyes scanning the space out of habit before settling on him. She didn't carry the same detached tone as before. There was a trace of intent in the way she moved now, as if she had already decided this conversation mattered.
"You were quick," she said, taking the study chair across from him without being asked.
Riven leaned back slightly. "I'm impressed. That's some information network you have."
She didn't let him go off topic this time. Instead, she rested her arms lightly on the table, her posture more engaged than before.
"What you did last night landed at the perfect time," she said. "A pretty important deal being interrupted right when all the gangs have already been on the edge for quite a while."
Riven watched her without interrupting.
"They can't let this go without any display of setting things straight with the offender," she continued. "A show of weakness at this point and the other gangs will eat them right up."
"Who?" Riven asked.
"People tied to Virex," she said. "He's not at the top, but he's high enough that anything hitting his business gets a lot of attention. Whoever's been pushing against him has been trying to open gaps for a while, and this fits too well for them to ignore."
Riven considered that for a moment. "So they're watching each other."
"For now," Leah replied. "They don't really have a reason to look beyond. Whoever pulled it off knew the place and time of the deal. That's more than enough to keep suspicion contained."
It was more or less close to what Riven had guessed.
"They've started changing their play then?" he asked.
"Subtly," she said. "Some spots are being changed, timings are getting tighter, and the people handling transfers aren't as relaxed as they were a few days ago. Nothing obvious to the outside, but it's there nevertheless."
Riven nodded once, more to himself than to her. The system hadn't broken, but it had reacted. That was all he needed.
Leah watched him for a second before speaking again. "You're not planning to jump back in immediately, are you?"
"No," he said. "There's no reason to move while they're already looking in the wrong direction. I'll let them play with each other for a while and expose themselves."
A faint smile touched her expression, subtle but present. "Good. That saves me from having to talk you out of it."
Riven met her gaze. "But when they do expose themselves, I'll need something from you."
She didn't have the reluctant look on her face like usual. If anything, she leaned in slightly, waiting.
"Structure," he said. "Not surface movement. I want to know how these groups are set up. Who's the one pulling the strings, who's controlling which territories. And the most important, which gang's power is more decentralized among it's members, that's gonna play a major role in my future plans."
Leah exhaled slowly, considering the request. "That's a leap from tracking stalls and shipments," she said. "That kind of information is not something small timers like me should play with."
"I can already guess your capabilities from the speed of your operations, you don't have to act modest." Riven said.
She tapped her fingers lightly against the table with an amused expression, weighing the implications. "Ok, I guess," she said. "But it will take time. And I won't be selling this information to any other client, it dies with you"
"Deal." Riven smiled.
Leah studied him for a moment before nodding, the decision settling without resistance. "Then we should get it all in the open now," she said. "I'm gonna prioritize your work before anything else. I don't pass it along, and I don't take on anything that conflicts with it. And how am I compensated for all of this?" She asked already expecting the answer.
Riven didn't respond immediately. He let the shift register fully before answering.
"The same thing I promised you the first time we met, a piece of the action." RIven's tone turned serious.
Her expression eased slightly, not quite agreement, but close enough to it. "Then we're past trial," she said. "From here on, I'm not treating this like a one-off job."
Riven didn't say anything and just nodded.
She stood after a moment, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "I'll start with Virex's side," she said. "Figure out where he stands and who's pushing against him. Once I have something concrete, I'll bring it to you."
"Take your time," Riven said. "Accuracy matters more than speed."
Leah gave a small nod, then paused near the door. "You picked the right moment to step in," she said. "They're already off balance. But I have to say, most people wouldn't have the guts to jump into murky water when crocodiles are fighting each other."
"Haven't you heard? Fortune favors the dumbasses."
That earned a quiet, almost amused breath from her before she stepped out and closed the door behind her.
The room fell silent again. Riven reached for the stone again, letting it rest in his palm. The faint glow reflected against his fingers, and to him, it felt like steady progress."
They weren't looking for him. They were watching each other, tightening their own operations, trying to find a weakness that might not even exist. That gave him opportunity. This was his time to be patient and not rush into the fray.
He closed his hand around the stone and leaned back, his thoughts settling into a clearer direction than before.
He had entered their playground without being seen.
The next step wasn't to strike again. It was to understand exactly where to apply pressure and let the pieces fall in place by themselves.