Chapter 16.5 - Foreshadowing

"So Kai, has Corneo done anything pertaining to the tasks I gave him" a thick sinister voice said, his voice creeping through the dark room he and a burly man along with some other people who wore ominous looking demon masks on their faces were in.

Kai found it very hard to speak up as he and the other people continuously felt a shiver run down their spine as the man before them spoke.

He had black hair which was tied into man bun and a lean muscular stature. His obsidian eyes seemed to carry and indescribable sense of dread if one peered into it for too long and he was sitting on a small red couch with his leg's crossed and his fingers tapping on the arm rest.

Although the room was dim and barely any light was peeking in from the shut blinds, it was obvious that the room was well furnished.

"Don't make me repeat myself" the man said, this time with a bit of pressure exuding from his body.

"I-I-I apologize sir! In response to your question, he hasn't done anything noteworthy" Kai stuttered and said, his head lowered and his gaze facing the ground.

"So that fat fuck has just been eating and living off my benevolence…" the man said again, this time with a thoughtful look on his face.

Kai then spoke up again, still with his gaze on the ground as he dared not raise his head towards the man before him.

"He however has been complaining about how the children he had expected to have created something seem to have not had any progress yet but despite that, they seemed to be even bringing more money in than before" Kai completed his statement and sucked in his breath under the suffocating pressure.

"Children? Something? Does this something have anything to do with what I ordered him to do?" the man asked.

"I-I don't know sir. I'm just reporting Corneo's movements as you've asked of me!" Kai responded.

"Hmmm…" the man voiced before he then spoke.

"Well you've been doing a good job thus far. Just keep guarding him as I've asked. Remember to do as he says without question. Although it might seem useless to keep that fatty around, there's a reason for it"

"That aside, the location to the warehouse's still under the radar I presume?" the man asked.

"Yes. Asides from a particular kid who comes in once in a while to deliver potions, the location's still very much secure sir" Kai replied.

"And the members of the small dark guild?"

"They're all below high-tier D-rank sir"

"Good. I don't want it drawing any attention from The Tower because they always keep an eye out for secluded places with large amounts of mana in the area. Just you is enough to protect Corneo" the man said after which he continued.

"In addition to that, if for any reason this kid you mentioned is going compromise the hideout, silence him. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!"

"Now then, take your leave" the man ordered to which Kai swiftly turned around after giving a short nod and walked out of the room, his back completely drenched in sweat.

As Kai walked out, the man's attention turned to the other masked members present in the room.

There were five of them in total.

One of them was low-tier B-ranker and he seemed to be their leader while the rest were within the range of low to high-tier C-ranks.

"How's the profiling been going on your end?" the man asked to which the leader of the masked men answered immediately, not wanting to anger the man before him.

"It's been proceeding smoothly. We've also found two rankers capable of using [Illusion Series]"

He then continued after a brief pause, as if to suck in air from the suffocating pressure that had been in the room since his conversations with them began

"We've also extensively researched into the sensors and although there's a bit of progress now, it should be completed in due time" the masked leader concluded.

"You better be right. If this operation fails, you all know what's coming don't you?" the man said, this time, leaking a bit of bloodlust.

Although this bloodlust might've seemed small to the man himself who released it, it was enough to completely terrorize the masked individuals before him.

"Yes… s-sir!!!" the masked leader said, struggling to squeeze out his own voice out due to the wave of bloodlust that he had felt.

He knew what this operation entailed. If they failed, they'll be dead either way. Such was the life for any of the lower rankers here who joined Obelisk.

If you were not a powerhouse like the man sitting before them, then you were just disposable trash, waiting to be used and then discarded.

However, if they were to succeed, that would be another case entirely as they would be treated with the utmost respect and admiration. Not to mention the riches they would get.

"Good. Use the next year and a few months to make a perfect plan. Remember, if you fail, don't even bother coming back here"

"U-Understood sir!"

"Now leave" the man ordered.

The five masked members ushered themselves out of the room quickly, happy they were going to be rid of the man's presence.

As they left and silence descended upon the room, the man who had been giving orders, stopped tapping his arm rest, uncrossed his legs and relaxed into the chair while closing his eyes with a singular thought on his mind.

'It's only just a matter of time before I turn all of Arcadia on its head…'