Chapter 651 (2/2)

As was the case often today, the door opened before he got there and a figure dashed out to slam into him. Once again, Naffur recognized him just as they smashed into each other: it was the leader of the terrorists.

When they hit each other, the leader was looking back over his shoulder so he was the one knocked farther backward by the impact. Naffur’s numb eyes had barely enough focus to take in the fact that the leader wasn’t wearing his power armor anymore, and that was enough for Naffur’s instincts.

“Intrepid Hammer!”

Congratulations! Your Skill Intrepid Hammer is now Level 11!

Congratulations! Your Skill Feign Injury is now Level 12!

Congratulations! Your Skill Cheap Shot is now Level 43!

Congratulations! Your Skill Feign Injury is now Level 37!

As his fist smashed into the leader’s jaw and the man’s head snapped sideways with an audible click, Naffur reflected tiredly that he was gaining quite a lot of PP today. Perhaps he could even finish a Path after it all.

For a second after the collision, the man swayed. Then the terrorist leader collapsed bonelessly in front of Naffur, and he realized that his blow had knocked the man out. Naffur himself swayed, barely able to keep himself standing as the rush of relief relaxed him. He looked from the man to the closing doors. Naffur’s headache continued to throb.

Mareen-

But the source of the danger was right here-

Complicating matters was the fact that there was no noise coming from the penthouse ballroom. Shouldn’t there be… some sort of battle going on…?

Eventually, Naffur compromised and began tiredly dragging the leader back towards the door to the ballroom. Better to keep an eye on him in the meantime. He seemed pretty weak if all it took to finish him was a strong punch to the jaw. Naffur felt somewhat peeved he had been so afraid of him earlier.

But he supposed the real danger was always the plasma rifles…

When Naffur entered the room, he froze. There was still a hole in the floor to the level below where the group had emerged from earlier, but now there were piles of torn and twisted power armor around it. A figure stood at the edge of the hole, looking casually down. There were other people in the ballroom gathered at the far end in a nervous ball, but Naffur’s eyes were drawn to that figure.

“...who is that?” The voice came from someone amongst the group on the far wall. To his relief, Naffur noticed Mareen was there.

The figure straightened, turning away from the hole and looking towards Naffur.

Eyes so emerald that when Naffur breathed sharply in he swore he could smell fresh cut summer grass. Short black hair and a sharp nose. And a frown that was piercing enough to give the recipient the feeling of a knife through the ribs with even a casual gaze.

The Ghosthound stood there, considering Naffur. Naffur’s left hand, pulling on the terrorist’s shirt, involuntarily released. The man thumped to the ground. That emerald gaze continued to linger, slowly unstitching Naffur and peering at his insides. Trembling, Naffur tried to say something but his voice failed him.

And what he had wanted to say was dumb. At that moment, he wanted to ask the Ghosthound… he wanted to ask what he saw. When the Ghosthound looked at Naffur and pulled him apart by the stitching to examine his insides... what had he found?

Who am I?

“That,” The Ghosthound said, and as he spoke his mouth spread into a brilliant grin. “...well, we will call them Agent One. And by my name, Randidly Ghosthound, let it be known that they are Ordained as the first member of my Order Ducis. Where they stand, they have the full weight of the Order behind them.”

The Ghosthound stepped then, and a single step made distance irrelevant. Instantly the Ghosthound was in front of Naffur, and his hands reached up and touched the side of Naffur’s mask, almost fondly. The touch was light and gentle, and it made Naffur’s trembling worse.

“Welcome to the fold. Make sure to have some fun, alright?” The Ghosthound whispered, and his eyes were two emerald lighthouses, warning Naffur away. But he felt himself falling forward helplessly towards them as his consciousness slowly left him.