The Phantom Man 2 - The Book of the Dead

XIX - The Monks' Descendants

"The book that was stolen from our temple in Tibet many centuries ago is the Book of the Dead. This manuscript has the power to establish communication with those that are gone. And that's not all. The book also has the unique capacity of bringing spirits back to life. Our mission is to preserve the peace of those in the eternal rest. In other words, we have to use all necessary means to intercept anyone attempting to rule the spiritual world."

"What do I have to do with all that?"

"The enlightened masters have warned us that the one who has stolen the book travels through the centuries with the sole purpose of destroying the Phantom Man. This being aims to drain the power contained in the Book of Souls. Since he is an immortal, he wants to rule both worlds. If that happens, it'll be chaos. This warlock will use all weapons at his disposal to achieve his goal."

"You must be talking about Klaus!" Philip shouted. He could feel that something bad was coming.

"Do you know him?" Leonardo asked.

"We had a fight in the past. I know how powerful he is. I managed to defeat the hideous creature that follows him, a Doppelgänger. Unfortunately, that monster took the life of the woman I loved. Klaus defeated my master, though. When I run into Klaus again, I will finish him off."

Soon, he thought of Alexia. Was the dark warlock already there?

"You don't have to worry, he's not here yet. That's why we came sooner rather than later to protect you." Leonardo took another sip of the tea and then looked around. "The elders said that the warlock is getting stronger by the day. If he learns how to use the power contained in the book, he may even be invincible."

"That's why we're here. We've come to teach you our ancient martial arts. Once you learn everything, you'll fight like one of us," Dante finally revealed their mission to Philip.

"I appreciate your interest, but I think I can handle that bastard myself. We have pending issues and I will finish him off once and for all."

The young man had forgotten about the dream in which Juan advised him to get ready for the worst. Philip continued to be brave, but not wise.

"You should not underestimate your enemy. True wisdom lies in training both mind and body. Here's our card. You can find us in the temple. When you feel ready to learn, give us a call," said Leonardo. "The best gifts we earn must be accepted at free will."

"Thank you! I appreciate that. I also have a weapon, a sword that goes by the name 'Night's Fury'. It has the capability of destroying any creature that hides in the darkness."

"Good weapons must be mastered with practice. Otherwise, they'll be utterly useless," Dante added, in the hopes that those words would cause a positive reaction in the young man. "Your fame is great in the spiritual world. Even dark creatures fear your sword. But you should never forget that its former owner was also a brave warrior. Nonetheless, he died with Night's Fury in his hands."

"How can you know so much about events that happened a long time ago?"

"The most enlightened monks are the ones that travel across the worlds by only using meditation. What makes them so special is that they know how to return. We know that you also have that power. That's why we have been assigned to train you."

"I'll think about your offer. Thanks for letting me know about all that stuff, but I think this issue is more yours than mine."

The two monks stood up and left the cafe after hearing such inconsequent words coming from someone who didn't take responsibility for anything. Philip watched the two men as they left the place. He saw when they met the couple standing in the square. It was the same couple that they had signaled to earlier. The man was bald. He was dressed in a suit and had sunglasses on. The woman wore a wig and was also wearing glasses.