NOVEL NEXT Chapter 197: An Uncanny Hunger
Arc 4, Chapter 197 – An Uncanny Hunger
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Deep, deep, deep in a private space, a familiar man chuckled as he casually waved off all illusions and troubles put in place to stir uninvited visitors away. The man lowered his head, as his peculiar spectacles shone a cool light.
Before him was a simple 2 story house on an empty but vast luxurious space. The gardens, the trees… Everything here was beneficial to people of their kind, and far more precious and scarce than one can possibly imagine. There were also scrapes of junk and other metal pieces that look like they were dropped from meteors—thus, the craters scattered around.
Fufufufufuf~
The man was in a good mood. And if anyone looked closer, they would be able to see a trace of warmth flicker too fast to catch.
"My dear disciple… Is this anyway to treat ya old man?"
The wind rustled softly, and for a moment, it seemed the man had gone looney and was talking to himself. However, seconds later, the door of the simple building slowly opened, and out came a figure many revered within the Order… as well as out in the Blood Line.
The figure looked quite ghostly, with black flowy hair that could make everyone swear she was here to hunt those who set sights on her.
"My dear and only disciple, it's been a while." Looking at the figure that emerged, the man vanished into thin air, reappearing beside the woman and observing her left, right, up, down, and center. "You are just too bad… What happened to writing and giving this old man a call on your shell phone sometime?"
"Apologies, Master," The woman replied respectfully, with obvious reverence and an expression that would make those who knew her think she was a clone of her usual self or something… Only her Master could bring out such an expression on the lady's face.
Rika Serbatost—Head of Department 7, Weapon Research and Shard Care.
They called her the mad scientist, a mad hatter if one would. Because whenever she experiments with any humans… Well, let's just say the outcome would leave one too scared for one lifetime.
Rika always had a faint smile on her lips. And her smile could only increase slightly depending on how much she liked your company. Even when around Villeta and the little girl Sayoko, her smile was within reasonable measures. Yet the man before her made her fluster.
"Master, I didn't know you were coming. If not, I would have given you a proper welcome."
"Now, now," Notchra waved his hands teasingly, while rearranging his glasses, as if taking another closer look at her. "Disciple, after all this time, I see you're still as flat-chested as ever."
"_" Rika's ghostly appearance turned so red it looked like someone had placed her under a sauna. Well, she was helpless, letting out a slight cough to mask her embarrassment. "Master, please be serious. You are a Holy Father of the Church, after all…." With that, she led Notchra into her little home.
Although it looked like a simple 2-bedroom house from the surface, she had an expensive underground platform for experimentation and research of all sorts. And sometimes, she liked carrying research outdoors, hence the many craters of metal blocks and structures scattered around her premises.
After taking Notchra to a spare bedroom, Rika watched him jump up and down the bed like a little kid. She was in no rush, slowly making her way to a chair beside a table. And after allowing her buttocks to warm the seat for a bit, her expression was subtle.
"Ho, ho… getting serious with your master, now, are we?" Notchra's grin now slithered across his face like a blade eager to taste blood. There was a hint of laughter in that grin, but none that resemble what many would consider human.
"Master," Rika began. "You are one the highest ranking Holy Father's of the church, and top Lead Researcher of all Shard related matters. To put simply, it's not a simple matter for you to get sent out for any mission… "
In conclusion, why was he here, in her turf? Is there danger heading the Order's way?
Don't blame her for thinking negatively. Strong men don't just go out for flimsy reasons. So if you are a person like Notchra somewhere, it is like seeing a grim reaper passing absolute judgment.
In other words, when you see Notchra, the world bends for him, and your fate will most definitely be sealed. Reality fractured beneath his will, only hinting at the power a single human like him bears.
Fufufufu~
Notchra chuckled darkly. "My, my~... Look at you getting all defensive of your little home. But not to worry, little Rika. It's not as drastic as you think. Even I don't believe the church would send me all the way here just to re-access a little brat…"
However, since his prey's shard ability was the first of its kind in the history of the Order, it was indeed fitting for the church to send the best of the best to reassess the matter.
Oh?
Rika raised a brow, seemingly grasping the nature of her master's mission this time around. "So it's him, huh?"
"Little disciple, you've met that kid?"
"Hmm…" Rika nodded. "Levon Belmont… a peculiar specimen."
A specimen that had Villeta and a few others wrapped around with interest. She had to admit that after the last Phase 1 competitions, she had the urge to kidnap the boy and do a few experiments on his sharded abilities… Unfortunately., she promised her Dear friend Villeta that she wouldn't be touching the boy any time soon.
Pity…
Rika licked her lips with a strange hunger. It was a shame to let such a fine specimen go. But what else could she do?
Heh-heh-heh-heh~
Notchra was amused by his disciple's expression. It was a shame that he missed out on the Phase 1 battle that made his disciple show such an uncanny look… Nevertheless, he had all the time now to observe the boy's abilities up close, no?
A strange light flickered through Notchra's pupils.
3 days…
In 3 days, he will observe and access to his satisfaction.