After finishing off the group of I-2 designated monsters, my final count stood at 20. The area around the fence and the bank of the lake was littered with remains of monsters and dead beastmen. Foul smell started to come out and the dead bodies of the beastmen are probably the ones that are releasing the smell. These bodies do need to be carried back quickly.

I wanted to see how Onray was doing. The noise was less over at his side and turning towards his direction showed an interesting scene.

Few bodies of monsters lay at Onray and his team’s feet while the rest of the monster swarm stood and glared towards them. Onray along with his team had formed a single file line with their shields in front of them. In that moment a small monster which was at most four feet height made its way quickly towards Onray. The monster was fast, probably due to it’s our small legs. The moment in came close to Onray’s team, it sprayed something from its mouth towards a Zoit soldier.

Luckily the soldier had the idea of putting his shield up and blocking the liquid. Another soldier seized the opportunity and brought his axe down on the monster cutting it in two pieces.

The pattern of the monsters was out of the ordinary. Well, nothing these monsters do are ordinary, but normally they stick to a pattern of attack. Even though I know they are most probably under that last remaining Zendon’s control, the monsters are not overly aggressive. Like in Galeform city or in Reha… these monsters are not showing primal instinct to kill. It looked like they are holding back… like waiting for something.

I quickly checked the position of the last remaining Zendon named Liala. The matter of Javel himself knew some information about them was quite shocking for me. It was dangerous on so many levels. The King’s Crystal showed that Liala had not moved from her location at all. She was somewhere inside the facility.

What was she even doing now?

Wouldn’t it have been better if she attacked us now?

We are facing an entire swarm of monsters and the way these Zendon people fight, I could see her being heavy for us to handle at the same time.

But… What was she waiting for?

What is she thinking?

Why take the facility? It wouldn’t do much good to them now. If they wanted to attack the Feli city… they could have attacked directly. I am sure the city would have been caught unaware. Taking over the facility seems redundant if… if they plan on attacking the city.

I was feeling uneasy of the fact that Liala was still inside the facility since I tracked her. If she wanted, she could have escaped and I or anyone else would have been unable to catch her.

Should I search the facility while Onray holds the swarm?

He is capable enough to do it and his soldiers seemed to be good at what they do. Would it be alright?

No… she has not moved from her position till now. I should help Onray deal with the monsters.

I jogged towards his position and stood behind him.

Me: “So… what’s your count?”

Without looking back, he answered.

Onray: “Can’t you think of more important thing other than keeping count?”

Me: “Nope… can you?”

Onray: “We have got it covered here… see if you can make your way into the facility.”

Me: “Are you sure?

You are outnumbered here and not that the monsters are exactly aggressive now, but when they do… you would be surrounded.”

Onray: “I know…

This is not my first time.”

Taking account of his confidence, I made my way towards the entrance of the facility. The door was gone along with some part of the wall. A body of a monster lay just near the entrance and under it lay a body of dead Zoit soldier. The whole facility is made out wooden planks and the way it sustained damage showed how minimum protection these things provided.

Upon entering the facility, a scene of pure carnage greeted me. Maybe ten or more Zoit soldiers lay dismembered upon a pool of dried blood. Few monsters bodies lay dead along with them too. The wooden walls were damaged and some part was missing. A beastman was impaled into a wooden plank on the wall. He was not in an uniform of the Zoit army, instead he was dressed in a light blue long coat. The plank went through and through into him. His face showed signs of agony and the pool of blood below him indicated to me that he died painfully.

The room had nothing of importance. Some chair and tables lay overturned along with the bodies. While navigating through the blood and body parts, I found two intact dead bodies. Those two lay side by side and was pinned under a table. I crouched down and moved the table. The first thing I noticed was the lack of bite marks or any marks related to monster attack for that matter. What I found was a clean slash on the throat on both of them.

I tried to make little sound as possible while navigating through the facility. There was no map which would make my navigation inside easy. Exiting the first room, I encountered a long corridor. There were five rooms on each side of the corridor. The corridor itself was filled with three headless beastman. All of them dressed in a long blue overcoat. I entered the rooms along the corridor one by one.

There were no windows in any of the rooms or any arrangement for resting. Papers, metal bars and crystals were scattered all over the rooms. Those along with dead bodies… it was same inside every room. In couple of the rooms, I found few beastmen impaled on the wooden wall with metal bars. In most of the rooms, I found almost no Zoit soldiers. Those that lay dead were all dressed in blue long coats. Workers of the facility I gathered. The light outside had faded and now pitch black darkness covered everything. If not for the glowing crystals embedded on the top of the walls, the entire facility would have been hard to navigate through. The crystals gave out faint white glow. Some places were dark due to the walls around those place were destroyed.

I found no monster bodies inside any of the rooms.

When I reached at the end of the corridor, I found a door. It had a sign over it… ‘LAKE VIEW’.

An open view of the lake greeted me when I opened the door. Two staircases went downstairs on both sides of the area. The area had low wooden bars acting as protection. At first I thought about descending down both the staircases, but a faint noise attracted me to the extended part overlooking the lake.

The area was dark due to the absence of light, even though inside was fairly lit. I stepped onto the extended part and looked on my both sides. I found a figure sitting with its back to the wooden wall and facing the lake to my right. It seemed the figure was unaware of my presence… though even if I got detected was of nothing important.

I decided to casually approach the figure. One thing I have gathered from facing the Zendon people… they like to talk or gloat being superior. I was sure this one will start the conversation as well. I sheathed my left hand sword, but kept a good hold on to my right hand sword… in case this one tries to test me.

Step by step, our distance shortened and finally when I was just a few paces away from the position where the figure was sitting, it opened its eyes.

The blue crescent eyes seemed to glow in the dark. They were truly captivating.

“Is he dead?”

The figure spoke as expected. The feminine voice almost confirmed her identity to me.

Me: “Yes.”

I knew about whom she was asking about and I replied her truthfully.

“Did you kill him?”

Me: “Yes.”

I unsheathed my other sword and stood opposite to her.

Me: “What is your name?”

There was no answer from her. I pressed her again.

Me: “What is your name?”

“Will it matter?”

Me: “Yes… I would like to know the name of the one responsible of murdering many beastmen.”

“I… I did not kill them.”

Me: “Doesn’t matter…”

“I understand…

Liala… Liala is my name.”

She spoke softly.

Me: “Why didn’t you run away?”

Liala: “To where?”

Me: “What was your plan? Why come here?”

She sat silently while gazing towards the lake.

Liala: “Will you kill me now or will you take me prisoner?”

Me: “Depends on what you have done. You say you didn’t partake in killing so many innocent beastmen of Zoit. How am I supposed to believe a Shadow Knight of the Queendom of Deirdre Mhic?”

Her gazed shifted towards me and from looking at her eyes; I could feel her being confused.

Me: “If you are thinking how I knew that… I had met a few Queendom’s Shadow Knight before. They are all dead if you want to know that too and I am the only one who can give you a sage passage out of here.

It is in your best interest to talk to me. Tell me about your plans, your goals and what you wanted out of this.”

Was I going to give her safe passage?

No… but I wanted her to think that.

Liala: “I… I am not a Shadow Knight of the Queendom.”

Me: “Then what are you?”

She shifted a little in her seat.

Liala: “I am… I am a member of the 2nd Communication Division of the Queendom. I hold… or at least held the post of Relay Officer.”

I squinted my eyes a little bit. Was she thinking that spewing lies would get her out of this mess?

Me: “Really…”

Liala: “I know… I know you would not believe me, but-“

Me: “You want me to believe that a messenger was sent inside a continent with a job to kill its citizens?”

Liala: “I did not kill anyone!”

Her voice rose as she declared that.

Me: “Then… what was your mission?”

Liala: “I was ordered to join a squad of the Shadow Knight for a certain mission to deliver a message.”

Me: “What did you came here to do?

What did you wanted to accomplish?”

Liala: “I don’t know. I was never told that information. When he-”

Me: “By ‘he’… you mean Wilm?”

Liala: “Yes… Wilmer was his real name. Wilmer Vong.

I did what he told me. He was the one who had all the information.”

Me: “Really, then what are doing here?

Why stay in the facility even when you could have ran away?”

Liala: “He told to stay here. He was going to come back here and take me to the person I was supposed to deliver the message.”

I leaned towards her a little and inquired further.

Me: “And who is this person you were supposed to meet?”

Liala: “I… I don’t know.”

Me: “Hmm… Did Wilm have that knowledge?”

Liala: “No.”

Me: “You have to be truthful to me here. Do you want to meet the same fate as Wilm or do you want to face something far worse than what he got?”

She covered her face with both of her hands and sighed heavily once. Removing her hands, she looked down on the floor.

Liala: “All I know and all I was told that… we were supposed to find a person. Wilm was tasked to find that person and I had to deliver a message to him.”

Do we have a traitor amongst us?

That would explain a lot, but why suddenly act now?

Me: “You were sent to a different continent where your partner was supposed to find a beastman for you to deliver a message.”

Liala: “Yes.”

Me: “Is this message from the authorities of the Queendom?”

Liala: “I-I don’t know that for sure, but it seems like it.”

Me: “Okay… Now, how would you have known the identity of the person you were supposed to give this message?”

Liala: “I was only informed that the person would find us and when I hand over the message, he would know what to do with it.”

A traitor among us… it is a very serious matter. It makes sense, they able to hide in the Zoit continent so perfectly for many years. I could contact Adi… tell her to instruct Eldin to find any information about this traitor. It would be very hard to find unless… If we use her as bait we can draw him out. She did mention that the beastman would find her. We can create a net to trap him without any serious incident, but how would he find her?

Does he have one of those controllers with him too? If so… then finding Liala would be easy and thinking about controller, I should relieve her of hers. That would free the rest the groups to push through.

Me: “First… Hand over your Controller.”

Laila: “Ho-how did you know about it!”

Her voice spiked and watched me dumbfounded.

Me: “That is a story for another time, for now hand over yours.”

She hesitated and did not comply with my request. I told her with a serious tone.

Me: “You should know… I carved the other Controllers out of your brethren. It was painful… very painful. I watched them squirm in agony as I pierced my sword deep inside their body and retrieved it.

Do you want to feel the same pain?”

Laila: “N-no…”

She whispered while looking what seemed like her left arm. Extending her left arm, she whispered again.

Laila: “It’s within my wrist… please… don’t hurt me.”

Her voice was barely audible and seemed to choke towards the end.

I used the King’s Crystal to find its actual position. It was just above her wrist. Using my sword, I sliced her skin carefully and took out small red crystal. It was smaller than the other ones and it was of a different colour. After letting her hand go, I asked her one of the main question.

Me: “Hmm… What is this message you were ordered to deliver?”

Liala: “You are holding it.”

Me: “What!”

Laila: “Yo-you are holding it.”

I showed her the Controller and asked again.

Me: “The Controller is the message?”

Laila: “Yes.”

Then, maybe… I can read the message if I let the King’s Crystal absorb it just like the previous ones. Quickly, I instructed the King’s Crystal to absorb the Controller. The controller crystal disintegrated into small pieces before disappearing altogether. The process left Liala in confusion… I could see it in her eyes.

KING’S CRYSTAL:-

SKILL(S) UPGRADED:- 2.

1. ControllerLocation Detector:-

New Functions unlocked:-

It can now be used to pin point location of Controller carriers’ upto about a certain distance. (Maximum Distance= 50 Km)

2. Inter-species Telepathic Communication:-

New Functions unlocked:-

It can now order and change movements of species under the Controller’s power before reintegration with King’s Crystal.

KING’S CRYSTAL:-

[align=center]A MESSAGE HAS BEEN DETECTED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT?

With a small amount of intrigue creeping up to me, I answered yes.

KING’S CRYSTAL:-

PLEASE STAND BY…

PRERECORDED MESSAGE IS NOW BEING PLAYED.

A heavy voice which could only be of a male started coming out from the King’s Crystal.

KING’S CRYSTAL:-

Congratulations…

You have finally reached up to the level which I had expected you would. It took some time… more than I originally thought, but… not everyone is blessed with talent.

I know there are many questions you need answers off. Those are pretty important questions and I grasp the gravity of the situation you are in. I am here to tell you… well not there physically… he hehe… but through this message that I would give you some of the answers.

Yes… not all, but some of them. Now, you must be thinking how I could possibly know what questions you have. It is simple… I wanted you to have those questions grow within you.

You must be thinking that it is absurd. How could you possibly trust a voice?

How could you possibly trust a voice of an entity you have prior knowledge of?

How you trust… a voice coming to you as a message through your King’s Crystal?

… Yes… I know…

I know who you are… Well, not your actual identity, but I know…

You see, I created the crystals with which the Controllers are made. Yes… I created them.

And… they were created to be broken or disintegrated by only one thing.

Yes… The Crystal worn by the King of the clan Blood Zuma.

Hello… the King of the Blood Zuma… I have been waiting a long time to talk to you… well not exactly you, but with whoever is the King.

I am not going to tell you about certain things. Like… How do I know you? How do I know about the Blood Zumas? How do I know about the Crystal worn by the King? And so on so forth.

But… I will tell you that this message was intended for you.

The agitation my people are causing in your continent is a message to you and your Clan…

Your continent and we are not in war…

This war is between The Blood Zumas and us… The Queendomof Deirdre Mhic.

I promise you… we will meet someday. I suggest until that time arrives… prepare yourselves… as the survival of your clan is at a stake here.

I hope I have cleared some questions within you. We will meet and until then…

Good bye, the King of Blood Zumas.

Oh!

And one more thing before I end this message.

The woman carrying this message is not a simple messenger… she is an assassin sent to kill whoever disintegrates the Controller.

HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…

Liala was a blur the moment I laid my eyes up on her again. I felt a sharp pain in my neck and blood started to spill out of my mouth. I tried to turn on my left from where the pain originated. I couldn’t move properly as I felt something stuck within my neck, but I could turn my neck enough to see Laila standing on my left. A faint light of the moonstar seeped through the forest and lit her face. She was smiling… like she was amused.

Laila: “How exciting!

He told me that it would happen, but I never thought it was possible. Something can actually disintegrate our Controllers. How exciting!”

She placed her left arm around my neck and brought her lips closer to my ears.

Laila: “I have got a confession to make.

You were just another beastmen I was ordered to kill and it is a pleasure doing it, but seeing what I just saw… I am impressed.”

She pressed the object stuck within my neck and started to drive it in deep. It was getting harder to breathe and blood continuously flowed out of my mouth.

Laila: “I don’t get impressed so easily… so much so… I got turned on a little… he hehe

Who am I lying to?

I am turned on very much by you…

But, that does not mean I will let you live. You see… killing pests such as you fills me with more excitement… with more pleasure. I will orgasm to the thought of you lying on the pool of your own blood.

So… please do not ruin this moment for me.”

She licked my ear slightly and kissed my cheek. I heard her giggle for a bit then followed by a grunt. The reason for which my swords were that much costly was because of the fact that there was a mechanism to spring out a small blade from the hilt of the swords and it paid off… luckily. I quickly drove that small blade within her gut while I caught her with my left hand. I removed the blade within her and stood up while choking her. She was light…

She looked at me in disbelief as I retrieved the object out of my neck and started my cell regeneration skill. The wound closed quickly as there was no extensive damage. I spat out the last remaining blood out of my mouth and smiled at her.

Me: “I know you would not talk to me about the identity of the Zendon I just heard or about anything, but hear this for it will be the last thing you will hear…

If your people want a war with us… then so be it.”

I drove my right hand sword right through her previous wound and walked forward towards the wall while choking her as she dealt with the pain. I banged her body on to the wooden wall, impaling her to it. She squirmed for a moment as horror and pain filled her eyes and face. When the moment was right, I slit her throat with my left hand sword… ending her life.