Chapter 94: A High Risk Mission (1)
Chapter 94
"But you’re right, there’s much more and currently, our help is needed."
"Meaning?" Tom asked with a raised brow, and Master Zuki just climbed onto the table, standing on it and looking more like a seven-year-old perched there than the master of the clan.
"Magnolia." Master Zuki said, and eyebrows flared up in confusion across the room.
"Huh? Isn’t that the name of a nearby town?" the double A ranked Reaver asked.
"Yes, it is. A famous town which is the center of a tourist spot. Though medium in size, its resources and people are massive." Master Zuki said, nodding along as if proud of his knowledge.
"So what happened to Magnolia?" Jace finally found the courage to ask.
’I guess being a B ranker sure gives you some balls to question the master.’ Vynn chuckled inwardly.
"So there’s an issue bothering the people of Magnolia, and they need the SilverFall Clan’s help, which is part of the reason I called you all down here. And I’m glad a double A ranked Reaver is even here too." Master Zuki said.
"Come on, old geezer." Ryker called out as he yawned loudly, the black bags under his eyes deepening, probably from not sleeping at all. His bored voice only added fuel to the tension building in the air.
"Just say what you want and stop beating around the bush already."
"I was getting to that, you lazy bonehead!" Master Zuki yelled with a bulging vein pulsing at the side of his head.
"Just ignore him, master." Tom calmly interjected, and the old man just took in a deep breath to compose himself.
"Anyway, as I was saying, the town needs our help. They are being troubled by a group of awakened who aren’t Reavers. These guys extort them while threatening them with their Veils." Master Zuki said.
"Huh? Is that why you called us all down here? You could just send an A ranked Reaver to clear up the mess and not involve us all." The double A ranker scoffed as he shot out of his seat, his brown hair fluttering a little in the wind.
"Where are you headed, Jax?" a female voice cut sharply. A woman with a cold expression glared at the double A ranked Reaver who was about to leave. "You know the master ain’t done speaking yet."
"But I’m done listening. And watch your tone, girl. You are just an A ranker. Don’t cross your lane." Jax warned with a scowl on his face.
The female shot out of her seat, her crimson hair fluttering in the air as she glared at Jax with her fierce pink eyes.
Her presence alone carried enough weight that a few of the lower-ranked Reavers sitting near her instinctively shifted away.
"Who’s she?" Zen whispered toward Jace as he stared at the female clad in a full suit of armor, though she wore a short skirt beneath the steel plates.
"Lyra." Aria replied, having listened in to Zen’s question. "The strongest female Reaver the SilverFall Clan has. No other female comes close. She’s the only woman in the upper ranks, from the A ranks and above."
"Oh really?!" Zen whispered back, his smirk widening as he zoned in on Lyra, intrigued by her aura.
"Lady Warmongress..." Tom whispered, already feeling the electric tension in the air between the duo. His hand hovered near his sword, just in case things spiraled out of control.
"Fuck your rank, Jax. Let’s go toe to toe and find out why I’m called the Warmongress. You hide behind your fancy title, but you’re the weakest among the three AA Reavers. Tch!" Lyra scoffed.
Jax clenched his hands tightly, a vein bulging on his head as his black eyes burned with rage, locking onto her like a predator.
"Ho... how dare you talk back to me like that?!" Jax roared, his voice booming across the hall as wind began to coil and whip violently around his hands.
"Oh! You want a piece of me?!" Lyra snarled as she raised her hand into the air. A sharp crackle of lightning sparked into existence, rippling the very air itself as her aura exploded outward.
The hall shuddered with the raw pressure of their powers, and the rest of the Reavers froze, caught between awe and the fear of an all-out battle breaking out in the master’s very presence.
"ENOUGH!" Master Zuki’s voice boomed loudly, halting any form of confrontation before it could reach its peak.
"I have had enough of all your tantrums! Now sit your little arses back down and listen to what I have to say, otherwise..." Zuki warned as his eyes began glowing fiercely, radiating pressure that forced the atmosphere itself to tremble.
Hearing this, the duo quickly canceled their killing intentions and sat back down with tight jaws, unwilling but unable to defy his command.
"Yo! Master is a party pooper, mehn. Was hoping for a fun clash between two higher ranks." Vynn clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, clearly disappointed by the anticlimax.
"Master, speak. We are listening." Tom said with a resigned sigh, folding his arms as if bracing for something serious.
Master Zuki drew in a quick, hoarse breath before sighing back out, his aged shoulders rising and falling slowly. With a hardened expression, he decided to continue.
"Aside from the trouble with the awakened, the town is also facing another disturbance," the master said gravely, his voice echoing across the hall.
"Which is?" Jace asked with a raised eyebrow, already dreading the answer.
"A beast issue." Master Zuki replied, and instantly every lower ranker’s eyes widened in shock.
"Beast? What would one even be doing in a town like Magnolia?" Erin asked in disbelief, her voice quivering slightly.
"I don’t know, and that’s why I want a few of you to go and investigate. And also to take care of it while you are at it." Master Zuki replied. His words carried weight, like iron shackles placed upon their shoulders.
"Rank?" Tom asked with an eager grin, his battle-hungry eyes staring at the master as if already picturing the fight.
"It’s an A ranked beast," Master Zuki replied, and the moment the words left his lips, a hush befell the hall. Everyone stared at the old man in stunned silence, unable to process what he had just declared.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huhhhhh?!" Everybody shouted at once—of course, excluding Lyra, Jax, Tom, and the other two higher ranked Reavers who didn’t flinch.
’A... an A rank? A step above the B ranked beasts we fought against? The hell?!’ Zen roared internally, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.
"Yes. An A rank. And that’s exactly why I called you all here, especially the higher ranks, to ask for their schedules." Master Zuki said with a grave tone. "For this mission, I would need two upper ranks, three C ranked Reavers, and another B ranker. So who’s in?"
"I’m out." Jax said coldly as he shot out of his seat. Before anybody could protest, a whirlwind appeared in the room, wrapping around him and whisking him away. The force toppled tables and sent dishes clattering across the ground, leaving only chaos in his wake.
"That bastard!" Master Zuki roared in anger, his fists tightening.
’An A ranked beast? Ca... Can I even try my hands at it?’ Jace thought nervously, staring down at his trembling palms. His excitement was tangled with fear, both emotions clawing at his insides.
"I will do it," Lyra and Tom shouted in unison before quickly turning to stare at each other, their eyes colliding with a sharp intensity that set sparks in the air.