Chapter 493: Unexpected Visitor
(Meanwhile, At the Skyshard Mansion, Leo’s POV)
With the immediate aftermath of the attack demanding the Twelfth Elder’s undivided attention, Leo and Veyr were granted an unplanned day of rest from training.
No ships were permitted to enter or exit the planet, and even internal hovercraft movement was banned, all to prevent Dupravel from slipping through the cracks and escaping unnoticed.
————
“A massive manhunt is currently underway across the entirety of Planet Vorthas, as Cult forces continue their desperate search for the fugitive Dupravel Nuna, the man responsible for last night’s cowardly assault on the Dragon,” the anchor declared, his voice urgent, echoing from the television screen into the quiet living room.
“In a statement released just moments ago, the Cult’s internal security office confirmed that a reward of one million MP will be granted to any individual who provides credible information that directly leads to Dupravel’s arrest.”
The screen flickered between footage of scorched buildings, blurred images of Dupravel’s profile, and a series of checkpoints being erected at major intersections throughout the city.
——————-
Unlike the rest of the city, inside the Skyshard family’s living room, the atmosphere was far less tense.
Elena sat perched on the couch with a knitted shawl around her shoulders, while Jacob leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, brow furrowed.
Amanda sat cross-legged on the carpet, arms folded, eyes fixed on the screen, and Alia sat right beside her.
*YAWN*
Leo let out a lazy yawn, his eyes half-lidded, as he glanced toward the flashing images on the TV, feeling completely unimpressed.
“They won’t catch Dupravel in a million years, unless Charles or Soron personally step in,” he muttered, reaching for a bowl of fruit on the side table and casually tossing a grape into his mouth.
“One of the Cult’s biggest flaws is its lack of high-level leadership. No Monarchs, no Demi-Gods… aside from Charles, the entire chain of command collapses once Soron’s occupied. And that’s the Cult’s biggest weakness”
Alia turned to him, blinking. “A million MP reward though… that’s gotta stir up a lot of interest. I mean, some people might start hunting just for the cash, right?”
Leo shrugged, not even glancing her way. “Sure, they’ll search. But it won’t matter. At Dupravel’s level, commoners can’t even scratch the surface of his trail, let alone follow it.”
He leaned back further, arms stretching behind his head.
“Hell, if I wanted to disappear into this city, with the sewers, slums, and abandoned tunnels beneath every district, I could live here for years without anyone even knowing I was still breathing.”
His voice was calm, quiet, and without a trace of concern, as though the entire affair was more of an inconvenient blip than a historic act of war.
*Knock*
*Knock*
Suddenly, a knock on the door grabbed Leo’s attention, as he groggily stood up and began walking towards the door, half expecting a house patrol soldier to be the one knocking.
However, to his absolute shock, when he eventually did open the door, it wasn’t a soldier standing on the other side, but rather Dupravel Nuna in the flesh!
*BLOCK*
Almost instantly, Leo lunged at Dupravel with a barehanded strike, but the Black Serpents Guildmaster blocked it effortlessly, his arms moving with the calm precision of a seasoned warrior.
“I come in peace! I swear! I’m not here to hurt you or your family… I come in peace!” Dupravel said quickly, his voice laced with urgency and desperation.
By now, both Jacob and Alia had already retrieved their weapons, standing on guard behind Leo, their eyes fixed on the intruder, waiting for a single nod to attack.
On one hand, Leo didn’t believe a single word coming out of the Black Serpent Guild Masters mouth, but on the other, he could sense that Dupravel wasn’t leaking any killing intent whatsoever.
His aura remained calm and neutral.
There was no trace of hostility in his eyes, no flare of black around his body, nor any of the tell-tale signs that would usually accompany a lie or hidden motive.
“You’re an extremely wanted man, Guildmaster… and you also tried to kill my cousin just yesterday. Is there any reason I should even consider hearing you out?” Leo asked, his voice sharp, eyes narrowed, body tense but still.
He didn’t trust the man, not even slightly, but he did trust his ability to read aura. And so far, Dupravel wasn’t lying.
“I came to you because I believe you might be the last person inside the Cult who’s still capable of judging me fairly,” Dupravel said, his tone steady but raw.
“I’ve been betrayed by the righteous faction. Mauriss the Deceiver used me, set me up, and left me to rot. If you turn me away now, I’ll have no choice but to carve a bloody path off this planet. But that’s not what I want. I’d rather negotiate a deal, one that benefits both you and the Cult.”
He paused, letting the silence settle before continuing.
“All I ask is that you listen to my story for just a few minutes. Give me a fair chance to explain my side. I promise on my honor, I won’t waste your time.”
Leo kept watching his aura, searching for even the faintest flicker of deceit, but it remained clean. No darkness, no spike in emotion. Just quiet conviction.
Finally, Leo lowered his fists and exhaled sharply.
*Sigh*
“I’m not letting you into my house. Th–that’s never going to happen.
You’re not allowed anywhere near my family. If you want to talk, we can talk here, on the porch, and that too after my family leaves the house entirely.”
Dupravel scoffed under his breath, mildly offended.
“If I wanted to cause harm, all of you would already be dead, boy. I walked in unarmed for a reason. I’m not here to fight,” he said, spreading his arms and turning slightly to show that he carried no weapons, no belt, no hidden blades.
“But fine, have it your way. Let’s talk on the porch.” He said, as he folded his arms and sat down on the floor, waiting for Leo to finally be ready.
ADDED LORE – So if any of you were wondering how Dupravel found Leo’s home address, then this is what he did:
He kidnapped soldiers one after another, tortured them for information, until he finally found out where he lived.