radiothebook Chapter 126: New Mission
Chapter 126: New Mission
In the Reapers organization base...
Seraph continued to operate as an agent, carrying out missions and slowly gathering merits. Although there were some morally gray missions he was given, he still performed them all to the best of his abilities.
’The beast tide is almost over. I should finally be able to go and check out my family,’
He thought as he walked towards the Mission Dome. He had just been called for another mission, and he was fully prepared to undertake it.
Arriving at the familiar counter, Seraph smiled behind his mask and said in a low voice, "Hello there, Anya."
The girl behind the glass shifted subtly, then answered, "Hello, uncle."
She quickly brought out a mission plate and passed it to him.
"This is your latest mission."
Seraph accepted it, then read through the content. Instantly, his expression stiffened.
’Wait. Wha...? These bastards...’
Restraining the urge to crush the mission plate into pieces, he said to the girl, "Thank you."
"Um... there’ll also be a senior agent accompanying you," She added, causing him to pause.
"A senior agent?" He tilted his head.
"Hm, as a supervisor. This mission is very important and cannot be failed," She explained to him.
Her words only fueled his anger, but his mask kept his expression hidden properly.
Nodding, he turned around and headed towards the exit of the dome. There, the assigned senior agent was already waiting for him.
Seraph sized him up, then spoke, "Mission 244XC5V?"
The masked lady nodded, then turned towards the exit, "Let’s go."
A few minutes later, they appeared in the western parts of the Orchid Province. Standing on a grassland where the grasses reached their knees, the two of them assessed their surroundings, then the masked lady spoke.
"I am Agent-YN. You’re Agent-YX, I recognize you."
Seraph was surprised to realize that she was someone he actually met on daily routines.
’I can’t be merciful to anyone because I know them. What a pity.’
He nodded, then prepared to dispose of her. After all, he could tell that she was just an Initial Master Stage cultivator.
Suddenly, she said, "The air in this place is fresh. Seems familiar. Let’s go."
Without waiting for Seraph, she began walking forward. He released his hand that was about to pull out his weapon, then quietly followed behind her.
As they traveled, they came into a thick, dark forest. Instantly, the forest boiled with chaos.
The moment the forest boiled with chaos, a sharp screech echoed from above. Seraph’s eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he stepped back just as something dropped from the trees. It was a spider. No—multiple.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Several spider-like spirit beasts landed around them, each one nearly the size of a wolf. Their long legs twitched, and their dark eyes locked onto the two humans.
"Tch."
Seraph immediately summoned and tightened his grip on his red spear as more sounds followed.
The branches above shook violently as dozens more descended, hanging from threads or crawling down tree trunks.
They were surrounded.
Without waiting, the spiders attacked. One lunged straight at Seraph, causing him to move instantly.
His spear thrust forward and pierced through its head cleanly.
At the same time...
"Water Bullet."
Behind him, Agent-YN released a compressed shot of water that blasted another spider mid-air, knocking it back.
"Don’t hold back,"Seraph muttered.
"Obviously."
Another wave came, and this time, three at once.
Seraph spun his spear, turning it into a razor.
"Wind Blade."
A sharp arc of wind shot forward, slicing through two spiders. The third one still came at him.
He stepped forward instead of retreating, slashing his blade at it.
Slash!
The spear cut through its body diagonally, splitting it in half.
On the other side, Agent-YN raised her hand.
"Water Bubble."
A spherical shield formed around her just as multiple spiders leapt at her position.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
They collided against the barrier, unable to break through.
Her expression remained hidden beneath her mask as she calmly retaliated.
"Water Bullet."
Shots fired rapidly, each one piercing through a spider’s weak point.
Seraph glanced at her briefly.
’Efficient.’
But there was no time to think. A sharp sound cut through the air.
He turned just in time to see a strand of web shooting toward him.
He tilted his body, barely dodging it as the web struck the ground and hardened instantly.
’These things are proving to be troublesome.’
More spiders began firing webs from a distance, restricting movement. Seraph clicked his tongue, then changed tactics, "Fire Arrows."
Flames burst from his spear, shooting outward in multiple directions.
The webs caught fire instantly, burning away along with a few spiders caught in them.
Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly, and both of them noticed it.
Something bigger was coming.
The smaller spiders suddenly retreated a bit, creating space.
From above, a massive spider dropped down.
Boom!
It landed heavily between them and the swarm.
It was at least twice the size of the others, its body covered in thicker armor, its legs sharper and longer.
Seraph’s gaze turned cold.
’So there’s a leader. Not bad’
The giant spider screeched, then charged at the two masked humans.
Seraph didn’t hesitate, and he rushed forward as well. The spider’s leg stabbed toward him like a spear.
Clang!
He blocked it, but the force pushed him back slightly. More accurately, he let it push him back. He still had to make his partner think he was weaker than her.
Unaware of this, the spider didn’t stop. Another leg came from the side, aiming for his head.
Seraph bent low, dodging it, then countered immediately.
"Water Blade."
A thin layer of water coated his spear, sharpening its edge.
He slashed upward.
The attack cut into one of the spider’s legs, but didn’t sever it completely. The defense was tougher than expected.
Behind him, Agent-YN stepped in.
"Water Bullet."
She fired directly at the spider’s eyes.
The creature recoiled slightly, giving Seraph an opening which he immediately took.
"Fire Arrow."
At close range, he released the attack straight at its head.
Boom!
Flames exploded on impact.
The spider shrieked, its movements becoming erratic. Seraph didn’t hesitate and dashed forward.
This time, he didn’t hold back.
He gripped his spear tightly and thrust it forward with full force.
Crack!
The spear pierced through its head.
The giant spider froze, then collapsed.
The remaining spiders hesitated, then began to retreat hastily. Their leader had been killed after all.
Within seconds, the forest went quiet again.
Seraph exhaled softly.
Agent-YN lowered her hand, her water techniques fading.
"...That was more than expected," She said.
Seraph looked at the corpse of the giant spider.
"They’re part of the beast tide. It’s only natural."
Agent-YN nodded, then sheathed her dagger, "Let’s get going."
Seraph didn’t say anything and quietly followed her.
Sometime later, they passed by a clan that was being besieged by a large horde of bull-like spirit beasts.
Seraph’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the clan, and he could even see a familiar figure fighting at the forefront.
’What was his name again? Ka... Kazi, right? Kazi Suho. Looks like he succeeded his mother after I killed her.’
He could still remember the naive young man that had tried to challenge him in order to gain Ariana’s affection back then.
’Haa... I guess I had a childhood too.’
["Are you sure you did? It was pretty boring, if I’d say."] Halo chipped in, sarcastic as always.
Seraph didn’t even reply him. He just followed his superior as they ignored the Suho Clan’s battle and continued forward.
’Still, how do I complete this mission without actually competing it?’
He thought, trying to wrack his brain for an answer. However, it felt impossible.
The mission was a simple one. It was just to kidnap a single person. Not to kill or torture, but just to kidnap.
However, the identity of the target was a bit special. It was Jayde Skye, Seraph’s brother whom he hadn’t seen yet.
["Someone shout: ’Plot Twist!’"] Halo laughed hard, as if enjoying his current plight.
’Ugh. I absolutely can’t let anything happen to my family. I guess I’ll just have to pretend we met someone strong, and that person killed Agent-YN. Then, I’ll return after failing the mission.’
That seemed simple, and he was determined to make it happen.
’I’m sorry, Agent-YN. If we had met under different circumstances, perhaps we would have been friends. But here? It’s a no.’
He sighed, then stayed silent until they reached the Moonveil territory.
Seeing the signs of battle outside the city walls, Seraph deduced that they had just fought against a horde of spirit beasts not long ago.
’Also... when did the clan grow this big?!’
As far as his memories could remember, the clan territory wasn’t this big. Now, it had doubled in size and infrastructure.
’Impressive. Looks like they’ve been prospering well enough.’
A smile appeared on his lips, though it was hidden by the mask on his face.
Still, he wasn’t here for a casual visit. The two of them easily bypassed the guards manning the walls and arrived on the insides of the clan. Before long, they found their way to the Skye household under the darkness of the night.