Chapter 468 A Step to Strike Back (1/2)
The scarlet wine rippled in the wine glass under the shine of the magical crystal. Zieg Alanic sat comfortably on the chair in his straight tuxedo. His neatly combed hair was as meticulous as his personality. His confident face and dusky eyes gazed at the wine glass in his hand as though entering a meditative state.
There wasn't much peace on the outside. Although a few days had passed, there were still flares, sword clashes, and swear words every now and then. Everything would turn silent… And after a few moments, it would repeat itself.
Zieg gazed at his wine glass while a half-naked and delicate woman leaning on him shuddering. A few moments before, she was trying to have an intimate contact with this handsome man. However, the bloody corpse of her companion by her feet warned her that it wasn't a smart choice. But it was too late. She tried her best to refill his wineglass with trembling hands, at the same time gazing at the terrifying man before her.
The wooden doors swung open and broke the strange silence in the room.
”Damn it!” A man with a burly stature covered with hide from top to bottom entered the room. He undressed his raincoat and shook off the raindrops before sitting on a chair beside Zieg. At the same time, he kicked the stiff corpse away and snatched over the wine on Zieg's hand to finish it in one go. ”Woah, this feels great and there's no difference from the hell on the outside. Those idiots told me they were capable of managing the place but it is still so chaotic after such a long time. Those city guards couldn't even handle this situation and those idiots dared to assure me that everything is under their control? My *ss! Do they think that I'm blind or deaf?”
”How's the situation?” Zieg tapped his finger on the table after ignoring the man's blabbers.
The man let out a snort and spread out both hands. ”It's not looking good, Young Master. Those bastards chose the right place because we tried to attack but we couldn't get our hands on them. Instead, we even lost a few of our men. But luckily, we have surrounded them entirely and it will be as hard as scaling the heavens for them to escape. Thanks to these bastards, no one has suspected our operations. But I think that this isn't the solution because we don't know what are those bunch of filthy undead creatures are thinking. Besides, we clearly threw a bait but it wasn't taken by them. This is too strange… Should I investigate once more?”
”There's no need to,” Zieg stood on his feet and picked up the pitch-black cloak and top hat from the rack handily to complete his rigorous outfit. His hands iswiped through every inch of his tuxedo and pants. ”There's no time left before the start of the parliament meeting. All we need is time and as long as there's enough time… Delay them, and if you can't kill them, at least you should prevent them from making it back in time. No matter what or how you do it, remember, I only wish that this parliament meeting will commence, proceed, and end peacefully like the other meetings that we have been holding. Understand?”
”Don't worry, Young Master. Leave it to me.” The man nodded while Zieg tidied his hat and cloak before opening the door. An old butler with an umbrella in hand stood before his young master.
”Don't let down my trust in you. By the way, get rid of that junk,” said Zeig before he left the room.
The wooden door closed and the man sneered mischievously as he stripped his clothes off before the shuddering and ashen young lady. He gazed at his prey viciously while licking his lips.
What a nice meal this is gonna be…
The rain continued to fall and it had gotten heavier.
Rhode stood above a pile of rocks while rainwater flowed down his cloak. He gazed at the black silhouette of the hill in a distance while another figure emerged by his side.
”Mr. Rhode, I'm sure they're up there,” Viktor fiddled with a stone in his hand that was engraved with a clear triangular imprint. The traces seemed to be from less than a day ago, to which Viktor heaved a sigh of relief. However, he lifted his head towards Rhode with complicated emotions.
It wasn't difficult to arrive at Soraka Mountain through the intersection point. As a matter of fact, there wasn't even one centimeter between both locations on the map. But there was this terrifying sensation where all kinds of monsters were lurking and ready to kill you. Furthermore, their appearances didn't tell anything about their weaknesses. Moreover, there was also the unbearable, chaotic forcefield due to the conflict between the Dragon Souls. In fact, one who entered the intersection point would feel as though one was squeezed and deformed between two steel plates and the pain could make him crumble. Moreover, this wasn't an illusion at all and it felt as though a virus was corroding your body. making you unconscious. The worst case scenario could even make one insane and commit suicide.
Due to this, the path towards the intersection point wasn't as easy as it seemed to the eyes. In theory, it would require about one to one and a half days to complete the journey through the intersection point. Even a guild leader and a powerful swordsman like Viktor could remember the nightmare that scarred him even though he ran non-stop for two nights. Viktor strongly believed that he would never forget this experience. However, he had to brace himself to lead Rhode's group back for the sake of his men and complete this mission.
But the truth was totally different from what Viktor had thought.
Although Viktor was mentally prepared for another torture, Rhode's behavior made him feel that his fears were all pointless. At the edge of the intersection point, Rhode ordered everyone to consume the potions that he retrieved from his Spatial Bag. Even though this potion had a repugnant smell, its effects were obviously helpful. Viktor stepped into the intersection point fearfully but he could no longer feel the painful influences of the conflicts between the Dragon Souls. Instead, the vortex of power that once made him felt like a trembling rag had turned into a gentle, harmless breeze. Rhode's mercenaries who entered the intersection point reacted completely opposite of what Viktor had expected. On the contrary, they lined up in an orderly circle and didn't act like country bumpkins who rushed in to attack the strange monsters that they discovered. Anne brandished her shield and opened the path for everyone. The well-equipped Thieves sneaked closely while vigilantly watching all directions. Marlene instantly cast a defense wall whenever an enemy appeared while the archers would fire rounds and rounds of arrows at the unwelcome guests under Randolf's command. Then, the Thieves would quietly deal the final blow to their enemies before continuing to move forward without any intention of pursuing the retreating enemies or eradicating them.