NOVEL NEXT Chapter 412: The Meeting [1]
The air was thick with tension, and for a full minute, only the rustling of wind echoed in the surrounding area.
Bridget stood between Boris and Amos, her sharp eyes darting between the two men. Her usually composed expression was filled with confusion.
'Why is Amos fighting Boris?' she thought with a frown on her face. "I sent him to retrieve Nox, not start a war in front of a dimensional rift."
Her gaze flicked to Amos, who stood a few paces away, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable. The faint crackle of black lightning still danced around his fingertips.
Bridget's lips pressed into a thin line. 'This doesn't make sense. Amos isn't one to act recklessly—not without a reason.'
Nearby, Nathan stepped forward. He recognized Boris immediately—the guild master was an old friend, someone he had fought alongside in the past. Nathan's sharp eyes scanned the scene, taking in the shattered cobblestones, the scorch marks, and the lingering energy in the air.
Boris was not one to pick a fight unless it was absolutely necessary. For him to have a fallout with this person, something must've triggered him.
Nathan turned to Boris and asked in a firm and calm voice, "What's the meaning of this, old man?"
Boris sighed, sheathing his massive sword with a metallic shing.
"It's not like I wanted this," Boris said in an annoyed, gruff voice.
"Amos here decided to ignore guild protocols. He tried to force his way into the dimensional rift. You know the rules, Nathan. No unauthorized personnel are allowed near active rifts, let alone inside them."
Nathan's brow furrowed. He glanced at Amos, who was now leaning casually against a nearby wall, his expression unbothered. Bridget leaned forward to him and whispered in his ear, telling him who Amos was.
"Is that true?" Nathan asked with a frown on his face. "You know the rules as well as anyone. What were you thinking?"
Amos shrugged nonchalantly, his lips curling into a faint smirk.
"Rules are rules, but sometimes they need to be bent. Someone very important to me is inside that rift. I wasn't about to sit back and wait for permission."
Bridget's eyes narrowed. "Someone very important to you?" she repeated, her voice tinged with skepticism. "You didn't mention anything about this when I sent you to retrieve Nox. What's really going on, Amos? Could it be that the person inside this dimensional rift is Nox?"
Amos's smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression. He pushed off the wall and took a step forward, his black lightning flickering faintly around him. "Look, I don't have time to explain everything. All you need to know is that someone important to me is in there, and I wasn't going to let bureaucracy stand in my way."
Bridget was slightly taken aback by Amos's attitude; he wasn't usually like this. He always spoke calmly, with respect and an air of careful restraint. Little did she know that Amos had merely been living under a facade all this while.
Just like all demonkind, he was prideful and arrogant by nature.
The reason he was even showing this attitude now was because he had already made up his mind to leave the Vermilion Kingdom and continue his search elsewhere.
Yes, over the past years, with his wealth, he had made a lot of contacts, and they had been scouting the entire kingdom for the Hound, yet there was no sign of his existence.
If the person inside was truly the leader of the False Hope Church, then he would force his way through—even if he had to burn this place to the ground.
Of course, he could simply wait for his master to step out, but because of how long he had been searching, patience was no longer a luxury he could afford.
Seeing that Amos didn't look like someone who would back down anytime soon, Boris snorted, his arms crossing over his chest.
"This guy is a lost case. He's clearly not backing down anytime soon." Boris took a step forward. "If this is how he wants to play, then I might stop holding back."
Amos's eyes narrowed slightly. "You were holding back all this while?" His voice carried a hint of irritation, though his expression remained unreadable. He glanced toward the rift, as if debating his next move.
The air between the three of them grew thick with unspoken tension.
Then, Amos scoffed. Without another word, he took a step forward, disregarding everyone around him.
Before he could take another step, Bridget moved.
"Amos!" she called, her purple eyes narrowing like a predator locking onto prey. "Step—"
Before she could finish, the air around the rift rippled violently. The portal shimmered, distorting like a mirage before their eyes. A heavy, unnatural energy pulsed outward, making the ground tremble.
The three of them turned just in time to see three figures stepping through the portal.
Leading them was a figure clad in a hideous mask.
The masked man emerged with a confident stride, exuding an aura of absolute dominance. If one could see beneath his mask, they would have noticed the satisfied smile on his lips, as if he had just achieved his greatest goal.
Behind him trailed two others—a man and a woman. Their faces were tense, their eyes darting around nervously as if expecting an ambush.
Then—
Amos's entire body froze.
His eyes locked onto the masked figure, and in that instant, a tidal wave of emotions crashed over him. Shock. Excitement. Relief.
His breathing hitched. His hands trembled. And then—
A single tear slipped down his cheek.
Boris, Nathan, and Bridget watched in stunned silence.
Then another tear fell.
Then another.
Amos… was crying.
The proud, arrogant demon stood before them, his entire being trembling—not with fear, but with overwhelming emotion.
Then, his lips parted.
"It's… it's truly him…!"
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His voice cracked, raw and filled with disbelief. And then, like a man who had just discovered salvation, he let out a booming cry—
"After all these years… I've finally found you, my liege!"
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Author's Note:
Thanks to all those who support Supreme BeastTamer with your valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones! I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I'm currently feeling very sick, but I'll do my best to upload another chapter. If I can't meet the schedule, then it means my condition got worse.