Nightmare's Call

Anduin Provincial Capital, Adien.

“How about a cup of black tea?”

Isaac sat on an old bookrack inside a traditional study. On his hand was a thick tome of the local history. His polished head reflected some of the study’s light as his black eyepatch was laid on the table, revealing his totally white left eye.

As he looked at Baron Centfar who had just walked in, he smiled and shook his head.

“I’ll pass. Not in a habit of drinking anything when I’m reading.”

“Is that so? That’s a pity then, this is good tea.” The man with the curly platinum hair by the door smiled as he held a hot cup of pink tea.

“Work is never done,” he added.

Isaac shook his head. “The situation in Xilin is complicated, I need to make sure there are no leaks in every part of the plan.”

The man with the platinum hair lay on the door frame as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“We have two years to see this plan through. What are you rushing for?”

Isaac smiled and did not answer.

He simply took up his eyepatch and put it on, before adjusting the silver eagle insignia on his collar.

This time around, the mission he was sent to Xilin alongside Baron Centfar was not just simple assassinations or suppression.

“The top echelon has decided to fully complete this plan. This is most difficult indeed.” Isaac paused for a moment. “But after studying it for the past few days, I’ve managed to see the motive behind this operation.”

“Isn’t it simple??” Baron Centfar laughed. “A country, a society would conjure up extraordinary feats of strength when they are tethering on a precipice.”

“And so? Why would this power be unleashed? What sort of people would that be? What level are they? What background are they from?”

Isaac sat before the study desk, his faint blue eyes were deep.

The smile on the baron’s face faded away as he started thinking.

“You got me.”

“It’s simple.” Isaac calmly crossed his fingers before him as he stretched.

“All of these people who would show their strength would have some basics at least. In other words, they were already primed for unleashing their potential. As to why they would do so? First is they would not see their rights and personal benefits be threatened. Secondly, they think that their country, their people should not be weaker than others.

The idea of being invaded and occupied by a foreign power is an insult to them. And that has to do with the concept of ‘us’ against ‘them...”

“Is this some sort of sociology or anthropology lecture?” The baron shook his head. “I’m not interested in all of that. What the bosses want me to do, I’ll do as they say. The rest is the job for those page flippers.”

“We need to understand what we really need to do, only then we will be sure of the point of this operation,” Isaac said flatly.

“Then, have you found out the true intention after your studies?” The baron queried.

“Of course...” Isaac smiled. He curled his fingers and he made a repeated circular motion.

“What we need to do first, is to break them.”

“Break them?”

“Yes...”

Isaac let out a weighted smile.

“Break their backs, and get them to respect, revere, and fear us from the bottom of their hearts...”

“And if they cannot be broken?”

“Then we shall eliminate each and everyone with potential. Their numbers are just way too little compared to the general public...” Isaac said as he touched his eyepatch.

...

“Charge! Take him out! Kill him!”

“Kill him! Kill!”

“Go, Death Fang!”

“Toss! A spear! The hell is your technical skills! Damn it!”

In an underground boxing arena in Anduin.

Inside a steel cage purposely painted white, two powerful men in shorts were fighting tooth and nail without care for their lives.

The fairer one was the reigning king of fists in this arena, Kalidomar the Death Fang.

And opposite him was a bald man a head taller than him, a gigantic brute from Redwin, Vargas.

At that very moment, the Death Fang was covered in blood as he bowed his body low, circling the brute as he tried to find an opening.

He had done this many times already.

Every time he thought he had an opening and charged in, it was like he had run into a steel wall, and was pushed back after a few strikes.

The brute stood before him and gave him the disdainful look of toying with a worm. That unbridled disdain and contempt could not only be seen by Death Fang, but also the audience beyond the cage.

The cursing and jeering around surged like a rampaging tide towards the Death Fang’s psyche.

He swallowed hard, as he tried to drive his strength into a frenzy.

“Arghhh!!!!”

With a furious roar, he once again charged at the brute.

And this time, he could feel all of his strength focusing on his right arm, and without any hesitation, he threw out his right fist.

This was his best shot, and the shot that carried every last bit of his strength.

*Bam!*

Blood splattered all over.

The Death Fang simply stood where he was, and the upper half of his head was gone as his remaining orifice clattered.

“Cry, cry, cry some more!!!”

The brute pulled back his fist as he let out a furious roar.

“Crying won’t change the fact that you are rubbish!”

He lifted up his fist, seemingly showing them his blood-sodden hand to gloat.

The Xilin citizens around instantly fell into a fit of rage and anger as their fists clenched and face reddened, wanting to charge into the cage.

A couple of ladies were screeching at the top of their lungs as they tossed all sorts of junk at the cage.

*Bam!*

The brute gave the cage a brutal kick and tore a hole in it.

He grabbed the cage and got out just like that.

“Come, whoever it may be! Come! Come and beat me!” He boomed as he clubbed his chest. “Come!”

Seeing him getting out of the cage, the circle of men earlier lost their nerve and retreated.

“All of you, are weak!” The brute jutted his finger point and pointed at everyone.

“I’m from the far north, and heard that Xilin had a history of martial arts, have a tradition of powerful fighters, and so here I am but yet, what did I see? All the martial artists there are only good at being monkeys?”

The brute roared furiously.

The furor all around him was drowned by his impressive aura.

The security guards of the ring quickly came over and tried to pacify him.

“I, Vargas, will be here, waiting at this ring. I will be open to any challenge for the next ten days. Anyone can come to face me. Come! Show me your trust martial arts! Come, come and kill me! Kill me! Only you all can do it!”