SCC Chapter 10 The World Reacts(2)

The oil in the pan sizzled as both chopped onions and tomatoes were added, releasing a vapor filled with aroma, though it remained trapped within the pan, by a thin layer of spiritual energy above, that continously condensed into small droplets, akin to mist, and merged into the frying ingredients.

A slender hand occasionally shook the mixture, making sure that every piece got just the right amount of heat.

A few moments later, another ingredient, this time potatoes, having been chopped into thin slices of chips, were also added, bring an even more powerful sizzle, with the spirit energy within viciously fighting to escape, threatening to destroy the ingredients.

Beads of sweat appeared upon the woman's brow, but she didn't even have the time to wipe them off, as her concentration would waver. These spiritual ingredients were way too expensive to be wasted. Besides this had been her profession for many years, making her an old hand at this.

Minutes later, the whole soupy mixture settled down, with the spiritual energy within achieving harmony, mostly attributed to the addition of her own.

Now all that was needed, was to leave the dish out to simmer. After adjusting the cooking flame to a low heat, she took a look around her kitchen station, where the items she had used were gathered, waiting for her to clean up.

A sigh escaped her lips, before she dug into the work, taking over 40 minutes to get everything in order.

As she was waiting for the timer to beep, a figure popped in through the doorway and hugged her from behind.

"What is it, honey?" Cecilia asked her husband.

"Can't I just hug my beautiful wife?"

"Come on. We aren't young anymore." she said with a chuckle.

"Having a wife who is also a three star spirit chef is so damn good that I could hug you every single day?"

"Aha! So it's your stomach doing the talking?"

"I also love you. You know that. Anyway, I just heard a piece of exciting news."

"What?" she asked as she gazed at the timer intently, her hand poised to eliminate the heat at the exact time she had stipulated for this recipe.

"That brat Reed is out of seclusion."

Cecilia froze for a moment before joy bloomed within her heart.

"For real?!"

"Yes. I will ask him to drop by."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"There is no need to ask him that. Only ask for the date when. There is no way that child won't come to visit us." Cecilia said.

"It looks like I am going to have to search for ingredients. I should challenge myself this time."

"Dont push yourself too much. You wouldn't want the brat to see you exhausted on that day, right?"

"I know. That won't happen. Though, it has been decade since we last saw him. That's why I am excited."

-----

The air before a tree distorted as a figure, akin to a chameleon, silently walked past, entering some shrubs, underneath which, there was a hole, one primitive enough to appear as a habitat for some demon beast.

"Why did you gather us here?" a hoarse voice asked among the people clad in dark hoods. His name was Python, a nickname given to him by the organization. He was an espionage expert, one of the many in the world.

"The boss has ordered a strike."

The sentence caused a ripple within the crowd, him included. His face beneath the hood broke into a smile for a few seconds before settling down. This sentence was a coded message that meant that 'he' was out of seclusion. That was joyous news.

"What place does he want us to strike?" asked someone, causing every single gaze to shift to the two individuals, one hadn't released any fluctuation when that sentence had been uttered, while another had directly spoken out. The previous coded sentence had been one which elicited a release of a frequency only known to that of the organization, serving as bait for those spies who had managed to infiltrate.

Within mere moments, a circle formed around the two, with Python's face having turned dark. No matter the outcome of this fight, this place would be exposed. Meaning that the number of available shelters would be reduced.

Everyone's spiritual energy churned, and as if by tact understanding, attacked. No words were exchanged at all. The ensuing battle ended up being short, ending with the cave blasted open and all of the others scattering in multiple directions, Python included.

Through the untamed jungle, he traveled having made sure to activate the camouflage suit, an expensive piece of equipment that could even elude divine sense. The caveat was that your divine sense also had to be restrained. Due to a periodic culling of the population by the so-called gods, this state was filled with many untamed lands. Though, plenty of demons subservient to those gods made this land home, with many even used in the culling.

Finding one of his temporary hideouts allowed Python a measure of relief for the moment. And it also allowed him some time to think and ruminate upon the reveal.

News from the outside world was sparse, but now that he had managed to ascertain that his savior Reed was out of seclusion. He was happy. Even if there was no action taken against this vile sect within this period before his next seclusion, he would be content with the thought that he was there, monitoring their efforts.

After an unknown amount of time elapsed, he discarded the hood, revealing himself to be a middle aged man in local clothing, which too, was a disguise.

It was time to go back into the village. He trekked through the land until he appeared by a wagon covered in leaves, and removed them. He was masquerading as a traveling merchant, a rare and dangerous profession in these lands due to the demon beasts, which many people here both feared and revered, treating them as mythical existences. It was headache inducing when he thought about the amount of time it was going to take to induct these people into the Federation after the defeat of Pantheon.

-----

"why did you keep it to yourself?" shouted a brown haired man with streaks of red through his hair. His crimson eyes held a flame of rage as he leaned into the desk, boring holes into her.

Latniss really wanted to hand this fireball off to someone else, but she was the only one here. Besides, there was going to be a reward for her work welldone.

"And what would that knowledge have helped you with? And, haven't I told you multiple times not to bang on my desk?" asked Latniss as her voice became colder.

"That doesn't matter right now. What I want to know, is when are we going to storm Greece?"

"Can you get off my case? I have work to do. Another base of our comrades has just been discovered. I have to try and find out if any have been killed."

"Thats why I have been telling you to send me!" shouted Declan before moving away from the desk, plopping herself down onto the sofa.

Latniss scoffed inwardly. Why would she send someone so conspicuous. The day he was sent, would be the day he dies. Dying quietly wouldn't matter. But with his big mouth, it would spark a conflict that might leave everyone's hands tied, with that brat Reed being the only one to bear the brunt of Zeus' counterattack. That was an unacceptable scenario. They had come this far. How could they lose everything?

Latniss gnashed her teeth as a memory was conjured from the depths of her mind. Pantheon was a sect that had offended far too many people, and some had been gathered through painstaking efforts. They were a found family together. And right now, her efforts were being spent on investigating whether every single one of the people were still alive.

The one she could contact was still alive, and was in the middle of searching for the others, or establishing means through which they might gather again. Hades was the problem. Latniss was sure of that. The other gods were either too arrogant to resort to such tactics, or were too caught up in their debasement.

But what puzzled her and everyone, was the lack of action. Some of the guy's agents even managed to spend an entire year masquerading as members without bringing any harm. So, what was the man up to, really?

Latniss massaged her brows before leaning back into the chair. Declan had become quiet. That was a plus. But when the others apleared, there was going to be a massive migraine. Maybe she should have asked for ten billion. Then, she would have had a huge smile on her face even as she worked to handle the clashing egos of these people.