March 31, 2007, 22:35

"Well, well, well. It's been a while, hasn't it? If it isn't, miss Victoria... Celestine, was it?" A greasy old man sat on the chair opposite the shady counter. His belly fat was visible, and his face, mannerisms, and expressions were almost synonymous with a pig's.

"My presence here is only due to you possessing what I want, Eugene." A tall and pale woman responded. The woman had long and luscious platinum-white hair and captivating violet eyes like those of a meteor.

Next to the woman, a man in a white trench coat glared at Eugene while keeping a poker face, his alertness not dropping by one bit. The man was tall, reaching 200 centimetres in height. He had a noticeable stubble, a sign that he hadn't shaved in days, and bags under his eyes, making him look like a sleep-deprived zombie. He had mysterious blue eyes and short, jet-black hair.

"All I need from your facility, Eugene, is a room," Victoria said coldly.

Although Eugene was inwardly displeased, he was aware of the power the two individuals in front of him possessed.

As he leant over the counter, he briefly glanced at Victoria's stomach area. A noticeable bulge could be seen as her hands held onto her stomach in a protective manner.

Victoria was pregnant and about to deliver. As if an array of puzzle pieces had finally matched together, Eugene understood the situation as he felt cold sweat forming on his back.

"Now that you're aware, I'd recommend you don't try anything that may shorten your remaining days on this earth." The man in the white trench coat spoke as he pulled out a cigarette from what seemed to be thin air and placed it in his mouth. He snapped his fingers as the cigarette lit itself in front of Eugene's very own eyes.

Although Eugene was familiar with the magic and sorcerer worlds as he knew the two individuals in front of him, he didn't have the aptitude for magic, no less any for sorcery.

Eugene gulped as he felt just how dry his mouth was.

"And one last thing," Victoria said, looking at the inwardly trembling Eugene. "It's Clement. I go by my husband's surname now." With that, the pair left the counter as they made their way down a corridor before going down a few flights of stairs and arriving in front of a large metal door.

"Michael, I want you to stand guard outside." Victoria spoke with a shy and awkward expression.

With her powers, it was no issue to give birth to the babies she carried, but it was too awkward to have her male friend watch. No, no, no! Having him watch wasn't even an option from the beginning.

"You don't have to tell me twice, princess," Michael said sarcastically. Before he turned around and shut the door, however, he stopped to ask, "Any word from your husband?" Michael asked one second before he was about to shut the door.

Victoria only smiled before shaking her head. "Thank you, Michael, but I don't think I'll ever be able to see William any time soon."

Michael, as if finally able to read the awkward mood he created, shut the door before standing guard outside without a word.

"I totally shouldn't have said that." Michael smacked himself on the forehead before sitting himself down on the floor.

Many minutes had passed, and Michael waited until he finally came up with his own conclusion: "I definitely can't trust that guy."…Outside of the facility, Eugene stood besides a small squad of armed guards.

"Are these all the men you can provide?" Eugene spoke to the captain of the squad with a slight displeasure in his tone.

"Boss Eugene, this is all the manpower we from the Duskheart Clan could provide." The captain spoke calmly. Although he obviously looked down on Eugene due to his status as a non-mage, let alone a non-sorcerer, he knew that Eugene had quite a few connections. In fact, he envied that Eugene was a direct descendant of the Duskheart Clan.

However, Eugene's status as someone with nigh-abysmal aptitude made him the disgrace and cruel joke of the Duskhearts. He was unable to bear the name of Duskheart and could only rely on his family members, and that's to say, family members who cared enough to spare his life, as in the world of sorcery, a non-mage or sorcerer was no different than a cripple. However, as the Duskheart Clan was one of the 4 Great Hearts, Eugene could still live a comfortable life as a piece of useless decoration.

"Damn it! They don't take me seriously one bit!" Eugene thought to himself. "They're just fodder being sent to their deaths.

"I requested high-level reinforcements! Are you unaware of the level of those two wanted individuals? Those are sorcerers, not magicians! And to top it all off, they're estimated to be Sequence 2 sorcerers!" Eugene was angry. Did these fools seriously not cherish their lives? He had even specified this in the message that he had sent directly to his uncle and eldest brother.

The captain of the squad looked as if someone had stolen his soul. His face paled as he broke out into fits of cold sweat. He pulled out his phone and was about to make a phone call, but before he could finish dialing the number, the sound of a loud engine could be heard coming from the entrance of the facility.

After a few seconds, a man clad in a black suit and tie emerged from the military-style vehicle. The man was tall, had a muscular build, sported a buzz cut, and wore sunglasses even at this late hour.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Seeing the man, Eugene's eyes widened in shock, confusion, and excitement.

"Eldest Brother!" Eugene greeted the man, his face full of smiles.

The man glanced at Eugene as he gave him a twisted smile. "Well, if it isn't my useless brother." He grinned with this air of superiority, which just yelled that he had everything under control.

This man was none other than Leonard Duskheart, the heir and future clan head and leader of the Duskheart Clan.

Leonard had always been known for his arrogance and cold demeanour, traits that had earned him both admiration and fear among the clan members. Despite their shared bloodline, Eugene couldn't help but feel a sense of unease whenever he was around his older brother.

"You claim the two targets to be here?" Leonard asked, his voice dripping with condescension. Eugene nodded, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach. He had hoped that Leonard would trust his judgement, but it seemed that his brother's arrogance was getting in the way once again.

Leonard reached into his pockets and threw his car keys at one of the unassuming men who had gathered earlier. "I need you to go park my car," Leonard ordered.

His words and aura alone were enough to scare the man half to death.

"Now, let's see what that Constantine brat and Celestine runaway have in store for us." Leonard licked his lips as he anticipated the impending battle.

Leonard ordered the few men to set up a magic barrier. He didn't want anyone coming in or getting out.

He believed that he alone was enough to deal with two young adults.

Although he was the future clan head of the Duskhearts, Sequence 2 sorcerers were still Sequence 2 sorcerers. There was no room to underestimate them, but Leonard was still confident. He was in his early forties, and even the higher-ups were unsure of how powerful he had gotten, most of them estimating him to be a quasi-sequence 1.

Leonard's confidence stemmed from his extensive training and experience in combat. He had honed his skills over the years, surpassing the expectations of those around him. As he stood before the magic barrier, he couldn't help but smirk, knowing that he held the upper hand in this confrontation.

With years of experience and a thorough understanding of magic and sorcery, Leonard had unwavering confidence in his own abilities. As he prepared for the confrontation, he couldn't help but smirk at the thought of effortlessly outsmarting and overpowering the inexperienced Constantine and Celestine.

And what if he offended the Constantine and Celestine families?

Such worries didn't cross Leonard's mind once, as, firstly, the Duskheart Clan was an Australasian powerhouse that even the Asian Association had to show respect to. Secondly, no matter which one of the 10 Ancient Tines was offended, what could they do? The 10 Ancient Tine families were the remnants of an ancient empire, and due to this, the powers and organisations around the world put a lot of emphasis on their actions, resulting in them being forced to adopt a neutral position in the world's affairs. And thirdly, Michael Constantine and Victoria Celestine were fair game, as Victoria was the one being hunted while Michael was merely an accomplice. Hell, the Celestine family would thank whoever managed to get rid of Victoria, while Michael being her friend was merely an inconvenience.

Additionally, the ancient empire possessed a wealth of valuable resources that made it a coveted target for various nations and factions. This further heightened the importance of maintaining a neutral stance to avoid becoming entangled in conflicts driven by greed and power struggles. Moreover, the intricate web of alliances and rivalries among global powers made it crucial for the empire to navigate its relationships carefully, ensuring that any actions taken did not tip the delicate balance and ignite tensions on a larger scale.

The 10 Ancient Tines came from an ancient empire, and the Constantine and Celestine families were merely two of the ten factions. These factions, along with the other eight, vied for power and influence within the empire. Each faction had its own agenda and sought to gain an upper hand in the political landscape. This intricate power struggle often led to complex alliances and rivalries, further complicating the empire's ability to maintain a neutral stance and avoid being drawn into conflicts driven by greed and power struggles. Thus, why would they sacrifice their standing for the sake of two twenty-four-year-olds?

In any case, Leonard had the home-ground advantage, as at the end of the day, Michael and Victoria were on foreign soil. He'd just use the excuse that he was merely deporting some illegal immigrants.

This would not only save face for the 10 Ancient Tines but also allow Leonard to assert his authority and maintain control over the situation. Additionally, by framing it as a matter of national security, Leonard could justify his actions to the international community and avoid any potential backlash or interference from other countries.

"Let the hunt continue." Leonard licked his lips as he made his way into the main building.

...

Michael was bored out of his mind as he sat down on the floor. He fiddled with his phone while waiting for Victoria, every second feeling like an eternity. He wasn't nervous or anything, as he was confident in his strength as a sorcerer.

"Sigh. This should've been enough time for them to ask for and gather reinforcements." Michael sighed to himself. He had never once, for a second, trusted Eugene. It just happened that when a sorcerer gives birth, depending on their sequence, a huge disruption in the mana in the atmosphere may occur. This wasn't the reason why sorcerers were rare; it's just that such a commotion would be too large for people like them who were running away from multiple organisations.

A place like Eugene's facility, however, had very good natural and artificial mana isolation properties, which were needed for something that took as long as delivering two babies.

The facility's advanced mana isolation properties ensured that the disruption caused by the sorcerer's birth was contained within its walls, minimizing any potential harm to the outside world. This made Eugene's facility the best place to give birth without drawing unwanted attention or endangering themselves or the new-borns.

"How long does a delivery take anyway?" Michael pulled out his phone and typed in the question on Google.

"Ten to fourteen hours?" Michael was speechless. Although it should take a shorter time for sorcerers, Michael knew that there was no time to waste.

He made up his mind before deciding to use his innate technique.

"Heaven Secret Technique: Time Stasis"

With a wave of his hand, Michael froze time around him, ensuring that the delivery would be swift and safe. Well, it wasn't exactly frozen. Time just moved so slowly that in the field of effect of his time stasis, time moved slowly enough. Michael wasn't powerful enough to use the technique to its pinnacle, but he was able to make the time in the facility ten times the time in the outside world. Thus, ten hours here were equivalent to one hour outside.

He couldn't help but feel a surge of confidence, knowing that his decision would protect both Victoria and her children.

"They should be here at any time."