A day before the auction, analysts from both clans were reassigned from the undead battle to rack their brains over the auction. A ’friend-or- foe’ system of symbols? Only a third of the attendees invited to the auction were from the Alliance, and there were no plans to share this plot with them. How could they figure out which of them was the Threat? Behind whose Mist Veil would Scyth be hiding?
“Belials Blood/’ Joshua said suddenly after silently listening to the members of the emergency meeting. Then he drifted back to thoughts of the coming battle with the lich.
A droplet of BeliaVs Blood was another artifact that had been considered useless. If one broke the defensive shell around it, the higher demon’s blood, frozen in a tiny ruby, would draw in all the magic in the surrounding space for a few moments, then disappear under the ground, burning all around it. Perhaps traveling back to its master. Its fire would deprive the bidders of their Mist Veil, and that meant the class-A Threat could be identified.
There was no time to test the theory. In case the blood didn’t work, Eileen took along an Armageddon and Ultima to burn the hall to a crisp. Whoever survived would be Scyth. That option risked war with the League, but only for the Widowmakers. The Gallaghers were willing to sacrifice them…
It all went to plan.
“Three!” the auctioneer announced loudly. “Sold! For a hundred million phoenixes to bidder number thirteen! By the will of Maglubiyet, the deal is done!” The auction is now officially over, and I thank…”
Eileen activated Chronos’ Hourglass. Time stopped and seconds continued only for her. She’d gone through it all a hundred times in her head. Eileen quickly rose to the podium, stood by the auctioneer and threw Belial’s Blood into the center of the hall, trying to keep all the chaotically divided bidders in view: ten rows with six seats each…
Almost all the bidders lost their Mist Veil for an instant. The back rows were untouched, but, fortunately for Eileen, the Threat was within the area of effect: Scyth, human, level 564 Herald. Row six, seat four. Right. One of the ones that came in last.
As she carried the Threat back to her castle, she regretted that she had no more Belial’s Blood. Perhaps someone in the Alliance had some. Eileen would do all she could to get it. The important thing would be to rive a dagger into the Threat’s heart at the exact moment of the demonic blood’s action. The banishing ritual required the words “I banish you from Disgardium forever!” to be spoken just as the deadly strike was dealt.
The thought captured Eileen. What if it worked? If the blood of the high demon absorbed all magic, then would Scyth lose his link to his divine protector for an instant? The girl kept the idea to herself. Let things calm down, let the Alliance destroy the temple, let Nergal’s Summons end… And she could always excuse herself before the Gallaghers by saying that she considered it unnecessary to bother them for the sake of a ‘crazy’ idea that just happened to work…
Another knock at the door. It opened.
“Forgive me for bothering you, Miss Waters, but it’s time,” Jade said. “The journalists are starting to complain.”
“Alright,” Eileen answered.
The clan’s press center was so full that people were pressed up against one another. Everyone expected something extraordinary, just as the press release promised. Ten drone cameras streamed it for the whole world.
Eileen took a deep breath, drinking in the moment, then spoke, her voice crisp, clear, calm. Her first words fell like a neutron bomb.
“Good day. My name is Eileen Waters, leader of the Widowmakers. Yesterday, I captured Scyth. The world can breathe easy: the highest Threat in the history of Disgardium has been neutralized…”
Eileen paused. All ears in the room listened breathlessly. Her eyes found Ian Mitchell in the dead silence, who blew up the internet the day before with his interview with the Threat. Your day is done, old man, she thought with somewhat misplaced malevolence.
“I am ready to answer all your questions.”
When eveiyone burst out into shouts and cries in unison, Eileen laughed—Ian Mitchell and Clark Katz exchanged dark glances. Both were in her little black book.
Her name was Eileen Waters, and this day promised to be the best of her life.
Chapter 14: Widowmakers
AFTER A SHORT MEETING, the second capsule in the shelter was configured for Hung. Due to certain properties of intragel, the ingredients of which have to be strictly tailored to the individual, Snowstorm’s devices can’t be used for multiple different players. There are, of course, multiuser versions, but not for Dis. One capsule—one character. If you want to make a new character, delete the first one.
Hung was chosen because of Orthokon. The ancient kraken could become the pride of the clan. Bomber already got the ability to summon it to wherever he wanted, although it was limited to the sea, of course. So far, he had had no need to do so. Bomb tried to set it on the Montosaurus when it was wandering the shore, but Orthokon wouldn’t attack another beast god. He wanted easier prey. The dinosaur roared at the sight of its old enemy and took to its heels. He might have torn the kraken to shreds on dry land, but in the sea… No way.
Hung was the one whose mission it would be to rescue me from imprisonment. After the Gallaghers and Eileen left, I tried everything I could think of twice. I prayed to Fortune, the Sleepers and even the Nucleus, but to no avail.
Hung himself couldn’t go anywhere in his undead form, but he easily made contact with Piper and Yemi by mail. Hairo banned us categorically from messaging or calling in real life, although Yoshi was ready
