The Transmigrated Author
Chapter 229: Darkworld The Gathering

[Location: Dark World - ???]

In the far depths of the earth, there lies a place that even the strongest powers of this world cannot reach.

The Heroes Association has failed, and countless great heroes have fallen trying to enter.

This clandestine meeting is held in a location hidden away from the world, known only to the most notorious criminals.

The Darkworld.

An underground realm that acts as a second Earth.

Within the Darkworld, a massive meeting is underway, with renowned members of Quadra in attendance.

It is clear that something significant is being planned for a fateful day.

The room, a vast space built with extravagant luxury, hosted four figures, with one empty seat left unoccupied.

"After a successful mission and experiment, the feedback from your test is a success, Vladimir,"

[Morwen Cross, Leader Of The Syndicate - Member Of Quadra]

He leaned forward, the corners of his mouth tightening as if holding back a torrent of words, a serious look on his face.

"Indeed,"

[Vladimir Bane, Leader Of The Devils Cult - Current Head Of Quadra]

"It seems we've found our key source for a specific ingredient that only a rare few know about."

Vladimir stood before a massive flat-screen TV, taking a sip from a golden stemware filled with expensive wine.

WHOOM!

As a fake doll appeared through the seats of the round table, a mysterious energy rose out of it.

"Ahhh... It seems today is important!"

[Cyran Gray, Leader Of The Sifters Organization - Member Of Quadra]

A disembodied voice echoed through the room, belonging to Cyran Gray.

As if he had teleported into the room through a doll's body... an act that surprised none of the others present.

"Whereee... coulddd... heeee... beee?!"

DOOM!

As Cyran waved his hands, the earth rumbled and trembled.

Tap...

Another massive shockwave shook the room, and the three of them remained unphased by the sounds of these earthquakes.

TAP!

Then, through the cracks of the room, an ominous surge of aura erupted from the massive double doors.

WAHAH!

A booming laugh reverberated through the hallways...

BOOM!

...Followed by the destruction of the double doors, not by hands but by the waves of a dark purple aura that erupted with lightning.

"I AM HERE!"

[Drakon Salazar, Member Of Quadra - Wanted Dead: $19,750,000,000]

Drakon strode into the room, his presence as imposing as any mythical beast.

His eyes, a piercing crimson that seemed to burn with an inner fire, held a reptilian vertical slit for pupils.

A mane of wild, raven-black hair framed his face, each strand seemingly alive with restless energy as if his very being defied the laws of nature.

He calmly took his seat at the specially constructed table designed to accommodate his massive frame.

The stage was set.

All the key players were present.

With the 4 settled into the room, the meeting began.

"It's been quite some time since us 4 have been in the same room."

Vladimir turned towards the roundtable, his hand tightening around his cup.

He raised it in a gesture that was more command than toast while his gaze swept over the others with a careful eye.

The one who had called this meeting was him.

"Vlaaa...daaa...mir! the meeting... todayyy... is it time?!"

Cyran's eyes widened, a manic grin splitting his face as he looked towards Vladimir.

But the leader remained unmoved.

"No. But I've brought you all here once more on the topic of the towers."

"So, it must be about selection, right?" Morwen inquired, looking up towards Vladimir.

"Correct."

"Then, I suppose we don't know much about the tower, but there are rumors of unthinkable things existing within it," Morwen said.

"Well, I do hope so. If the towers have items or ingredients worth taking, then it'd require our full attention to attain the perfect body in this living world."

"DOES IT MEAN THAT I CAN FIGHT THE STRONGEST THEN?" Drakon's voice boomed through the room, the air shaking. Vladimir scoffed at him with a tired look.

"The strongest of this world isn't clear yet... of course, as of now, we still have countermeasures for our dear Sorceress that stopped us many years ago."

As Vladimir recalled the events of Quadra's attempt to infiltrate Pinnacle, he remembered that fatal clash between him and Aurelia.

The fight that had been burned into his memory and body... It was a massive scar that zig-zagged across his chest.

"So, we all know about the four towers, but today each one of them has a name." Vladimir grabbed the remote from the round table and turned on the flat-screen TV, revealing a map showcasing the locations of each tower.

"The Tower of Destruction, The Tower of Chaos, The Tower of Evil, and the Tower of Abyss," he declared, his voice echoing in the vast chamber.

Vladimir explained that each tower was said to possess specific traits in accordance with its name. There was no confirmation of whether these were the official names, but the information came from a credible source, purchased at a high price. It had to be true.

As the meeting continued, they discussed which group would enter each tower.

"I'LL BE TAKING THE TOWER OF DESTRUCTION!" Drakon roared, his voice shaking the very foundations of the room.

"Let me go to the Tower of Chaos," Morwen said calmly, a glint in his eye.

"I shallll... takeeee... Evil!" Cyran's disembodied voice chirped, his doll-like vessel emitting a sinister aura.

With the three members having chosen their towers, Vladimir was left with the Tower of Abyss.

"Then that settles it," he said, switching off the flat-screen TV. "You guys can go." With a wave of his hand, he vanished into a swirling pool of blood.

"OPEN—"

SWAM!

Drakon suddenly shouted, but his words were abruptly cut off by a silencing spell cast by Morwen.

"I already know... just leave," Morwen said, his voice a low growl.

whom...

He opened a massive portal leading to another destination, and Drakon, with one last thunderous laugh, leapt through it.

"THANKS, MORWEN!" his voice echoed from the other side, fading into the distance.

The echoing laughter of Drakon faded, leaving only the heavy silence of the vast chamber.

Morwen and Cyran remained, the air thick with unspoken thoughts.

"You knew about the exam, didn't you?" Morwen finally said.

Cyran's doll-like vessel tilted its head, a playful smile painted on its porcelain face.

"I already knewww!" it chirped, its voice a discordant melody.

Morwen rolled his eyes, a gesture of exasperation lost on the inanimate doll.

BZZZZZT!...BZZZZZZT!

Suddenly, his watch vibrated, interrupting the tense silence. It was Bennett.

"—Morwen... is this a good time to call?"

Bennett's voice crackled through the watch's speaker.

"Yeah, we just finished with our meeting. I'll put you on the big screen," Morwen replied, pressing a button on the device.

The flat-screen TV flickered to life and Bennett's anxious face filled the screen.

It was just him and Cyran in the room now, and Bennett seemed relieved to see them.

"Hello, Boss Morwen and Boss Cyran. I hope you guys have been well," Bennett began, his tone clipped and professional. "I'm contacting you regarding the upcoming practical exam for the first-year students at Pinnacle Academy."

Morwen leaned forward, a grin spreading across his face. "What's the situation, Bennett?"

"The exam will be held on a generated island," Bennett explained. "Unfortunately, it's located at a considerable distance, making direct access impossible."

"So how do you propose we proceed?" Morwen's voice echoed through the chamber.

"We need to formulate a plan to acquire one of the students during the exam," Bennett suggested. "Valencia Freya would be ideal, but her security detail is likely to be powerful."

Cyran's lips curled into a faint smile. "Thereee's anotherrrr option!" he said, his gaze fixated on the screen. "Theeee boy with black hairrr and blue eyessss!?"

Cyran projected a photo from his watch onto the screen, revealing an image of Rel Laurence.

Morwen frowned. "That smart kid? I'm not sure that's wise."

"He'd be valueableeee if weee could brainwashhh him," Cyran insisted.

Bennett agreed, "His intelligence and resourcefulness are undeniable. He was the one who defeated Jasper in his demi-human form, after all."

"That kid defeated Jasper all by himself?"

Morwen was incredulous... After all he had personally broken Jasper out of the maximum security prison for that one task.

"Is that true, Cyran?"

Cyran only smiled, and Morwen's eyes widened, knowing it must be true.

As Morwen stood up he tapped a few keys on his watch accessing the latest news feeds.

"It seems Rel Laurence has already been making a name for himself,"

He mused, scrolling through articles about the 'hero of the France Incident'.

"I've also heard rumours that his tournament run was due to luck, but he was also awarded the best single-match individual performance in the semi-finals." Bennett added, contributing to Morwen's quick search.

Morwen's brow furrowed as he noticed the lack of any articles about Rel prior to these events. A realization dawned on him.

"It's possible he's been hiding his true power all along," Morwen concluded, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.

"If he managed to defeat both demi-humans, then his potential might be far greater than we initially thought."

"What do you think, Morwen?"

Cyran's disembodied voice chirped, breaking the momentary silence.

Morwen nodded, "I agree. We should go after him. But Bennett must tread carefully. He may just be an archer, but his hidden strength cannot be underestimated."

"A suitable vessel indeed," Bennett said, "But he's a sneaky kid, with almost no mana or presence."

"He's suppressing it somehow," Morwen deduced, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.

"Which means he has a lot of skills at his disposal to be that powerful."

He paused, his gaze turning towards Bennett on the screen.

"Bennett, the kid might already be too much to handle. We need to weaken him, little by little."

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To Be Continued...

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