Chapter 32: Arc 1: Chapter 30: King’s Secret Order

Oakland was a little hotter in February.

This city sits near the coastline in Northwestern California, which meant there was never a time when the temperature would go below 0 degrees; hence, there is no market for clothes that keep people warm.

But for now, in a remote black neighborhood, Merlin who was walking under the dim lights pulls his coat together; although the temperature outside was not low, neither the clothes he had nor the sunset behind him could make him feel warm.

Because he was felt cold not from his body, but his soul.

Merlin's current condition could terrify children; he was deathly pale, veins were violently popping up on his neck as if he had been poisoned.

If one looks closely, one could see that as Merlin moves, his face and hands seem to be enshrouded by dark light; strands of dark smoke invisible to the naked eye were flying out of his body, making him look like an evil demon that had escaped hell.

His footsteps were heavy and difficult as if he walked every step using all of his strength.

He was in a terrible condition; in the last 2 months, he had almost traversed the entirety of North America. Attacks like the one on the train had happened no less than 5 times during his travel.

Merlin was certain now that his pursuers were not the agents from the night battle in Manhattan, but were someone else.

People more ruthless were targeting the Super-Soldier serum he had, and they planned to kill him in the process.

A net aimed at him was slowly beginning to close up.

Just last night, Merlin entered yet another well-prepared trap in a town just outside of Oakland.

An entire motel was blown up with large amounts of hidden explosives, Merlin barely escaped by turning into smoke, then he was hunted by dozens of people. They were armed with high-powered taser guns, fishnets with barbs, flashbangs used to blind people, each one of them wore infrared detectors.

Last night's battle was the most dangerous situation he had encountered.

If he made even one mistake, he would've been trapped in the deathtrap of a town.

But Merlin was lucky; he escaped into the night after cutting down dozens of hunters.

But luck often comes with misfortune.

Merlin uses the night to his advantage and activated his Shadow Cloak, entering a nearby apartment. Using his dark senses, Merlin quickly finds an empty room and walks into it.

Merlin takes off his coat, and in his abdomen were shocking wounds that were slowly healing.

Through his second sight, Merlin could also see strands of dark energy covering the wounds, which accelerated recovery; however, this also meant that the dark mana was slowly corrupting him, dark energy fusing with his flesh.

"It's getting worse."

Merlin sighs, he weakly gets on the bed and plans to rest.

And just as he closes his eyes, muttering resounds in his mind.

This was the restlessness of the dark mana inside his body and soul.

The relentless pursuit of the hunters made Merlin overuse his dark powers, causing it to begin corrupting his body, only faster and deeper as if it was rebound after prolonged suppression.

In the night under Manhattan, on the train leaving New York, in the town last night; the non-lethal force his opponents used left his body with many internal injuries, even lethal ones.

He was like a beast running away in exhaustion; without rest, he may be dragged down by exhaustion.

Just like his experience in Central City 2 years ago, only this time, there may not be a second encounter with kind people like the Allen couple.

"Just let me have a break."

Merlin grumbles to himself and looks at his watch, there were 4 hours until midnight.

He takes his water bottle from his pocket and takes a sip, allowing the shell pendant to slowly dispel the dark mana. Then he covers both ears with his hands and curls on the bed as if he could block out the muttering this way.

He really needs to take a nap.

But the night was not peaceful; 3 hours into his sleep, Merlin was woken up by a low buzzing sound, making him jump from his bed.

Merlin's sudden movement affected the injury on Merlin's abdomen, but Merlin paid little attention to it. He got up and looked out the window following the source of the sound.

What he saw made his eyes shrink.

Under the cover of the night clouds, he saw an irregularly shaped black oval object hovering above the clouds. It was outside the range of how far normal humans could see, but not for him.

The object above the clouds looked like a flying saucer.

It seemed to be very heavy and very futuristic. He could see three energy jets that somewhat formed a face when looking from below.

However, Merlin was sure that no country in 1992 could've invented such a thing!

"First wizards, then undersea people, later Super-Soldiers, and now aliens?"

Merlin mumbles to himself:

"What has the world come to?"

But soon, Merlin's random thinking about aliens was interrupted.

Because under his second sight, Merlin could clearly see some figures exit the hovering ship using some sort of diving device.

Although the figures were blurry due to their small size, but Merlin could confirm that they were indeed humans.

But what made Merlin feel that he was getting extra unfortunate, was that those unknown people were headed towards the apartment he was in.

"Are they the hunters this time?"

A thought jumps into Merlin's mind, but he immediately rejects it.

"It's nigh impossible! If those hunters had technology like this, they wouldn't need to chase me across North America."

"They're different. But what are they here for?"

Merlin's mind was full of questions, he returned to his bed and lied down.

He closes his eyes, letting the shadows cover his entire body; and as he did in the night of Manhattan, spread out his senses through the darkness.

Moments later, Merlin could hear repressed voices coming from the room diagonally above his room.

"Hey look, if we get in and out quick, won't be no worries. You and a van, coming through from the west, come around the corner, laying right here; me and the twins pulling up right here, we're leaving this car behind, okay? We're coming..."

A hurriedly yet organized voice. But he soon stops talking, and as if premonishing something, tells the other person:

"Hide the straps"

"It's the feds?"

The other person asks nervously. A few seconds pass, following a type of metal knocking, the first voice replies:

"No..."

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Following the sound of a loaded gun, Merlin realizes that there may be a gunfight starting; but just as Merlin prepares to withdraw his senses and make his getaway, something unexpected happens.

"These two Grace Jones-looking chicks, they own spears."

"Open it!"

"You serious?"

"They won't knock again."

The sound of the door opening and the vibrating of some strange metal reverberates in Merlin's spirit, making him very curious of what's happening in that room.

He starts putting more of his attention on the room, and then a flurry, unclear picture with only lines and outlines appear in Merlin's mind like an image composed of sonar echoes.

He sees two nervous people, one of them holding a gun.

In front of them were two women with spears, Merlin notices their lifeforce was vigorous. Aside from the Atlantean Vulko, Merlin had never seen humans with such vigorous lifeforce.

In Merlin's senses, there was also a strange person hiding in the darkness of the room...yet Merlin could neither feel his lifeforce nor soul as if there was something blocking his senses.

He could only feel a fuzzy, quick-moving shadow.

This person made him recall the attacker with the metal arm on the night the Howard couple were killed. Both of them gave him goosebumps.

The four people in the room began conversing using a language Merlin could not identify, it seemed to be some kind of native language.

He felt someone open his lips as to identify something; and then, the short sound of the electric current being blocked and restarted resounds in Merlin's spirit.

He could not see the picture, but he could take a wild guess.

The person in the darkness has shown himself.

Yep, probably scared the two normal people.

Merlin could feel that as the strange person showed himself, one of the normal people knelt down and with a deep voice, says:

"Your majesty!"

"Your majesty?"

The appellation confuses Merlin, was there really still a king in this era, in 1992?

More importantly, if this guy was a king, then why would he show up using this method in a remote black neighbourhood in Oakland?

For what reason did this strange yet powerful King come here for?

"Leave us!"

The person addressed as King commands with a deep tone, the man kneeling on the ground then explains:

"This is James. I trust him with my life, he stays; with your permission, King T'Chaka."

"As you wish, at ease!"

They conversed using English, which Merlin was relieved of. If would become very difficult for him to understand the situation that was getting weirder and weirder if he didn't understand their conversation.

Merlin hears the name of the person addressed as King, T'Chaka.

The accent feels odd.

Merlin continues listening, he could sense the king taking off his helmet, and once he did, Merlin's senses towards him became clearer.

It would seem that the helmet and armor he wore were blocking Merlin's senses.

Yet as Merlin's senses return, he could feel that if the lifeforce of others were a ball of flame, then the lifeforce of this King T'Chaka was that of a majestic yet monstrous flame.

His lifeforce was at least 5 times stronger than that of an average human! In Merlin's senses, this guy was less of a normal human and more of a dangerous monster.

Even more dangerous than the Atlantean Vulko!

"Let me see how you're holding up, you look strong."

"Glory to ****, I'm in good health. How's home?"

The King seemed to know the man very well, they seemed like old friends; they enjoyed a relaxing chat until the man asked a question.

Merlin could feel the atmosphere in the room tensing up.

"Not so good. There has been an attack."

The King answers:

"This man, Ulysses Klaw, stole a quarter ton of vibranium from us and triggered the bomb at the border to escape; many lives were lost. He knew where we hid the vibranium and how to strike, he had someone on the inside."

"Why are you here?"

The King's tone deepens:

"Because I want you to look me in the eyes, and tell me why you betrayed Wakanda?"

"Vibranium? What's that? A type of metal? Where is Wakanda? I think I've heard of it before."

Merlin was like an experienced voyeur, he was extremely curious, but he did not voice it out; instead, he continued to spread his dark senses and observe the tense situation in the room.

He hears the person called 'N'Jobu' argue with the King, as well as the sudden betrayal of his trusted companion 'James'.

It would seem that the James N'Jobu had trusted so much was a spy sent by this weird King of Wakanda, and had been hiding beside N'Jobu, secretly collecting evidence of his treason.

The infighting of this exotic royal family made Merlin frown, it would seem he had found out a big secret inadvertently.

And at this time, in the room, King T'Chaka announces his judgment.

"Prince N'Jobu, with my authority as Black Panther, you are to return home at once, face the council and inform them of your crimes!"

Suddenly, Merlin opens his eyes abruptly, he quickly spreads his dark senses outwards as he had a premonition.

In the building across the block, a familiar yet sharp scent enters the domain of his dark senses like a beast suddenly appearing out of hiding.

This made Merlin jump out of his bed and head for the window, jumping out of the 4 storey building without a doubt.

At the same time, on the top floor opposite of this building, the ruthless Winter Soldier pulls the trigger, and in a low whistle, an anti-tank rocket rushes towards the floor Merlin was on; the attacker had accurately locked onto his hiding spot.

The deadliest hunter reappears in the darkness!

 

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