Nightmare’s Call

In the Hall of Refulgent Splendor, used to a manor, now a branch of the Sanctum, several top people of Henricqal branch were sitting in the main hall.

Margaret, sitting in the fourth position, glanced up at the two vacant seats, then talked in a low voice to Madillan beside her. Cainphas and another professor from Baine University were discussing a newly discovered strange material softly. The rest of the people, recently promoted as top clerics—all powerful territory inspectors with Five Wing-level strength—were getting some shut-eye and surfing for news on their phones. Other than that, a few workshop owners, who had come seeking asylum, were Five-wingers and Six-wingers, some with books in hand, others replying messages with their phones. Everyone at the scene, otherwise a person of importance, was sitting there, waiting for someone.

As the doors swung open, two red-armored warriors came down on one knee. A burly man, draped in pure-white heavy armor, strode into the hall toward the seat in the middle under the watchful eyes of everyone.

“Everyone, about the giant hand appeared yesterday evening. You can all speak your mind now.”

Lin Sheng’s dull voice under the armor exuded a sense of composedness. As the mainstay, Seagal’s steadiness and confidence had boosted the morale of the top-level personnel at the scene.

“It doesn’t matter from where the giant hand comes, its energy shows that it is not a simple existence. Likely the leader of the Ashen World that the Sevenlocks Tower summoned,” said Cainphas. As the chancellor of Baine University, he had more experience than anyone else at the scene.

“I used to be fighting at the entrance of the Ashen World, but never have I encountered such a thing.” The one speaking was a territory inspector, a recruit. He did not have a name. People just called him Purple Flame because his dark energy training method, when using his ultimate attack move, could trigger a powerful purple flame. This flame was highly toxic. Once in contact, it could even kill a Five-winged Darksider in half an hour.

“Purple Flame, you have never entered the Ashen World. It is a strange place where there is only a blurry distinction between life and death. In theory, the Ashen World should be the world of the dead. But in reality, there are still a few living things in there. Just that these living creatures, once survived in the Ashen World, are powerful super individuals,” Cainphas explained.

“That is an eye-opener, but I still keep my opinion,” said Purple Flame.

“I used to read about the black giant hand from a secret book. Just that I’m not sure if it is true,” Madillan said. Nourished by the holy power, Madillan had regained his strength, and now one of the most powerful Six Winger. People respected him very much.

“Please tell us.” Lin Sheng sat on the chair, looking at Madillan through his helmet.

“The secret book used to record many powerful existences of the Ashen World. One of them is called the Hand of the Underworld. It has tough defense ability, almost an unfair regenerative ability, and unstoppable power of terror.” Every word Madillan said turned the faces of the other top-level people looked like that of a dead man.

“However, the Hand of the Underworld, if my memory doesn’t fail me, can’t move. And it needs a large amount of summoning materials and time to summon it,” Madillan continued. “On top of that, it will need at least a year to go into the battlefield after it first appears. So for now, we shouldn’t be worried about it. Even if the Sevenlocks Tower has summoned it over, it still needs time to adapt to the limitations in the real world.”

“That means you will be able to find a way to defeat the Hand of the Underworld after a year?” mocked a strange woman. Wearing a quaint, non-mainstream robe, she sat in an inconspicuous position in a corner.

“Isn’t it normal to put the difficult questions aside and find a solution at a later date?” Madillan retorted.

“I have only subscribed to one truth: if you can’t do it the first time, you are going to find it more difficult to solve as time goes by until you finally give up,” the woman said coldly.

“I don’t think so. With self-control, anything who can achieve it. By the looks of things, you don’t look like practicing cultivation from a young age,” Madillan shot back.

“Enough, knock it off.” Lin Sheng interrupted them as he sensed things were heating up. “We are discussing how to deal with the Hand of the Underworld. Bickering among ourselves doesn’t help at all!”

No one made a sound as Lin Sheng spoke. Everyone knew that as a Seagal, his position was second to Tenko Kasumi. That was why he had veto power because he was representing Tenko Kasumi.

“We can use the Seal, Seagal,” the woman who mocked Madillan said. “I have checked; Linwei Clan, the famous Sealing Blood, has joined the Sanctum to become the cleric. So I suggest we can try using the Seal.”

“Sealing Blood?” Lin Sheng knew what she was thinking.

“One person may not be workable when it comes to sealing. But we can use the Sealing Blood as a primer, designing a ritual circle that can amplify the effect of the Seal,” the woman explained.

Everyone started to discuss among themselves as they thought it might be a good idea. Lin Sheng was thinking, if using the energy amplification circle with other rituals, they might be able to make the sealing work.

“I need to meet the Linwei Clan,” Lin Sheng said.

“I will go fetch them.” The woman nodded.

“Now, dismiss.”

Everyone started to leave. Lin Sheng looked at the woman and signaled Margaret to stay. Margaret was the head of the Recruitment Department of the Sanctum. Getting information about the Linwei Clan was the fastest way.

Under Margaret and the other woman’s arrangement, in the conference room of the Sanctum branch, Lin Sheng was seeing Sawyer, the last offspring of the Linwei Clan.

She was wearing the standard-issue white robe of the lower-level cleric and a light-gold identity tag on her chest. Her arm had a bandage on; she probably had suffered some injury recently. The moment she stepped into the room, her eyes were on Lin Sheng, who was sitting at the conference table. She knew he was Seagal, one of the highest rulers in Henricqal.

“What can I do for you, Seagal?” Sawyer had probably figured out the purpose of the meeting, but she pretended to not know, quietly observing Lin Sheng.

“The one who instructed Elveah to speak in the meeting must be you. Am I right?”