Hero of Darkness

Kahn and the gang walked inside this huge headquarters that was spread over 7 kilometers of the vicinity and had too many sections such as visitations, receptions for the particular types of orders and many buildings solely created for forging the types of equipment. 

Over a year ago, Kahn also dealt in the weapon manufacturing industry so he knew what kind of top-notch technology and forging machines were placed here just from a single glance.

This time, Omega took the lead as the leader and inquired at the grand reception. 

"I'm here to meet Master Oakenshield. I would like to hire him for a commission of weapons and armors." spoke Omega. 

"Ummm… currently, master Oakenshield isn't taking any commissions." responded the woman at reception who had the body of a hippopotamus. 

"Why? Our order won't be small and we have more than enough to even pay extra if master Oakenshield takes our order. 

I'm talking billions." said Omega as he tried to persuade the reception lady. 

Sigh! 

Instead of getting excited… the hippo-kin woman sighed helplessly. 

"Oh, what's gonna happen next. We'll be taking commissions from street beggars?" she grumbled. 

"Follow me." she said and casually walked towards the inner rooms for VIP customers. 

[Doesn't something strike you as odd here?] asked Blackwall to others. 

[Yes. Compared to the other two places we visited before, there are barely 2 thousand people here while those buildings had more than 20 thousand people. 

And the security here is very lax as if they intentionally left it open for the thieves to come in.] said Oliver. 

[My guess is that something bad has happened here. Wasn't this place supposed to be an arms forging company of one of the top 5 blacksmiths of the entire Vulcan empire? 

But now it looks more like an abandoned house.] spoke Ronin. 

And finally, the receptionist lady brought them to the VIP. 

But before they even took their seats… 

Clang! 

The noise of someone throwing off a table reached their ears. 

"You fucking traitors! You're jumping ships as soon as things got a bit hard?! 

Is that all our partnership of two decades meant to you?! 

Alex and Morty… if you want to null the contract, you'll have to pay the penalty first." a loud voice of an old and grumpy dwarf reached their ears. 

Thud! 

"We'd rather pay 10 trillion for a penalty than stick with you. 

This is all your fault. So don't you dare put the blame on us." spoke a lionkin as he angrily kicked the door and exited the main office. 

Following him was a zebra-kin donned in the green attire of a businessman. 

"You and that big mouth of yours has created a big mess. Don't drag us in the mud with you." said the Zebra-man.

Facepalm! 

Kahn facepalmed himself as he had a sense of Deja Vu. 

"Someone is really running out of creativity these days." he said and looked towards the duo of Lion and Zebra called Alex and Morty. 

"Great… now that's the last of our biggest dealers. 

We're doomed." spoke the hippopotamus. 

"Gloria, bring them in." a hoarse voice of an old man resounded in the hall. 

Tap! Tap! 

"Great… another trouble." spoke Kahn as he sensed a group of people coming towards the main office with an aura filled with rage. 

Soon, over 20 dwarves walked in a group. And the one to lead them was the most lavishly dressed old dwarf. 

All these dwarves were only 2 feet in height, so to Kahn's group, they appeared like kindergarten students. 

"Come out, Oakenshield!" spoke the dwarf. 

Step! 

Step! 

"Ah… I must be dreaming. What the hell are you doing here… 

Wait! What's the meaning of this?!" spoke the old dwarf who just walked out of his office. 

"We're sorry, master. But he offered to take us in his company… and all of us accepted the deal." spoke a young dwarf who seemed like a seasoned blacksmith based on the shape of his palms and ripped arms. 

"You damn rodents! I could accept others betraying me… but all of you too?!" spoke this old dwarf with disbelief as if the ground beneath him shattered. 

"And who do you think came to ask me first?" asked the other old dwarf in a coy tone. 

"To lead them all into joining you… no, that can't be…" spoke the former as his words stopped midway. 

Step! 

Step! 

Suddenly, a young dwarf who previously stood at the end of this group walked forth and came out into their sight. 

"I'm sorry, master. It was my initiative to join the Armikbaar company. 

You have lived your life in glory and gained a lot of reputation in the past five decades. But for us… we can't risk our lives and our careers because of your mistake. 

Besides, Master Tawerik has promised to make us his personal pupils already. 

I hope you understand our situation as well." spoke the young dwarf. 

To his words… the former old dwarf seemed heartbroken as if he experienced the biggest betrayal of his life. Yet he tried to control his grief and anger. 

"To think that I once thought of you as my best pupil and even planned to groom you into becoming my successor… 

Listen, Helsi… you have greatly disappointed me. 

Now I feel like even a stray cat would be worth raising than teaching a snake like you." he said with a crestfallen expression. 

Suddenly… the young dwarf's expression turned furious… 

"Stray cat?! You're really losing it, you old bastard! Did you really think that all my achievements came from you?! 

You are the one who caused the whole company's downfall and you're blaming me for changing sides?" he asked. 

"Hahaha! Even your top pupil has forsaken you, Oakenshield. 

Don't worry… I'll train him better than you. So you may as well commit suicide without any regrets." spoke master Tawerik. 

"Hmph! You and that buffoon? Hell, I can even pick a random human from the street and teach him till he becomes the best blacksmith in the empire. 

You two have nothing on me." rebuked master Oakenshield. 

"Bold claims! You dare bet your entire reputation and this company on it?!" challenged the latter. 

"Why the hell not?! You think I'm scared? I can pick anyone and do it." spoke master Oakenshield. 

He then looked around the hall where over 40 people were seated and over 9 of them were humans. 

"Anyone here want to become my pupil?" he asked in a tyrannical tone. 

However, a grim silence ensued as no one spoke a word. 

"See… everyone knows you're already doomed. Who the hell in their right mind would want to become your student after what you did?!" spoke master Tawerik. 

Gasp! 

Gasp! 

Multiple gasps were heard as everyone suddenly noticed a hand lifted up and they all gazed at this courageous figure who dared to accept this offer. 

The one to suddenly raise his hand and accept this offer was… 

Kahn.