Chapter 40.1

 A figure sat on a chair, his features mired in shadows due to the darkness of the room. He puffed out a breath of smoke from his Cuban cigar while looking out a panoramic window. The view was breathtaking; he could see the star spangled space and the curved sea below that merged with it in the sky due to how high he was. Below him were a few scattered clouds and above him was the shattered moon and its field of debris that encircled the earth like a ring.

The embers on the cigar lit his face and his eyes, glowing from the orange light, gleamed as he turned the chair around and watched Katelyn who was waiting behind him. Neither spoke, but Katelyn was clear on why he was looking at her. She felt goosebumps travel up her body when she realized that he was smiling.

"Do you know what happened tonight?" the shadowy figure asked casually but Katelyn remained silent and he shrugged after watching her for a while. "Four bases, a hundred and twenty-seven mercenaries dead. A hundred and twenty-seven . . . dead. In a span of a few hours. A few hours."

The figure stood up from his chair and walked to Katelyn. "All because of your little . . . visit. What? You thought I didn't know? My dear, I've taught you how to manipulate people."

The figure was about to take another step forward when Yu barged in. His clothes were soaked in water, and his disheveled and aggravated look made him appear more miserable.

"You . . ." he glared at the smoking man with barely concealed anger as he raged in Chinese. "You said he was weakened. That he was cornered. You lied!"

"Oh? Mr. Yu, to what exactly are you referring to?" The figure still concealed in shadows asked, a frown evident on his face from his surprised voice.

"I did as you suggested," Yu said, explaining menacingly with his eyes locked on the figure. "I trapped him after he was tired and I beat him senseless. But when I went to deliver the killing blow, he struck back. With Qi. He's a Practitioner! A Master level Practitioner!"

The smoking man looked taken aback and he smoked his cigar instead of replying. After contemplating he turned to a surprised Katelyn. "Were you aware that he was a Practitioner?"

Katelyn shook her head as she felt even more remorse. After training for two years, she herself became a Practitioner at the earth stage Elite level, so she knew very well how strong a Practitioner is. Knowing that Jason was a Practitioner, yet the fact that he never needed to use his abilities as one, proved just how strong he was and just how foolish she was to previously turn to the enemy for help.

"Well well," the man said as he puffed some more smoke. The embers lit his amused face and the lingering smile he had. "What do you know. It appears that he didn't trust you back then either. I almost pity you."

"Who is she?" Yu asked, finally looking at her when he noticed that the smoking man was asking her about Jason.

"His . . . jilted lover," the hidden figure replied with relish as he saw Katelyn gaze warily at Yu. He had intentionally revealed her past to Yu as he was curious what the latter would do to her.

Yu turned to look at Katelyn, his eyes filled with killing intent. He flashed to her position, leaving afterimages in his wake, and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air while choking her. Katelyn fell back to try and dodge but she was effortlessly oppressed by Yu's greater strength.

"I lost all my of sect members, the most talented of them, the core disciples, because of him," Yu said quietly; only he and a handful of masters had managed to escape the missile's blast. Yu's grasp on Katelyn tightened as he thought of his losses. "Tell me . . . if I kill you, will he mourn? Will he feel a fraction of my misery?"

"That's not necessary, Mr, Yu," the figure said as he inhaled another puff from his cigar. "There are better ways to torture someone other than death. Besides, she wants this . . . tool alive."

Yu narrowed his slanted eyes with surprise and his grip spontaneously loosened when he heard what the figure said. The smoking man turned to Katelyn while Yu reluctantly released her.

She . . . wants her? Yu stared at Katelyn while a shudder past through his back. He was well aware of who "She" was and was glad that he didn't act so recklessly right now.

"I think it's time we tell you the truth about Alice," the figure ignored Yu's shock and leaned forward and whispered into Katelyn's ears. Katelyn's face changed into horror as he spoke and she looked at the figure pleadingly.

"Please, don't," Katelyn almost sobbed when he finished and pulled back with a satisfied smile. "You're her -"

"She is nothing but a tool," the figure sneered. He turned away from Katelyn and walked back to the window. "Just like you."

"I won't let you -!" Katelyn said as she pulled her kukris out. She lunged forward to strike the smoking figure. Yu appeared in front of her and struck her at her solar plexus causing her to call to get knees.

"I'd stay down if I were you," the figure said to Katelyn who struggled to her feet. Without responding, Katelyn took a step forward only to be struck down by Yu once more, and the smoking man shrugged. "All right, have it your way. Sage Yu, be so kind as to incapacitate her."

Yu sneered, disliking the figure's attitude but he took a step forward and pummeled Katelyn repeatedly. Only after she was lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, completely unmoving did he stop.

"Take her away and lock her up," the smoking man said and two guards entered and grabbed Katelyn, dragging her unconscious body away. "I want her to watch as Jason, and this city, burns."

"What now?" Yu asked as a conference table, along with chairs, appeared from the ground. He sat down on a chair while a few more figures joined them.

"Accelerant is proceeding as planned," the smoking man answered as he also sat down on a chair. "But it isn't enough to destroy the balance. We need to rile the population even more. Fortunately, I know just the thing to release."