Chapter 223 Securing The Goods
"Oh, wow…"
As Rey watched Phobio scamper off with his miserable naked body, he felt a bit bad for him.
'I thought I was average down there, but it seems there's someone who's worse off than me.'
Rey knew he couldn't judge a man by his 'equipment' since it was something mostly out of one's control.
'Must be his Genetics…'
Rey shrugged off his thoughts of the guy's little worm and decided to focus on the more important things.
"Looks like the damage wasn't too much. I doubt the goods inside would have been affected too much." He smiled.
The reason Rey decided not to use any flashy attacks or destructive moves was because he didn't want too much damage done to the landscape.
'My initial Dragon attacks were done to raise the alarm, so I had to go a bit overboard.'
Not that the act was over, he felt better than ever.
'I hope I was able to nail that arrogant and imposing Dragon aesthetic.'
Seeing how Phobio acted in his presence, he could tell that he must have done something right.
'I doubt the Mercenary Gang members would want to face a Dragon that easily defeated their executives so easily.' Rey smiled.
Even if they did, he doubted they'd be opportuned to take action anytime soon.
'Their first goal will be to squash the KariBlanc Group and the other two.'
That meant their hands were too full to deal with a powerful Dragon.
'If they're stupid enough to think of fighting me, then it also works for my benefit.'
If he eliminated as many of the Heads as possible, the military power of the opposing sides would drastically reduce.
'And then, it'll be our turn to counterattack.'
Either way, Rey could see how he was going to emerge victorious in all these things.
'I've reclaimed ownership of the Warehouse, but I can't just leave it unmanned.'
Phobio had pretty much ensured no one was left.
'Guess I'll have to summon some Monsters to handle the job.'
With everything pretty much taken care of, Rey decided to take a good look around the warehouse and survey everything before leaving.
'I should hurry, though. Everyone is waiting for me.'
*******
[Moments Later]
"Huu…" Rey was in the final storage room, and he still couldn't believe how much stuff had been stockpiled for the trade with the Elves.
'Easily hundreds of thousands of weapons and items.'
They were all high-quality too, as expected of the KariBlanc Group.
"I guess things must be really serious over at the Elf place. Maybe I'll check it out after I'm done resolving the Dungeon Raid and this whole Black Market thing.'
In this world, there were other races that occupied various portions of each continent.
'I really need to check them all out.'
Since he now had Spatial Magic and Flight, things would be much easier than for any other person.
'I wonder if they have something like a Visa or Passport process. Well… not much is known about the other Races, so there's really nothing I can say.'
Rey dismissed his thoughts and took one final look at everything he had just saved for the KariBlanc Group.
'You better keep your word and go mainstream after all this…' Rebal Blanc came to his mind as he narrowed his eyes.
They were definitely going to make tons of profit with so many Enchanted Items.
It was no wonder that paid him so much money for the Monster Cores.
'Welp! No use thinking about that now.' He shrugged as he stretched his hand towards the piles of goods in front of him.
He simply had to do what he did for the others in the rooms he just visited.
"[Grand Inventory]."
The moment he whispered this, a swirling vortex of space suddenly manifested all around the room, distorting everything in sight.
Reality seemed to twist as the environment itself took on a warped form.
In just a few seconds, the world returned to normal and all the goods in the room had completely vanished.
"Great. That's the last of them." Rey chuckled to himself, returning his hand to his pocket.
The Skill he just used was an amalgamation of [Inventory] and [Gateway Portal].
It allowed him to create a gateway to an alternate spatial dimension.
Unlike with [Inventory], though, there didn't seem to be any limit to what he could put inside this new dimension.
At least, not with what he had seen.
Rey also knew everything that happened in his special world, which meant he knew precisely what dwelled inside and where they were.
He could also summon them whenever he wanted.
'By placing them all in Grand Inventory, they'll be safe from any harm.' He smiled to himself.
In an instant, Rey vanished from his position and appeared near the entrance of the Warehouse.
"I'll just summon some Monsters and leave." He murmured.
By controlling them and giving them a directive to protect the place from intruders, he could at least take extra measures to ensure the other side suffered some kind of loss if they returned.
'Imagine them going through all that trouble, only to kill all the monsters, rush inside, and then realize there's nothing waiting for them!'
Rey nearly burst out laughing just thinking about it.
He went on to make all the preparations and summon the Monsters in no time at all.
Once he reached his Summon Limit, he gave them their instructions and walked out the front door.
'Well; now that I have everything I need, I better head back before they start worrying.'
In a single swirl of contorted space, Rey vanished from his position.
Underneath his mask, he had a wide grin on his face, and his lips moved to form a short whisper.
"This is becoming a lot more fun than I expected."
******
"He's finally gone."
"Yes. Seems he is."
Two pointy-eared people with a hood covering their beautiful hair, and a mask covering their faces, looked at each other right after witnessing the Dragon in obsidian black cloak teleport away from his position.
Their brightly colored eyes gleamed with what could be interpreted as delight or anxiety as they nodded at each other.
"We need to tell Lady Aurora. She'll know what to do next!"
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Chapter 224 Grim Notice
~VWUUSH~
A portal opened within the KariBlanc Group's Official Building—a place separate from the usual Store.
It was much larger than the store, and with its large compound occupying a considerable amount of land.
Most importantly… it was on the surface.
The pristine white building did not belong in such a dreary place as the black market, so it's squeaky white walls and pristine compound radiated with beauty that could only be seen in the capital.
To the outside world, this was simply a Nobleman's property used for vacation once a year.
But in actuality, it served as the Warehouse of the KariBlanc Group within the capital.
It held items in stock, and it had a secret pathway that led to the Black Market.
Thanks to Lord Blanc's connection with a few Nobles, this was easily a thing he could accomplish.
This was also where Rebal Blanc's office was located; the same expanse where the glowing portal was opening up in.
"Hm…" He raised his head and saw the one who had visited him so abruptly.
It was none other than Ralyks.
His intimidating presence made the older man feel a weight resting upon his shoulders—a weight far heavier than what the current state of his empire made him feel.
He was a very cautious man, so he knew full well what these instincts of his told him.
The man in front of him was dangerous!
'I'm grateful to have him on my side, but…' There was no way to be at ease with him.
Not entirely.
Ralyks proceeded to sit on the chair right opposite where Rebal sat.
Only a pristine desk separated them
When Rebal wanted to rise to pay his proper respects and greet Ralyks, he was told not to bother.
"Don't worry. Everyone is safe, and the goods are all secure."
Ralyks had been given a special device that allowed communication between two parties—though it consumed more Mana the further away the communicators were.
The last time they spoke, he had been informed of the attack, and now that Ralyks was in front of him—all alone—Rebal had been worried for a moment.
"Yuri and the couriers are all back. I teleported them to the designated location before coming here."
Rebal nodded in appreciation, but he felt like this was only scratching the surface.
There had to be something more intricate about this visit.
"We need to talk, Rebal." Ralyks spoke, fully confirming the feelings of foreboding that had been clinging to his heart.
Rebal gulped and nodded slightly.
"Okay, Sir Ralyks. Please tell me what the matter is."
********
It only took a few minutes, but Ralyks was able to fully explain the situation to the Obsidian Councilor.
His eyes fell as he began to make heavy sighs.
"I feared this possibility, but I hoped it wouldn't be the case." He whispered, his voice radiating within his dark office.
It was still pretty dark outside, with most people sleeping in their homes.
For Rebal, though, he couldn't sleep.
Not while the very empire he struggled to build was crumbling before his very eyes.
"So, the Mercenary Gang has sided with Scylla and her New Order…" His tone was grave, and his voice slightly trembled.
With this, it was already clear that they were nearly at checkmate.
However, for some reason, the situation didn't seem as bleak as one would expect.
Why?
Because… Sir Ralyks was still with them.
"I mentioned this before, but I faced two of the Nine Heads. They're pretty strong, but they're nothing to fear if you have me."
Rebal Blanc still found it too good to be true, but after hearing about their descriptions from Ralyks, he had to admit it.
'He really eliminated two of them…'
For the second one, it wasn't an elimination, but more like "placing him out of the equation."
'Sir Ralyks is indeed very strong. I always knew it, but hearing it now…' Rebal was regarded as a powerful man himself.
However, even he had limits.
Without his Enchanted Items aiding him, he would be able to stand a chance against any of the Nine Heads, and even with his Items, he would only be able to stand against one or two.
He wasn't even sure he would come out scathed.
And yet…
'How strong are you, really?' He wondered as he stared at the masked face of the man before him.
"You said you left your subordinates to guard the Warehouse, right?"
"Yes. They're Monsters, so they won't be linked to the KariBlanc Group at all."
"That's a relief."
Rebal had already been informed about the strategy Ralyks used.
The whole illusion of a Dragon attacking the Warehouse to cause distress… It was brilliant.
'It's unfortunate that so many of our employees died, though. I'll have to compensate their families.'
This was no time to mourn, though.
There were a lot of things to be concerned about; especially with the revelation about the Mercenary Gang joining forces with the enemy.
"I suspect they'll make some kind of move on the other two Groups besides yours."
Rebal nodded at Ralyks' words. He also had that sneaking suspicion.
"Asher has already gone as a delegate to one of the Councilors. He stays considerably close to the capital—a couple of small cities away."
The plan was to gain the support of the Groups as soon as possible, so almost as soon as Ralyks took off, Asher also went for his own mission.
"It's possible that they could try something to them, so I think you should reach out to your son. Ask him about an update." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
The man nodded and used his Communication Device—an item that resembled a runestone—to connect with the other pair with his son.
However…
"He's not responding.
… There was radio silence.
Rebal's face began to get moist with sweat.
"Has your son ever refused to respond your call under any important circumstances?" Ralyks asked, his tone growing deeper.
"No…"
Even when Asher had reasons to, he never ignored his father's call.
That meant only one thing.
"They've begun to make their move already." Ralyks instantly rose to his feet with that declaration.
"Asher is in trouble."
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Chapter 225 Asher's Delegation
[Moments Earlier]
'This is a very important mission…'
Asher—known for all intents as purposes as Aldred by the group he was traveling with—was currently in deep thought as he sat in the carriage.
The world was currently shrouded in darkness, which meant this was the perfect moment to think.
His eyes fluttered open, and then he closed then soon after, thinking of the current state of his father's company.
… His birthright.
'Right now, I have to convince the Jaune Councilor.'
Each Council Member of the Obsidian Council had a code name attached to their real names.
His father was the Blanc Obsidian Member; and right now, the plan was to convince the Jaune and Verte Members respectively.
'Lord Verte is too far away, so we'll have to start with Lord Jaune.'
Depending on how much he paced himself, they could get there in an hour. However, Asher couldn't imagine doing something like that.
'There's still etiquette to consider, and we can't just intrude on another's property at such an ungodly hour.'
As such, the eventual plan became for him to simply camp outside their territory and wait for dawn to break before proceeding any further.
'Yeah. That'll work.' As Asher thought this, he looked outside his window and observed the two entourages that sat on their mounts and steadily moved beside him.
There was also one more behind him.
Adding them to the coachman, there were a total of four entourages—five individuals in total.
'Let's hope the delegation ends well.'
Even though his father—Rebal Blanc himself—wanted to be the one to lead this delegation, it would be too risky for him to leave their main area of business.
That was practically announcing vulnerability to everyone who was around.
'Besides, if father comes for this delegation, the other Groups might think we're desperate and we might lose considerable Bargaining Power.'
In the end, this was the best thing they could do.
As the carriage left the green shrubberies behind and reached the tunnel at the end of the lush greenery that surrounded them just earlier.
'It'll be smooth sailing from here.'
If Asher used his Enchanted Item, he could probably see the Jaune stronghold from where he stood.
"We should probably set up camp here, then…" Asher murmured, bringing out a pair of glasses from his pockets.
Everyone halted, and Asher even came out of the carriage at this point. The journey had been a bit stressful, especially since they had to travel at nights
It wasn't something they couldn't handle, though.
As the sole heir to the KariBlanc Group, he had to make sure he was at least this capable.
'I better confirm the state of the Jaune Group…' Asher's thoughts trailed as he looked at the Enchanted Item in his hand.
He put on the glasses and activated its effect.
The item glowed bright blue, and a shiny light surged from Asher's position,
Then—
'I-impossible! What is this?!'
What greeted Asher's already enhanced eyes was a sight so horrible that one could practically chalk it up to a nightmare,
The entire buildings within the vast compound were on fire, and he could see corpses buried in their entrails and blood.
Some couldn't even be qualified as 'corpses', given the messed up states of their bodies.
'This is bad!' Asher's thoughts echoed as he narrowed down his vision.
He could see a few people fighting, but that was about it.
It seemed like the Jaune House desperately needed help, so if the KariBlanc Group assisted them here, then…
'The negotiations might go even better!'
Asher knew he couldn't take any chances, so he decided to rush towards the infernal flames and sea of blood that greeted his sight anytime he focused on the view.
'Let's not get distracted and get this over with!'
The darkened moon hovered him and his subordinates as they prepared to quickly save their potential allies.
Amidst all the preparations and impatience that swirled within the group, a worrisome thought kept on plaguing Asher's thoughts.
'This could only have been done by the Mercenary Gang. No one else has enough power or even the nerve to try this to an Obsidian family member.'
'I didn't think they'd stoop this low! Does that mean Sir Ralyks was right? Did they go to the enemy side?!
'If so, then our plan crumbles from the start. Still…'
A bead of sweat fell from Asher's face as he composed himself well.
'I should first go to their aid and hope for the best!'
With his choice already made, Asher and his men parked their carriages and horses in a secure location, one of them casted a sort of protection Spell, while the other made an Illusion Spell so that their means of transport could not be detected naturally.
Once all of this was done, they proceeded towards their target.
*********
It took nearly ten minutes to complete the distance.
Even though they augmented their speeds with Mana and rushed as fast as they could, it still took some time to arrive.
And once they did… what greeted their sight was the bloodshed and flames that engulfed the entire compound.
'This is just…'
It felt like watching an entire empire crumble to the ground, and Asher began to wonder if the same would happen to his KariBlanc Group one day.
'Never! Father will figure this out. Sir Ralyks is also helping out!'
This thought gave Asher more resolve than ever.
'I have to play my part too.' He looked at his entourage and told them to split up and search for clues.
"Don't get in any unnecessary combat. Retreat when you encounter an opportunity and come back with the information you've gathered."
Asher, on the other hand, chose to embrace the storm by walking straight into the entrance.
He was still a delegate from the KariBlanc Group.
'I better be careful.'
Asher was known to be considerably strong, but after what he had experienced in the past couple of days—perhaps even a week or two—he was sure he was still a novice.
'I'll have to take this very seriously!'
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