Chapter 33: The Planted Seeds

Harker was coughing at the sudden strike. He glared angrily at Seeker once he recovered from the suffocating experience.

"I don't understand." Alean gave an even more confused look. Why was her father so mad? Seeker turned back to Harker, ignoring the odd glimpse of Alean.

"Oh, and General, the red gemstone, please. This very thing could just save your life."

Harker glared angrily at Seeker. But said nothing. He rubbed his throat as he tried to soothe the pain. Harker immediately opened his desk drawer and slid a part of the board to reveal a secret compartment containing three large gemstones in a glass container.

"How did you even find out about these gemstones?" Harker asked candidly as he opened the containers.

"You have more than one? Call it a lucky guess. I just need the red one." Seeker smiled.

A large beautiful crimson red jewel as taken out of the container, and Harker tossed it to Seeker.

"Thank you, General. See you tomorrow." Seeker turned around to leave.

"See you tomorrow, Miss." Seeker smiled as he sped off to the exit.

Only then did Alean realize what Seeker had done. Alean quickly turned and threw the medal back to Seeker's departing figure. Harker frowned at this action.

Seeker caught it without looking.

"It's better if that's with you." Alean smiled. Seeker waved back as he walked towards the end of the hallway.

Seeker slowly disappeared at the turn of the corner.

A man stood at the roof of an abandoned building near the factory. He noticed four other individuals in the area and seemed to be waiting. If these were the Young Master's friends, then he'd be dead if he hurt them. He sighed and waited.

All his life, he feared only three individuals. A terrifying assassin that made his skills look like that of a child, his Master's disciple, and his Master, the Dragon. Now, however, a fourth personage rose from the shadows that instilled fear in his heart. This person was definitely weaker than his Master or the assassin, but all that Sting could do was a scratch this person. And that was taking into account that this person never intended to kill him.

Sting heard an unusual sound at the edge of the factory. He readied his senses to identify the direction of the fleeing figure.

Sting frowned. The movement of these footsteps outdid even his own techniques. Perhaps only his Master and the assassin could match this person's foot technique.

Strangely, this fleeing figure was headed straight to him. Sting sighed in depression. He was about a decade older than this person, but this person's sensing technique far outclassed his.

"Truly worthy of being Master's son." Sting smiled. He was sitting in a meditative position but stood up. Before him stood the very figure, he was locking on to.

"Sting. It's a good thing you waited for me. Actually, it's a bad thing. I should kill you. But considering this would make my life so much easier, I guess it's a good thing." Seeker smiled calmly as he approached the sitting assassin.

Sting's calm face suddenly turned to one with horror.

"How has this one offended Young Master?" He gave a respectful bow immediately.

"I told you not to follow me, and yet you waited for me here. No doubt to observe my movements. Have you been eavesdropping at my friends?" Seeker smiled.

A chilling sensation started to build up. Sting knew this was Seeker's aura.

"Young Master, please forgive me!" He knew he couldn't lie his way out of this.

"Don't worry. As I said, with the recent turn of events, it looks like this will help me. Is this what you came for?" Seeker held out a bright red gemstone and smiled.

The Dragon was a collector of bright red gemstones. Could it be that Harker managed to acquire one gemstone that Meng had been looking for and sent Sting to retrieve it? Sting was not only a skilled assassin, but he was a master of concealment. He could have sneaked out of the torture chamber and pilfer the gemstone without alerting anybody.

Seeker continued to extend and reveal the gemstone. Seconds pass. And later, a minute has passed, and Sting continued to prostrate himself as Seeker held the bright stone.

Seeker frowned.

"Sting? Answer me." A commanding tone came out of the impatient Seeker.

Sting started to shiver.

"Young Master, forgive me. I cannot see what that is. So I don't know what that is." Sting gave an embarrassed and, at the same time, a terrorized plea.

Seeker's facepalmed himself.

Of course, Sting couldn't tell what this object was! He was blind!

Seeker had a lifetime worth of memories, training, and teachings from the best and the brightest, and the Unlocking power. Yet all of these still couldn't cure Seeker of the lapses of stupidity he had from time to time.

"This is a crimson red gemstone. Did Mister Meng send you to steal this?" Seeker continued to ask.

Sting was shocked and looked excitedly at the gem Seeker held.

"Young Master, would your grace allow, please bestow that gemstone upon your humble servant."

"Of course. That way, you would have completed your mission, and you don't need to report on my interruption. Report that someone was attacking the factory, which allowed you to sneak in and steal this."

"Young Master, forgive me. This isn't a mission. I had known that he had been seeking beautiful gemstones recently. And so I decided that after I completed my mission in this country, I'd steal a gemstone and offer it as a gift when I returned. I learned of three gemstones that General Harker had acquired illegally since already stolen gemstones can't be reported, it would not go against the no-exposure rule that my Master has set."

Seeker had a confused look after hearing the explanation.

"Then why were you caught?"

"I tried to take it by force and knocked out the men, but later more soldiers arrived."

Seeker raised an eyebrow.

"How could you have not have heard the arriving soldiers?"

Sting sighed with an embarrassed look.

"The location had great acoustics, so I couldn't hear what was going on outside of the building. When the soldiers came in, I knew that I would need to kill in order to left. So I pretended to be a helpless blind man and steal all the gemstones later." Sting explained.

"Now that's just pitiful and embarrassing. And to think that you call yourself an assassin." Seeker shook his head in disappointment.

Sting sat down silently.

"Still, that's one heck of an acoustic setup." Seeker commended.

"Indeed, it was." The frustrated assassin could not help but agree.

"So you weren't in some secret mission but out to get your boss a good present, huh?" Seeker gave a frustrated sigh. And here, Seeker thought that Dragon had personally sent the man. And then, it hit Seeker.

"Wait. All gemstones?" Seeker asked in surprise.

"Yes."

"Not just the red one? Or is it a matter of you being blind?"

"I have heard that Master collects gemstones of all colors." Sting bowed.

Seeker thought for a bit. This just didn't make any sense. After a bit of contemplation, Seeker then smiled. The creation of the grand picture surfaced in Seeker's mind. If Seeker took advantage of this, then he would reap a lot of benefits.

"I think I know why your boss has been out seeking beautiful gems. Alright. I have a message for your boss. But don't tell your boss that it came from his son. It would be troublesome if this dear ol' dad of mine would chase me. Understand?" Seeker immediately released a wave of killing intent.

"Yes, Young Master!" Sting immediately answered.

"You are to report everything else to dad accept my identity. Tell dad that an agent working for Lennox needed the other two jewels. Your Master will only need the red one. Also, be sure to inform him that all he needs is a red jewel based on my observations. Craft it in the necessary gold and silver ornaments, and it should suffice." Seeker instructed.

Sting nodded. He was sighing in his mind. His Master would definitely punish him. Who would have thought that Young Master was a subordinate of Lennox? What if some misunderstanding would occur and cause the Dragon and Lennox to clash? After all, Sting knew his Master was avoiding this at all costs but didn't really understand why.

"Young Master, if I may speak. You can take the jewel. Master didn't need it in the first place, and I have done this by my own volition."

"No. It's you who don't understand, Sting. What I'm saying is it's this very jewel that your Master needs. He will definitely praise you soon. He just doesn't know it yet. Remember, I am your Master's son. I know what he plans to do with that jewel, So I'm doing you a favor. It will also greatly aid your Master. The only concern is if he will listen. But if he finds out I work for Lennox, he definitely will listen. Also, when the time comes, and you will know when that will be, you will tell your Master that it was me who gave you this jewel."

Sting nodded despite his confusion.

"Now go. And please don't try to follow my friends or me. I will found out if you do." Seeker tossed the jewel.

Sting caught it and bowed once more.

"As you command Young Master. Farewell."

A blur could be seen as Sting started moving with accurate ninja-like speed and sneak.

Seeker smiled as Sting disappeared. He had planted the seeds. When harvest time comes, he will reap a lot of benefits. Seeker returned to the car to meet up with his friends.

"Well? How was it?" Charles spoke as he noticed Seeker coming out of the darkness.

"Just call me a master seed-planter." Seeker smiled.

"Zeek! You got wounded!" Lynd exclaimed.

"Relax. It's not from Harker's men. This one came from an assassin who was already in the building."

"An assassin? Who was the target of this assassin?" Meryl worriedly grasped Seeker's arm.

"It's… complicated. A big misunderstanding, really. But all these misunderstandings have aided me greatly. Now Harker will obediently listen to me. I didn't need to make an effort to make him believe my lies." Seeker laughed.

"Sounds like you had a good night." Charles smiled.

"It is. I don't need to act subtly on Harker's Programmed Slaves with the way things are now. Oh. Right. Here you go, Lynd." Seeker tossed a medal to Lynd.

Lynd caught it and observed it. He wiped the medal clean and was observing every detail of it.

"What is this?" Lynd asked.

"You didn't press it did you? That's Alean's Programmed Slave kill switch. One wrong move and Alean would have heart failure." Seeker casually remarked as he sat on the front seat of the car.

Immense fear jolted Lynd's calm temperament.

"WHAT! ZEEK! I PRESSED IT!" Lynd shouted.

Seeker laughed.

"Just kidding. No need to worry."

"Zeek! I hate you! I thought this really was the kill switch!"

"Oh, it really is a kill switch. Harker probably set it to a voice command, which only he could trigger. Otherwise, a careless press could kill his daughter." Seeker started munching on the burgers that were prepared for Seeker's post-adventure.

Lynd's hand was petrified and didn't know what to do with the kill switch.

"Lucky you, Lynd. You now have direct access to Alean's heart." Meryl teased in glee.

"Alright, enough of that. Cliff, any word on your little errand?"

Cliff always had a weary and alert expression. Listening to the discussions of the three gave him confusion except for one apparent reality. Don't mess with Seeker Carlean.

"Yes. They confirmed your suspicions. All eight were sent to one hospital. The Meglonila Hospital." Cliff reported.

"All? Interesting. That raises the possibility that all foreign exchanged students are Programmed Slaves." Seeker had a devilishly, pleasant smile.

"What?" Charles was alarmed at the number.

"But-but that's over a hundred students!" Meryl exclaimed.

"Yes. And soon, they will all be mine." Seeker then gave a creepy laugh that a mad, evil villain on TV would do.