Nightmare's Call

Late night.

By the shore of the azure sea.

A white vessel that had just arrived spat out puffs of thick black smoke as it pulled a massive wave as it docked by the beach in a location somewhere in Anduin province.

Two middle-aged man and woman in white slowly stepped out of the boat under guard by Redwinian soldiers.

“It’s really an undeveloped beach. Really pretty, without any musky smell to it. Might be a good place to develop as a holiday destination.” The middle-aged man was effusive with his praise.

“You are even thinking of your business during a mission. Don’t you ever feel worn out by it?” The lady asked.

“Eh, it’s fine. Some habits die hard.” The man smiled as he looked at the Redwinian Heaven’s Spire soldiers that came to receive them.

There were about ten of them, each one a true Transcedent, and standing in front was the Oppressor of the area, Elba the Pale Viper.

“Welcome, Uncle Maham, Ms Karmen.” Elba opened her arms and hugged them both.

“We are not talking about our duty here. Elba, haven’t seen you in a while, you’ve gotten prettier.” Maham smiled.

“Uncle Maham, you’re still the same as ever, your tongue is laced with honey.” Elba smiled but that seemed to have affected her wound as she coughed.

“What’s wrong? Your injury bad?” Maham’s smile disappeared.

“It’s alright. My lungs were wounded, and had yet to fully recover. I’m otherwise okay.” Elba waved it off.

Of the two person before her, Maham was a powerful Darksider that she had known since young. Back then, before the Heaven’s Spire grew to its current position, Maham was rather well known in some areas within Redwin. Later he seemed to have joined the Starfury Clan, and she never expected them to meet again.

“I’ve actually carried you when you’re still a babe, and you sure did a number on my shirt by peeing all over it.” Maham guffawed.

“You should not tell a joke like this to a lady, Maham, that’s very ungentlemanly.” The middle-aged lady said coldly.

“Alright, alright.” Maham nodded. “Elba, you should already know why we are here. That one that died over here had the old coot back home fuming in rage, so we, the Blazing Stars were sent out to deal with it.”

Elba had already received the phone call prior. The communication within Anduin was not paralyzed, it was simply controlled and blocked off by the military.

“The murder is the Special Emissary of the Ironfist Society, Khadula of the Thousand Arms.” She had no intention to hide anything.

While she too was a newly minted Oppressor, before a veteran like Maham, hiding anything was pointless.

The Oppressor was just a level to signify that a Darksider had the right to watch over an area and to deal with any danger. But that did not mean all Oppressors were all four-wings.

If one were to compare the difference between a man and a Darksider based on the difference of their physical attributes, then for an Oppressor is at the level where your common weaponry would not be able to wound them.

For a veteran Oppressor like Maham, his connections and information network was far beyond Elba’s, so she might as well be forthright.

“So what’s this Khadula of the Thousand Arms like? Can you give me more details? I need details.” Maham said seriously. He was of the habit to fully understand his enemies before striking against them.

“No problem. I had fought against him, and the fight took about half an hour, but the real fighting was only about fifteen minutes. His strength is probably at the apex of a four-wing, and after transformation, he can, for a short while, unleash an explosive five-wing level powers...” Elba started explaining the fight back then.

She did not just explained, and even brought both of them to the scene for them to get a measure of Khadula’s strength.

All this information and details would be turned into important intelligence and filed into the Starfury Clan’s intelligence vault.

“How? Think we can deal with it?” The lady, Karmen asked after getting all the information required.

Maham got up from the battle scene, “His power level has not reached a true elite’s level. It’s mere brute force, and even at five-wing level, it’s just brute force. Taking it out is not a problem, but...”

“But?”

“But it’s a little weird, I can only detect the residue of Elba’s powers from the ruins, but none of Khadula’s.” Maham frowned.

“Is it not dark energies? It seems like the Ironfist Society have fully masters a brand new system of powers.” Karmen said.

“I’ll send this intel back in a bit, those old coots back home will be interested.” Maham laughed.

“Our investigations is almost done here, so what now? Anything else to do?” Karmen looked around.

With Elba not around, she did not bother to hide much.

“I heard that there’s a manager of the Ironfist Society here. We can play him a visit.” Maham said as he revealed his white rows of teeth.

...

...

Blackfeather City, the Warrior’s Guild.

Lin Sheng took a deep breath as he held his sword tight, staring at the massive armored man on the throne.

The man was about as tall as he was, but much, much more muscular and imposing. He looked like a veritable mountain of steel as he sat on the throne.

Lin Sheng grabbed his sword as he slowly approached the latter. Yet the man on the throne did not move at all, as if he did not even see him.

“Based on the memories, the Guildmaster of the Warrior’s Guild is called the Iron Lord and is a member of the Blackfeather City Council... his strength is unknown. So he’s probably the one sitting on the throne there?” Lin Sheng’s brows furrowed.

He felt that he had to be even more careful as he slowly closed in.

Clack.

Suddenly a clear metallic noise entered his ear.

“What’s that?” he paused.

Hummmm....

There was some sort of vibration above him. Lin Sheng quickly looked up, and cracks started appearing on the diamond shaped gemstone.

Black lines started appearing on the surface of the gemstone, affecting its ability to project light and the light shining upon the throne was getting smaller and smaller.

Hiss...

A series of racks started appearing with the throne as its core as it expanded all over the ground like a spider web. Dark embers faintly leapt within the cracks.

Lin Sheng instinctively knew that something was not right, he did not turn back, but rather with large steps, made his way back to the entrance of the guildhall.

BOOOOM!!

At that moment, the armored man on the throne burst into flames as a massive amount of dark fire exploded out from his body, and turning him into a walking pyre.

An ominous howl thundered as the flames and temperature rose. The entire guildhall was soon turned into a massive furnace.

And from afar, the guildhall looked like a massive bull, its eyes bleeding crimson light.

“Defeat me! Vanquish me!!”

A thunderous and terrifying roar blasted out from the center of the guildhall.

BAM!!

The guildhall’s main door was slammed open, as a figure engulfed in flames staggered out of the building, screaming.

AHHH...!!!

The figure screamed for a bit before collapsing altogether, reduced to noticing but burnt ash.