Earth's Core Book 4 – Conflict, Chapter 11 – Countering The Operation

Book 4 – Conflict

Chapter 11 – Countering The Operation

‘How could I be so reckless?!’ Mejar reprimanded himself as his face turned rigid. ‘That woman is getting closer!’ An ominous feeling at the back of his head caused him to shiver. From a hidden pocket in the torso part of his black clothes he took out a small capsule and threw it to his mouth.

BOOM!

An unbridled golden aura fluctuated out of Mejar’s body. The color his mist energy emitted promptly turned dark gold. With the boost from the capsule, Mejar actually reached the Advanced phase of the Mist Lord level and with the constant utilization of his movement technique, his speed rose exceptionally.

“A boosting supplement?” About seventy meters from behind, Zetsa was briefly stunned, but with a small icily laugh she found herself suddenly agreeing with Mejar’s action. ‘Better bedridden than dead, I suppose’.

WHOOSH!

Wind whistled as Mejar executed his movement technique. ‘Is that woman really a Mist Lord?!’ Seeing that the gap between him and Zetsa continued to shrink, he became frantic. But even at the same cultivation level and with the help of a movement technique, how could he compare to Zetsa when a genuine Advanced phase Mist Lord, such as the deceased Fang Lor, lost to her in one move and without a chance to retaliate? If Mejar had bother to look carefully, he would have discovered that after he took the capsule, Zetsa sole response was to push her legs a little harder.

‘All because of that damned Binjo!’ Mejar gritted his teeth. “Woman, you are courting your death by chasing me!” Since he was already discovered, there was no reason for Mejar to remain inconspicuous. This part of the operation failed anyway.

As his voiced reached Zetsa’s ears, it continued to reverberate for hundreds of meters, shattering the silence of the night.

Hearing the hostility and resentment in his words, Zetsa had no intention of answering back. In her eyes, the one in front of her was a man already dead, not even worthy for her to use her own movement technique

Reaching for a pocket in his pants, Mejar drew his caller. “Fath-” Though he pressed the instant dial call to his father, Dureil, before Mejar managed to utter the first word, an azure flash flickered in his eyes and in the next moment all he could see was his body stumbling before him and darkness descending.

As Zetsa perceived the instantaneous death of her prey, her feet halted as she stood on guard, inspecting the person who unexpectedly appeared in a speed even more impressive than her current one.

“You…” Zetsa muttered. The person in front of her clearly was not a stranger. “Eden Formation’s school principal…”

“Hahaha, young girl Zetsa, did your Master not teach you not to play with your food, especially if he has a caller?” Don smiled back at Zetsa. In her hand, Mejar’s caller was pulverized.

“You investigated?” Zetsa was taken aback. She knew that when this school principal visited Anet, she discerned her presence and at the time Don’s Soul Sense even let Zetsa know when she indiscreetly probed her.

“Did you except that I would let you keep an eye on my Tal without knowing who you are? Besides, you also seem to know who I am”. Don replied.

When Don told Mizuri that there was more than one monster by Anet’s side, the first monster she meant was Zax, while the second was Zetsa. Back then, when Don surveyed Zetsa, she found that not only her soul and mist level were at the Advance phase of the Mist Lord level, her body fitness level was, astonishingly, equal to her own.

From that much, Don deduced that the boy who barged into her school and the young woman that looked over Anet were somehow related. Instead of asking Anet for explanation in regards to the two, Don preferred to investigate who the two were using her own means.

With her vast connections and status, if Don looked to uncover something, no one would hinder her. Thus, it was not difficult and even faster than she expected to find details about Zax. By mentioning the words “A boy with clogged Qi channels, possibly from cave twenty five, around fourteen, fifteen years old” she managed to lit all the red lights that were responsible and worked hard to conceal Zax’s case from being associated to his experience in the Great Earth’s Core Pursuit.

Don learned a lot on Zax and his family. Even about his parents’ story on the benevolent expert that accepted him as a Tal. However, beyond that story, whether true or false, the trails went cold and no more information could be found. No one was interested in a boy with clogged Qi channels.

Zetsa, too, was not ignorance toward the identity of the woman in front of her. After she read Zax’s letter, her expression grimaced. At first she was angry at him for leaving without asking her opinion in person or at all, but afterwards she reasoned his attitude by acknowledging the importance of a breakthrough and even more so, after she talked with Anet and understood why he would be anxious to get stronger.

Later, from Anet, other than learning what happened to her, who was the perpetrator and to what family he belonged to, Zetsa also learned who the woman with the noble aura that visited her was.

“Miss principal-”

“’Don’ would be fine. You are not my student and as far as I know, no one of your household is part of my school. As such, seeing that we share a mutual objective, calling by name will suffice”.

“Very well, Don Ram”, Zetsa accepted Don’s point, but since she felt a since of respect toward the older woman for her cultivation level and for her actions, which clarified where she stands, she added the honorific title “Ram”. Also, Zetsa was not too familiar with Don to call her by her first name. Politeness always preceded candidness.

“Are these two the only ones sent by the Derneldar family?” Zetsa understood that Don’s appearance was not coincidental and suspected that she did not appear earlier, against Fang Lor, to view her fighting capabilities.

“Not sent, they are the Derneldar family”. Don attested. Her head turned and she looked over at Mejar’s corpse. “I, too, am surprised. This one here is Mejar Derneldar. He is the second brother of Binjo… I’m sure you are familiar with the name”. She turned her head back to Zetsa.

“Of course”. Zetsa clenched her fists.

Don ignored the display of killing intent that followed Binjo’s name. With a nudge of her hand she released a surge of mist energy and disintegrated Mejar’s head and body. “Come with me”. She instructed Zetsa.

Don took Zetsa back to Fang Lor’s corpse and destroyed it as well, and then she led her to a roof, five buildings from Anet’s home.

“I received credible information that Mejar Derneldar hired experts from the Core Breakers Guild for an extermination maneuver against all possible suspects who might be interrelated to your little brother, Zax. But oddly, the marked names they were hired to assassinate did not include Anet’s. Tonight I decided to check in for myself, in case my contacts missed something”.

“Did you have doubts in my ability?” Zetsa asked.

“I was careful. Three of the experts Mejar hired from the Core Breaker Guild are Core Masters, and despite being aware of your brother’s ability, when I surveyed your body fitness level, I sensed that you were a weaker than Zax”.

“Mmm…” Zetsa was slightly offended, yet did not retort.

It was true that in terms of body fitness level and soul Zax was more accomplished, but would she not be able to close the gap if she used her mist energy? If she executed her most potent Martial techniques who could tell who will win in a fight between her and Zax. Besides, as his older sister she was not willing to accept that her baby brother may not need her anymore in any form or way.

Don sighed, dispirited. “I really didn’t want to interfere and hoped that you would take care of the two by yourself… Yet you had to give him the chance to use his caller”.

If traces of her mist energy’s signature were left in the environmental essence and someone will detect them near the last signature of Mejar’s mist energy before they will fade, the Derneldar family could use it as an excuse to diminish, if even a little, the monumental reputation of the number one great family of El-Eden, the Dauch family, and protest against how they permits the administrator of the fine establishment they contributed so much to, to act excessively against a member of their family. Now, if such a thing would happen, even if it will not stir the tensions the Derneldar family might hope for, it would still cause the other families that contribute to the school to ponder on whether it is right for both the school board and the principal of the number one Martial school to be members of one family, the same family, the Dauch family.

“Don Ram, you said that there are other names targeted by the Derneldar family. Are those students’ name, by any chance?” Zetsa asked.

“Some. My contacts in the Core Breaker Guild let me know of six names, three of which are students of my school”.

“…These are kids that they are targeting…” Zetsa said, frowning.

In truth, a portion of the students in Eden Formation were the same age or older than Zetsa, since the graduating age is thirty years old. Moreover, it was possible that one of the students or all three were older than her, but because of Anet, Zetsa associated the other students as kids in her and her little brother’s age. Also, growing up in Valgarel, Zetsa’s last impression of a school was a place that kids go to.

Picking up the discontent in Zetsa’s voice, a small smile briefly adorned Don’s face. “Though for me to personally interfere is problematic, others that are related to me can still do what they want…”

“You mean…!” Zetsa’s eyes widened and a gratified shimmer flickered in them.

“I’ve given my heart to choose the side that aligned with my principles. Now I simply make use of the opportunity before my eyes to improve the odds of my choice…”

…

The Core Breaker Guild, an establishment of the highest order in Kingdom Earth. Its influence is parallel to any of the three greatest families of Kingdom Earth, the Dauch family, the Zoearth family and the Takeda family. Established in the past by Core Breakers for Core Breakers as the intermediary for cultivators who want to utilize their hard work of years of cultivation and assimilate it into society for living.

As years gone by and the founders of the Core Breaker Guild, along with many of its members, advanced and cultivated beyond the initial level, although externally the guild kept its name, within, it began to evolve and expand. Today, members above the Core Breaker level can upgrade their membership and through different tasks promote their position inside the guild. That being said, the higher one’s level of membership in the guild is, the more difficult it is to form alliances and dependable connections with other of the same level, unless a member has an intimate relationship with one of the guild’s core members. The reason for the deliberate hardship is for the guild’s core members to maintain a monopoly on the guild’s power and influence in Kingdom Earth. And because the power of the very few far surpasses the power of the many, the status quo continued to remain the same for hundreds of years.

After Mejar Derneldar received the list with six names, he immediately sent it to his contact in the Basement Floor of the Core Breaker Guild, which was also known as the underground society of Kingdom Earth. As for what other than assassination missions the proprietors of the Basement Floor have to offer to their clients and guild members, is currently unrelated to Mejar’s request of the guild.

Six names were divided between eleven hired experts of the Basement Floor of the Core Breaker Guild.

Two Core Masters were hired to assassinate Sermon Kirik, Silva Kirik and Michela Kirik.

One Core Master was hired to assassinate Zuek Sein Loren.

Two Mist Lords were hired to assassinate Xish Habrir.

Two Mist Lords were hired to assassinate Jeremy Shimmerman.

…

Cave seven. Outside the manor of the high class Kirik family.

CRACK!

A neck was snapped and a formerly sturdy middle age man in black suit fell to the ground.

“Mist Master…” A figure clad in black garments stood beside the body and by its voice it sounded like a young man sneering.

“Why waste time on irrelevant, brother Peats? I already located the targets. They are at the eastern wing of the manor, sleeping in three different rooms”. Wearing similar attire, another figure stepped out from the darkness.

“Brother Xinz, the main branch of the Kirik family actually has a grudge with my Fitra family. But my great uncle founder ordered me not to act and let him resolved it. Now, however, a job was offered in the Basement Floor to kill three members of the Kirik Family. Hehehe… This branch of the Kirk family is quite important to the main force. With the job coming from the Basement Floor great uncle founder can’t blame me for killing some Kiriks even if he’ll know that I took the job”.

“Brother Peats, you are truly unfilial! Did not your great uncle founder adopt you and even appoint you as the family head?” Xinz asked and sighed.

“He did, but he forced me to marry his daughter for the position. That bastard knew I was interested in someone outside of the family and made me give up the woman I coveted”. Beneath the covers of his mouth and nose, Peats gritted his teeth. “Damn it! Remembering it makes me want to disobey him even more!” He spoke sharply and an azure aura emerged. “One more breakthrough and the old man won’t be able to be overbearing anymore. Until then, let’s kill every living sole in this place, brother Xinz”.

“Brother Peats, as another family head, you make me wonder sometimes how both of us can be in the same position…” Xinz shook his head and followed.

“Excuse me”, when Xinz and Peats were prepared to enter the inner ground of the manor together, an elderly voice startled them and the two sprang left and right, Xinz holding a small dagger while Peats held three metallic balls.

On a garden stool at the entrance to the inner ground an old man with combed white hair was peacefully siting.

“An expert! Brother Peats, be careful, this man’s cultivation is higher than ours”. Xinz warned.

The old man had a pleased look in his eyes as has started at the two. “Principal Ram’s contacts were accurate”. The old man laughed. The old man was Mizuri, Eden Formation’s vice principal.

“You two, do you know the ages of your three targets?” Mizuri asked and got up. “Let me give you a hint…”

“He is coming!” Xinz announced as a bizarre formation suddenly engulfed Mizuri and his body shot forward toward Peats.

Less than five seconds later, two bodies fell to the ground. Xinz and Peats lay on the ground; the expression in their eyes was utter disbelief. To be so easily and so fast defeated without a chance to escape by someone only two phases above them, the Advanced phase of the first Core Master level!

Blood sprout from thirteen deep holes in Xinz’s chest and seventeen deep holes in Peats’s chest.

“The middle one is in between”.

…

Cave seventeen.

Eight figures were running across the streets. Seven golden auras, one azure aura.

“Enough, you kids think that you can match a Core Master?!” Annoyed, a skinny man with red complexion ceased running and turned to the seven, still very much youthful figures, which tenaciously pursued him.

“Old man”, a young woman with blazing hair stepped forward. A black ribbon was strapped to her left arm with the words “Student Council Class - President” in white letters, reflecting the nightly street lights. “We will not forget your contribution to our Martial development”. She folded her hands in salute and replied with cold eyes.

…

Cave twenty.

“Jalal, amazing! You actually beaten an Intermediate phase Mist Lord on your own!”

“Hahaha… You guys also did great. Saar, you held up the formation better than in training.” Jalal complimented the nine other Disciplinary Class members.

“What are we gonna do with them?” One of the Mist Masters in the group asked.

Jalal puckered his brows and a cold glare appeared in his eyes. “Kill”.

…

Cave nineteen. Around a kilometer from the governor’s estate of the Shimmerman family.

“Fi Han, which formation?”

Ten members of Eden Formation’s Disciplinary class were facing one Intermediate phase Mist Lord and one Advanced phase Mist Lord.

“Two Tails Three Heads Hound!” Fi Han commanded.

The nine members responded dutifully. Supporting each other against the untied attack of the two Mist Lords, the ten managed to link their mist energy and moments later a five meters tall hound with three heads and two whipping tails was erected.

“Tear them to pieces!” Fi Han bellowed.

Chapter end