Three groups were sent out as planned, and Vanor waited for news inside one of the houses they rented. He sat around a round wooden table with two prominent Hunters.
One of them was a young man with short black hair and abyssal black eyes. In addition to his slightly pale skin, he looked at Vanor with disinterest. He wore a brown jacket, black pants, and a pair of leather boots. He was Schizel, a Nameless.
He muttered under his breath, "Even if we bother making changes, the plan is already set in stone."
Vanor kept quiet as he shifted his gaze towards the young lady. She was adorned in a plain black dress, and along with her long black hair and sharp blue eyes, she seemed cold as ice. She was named Reinalyn, or Reina as everyone calls her, since even Vanor wasn't allowed to call her that.
She spoke resolutely, "The cost doesn't matter; as long as we go with an aggressive plan, victory will be on our side."
Vanor listened carefully as he thought to himself: Unfortunately, Lady Silk should also be here, but I can't seem to find her. Is she not scared that I'll tell others her identity?
Vanor waved his hand and replied, "They've already been sent. We're here to discuss the plans, remember?"
Schizel looked at him blankly, his eyes half-closed as he spoke, "Does it matter? We're Hunters; it's an obligation to fight."
Reina snorted and crossed her arms as she spoke, "Sending out a suicide squad to test the Wolf Lord's capabilities would be for the best, after all; it's an unknown variable."
Schizel sneered and shot her a look and retorted, "Are you stupid? That will just decrease morale to rock bottom."
Reina shook her head and smiled, replying plainly, "Not if it's kept hidden."
"Secrets don't last." Schizel withdrew his gaze and slumped into the table.
Reina stood up with a ferocious gaze, her hands clenched tightly into fists, trembling with rage.
Vanor sighed lightly and told them, "Cease the fighting. We're here to discuss a plan, understood?"
Reina sat down and nodded, releasing her fist. Vanor glanced at Schizel, who remained silent. He continued, "In our current state, there's nothing wrong yet, but once the Wolf Lord moves, everything will go awry. That's why we should create a plan now."
"The future is unpredictable; the best course of action is to…"
"React."
Vanor's eyes widened slightly upon hearing them speak so perfectly with each other. His expression returned to normal after he took a few deep breaths.
"That's true… however, with a plan in mind, even if something goes awry, at least we have something to base our plans on," Vanor replied.
Reina pondered for a second and nodded, but Schizel said otherwise. "That's not necessarily true. If everything goes off course, then we'll start lagging like a bunch of stupid ducks."
I see… he really doesn't care anymore. That certainly fits him well. Sigh, among everyone I have met, Schizel falls under one of the few who are nihilistic to their core. He has nothing left, so he became a Hunter, but because of his ridiculous strength, he has barely faced death in the face. But his strength did help him garner a following. The same logic applies to Reina. Vanor thought moved like thunder as he continued: These two are my trump cards, and if I were included, it would be three. Although I lack Schizel's strength and Reina's techniques, it doesn't matter; after all, I am a Holder. I am blessed with an ability, and due to the nature of it all, every Holder has a certain degree of Body Enhancements corresponding to the strength of their ability.
Thankfully, I managed to convince these two not long after my return from being defeated by the Wolf Lord. Vanor sighed internally and clenched his fist.
They continued to talk for another hour, but even after they had finished discussing, they stayed.
Suddenly, the door opened, and a person wearing a black cloak and mask stepped inside. It was Lady Silk.
They darted their gazes at her,r but she simply sighed and took a seat. A second later, she took out a deck of cards and started shuffling. After which, she started giving them their cards. And just like that, they started to play.
An unknown amount of time passed, but after three rounds, Reina took her leave. After another two, Schizel left with a dazed expression, leaving Vanor and Sophia alone.
Vanor propped his chin, narrowing his eyes as he watched Sophia. Sophia felt a chill run down her spine, but after biting her lip to calm herself and muttering softly, "I've returned it, ok?"
Vanor leaned back and played around with the cards in his hand, shuffling them around. He spoke solemnly, "Why did you even come? Your actions tell me more than enough. You've shown a clear lack of interest, or should I call it–indifference? Look at this: bringing cards to play- isn't that a clear sign of detachment?"
Sophia listened quietly, boring her gaze at Vanor. She shook her head and said, "You think too highly of me."
Vanor waved his hand, dismissing her words as he explained, "Since the time we met, roughly two years ago, you've managed to establish a web of connections across Daisal and the underground market. This is something that even I respect you for. You wear a mask, as though you fear people would find out your identity, but the truth is… it's within your reaction; you chose to let them know. How could a member of the prestigious Thread Bloodline be so lowly?"
Sophia smiled lightly and shook her head, repeating her words, "You think too highly of me."
However, she thought internally: But I can't say that he was wrong. Sigh…
After hearing her reply, Vanor leaned in and asked again, "So, why did you come?"
Sophia's eyes lit up for a second as she spoke, "It's about a simple matter. I've come to tell you about the details of Mount Lorebale's secret."
Vanor frowned and asked, "What's the price?"
Sophia placed a finger on her mask's lips as if pondering. A second later, she spoke, "I want you to survive."
…
Inside Fang Hau's Chamber, Zixin woke up and noticed Fang Hau's absence. He surveyed his surroundings, and after finding nothing out of the ordinary, he grabbed his cane and walked off.
As he walked down the hallway, he thought to himself: It's quite lonely like this, huh? It's not like I have anything to do, and leaving isn't a great idea; after all, there are probably hordes of wolves waiting to find their meal. Well, I suppose I am waiting for Hope to hand me the artifact shell, but… why did Fang Hau send her of all people? Wouldn't it be better if it were me? Sigh, forget it; Hope is probably stronger than I give her credit for.
Zixin tossed the thought aside as he closed his eyes. His mind froze, but the next second, his mind turned into a whirlpool, sucking all his thoughts into one. A second later, the whirlpool split into two as Zixin's mind was sent into the White Palace.
Just as he did, he felt a familiar sense of warmth invading his body. It was his Body Enhancements.
But the moment he finished this, he looked at the hallway with confusion. He felt as though something was missing. His pupils shrank as a realization hit him: Fang Hau!
He looked back at the hallway and dashed straight towards the throne room.
As he ran, his thoughts ran like a wildfire: Since when did Fang Hau's presence completely vanish? Why didn't I notice? I could have sworn that I saw him before I fell asleep. Ugh, why did he have to be like this now of all time?
Suddenly, Zixin stopped, closing his eyes as he felt a sudden change in his surroundings. He raised his hand, pressing his palm against the wall.
The vibration of the earth travelled through his palm like a serpent and echoed inside him. He withdrew his hand and raised his gaze above. His heart slowly sank as he muttered, "The siege has begun…"