Chapter 610 - Top Parties Gather

"When the time comes, the inside of Black Rain Manor will not be the only dangerous zone. Even its accompanying Rainy World will likely be fraught with peril. Of course, ordinary hazards cannot threaten the five of us. It's just that everyone else will need to be extra cautious. We shouldn't suffer heavy losses in this operation..." Shadow Crane's voice echoed in the dim cabin interior. "Does anyone have questions? I'll answer any of them now."

After a short silence, he swept his gaze over the surrounding Gate Organization members.

"Shadow Crane, what does the deputy leader say about this?" A man wearing a black mask suddenly spoke.

He was tall and gaunt, but he exuded a metallic hardness. His overall outline was rugged and pronounced, bearing a mysterious dark aura. But the pure-black wooden mask on his face was especially striking. Its left side was marked with an eerie flower pattern that dazzled the eye.

"This operation will be directed by the five General Kings for now. The deputy leader will not appear as he is handling more crucial matters," Shadow Crane glanced at the masked man. "Naturally it will also depend on circumstances. If the operation proves too tough or unknown incidents arise, the deputy leader will assist us. You need not worry, Black Mask..."

The masked man's codename was concise. He was simply called Black Mask. At times, other Gate Organization members who knew him called him Black Face. Black Mask ranked second among the five General Kings, above Eye Devil. He was usually taciturn and calm but once in combat, he turned into a fearsome killing machine. His bloodlust was even worse than Shadow Crane's, who practiced assassination.

While killing, the colour of Black Mask's mask would change. Depending on his frenzy and strength, it shifted through black, white, and blood-red.

Black was normal combat, white signalled a white-hot killing phase, and blood-red meant an all-out massacre. Once, Black Mask led a team in a small country to hunt for antiques with Gate Fragments. They then happened to clash with local forces of lofty standing who could summon allies throughout the supernatural world. They had even mobilised the national army to encircle and trap the Gate Organization members inside a city.

Swarms of supernaturals and armed soldiers then marched grandly into the city, where they encountered a man wearing a blood-red mask. The only things left after that meeting were severed limbs and a mountain of corpses. His mask had not been the only thing dyed red that day. His clothes dripped crimson, and half the city was stained in blood. Large numbers of innocent civilians were also slain cruelly.

After that operation, Gate Organization members became extremely wary of Black Mask and dared not meet or team with him alone. Only the other four General Kings were indifferent.

"Have you mobilised all your subordinates? We must guard against other forces coveting the revival of Black Rain Manor..." Shadow Crane tapped the wooden table and asked softly.

"They've arrived."

"They're on the way, but need roughly two more days."

Around ten Gate Organization members spoke up in turn. Naturally, they each commanded their own forces and teams to reap profits. Their influence was spread worldwide but had now converged to wait quietly.

"

Mm

." Shadow Crane nodded, his eyes gazing outside. "In that case, all preparations are virtually in place. All that remains is for Black Rain Manor to be revived..."

***

In the Totem Temple at the south of the Hongli Federation.

Several elite teams of shamans had begun descending the mountain, winding down the road like ants.

Mighty shamans streaked through the air like meteors. The dense totem markings on their bodies suddenly emitted brilliant pure radiance. Those motifs weren't merely decorative but contained immense power. When they resonated, it rivalled molten lava bursting forth!

"The Black Rain Manor has appeared again in the Anta Mountains... The revival this time differs from every prior revival. Our Totem Temple may reap tremendous benefits..." A figure in a red robe stood atop the peak muttering to himself.

"But this time, we are not the only ones aware of the manor's situation. Other long-standing great powers with vast knowledge exist as well. They will surely try to take a share..."

"For our temple to gain advantage, we'll likely need alliances. The ally must be neither too strong nor too weak. They should help but not dominate the partnership. By that logic, the Ripple Order of the southeastern seas are the best fit. Their power has waned over the past century; they're no longer as strong as centuries ago. They surely cannot seize much benefits during the revival on their own... If our temple extends an olive branch, they are likely to cooperate. Let's go! Head to the southeastern coast and negotiate first!"

***

The marble floor tiles in a magnificent cathedral in Wenxia County were flat and glossy. A vast domed ceiling and stained-glass windows tinted the sunlight into seven hues. Prisms of light slanted onto the white walls and ornate ceiling. Believers inside the cathedral felt a sacred atmosphere that turned them devout.

Some worshippers prayed in the main hall, while a more fervent group prayed in a dim side hall identical to the first. The overhead vault was pitch-black save for a glowing round moon. Its silvery light fell upon the hoods of the faithful.

A smooth white stone statue was set into the wall in front of the kneeling congregation. It wore a splendid layered white-jade armour skirt. Two pairs of arms spread wide at its shoulders. One slender pair was crossed before its chest in a gesture of prayer. The other pair was lifted high like lotus petals, holding a huge halo disk radiating white moonlight.

Black comma-shaped beads swam like little fish within the disk, sending out ripples of a mysterious aura. On one side of the sanctuary, two robed figures quietly watched the pious worshippers. Their gazes resembled wolves staring at lambs.

After a moment, they withdrew their gaze and began conversing.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"The rebirth of my Lord in the surface world draws near. The thousand-year goal of our Black Moon Clan will soon succeed. Yet the closer we get, the less we can be careless. This revival of Black Rain Manor is unusual. Some crucial matters may appear unexpectedly. We need the vast dark essence that the manor has gathered for thousands of years," one black-robed man said quietly.

"If my Lord can absorb that dark essence, my Lord will likely regain immense power the moment He resurrects... Then our clan will surely be rewarded!" The other robed man's voice trembled with excitement.

The first robed man was excited too, but quickly calmed. "Indeed! Most of the Eclipse Society's strength departed for the southeastern coast half a month ago. Other factions were likewise tempted by the manor's gains and have sent a sufficient force to cooperate sincerely...

"But this is still not enough. Our opponents are not just the reviving manor but other major powers. Therefore, we must take the sacred artifacts along! Only a great enough strength can suppress everything..."

"How many artifacts will you bring?" The second robed man asked softly.

"At least two! A third can remain outside the battlefield as a hidden backup. Should anything unexpected occur, the three artifacts will act together!" The first robed man answered.

***

At the edge of Beiliu County, an iron train clanged along the rails toward East Sea County. Strangely, every window was tightly shut and the curtains were drawn. The carriages seemed like opaque coffins.

Pairs of bat-like crimson eyes hovered in midair within the cars. They whispered among themselves like monsters in the shadows. Fangs, blood-sucking, bats, fleshy wings... They were all direct bloodline Blood Race!

In the carriages, a few millennial old monsters exuded a stench of decay. They lay in special black coffins, immersed completely in scarlet blood. They would wait for the great battle to start before breaking from their coffins to fight.

Black coffins stood separated in the blood pool of the last carriage. Strangely, glowing red threads floated quietly from every coffin like a neural network . Linked together, they formed a spider web. The bloody spider web formed an enormous bat face. Its ferocious visage resembled the True Progenitor of Blood Yumila who once battled Sonic Snake Ultimate Fist endlessly inside the World of Calamity's huge volcano chamber.

Hiss hiss hiss...

The bat face writhed and widened, ultimately revealing an exaggerated sinister grin.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho..."

***

Time ticked by, drawing steadily toward September 20. Now, it was not just the major powers that sensed the impending revival of Black Rain Manor. The neo-human collective felt the upheaval too, since neo-humans had originated after the manor's fall, when Hellsings gained freedom to wed and reproduce. Their bloodlines bore that dark memory.

As the date neared, a mark of a black shield suddenly surfaced on some neo-humans' hands. This change unsettled many neo-humans. Some experienced neo-humans quickly connected it to the revival, realising they'd been chosen as Black Rain Manor's marked-ones!

The neo-human factions hurriedly assembled their elites to meet and speculate. The Psychokinesis Masters' Association did the same. However, they did not know much.

Its president was Magician Bass, a subordinate Cassius had placed among neo-humans. There were also Cat-girl Haisha and Shockwave, once the fifth captain of the White Skull group. Recently, the association had become an independent mountain with considerable influence among neo-humans. Furthermore, because they opposed the evil White Skull, they counted as a righteous power among neo-humans. Thus the association was invited to the neo-human conference as well.

The venue was set in Anta City, near the Anta Mountains. Neo-human forces gathered within a guild hall. Even some free strongmen were invited, including for instance, Silver Gun Solo.

In the hall, factions took their seats and began deliberations. A blond youth in a leather cloak and gold-rimmed spectacles sat in the main seat. His gaze swept the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, surely black shield marks have appeared on the back of your hands as well."

As the first speaker, he clearly had influence. This youth was the leader of White Tower, the neo-humans' top righteous faction. They were linked to every neo-human in society, offered services, and possessed a vast intelligence network and formidable strength.

Seeing many factions nod, the blond youth went on. "Since that's so, let's first discuss Black Rain Manor. You may know of it, but perhaps not completely..."

The White Tower leader spoke fluently for the next ten minutes. He described the neo-humans' past, present, and potential future. Using prior intel on the manor, White Tower deduced that its revival could hold huge profit beneath the apparent crisis. So long as neo-humans united and followed orders, even as the manor's marked-ones, they could seize the initiative through tacit cooperation and gain many benefits.

Though details were sketchy, the goal was enticing, causing the gathered neo-human factions to argue back and forth about the gains as if the manor was already theirs to portion out.

Only a handful remained calm. One was the White Tower leader at the head seat, eyes narrowed as he watched. The other was the expressionless Magician Bass in a black wide-brim hat. His gaze glided over the market-like noisy hall and he sneered inwardly.

Black Rain Manor hasn't even revived, yet these worthless runts are so arrogant, unaware of their own weight. As if everything were in hand and they merely needed to slice the cake. Heh... There are no such easy pickings in this world.

Leaving aside the manor's dreadfulness, this revival is an unprecedented upheaval. Those other factions coveting it are world-class, with their own strongmen and warriors. One such faction alone would likely be more than all neo-humans could withstand...

His gaze suddenly met the White Tower leader's and they both simultaneously broke into polite smiles. The leader's smile carried composed dominance, as if everything were controlled and White Tower was destined to take the largest slice.

Magician Bass’s smile, however, had a hint of mockery and derision. "Frogs at the bottom of a well, gazing at the sky."