Chapter 85: CH 085: The masked men, again??

Chapter 85: CH 085: The masked men, again??Dave faced the injured Jackie with a calm expression. "Let’s talk," he said, "I have a proposal that could bring an end to this fight. It’s simple. Join forces with me, and this conflict will be over." Jackie’s response was quick, his voice filled with skepticism. "So, what’s the proposal about?" he asked. Dave’s response was direct. "I want you to ally with me." Scoffing, Jackie replied; "What makes you think I’ll ally with you? Do you think because you can control beasts that I’ll be interested in being friends with you? I can take you down if I want to." He snarled. Though, in Jackie’s mind, he doubted he could take Dave down, especially not in the current state he was. The three mergers he had trusted to take him down had failed, then what else could he, who is injured, do? The two mergers that were outside had already reverted to their human forms, so even if he was to fight Dave now, he’s certain he was going to lose. It was all this that Dave had also thought and had guessed to be able to convince Jackie into accepting his offer, however, the response he received wasn’t what he had anticipated. "Well, no way," he growled, his voice venomous. "No fucking way will I accept your stupid proposal. You’re an enemy, and an enemy needs to be taken down!" Despite his injuries, Jackie’s determination remained unwavering, his resolve to resist Dave’s offer was unshakeable. Meanwhile, from behind, the sound of footsteps could be heard echoing through the factory. As it grew louder and louder, it signify the presence of a group of people filing in. The group consist of a large number of masked men that kept on pouring in through the entrance. Their movements were swift and coordinated. "Everyone, down on your knees!" one of the masked men bellowed, his voice authoritative and commanding. Dave didn’t bother turning around to face the newcomers, his gaze remained fixed on Jackie. However, he could see the shock expression etched on Jackie’s face, his eyes wide with surprise and alarm. "The Tai Faction!" Jackie exclaimed, his voice strained and loud, though this was partly due to the beast form he was still currently in. As the reality of the situation dawned on him, Jackie began to revert to his human form, his body slowly shedding the enhancements and strength that came with being a merger. He was doing this to conserve his energy in case he needed to fight the intruders. The masked men, who had been identified to be members of the Tai Faction, continued to pour in, their numbers increasing as they entered the factory. It was clear that this unexpected development would change the dynamics of the situation entirely. A couple of minutes after all of them had filed in, the leader of the masked men, Todd, removed his mask, his eyes locked onto a specific person’s face. "Jackie," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice. Jackie recognized him, his expression darkening. "Todd," he replied, his tone quite unfriendly as past memories resurfaced in his mind. Todd’s gaze swept over Jackie, his eyes lingering on the injuries. "Wait, you’re the leader of the Merger Faction? You, that weak boy from college?" Todd’s words dripped with incredulity. Jackie shot back, "And you are what? A member of the Tai Faction?" Todd’s attention then turned to the injured mergers on the floor. "What’s going on in your faction? Why are your beast friends injured?" he asked. He also noticed the pack of beasts that surrounded Dave. He couldn’t help but wonder why the beasts had surrounded him in such manner. "Are you doing some kind of training or ritual?" Todd inquired, his tone filled with mockery. However, Jackie’s response was curt. "You’re trespassing, Todd," he growled, his anger evident. Jackie’s expression turned stern. "My faction dominates this factory and the surrounding 2 kilometers. You’re not allowed to enter our zone without permission. By being here, you’ve automatically marked yourself as our enemy." With that, Jackie issued a challenge, his eyes flashing with hostility. Dave had been observing the exchange of words, and now he understood why Jackie had been labeling him as an enemy since. It seemed that Dave had unknowingly crossed into the Merger Faction’s territory, which explained the kid’s earlier attempt to incapacitate him. Todd, then replied with a calm voice. "Easy there, Jackie, we’re only here for business." He said. "One of our scouting groups was killed yesterday, and we’re investigating the matter. We’re also tasked with eliminating potential threats to the Tai Faction, which includes your faction, by order of Master Tyler." The mention of Master Tyler’s name caught Dave’s attention, and he had turned to face the group of masked men. There were around fifty of them gathered inside the factory, and he could see more outside, surrounding the Hybrid. Dave’s gaze swept over the men, his interest piqued by the mention of Master Tyler and the Tai Faction’s intentions. But more so, as he gazed at the group of masked men, he realized that their attire looks similar to a group of people he had once came across. No, he was sure of it, these people are from the same group. Todd’s gaze then met with Dave’s as he turned around. His eyes squinting as he observed his actions. Everyone else had gotten on their knees, but this fellow hadn’t done so. He would’ve have challenged him, but his conversation with Jackie had caused him to forgot for a moment. So he had decided to challenge him. "Who are you? Why are you not kneeling?" Dave’s response was laced with amusement. "That’s rude. You burst in here while I was having an important discussion with Jackie, and now you’re asking who I am? Well, I’ll show you who I am." Without hesitation, Dave summoned the dead beasts from his void space. About 150 of them had appeared from the thin air, dropping to the ground in their lifeless state. Dave activated his Beast Necromancy ability, and the corpses began to shift. Their decaying flesh was visible as their eyes flickered to life. The scene was surreal, like something out of a nightmare. The masked men were frozen in shock, unsure of what was happening. A guttural roar echoed through the factory, sending a shiver down their spines. And so Dave had given a command, and the undead beasts had started charging towards the masked men, their jaws open wide, ready to crush any part of their bodies. The men nervously shifted back, fear etched on their faces as they realized they were in grave danger. Todd snapped out of his daze, barking orders at his men. "Everyone, attack!" A giant ball of fire erupted from his hands, incinerating the front line of undead beasts. However, unlike what was expected, the creatures hadn’t slowed down as they continued running even with the fire on their bodies. It was only later after the fire had died down that they saw that the bodies of the beasts had reduced into blackened skeletons. Yet, they still continued to run forward. The masked men froze in terror as they saw this, and the skeleton beasts had immediately seized the opportunity to attack. They bit and chewed on the men before they could attack, their bony jaws snapping with deadly precision. It was only after witnessing the men getting killed by the beasts that the rest had started snapping out of their daze, as they launched a barrage of attacks: fireballs, water, and wind, but the undead beasts continue charging forward, clearly unfazed. They were undead afterall. Realizing that their attacks were ineffective, Todd had made a swift decision. "Everyone, retreat now!" he shouted, as he turned towards the exit. However, their escape was blocked by the massive Hybrid, its imposing figure standing guard at the entrance of the factory. As for those who had initially surrounded the Hybrid, he had dealt with them all in seconds, and now its attention was on the group of masked men who were planning to retreat. He stood in front of them, then with a triple continuous clap, about 30 men had fell to the ground, blood gushing from their mouth, nose and ears. The Hybrid’s attack had caused internal disruption inside their body, leading to their swift demise. This was the power of the beast in the hybrid, and being a king tier made it even stronger and unstoppable. The masked men were caught between the two monsters, and Todd was unsure of what to do next. They were already pinned on both sides, with the skeleton beasts on one side and the Hybrid on the other side. It was only a matter of time before they all get killed. Todd could only watch in horror as his men were killed around him, until the only person left was him. At that moment, Dave had started walking towards him. Seeing him approach, Todd had launched a fireball attack at him, but Dave was able to sidestep it with ease. Then before Todd could even lunge another attack, Dave had moved swiftly from his position as he appeared by his side, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him to the ground. "You look like someone important. Well, you’re going to tell me who Master Tyler is," Dave said, his grip tightening around Todd’s neck.