Chapter 1268  A Feared Clan

Outside the city of Wisdom, Hikma, a fleeing boat struggled to cut across the desert. Atop the boat was a single man covered in a silver cloak, his shoulder bleeding profusely.

"What the h.e.l.l was that?" asked the boat"s driver, a young man in his twenties. "Did the kingdom ever build a dark knight like that?"

"I work at the factory. We created no such thing," said the man in the silver cloak. "And as a strategist of Sourna, I receive first-hand intel about any prototypes."

"Are you suggesting that the dark knight was created by the resistance?" asked the driver, sweat covering his face. "If that"s true, then the entire kingdom of Sourna might fall!"

"Don"t spread such rubbish, it was only one prototype."

"But sir... that prototype tore through our ranks with ease," said the driver as he gripped the helm tightly. "We need to tell the wis.e.m.e.n."

"Of course we will," barked the strategist while gritting his teeth. "What kind of creature was that?"

It appeared out of nowhere, a stark contrast to the ashen landscape of Sourna. None of his Force Knights could do anything against him, making the strategist cut a sorry figure as he fled for his life.

The boat sailed into the secret pa.s.sages of Hikma, designed for military use only. A whistling sound echoed through the underground tunnel as their sailboat hurried to reach its destination.

It entered the locking mechanism with a resounding boom that shook the underground station. The soldiers rushed to their side as they saw the strategist holding his bleeding shoulder with a pale face.

"There is no time for treatment! Take us to meet the wis.e.m.e.n!"

The soldiers exchanged glances before carrying him to meet the wis.e.m.e.n. On the way there, some of the soldiers bandaged his shoulder lest the strategist bleed to death.

"Strategist Raheem requests an urgent meeting!" rushed the soldier into the meeting hall before they were allowed entry.

Raheem walked into the Wis.e.m.e.n Council supported by a soldier. As soon as he got inside, he realized that the wis.e.m.e.n were not alone. Two women were standing before them, turning toward the strategist as he made his entrance.

"Forgive my intrusion, wis.e.m.e.n," said Raheem as he used the soldier to support his walking. "But I carry urgent news from the northern parts of Sourna."

"As we believe, you were sent on a secret mission," said the wiseman with a strange glint in his eyes. The strategist closed his mouth, glancing at the two women.

"Nothing is a secret from your princess," said Princess Sapphire as she glanced at the beautiful woman next to her. "As for Rain, she is an ally, at the current moment."

"An ally that is unfit to hear sensitive matters," said the Central Wiseman with a frown. "Please leave us alone. Both of you."

A sudden rise in tension made the strategist gulp. It was no secret that there were certain issues between the wis.e.m.e.n and the royal family of Sourna. The Lord of Force was also in seclusion, leaving only his heir to fend for herself.

Princess Sapphire was silent for a few seconds before walking out of the meeting hall, leaving Raheem with the wis.e.m.e.n. Then, they turned toward the soldiers and guards, who hurried to leave as well.

Raheem then told them why he lost the battle of taking over a nameless town. He described the makeshift warriors that blew themselves up when defeated and the black knight that was faster, stronger, and infused with runes.

"Can it be the resistance?" asked the Left Wiseman.

"It has to be the resistance," answered the Right Wiseman.

"We cannot be certain," said the Central Wiseman, before he turned toward the strategist. "What more can you tell us?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. We marched toward the town that refused to pay, and we met the sandmen and their pathetic army. Everything was going great until it stopped."

"It seems something has changed," muttered the Right Wiseman.

"But what can it be?" asked the Left Wiseman.

"The town is close to the uncharted lands," muttered the Central Wiseman with a frown. "Can it be that clan?"

"They haven"t made a move in a hundred years," rebuked Raheem with fear. "What forced their hand to intervene?"

"Have you forgotten about the infamous ruler of Runera?" asked the Central Wiseman with a frown. "He used their last name as his. If that reached their ears, whether he is truly a part of their clan or not, it might stir things."

Raheem was silent, dreading to even think about that clan: a family of monstrous humans that made the uncharted lands remain as such. Their existence was a legend in itself, but Raheem knew that they existed.

"If it"s them, then what are we supposed to do?" asked Raheem as he tried to stop his trembling body but could not. "What can we do?"

"A single man from that clan was the reason that Sourna is now torn into two," muttered the Central Wiseman with a frown. "If we dare to fight them again, none of us will survive."

"What if they are the ones to attack?" asked the Left Wiseman.

"We have no choice but to defend," answered the Right Wiseman.

As for the Central Wiseman, he held his forehead in thought. Raheem knew that this issue was far bigger than a small town. But since the uncharted lands lay right behind that town, they had reasons to doubt.

"We cannot poke the hornet"s nest just because we have a feeling it might be them," answered the Central Wiseman as he turned to Raheem. "You will go to the uncharted lands and seek to meet them."

"What? Me?" asked Raheem with confusion as his entire body shivered while he processed the orders. "No one who goes there has ever survived, esteemed Wiseman. Please reconsider!"

Raheem threw himself on the floor, seeking their forgiveness. In his mind, this was not a mission, but a punishment. Before the Dividing War between Sourna and that clan, many tried to enter the uncharted lands but none of them resurfaced.

"This is not a banishment of any sort, Raheem," answered the Central Wiseman, addressing his concerns. "This is a mission that only the best of our men can handle. But you will not go there alone."

"Who is going with me?" asked Raheem as he raised his head. "Can it be someone from the council?"

"Even better," the Central Wiseman smiled at him. "We are sending Princess Sapphire and the Pirate with you. It just so happens that they heard news about Valeria Storm seeking to enter the uncharted lands."

"This plan is most ideal, right?" asked the Left Wiseman.

"Hitting two birds with one stone," answered the Right Wiseman.

"Go and heal your wounds. You will leave early in the morning," said the Central Wiseman. "We expect great things from you, Raheem."

Raheem wanted to object more, but he felt his body rising against his will. Before he could ask them to reconsider, he was carried away by an invisible force out of the meeting hall.

The soldiers carried him to the nursery, where someone healed his wounds but could not heal his mind. Raheem had one thought during his recovery: I will die.

Late that night, a visitor entered his recovery room while Raheem was writing his will. His mother and father were old, so he wanted to leave them everything he had before his death.

The visitor wore revealing clothes and a veil. Her figure was irresistible throughout the world, granting her the name of the Seductive Princess.

"I heard about the mission we will work on together," said Princess Sapphire as she made herself comfortable beside his bed, resting one leg over the other. "The Wis.e.m.e.n did not tell me the reason you will be accompanying us."

"I am forbidden from revealing that secret, princess," answered Raheem with a gulp. The princess was silent. "Please forgive me, but I have to consider my position and well-being."

"What were you doing to the north of Sourna?" asked the princess, poking at the secret he tried to hide. "What injured you and why did it require an audience with the wis.e.m.e.n?"

"I was scouting the area to the north when a strange creature attacked me. The wis.e.m.e.n suspect that the creature belongs to the clan living in the uncharted lands."

"The Netherborne Clan," answered Princess Sapphire while squinting her eyes. Although he could not see the rest of her face, her eyes were alluring enough to leave him sweating buckets. "I know the details of our mission."

"And I heard about yours, too," said Raheem while putting his will papers aside. "Valeria Storm has never been caught. What makes this time any different?"

"Because we have her former crewmate."

"Pirates can never be trusted," Raheem warned the princess. "I read the reports about Rain the Siren. It is said that she sleeps with a hundred men every month, stealing their essence."

"Men who are controlled by l.u.s.t deserve that," said the princess as she rose from her seat. "Make sure she doesn"t brainwash you, naïve sailor."