Shadow Blood and Fire

"Fuck! I was out there taking a leak, and I saw this damn hot bitch." The middle-aged man collapsed into the sofa and poured himself a glass of wine.

"I thought to myself, "hey, what a piece of nice young meat," so I went for it. I was just going to say hi and what not, but guess what? She slapped me in the face! And then her pretty boy came over and kicked me hard. That prick told me his name was Dennis Prager, never heard of him before."

"Dennis Prager? Isn't he with that group of youngsters in the Queen's Hall?" A lady with a voluptuous, seductive aura wearing a crop top that revealed too much skin, covered with pink tattoos depicting a pink forest, interjected. The tattoos continued to move all over her as she massaged the man, placing his head on her bosom with a delicate touch, as if a slightly stronger touch would break him. If any other staff were here, they would easily recognize her as the most famous and sought-after CEO, Samantha Ausoporia. In the past, she went to many lengths of moral compromise just to keep the firm afloat, but since she met Vulcan, things were different. She fell in love with him, even though he just treated her as a plaything and a business partner.

"Yeah, that sounds right. He said he was in the Queen's Hall. He's full of himself, that one," the fat man ranted.

Vulcan furrowed his brows and looked at the lady sitting next to him. "Do you know him?"

"I know of him. He used to be one of the regulars. His dad had a small factory, owns a few dozen million in assets," Samantha replied, crossing her long legs and puffing a cloud of smoke from her custom-made cigarette, crafted from the scale of a rare basic-tier beast that produced a gas that makes you high.

The man still resting on Samantha's bosom stirred. He was a handsome man with Persian looks and complexion, with timber-layered hair that was bizarrely curly at the top. He looked like a typical businessman except for the scars on his face running through both eyes in a straight line. The one running through his left eye was an obvious scar, and the one running through his right eye was an obvious tattoo.

Vulcan Tanheln pondered for a moment and then said with a half-smile, "Bring him to me."

When Oliver Garth and his friends made it to the Imperial Hall, They were astonished by Vulcan Tanheln's impressive entourage. There was an imperious demeanor in this man that suggested that he was a force to be reckoned with. That being said, almost everyone with Oliver Garth came from a powerful and wealthy family, so they were slightly unfazed by the man's overbearing stare.

Everyone gulped as they noticed the CEO standing obediently behind Vulcan. She wore a blue revealing top barely holding her bosom from spilling out and a black glossy skirt that did little to cover her bountiful thighs. Her milky skin was almost completely exposed. It was obvious why Samantha had been tagged as a succubus; seeing her in magazines was entirely different from seeing her in person. She was someone as rich as Oliver Garth's father, if not richer. The panther-like beast beside her gave off a suffocating aura. With the nullification crystal suppressing their abilities, there was nothing much they could do.

Eli was staring for a whole different reason. The man's face was familiar; he was the infamous Vulcan Tanheln, known by most in the lower plane. He was not surprised that the rest of the group could not identify him because, although Ember Estate is also a lower plane, the estate has developed more than the rest of the lower plane, earning it the nickname "High Grade Lower Plane." Information about Vulcan Tanheln couldn't have reached Ember Estate.

Vulcan Tanheln is a Metallo who helped a public figure from an ancient family campaign for the post of Head of Hutton District. The campaign was a massacre of millions, misdirected as part of the opposition party's lack of employing better security but using the money on vacation homes. The public figure finally claimed the seat as Head of Hutton District, but some hidden satellite had caught these proceedings. The opposition party tried to sue in a law court but first consulted a highly valued practitioner who made it clear the attempt was futile. The judges believed the information could be manipulated, and the satellite footage was recorded from the wrong space, clear signs of monitoring. They tried to spread the information in the higher plane, but it was completely obstructed. They had no choice but to share it in the lower plane in a bid to gather public opinion and cause an uproar. In the end, the information could only hold for five minutes before being forcefully taken down, but it was enough to let the majority of the lower plane know. However, a lower plane could hardly do much even with public opinion. The public figure that became the Head of Hutton District was none other than that old man, Earl Adenea.

"Inspect."

[Name: Vulcan Tanheln]

[Ability: Metal Manipulation]

[Advanced Battle Arts: Magnitum (C rank)]

[Stage: Introductory (Ninth Level)]

[Level 5]

[Strength:??]

[Agility:??]

[Stamina:??]

[Skills:?????]

[HP: 1500 (+300 Mid Grade force field)]

Eli moved his eyes to the panther-like beast. "Inspect."

[Name: Gradul]

[Intermidiate Tier Beast]

[Level 3]

[Class: Speed Blitz]

[Skill: Sonic Bite]

[Speed: 50]

[Strength: 20]

[Defense: 50]

[HP: 20000]

 The beast continued to release its suffocating aura. Compared to the Umbrathorn that had almost killed him, this beast was still a child.

As soon as Samantha spotted the group, she flashed a seductive smile, causing all the boys to gulp, much to the girls' displeasure. Although most of them were in the same boat, gulping one after the other, Samantha usually would have giggled at such a sight. But the red-haired teenager remained unaffected, staring with an expressionless face. For some reason, Samantha felt an urge to conquer him and see an expression plastered on his face. Vulcan noticed him, as did the guards, because he stood out. While the others were fidgety, he looked bored. The guards snickered, thinking whatever trump card he had would be useless against their boss.

"Mister, I have heard that you are looking for my brother Dennis Prager?" Oliver Garth said, trying to remain calm.

"Yes, but who are you?" Vulcan Tanheln was amused by the group of children playing adults.

"My name is Oliver Garth. My dad is Helsinki of the Garth Grand Hotel. You have my sincere apologies if my friends offended you earlier."

"Helsinki Garth?" Vulcan Tanheln snorted. "Even your dad would have to bow to me if he were here. So why should I forgive you?"

"You are?" Oliver Garth's face paled.

"Why didn't you ask who I am when your friend beat up my guest?" Vulcan Tanheln sneered.

Oliver Garth's friends were playboys and valley girls who had never experienced the grittiness of life. They were sons and daughters of businessmen who had to bow to Vulcan Tanheln just to make a living.

Oliver Garth swallowed hard and looked at his friends around him; to his dismay, he saw only fear in their eyes. When he heard the name 'Vulcan Tanheln,' he knew it wouldn't end well for him if he didn't tread carefully from here on. He had heard of the name before, and what he had heard frightened him right now. None of his friends stood up with him, so he had to carry on alone.

"Mister Vulcan, I am sorry for what my brother did to your guest. I sincerely apologize."

"Fine, I have met your father a couple of times, so I will let the matter rest," Vulcan Tanheln said with a sly smile. Before a smile broke over Oliver Garth's face, Vulcan Tanheln added, "I can let you leave, but those two hotties will have to stay."