Dungeons Online - Chapter 146

“You really are working fast,” Cleo said with a moan, entering Marvin’s workroom. “I didn’t expect you to kick up the fuss so quickly,” she added, falling on top of a sofa.

“We don’t have any time to waste,” Marvin replied, shaking his head. “Every single day, we are losing a quarter of a percent of our assets, and the situation is only going to get worse,” he added before sighing deeply. “The sooner we get this mess out of the way, the better.”

“Still,” Cleo brought her knees up, resting her head on top of them. “I wonder what Tom will say once he sees all the mess we are creating,” she muttered, squinting her eyes as she delved deep into her inner world.

“It all started because he just couldn’t let his obsession go,” Marvin commented offhandedly, constantly scrolling through the feed on his tablet.

“Are you saying it’s his fault?!” Cleo instantly brought her head up, sending Marvin a furious look. “Don’t you realize that everything started to move rapidly after your accident?” she asked, once again squinting her eyes, although for a different reason now.

“Now, now,” Marvin attempted to placate his sister. “I’m not saying that what happened and what’s going on are his faults,” he said before releasing a deep sigh. “It’s just that… How many years has it been since the leader left?” he asked.

“If I recall… Nine years?” Cleo replied after making a quick count. “Still, if our father were to disappear like that, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to find him?” she asked, turning her head sideways.

Marvin sighed.

“Yeah, I would do everything in my power to bring him back, save him if he were to be in trouble or to take vengeance on those who would potentially bring him harm,” he admitted before releasing yet another sigh. “Although I cannot imagine anyone capable enough to make him disappear in the first place.”

For a moment, the room turned completely silent, with both siblings thinking about their own stuff.

Suddenly, a window popped out on Marvin’s tablet. But what was even more important, it triggered a small alarm sound, forcing Cleo’s brother’s attention back to the screen.

“It’s starting,” he said, swiping a finger on his tablet to send the feed to one of the many screens mounted all over the place.

“As you are watching us, we are witnessing one of the greatest acts of bullying that our town ever witnessed!” A young female reporter spoke to the microphone while looking directly into the camera.

“Just a moment ago, we got hold of the information that shed some light on the handover that’s about to take place just behind my back. This might come as a shock to all of you, dear viewers, but what was supposed to be a signing of a trade deal between the city and one of its major, supporting families turned out to be something entirely else!”

The reporter continued her job, making sure to play not only with her words but also her face and the entire body.

With every fiber of her being, she transmitted just how disgusted and terrified at the same time she was.

“She’s good,” Cleo commented before taking a quick glance at her brother. “But I can vaguely recall her face. Didn’t you two…”

“Yeah,” Marvin nodded his head, “I fucked her back at the college. She is one of the rising news stars from the north district,” he added as a mysterious smile grew up on his lips. “I just cashed in one of the favors from the past. It was cheaper and less risky than involving any of the media outlets that we control,” he added.

“Right, it’s better to get your fuckbuddy to do the dirty work rather than using companies that could be traced back to us,” Cleo said, her words implying scorn, yet her face actually filled with pride and content.

“Dear viewers, I would advise you to hold on to your seats, as what I’m about to reveal might shock you!” The woman announced from the screen. “The ceremony that takes place right as I’m making this report is not what we all were told it is. It’s actually the greatest act of submission, and a definitive plead for peace for a family that was ostracized and unlawfully pressed by the very politicians you can see shaking hands with said family on the other channels!”

“Woah, she really is good,” Cleo said as her eyes widened a little. She then jumped down from the sofa and turned on another monitor, quickly opening up the feed from the local station.

In there, it wasn’t the groundbreaking report that aired but the live feed of the ceremony that Marvin orchestrated overnight.

“Isn’t this the guy…” she muttered, closing her eyes in an attempt to recall one of her memories. “Yes, this is the fucker that Hub used to press us yesterday!” she exclaimed, pointing her finger at the screen.

“Shush,” Marvin silenced his sister, not even bothering to look at the other screen. “I know. In a sense, what she is speaking are my words,” he added, a hint of pride clearly noticeable in his voice.

“All the major media outlets hope that you will stare right at the ceremony only to direct your attention to the line of trucks with equipment that can be used by our local hospital. But listen to me, this is nothing but a distraction, a kind gesture of the bully allowing their victim to save face!” Marvin’s former lover almost screamed out to the camera. “While we are talking, the very truck that you can see at the end of the procession is carrying nothing else but…”

The feed was cut. The camera went down, replacing the side-way view at the ceremony with nothing but blackness.

“Was that planned?” Cleo asked.

“Obviously… not,” Marvin replied with a small smirk forming on his face. “Just watch… Oh, and don’t mind the booms,” he added before turning his eyes towards the town-oriented window of the room.

For a few moments, nothing happened. And then, just like Marvin orchestrated, a massive explosion shook the town!

Even at Tom’s estate, the shockwave wreaked havoc… Or rather, it would, if this shabby-looking building wasn’t made with military-grade materials, to begin with. In a sense, what looked like a run-down farm, was no worse than a bunker from the peak years of the great war.

Soon, the wave of condensed air passed by.

“Was that planned too?” Cleo asked, gathering herself from the floor.

“Not at all,” Marvin replied grimly, kicking away the remains of his broken chair. The look on his face revealed just how furious he was. “Still, we cannot monitor the situation anymore,” he added, pointing his hand at the broken monitors all over the place.

While the building was shock-resistant, the glass in its windows was not. In the end, not even the bulletproof glass could withstand the shock of an explosion that was observable from so far away!

“That means the upper families got involved,” Cleo summed the situation up, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. “Still, that girl of yours…” she muttered, only to cease speaking half-sentence.

“Yeah, she is likely dead,” Marvin replied, shrugging his arms.

There was no use crying over spilled milk.

“How cold,” Cleo commented as a wry smile appeared on her face. “With how things are right now, Tom definitely is not going to be happy once he returns,” she added.

“Yeah, I’m not,” Tom confirmed her guess, randomly appearing in the doorway.

“See?” Cleo said before freezing in place. She then slowly turned around, only to see an unkept version of her childhood friend.

Tom’s face was scarred, or rather, his wounds have yet to cover in scab.

“You are back!” she shouted the amount of relief and happiness in her voice comparable to the energy of the explosion that just turned the entire area into a wreck. She rushed forward in an attempt to grab Tom in her arms, only to stop when she noticed his feeble state. “What happened?” she asked, raising her fingertips to the long cut that went from his left temple all the way to his nose.

“A tough boss,” Tom replied, immersing himself in the memory of the recent events. “But I think I should be the one asking what happened… That is if we had the time for that,” he added, looking at the broken windows of the building.

“What do you mean?” Marvin asked, saving all the sentiments for later. “We just made sure the Online Hub will get off our back!” he added, clearly dissatisfied with Tom’s words which he took pretty seriously.

“It doesn’t matter,” Tom replied before cleaning the blood from his face. “I confirmed it. There is actually a world on the other side of the dungeon,” he added before dragging in a bloodied bag that he previously left behind the doors.

“Here, have everyone in the family take and consume at least two of those stones,” Tom said before suddenly grinning. “We are going to migrate to another world!”