Chapter 362: Luke's Objective!
The Nature of the Talons
As a veteran organization with a long history, the Court of Owls maintains extremely strict rules and regulations. The enforcement of these rules falls to the Court's secretly cultivated unit of super-assassins—the Talons.
The Court of Owls' managers scout major cities for young people with excellent physical potential to become assassins. At a certain point, they use dubious methods to lure or trick these youths into the Court's secret bases.
What follows is cruel, inhumane training: combat, killing, confrontation...
The bodies of these young people become incredibly tough through years of continuous training, while their minds are pushed to the brink of collapse through drugs and ritualistic practices. Often, only one in a dozen is fortunate enough to survive and become a so-called "masterpiece."
Tragically, even those who survive do not gain freedom, as even more horrific experiments await them.
The reason the Talons are so feared is not merely their superior combat skills or professional killing abilities; those are only superficial traits. The key lies in their near-immortality and their emotionless capacity for slaughter.
Strictly speaking, they are merely a group of emotionless puppets designed only to kill.
William Cobb is one such member of the Talon unit, belonging to the most powerful tier. He doesn't know who he is or where he came from, only recalling fragmented memories that occasionally flash through his mind.
Without memory, there are no emotions.
As a result, William Cobb, as a Talon, never knew what fear was. But now, he feels it: an omnipresent dread, like a colossal shadow enveloping every corner. Death is so close that he can't help but tremble.
"Who... are... you?"
His hoarse voice echoed in the forest. William Cobb gripped his shortsword, staring fixedly at the approaching black battle armor.
"That's a good question. Unfortunately, I don't need to tell a dead man." Luke paused, then corrected himself. "No, you can live, provided you tell me the location of the Court of Owls and the entrances and exits of the underground labyrinth."
"The Owl will never surrender!"
"Come on. You're just a puppet, a manufactured killing tool without even your own free will. Don't talk to me about surrender."
"Talking to people like you is a waste of time."
Luke scoffed, and the Fear Toxin seeped into William Cobb's mind, taking root in his inner consciousness, slowly but surely destroying his will.
After six months of training, Luke had generally mastered the Fear Toxin stolen from the Parallax Entity. Fear is one of the seven Emotional Spectrum forces in the universe, representing a primal will. Those who possess the power of fear can create and manipulate fear, using it to generate energy for attack or defense.
Luke couldn't yet materialize fear into tangible energy like the Parallax Entity, but he could instill fear in his opponent's heart, gradually eroding their will until he could enslave them.
William Cobb gritted his teeth, struggling desperately against the fear, refusing to yield. But his knees slowly buckled, and he ultimately dropped to the ground.
Luke walked up to him, the green flame in his eyes blazing like a demon from hell. Deep within his pupils was a faint, undetectable flash of yellow—the raw power of fear.
"Tell me, where is the entrance to the Court of Owls?"
William Cobb stiffly raised his hand and pointed behind him.
"Lead the way."
"Yes, Ma... Master!"
Enslaved by fear, William Cobb tremblingly got to his feet, leading the way cautiously, like a startled house pet.
The Cryogenic Chamber
The two walked single file for about two kilometers before reaching a natural cave hidden by vines.
Luke scanned the surroundings and frowned.
"What is this place?"
"My sanctuary. When I have no mission, I return here to await instructions."
"Are there assassins like you inside?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Four."
Luke understood immediately. If he wasn't mistaken, this was likely one of the Court of Owls' nests—a place where they stored their frozen Talons.
"What is your name?"
"William Cobb!"
Oh! Luke's eyebrow twitched in surprise. He thought he had caught a nobody, but this was a key figure.
William Cobb!Dick Grayson's great-grandfather, and one of the top assassins in the Talon unit. No wonder he was tasked with attacking Wayne Manor.
"How much of your past do you remember?"
"I only know my name. Everything else is very blurry."
"Have you ever heard of Dionesium?"
William Cobb shook his head blankly, his eyes filled with awe.
Seeing this, Luke didn't ask further. Few Talons were mentally stable; they were either brainwashed, drugged, or psychologically damaged, having become emotionless killers. Such a person could not give a coherent answer.
The two proceeded through the cave. William Cobb was very familiar with the cave, knowing the location of every trap. Under his direction, they traveled without obstruction and soon arrived at the secret chamber deep within the cave.
A mysterious person wearing a white Falcon Mask stood outside the chamber. Seeing William Cobb, he challenged him rudely,
"Why did the mission fail?"
"Tell me what happened?"
William Cobb lowered his head, remaining silent as usual, but his body was trembling slightly, as if afraid of something.
The mysterious person didn't notice the anomaly. After a harsh barrage of reprimands, he opened the stone door and walked into the secret chamber. William Cobb quickly followed.
The chamber was large, over ten meters in length and width, but the temperature was chillingly low, with frost covering the walls.
Four coffin-like objects were lined up on the center floor: two were open, and two were tightly sealed.
The mysterious person was uncomfortable in the cold chamber. Shivering, he walked up to the coffins and flipped the power switch.
"Get in quickly! I'm freezing to death."
William Cobb remained silent, frozen at the entrance, motionless.
"What, you won't?" The mysterious person sneered, pulling out a remote-like device and pointing it at William Cobb. The Talon immediately screamed, clutching his head as if in immense pain, his body convulsing.
"A tool doesn't need emotions. All you need to do is obey orders—my orders."
The mysterious person raised his head, a look of arrogant condescension and a hint of malicious pleasure in his eyes. He clearly enjoyed watching William Cobb scream and clutch his head.
"So, this is how you control the Talons."
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice echoed in the room. The mysterious person froze, then was suddenly hit hard in the abdomen. He doubled over like a shrimp, squatting on the ground, the remote device snatched from his hand.
Light and shadow shifted, and Luke, in his Phantom Mark I armor, appeared before him, juggling the device with a malicious smile.
"Be a dear and answer one question for me: Where is the Dionesium?"
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