Thunk! Thunk!
The sound of dripping water echoed through the underground path, carrying a thick stench. Stephen and his crew trudged forward, their boots squelching in the mud, grime, and God knows what else.
"I've always wondered why we still have such an outdated drainage system despite how advanced technology is now," Jason said, his nose scrunched as he tried to breathe as little of the foul air as possible.
Stephen noticed but didn't seem to care. His eyes scanned the area as he walked, seemingly searching for something.
"That's how the whole Northern Empire is. I heard from adventurers in the underground that some innovators have been looking into why it's that way," Jaden shrugged.
No one seemed surprised by his words. It was common knowledge that Jaden and Jason frequented the underground. That was where the group got their supplies from, and sometimes, they were the ones doing the supplying.
Instead, their interest was piqued by something else—the fact that Jaden had spoken to adventurers of the underground.
"What do you mean?" Jason asked, intrigued. Jason had always been into gossip like this; he was a bit of a nerd. But unlike Jaden, he wasn't brave enough to approach strangers in the underground.
It was said that some of the strongest people weren't from the military but from the underground, though no one believed it. After all, the name 'Bloodhound' was more terrifying than any other most people had heard of.
Even those in the underground feared them.
"The amalgamation of past and future, subtle hints and clues pointing to something deeper, trails and scents leading to secrets buried under the black waters. That's what one of the old dudes said."
At this point, even Stephen glanced toward Jaden, furrowing his brows at the latter's words.
"Heh, I think he was just spouting nonsense to impress me."
"Why do you say that?" Jason asked. It didn't make sense to him that an adventurer of the underworld, probably a very dangerous person, would try to impress a rude and crass youth like Jaden.
Jaden looked at Jason with annoyance, seemingly able to tell what his twin was thinking. He clicked his tongue before replying,
"Isn't it obvious? The Blue Legion headquarters, the sewers' systems, and the rumors of Bloodhounds relying on ancient weapons instead of guns and grenades.
"There are hints of the past everywhere. Only a blind man wouldn't notice it. There was no need for him to speak in such glamorous terms when he could've replied simply."
Jaden increased his pace, not wanting to entertain Jason anymore. He snorted in disdain as he walked past Jason and drew closer to Stephen.
"The truth tends to be simple."
Simplicity is relative…
Stephen's eyes narrowed. He didn't agree with Jaden but kept quiet about it. He knew that if he voiced his opinion now, it would lead to a heated argument. While he was confident in his chances of winning, he also knew it would waste precious time.
Time they didn't have.
Stephen knew he had to stay focused; after all, they were here for a different reason.
While Timothy and Thalia might not sense anything amiss, Stephen definitely did. Being a child confined to his chambers since he was little, he had learned to study the outside world he was unable to see.
This was why Stephen knew that Jaden's words weren't nonsense. In fact, he believed they were hints to something bigger than any of them realized.
"Here!" Stephen said as he came to a halt in front of a particular section of the tunnel, his eyes scanning the area.
At that moment, a light beep began to sound in his mind. Stephen glanced at his right hand, where a red light was continuously blinking on his wrist.
He gently tapped his wrist with his other hand and swiped into the air in front of him. A holographic figure suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Stephen and the rest of the crew immediately lowered their heads in respect. The figure was clad in a three-piece suit, his entire visage dark.
The hologram was so realistic that it was obvious the man was in a dimly lit room, his features barely visible. The obscured image blended so well with the dark sewers that it made it seem as if the man was sitting right there in front of them.
"Father," Stephen spoke first, clenching his fist. He knew his father had heard what happened and was most likely about to scold him.
The rest of the crew expected the same and gritted their teeth as they awaited the three-dimensional figure's words. It was clear they were all terrified of the man.
"Stephen…" the man began, his voice so deep it echoed and reverberated through the tunnel. He paused, allowing the tension to seep into the atmosphere before speaking once more,
"The Bloodhounds are onto us."
Stephen's body trembled immediately. His face went pale, and he felt a cold shiver down his spine. He gritted his teeth but kept his head low.
The others couldn't boast the same composure.
Crash!
Stephen looked back in shock to find that the rest of the crew, with the exception of Jaden, were all on their knees. Their bodies trembled, teeth chattering as they struggled to breathe.
Even Jaden, who managed to stay standing, was only barely doing so as his knees knocked together. If not for the fact that they were robotic legs, his joints would have shattered.
The holographic man ignored their reactions as he continued,
"Stephen, you have thirty minutes. If you can't get rid of the evidence, you are to retreat."
Stephen nodded, immediately understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Remember, Stephen, retreat after thirty minutes…. That's an order."
Twicchk!
The holographic man vanished, leaving the atmosphere in the tunnel somber and thick with terror.
***
Meanwhile, at the other end of the call, deep within a large castle-like mansion, a man sat in a chair that seemed made for giants.
Before him stood two figures. The first was a thin old man, his skin wrinkled and dry, with a bald head and sunken eyes. He resembled a withered tree, devoid of life. He wore an ancient Buddhist robe, adorned with beads on his neck, wrists, and ankles, and was barefoot. His twig-like fingers gently caressed his long, white beard.
Behind him loomed a large figure, the direct opposite of the old man. Shrouded in darkness and standing a few meters behind, it resembled an elephant standing on two feet, towering at least ten feet tall. Like the old man, it had beads on its gigantic ankles, but that was the only visible part of its body.
"Hehe, are you really going to oppose the Bloodhounds?" the old man chuckled, his voice coarse.
"What choice do I have?" the seated man replied with a slight sigh, though his tone betrayed no concern.
"Well then, you'd better be prepared," the old man responded with a smile. He turned and began to leave the room, his gigantic guard—strangely obscured by shadows—following close behind.
"After all, that guy might show up. The phantom beast of the north."
As the old man exited the room, the giant figure followed. But just before it stepped out, the room's light briefly pierced the darkness surrounding it, revealing a tattoo-like mark on its shoulder—a skull with two lotus flowers where its eyes should have been, a third eye on its forehead, and clock markings encircling the skull.