The Devil's Cage

Ring Ring Ring!

Ring Ring Ring!

The phone Kieran just hung up rung again. He answered it a second time.

"How dare you…"

Pak!

Before the sentence was even done, Kieran hung up again

Ring Ring Ring!

Ring Ring Ring!

Kieran answered the phone for a third time.

"Do you know…"

Pak!

The same thing happened.

Ring Ring Ring!

Ring Ring Ring!

As Kieran answered the phone for the fourth time, he clearly heard the hurried breath from the other side of the phone but this time the person was reluctant to speak, and when he did, he was very polite.

"Is this the place of the Glutton Emperor?"

"No."

A quick answer later, Kieran once again hung up the phone.

This time, he disconnected the phone's wire.

The place was Freezer's house on Randletine Street 17th, not Wallway Street 13, so how could it be his place?

Emma Eddie watched the scene as her eyes twitched.

"Are you playing some after meal games?" she asked.

"Games? No, I just don't like to follow people's pace," Kieran shook his head seriously.

Emma Eddie felt her temples swelled up.

She always missed her mark on what the man before her eyes wanted to achieve.

He wasn't just cold, he was random and mean!

'This is really…'

Emma Eddie somehow felt sorry for the person who made the call.

Huu!

The young lady took a deep breath and said with a straight tone, "You should at least hear what he has to say, what if there are clues in his words?"

"Believe me, there won't be any. Since he is able to do something like this, he must have some kind of plan to back him up. No matter how stupid he is, he won't simply give up useful information. On the contrary, he might say something like 'I've planted more bombers in the city and if you people don't want them to go off, answer my terms'. Such terms are also useless to us, he is just disrupting us from finding true information and clues," Kieran said in a firm manner.

"But we don't have any information or clues to begin with!" Emma Eddie emphasized.

"That is because you aren't looking close enough. Wherever action is taken, traces will be left behind. When you can see things in your own unique way, you will be able to find something," said Kieran before he looked at Freezer, who stood beside him with his hands down.

"Ferris, I want the books on the papal era 600 years ago, especially the unique books and secret ancient texts. I'll pay high for those who sell."

"Understood, my lord."

The Freezer bowed and walked out.

"Odork, I'll leave the patrol of the area and guarding duty of this house to you in the meantime," Kieran said to the Bloodman.

"Yes, my lord."

Bloodman bowed and followed the Freezer's footsteps outside.

Both loyal subordinates didn't ask why, all they needed to know it was Kieran's order and they had to carry out with their best effort.

After giving out the orders, Kieran looked at Emma Eddie.

"We don't feed freeloaders here." Kieran said.

Emma Eddie picked up on the meaning between the lines. She said, "I can help Odork in patrolling the area—what happened back there is just a little accident, I was careless. I can also help you to verify those unique books and ancient texts you bought! You wouldn't want to spend a fortune to buy a mountain of fakes, right?"

Emma Eddie tried to explain her mistake from earlier and flaunt her value.

As for helping Ferris the Freezer?

Emma Eddie knew her limits.

Given who the Freezer was, he would have grasped secret trading points better than her, there was no need for her 'help'.

Compared to the cold Freezer, Bloodman Odork was a better person to work with and she had quite the confidence in verifying the purchased books and texts.

Emma Eddie's words seemed to have moved Kieran, who didn't want to suffer unnecessary losses and waste time.

"You got yourself a chance but remember, it's only this time," Kieran said before he headed to the study room.

Emma Eddie stuck her tongue out at Kieran's back as he left. She then waved at Willis and left the room.

As for Willis?

He was a guest of the house anyway, so no one would ask anything of him. Moreover, he was utterly depressed as though his wife had died, so he wouldn't be able to do anything in the meantime.

When Kieran entered the study room, a thought flashed by his head and Old Book was summoned to the room

Old Book Canberlanor couldn't hold back his joy when he saw the room filled with books, but he did not get carried away.

"My lord, are these the books about the Mordin's Statue you mentioned before?" Old Book asked after a bow.

"Em, not just about Mordin's Statue, there are also some other miscellaneous books that may be of help to you, but I want you to concentrate on reading Mordin's Statue. See whether you can find some hidden clues in the books or not. After this, Ferris will bring over the books about the papal era of this world. I think those books might help you also," Kieran nodded.

"I'll try my very best." said the Old Book as he raised his hand.

A dozen books flew out from the rack, opened up in mid-air and the pages flipped rapidly.

The pages of the books were fluttering.

After witnessing the scene, Kieran quietly left the room.

He was never a person who would diminish his value, nor would he boast his arrogance.

It was clear that even if he had the Talent [Memory Palace], his reading was incomparable to Old Book, who lived to read.

More so, after Old Book consumed [Drops of Finest Cream] and acquired [Wise Deduction], it elevated his efficiency.

Let the professionals do what they do best.

It was what Kieran always believed in.

Similarly, he tasked his best subordinate to follow that obvious lead.

…

"Are you sure it's here?"

Blood Mary leaned back in the shadows, looking at the mall in front of its eyes as it asked Frost Wolf.

Frost Wolf nodded in a very humane way, raising his left paw and pointing at the fourth floor of the mall.

"You can smell it this far away?" Bloody Mary looked at Frost Wolf in shock.

Frost Wolf gave Bloody Mary the side-eye before it turned up and looked at the sky.

A dash of red soared high—Fire Raven!

Bloody Mary instantly understood what happened but it did not feel shameful, instead it said as normal, "Job well done, leave the rest to me."

Bloody Mary vanished as it left the words behind.

A second after Bloody Mary vanished, Fire Raven landed in front of Frost Wolf like a gale.

Frost Wolf was stunned by Fire Raven's appearance, looking at the raven with a dubious gaze. Normally, Fire Raven would have returned to Kieran after the scouting was over.

Gawk, Gawk!

Fire Raven cawed softly and pointed at the food square beside the mall with its wing.

Wuuuur!

Frost Wolf whimpered, understanding what Fire Raven was trying to convey and because of that, reluctant to follow.

Based on what Kieran taught, it should not take other people's food without a reason, and even if it would, it should pay with items of similar value.

Frost Wolf whimpered and conveyed the message to Fire Raven.

Gawk Gawk!

Fire Raven cawed out of disdain, as though Frost Wolf was accusing it of stealing. A moment later, Fire Raven lifted its tightly gripped right claw and opened up.

Ding!

Amid a clear noise, a sparkling gemstone was shown to Frost Wolf.

The pinky-sized gemstone had an irregular edge and was a raw mineral without any processing; Frost Wolf was stunned by the gemstone.

It couldn't understand how Fire Raven got its claws on the gemstone.

Did it pick it up? From where? Was there a mine somewhere nearby?

Though Frost Wolf saved its questions because it was drooling already.

It had endured the delicious aroma of food from the square for a while now, and if it wasn't for its principles, it would have charged inside.

Now, with a gemstone of value, it could go in and taste the food, but not immediately.

Perfect timing was required and Fire Raven knew it too, so it quietly hid in the shadow of the corner, waiting patiently.

…

"Are you sure the phone number you gave me belongs to the Glutton Emperor?"

Inside a room on the fourth floor of the mall, a buff, sinister sounding middle-aged man slammed the table as he shouted. The pencils and cups on the table were shaking.

"I am sure. The number is indeed for the Glutton Emperor's place."

A normal-looking scrawny young man in casual attire and glasses answered seriously.

"He bluffed me?" the middle-aged man dialed the number again out of doubt.

However, the phone call did not connect this time and it infuriated the man.

Pak!

He smashed the phone in his hand and shouted angrily, "He played me! That damn bastard! I'll make him pay! I'll make him understand how foolish it is to play me, Lord Hark!" The middle-aged man wanted to activate his ability.

"Wait!" the young man in glasses stopped him.

"What's wrong, Goran? Are you begging for those people? Don't forget what you've been through!" the middle-aged man said a cold laugh.

"I did not forget what I've been through… that's why I agreed to work with you but you better not forget that you agreed to listen to my commands!" the young man emphasized.

"I know, I know! I agreed to listen to you, but that was before I was angry! Now i'll do this on my own because if I follow your commands, it'll make me feel like a stupid clown!"

As the middle-aged man ranted, he walked towards the young man.

The already scrawny young man looked weaker than before as the middle-aged man walked towards him, even more so after he faltered backwards.

The middle-aged man laughed, liking this kind of situation where he could bully the weak, since it provided him with unusual pleasure.

If his ability could be used against other's with abilities, he would have controlled the young man and made him kneel.

But soon!

After this task, he would get rewards from that lord and his ability would surely reach new heights.

Controlling others with abilities would no longer be a dream!

The middle-aged man, Hark, trembled as he pictured the perfect scene.

Goran, who had retreated to the corner of the wall, showed disgust in his eyes for Hark.

He hated this kind of arrogant collaborator.

Although he already knew Hark wasn't a qualified candidate, he was forced to work with Hark for the short-term goal. However, he did not expect Hark to be worse than his expectation.

Goran had to leave Alkender City as soon as possible! He knew he could not afford to step on the people in this city.

The Fist of Justice, the Wine Barrel, and the Glutton Emperor who popped up recently. Especially the last one, the Glutton Emperor was rumoured to be cold and merciless. His ways of dealing with things were clean and he would never give his enemies room to breath, removing them from the roots. Some said he was even more terrifying than the villains.

Goran could picture what would happen if the idiot in front of him ignited all the bombs prematurely.

He would be hunted! He would be hunted by the Fist of Justice, the Wine Barrel, and the Glutton Emperor!

And once he got caught?

The picture in his mind caused Goran to tremble in fear.

"You don't need to ignite everyone, just a little will do and it can scare the Glutton Emperor who played you, making him understand you are not someone that he can afford to cross. At the same time, we can also voice our terms."

Although he had decided to leave the city, Goran still played his part on the outside and tried to persuade Hark.

"I know! Do you think I'm stupid?!"

Hark coldly grunted, raising his hands and suddenly clapping them.

Goran laughed coldly in his heart when he saw his collaborator's ugly stance.

'You are not stupid, you are just an idiot…'

Puk!

While Goran was still laughing coldly in his heart, a palm went through Hark's chest and the blood sprayed Goran red.

The warm blood on his face stunned him. He blankly watched the hand retract from his chest and his idiot collaborator fall to the ground. He then saw a normal looking man smiling at him.

"You…you…" Goran stuttered.

His mind was troubled by many questions but Bloody Mary didn't give him the chance to explain. A quick chop from Bloody Mary knocked Goran out.

Until the very last moment before he fainted, Goran had no idea how Bloody Mary evaded all those cameras that he controlled and why Bloody Mary was fine after touching Hark.

Despite deeming his collaborator an idiot, Goran knew how troublesome Hark's ability was.

Hark's ability could install a bomb in people's body with a single touch, and he used the bomb to control his target. Although it was useless against people with abilities, should someone touch him first—abilities or not—they would suffer a sudden explosion.

Bloody Mary grabbed Goran and the look from Hark. It raised a brow at Hark's body, which was engoring rapidly.

"Self-destruct after death? What a troublesome ability."

Bloody Mary raised its foot and kicked the engorged body out of the window.

KABOOM!

Light flashed as the body exploded in mid-air.

The sudden explosion caused panic in the mall and the food square. Many people started to run outside.

In the shadow, the waiting Fire Raven and Frost Wolf's eyes shined with glimmer.

It was time!