CHAPTER 911: THE HORUS TEMPLE ARC (PART-6)

City of Napzu, Ospana,

Four days ago, as the news of the possible dungeon break leaked to the public and caused unrest all over the world, WAMO was forced to post an announcement on all of their social media accounts and also gave an official press conference about hiring Arcana Master from all over the world.

Of course, the Arcana Master associated with government agencies were kept away because they are considered the assets of their respective nation.

Only the ones that belonged to private Arcana Master agencies and freelancers were hired at a price that was suitable for their rank.

And there’s another requirement posted by WAMO. It is that only Rank 6 and above Arcana Master who could apply for this task, not just because of the risk factor but also due to the number factor.

At the moment, there are over 60 million Arcana Masters in this world, spread over 84 countries, of which 64.5 million of them are actually below Rank-6. And if one considers Rank-7, it is even less than ten thousand.

Originally, they wanted to hire only rank-7 and above, but hiring them would cost huge amounts, and no country or organization could bear such costs. And if they recruit rank-5 and below ones, it will be the same as sending them to death. Hence, only rank-6 and above were called for the assembly.

And yet, the city of Napzu saw an influx of thousands of Arcana Masters over the past week.

At around 9 o’clock in the morning, whoever registered so far was gathered at Napzu International Stadium, the biggest sports field in the city, which is used to host international games for soccer.

There, a 2000-year-old man of the Supreme realm was waiting for them alongside the other staff members.

He looked frail, and wrinkles were all over his face. His eyes aren’t even widely opened properly, and he just gives off the vibes of a harmless-looking old man. In a simple way, he just looked like a person who might die at any time.

However, no one in the world had the guts to look down on a Rank-9.

Using a mic, the old man addressed all of them, "Hello, young fellas. Some of you might have heard of me or read about me in your books, and some of you might not. Well, it has been more than five centuries since I retired. So, I won’t blame you. Anyway, let me introduce myself. My name is Lewis Knight, and my codename is Zero. I am the former President of World Arcana Masters Organization.

First of all, I thank you for joining the war that was not yours in the first place. But before leaving for the war, all of you must understand that the dungeon boss, Werewolf Lord, isn’t a simple monster you can fight. He is considered a Class-0 being (basically a monster/being that is stronger than a typical Rank-9) What’s worse is that he has the ability to share it with fellow allies. Regardless of their strength, you will be fighting the enemies who will have way above your reserves than yourselves.

So, be smart while engaging the enemy, and those who were trained in firearms, make sure to depend more on ammunition. That’s all I have to say. Thank you."

*Clap* Clap* Clap*

All the Arcana Master started clapping for the retired Arcana Master as he finished the speech.

Soon, the General of Vashia’s Special Forces took over the command, transporting all of them in large transport helicopters and vehicles to go to the temporary military bases set near the temple of Horus.

Meanwhile, inside the Temple of Horus;

A 25-foot giant werewolf, which was sleeping on a sacrificial altar for the past six hours, opened its eyes.

"I hope you had a good sleep, Milord," an aged voice was heard from the side.

It transformed into a 7-foot buffed man looking like he was in his early forties. Sitting on the altar, he took a glance at the statue and then at the old man in his late sixties, who was standing there for a while, "Did it start, Qin Sheng?"

The Rank-9 Arcana Master bowed deeply like a true subordinate and replied, "Not yet, Milord. It looked like they were a couple of hours behind in launching the attack."

"Very well," The Werewolf lord nodded with a grin on his face, "Call my generals, right now. We’ll begin the preparations for the ritual."

"Eh?" Qin Sheng was taken aback. "But, if there are no captured Arcana Master, who will we sacrifice?"

The Werewolf lord replied, "Instead of sharing my Soul energy particles with others, I shall use my powers to destroy the barrier before the enemy anticipates. And then, we shall proceed to seal the entire Napzu city and use the cursed box of Horus to release plague. Every child, woman, man, and elderly person will be sacrificed for our cause."

A look of panic and shock appeared on Qin Sheng’s face.

"But, without your help, Milord, our brothers might not be able to hold against the incoming army of Arcana Master. I heard that there are more than 6000 of them coming at us and we are only 184. Yes, we might be invincible so far but not this time. Because the humans are desperate. When they become desperate, their strength will increase. We will be defeated before you complete the ritual," Qin Sheng appeared to be genuinely worried about the situation.

The Werewolf lord patted his shoulder with a grin, showing off his sharp fangs, "Don’t worry. Once the trap you set succeeds, I will be reborn as the Fenrir, and once I had the power of progenitor, I will be able to resurrect the lives of our lost brothers. As for those humans, they will pay very dearly. The Age of Fenrir will begin soon, hahahaha..."

As the werewolf lord started laughing wildly, Qin Sheng clenched his fists, murmuring under his breath. "I just hope Milord will show grace to Dany (the original survivor name)."

*

In the depths of the Ocean, a stealth submarine was quietly moving in the pitch darkness where the sunlight cannot reach.

The eight veteran Arcana Masters were going through their strategy based on the new piece of Intel they received from their spy. Azrael, meanwhile, was silent. His role is already determined. Hence, he didn’t need the feel to participate in their discussion.

Watching him silently stay in the corner and closing his eyes, Celia Storm broke up from the group once their discussion was over and walked toward him.

He sensed her presence nearby and opened his eyes.

She sat beside him and asked in a friendly manner, "What are you thinking, Mr. Azrael?"

Azrael shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing. I just wanted to get out of this mess."

"Hmm?" Celia Storm misunderstood his words and couldn’t help but look at him in pity. She thought that he was worried about dying, as this isn’t something he signed up for. As for his earlier display of strength against Jaden, in her eyes, he was just protecting his ego. In reality, she termed him weak and someone who needed protection.

Trying to give him an assurance, Celia Storm let out a smile and said, "Don’t worry about it. Just stick to my side until the mission is over. You will do fine. In fact, your ocular powers will be quite helpful if I might add."

Azrael glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He could tell that she was sincere when she said those words.

At first, he had the urge to clear her misunderstanding. But, Azrael knew that doing it would not be helpful to him in any way.

Hence, he just went with the flow and commented calmly, "You sure are different from the rest, Ms. Storm."

"Thanks, I guess." Celia Storm smiled once again. After a brief pause, as if she remembered something, she further added, "By the way, you can call me Celia."

Before Azrael reacted to it, Iphi Magnolis intervened by calling Celia Storm and walking toward them.

She was actually curious about what they were talking about. Since she cannot act like a friend around Azrael, she sat beside Celia Storm, her former teammate, and whispered to her, "Do you know each other or something?"

Azrael’s ears perked up as he barely heard her, but he stayed silent as if he wasn’t interested. Celia Storm then shook her head, "No. I’m just accompanying him." After a brief pause, she addressed both of them at the same time, "By the way, both of you came from the same detention facility, right?"

As both of them nodded, she asked, "Did either of you come across anyone named Erin there? Should be the same age as me."

"Erin? Someone from your family? Your sister?" Iphi Magnolis asked after hearing the name. Azrael wondered the same.

Celia Storm clarified that it is her stepbrother, who often ends up in detention facilities due to insubordination.