610 Chapter 610:- 9 days Later......
Leaving Percy behind, Aditya immediately went to Riya. "Riya, what's the situation?" The matter of Flying ships could come later. Right now it was more important to deal with the people who are behind the mysterious curses and stop them once and for all. "Sasha informed me that a group of five dressed in mysterious black cloaks seems to be heading in the direction of where the blackwood is located. Others are already keeping an eye on them. We should hurry." Aditya nodded his head. With both of their agility, it was a matter of seconds for them to join the others. -
"Let's hurry up and get this over with." Said a man in a grumpy tone. "Why is he so annoyed? Did something happen?" Asked another tall person with curly hair of the group. Sancho was asking about Biku. "Leave him alone. He always has been like this. Soon he will be in a good mood." A third person in the group spoke. The one who spoke now called Silva. Silva was a thin but very tall man. He was easily the tallest man in the group. His height reached well over 6 feet 8 inches tall. Silva was a half-Elf and half-human. Due to this, his ears were pointy but not as long as the elven ears. He had pale skin and short light brown hair. His hair was messy and unkempt. But he still looked really handsome. "Things have changed around the whole city." Meanwhile, the fourth member of the group noted this change while pushing her glasses upwards. Her name was Selina.
The last time they came here, this whole city smelled like shit. It looked uglier than shit. But now, just like how beautiful diamonds are found within dirty coals, the Lionrock City also seems to have changed from the inside while still remaining the same from the outside. The group in black cloaks continued to wander through the transformed streets of Lionrock City. More than many ways the whole city had changed. This greatly surprised Selina. She wasn't expecting this whole place to change this soon. It only had been 9 or 10 days since the city was taken by the Istarin Empire. Selina adjusted her glasses once again, and she couldn't hide her amazement. "I can't believe it!!" She exclaimed. Her voice was filled with wonder. "Last time we were here, it was nothing like this. It's like... like someone waved a magic wand over the whole place!" In such a short period of time, this place had changed so much. "I guess, this is the power of the Mighty Istarin Empire. If the men of the emperor were corrupted then the Empire never would have come achieved this level of success." Only the Istarin Empire was capable of something so miraculous. Biku grunted. His mood was sour for some reason. "Why do you care so much about this trashy place? A shiny coat doesn't change what lies beneath!!" He said dismissively. His gaze fixed on the path ahead.
If not for this mission then he never would have stepped foot on this shitty city. This whole smelled like shit and looked uglier than shit. However, he had to give credit to the new City Lord and the Dragon Monarch for bringing so much change to this place. Sancho's curly hair bounced as he walked. He turned to Selina and tried to lighten the mood. "Well, I think it's nice to see some positive changes. It gives hope, you know?" Silva, who was the second quietest one in the group nodded his head. "Change is often a slow process, but it seems Lionrock City is taking strides. It's... refreshing, to say the least."
The group's leader was silent. She was focused and kept her eyes forward as she led the way. She seemed uninterested in the city's transformation. She did not engage in any of the conversations taking place between other members of the group. Everyone was already used to this. Their leader was the silent type. She only prefers to talk when absolutely necessary. Her mind was occupied with the task at hand. She looked very serious. Selina's not-so-friendly smile widened as she playfully prodded Biku. "Speaking of caring, Biku, this place used to be your home, didn't it? Aren't you even a little happy to see it changing?"
Biku was visibly annoyed by Selina for digging up his past. He angrily shot back sharply and said. "Say another word, and I swear I'll make you regret it." Biku was almost transformed into a beast in anger. At his threat, Selina's giggles erupted into loud laughter. Her laughter echoed through the streets of Lionrock City. Regaining her composure, she stared directly at Biku. Her eyes gleamed with the intention of confrontation. "Oh, please. Bring it on, Biku. I'm not scared of you. I bet I could take you down even in my sleep." Selina was indeed stronger than Biku. Their standoff intensified, with Biku clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. His anger flared in his eyes. He was on the verge of transforming into a beast.
Selina, on the other hand, maintained her cold, unflinching gaze, meeting Biku's anger with her own steely resolve. She wasn't going to back down either. Her logic was simple. You pay the consequences of playing with fire. The tension between them had reached an all-time high; like a taut string ready to snap. The rest of the group exchanged uneasy glances. They were unsure of how to intervene.
Just as it seemed they might come to blows, their leader finally spoke. Her cold and commanding voice cut through the tension like a knife.
"That's enough!"
Her cold words sent shivers down the spines of both Biku and Selina. They instantly stopped their glaring match. Their faces drained of color as they turned toward their leader. Their bodies also slightly trembled. Regardless of how strong they were, there was no messing with their leader. The leader's gaze swept over the group. "We have a mission, and petty squabbles will not get us any closer to our goal. Remember why we are here. This is my last warning."
Biku Selina and others instantly got the message. If they did not shut up, then their leader was going to shut them up forever. Despite being in the same group for such a long period of time, their leader had no mercy towards those in the group who made mistakes and ignored her warnings. 9 other members of this group had lost their lives in the hands of their leader because they disobeyed the leader's warnings. Soon they reached their destination. They were here to take out the blackwood and leave this city as quietly as possible. With the Istarin Empire taking over the Lionrock City, the whole City had become too dangerous for them. She said in a cold icy tone. "We have our destination. Biku, start digging." Her eyes were fixed on a specific spot. It was a place they all remembered well from two months prior.
Biku nodded his head quietly. He did not dare to speak a word. After all, he did not want to die this soon. He knelt on the ground and began to weave his earth magic. His hands moved rhythmically, and the earth responded. The earth slowly parted to reveal what lay beneath. The rest of the group formed a circle around him. Everyone looked really serious. This was the crucial moment of their mission. As Biku's magic continued, the hole grew deeper, but there was no sign of the blackwood they had buried. Seeing this Biku was confused. It was he who put the blackwood in the ground. But he could not find the blackwood. So he increased the intensity of his spell, moving more earth aside. He still found nothing.
Selina leaned forward as her brows furrowed. "It should be right there!!!" She murmured to herself but others were also able to hear her worried tone. Sancho scratched his curly hair and said. "Did we get the spot wrong?" He asked though he knew they hadn't. He just hoped that what he said was true. Even Silva who is usually so composed, showed a hint of concern. 'What is happening?' "This is the exact spot," But her eyes looked uncertain. This was the first time something like this had happened. The group stood in silence. Not knowing what to do. Just then, a voice from behind them broke the tense silence.
"What you guys are looking for is here...?" The voice was unfamiliar. Hearing the voice, everyone's backs stiffened. Even the leader's usual composure was replaced by alertness. 'I could not sense them.....!!! This is bad....!!!' "Who are you?" The leader asked in a careful tone. "I am the Dragon Monarch and I am here to get some answers," Aditya replied with a gentle smile. Hearing Aditya's words, everyone felt their hearts had stopped beating for a few seconds. Everyone's faces instantly turned deadly pale as if they had seen their own deaths in Aditya's eyes.
