Lord of Annihilation

Chapter 38: Stirring Undercurrents!

"She is a commoner student like Lucius. Doesn't have any backing or significant support. It's just that the teachers have a good impression of her." Luther continued his report, while Keith read through her details.

He then paused for a second and continued, "Dealing with her will be harder. We must be really careful. After the unknown death of those 2 students, everyone is on high alert."

Speaking up to here Luther stopped. He understood that Keith would have gotten an understanding of the situation and it was best leave everything after this to him.

Luther behaviour was shockingly unlike how a superior would interact with his subordinate. At least, he was the one who looked like the subordinate.

And indeed he was.

Luther was just the 'leader' in name. His family was on the decline in recent days and was depending upon the Cline Family for support. Being one of the younger generations, Luther was sent to help Keith and strike up some connections with him. Keith was simply using Luther as a 'meat-shield', a type of 'fall guy' in a better sense.

Placing Luther in the position of leader or this gang, and Keith himself being in Vice-leader position, if any significant problem crops up, Keith could effectively sacrifice Luther, thus saving himself. Luther being a smart guy himself, understood this, yet there was nothing he could do. Resigning himself to his fate, Luther decided to take up this mantle, and try to keep everything working to the best of his abilities.

Silence prevailed in the room for a few minutes. Only the sound of their breathing was heard. Eventually Keith stirred from his thoughts and spoke, "We have to take care of this as soon as possible. We also cannot afford to make any mistakes. If our actions are traced back to us, even our families cannot intervene and help us."

He let out a sigh and slowly stood up, "I have to leave the academy to make some preparations for this." he then walked towards the doors.

Pausing for a second, Keith spoke without turning back, "You will also head back to your family. Remain there still I contact you with further instructions."

Keith said so and left. Luther stood there with his head hung low, he did not give any form of affirmation to Keith's instruction nor was Keith expecting some. He knew Luther would have no choice, but to listen to his words and accurately grabbed this weakness of his.

Luther had his eyes closed and his fists clenched. His burrows were furrowed and his heart seemed to be in some great turmoil. After battling with his thoughts for a few seconds, he eventually let out a sound, similar to a deflated balloon.

Wearing a wry smile, he thought to himself, 'Do I even have an opinion in this matter? So this is what it means to be powerless, huh."

Following the same door Keith had taken, Luther also walked out behind him.

Weakness truly was a sin!

------------------------------

Meanwhile, at the same time as the conversation between Keith and Luther, most of the major influential families were having some trouble.

A few hours ago, almost simultaneously, they received a report of some of their major warehouses being attacked. A request for reinforcements had been sent and the various families complied by sending a few people each.

Still hearing no further new for a few hours, they sent another batch only to receive shocking information.

Every single person who had been sent was killed! Not a single soul was alive throughout the entire warehouse. The assailant or group of assailants had been thorough in erasing their tracks and their actions.

As they began investigating further, they realized that whoever killed these men were not in the right head. Various body parts lay scattered throughout the warehouse. Blood formed a pool, which flowed through the stairs and gaps of the entire warehouse. There was also a hint of unease hanging in the air.

All the men sent here had their hearts gripped with fear. It felt like death was hanging right around them.

The investigation group upon making it into the office were even more horrified by that, vicious sight. SOme of them, even though they were experienced in this field, directly threw up upon seeing the body of the man-in-charge of this place.

Well calling it a 'man' would not suffice to describe the scene before them. A lump of clay that was in the process of being sculpted into a human statue would describe it better.

Only, it wasn't clay but human flesh!

His bones were completely crushed and powdered. His skin was non-existent and his muscles were carved into numerous pieces. Some of the lesser experienced people here, felt their minds crumbling upon witnessing this scene and even the experienced ones felt very uneasy.

One thought that collectively rang through all their minds was, 'What kind of a monster could have done something like this?'

Even the cruelest of people would feel something upon witnessing a member of their own kind, being in such a state. But what did this mean, of the person who did this. Did he not feel anything, not even unease while doing this?

Concerning Lucius, this was exactly the case.

Eventually coming back to their senses, the team started investigating the possible causes and items lost.

This place served as the collective warehouse and transporting dock for items, that did not have a 'proper' origin. Trade between the various influential families took place with this warehouse, serving as the middle-man. It wasn't that the place wasn't protected. In fact it was quite the opposite.

The warehouse was very well guarded, with almost 50 armed men on site, with another 30 men who were the immediate back up. Automatic turrents that served to defend against group attacks were placed in proper locations and other such defenses were present.

Still, in regards to Lucius, all this protection taken against 'humans' were completely ineffective. With the infusion of his soul power, his body standards crossed the human range, by a very wide margin. Granted he could not take apart armies or large scale weaponry. Handling the likes of turrents and plasma rifles was an easy task.

Targeted locks? He just had to move faster than the auto lock. Group Attacks? He just had to split them apart and take them one on one. Terrain advantage? With his body jumping 4 meters into the air was easy.

Hence from the very beginning, the defenders and the defences stood no chance against Lucius. Him releasing his Killing Intent, only made his work that much easier.

In fact the fear and unease that the investigation team felt upon their arrival was not something psychological. It was actually the remnant energies of his Killing Intent that was yet to diffuse. Although it has already been a few hours since Lucius' departure, the remnant energy had yet to properly disperse into the surrounding.

Lucius' Killing Intent was simply too potent!

The retainers of the various families were now reporting the the result of the investigation to their respective family heads.

"Nothing was taken?!" this was a common question that all of them asked.

If the people who attacked the warehouse and took nothing, then why attack.

Information! They immediately realized.

But if this hidden group already possessed such power and means to identify their warehouse. What information could they possibly be lacking? After all the warehouse was just a location to store items and a hub to trade.

This was something that none of them could figure out.

Just when all the families were having a headache over this, another piece of bad news was received. Multiple people from their families had gone missing and hadn't been seen for the past 4 days.

While most of them were lower ranking members and would not affect the operation of the family on the whole, some higher ranking members were also missing!

"Send out teams and gather as much information as possible. We need to know what exactly happened! A attack on our trade house and nw missing members, this surely has to be connected!"

Hence, each family went into a highly alert state and a heavy tension was brewing all across the city. Faint undercurrents could be felt stirring underneath them.

Whoever this is and whatever their motive is, it surely isn't something simple!