“I already know everything there is to know about this stream of Fortuna, and if my conjectures are correct, it will appear at a company called Linton Group,” Erebus said.
Huh?
That puzzled Warren. “Being trapped inside the Unholy Valley and unable to leave all this time, how were you able to keep abreast of what's happening in the world outside?”
“I retrieved and analyzed part of Jared Mitxel's memories when his corpse landed down here recently,” Erebus replied.
That had Warren's heart racing.
Elder Erebus is simply incredible, being able to delve into the memories of the dead the way he can.
That piqued his own desire to learn more.
“What are your thoughts on this stream of Fortuna, Elder?” Warren inquired.
To which Erebus replied, “Never mind that I wasn't able to leave Unholy Valley before. Wouldn't it be an affront to the dignity of Netherworld whether I to allow another stream Fortuna to land in the hands of others once more? Now that I am free, I shall have to make this one mine, one way or the other.”
Warren nodded swiftly in agreement. “That's what I thought too. As Zeke has already devoured countless streams of Fortuna for himself, it would be a disaster for Netherworld if he were to be allowed to secure this one as well.”
“Yet, I am unable to openly vie for it, considering how inadvisable it is for me to appear publicly at the moment,” Erebus said. “I have, however, come up with an alternate plan.”
Warren quickly questioned, “If you would permit me to ask, may I know how you plan to approach this?”
Erebus then replied in a baritone voice, “You may show yourself now.”
From behind a large rock, a silhouette steadily emerged.
Expressionless and trudging along stiffly, he looked as though he was being manipulated like a string puppet.
The sight of the newcomer caused Warren to jump. “Killer Wolf! It's Killer Wolf! Dammit. You followed me! This here is Killer Wolf, General Cosmopolis, and Zeke's personal sidekick. Please rid us of him, or he may very well wind up wrecking Netherworld's plans.”
“Fear not, for it was I who allowed for his presence here. Right now, he is already under the control of my negative energy,” Erebus explained.
Only then was Warren able to breathe more easily. At the same time, he looked toward Erebus in intrigue. “May I ask how you managed to subdue him, Elder Erebus?”
“This chap was heavily wounded when he passed through here a couple of days back. I suspected that he might have ties to Zeke when I picked up Zeke's aura off him. That was the reason why I kept him around, and now, he is going to be the key to helping us secure that Fortuna,” Erebus clarified.
“Please, tell me more.”
“When the time comes, I shall use Killer Wolf to lure Zeke away from Linton Group. Then, I'll seize the opportunity to infiltrate the place and absorb the Fortuna,” Erebus said. “Of course, it's not going to be that straightforward to pull off in practice, but rest assured that I have everything worked out.”
“Please command me as you deem fit. I'll be willing to serve in any way I can!” Warren declared.
Over at Linton Group, Zeke was seated on the couch while going through several documents that were marked as urgent.
All of these documents contained information pertaining to matters of national interest.
Seated opposite him at the desk was Lacey, who was kept busy with the processing of some paperwork for the company herself.
“Don't mind me, Zeke. You should just attend to your own work,” said Lacey casually to Zeke.
“Okay.”
His reply was equally leisurely while he leafed through the documents he had on hand.
The sustained silence that ensued inside the office was disrupted only sporadically by the inconspicuous shuffle of pages being turned.
After an indeterminate period had passed, Lacey straightened herself up to stretch her weary back.
It was only then she looked up and noticed that Zeke was still around.
“Why are you still here, Zeke?” Lacey asked in surprise.
Zeke likewise placed down the file in his own hands. “How could I leave your side after the Progenitor of the White Muraco Clan has predicted that you might be in mortal danger,” he said to her.
That had Lacey shooting him a wry smile. “I suppose that the Progenitor could have been mistaken. Since the worst has already passed for Linton Group, I should be safe now.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Lord Protector novel (Zeke Williams)