Free Web NovelChapter 51: Chapter 51- The Port City
Chapter 51- The Port City
After lunch, the two left the restaurant. It was still early in the day, so the sun was still hanging in the sky.
"So, where is your butler?" Zen asked.
"He won’t be here. However..." Cipha looked ahead as she located a car standing in front of the restaurant. She walked to it, and shockingly, she was able to open the door easily. "Yeah, he already secured a car for us."
"..." Zen looked at her with a blank face before he smiled wryly. "Of course. I always underestimate you."
Cipha rolled her eyes and got inside the car. Zen then followed her and took the passenger seat. "Do you know how to drive, Cipha?"
"Yeah, I got my license a year ago in preparation." She replied as she searched for the key and found it in the socket, and then turned the car on and drove away. The weather was nice that evening as the sun set in the distance, casting its remnant rays of light on the car.
The two left the town and found themselves on the highway leading to their next city. Peburg was one of the major port cities in the region. Boasting a population of almost 30 million people, it was called the pearl of the East.
The city itself was under the direct control of the Heavensoul, but due to the distance, their influence on the city’s policies was weak. That was precisely why Kaen and the rogue hunters were able to take it as a base for their operations.
The clan wouldn’t bother to try to find them in such a massive city.
"Have you located where they are currently?" Zen asked.
"Yes, I have found some information about their location. However, I am not certain if it is accurate. They’re a very secretive group, and they don’t let their information leak out easily. However, I’m certain we will find them." Cipha said.
"Do you think they’re capable of doing any significant damage to the Heavensoul clan?"
"No." Cipha shook her head. "They are not aware of how deep the clan runs and how many assets they have on hand. In my plan, I intended to take care of every other clan before I finally focus on the Heavensoul. They’re the strongest and by far the most dangerous. Their power and influence run to every corner of the world." freēwebnovel.com
Cipha had seen with her own eyes the sheer power her family holds. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Heavensoul clan is stronger than all the other three pillar clans combined.
They were far bigger than any nation on the planet, and they had the full freedom to do anything they wanted.
"They are merely a small, annoying bug for the clan that they can’t be bothered to squash since they’re too busy with other matters," Cipha said. "That is precisely why they’re the perfect group to look for. They align with us but aren’t dangerous enough to bring unwanted eyes. We can take the time to get strong... The clan won’t really bother me for now."
"Even though they’re keeping their eyes on you?"
"Hm, they always do," Cipha replied with a cold look. "They know they can’t control me, but they also don’t want me to be out of their grasp completely. It will be tricky."
’Even if they don’t admit it, Cipha is still their most valuable asset. Her parents know that the future of the entire clan relies on her. Hm, I still don’t understand why they never tried to stop her until years down the line, even though they knew of her powers. Cipha never explained that to me.’ Zen squinted his eyes. ’It certainly has to do with the kind of relationship she had with her parents. Something she kept a secret from me.’
In their life together, there were certain things that Cipha never told Zen about simply because she couldn’t find the power within her to do so. It was her dark past, and even though she told him about many parts of it, some parts were just far too rough to even mention. The trauma ran very deeply.
Zen’s eyes wandered outside as the sun was setting; his eyes were lost in memories as he recalled everything that had happened. The car moved like a flash, cutting through the empty highway at over 100 mph.
For the next few hours, the two traveled in silence with the occasional chats breaking through when they noticed something. The atmosphere was pleasant and peaceful, but they knew that it was the calm before the storm.
Everything that happened before was barely the start. The first part of their mission was on, and they had to do it right, or it would set them back a lot.
Their first target... Kaen.
***
At the same time, far, far away from Zen and Cipha, in the depths of the forest. It was night, the quiet sense of terror that the forest brings when there is no light could not be replicated by anything else.
"We have found them, sir! They’re... all dead."
A group of individuals stopped in an open field where they found several dead corpses lying on the ground. Flies were already swarming them and eating their flesh.
"They were all killed last night." One of the Hunters said with a cold tone. "Even Kaiser, sir..."
The man frowned, seeing the state of his comrades, as he sucked in a deep breath. Then, he looked over his shoulder at a particular man who was walking toward him. His air alone would send shivers down someone’s spine.
He stopped near the corpse and stared down coldly. His eyes scanned it up and down. Then, he looked up and all around him.
"The Wood Folks... Were they the only people living here?" He asked coldly.
"Yes, sir. We have confirmed that there are no other inhabitants of the forest around here." Another Hunter said.
"..." The leader squinted his eyes before he turned around. "Investigate that again. Something doesn’t add up." freewёbnoνel.com
"What do you mean, sir?"
"That doesn’t look like the work of a Wood Folk. They don’t kill that way. The burn marks are the trace of his own fire." He said. ’How did his fire kill him? That doesn’t make any sense.’
Seeing the state of some of the corpses, the man wondered what truly happened last night. It was a massacre of the highest degree, and he needed to get down to the bottom of it.
The Hunters immediately spread around to investigate the area and search for clues. Meanwhile, the leader walked to a corner and pulled his phone out. A second later, someone replied.
"I have confirmed their deaths. The entire squad was wiped." He said coldly. "The reason is unknown. The rune is also nowhere to be seen."
"..."
"Yes. I’m working on it. I will locate the rune soon enough." He said. "As for the culprits... I think that is something that runs deeper than we expected. If I had to guess, it’s not the doing of Wood Folks... At least not in full."
A few seconds later, he hung up the phone and stared into the distance. Nobody knew what was going on through his mind at the time.
