Chapter 1232: Adamant Thunder Annihilation Campaign (23)
“Adjust the position by joining Gate 3 with Connection Point 13.”
“The scale of the engagement at Gate 7 is too large. I’ll isolate that battlefield and reallocate the zone.”
“Connect Corridor 65, 342, and 3, and Fork 831 simultaneously. I’ll push the Outer Zone towards the northwest.”
Rumble…!!!
Thousands upon thousands of labyrinth structures shifted direction, moving in real-time according to Jenny’s will.
Massive corridor ceilings and walls, dozens of meters long, along with rooms, gates, and connection points, shifted their positions within the Nebula.
Damaged sections were replaced with intact facilities, and battlefields where engagements occurred were isolated and adjusted to prevent the surroundings from being swept away.
Only Jenny, who had officially inherited the Ouroboros magic system, could fully operate and control the labyrinth facilities.
Cold sweat streamed down Jenny’s face as she focused on manipulating the labyrinth using her Halo.
“There’s too much to do… I can’t focus on every part of the labyrinth simultaneously…”
The Legion’s forces were entering District 49, approaching the labyrinth designed by Lennok.
Currently, hundreds of engagements were occurring simultaneously throughout the labyrinth.
Forces participating in the Subjugation Operation and allied forces clashed everywhere consciousness reached.
Most of the engagements in the labyrinth were being observed in real-time, and the positions of the gates and allocation of forces were being adjusted.
Though the Magic Tower’s staff were assisting Jenny with her work, ultimately, only she could directly manipulate the labyrinth.
It was an excessively heavy workload for Jenny to handle alone.
“Administrator…”
“…No. Not yet. I can still do more.”
A staff member brought a real-time combat report and wiped the sweat from Jenny’s forehead.
Jenny’s eyes remained fixed on the screens broadcasting from all directions as she quickly spoke.
“I’m going to re-prioritize the engagements happening throughout the labyrinth. I’ll focus on critical areas and exclude those without casualties.”
Currently, not all of the Tower’s allies were fighting in every engagement zone within the District 49 labyrinth.
Among them, some paths were blocked by Long-lived Being effigies Van had prepared in advance, or were facing the Legion’s special forces.
Battlefields where allied forces weren’t being depleted would be excluded from care, and I’d intervene and adjust in dangerous or high-priority battlefields first.
The Tower’s staff, understanding Jenny’s words immediately, began briefing her with organized reports from all directions, a tense expression on their faces.
“The most intense front is Gate 4, where Thorben’s Tower Lord and a Legion Commander are clashing.”
“Transcendent, both having reached Level 8. Both possess aggressive temperaments, disregarding their surroundings. They’re smashing everything in sight.”
“The nearby labyrinth is being completely swept away and obliterated around the engagement zone, making access impossible. We should aim to minimize allied intervention…”
Crraaccckkkkk!!!!
The epicenter flashed with brilliant blue lightning and black light.
A colossal Lightning God, his entire body swollen, and a silver-white slash intersected, curling spacetime into oblivion.
Even to Jenny and the Tower’s staff, who had no expertise in combat, it was a battlefield where dangerous powers raged more fiercely than anywhere else.
The sweating staff quickly switched screens with Jenny’s help.
“Tatiana and an Elder of Blaiver Magic Tower have begun an engagement. The largest-scale spellcraft is being deployed simultaneously in this battlefield…!”
“Corridors and facilities hundreds of meters nearby have been transformed into a volcanic zone. Internal temperatures are rising rapidly. The labyrinth’s current heat resistance won’t hold out for long.”
Whoosh!!!
Hot flames surged through every corridor connected to the gate.
Beyond that, in the heart of the inferno, two crimson shadows grew in size, clashing against each other.
“6th Legion Commander Atiya is pursuing Dylan. We can’t keep up with their speed!!”
“A True Ancestor Vampire from the Demonic Conflux has encountered the Fearsome Blood King. 35 statues in the nearby labyrinth have been damaged.”
“Mila has clashed with Robert Loveride of the 3rd Legion. A massive shockwave has erupted around the engagement zone…!!”
Along with the staff’s reports, images of superhumans fighting throughout the labyrinth flashed by in succession.
Some engaged in pursuits, running through the complex labyrinth facilities, others unleashed sticky blood barriers in large-scale spellcraft battles, and some moved with the wounded, slaughtering soldiers blocking their path.
A look of relief spread across the face of one of the staff observing the battlefield with tension.
“Felix Magart. Has defeated the 2nd Legion Commander at Gate 8. All siege units under his command have been neutralized!!”
“Lord Felix…!”
“Ooohhh!!”
“He did it…!”
The first major victory report to emerge from the fierce engagements throughout the labyrinth.
It wasn’t just a subordinate unit or remnants of a faction, but a significant achievement: killing a Legion Commander.
We can win.
At the moment the staff in the deepest part of the labyrinth all shared similar thoughts, Jenny quietly spoke.
“Ability Awakening Warband, Ten Seats, Esteban Aisen. Has breached Gate 10, which Krod Azlan was defending, and entered the deepest part of the labyrinth…”
“…”
“His ability is 8-level Mercury Manipulation. He must be the master of the airship Ability Bloom stationed outside District 49.”
In the atmosphere that had instantly turned cold, Jenny calmly examined the screen.
“The 5th Seat of the Ability Awakening Warband. He’s currently far ahead of everyone else in the labyrinth. He’s a dangerous person…”
“He is the superhuman who took on the role of Supreme Commander for the Ability Awakening Warband in this war.”
“Since Zero Seat Ophelia personally selected him for the Subjugation Operation, he won’t be an ordinary individual…”
The ten highest-ranking innate ability users who guarded Zero Seat Ophelia Ionix Zaedark.
The other Ten Seats, excluding the top three, were rated similarly to Deadrise’s Legion Commanders.
Esteban, the 5th Seat who participated in the Subjugation Operation, should have been at a similar level to the Legion Commanders, according to pre-assessments.
Nevertheless, Esteban was currently approaching the heart of the labyrinth faster than anyone else.
Was the commander personally chosen by the Zero Seat such an outstanding superhuman? Or was his ability itself specialized for this kind of battlefield?
While Jenny was deep in thought, other operators quickly summarized and reported on the surrounding battle situation.
“As the Administrator said, the situation is not favorable everywhere in the labyrinth right now.”
“The mercenary group led by Dray Krimgal is clashing with the Legion’s Ghost Squadron Gespenst at Gate 14. They are at a power disadvantage…!!”
“The 3rd Mechanized Legion has broken into Gate 6, defended by Undertaker Cyrus. Specific battle conditions cannot be observed.”
“Aris Richellen won against the Cult’s military chaplain at Gate 2. Immediately after, she began an engagement with Doctor Artemeyer from the Demonic Conflux…!!!”
“…”
The screens broadcasting in real-time from all directions flickered, then faded with static.
As superhumans clashed throughout the labyrinth, the aftermath of their powers began to prevent the battlefields from being properly displayed.
Jenny, looking at the last darkened screen, stood up with a firm expression.
“Administrator?”
“This location will be detected by other Transcendent soon. We need to prepare to move.”
“But…”
“I’m manipulating the labyrinth facilities using Ouroboros, but that doesn’t mean I can foresee every battle situation.”
Jenny began tidying the surroundings with quick steps, saying,
“Among the superhumans participating in the Subjugation Operation, there are definitely those who have evaded our observation. We mustn’t be caught by them yet.”
“…”
“Especially that Manipulation Spellcaster from Pandemonium… For a moment, he wielded spellcraft comparable to Van’s. He’s undoubtedly one of the most dangerous variables in this war.”
The presence of the Manipulation Spellcaster, wearing an obsidian mask that obscured his face.
Though his direct appearance was fleeting, no one within this labyrinth could forget his presence.
A Trait-type Spellcaster who left a clear imprint of his presence across all of Vulcan with just a single moment of intervention upon entering District 49.
Jenny bit her lip in exasperation, checking the remaining time as she spoke.
“Van needs a little more time to finish his preparations to return… In the worst-case scenario, we might have to become bait.”
“…Understood. We’ll prepare immediately.”
“We’ll clear all traces here and move.”
The Tower’s allies, led by Jenny, were guarding the labyrinth to assist Van, as previously discussed.
It was to buy time until Adamant Thunder, who had personally entered the battlefield of the Subjugation Operation, ‘returned’ to District 49.
However, the enemies who had entered District 49 were more formidable than anticipated, making it impossible for their current forces to cover everything.
In fact, it was nothing short of a miracle that they had managed to block the paths by moving the labyrinth’s structures and facilities until now.
This was due to the intervention of Gileon’s authority, who had not participated in the Subjugation Operation, but Jenny had no way of knowing that.
Nevertheless, Jenny was doing her best in the given situation.
“Incinerate all printed operation plans and reports. Put anything that won’t burn into the shredder.”
“Don’t forget to put all data disks into the degausser and destroy them!!”
“We’ll use artifacts to completely erase our presence and scent. Everyone, grab your catalysts!!”
“We’ll scatter chaff through the ventilation shafts to avoid detection spellcraft.”
Following Jenny’s words, staff members moved busily in all directions, quickly tidying the surroundings.
Piles of documents and papers disappeared, and the entire messy room was cleaned up.
Jenny, along with other staff, also put documents into the shredder, and cleaned the floor and walls, removing any remaining traces.
With the help of artifacts and manuals, they finished tidying and packed their belongings, standing up in five minutes.
“Alright. Let’s move immediately.”
Jenny, who had contemplated the labyrinth using the Ouroboros magic system, immediately set her destination and opened her eyes.
“We’ll pass through two gates to get to the exact opposite side of the labyrinth. I’ll open the gate right now, so everyone get ready-”
Kwahhhng!!!!
At that moment, the hollow wall shattered, and a tattered wooden serpent appeared.
An enormous strategic weapon, its entire body carved with grotesque sorcerous runes, with massive wings.
But its form was completely burnt and crushed, so utterly wrecked it looked ready to collapse at any moment.
[Kieooooooh!!!!]
At the moment everyone in the room froze as if turned to stone by the desperate roar of the wooden serpent.
Beneath the serpent’s wings, a nonchalant male voice echoed.
“Ah, finally found you.”
“…”
A voice that should never have been heard, considering all passages and routes leading here had been cut off.
At the end of their gazes, as people stiffly turned their heads, a man with a sparse beard stood there.
A soldier, clearly belonging to Deadrise, wearing a tattered black military uniform on the verge of fraying.
But everyone present, including Jenny, knew that face.
The Grand Sorcerer who, just moments ago, had been fiercely fighting Adamant Thunder above the Outer Zone.
One of the most dangerous variables Jenny had been wary of, who had not shown his face anywhere in the labyrinth until now.
The Legion’s Third Legion Commander.
“…Baragan.”
“What, you know who I am?”
Ignoring the frozen people, Baragan stepped down into the room from Quetzalcoatl’s wing.
Whoosh-
He effortlessly leaped over the wary staff, closing the distance.
A movement that everyone gathered here couldn’t even perceive, let alone react to properly.
In that instant, others realized the gap that existed between them.
“You’re the ones who were directly manipulating and coordinating the internal facilities throughout this labyrinth, aren’t you?”
Baragan laughed, looking down at the people who had frozen stiff in place.
“I knew you’d be somewhere. My prediction was correct.”
“…How?”
“From the moment I saw the labyrinth facilities in District 49, I thought its structure was unbelievably complex.”
Baragan casually replied to someone’s whispered question.
“It’s not just about moving the labyrinth facilities; you’re changing the environment in real-time, including air pressure, temperature, mana density, and spiritual presence. This is an impossibly complex task, unless you’re altering absolute and relative coordinates within a Domain.”
“…”
“I’m not sure about the specifics, but manipulating the labyrinth wouldn’t just involve simple coordinate changes. It would be impossible unless you completely reconfigured the surrounding environment and adjusted it to fit each connection point of the labyrinth.”
As a Transcendent who rose to the rank of Legion Commander as a sorcerer, did he vaguely grasp its principles and structure the moment he entered the Domain?
More accurately, he realized how unrealistic Adamant Thunder’s Domain existed, and sensed something was amiss.
“Adamant Thunder’s subordinates guarding each gate were stronger than expected, but I doubt they’re all smart enough to understand this labyrinth’s complex design.”
Baragan smiled, his hands in his pockets.
“It’s rational to think there are people somewhere assisting and coordinating the labyrinth’s facility operations… isn’t it?”
“…”
While Adamant Thunder’s allies guarding District 49 might be superhumans without lacking in ability, not all of them are outstanding sorcerers.
Through this, Baragan concluded that not everyone could understand the labyrinth’s complex structure and operational methods.
At the same time, he moved, believing that there were individuals ‘responsible’ for adjusting and manipulating the labyrinth somewhere.
An 8-level Grand Sorcerer. A Transcendent with the insight and intuition befitting one who directly inherited Pyeonram’s Esoteric Sorcery.
That’s why Jenny, despite being wary of Transcendent who weren’t observed within the labyrinth, was still one step too late.
“So I risked permanent damage to Quetzalcoatl and was swimming outside the Nebula looking for you… it took much longer than I expected. The losses are considerable.”
Baragan slowly unclasped his hands and spoke.
“I’ll have to collect that price directly from you.”
“Who started the war first…!!!”
Whoosh!!
With a sharp cry, one of the staff, who had concealed their presence, rushed at Baragan from behind.
A physical ability user responsible for security among the Tower’s staff. From an assassination organization, highly skilled in stealth techniques.
Moving silently behind Baragan, just as he swung his dagger to sever Baragan’s carotid artery from the neck.
The staff member’s body was sent flying far away with a tremendous roar, splattering blood.
Boom!!!!
“Cough…!!”
A horrifying sight, half of his head caved in, convulsing and spewing blood.
The atmosphere in the room turned chillingly cold at the sight of their colleague instantly turned to pulp.
“Ah, I forgot to mention.”
Baragan, who had struck and burst the assassin’s head without even looking, spoke.
“I’m not in the mood to hold back right now. I just got beaten to within an inch of my life by that crazy wizard you serve.”
“…”
“The guys loyal to Ethan died in droves… If not for Quetzalcoatl, I would’ve been in a similar state.”
Baragan’s gaze at the staff was utterly chilling.
“There were orders not to kill the Tower’s researchers or staff if possible, but what does that mean at this point, with the Subjugation Operation like this?”
“…”
In the suffocating silence, Baragan slowly moved.
“If I kill all of you here, you won’t be able to play around with the labyrinth anymore. Then our scattered allies will eventually be able to reach the heart of the labyrinth. But…”
Click. With a sound, Baragan stopped walking and looked around at the staff, who stood frozen.
The moment he saw Jenny, pale-faced among the staff, Baragan halted his movement abruptly.
Baragan narrowed his eyes, meeting Jenny’s gaze as she glared at him with a cold expression.
“Yes… it would be a lie to say I didn’t notice, even seeing it with my own eyes.”
“…”
“Jenicia Bajour.”
Baragan slowly, softly called that name, as if savoring it.
As if he couldn’t believe this moment of facing Jenny directly.
“You were really alive. And on Adamant Thunder’s side, no less.”
A high-ranking general within Deadrise. A Sacred Kin from Vulcan. A Project associate.
Since meeting Peshia Grisbern, Jenny’s second encounter with a colleague of Kaiser.
A sorcerer who remembered the events after the Project’s failure, bearing Deadrise’s karma, was now revealing his belated impressions upon seeing Jenny.
“…Baragan. I don’t know what your relationship with Bajour is, but.”
Jenny retorted coldly.
“Don’t call me that. I have no attachment to that name.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Baragan laughed, unperturbed.
“But even that glare resembles your grandfather. You are undoubtedly Kaiser’s granddaughter. Now that I see you, I know for sure.”
“…”
“Honestly, I thought Ethan’s plan held little meaning… but seeing you in person, I can’t deny my opinion is changing.”
Baragan slowly walked towards Jenny.
“You resemble him so much… enough to make even me inadvertently nostalgic. And I thought I had forgotten everything.”
“What on earth…”
“So, I’ll make you an offer.”
Ignoring the staff who were blocking his way, on guard from all sides, Baragan extended his hand and said.
“If you come with us, I’ll spare the lives of these others right here. What do you say?”
“…What?”
At the unexpected offer, Jenny’s expression instantly creased.
“I don’t know what… you’re trying to say. Are you trying to persuade me, after coming all this way?”
“Persuade?”
“The outcome of the Subjugation Operation is set. What can be changed here is not up to you, but only what Van himself decides.”
Jenny spoke to Baragan, who tilted his head, not bothering to hide her wary expression.
“Even if… Ethan were to intervene directly now, nothing would change.”
“…Ah, I see.”
Baragan rested his chin in his hand at Jenny’s words, as she uttered the name with difficulty.
“I thought if you’re Ethan’s daughter, you would naturally know. You didn’t know yet?”
“What?”
“No, perhaps it was deliberately not told to you. But then I understand even less…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, I never thought I’d be the one to say this now.”
Baragan chuckled, looking away as if amused.
“But you’re right. At this point, it probably doesn’t matter anymore.”
“What on earth, just now-”
“Jenicia Bajour. Your existence is the very reason the Legion is trying to acquire something through this Subjugation Operation, and the will Ethan left behind.”
While Jenny froze, Baragan spoke, his hand extended.
“And you are the sole ‘success’ of the Black Consumer Project, which Ethan completed at the cost of his life.”