CHAPTER 68

THE FIFTH BOOK

  Hans's words lingered in Vanessa's mind, churning up a tempest of thoughts and ideas. Her mind raced as she considered the possibilities, the risks, and the rewards. In the end, it took only a moment for her to reach a startling conclusion - the bomb attacks on the town plaza were merely a ruse, a cunning attempt to abduct one of the trio.

  As Vanessa's lips parted to divulge crucial information, she withheld one critical detail. The mere thought of uttering it tightened her chest because Hans was closer to Chris and if Eclipse really targeted him then he was good as dead.

  Nevertheless, she pressed on, choosing instead to disclose a different tidbit. "Delmira," she spoke softly, almost as if to herself. "Now there's a name worth considering. She's the heiress of the Winter company, the daughter of a prominent director in Concordia. A useful exchange hostage, to be sure."

  Although Hans had never been particularly fond of her, the mere thought of her sudden disappearance did not sit well with him for some reason. He clenched his chest, trying to grab his violently beating heart. He was really getting an ominous feeling like he would regret it all his life if something happened to her.

Turning to his sister Vanessa, he implored her for guidance.

Sis, what should we do? Can we really trust Concordia to follow through with the exchange?

Vanessa offered a reassuring pat on his head, attempting to quell his unease.

Calm down, It's all just my speculation for now, dear brother. We must confirm whether or not she's been taken first.

But Hans remained restless, pressing on with his concerns.

But what if...?

She assured him again,

Well if it's true, she is a valuable hostage so they won't hurt her, so don't worry.

Her words worked wonders on Hans and he breathed a sigh of relief, believing that the mere fact of her value as a hostage would ensure her safety.

Then she'll be okay...let's go then.

But Vanessa quickly intervened, halting him in his tracks by literally grabbing him by the shoulders, declaring

You are not leaving this place, young man.

Hans protested but Vanessa's tone brooked no argument. "No buts," she reiterated firmly. "I'm serious. You're not leaving this place, period."

  She forced Hans to sit in and initiate communicating with Lady Sierra but despite her best efforts, Vanessa's communication orb failed to connect with Sierra. It was a frustrating setback, but she couldn't let it stop her. With a heavy heart, she made the difficult decision to leave Hans behind. Area 11 was likely to be the epicentre of the impending battle, and she couldn't risk his safety.

  When she left, leaving him with his anxious thoughts that did not help a bit but grew his restlessness to no avail, for the reason he couldn't quite articulate. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he slipped away from the quarters, leaving behind a message for Vanessa to track him down.

  As Hans ventured deeper into the fray, he encountered countless individuals trying to deter him from reaching the blast zone. But he was no novice when it came to evading, deftly slipping past them at every turn. He climbed to a high vantage point, determined to use his unique ability, ManaVision to track down Delimira's unique mana signature.

  Her mana was distinct, with a quality unlike any other he had encountered before. It was only after learning of her mixed heritage that he began to understand why. Hans pushed himself to the limits of his ManaVision, straining his eyes and his mind to expand his senses to their fullest extent.

  His head throbbed with the strain of using his abilities to the limit, but he refused to let the pain distract him. There was no time to waste – Vanessa would soon return and track him down the moment she see the note He just had to stall the abductor but Delimira losing to them meant they were strong, maybe far stronger than he could handle.

  But it did not mean he was going to stop, With a fierce determination in his heart, he made up his mind and set off in pursuit of Delimira's captor. The orca vines came to his aid, giving him a power boost as he leapt over buildings and bounded through the streets, conserving his stamina for the inevitable showdown to come.

With every step, he drew closer to his target, his heart pounding with anticipation and mostly fear

AREA 11

  In the dimly lit room, the deans and HouseMasters stood tall and imposing, their eyes fixed on the trembling figure before them. Though many of the most powerful figures of Concordia had chosen to remain in the Midlands, those who had gathered in Area 11 were the finest the Concordia could offer.

  It had been the Talons who had caught the spy and brought him to Area 11. And now, they stood guard outside the interrogation room, their eyes peeled for any signs of trouble.

  The skilled interrogator had already uncovered the meeting point, and Walter took it upon himself to investigate the liaison. Even though it was likely to have changed, he needed to be certain.

  With the powerful alchemical solutions still inside him, the spy continued to sing like a bird. It was widely known that no one could resist the power of Concordia's interrogation techniques. He revealed that the primary goal of Eclipse in Concordia was to steal the sunstones given to them by Parv to stop the Elven War.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Eclipse believed the sunstones were rightfully theirs, but the spy, being low in the hierarchy, did not know the exact plan of the organisation. The treasury where the sunstones were kept was tightly secured, and Concordia made sure that it was almost impossible to rob them.

  As they were speculating their own theories, Vanessa came knocking in a hurry. She barged in without showing any courtesy to the higher-ups and spoke of the possibility of Delimira being abducted. Aredhel's face sank at the news - abducting her daughter for the sake of a low-level spy was highly unlikely. It was evident that Eclipse was after a bigger fish like robbing the sunstone reserves. But Concordia won't hand over something so dangerous to Eclipse even if her daughter's life was on the line.

  Aredhel knew how ruthless Eclipse was. They had no qualms about slaughtering anyone who stood in their way - even children. Panic was etched on her face, but she forced herself to remain calm. She knew that time was running out and the only hope for her daughter's safe return was Rudolf.

She isolated herself and the Thunder knight with a sound barrier, and with a pleading voice, she uttered the words that would make or break her. "If you want to see your son again, find my daughter," she said, her voice quivering with fear.

Rudolf's eyes turned cold as he heard her words. He looked at Aredhel with a mix of anger and desperation. The room started shaking as he gathered his lightning aura, ready to unleash his power.

"If this is a lie, you will pay for it, no matter what," he threatened, his voice sharp as a blade.

  With those words, Rudolf vanished into thin air, leaving behind a trail of electric sparks that illuminated the room. The air crackled with energy as he went in search of Aredhel's daughter

THE MIDLAND FOREST

  The Midlands, while smaller in size compared to Agrilands, was a land of lush greenery among the tall castles and monuments. It was home to a sprawling forest, which was considered one of the greenest expanses on the floating island. Hans had finally tracked down the abductor and his captive and was now observing them from a safe distance, watching their every move with eagle eyes. The abductor, with an air of arrogance, sat lazily in the open space, exhibiting a blatant disregard for any potential threats. Beside him lay Delimira, seemingly unharmed, yet completely paralyzed and utterly helpless.

  Hans didn't know about this man in front but he learned a lot about Eclipse in Concordia. This group of formidable extremists had either been excommunicated from or had left Parv, and they were led by the indomitable Xandor. Driven by a fierce desire for revenge against those who had taken the life of their beloved king, they were gathering their strength with the intention of toppling the allied nations.

  After hearing the name Xandor from Rudolf back in the County, Hans had to know who the man was, so he found quite a lot about him in Concordia library. Xandor was a mage of dark mana, the sole mage who had achieved control over death. His mastery over the undead had earned him the reputation of a one-man army, a description that was by no means an exaggeration.

  Hans gazed upon the unassuming figure before him, a middle-aged man clad in plain clothes without a hint of armour. At first glance, the man seemed harmless, his unremarkable appearance belying any hint of danger. But as their eyes met, a cold dread crept up Hans's spine, tightening his throat with the fear of imminent death.

  Despite his initial fear, Hans knew better than to underestimate anyone connected to the dangerous Eclipse organisation. As the man before him spoke to Delimira, the dread that had gripped Hans dissipated, replaced by a growing sense of unease.

"Well, well, would you look at that?" the man said with a sly smirk. "Looks like your knight...Mage in the white cloak is here, princess."

A frustrating voice came from afar,

Oh, Shit!!.

  Delimira could not turn her head to see but she could recognise that childish voice anywhere. She was not happy to see him here, There was no way Hans could get her out of the situation because she belatedly realised who this man was. As she pondered on the gravity of the situation, the only thought that kept swirling in her mind was that the entirety of Concordia might need to join forces to take down this evil force.

  Hans emerged from his hiding spot, recognising the voice of the captor immediately. It was the same voice that had haunted him back in the County, and now he found himself face-to-face with the leader of Eclipse. He cursed his luck, knowing that he was no match for a warlock, not to mention as powerful as Xandor. As equivalent to a mere two circles novice mage, he had little hope of running away from this battle.

Desperate for a way out, Hans considered his options. He knew he needed to buy time and hope that someone stronger would come to his aid. With measured steps, Hans moved closer to Xandor and spoke in a low, unwavering voice.

You wanted to be found, didn't you?

A sly smile crept across Xandor's lips.

Clever brat. Yes, I wanted to see how much you've grown in the past year.

Hans narrowed his eyes, his expression grim.

Then you should have come to me.

  Xandor let out a chuckle, his eyes fixated on Hans with amusement. "Risking your life for an elven girl, you act like a child," he taunted. "But I can't blame you. It's in your blood to protect her, isn't it? You'll go to her like a moth to the flame, unable to resist your instinct to keep her safe, again and again, and again.

  Xandor's words were equivalent to nonsense to Hans right now and kept falling on deaf ears because something else had occupied his mind since he came to face the Eclipse leader and it was not Delimira. It was something that should have been kept hidden by Walter. He cursed his stupid HouseMaster for his carelessness and overconfidence. It was undoubtedly the second book of fate.

  Xandor's smile twisted into a wicked grin as he watched the panic in Hans's eyes as the boy's eyes got fixated on the book in his hands. The Eclipse leader had shed his harmless facade, revealing himself to be a dangerous and cunning adversary.

"I am Xandor," he introduced himself with a flourish. "The first commander of King Samson Parv."

  Hans had wanted nothing more than to see Xandor gone, but now the situation had changed. The second book was in Xandor's possession, and Hans knew that he could lose it forever. The whole situation was a mess, a direct result of Walter's carelessness and overconfidence. As he looked at the book in the Warlock's flaunting hands, he knew that he had to act fast if he hoped to salvage the situation.

Xandor toyed with the book in his hand, his smirk still firmly in place as he watched Hans's reaction.

"I am the holder of the fifth book," Xandor declared, relishing in the power that came with the possession of such a coveted item. "Book of Immortality - Death." he finished with heavy words.

  Hans cursed under his breath. He knew that Xandor was not a man to be trifled with, and the stakes of this game had just been raised to an unfathomable level.

Xandor chuckled at Hans's distress, clearly enjoying the predicament he had put the other man in. "Now choose," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "The girl or the book."

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