123 Chapter 29.6 - Banquet
<nulli>-WROOM!
Countless sounds of whirling were echoing inside the room. There were screens illuminating the darkness, and before them stood the bulky man.
"They finished." He said as he looked at one particular screen.
<nulli>-TAK!
At that second, from one of the portals, two figures emerged, one holding the other on her shoulder.
"Job is done." One of the figures spoke.
<nulli>-THUD!
-And following that, the figure dropped the lump of flesh to the ground.
"Hmm…." The bulky man approached the body lying and lowered his gaze. Squinting, he observed the body for a little while; his eyes were shining with a color of blue.
"Good." He nodded his head in response. "He is not injured." As he said that, he turned his attention to the veiled figure at the center of the room with countless different black tendrils spreading.
The bulky man's eyes met the veiled figure's, and it was clear that he was the one seeking cooperation.
"Your assistance is invaluable," he began, his voice filled with a sense of urgency. "We don't have much time."
As the bulky man said, he signaled the young man underneath. "I have provided my part of the deal. Now, you need to do your own as well."
The moment the bulky man finished his words, the veiled figure moved slightly. Even though shadows covered their face, and it was impossible to discern any of their features, it was an act that showed they were in the conversation now.
"Yes. It is now my part."
As they said that, suddenly, a special construct made by darkness started forming in front of his body. Slowly and one by one, the details of the construction started taking shape, and in the end, they formed a building.
<nulli>FOOSH!
However, that wasn't the end.
The veiled figure extended a hand towards the miniature construct of the Blackthorn mansion. Slowly, details formed. Each wall, each window, and even the intricate designs of the building's architecture became vividly visible in the miniature replica.
"H-how?"
Suddenly, a voice came from the young man lying on the ground. He was now awake and looking at the miniature.
The veiled figure continued to shape the miniature, revealing inner chambers, secret passages, and hidden compartments. It was a flawless representation of the mansion, down to the smallest detail.
"There." The veiled figure pointed to a particular location within the model with a small arrow made by the darkness, a concealed chamber that was hidden from plain sight. "That's where they keep it."
The bulky man leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he examined the spot. "Good. Now tell me more about this item and the security surrounding it."
"There isn't much there." The veiled figure spoke. "You just need to take this." Following that, a small vial filled with blood was carried to the bulky man. "This will be enough for you to enter without any force."
The bulky man accepted the vial of blood, carefully storing it in a secure pocket on his uniform. He knew the significance of this small vial; it would serve as their ticket to access the Blackthorn mansion without triggering any alarms.
"You've been helpful so far," he stated in a businesslike tone, his blue eyes unwavering as he met the veiled figure's gaze. "But remember, this is a partnership of necessity. If anything goes wrong or if you double-cross us, you know what the consequences will be." With each of his words, immense amounts of pressure descended upon the figure.
However, the veiled figure didn't flinch. "You have your motives, and I have mine. This transaction is one of mutual benefit. Rest assured, as long as we achieve our respective goals, there will be no need for double-crossing."
"Good to know." As the bulky man said those words, he immediately turned his attention to the screens and tapped the microphone. "Team Fox, get ready."
The moment he finished his words, a huge amount of mana got sucked in, forming another portal behind the room. A group of black-clad individuals followed the portal and entered there without an ounce of hesitation.
"How can you know that?"
Kaiser Blackthorn was aware of the significance of what was happening. The fact that this person was aware of the location of 'that' was disturbing.
"You haven't understood it yet?" As the answer, a rather questioning tone came. "I always thought you were on the smart side."
However, the moment those words left their mouth, Kaiser's face lost its color.
"No...Y-you...Y-you should be dead."
A low, almost mocking chuckle emanated from beneath the veil. "Death, young Kaiser, is not always the end. There are ways to escape its clutches, to defy its finality. Let's just say I found a way to make a return, and here I stand before you."
As the veiled figure's cryptic words settled in, a chilling realization began to take hold of Kaiser. There was something undeniably familiar in the veiled figure's mannerisms, in the way they spoke, in the threads of their shared past that seemed to dangle before him.
Kaiser couldn't escape the sense of déjà vu, as if a ghost of his past was emerging from the shadows. The figure's words carried a weight of secrets and grievances, a hint of unfinished business that only deepened the mystery.
If this person was still alive, didn't that mean...
"I can't believe it," Kaiser stammered, unable to hide the tremor in his voice. "But why... How...You betrayed the family…..You were banished with them…..You….."
The veiled figure's voice remained as cold and distant as ever, but even then, a slight mocking could be sensed from his following actions.
"Heh….." The figure released a small mocking laugh. "The betrayal you spoke about…..Weren't you with father the ones who did that?"
Kaiser just shook on the ground, unable to keep his composure. "I-it...I-it was for the sake of family, you know that too."
The veiled figure's cold facade cracked for a moment, revealing a deep-seated anger. "You think this was about some family gains? About wealth and power?" His tone grew more intense, filled with a smoldering resentment. "<nullb>Her life was worth more than all of that combined. But you never understood, did you?"
The revelation hung heavy in the air, leaving a profound silence in its wake. Secrets and buried emotions were resurfacing, weaving a complex and conflicted history between Kaiser and the veiled figure.
"None of that matters anymore." The veiled figure simply raised their head and looked at the ceiling. "In the end, I will bring her to life, and I will do whatever it takes to achieve that."
Kaiser couldn't shake the ominous feeling that he was in the midst of something far more dangerous and more profound than he could grasp.
It was as if an intricate puzzle of the past was unraveling before him, revealing hidden connections and deep-seated emotions that had long been buried.
His disbelief was evident as he looked at the veiled figure, struggling to comprehend the figure's intentions. "What are you going to do?"
Just like any other human being, he also wanted to know about the fate waiting for him in the future. He wanted to know what was going to happen to him the most.
The veiled figure's gaze remained fixed on the ceiling as they spoke, their voice carrying an eerie sense of purpose. "I have found a way—a path guided by holy power and ancient prophecies. I will do whatever it takes to bring her back to life, even if it means confronting the strongest family that pushed me to this pit of hell."
As the veiled figure said that, they turned their attention to Kaiser.
"And you…..You will be the first piece in that path…" In their shadowy face, two green eyes shone at that exact second filled with emptiness. "And then it will be the 'Saintess' of prophecy. The chosen one of sun."
As his cold words echoed in the room filled with darkness, Kaiser could only gulp and wait for the future awaiting him…..
******
[Team Fox, Report.]
In the heart of the Blackthorn Mansion and narrow corridors, hidden beneath layers of powerful magical wards and guarded by immense quality artifacts, four figures could be seen walking.
Each of them had their body covered by a black cloth.
"Team Fox, reporting. We have arrived at the designed destination." The man standing in the front spoke with a serious tone as he reached a small door.
The door was shining, and countless different lasers could be seen behind it. Normally, they would use mana disturbance to destroy the artifacts, but this door was different.
Instead of working with the mana in the environment, these artifacts were supplied by the mana source underneath the mansion. A special technology that only the highest-ranking families had access to.
That was also the reason why they were unable to directly open a portal just before the vault, even though they knew the exact location of it since the walls were made of the world's most expensive material with [Mana Defiance] property.
[You have three minutes left.]
"Understood."
As the man replied, he reached into a concealed pocket and withdrew a vial of dark crimson liquid. With a practiced motion, he dropped a single drop of blood onto the small circle beneath the door.
The moment the droplet touched the circle, the intricate wards and laser defenses surrounding the door started to deactivate one by one.
[Deactivation in progress. Scanning...]
The mechanical voice in the room announced their progress.
The rest of Team Fox watched with bated breath as A continued to feed the circle drops of the blood.
They knew the importance of the bloodline recognition system. It was the Blackthorn family's last line of defense, a final safeguard to protect their most precious secrets. Even coming here alone showed
[Authorization confirmed. Access granted.]
<nulli>-TAK!
The moment those words resonated through the chamber, the towering doors swung open, revealing a pitch-black passage leading into the heart of the vault.
"Team Fox reporting. We have access to the vault now."
As A reported, he gestured to his members with his hands. Even though, according to the information they had received from the veiled figure, nothing must happen, they knew he wasn't trustworthy enough.
[Good. Make sure to secure the artifact, but don't lower your guard.]
With the command coming from the earphone, he immediately signaled his team to enter the vault.
<nulli>-THUD!
With fast steps, the members entered the vault rapidly without wasting any more time.
<nulli>SWOOSH
Though little did they know, behind them, a shadowy figure followed their steps.
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