Reborn As Noble Chapter 1267: A Deep, Guttural Roar ( 1267 )
Previously on Reborn As Noble...
“Leader!!”
“What?” Hanarak shot an annoyed glance at a subordinate, his voice sharp with stress.
“You must depart from this location, Leader. It is no longer safe.”
“No…” Hanarak’s head shook stubbornly, his grip on his blades tightening. “I cannot simply abandon all that I have painstakingly established without putting up a resistance. This base, our accumulated resources, our hard-won reputation – I refuse to let Armand seize it all without a struggle!”
“But Leader!” one of his subordinates cried out, a tremor in his voice. “The enemy forces are overwhelming us. Victory is impossible!”
Hanarak’s jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with unadulterated fury.
Damn it!
Why on earth is Armand deciding to interfere now? This was entirely outside their purview! We were not targeting them! Our sole objective was to fulfill a contract! We were merely hired to eliminate a Mathrias noble, not to instigate a full-blown war with Armand!
Blast it all!
Now, everything has devolved into utter chaos!
Hanarak’s gaze fell upon the lifeless form of a subordinate sprawled at the foot of the stairs, his body riddled with innumerable wounds inflicted by unidentified magic projectiles.
Damn, damn, damn.
He turned his attention to two other subordinates.
“You two, proceed through the first door and make your way to our summoner units. Instruct them to open a monster rift. We require time to stall and occupy the enemy.”
“Yes, Leader!” The two subordinates offered crisp salutes before sprinting towards the door, disappearing within its confines.
Hanarak then addressed two more subordinates.
“The pair of you. Utilize the second door to reach the dark magic chamber. There, you will activate the special artifact.”
A look of shock widened the subordinates’ eyes. “B… But Leader… that object… if we summon it, the danger will be immense. It is beyond our capacity to control.”
“Cease your dithering! Simply follow my orders if you wish to emerge from this alive!”
“Y… Yes, Leader!” They saluted and hurried towards the second door, their retreating footsteps echoing as they vanished down the corridor.
His trusted assistant approached Hanarak, his voice laced with urgency.
“Leader, you ought to evacuate this location immediately and allow us to handle the situation.”
“I… I cannot! We must engage Armand and eliminate as many of their operatives as possible. I am certain that Alf has dispatched assassins from the Shadow House. If we succeed in eliminating a sufficient number of their formidable assassins, the Hanarak House will ascend to the pinnacle. We shall be acknowledged and feared as their equals, or perhaps even surpass them!”
“But Leader!” the assistant implored, his desperation palpable. “The demonic entities summoned by that special artifact are utterly beyond our control. Should you perish here, the Hanarak House will be annihilated. All that we have painstakingly built will be irrevocably lost!”
Hanarak’s jaw clenched once more.
Damn it.
His assistant speaks the truth.
If I fall, everything I have cultivated will crumble to dust. However, if I flee now, I have no idea how long it will take to reconstruct such an empire. Furthermore, I am convinced the Shadow House will relentlessly pursue me.
They will not permit me to escape.
I cannot fathom how they obtained intelligence regarding this location.
Damn, damn, damn.
This place is so secluded, so unknown to any outsider. Not even the current King Klimar is privy to the whereabouts of our hidden base.
Then how did Armand manage to locate us here?
Could there be… a traitor amongst our ranks? A mole operating undercover?
No… I do not have the luxury of time to investigate the identity of a potential traitor.
His gaze shifted to his assistant, a flicker of suspicion entering his eyes. He was poised to unleash his dark aura blade upon him when a missile of pure mana streaked through the open doorway, detonating squarely in the center of the chamber.
The concussive blast hurled everyone within, Hanarak included, against the cold walls. The room was instantly engulfed in smoke and flying debris, the dying screams of his subordinates briefly piercing the chaos before falling into an eerie silence.
Hanarak blinked, his vision obscured and distorted by the sheer force of the explosion. He scanned his surroundings and saw his assistant lying nearby, a mangled heap, his body torn asunder by the blast. Crimson blood pooled beneath him, his vacant eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling.
He squinted again, his vision still blurred, and discerned a figure advancing towards him through the swirling smoke and wreckage.
Will I truly perish here… in such a manner?
He fumbled desperately for his blade, his fingers finally closing around the hilt of one of his dark aura blades. Yet, before he could even attempt to rise, a faint voice reached his ears.
“L… Leader… please, you must escape this place.”
Two of his remaining subordinates scrambled to his side, helping him to stand. One of them retrieved Hanarak’s other blade from the floor, while the other hastily unlatched a concealed emergency escape entrance.
“Leader! We must depart this location. Immediately!”
Propped up by his two loyal subordinates, Hanarak stumbled towards the exit. They moved swiftly into the inky blackness of the underground passage, one of them illuminating the path ahead with a faintly glowing crystal.
Upon reaching a deeper subterranean level, they paused to allow Hanarak a moment to recover. One of the subordinates immediately began channeling a potent dark healing spell, its arcane energy seeping into Hanarak’s grievous wounds.
“Shit…” Hanarak grunted, leaning heavily against the frigid stone wall.
“Leader… refrain from moving until our healing is complete.”
Hanarak ground his teeth, enduring the searing pain as the dark magic intricately knitted his ravaged flesh back together. The gash marring his abdomen slowly began to close, the severed skin regenerating beneath the dark, ethereal glow.
“Once we manage to exit this accursed place, our course will be south, then northeast.”
“Understood, Leader.”
His stomach wound completely closed after a short while, leaving only a faint scar. “Leader, do you think you can walk?” Hanarak nodded, preparing to stand, but the ground began to shake violently. The walls trembled as a deep, guttural roar echoed from above. He smirked darkly. “It seems our unit has succeeded in summoning that demon, hasn't it?” “Yes, Leader. We should depart this place immediately. It’s far too dangerous to remain here, especially with that entity loose.” “Hmm… we leave this place now.” One of his subordinates raised a hand, summoning three hell hounds whose eyes glowed with dark fire. He ordered them to advance, scouting the path and ensuring its safety before they followed. Meanwhile… Outside. Soldiers of Armand opened fire on a colossal, unknown monster wreathed in dark aura that had emerged from the side of the base. It was massive and hulking, shrouded in a swirling dark aura, and wielded a weapon forged from pure darkness. Attack helicopters ascended, creating distance and launching mana missiles at the monster. The missiles impacted its body, but the dark aura absorbed most of the force, inflicting only shallow wounds. Snipers positioned at a great distance peered through their scopes, firing mana sniper rifles at the monster’s vulnerabilities, yet its aura seemed capable of deflecting even their precise shots. One of them tapped the mana talkie attached to his ear, his voice urgent yet controlled. “Your Highness! We have an unknown, massive dark aura monster on the field! It emerged from the base and is resisting our attacks! It is cloaked in dark aura and heavily armed. Requesting further orders!” The golden knight tilted his head. “Monster?” “Yes, Your Highness,” the sniper confirmed. “What are your orders?” The golden knight exhaled slowly before drawing a massive golden sword, channeling his mana. The core in his chest began to spin, radiating intense energy, while mana crackled across his full armor, illuminating it with a brilliant inner light. “Is it large?” “Yes, Your Highness.” Javier chuckled, a hint of excitement coloring his voice. “Excellent! It appears I have a target to test this knight’s full strength against. Let’s see how it fares when facing a true challenge.” ( End Of Chapter ) Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
The elder’s silhouette seemed to waver, his gaze fixed on the faint ripples disturbing the calm surface of the Spirit Spring. The Qi here was abundant, almost tangible, yet an unsettling presence lingered beneath its placid exterior. A subtle tremor ran through the jade-like water, noticeable only to those attuned to the flow of the world.
“What is this?” the elder murmured, his brow furrowed in concentration.
He extended a hand, fingers splayed, attempting to sense the disturbance more clearly. A faint, almost imperceptible wave of coldness emanated from the spring’s depths, prickling his skin.
“It’s not the Dao…” he mused, perplexed. The disturbance didn’t align with any natural fluctuations in spiritual energy he had ever encountered.
His weathered face grew grim. For years, this secluded spot had been a sanctuary, a place where he could meditate and refine his Qi undisturbed. Now, something alien had intruded upon its sanctity.
He carefully withdrew his hand, the ripples subsiding as if his mere attention had soothed them. Yet, the feeling of unease remained, a cold knot in his stomach.
“Could it be…?” He trailed off, a flicker of memory surfacing, a half-forgotten legend whispered about in the outer courts of the Sect.
He dismissed the thought as quickly as it appeared. Such things were mere tales, bedtime stories for young disciples.
But the lingering chill from the spring was undeniable. It whispered of something ancient and powerful, something that disturbed the very flow of spiritual energy.
“Perhaps I am becoming too old,” the elder muttered, a wry smile touching his lips. “Letting my imagination run wild.”
He turned his back on the Spirit Spring, its surface once again placid and inviting. Yet, as he walked away, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had overlooked something crucial, something that lay hidden in the depths, waiting.
The journey back to his modest dwelling within the sect grounds was silent, his mind replaying the subtle disturbance in the spring. The abundant Qi seemed to mock his disquiet, its pure essence tainted by an unknown intrusion.
He reached his dwelling, a simple stone structure nestled amongst ancient trees, and began his evening meditation. Yet, as he sat cross-legged, attempting to draw Qi into his Dantian, the unease persisted. The flow felt… sluggish, as if an unseen barrier obstructed its path through his Meridians.
“This is not right,” he declared, opening his eyes. He focused his spiritual sense, trying to pinpoint the source of the blockage. It felt like a subtle pressure, originating from deep within his core.
He sighed, a sound heavy with weariness. It seemed his quest for deeper understanding and higher Cultivation had led him not to enlightenment, but to a new, perplexing mystery.
He was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, a far cry from the legendary Nascent Soul realm. Still, he had hoped for a smoother path forward.
“Perhaps the disturbance in the spring is connected?” he pondered aloud. A faint tremor, a cold sensation, was it all a prelude to something more significant?
He shook his head, deciding to consult the ancient texts tomorrow. For now, he would try to clear his mind and reinforce his spiritual foundation.
Yet, even as he closed his eyes, the image of the rippling Spirit Spring remained, a silent harbinger of an unseen current, pulling him towards an unknown destiny.
“No matter what the future holds,” he vowed, his voice firm despite his age, “I will protect the sect and its legacy.”
The night was quiet, the serene atmosphere of the sect a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within the elder’s mind. The fate of the sect, he felt with a sudden, chilling certainty, rested on deciphering the mystery of the Spirit Spring.
“This power… it feels unnatural,” he whispered to the silent night, the words hanging in the air, heavy with unspoken fear and determination.