A ‘Friendly’ Meeting

"Lord Dullip Garobu?"

"Why don't you start speaking before I slit your throat?" Dullip wasn't patient, exhibiting copious amount of killing intent that congealed into a primal beast that sought to destroy Menl.

His subordinates, Norda and Yakone had been killed brutally. There were traces of Fear in his hideout, meaning a Shaman was involved in it. Therefore, he intended to wipe out all the Shamans that had taken refuge in the city.

He was someone that valued his subordinates, and hence, their deaths triggered him.

"I was sent here by Iota," Menl said in a hurry, unwilling to die a dog's death this early into the game.

"Iota?" Dullip frowned and retracted his killing intent, "Speak, how do you know this name?"

"I'm his subordinate." Menl raised his hands in surrender, expressing that he didn't wish to fight as he said, "Currently, sir Iota has been placed under a hitlist by Lord Keyn Garobu. Everyone from the Sect has been mobilised for the cause. He's currently on the run and wishes to meet with you."

'Considering how he escaped, it seems there's more to his powers.' Dullip thought, 'No, only I was privy to the details regarding his power. Even Norda and Yakone didn't know much. Norda had been sleeping when killed while Yakone had gone off somewhere and returned to the hideout to die. So, even Ray Tracing wouldn't have revealed any of Iota's details to the Shaman that attacked them.'

He considered the traces of conflict observed in his hideout before glaring at Menl, "Is there a Shaman in the Sect that's capable of performing charm abilities?"

"There's one," Menl stated in a hurry, "She goes by the name of Nedy. My Lord, I don't know anything else about her since I haven't seen her. You know we Shamans aren't permitted to meet others of our kind."

"Fine, leave that be for the time being." Dullip looked around as he unleashed a pulse of Faith before glaring at Menl, "Lead me to him."

"My Lord, wouldn't it be dangerous if I were seen beside you?" Menl asked in a hurry, "Sir Iota is hiding in a pipeline located close to the harbour. It's the one carrying the cotton factory's exhaust."

"Fine, you take the lead. I'll be tailing you from a certain distance away." Dullip said and patted Menl, urging him to go ahead.

Yelp!

Menl flinched in pain as even a mere contact with Dullip Garobu caused his Fear to be shaved to the minimum, causing him to feel sick immediately, 'Dammit, what a monster! Merely being in his presence is almost killing me. Can he wield the full extent of a Spirit's power?'

He controlled his urge to kneel as he hurriedly jumped into his boat and began to paddle it in a hurry. As he sped away, Dullip Garobu tailed him, separated by a distance of two kilometres.

He turned around during a straight stretch and was shocked at the distance, 'He can detect me from so far away? Is he just a Spirit?'

'Man, what a monster!' This thought resounded loud and clear in his mind as Menl didn't dare resist Dullip's orders, no matter what they might be. Fear gripped his mental state firmly.

Fear was a double-edged sword as a power source. An entity employing Fear could cause others to feel fear towards them and be empowered in response. But at the same time, if they encounter someone that terrified them, they would become helpless towards fear.

It would prevent them from ever going against that entity ever again, as long as they treaded the Fear Path.

Faith Path was a lot more stable in this regard, though it was also harder to tread and grow within.

Soon, Menl arrived at the river that flowed through Garobu City, arriving in the vicinity of the harbour. He jumped into the water and swam towards the pipeline carrying the cotton factory's exhaust, hurriedly scaling it up until he reached its end, confused for Iota wasn't there anymore, "Sir? Sir, where are you?"

In the meantime, a boat came to a halt beside a large fishing boat as Dullip Garobu peered inside, staring at the figure of Royl disguised as a fisherman. "What are you doing here?"

"L-L-Lord D-Dullip Garobu?" Royl lost control of his vocal cords in a fluster upon staring at the figure of Dullip arriving beside the fishing boat. But a moment later, he gawked in surprise, only now noticing that Dullip's attention wasn't focused on him, but on the small water tank on the fishing boat.

"Your senses are impeccable, my friend." A figure exited the water tank that was filled to the brim with fish, wearing an impromptu gas mask while donning a dress that seemed to have been created using fish skin.

"How did you escape?" Dullip landed on the fishing boat and approached Iota, able to sense the other party despite his disguise.

"You're amazing, you know what?" Iota said in praise, "I've perfectly masked my scent. Look, even that Nasp in the Shaman's hands hasn't reacted to me. It's trained to my scent, you know?"

"Were you related to the death of my subordinates?" Dullip didn't allow his train of thought to be led astray by Iota like usual as he stared, barely able to rein in his killing intent.

"Their deaths are collateral," Iota nodded, "From what I figured out, every Shaman in the Sect has been mobilised to claim my life. Yakone was compromised, so I had to escape."

"How did you realise that?" Dullip calmly stared at Iota, not expressing even an iota of emotion.

"I never forget anything, if you hadn't figured that out by now. I know Yakone's behaviour pattern by heart, since that guy idolises you. So, he's never late." Iota said, watching Dullip nod in response, "So, I knew that something was amiss."

"But, one thing doesn't add up." Dullip interrupted his speech and spoke sharply, "I inspected the chains binding you. They don't even have a scratch on them, as if someone unlocked them with the key. Also,"

He slowly extended his hand and condensed his sickle, causing its bladed end to curl around Iota's neck, "Norda's body was shrivelled up, unlike Yakone's. There were dozens of pin-sized holes on his body, as if stabbed by your tool."

He stared at the calm-faced Iota as his eyes turned bloodshot, "Were you related to that?"

"Yep," Iota flashed a thumbs up, "You're right on the money."