Chapter 1188: Military Parade (2)
“Ethan Bajour has resurrected again in the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors?”
The Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors. A demonic realm located in the deepest part of the Central Front, and one of the biggest obstacles blocking the path to Ars Nova.
A perilous place that the Ability Awakening Warband once tried and failed to conquer, a malevolent demonic realm rumored to use humans as hosts.
Does this mean ‘The Agency’ plans to once again launch an offensive on that demonic realm where Ethan Bajour successfully resurrected?
“Before I answer that, I should first explain what The Agency is.”
The young man cleared his throat.
“As you may know, the Central Front is currently dominated by colossal powers, spearheaded by the Guido Cult, the Order Alliance, The Legion, and the Ability Awakening Warband. They are followed by various other organizations such as the Eyes of Blue, the Druid Dawn Society, Exile, and the demonized Headro Warlords.”
“……”
“These groups are frantically recruiting talent from across the continent to expand their forces, but among them are also superhumans who don’t align with the direction of these large factions.”
Lennok crossed his arms.
“It’s not uncommon for high-level superhumans to have twisted personalities.”
“……That’s not entirely wrong, but more importantly, many of these colossal powers are lukewarm towards conquering the Central Front.”
The young man chuckled wryly and continued naturally.
“Even though they gathered in the center to reclaim the ruined Ars Nova, they aren’t rushing to conquer the demonic realm. Instead, they’re busy checking each other, clashing, and engaging in war.”
“That doesn’t sound particularly hard to believe.”
Lennok replied indifferently.
“Just as breaking through the Central Front and heading to Ars Nova is difficult, the benefits to be gained from that process will also be immense. Didn’t you yourself say they are constantly recruiting talent from the continent?”
“……”
“The major powers gathered in the center have vastly different goals, methods, and abilities. If they were to suddenly seek harmony and join hands to conquer the demonic realm, that would be far more surprising.”
“Yes. Perhaps.”
The young man conceded.
“But even so, there are those who believe that conquering the Central Front must take precedence over all those circumstances and aspirations.”
“……”
“Not grand goals like the Order Alliance’s Great Connection, the Guido Cult’s salvation, or the Ability Awakening Warband’s Collective Mind Net, but simply reclaiming Ars Nova. Whether for personal ambition or the greater good, these are the people who believe that is the right answer.”
A select group of elites who don’t join the major powers in the center but focus on conquering the demonic realms in the deepest part of the Central Front.
‘The Agency’ was one such conquest-oriented organization.
“You, Evan Martinez, would understand.”
The young man met Lennok’s gaze.
“As a Watcher for the Eyes of Blue who worked to postpone the world’s end, who even clashed with the Guido Cult to subjugate an Apostle, you would know.”
“……”
“Perhaps they don’t want to reclaim Ars Nova until the moment the end arrives. They might be using the fear of the impending destruction as motivation to achieve their ultimate aspirations until the very last moment.”
The young man’s voice grew a little stronger.
“We can’t know if the major powers in the center truly desire the next step. But it’s undeniable that Ars Nova pursued it. That’s why The Agency is looking for talented individuals who share our vision.”
“Was that what you wanted to say all along?”
“Cheonbeon. You are currently one of the top priority scout targets among the conquest-oriented organizations in the deepest part of the Central Front.”
The young man, stroking the grip of his mechanical straight sword, looked at Lennok and spoke.
“The strongest fire wizard on the Eastern Front and an Apostle-Slayer. A Watcher who allied with the Eyes of Blue, and a hero who defeated the Order Alliance’s Grand Spell Master.”
“……”
“We desire your character, as upright as your magic. We need someone with a will strong enough not to yield even to Adamant Thunder, strong enough to change the direction of the Gabihaeng.”
Lennok had already guessed what the young man would talk about the moment he revealed his affiliation.
The top priority scout target for the conquest-oriented organizations in the deepest part of the Central Front.
That very fact was written clearly in Cheonbeon’s Power Ranking assessment.
Of course, he hadn’t expected the young man to seek him out and make such an offer just as he was heading to the military parade—
“That’s not the explanation or answer I was looking for.”
Lennok tilted his head, his face expressionless.
“I understand that The Agency is pursuing Conqueror Baitan to conquer the demonic realm. So why bring up Ethan Bajour? Were you merely trying to test me?”
“What I mean is, if you plan to attend the military parade, you should be mindful of The Legion’s Marshal.”
The young man said.
“The Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors is not a place where a human can remain sane. No one knows what state Ethan Bajour, reborn there, might be in.”
“……”
“The Legion’s command is hiding something important before the military parade. At the very least, it’s clear that the purpose of this military parade is related to their Marshal.”
Ethan Bajour, resurrected in the demonic realm, might not be in his right mind.
The young man was trying to remind Lennok that this very fact might be the purpose of the military parade.
Seeing Lennok’s thoughtful expression, the young man finally let out a faint sigh of relief.
“I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable. But among the rising stars of the center, your whereabouts are particularly hard to pin down, so I couldn’t let this coincidental encounter pass.”
“……”
“Especially since you left the Eyes of Blue, central intelligence has almost no trace of your activities. Of course, that’s partly due to the protection of the Lighthouse Keeper, who still favors you, but—”
“Stop.”
Lennok’s voice turned cold.
“After leaving the Eyes of Blue, I’ve received countless recruitment offers. The Conjunction Spell Master even spouted nonsense about joining the Order Alliance while fighting me.”
“……”
“I have no intention of joining any organization. Especially not now, after leaving the Eyes of Blue so as not to be bound by the Lighthouse Keeper’s mission.”
Rumble…!!!
With the crumbling fortress debris behind him, Lennok shook his head.
“If you’re looking for reliable allies to watch your back, find someone else. I’m not the person you’re looking for.”
“There’s a misunderstanding. You don’t necessarily have to join The Agency to conquer the demonic realm.”
The young man said, reaching into his pocket.
“We simply move towards the same goal, and true to our name, The Agency is a very mechanical organization. You could say we’re far from emotional ties.”
“……”
“What we want is a ‘Flame’ who can take on a part of the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors conquest. For that, you don’t need to formally belong to The Agency.”
Walking down the half-destroyed corridor, the young man approached Lennok and casually held out something.
A small business card that fit in one hand.
What was unusual was that the paper business card was constantly burning in the young man’s hand.
The paper business card, engulfed in faint flames, burning but maintaining its shape without being incinerated.
The young man, holding up the burning piece of paper, raised his gaze to Lennok.
“This is a Passlink created with Ars Nova’s technology, and it contains entry authority to the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors. It can also temporarily block the demonic flames of the realm.”
“……”
“Having campaigned in the deepest part of the Central Front, The Agency possesses several pieces of Ars Nova’s technology and legacies. Among them are individuals capable of accessing the [Archive].”
Looking at Lennok’s expressionless face, the young man faltered and spoke.
“If word gets out that you’ve arrived on the Eastern Continent to attend the military parade, other conquest-oriented organizations will also come to meet you. Accepting this would be helpful—”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the business card in the young man’s hand was in Lennok’s grip.
A movement so seamless that the young man, a former Enforcer from the Machine City, couldn’t even react, piercing the gaps in his senses.
As the young man, a chill running down his spine, looked up at Lennok, Lennok silently tucked it into his pocket.
The young man, regaining his composure belatedly, bowed his head right there.
“……Thank you.”
“I didn’t take this because I intend to work with you.”
Lennok ignored the young man and turned away.
“I’m interested in the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors. If it’s a demonic realm that will eventually open up, it might be better to have an entry ticket in advance.”
From the start, Lennok had no intention of accepting the young man’s offer or pursuing Conqueror Baitan.
While the fact that Ethan Bajour had resurrected in the demonic realm, and that Baitan originated from there, was intriguing.
Lennok had not returned to the Eastern Continent in his Cheonbeon identity to solve such matters immediately.
The Deadrise Legion’s military parade, beginning on the Eastern Continent.
He had no intention of missing this event, where all available Legionnaires from across the continent would gather.
He had accepted the Passlink from the young man purely in case he decided to visit the demonic realm someday.
Because he thought he might eventually need to visit the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors, where Enforcer Maiya Lonsdale had gone missing.
The young man, apparently understanding the meaning of Lennok’s answer, smiled and nodded.
“Yes. That’s fine. Just having an interest in the demonic realm means you’re certainly someone close to our cause.”
Leaving Lennok, who had ignored him and turned away, the young man stepped back.
“Then, I’ll take my leave. Honestly, I had a lot to do, like calling in an investigation team to uncover Baitan’s actions and abilities, but…”
The young man looked down at his battered body and gave a bitter laugh.
“In this state, I won’t be able to move for several days. I suppose I’ll have to rest quietly.”
“Enforcer.”
Lennok called the young man, his face expressionless.
“Your name?”
“Ah, my name is…”
The young man scratched his head and smiled.
“Artemeyer. Lakia Artemeyer.”
“I heard you have an upright and stubborn personality, and indeed, the rumors are true.”
Lennok, having parted ways with the Enforcer from The Agency, rejoined Euphoria, who had been waiting outside the mansion.
In that short time, she had meticulously sorted the acquired Water Vortex Soul Escape Herb and was ready to process it.
Euphoria, looking at Lennok with an expressionless face, spoke in a calm voice.
“I didn’t realize you would put such persistent effort into dealing with a mere Short-lived Being.”
“You didn’t hear rumors; you found out from the Power Ranking, didn’t you?”
Lennok retorted, brushing past Euphoria.
“The skirmish lasted barely three minutes. We talked for over five minutes after that, and you’re deliberately trying to mislead me.”
“How meticulous. You were calculating all that time?”
“That Enforcer had no intention of going all out from the start.”
Lennok’s eyes turned cold.
“He wanted to gauge my abilities and confirm if I was the person the rumors claimed. That’s why he deliberately over-exerted his movements.”
“You admit you prefer violent solutions, then.”
“Could I ever compare to an Elder Council committee member who frightens other Long-lived Beings just by reputation?”
“……”
Ignoring the sulking Euphoria, Lennok snapped his fingers, summoning his bike.
Lennok started the engine and mounted the bike, nodding towards the Long-lived Being.
“Alright, let’s go to The Legion’s Second Command Post. Get on.”
“Do I really have to ride this noisy mechanical contraption?”
“On a normal road, this thing can go three times faster than your sluggish tree roots.”
Lennok sneered.
“I cooperated since you knew the way to this city, but from here to the Command Post, I’ll drive myself.”
Their schedule had become a bit tight due to the excessive delay here. He would have to move quickly from now on to make it on time.
Euphoria, seemingly aware of this, closed her mouth and slowly approached the bike.
She looked at the roaring bike with an uncomprehending gaze, then slowly got into the sidecar.
Sitting with her knees together in the sidecar, Euphoria gazed up at Lennok and quietly said.
“……Having to look up at a Short-lived Being sitting in the place of honor, it’s a rather humiliating position.”
“What an absurd sentiment. Would you like to drive to the Command Post yourself, then?”
Lennok ignored Euphoria’s comment and twisted the throttle.
VROOOM!!!!
He sped away, evading the approaching presence of Watchers who had detected the flare Lennok fired in the distance.
Passing through the city ravaged by Conqueror Baitan, he headed towards the coordinates for the Second Command Post provided by The Legion.
How much time passed as he drove, ignoring Euphoria’s occasional complaints?
Lennok, who had been navigating by checking the map with Davi’s help, braked.
Screech!!
The bike’s tires skidded on the old road, kicking up thick dust.
“Cough.”
“We’re here. The coordinates on the map are near this area.”
Leaving Euphoria, who coughed lightly with an expressionless face, Lennok raised his mana.
Immediately, Lennok scanned the area and turned his gaze to the left of the path they had just taken.
“The direction where the scan is blocked, relative to our current position. The Legion Command Post is probably over there.”
“Is that so?”
“Do you have a complaint?”
“No. It’s not that.”
Euphoria replied.
“I don’t sense any signs of life. It feels different from when I tried scanning near the Sea of Understanding.”
“……Do you mean it’s not that scanning is impossible, but that nothing is detected by the scan?”
The coordinates Lennok possessed were information received from Mirva Neosoto, The Legion’s Fourth Legion Commander of Deadrise.
Coordinates given to Lennok after the First Gate incident, while inviting him to the military parade.
As the Fourth Legion Commander herself provided the information, its authenticity could not be doubted.
VROOOM!!!
A winding mountain path strewn with large rocks. As they went deeper inside, the humidity and heat grew stronger.
The deeper they ventured into the mountain, the denser the thickets and the more overgrown the surrounding vegetation seemed.
A landscape so wild that there was no trace of human presence, let alone a Legion Command Post.
But Lennok, seeing this, actually accelerated further.
“It seems to be around here.”
“Yes.”
Lennok agreed with Euphoria’s subjectless remark.
“The spacing of the trees and bushes is unnaturally dense. They’ve forested the area to conceal the landscape. The purpose is probably……”
Splash!
He accelerated and drove the bike straight into a cliff hidden among leaves and trees.
Without a collision, the bike passed through the thicket and entered a cave hidden within the cliff.
Flash!
Lights were regularly installed on the cave ceiling. A clean paved road, unlike the old road they had just traveled, was laid out.
As the bike tires settled on the paved road, the vehicle stabilized and smoothly entered the cave.
“Did they convert an entire mountain into a fortified base internally?”
Euphoria looked around, tilting her head in displeasure.
“Typical of Short-lived Beings, diligently destroying nature and ruining ecosystems. It’s not surprising, though.”
“Still a long way to go to catch up to the Long-lived Being who crashed into the Western Front and completely altered the surrounding terrain and environment.”
“……I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you know an suspiciously great deal about Kundara’s affairs, don’t you?”
They followed the winding cave along the smoothly laid road, penetrating deeper.
The cave opened up, expanding their field of vision, and soon the military base came into view.
“We’re here.”
Screech!!
Lennok said, stopping on a bridge where the military base was dimly visible in the distance.
Lennok braked and leaned the bike to a halt, then glanced around.
“The coordinates I received from the Fourth Legion Commander are here. To enter from here, we’ll probably have to go through inspection.”
“……”
“After meeting The Legion command and hearing the military parade schedule, I’ll talk about the deal we made… What are you doing?”
“I can see the scenery below the bridge.”
Euphoria said, sticking her head out of the sidecar with an expressionless face.
“They’re coming.”
“……Coming?”
As Euphoria said, the view below the bridge where the bike had stopped revealed the interior of the military base.
Countless soldiers busily moving inside the base even at this moment.
Stumbling, spitting blood, crawling onto the bridge, and screaming—
“Kieeeek!!!!”
“Krruruk!!!”
Dududududu!!!!!
“……Wait.”
Lennok looked at the ‘monsters’ that densely covered the bridge, crawling towards them.
Ragged military uniforms, bleeding and torn flesh. Eyes unfocused and saliva dripping from their mouths…….
“They’re undead.”
Euphoria stated calmly.
“Ghouls or zombies. Or perhaps a type of Corpse Ghost created by a spellcaster of the Order Alliance.”
“Keeeee!!!!”
The ghouls instantly covered the bridge like insects, swarming towards them.
Their eyes were bloodshot, their bodily fluids discolored black. Monsters reeking of decay from their rotting bodies.
CRASH!!!
Lennok blasted the ghouls away with a shockwave, then immediately twisted the bike’s throttle and accelerated.
He sped away, with hundreds of fiercely screaming ghouls precariously clinging to his back.
VROOOM!!!!
Upon arriving at The Legion’s military base, ghouls and zombies filled every direction.
Monsters roaming inside the base, devouring and tearing at each other, rampaging.
Euphoria, holding the sidecar with both hands, asked with an expressionless face.
“I never imagined The Legion would be raising ghouls.”
“……Where are your eyes if that’s how you see the current situation?”
No matter how insane Deadrise might be, they wouldn’t turn their own soldiers into ghouls to command them.
What did it mean to encounter ghoul-ified soldiers at the coordinates provided by The Legion?
“The Legion Command has been attacked by someone before the military parade.”
Lennok quickly assessed the situation, raising his gaze with a cold expression.
“It seems there’s a problem. I’ll have to enter the Command Post directly. Breaking through now.”