Chapter 72: Cleansing
’This woman got me curious... It seems she had been snooping around. I have to set her straight.’ He kept the two envelopes in his storage, sliding them seamlessly into his dimensional space. The audacity of this guild leader to claim knowledge of his wife struck a dangerous chord within him, shifting his priorities from simple politics to lethal investigation. He nodded at Tang:
"Thank you... You can go back, I won’t go with you. There are some things I need to take care of." He said, and before Tang could reply, he vanished completely, leaving not a single trace. The sheer, terrifying velocity of his newfound agility, combined with his stealth capabilities, made it seem as though reality itself had just erased him from the physical plane.
’What sort of ability is this?’ Tang thought, moving his gaze around the place, stunned. The gap between him and the master was no longer just a chasm; it was an entirely different universe, one he could only hope to serve from the shadows.
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[7:50. Pm.]
[Rose Guild Headquarters.]
BAM!!
"I said I should be made the Guild Leader!!" A fat man yelled, smashing his palm on the long table, staring at the 50 guild members standing before him, their faces filled with disdain, rage, and disgust. The opulent meeting room reeked of panic and unchecked ambition, a pathetic display of vultures fighting over a carcass.
"I refuse!! And I am sure everyone here refuses!!" Another man stood up, pointing a finger at the fat man:
"You are only S-Rank!! How dare you say you want to become the Guild Leader!! I am also an S-Rank!!" He yelled. In the absence of true strength, their titles meant nothing, yet they clung to them like lifelines.
"What?! Are you saying you want the position?" The fat man asked with a deep frown.
All his life, he planned to become the Guild Leader, now that the seat was empty, the members weren’t giving him any opportunity. The vacuum of power had completely shattered the guild’s facade of unity. The fat man clenched his fist in rage, and added:
"I will repeat myself!! I am the only one who can become the Guild Leader!!" He turned to the 50 members:
"The Guild Leader and the three elders are all dead!! If you fools want to be protected and stay on top! You must support me, or else, you will lose everything!!" He yelled, pointing a finger at them.
The group looked at one another, speechless. The bitter truth of his words hung heavily in the air; without a leader, the guild would be swallowed whole by their rivals.
"You fat pig!! Have you taken a look at your body?!! I am pretty sure you can’t even throw a punch, let alone lead a guild!!" The second wasn’t backing down. The argument devolved into childish insults, completely unworthy of the Awakened class.
"How dare you complain about my size?! Do you gain anything being thin?!" The fat man rebuked, now pointing a finger at the guy.
"I promise you! If you say another word about being the Guild Leader I will punch you so hard that you’ll lose all your weight!!" The guy yelled.
"Oh yeah?!! Come and try it! Do you think I am a pushover?!!!"
The guild members moved their heads to the two S-Rank Awakened arguing before them, the next moment.
WHOOSH!!!
They only saw a flash of light, and instantly, a man appeared between the two, standing right before them. The suffocating, absolute pressure of an apex predator flooded the room, instantly choking the life out of their petty argument.
".....?!!"
They watched in shock, as the two heads of the fat man, and thin man rolled down from their necks, falling heavily on the ground. There was no grand speech, no clash of auras. Just the swift, silent execution of an SSS-Rank dealing with annoying insects.
"This?!!"
"Who are you?!!"
"SSS-RANK?! When did we Offend an SSS-RANK?!"
"Should we run??!"
The 50 people instantly went into a panic, staring at Asher with a deep frown. The utter futility of their situation broke their spirits before a single spell was cast.
"Don’t stress yourselves, none of you are leaving here today." Asher stretched his left hand towards them, and clenched his fist:
{Lightning Domain - Activated.}
BOOM!
The 50 people looked up at the sky, as a golden runic circle appeared, the next moment, golden lightning dropped from it. The hall was blown apart as a localized, apocalyptic thunderstorm was summoned directly into the room.
"What the fuck?!!"
"Defense!!"
"Support Mage!!!"
They screamed in shock, as the mages in their team quickly formed defenses all over. Flimsy barriers of energy flickered to life in a desperate bid to hold back a celestial-tier catastrophe.
"C, and B-Ranks trying to stop my attack, are you that stupid?!" Asher watched them scramble with absolute apathy.
BOOOOM!!!!!
__
Asher walked out of the burning building, his arms in his overcoat, gaze down. The screams had already faded, replaced only by the roar of the magical flames consuming the headquarters.
’Rose guild, taken care of... Now, Warsaw Family, as an Awakened family, they should have at least one SSS-RANK, this isn’t bad.’ He thought, mapping out his hit list with cold precision. And before the onlookers could rush towards the burning building, he vanished.
"Huh? Where is that guy?"
"I don’t know, he must be the cause."
"What should we do? Call firefighters or the Awakened Association?"
"I don’t know, let’s call both."
Asher walked past the people who brought out their phones making calls; he exhaled, leaving the scene completely unbothered by the trail of destruction he had just etched into the city’s underbelly.
___
[Warsaw Family’s Estate.]
[Sitting Room.]
"Father, how many people are you taking with you to the Labreton family banquet?" Caleb asked, staring at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him. The luxurious sitting room was a haven of safety, insulated by wealth.
"Well, a family can bring a total of five members, so I will take all of you with me." He said with a smile, and asked:
"How are things going with your relationship with Luna Starfire?"
Caleb swallowed; he told his family he and Luna had a close relationship, but in truth, he was serving under her like a glorified errand boy.
’Working under a chosen star isn’t that bad, right? After I deal with that guy, I can gain the rewards... With it, I can take our family to greater heights!! Hahahaha, just thinking about it makes me excited.’ He thought, entirely oblivious to the monster he had provoked. He nodded his head:
"Yes, Dad!! We are very close, and..."
BOOM!!
The entrance shattered open, as five guards flew inside, falling heavily on the ground, dead. The heavy reinforced doors were crumpled like paper, the sheer force turning the elite security detail into bloody projectiles. The Chief guard turned to the two;
"Master... Run..." He said with difficulty, and collapsed on the ground, dead.
"...?!!!"
"So this is Warsaw Family’s Estate.... Not bad." Asher stepped through the ruined threshold, his presence radiating an icy, oppressive death.
"That voice!!" Caleb’s eyes widened in horror, his face instantly turning pale as the ghost of the boy he had paid to cripple walked right into his sanctuary.