Chapter 139: Nyala's Teases!
Acrid Country, Ocean Roar City, Reek Manor…
2 p.m.
In a dimly lit hall where screens glowed and agents darted to and fro, a tense command rang out.
"Send the new Level 6 Agents," ordered a calm but commanding voice, slicing through the constant hum of activity. Heads turned momentarily, whispers exchanged before the agents continued with their tasks.
"Mr. Wali, with all due respect," a lower-ranking agent dared to speak up, "we need more capable agents. Level 6 are practically cannon fodder. They're under-trained and powerless. Even the Rhemonic civilians could fend them off."
Silence settled over the room as eyes shifted to Wali. He glared, his eyes cold as steel. "Are you deaf?" he spat. "I said send Level 6 Agents. I'll accompany them personally if necessary. Lord Rhemon must not be angered again—you all remember what happened the last time he was displeased. Our leader was frozen to death before he could even plead for his life."
The agent swallowed nervously. "Understood, sir. But, if I may… Perhaps we could request assistance from Chief Ikehara's Level 2 agents. He's been idle at his manor, basking in luxuries and awaiting orders. He might be willing to lend support."
Wali let out a bitter laugh, raising an eyebrow at the young agent. "Do you have a death wish? Ikehara may once have had a conscience, but now he's nearly as ruthless as Lord Rhemon himself. If you want to be butchered for the sake of an introduction, by all means, approach him. I'll send flowers to your funeral—if there's anything left of you to bury."
The hall fell silent again. The agent who had spoken lowered his head, shivering slightly.
Wali's gaze shifted to one of the screens showing a map of Riverdale City. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as he brooded over the situation. "What's the latest on Riverdale?" he asked, breaking the silence. "Has anyone seen or heard from Tessa recently?"
"No, sir," an agent replied. "The last update reported that she interfered with the operation targeting a student at Riverdale Academy."
"A student?" Wali asked, his tone sharpened. "Who was he?"
"He's hardly a kid anymore, sir—he's Oxlade, one of Tessa's old classmates from six years back. He's become a vocal critic of Lord Rhemon. We dispatched agents to silence him, but Tessa intervened, and then vanished without a trace."
Wali reclined, folding his hands thoughtfully as he weighed the information. "So, she's shielding her old friends…" he murmured, then straightened up, his decision made. "Send the Level 6 Agents. Cause a disturbance in Riverdale. Make a loud enough commotion, and she'll be forced to come out of hiding."
"Sir…" A senior agent hesitated, fear evident in his eyes. "Level 6 is too weak for this. They'll be slaughtered."
Wali's gaze turned ice-cold, daring the man to argue further. "Did I ask for your opinion?"
The agent swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Wali's glare pierce through him. "No, sir," he muttered, then nodded obediently. "Understood, sir. I'll… I'll prepare them immediately."
As the agent exited to carry out Wali's orders, the atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier. Each agent there understood what lay ahead for the Level 6 operatives—and that in Wali's eyes, they were nothing more than expendable pawns in the game Lord Rhemon played.
Grinwall Country... Riverdale City... Underground Riverdale Academy...
Tessa sat comfortably in a swivel chair. Nyala was beside her, her face a shifting canvas of shock and curiosity as Tessa recounted the recent incident in the secluded, shadowy recess of the underground school, where the Niöhöggr—a beast once thought to exist only in ancient lore—had been found and battled.
Nyala's mouth hung open, closing intermittently as she tried to process the gravity of what Tessa and Adrian had faced. She kept looking at Tessa as if seeing her anew, her mind working to piece together how Tessa had found the strength to confront such a creature.
"Have you passed level two of the Moon Inheritance?" Nyala finally asked, her voice barely a whisper. Her gaze lingered on Tessa, her awe evident. She struggled to imagine what kind of power it would take to bring down a Niöhöggr, and Adrian's role barely crossed her mind.
Tessa exhaled, clearly tired of explaining. "For the umpteenth time, Nyala, it was Adrian's flame that burned the Niöhöggr to shreds. Without his Eternal Flame, we wouldn't have been able to make even a dent in its impenetrable hide." She shook her head, knowing that Nyala was only half-listening to her clarification.
Nyala's mouth quirked into a grin as she shifted gears. "That aside... so you're pregnant now?" She leaned back, folding her arms, with the playful demeanor of a nosy housewife who had just uncovered a juicy rumor.
Tessa groaned, already feeling a headache coming on. She pinched the bridge of her nose, bracing herself for the whirlwind of teasing that was about to follow.
""I mean, carrying Niöhöggr babies—how does it feel? It must be really special... Or wait, did the Niöhöggr... you know fuck you...sorry. . get lucky, or did you just happen to, what, absorb its eggs?" Nyala continued, her tone layered with exaggerated innocence and mockery. She leaned forward, eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint. "I just don't get how the eggs even got in there…"
Tessa stared at Nyala, unable to believe this was happening. She had never seen this playful, almost absurdly cheeky side of her friend before. "Nyala," she said, her voice dangerously low, "I swear, if you keep this up, you're going to regret it."
Nyala raised her hands in mock surrender, but the sly smile on her lips showed she had no intention of backing down. "Alright, alright," she said, barely containing a laugh. "I'll stop... for now."
Before Nyala could unleash another round of teasing, the door creaked open, and Adrian stepped in, his presence instantly sobering the room. "Tessa, the principal wants to see you. He said it's urgent," he explained, glancing from Tessa to Nyala, eyebrows raised at the strange tension in the air. "He won't tell me what it is until you're there."
Tessa nearly leapt out of her chair, eager for any excuse to escape Nyala's relentless teasing. "Let's go," she said, brushing past Adrian and Nyala at the same time, as though she couldn't leave the room fast enough. As she swept by Nyala, she casted her a quick glare, but Nyala only grinned, clearly enjoying every bit of Tessa's discomfort.
"You think you can just escape me that easily?" Nyala called after her, her tone full of mischief as she followed them both into the hallway.