Chapter 914: Provocation
The carriage continued to roll down the dirt road, its passengers completely unaware of the imnse danger to their lives.
As they moved further and further away, the surroundings got emptier, with barely any carriages or people moving down the road.
Hayes Ballard and the crooked man from the cult maintained a safe distance of at least a hundred ters as they scouted their surroundings.
No stone was left unturned as they tried to search for any hidden dangers or enemies waiting in ambush.
But…
They found nothing.
Hiding behind a mound, the two Magi had extrely dark expressions on their faces. The hunched-back old man turned to look at Hayes and murmured, “What is… happening?”
Hayes remained silent, his brows furrowed as he watched the carriage slowly make its way along the dirt road.
The auburn-haired man sitting at the front, steering the horses, appeared laid-back. No, he was laid-back.
It was as if… he was not even expecting any attack!
“Could this really not be a trap?” Hayes muttered under his breath.
His nerves were stretched taut, and a drop of sweat trickled down the side of his forehead.
Despite the landscape being free of any hidden dangers, for so reason, he had this feeling that sothing ominous waited for him on the other side.
Things seed far too easy!
The crooked old man fell silent, deep in thought for a long ti, before answering, “Let us scout the area one more ti. The road cuts through a narrow valley a few miles ahead.”
Hayes’s expression turned grave as he gave a firm nod. “If there is indeed an ambush waiting for us, it is likely to be there.”
He turned to the crooked man and said in a grim voice, “We’ll check the valley. If everything is clear, we’ll strike as soon as the carriage exits the pass.”
“Yes.” The crooked old man smiled maliciously. “Perfect. We’ll eliminate the Mana Vortex Magus and the rest of the vermin, seize the woman, and vanish before anyone realizes what happened.”
After having co to a decision, the two Mana Vortex Magi vanished from their hiding spots, streaking toward the distant narrow valley, swift and silent as specters.
***
Uptown Quarter, Ravenfell.
Standing at the edge of the rooftop, the Master waited silently with his hands clasped behind his back.
The hems of his dark robes fluttered in the wind, while his hood concealed his face in shadow, rendering his expression unreadable.
He emanated no aura whatsoever. No one would realize his presence even if they were standing right in front of him.
Whether this was the result of a spell or an otherworldly artifact remained a mystery.
The Master cast a contemplative gaze at the Dark King, thinking to himself in dismay, Why did you do it?
Why now?
I didn’t think you’d be so ruthless that you’d use your sister as bait.
Adam…
The Master’s eyes narrowed.
I have underestimated you!
It was precisely because of this reason, and the fact that it would risk incurring suspicion from the city’s security forces, that the Master didn’t send more Magi to abduct Anna.
He was almost certain that this was a trap.
Otherwise, why else would Adam send Anna away now of all tis?
Why would she leave through the southern gates so conspicuously?
Why would she only have one Mana Vortex Magus protecting her?
Everything reeked of deception!
The Master couldn’t help but frown. He didn’t like to be put in this sort of passive situation at all. He liked to be in control of things. He liked to be several steps ahead.
But Adam…
He had truly surprised him.
That is why the Master only sent two Mana Vortex Magus this ti.
If they succeeded in abducting Anna, all the better. That ant half the battle was already won, and they would have leverage against Adam.
However, if they failed… the loss of two Mana Vortex Magi was a price he was willing to pay.
Although the Master could play another hand.
That was to send a Mana Core Magus after Anna Fireborne! After all, all of them were patiently waiting outside of Ravenfell.
Mobilizing them would not arouse much suspicion. Moreover, they could also act swiftly, completing the mission before anyone even noticed.
But then, the risks would far outweigh the benefits.
The Master already knew this to be a deliberate exposure, a provocation trap intentionally set up by the Dark King to invite action.
But he would not fall for it…
The more the Master thought about it, the darker his expression beca.
What if Adam wants to send a Mana Core Magus in pursuit of his sister?
Maybe this has been his plan all along…
Perhaps, he’s trying to reduce our numbers before the battle begins?
He thought to himself solemnly.
What if there’s a Mana Core Magus from the Twilight Brotherhood lying in ambush?!
In the Cult of Bones, the Master was regarded as the right hand of the Cult Leader—his most trusted and powerful subordinate.
As such, he naturally knew about Adam’s connection with the Twilight Brotherhood.
In fact, he knew more about Adam than Adam himself could possibly imagine.
For example…
The Master knew Adam’s relation to Berger!
It seems the deceitful gno has raised a pupil every bit as treacherous as himself… How fitting, he thought to himself.
The more he thought about it, the more he beca certain of it.
It was an open trap.
Bold and deliberate.
It was as if the Dark King was daring him to make a mistake.
What happened next only confird the Master’s suspicions…
Adam, who was lounging by the pond with a cup of wine in hand, slowly turned his head.
The raven-haired youth’s gaze pierced through the concealnt, landing directly on the Master.
A mischievous, taunting smirk ford on Adam’s lips as he raised the flat cup in a silent toast.
***
After thoroughly scouting the area around the valley, Hayes and the crooked old man still found no traces of any hidden ambush.
Though a hint of unease lingered, they knew what had to be done. They were already here and couldn’t afford to let such a golden opportunity slip away.
Standing atop the valley’s edge on either side of the narrow path below, the two Mana Vortex Magi exchanged a solemn glance and nodded.
Soon, the carriage erged from the narrow pass.
The coast was clear.
The ti had co.
In the next instant, Hayes and the crooked Magus lunged toward the carriage!
Damn, this chapter took a considerable amount of ti to write…
User Comments
0 comments from readers