The Deceitful One

Sean's expression turned solemn as he turned around and looked at the shadowy-robed figure who was still on his knees, "Explain."

The robed figure replied respectfully, "A recently turned Transcendent named Bryan Lombardi happened to cross paths with one of our associates, Lara, and killed her…"

He continued to recount Bryan's fight with Lara and the events that led to it in great detail. Surprisingly, this was the same thing that the captain of the Strike Team, Robert, had disclosed earlier today during the conference.

There was a traitor amidst the members of the Strike Team!

It wouldn't be surprising if there was a traitor at any other organization. But this was the Silver Owls which was the Transcendent Division of the Church of Wisdom!

The fact that a traitor had infiltrated so deep inside the Strike Team spoke volumes about his ability. Either he had great skills or was in possession of an artifact that countered divination.

Otherwise, some Wisdom Path Transcendent or the other would have surely found this mole through divination.

After listening to the hooded figure recount everything, Sean stayed silent for a long time. But then he started to laugh, "Hahaha…

HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!"

The robed figure was greatly taken aback as he raised his head and looked at Sean in puzzlement. A pair of bright red eyes could be seen from inside the hood.

A few minutes later, Sean finally stopped laughing as he muttered to himself, "Bryan, Bryan, oh Bryan! You exceed my expectations every time. You're truly born to be a Transcendent. But alas, what a pity!"

The hooded figure hesitated for a moment but still asked, "Master…you seem to be quite familiar with Bryan?"

Sean looked at the hooded figure and smirked, "Familiar?"

"Indeed," he added, "I am extremely familiar with him. After all, I've been secretly nurturing him for over a decade."

The robed figure's eyes widened as he stuttered, "M-Master! You mean…"

Sean chuckled, "Yes, he is the key!"

The robed figure sucked in a cold breath of air as he mumbled, "So he's a descendant of the famous Medici Family! I cannot believe it!

He's been telling everyone at Silver Owls that he has become a Transcendent of the Shadow Path. But to think that it was actually the Theft Path!"

"Hehe," Sean chuckled in amusement, "The kid's very good at keeping secrets. I believe he hasn't even disclosed this to James."

"But why go to such great lengths to keep this a secret? I don't understand it, master." The hooded figure inquired with confusion.

"You are young, so you don't know the terror of the Medici Transcendents. They were thieves in the truest sense of the word.

Imagine if someone had the power to not only steal your possessions but also your powers, abilities, luck, and even life.

What lengths would you go to, to kill this person and make sure that no one else wielded this sort of power?" Sean asked with a playful smile.

The fact that Sean was talking so openly with this hooded figure spoke about the type of relationship they shared. After all, Sean didn't act this open and familiar even with his personal butler, Alfredo.

The hooded figure was so shocked that he didn't even know how to reply. Only today did he find out that the Transcendents of the Medici Family could not only steal material things but also intangible concepts!

Sean raised his legs and kept them on the table as he continued to chuckle from time to time. Completely unfazed that his plan had been disclosed to the Silver Owls.

However, the hooded figure on the other hand was extremely anxious, "But master, what do we do now? They are planning to set up a trap for us at the ancient ruin. Do we have enough manpower to fight them, now that they know everything?"

Sean waved his hand and spoke nonchalantly, "You think I don't have contingency plans already set up? I've been planning this for over a decade. We have nothing to worry about."

The hooded figure visibly sighed in relief, "Then do you have any other instructions for me?"

Sean replied, "Just carry on with what you were doing and act normally."

He then thought of something and asked, "Oh, by the way, is that artifact working fine? We're at a crucial phase right now. I don't want anything to go wrong."

The hooded figure nodded his head and replied confidently, "Rest assured, the anti-divination artifact is perfectly fine."

Sean nodded, "Very well, you may leave."

The hooded figure stood up and bowed respectfully, "Yes master!"

His body then split into hundreds of illusory bats as they flew out of the window without making a sound.

Sean then took out a piece of paper from the drawer and began to write something on it. A few minutes later, he folded the paper and put it inside an envelope. He then took out a black handbell from the drawer and flicked his wrist a few times.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A few moments later, the space beside Sean tore open, and a bat the size of a grown human flew out of it. Sean gave the letter to the bat and instructed, "Deliver this to that psycho."

The bat bit onto the letter and then flew back into the tear in the space.

…

In an underground basement, a black-robed figure was praying devoutly as he knelt in front of a black obelisk. All of a sudden, the space beside him tore open and a large bat flew out.

The bat dropped the letter on the ground and then immediately went back inside the tear in the space. Almost as if it was scared to even be there.

The black-robed figure picked up the letter and read its contents. A few minutes later, he stood up and began to laugh maniacally.

His expression turned deranged as he sang at the top of his lungs,

"Destruction, oh sweet destruction,

The Duke came to town,

Destruction, oh sweet destruction,

His horns distorted and round."

The tens of black hooded figures who were kneeling behind the person that was singing, all chanted in unison as their eyes shone with excitement, "Glory to the Dark God!"