Voyage of Mysteries

Chapter Four: Impossible Mission

Chapter Four: Impossible mission

The next day, after bidding his family farewell, Walter dashed out of the house for the Arcane Safety Department. He was very curious about the outcome of Wilfred's report the the head, whether it had garnered any mission for Unit 005. He was so desperate to partake in the mission so as to get the chance to vent his anger and have his revenge on the Array two, Enchanter of the Occultism School. And this was none other than Castor. Since Walter knew Castor's Array, he had chosen to call him by his Array name rather than by his real name.

As usual, before leaving the house, he promised Amber pizza and ice cream. He saw the grumpy look on Jane's face but was too hasty to do anything about it. It was not like he could do anything by the way. Jane's anger had always been quenched by herself alone—he had never been able to appease her.

He walked out of Dark Alley and arrived at a bus stop in Winter Street. Winter Street was a street close to Dark Alley and was known to be one of the busiest in South Suburb just as Lurchester Street. The people here were very cold and always stared at each other with suspicion. Hence, it garnered the name Winter Street—a street of cold behaviours.

Sigh...Walter sighed, standing at the sidewalk, waiting for a bus. He tugged at his black shirt before putting his hand in his trouser pockets.

A young woman came to stand beside him, waiting for a bus as well. She was tan with large eyes and protruding lips. Her body was engulfed by a large red dress which seemed too big to be her size. Her right hand was holding a red purse while her left hand clasped the chain which was cuffed to the fetter around a white German Shepherd's neck.

Walter turned to look at the woman and was about to greet her when she shot him a suspicious look.

Huh? Even for an Arcane Guard? Walter was speechless and gave up greeting her. He was about to tell her how nice and large looking her eyes and lips were but thought otherwise. A gentleman like him should avoid insulting people, more especially women.

Wu! Wu! Wu!

The angry blare of a horn filled the atmosphere, almost causing Walter to cover his ears. Buses around here pretty had loud horns. He wondered what the sorcerers from the School Of Alchemy were doing and why they had not adjusted the horns of these buses.

The hulky bus came to halt beside them, hissing noisily as the left door facing them slid open.

Walter could see a crowd of people already standing in the bus, so he knew there was no space for him to sit. It was always like this. MythVille was overcrowded with people. Even animals were inclusive as the woods in MythVille were not spare by the high population of animals.

The woman beside him rushed into the bus as if she was an olympic runner. Walter resisted the urge to grin at the woman and walked into the bus as well, the door slamming shut.

The passengers turned their heads to look at the new passenger, their eyes scanning him from head to toe. Then they returned their different worlds, engrossed in whatever they were doing.

They can't even acknowledge an Array two, Thaumaturge, Walter sighed. This was truly Winter Street.

The bus drove for several minutes, stopping at different bus stops to drop and pick up passengers.

After another thirty minutes, the bus stopped at a bus stop in Lurchester Street.

Wu! Wu! Wu!

The horn blared, jolting everyone from their worlds. Anyone that was alighting should do so fast.

Walter took out a one dollar note and paid the driver before alighting the bus. He checked the black wristwatch on his left wrist. 7:30am.

Walter resisted the temptation to use the Teleport spell and had to walk through another crowd of people, heading for the Arcane Safety Department which was another ten-minute walk from here.

After walking for ten minutes, he arrived at the Arcane Safety Department. It was a large building with twenty floors.

"Sigh..." Walter sighed, coming to stop at the front of the electronic door at the first floor. He was still nervous about the result of Wilfred submitting the report. He wished that the mission be issued to his team.

Then he took a step, the door opening by itself for him. He entered into the building, the door closing behind him.

~

"What's holding him?" Wilfred asked, his face wearing a grim expression.

The other Arcane Guards of the Evil Annihilation team were tired of waiting as well. The five Arcane Guards who were off duty the previous day were all here today, making the total number seven people aside from the team leader.

"Maybe it's his wife," David replied with a sigh. It was meant to be a joke, too.

The others broke into a laugh, finding it very funny. It was no longer news for Walter to break into arguments with his wife before coming to work almost everyday.

Wilfred shot them a scowl and they all kept shut. In a couple of seconds, they were back to wearing grim faces. They didn't even look like the people who had been laughing just now.

"He knows very well that today would be the day the mission would be issued and yet he came late," Wilfred frowned. He felt it it was any day for Arcane Guards to come early, it was the day of issuing missions! That was also the day valuable information would be shared among the Arcane Guards.

"Maybe he's still feeling bad about Mac's death," David said, his beautiful eyes staring at Wilfred.

All of them became solemn at the mention of Mac. He was one of those promising Arcane in the Arcane Safety Department—one of those talented Arcane Guards. But he had died just like that—he had died in a mission which everyone underestimated.

Wilfred who normally had the air of a boss in him could not help but sigh. He felt bad for Walter. If there was anyone close to Mac, it was him. They were best friends and it was said they had grown up together as kids, had attended the same School Of Thaumaturgy and had been in the same class. It was a bad thing losing a friend but it was worse losing one who you grew up with—one who was very formidable.

Wilfred found his voice after some time, "I understand how he feels. But then, all of us feel the same way..."

Ding!

The elevator dinged and then the door slid open, revealing Walter standing in it with a calm expression.

Seeing his expression, all the Arcane Guards were puzzled. He was looking very calm as if he was not bothered about Mac's death or Mac had died several years ago. This was unlike Walter.

Even Wilfred who had being with Walter for the past two months was puzzled as well. But then, he knew Walter was just being bright at the outside when it was very dim inside.

Walter walked out of the elevator, the door closing behind him. He walked towards the others and greeted Wilfred first before greeting the other Arcane Guards present. Then he took his seat beside David, folding his arms to his chest. All he wanted to hear was about the mission.

Seeing his face, Wilfred who wanted to ask him why he came late decided not to do so. For someone as young and promising as Walter, he was going through a lot presently. He had to let him be.

Wilfred cleared his throat, "The news isn't a new thing anymore as it has been publicized among the other Arcane Safety Department teams."

Walter's eyes stared at Wilfred, not moving for once. Although he appeared to be listening intently, he was actually lost in his own thoughts. He could hear what Wilfred was saying but he was not listening.

"We all know Mac was killed by Castor, a spy sent from the Hall Of Corruption," Wilfred continued. "Everyone knows this organization which was created five thousand years ago. After submitting the report to the Arcane Safety Department head, I was given a very valuable information about this Castor and the organization as well. Although this information doesn't contain everything about the Hall Of Corruption, it's still valuable."

The others listened intently. Even Walter who was lost in an ocean of thoughts was jolted into reality. This was what he had wanted to hear.

Wilfred continued, "This organization is an evil organization in control of a school of Black form magic otherwise known as the School Of Occultism."

"Huh?" Everyone was shocked. They had thought Hall Of Corruption had control over the three schools of Black form magic. They had expected it to be like Hands Of Arcane which had control over five schools of magic, three of White form magic and two of Science form magic.

"Hehe," Wilfred faked a short laughter. "I actually had the same thoughts as you do. I'm even surprised at how powerful it was five thousand years ago. Just with one school, this organization had battled other sorcerers from the five schools for two thousand years. If they were in control of the other two schools, it would have lasted longer than that."

Wilfred paused and looked at the faces of the eight Arcane Guards, studying their expressions. Their faces were either grim or calm.

Wilfred continued, "This evil organization worship a Deity called the Evil Eye. It's suspected to be the Deity who corrupts them and fill them with malicious intent."

Wilfred was not afraid to mention the name of the Deity as it would have no effect because he used English. The Ancient tongue, which was used to cast spells, was the one which would have garnered the attention of the Deity if he had used the language. This language was the oldest language and was believed to have been spoken by Adam, the first man on Earth. This language was able to stir the forces of the supernatural.

"This Deity, what's her domain?" Walter finally spoke. The Deity whom the Southern Continent worshipped was called Hellenes. She presided over all supernatural forces and was considered the source of all magical and supernatural powers in the whole infinite cosmos. She was also the one who had created the cosmos and was considered the Supreme Deity of the whole cosmos. Aside her, other Deities in the Cosmos were just inferior to her and the ones who were as powerful as her were blocked out of the Cosmos by her magical powers.

"Hehe!" Wilfred laughed. "I don't know how you all would feel after hearing this."

"We'll be okay," Walter replied on behalf of the team members. I'm pretty okay after Mac died, Walter sighed. What would Wilfred say that would shock him?

"Sigh..." Wilfred sighed. "This Deity is the Evil Persona of our Goddess."

"..."

The others were momentarily at loss. They hadn't expected this answer. They had actually thought this Deity was another Deity who had actually been able to penetrate the Goddess's magical barrier and have a level of influence over the Northern Continent. They never expected that this same Deity was the same as the Goddess, only that She was an Evil Persona. This was really too much for them to take! They wanted to beg Wilfred to stop telling them more information but couldn't bring themselves to say so.

"She's the Goddess of all Evil Forces—the origin of Evil," Wilfred said. "And somehow She has been able to influence the Cosmos with Her evil powers.

"And it's believed She's the One helping Castor. You all should know how dangerous this is—the mission. This is not a mission for Mouth Spelling and that's why the mission has been given to another team—a team of Array fives."

Given to another team? Walter resisted the urge to frown. He was fuming right now although he heard all Wilfred had said. How could Arcane Safety Department give the mission to another team? Why not include him as well?

"So, we're now out of danger," Wilfred said. "We've lost one member of our team and as can't risk losing another."

Hehe...Walter laughed inwardly. It was a laugh of bitterness interlaced with determination. The mission wasn't issued to the team but that didn't stop him from partaking in it.

Although he knew the rules very well—the rules that it was considered illegal and punishable to partake in missions not issued to one, he decided to do it anyway. Nothing could stop him from having his revenger. Not even the issuing of missions.

He finally resolved his mind to carry the mission secretly and on his own. Today was the last day of the month and everyone would be paid their salaries. Choosing how to spend his salary—between revenge or family, he decided to use it for revenge. He would use the money to purchase mystical and magical items from the Black Market where contraband items were sold. He would still have his revenge no matter who and what tried to stop him.