"Caesar, it's been over ten days, and your plan isn't working," Mr. Yearwood said, his voice laced with frustration.
The atmosphere around the table was heavy; everyone wore expressions of gloom as they turned their eyes to Caesar, whose face reflected a mix of anger and despair.
His features twisted into a grimace as his cold gaze flashed ominously. "Mr. Illianaro, I'm aware that our strategy is faltering," he replied sharply, turning to the handsome Elf seated nearby. "It appears someone is sabotaging our efforts. Every one of my operatives has turned up dead, murdered under mysterious circumstances."
A tense silence enveloped the group as Caesar's words sank in, their faces paling at the implications.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You lot really are something!" A chilling voice echoed through the dark hall like an ominous wind.
Shock rippled through Caesar and his companions as they instinctively stood up, scanning their surroundings in disbelief.
"Who's there?" Caesar shouted, his heart racing as he searched for the source of the voice.
"Look behind you," came a taunting reply from the shadows.
They spun around just in time to see dense black mist swirling ominously behind them.
Moments later, it dissipated to reveal several figures clad in tight black outfits with hoods obscuring their faces, only their piercing eyes betrayed their lethal intent.
Enjoy new adventures at M-V-L
"Who are you? How did you find this place?" Mr. Yearwood demanded, though fear flickered in his eyes as he trembled slightly.
"No time to waste, kill them all!" commanded one of the cloaked figures with a wave of his hand.
"Yes!" The others nodded in unison before vanishing into thin air.
"Run!" Caesar yelled, panic gripping him as he dashed toward the door without looking back.
Survival instincts kicked in; he didn't care if anyone else followed, his only thought was escaping this nightmare alive.
After all, he was merely a restaurant owner; even if he had strength on par with others, facing twenty Tier 4 High-Level Knights Assassins alone was madness!
"Where do you think you're going?" The mocking tone slithered through the air behind him like ice down his spine.
Caesar froze momentarily before adrenaline surged through him again, but just then a sharp pain pierced his chest.
He looked down to see a dagger protruding from his back—a cruel reminder that escape was futile.
"I... I..." He stuttered as crimson blood spilled from his mouth before collapsing lifelessly onto the floor.
Beside him stood one of the cloaked figures, observing Caesar's corpse with cold indifference.
In the shadowy depths of the hall, a black-cloaked figure spoke with a chilling calmness. "Hall Master, all of them are deadonly one remains alive."
"Who is it?" inquired the black cloaked figure who killed Caesar.
"It's Clarence Frost," came the reply, heavy with foreboding.
"Oh! Then find her and eliminate her," commanded the assassin who had slain Caesar, waving his hand dismissively.
"Understood," the cloaked figure responded, bowing respectfully before.
"It definitely looks impressive! But what is this place?" Nixie asked with genuine curiosity.
Felix chuckled softly and said, "Come on; let's go inside." They approached a massive wall that stretched endlessly into the horizon.
Guards clad in armor patrolled its length while watchtowers loomed overhead like sentinels keeping watch over something significant.
Before long, they stood before a colossal iron gate adorned with a grand plaque featuring the Morningstar Family crest, a clear indication of ownership and legacy.
"Big bro... is this place really ours?" Nixie stared at the symbol wide-eyed.
"Do you really need to ask? Just look at our family emblem up there!" Felix rolled his eyes playfully but couldn't hide his pride.
With a deep rumble that echoed through the air, the enormous iron gate began to creak open, revealing an elegantly paved road that stretched far into the distance.
As Felix and Nixie stepped through the grand iron gate, they found themselves on a long, well-paved road that seemed to stretch endlessly before them.
"Wow! Big bro, this place is *huge*!" Nixie exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the sprawling landscape.
Felix smiled quietly to himself, feeling a sense of pride swell within him. "Wilbert really outdid himself, what an incredible job," he thought, surveying their new domain.
The expansive road they walked on served as the main artery of this impressive site, branching off into smaller roads that meandered throughout the property.
Towering buildings loomed around them, some as massive as industrial warehouses, each one representing a different facet of their ambitious plans.
"What exactly is this place?" Nixie asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Well," Felix began, "this will be our production base and business headquarters. Some industries we're diving into require complex production processes, not like our restaurant venture. Think of it as our industrial hub."
"Oh!" Nixie's eyes sparkled with understanding. "But what's that building over there?" She pointed excitedly at a striking structure in the distance.
Following her gaze, Felix spotted a magnificent white skyscraper standing tall at the center of it all, a stunning seventy-floor marvel adorned with the Morningstar Family symbol glistening at its peak.
"That building is our office space," he said with enthusiasm. "It will serve as our business headquarters where all management matters will be handled from now on."
"Wow! So you mean I won't have to dash from restaurant to restaurant anymore? I can handle everything right there?" Nixie's voice brimmed with excitement.
"Yes! You got it right!" Felix nodded affirmatively.
"That's fantastic!" Nixie beamed.
She couldn't help but feel relieved at the thought of no longer racing around daily to oversee operations at each restaurant.
Even though they had managers in place, she often felt compelled to visit for reports and updates. Now she could manage everything efficiently from this central location!
"Come on! Let's check it out," Felix urged as he led Nixie toward the towering office building.
A few minutes later, they stood before its imposing facade, gazing up in awe as it pierced the sky above them.
Nixie's heart raced; she had never seen such a tall building before!
In Astheria, even the tallest structures barely reached four stories high, but here stood a breathtaking seventy-story skyscraper!
---------------------------