-BOOM!
As the explosion rocked the banquet hall, the force of it sent shockwaves through the air.
CHINK!
The chandeliers above swayed wildly, and the elegant decor trembled under the impact.
“What is happening?”
Panic engulfed the guests, as everyone was surprised because of what was happening. They were shaken up, and some of the people here were non-awakened.
“I CAN’T SEE!”
The chaos ensued; the smoke covered everyone’s vision, and most importantly, almost everyone was shaken by the impact. Some people were losing their balance while others were trying to regain it.
Amidst the chaos and billowing smoke, the six heirs acted quickly, their instincts and training kicking in.
Julia and Carl immediately started looking around. They had been in dungeons, and even though this was a fairly new situation for them, the instinct they had developed after fighting countless times was there.
-BOOM!
Not long after the first explosion, the second one appeared. This time, it was closer to the people.
-TAK!
However, the explosion was blocked by the barrier that had just appeared, covering every person who was leaning on the tables.
“This…”
As Lilia and others paid attention to the tables, they noticed none of them had been damaged.
“PLEASE CALM DOWN!”
A shout echoed between the debris and smoke rising. It was a voice filled with authority, and almost every person in this place knew the identity of the source.
The head butler was speaking to them.
“THOSE WHO ARE CLOSE TO TABLES, DON’T LEAVE YOUR POSITION.”
-BOOM!
Of course, before the voice could explain further, another explosion occurred, interrupting his talk.
“Let’s stick together. We don’t have any weapons with us right now.” Lilia said as she observed the barrier, though she knew it wasn’t the time right now.
“And, Ethan. Make sure to stay between us.” And, she commanded.
Even though Ethan was a member of the academy, in this place, she would be nothing but a small fry since he had recently awakened.
“Tch. You know I won’t do that.” Of course, for Ethan, such an act would be impossible. First, it was a matter of individual pride, and second, he was here as the representative of the Hartley family.
“MAGES!”
As the command ensued, suddenly, the surroundings started shaking, and a strong wind appeared.
WOOSH!
And, in a matter of seconds, the smoke that was covering everyone disappeared.
WROOM! WROOM! WROOM!
As the smoke dissipated, the room was flooded with a surreal sight. Countless shimmering portals materialized across the hall, their ethereal presence sending a wave of panic and confusion through the attendees.
“What in the world…” muttered Lucas, eyes widening as he took in the unusual spectacle. The others were equally baffled, their instincts on high alert.
A different sense of pressure was coming from the portals as if something evil was lurking there.
Suddenly, from the portals emerged sphere mechanisms, swiftly propelled into the air.
TAK! TAK!
“OPEN FIRE!”
The guards didn’t even give any second, as the mages and archers deployed started attacking from away, targeting the spheres.
However, none of the attacks seemed to have any effect, as black energy covered the spheres protecting them.
DING!
Before anyone could react, these mechanisms emitted a sudden burst of energy, creating ripples in the surroundings—an unmistakable disturbance in the mana field.
WORM!
And following that, the barriers covering everyone suddenly disappeared.
“They’re causing a mana disturbance!” Irina exclaimed, her voice tense with urgency. Only she could be in her perfect condition even without a weapon, but as she tried to draw fire-psions from the environment, she failed miserably.
The implications were dire since the mana disturbance meant the artifacts and formations wouldn’t work as intended.
A mana disturbance could destabilize the psions around, making them unpredictable and potentially dangerous. This would affect the usage of skills and many other things. 𝚘𝒱𝐞xt.𝑐𝑶𝚖
SHACK! SHACK! SHACK!
And just as to prove that, the lighting that was illuminating the room suddenly turned off, leaving everyone in darkness.
“No.”
-SWOOSH!
However, that wasn’t enough at all.
Suddenly, from the rear of the Irina, the wind blew, and the sound of something flying through came.
SPURT!
Followed by the sound of liquid splashing.
PAT!
And some of them scattered through her face.
‘What is this?’
She asked herself. Her head was shaking from the mana disturbance around her, and her brain wasn’t working as it would normally be.
“Kurgh-!”
Before she could even respond, she heard the voice of someone coughing, and the sticky liquid on her forehead slowly reached her mouth.
The taste was something she was familiar with.
‘Blood?’
SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
As the metallic taste of the liquid slowly registered in her brain, another bunch of attacks also came.
The darkness and the mana ripple around the environment were already affecting her mind. With her high sensitivity to mana as a mage, the disturbed psions were closing her senses, making her more vulnerable than ever.
“IRINA!”
Just at that second, she felt someone’s presence.
THUD!
As she was tackled to the ground, behind the huge body of the person, she could see sharp black-colored tendrils piercing the empty air as they passed.
“Huh?”
“What are you doing?”
Her body was still shaking from the impact, and she wasn’t in her right mind. It was as if something was directly affecting her body, making her stop functioning.
SLAP!
At that second, a sharp, stinging pain came from her cheeks. And with the pain, the world that was rotating slowly calmed down.
Clarity returned as her gaze regained her focus.
“Come to your senses, Irina.”
Before her eyes stood blue hair.
“You almost died.”
His green eyes were looking at her with clear anger.
“This isn’t the Irina, I know.”
“Ethan.”
As she shook her hand for a bunch of seconds, she could see the warm gaze returning to the boy before her.
As the sitting pain continued from her swollen cheek, annoyance also came. Annoyance at the fact that she was standing pathetically while others were clearly protecting her.
SLAP!
And another slap echoed.
“What was that for?” Ethan demanded, looking at Irina with a mix of concern and slight injustice.
“It’s payback,” Irina replied, her voice slightly shaky but regaining strength. “For hitting a lady.”
Ethan blinked, momentarily taken aback, before a hint of realization dawned on him. “Oh,” he responded, slightly sheepish. “That was… necessary, I suppose.”
However, they couldn’t continue their talk, as they could see the scenery around them.
Blood was spilling on the ground, and countless attackers with their faces covered with masks appeared from the portals one by one.
They exuded the pressure that didn’t belong to any average person, as if they were some sort of predator. The color of blood and the intense smell of dread covered the room.
However, of course, the Blackthorn Family wasn’t only in the name. Even though the attack was something that they weren’t expecting, that didn’t mean they weren’t prepared.
“TAKE THE FORMATION!”
SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
With a loud shout, Hunters and the Awakened immediately entered the field.
Trained in combat and well-versed in dealing with such emergencies, they acted with swift precision.
Spells and skills were cast, blades were unsheathed, and the clash of magic and steel rang through the hall.
CLANK! CLANK!
And immediately, the place where the banquet was held turned into a battlefield. Blood continued to spill, and blades continued to clash.
The attackers were no amateurs either. Clad in dark garb, they moved with calculated coordination, their intent clear – to cause harm and chaos.
It was clear that the level of the guards was close to the level of the attackers, and that alone showed how dangerous the group was.
And amidst the chaos and the relentless assault of the tendrils, the Blackthorn guards found themselves overwhelmed. The tendrils seemed to strike from everywhere, making it challenging for them to mount a cohesive defense.
“Hold the line!” barked the leader of the guards, trying to steady his guards as they struggled against the onslaught.
Spells and arrows were launched in desperation, but the tendrils seemed to have a dark energy that deflected or absorbed their attacks.
In the end, only chaos remained.
*******
“Snake.”
Inside the place filled with pitch darkness, a hoarse voice echoed inside the room.
“Report.”
The owner of the voice had a bulky build, and he was watching the scenes on his screen.
-WROOM!
The fans continued to rotate loudly as the huge room gave the impression of a basement.
“Reporting, this is Snake.”
A voice came from the monitors. It was a soft voice, probably belonging to a woman. Even though the signal was disturbed, her voice was still clear.
“The information is correct. The package is here.” The voice named Snake confirmed.
Hearing this report, the bulky man grinned.
“Good, you may continue with the operation.”
“Roger.”
As the channel was closed, the bulky man stood there looking at the screen.
“Did you hear this?”
And he spoke, turning his back. There stood a silhouette covered with a veil. From its hands, continuous darkness poured, shooting to the portals that were opened in the room.
“Yes.”
The voice replied.
SWOOSH!
And following its reply, another black tendril flew, directly shooting to the portals.
“Then, will you speak now? We need to find the place of the item.” The bulky man approached the figure with a grin.
SWOOSH!
However, his approach was stopped by the tendril that flew past his ear.
“I remember warning you not to approach me.”
“Okay, okay….”
The bulky man took a step back, wary of the tendril’s warning. The atmosphere was tense, thick with unspoken threats.
“As for my question-”
“Of course,” the veiled figure replied calmly. “I will describe the location as you asked.”
“then-”
“When you capture him.”
As the veiled figure spoke, the bulky man nodded his head.
“Then, make sure you are ready. It won’t take too long.”
And he once again turned to screens opening the channel.
“Tiger, Lion. You are allowed.”