— Germany - Bremen —
In a secluded old tower deep in the coniferous forests not far from Bremen, Edgar Willow lived a life of quiet isolation. The tower, built during the Middle Ages, was well-maintained and showed no signs of wear, protected by a boundfield spell that kept it hidden from ordinary people.
Despite its remote location and off-grid existence, the tower wasn't completely cut off from the world. Mages from the Path of Knowledge faction occasionally visited, hoping to meet Edgar and purchase seeds of the Sylvan Trees that his family had once cultivated before they were annihilated by Daniel Emberweave. However, all who came left disappointed.
Today seemed no different. A guest in a black robe, his face concealed by shadows, stood before the tower's door, waiting for Edgar to receive him.
"There are no Sylvan Tree seeds left. Go away," Edgar said, opening the peephole to dismiss the visitor as he always did. But just as he was about to shut it, the guest spoke.
"I have a way for you to get your revenge on Daniel Emberweave."
The words stopped Edgar in his tracks, and he reopened the peephole.
"Who the f*ck are you? If you want to seek death, do it on your own. Don't drag me into it," Edgar snapped, though this time, he kept the peephole open, studying the man in the dark robe, trying to discern his identity.
One needed to understand that Daniel Emberweave's name was no longer a secret. Anyone who knew it also knew how absurdly powerful he was... a man who had literally destroyed a hell realm and crushed a hell lord. Such a feat was impossible for 99% of modern-day mages.
So, to plan revenge against Daniel Emberweave? Was this man overestimating himself or underestimating Daniel? Perhaps both?
"I know you won't trust me, but I'll prove to you that Daniel Emberweave isn't invincible. Does this place have an internet connection?" the robed man asked.
"Yes," Edgar nodded.
"Then wait for the news. We'll talk after that," the robed man said before leaving the tower, leaving Edgar to ponder his words.
"What kind of news?" Edgar murmured as he pushed the encounter to the back of his mind.
Yes, Edgar harbored a grudge against Daniel Emberweave, but he knew his own limitations. He lacked the power to take revenge against such a formidable adversary. That's why he kept to himself, enjoying the wealth Daniel had offered when he bought all of the Willow family properties in the Tessia Kingdom and Sector Alpha City.
But the man in the black robe had piqued his interest in this revenge business once again. If some significant news emerged because something bad happened to Daniel Emberweave, perhaps then he would reconsider listening to what the black robed man has to say.
—
Under the night sky of Nea Kameni island, at the moonlit harbor of the Kameni mage family, patrolling security guards and mages were on high alert.
Using the cover of shadows and the dark alleys created by several large warehouses, shadow morphs silently infiltrated the harbor and began their operation.
Boom!
An explosion rocked the area, flames quickly spreading to the nearby warehouses. In the chaos, an assassin group from the Reaper Gate emerged, launching a brutal assault on the guards and mages patrolling the harbor.
"What!? Who are you!? Argh!" one guard shouted, his cry cut short as an assassin's dagger sliced neatly through his throat.
"We're under attack, I repeat, we're under attack!" a guard in the watchtower called out for reinforcements from the main house, only to have his throat slit by another assassin who had snuck up behind him.
The blare of alarms echoed across the harbor as the massacre continued. Painful cries and agonized screams mingled with the alarms. The slaughter lasted about five minutes before reinforcements arrived from the main house, and the fight to repel the invaders began.
At the main house, the number of guards and lower-ranking mages was dwindling, leaving only a select elite to patrol and provide security for the Kameni family. Mages skilled in scrying worked even harder, trying to cover for the manpower sent to the harbor. Continue reading at m|v-l'e -novelhall.net
One of the scrying mages suddenly opened her eyes, having discovered something, but before she could report it, her throat was punctured from the inside by a rusted nail. The nail tore through her throat and vanished, sending her into unconsciousness as she slipped into the abyss.
In a dark corner of the Kameni estate, Albert and Jack the Ripper slowly emerged from the shadows. Albert held his iconic cane in one hand, his other hand controlling a group of rusted cursed nails that had just returned from silencing the scrying mage.
"The scrying mage has been silenced. It's your turn," Albert said to his silent companion, Jack the Ripper, who stood by his side.
Jack didn't respond verbally; he simply nodded and walked toward the main house, several scalpels in hand, ready to launch his assault on the Kameni family.
Albert's cold smile remained as he headed in the opposite direction, away from the main building. While Jack was tasked with terrorizing those in the main house, Albert's duty was to seek out the patriarch, the only one with the power to transfer the land deed to his master.
Albert knew that the patriarch of the Kameni family didn't reside in the main building but rather in a workshop on the other side of the estate.
He soon arrived at the workshop, a building with an old-fashioned blacksmith's chimney. The workshop was filled with magical formations and was built over the area's leyline to harness maximum power for forging weapons.
"Pardon my intrusion, Patriarch Kameni. Are you perhaps inside?" Albert called out with a smile as he used the knocker on the door.