Chapter 418: Truth and Requiem (3)
They say a third of the continent belongs to the center.
An arrogant assertion, yet it claims a third of this world’s capital, culture, people, industry, influence, and history originated from the Central City.
But if that claim were false, they wouldn’t still be locked in fierce blood battles over the Central City, which fell decades ago.
On the contrary, precisely because of that, Lennok was certain that what Madrich had just said was not a lie.
Ars Nova, the great Central City, which he had never seen or heard of directly, but whose vastness and scale he could infer.
If its destruction was a tragedy caused by the Black Consumer Project, then it was understandable why the project’s inner workings had been so thoroughly concealed.
Just how important the secret hidden within the Central City was, and how many people were vying to claim its legacy.
How many believed the answer lay beyond an unseen curtain at the end of the conclusion.
“I heard that no one has yet reached the central front due to the curtain drawn over it.”
Lost in thought, he replaced the cigarette that had burned out.
“The specific cause of Ars Nova’s destruction has never been revealed… I see.”
A single truth spilled from Madrich Onnion’s lips.
But Lennok’s mind, based on that one premise, began to envision countless possibilities and quickly piece together the events unfolding in this city like a puzzle.
Why Madrich only started moving after the Prohibition Edict was lifted, and why that trigger was the dissolution of the Defense Force.
The reason they desired new power. The reason the new project was only now starting.
“The new project you kept mentioning is—”
“[STOP!!!]”
A resounding roar burst from the tattered, half-corpse-like giant’s mouth.
“[That’s enough.]”
The giant’s shoulders trembled faintly, shaking the hundreds of long glass tubes bound to its limbs.
The giant, covering its eyes with trembling hands, let out a low sigh.
“[No… this isn’t it… Why on earth…]”
A great tremor. A rift so immense that Madrich himself couldn’t comprehend breaking the prohibition.
At the provocation Lennok had just thrown about the conclusion, Madrich had been shaken and agitated to a degree that surprised even himself.
Was it because Madrich himself recognized and treated Lennok as an equal opponent?
Or perhaps, even in the eyes of a long-lived Military Spirit Sorcerer, he couldn’t hide his anticipation when faced with such a perfect blade?
“[…No. It’s not wrong.]”
The answer immediately burst from the giant’s mouth.
“[We were not wrong. I am different from them…!!]”
The giant slowly raised its tattered forearms, beginning to form hand seals.
Simultaneously, a massive surge of power rose, engulfing the entire cavern of this colossal charnel house.
“[Domain, unfold.]”
Immediately after Madrich quietly murmured, Lennok’s stomach suddenly dropped, and his ears began to ring.
Whoosh…!!
An incredibly bizarre sensation, as if rapidly ascending in altitude.
Lennok, who had intentionally turned off his shield’s filter to perceive his surroundings, staggered slightly, and then—
Screeech!!!
The landscape of the charnel house, completely blocked by solid rock, began to twist and transform.
Water filled the cracks in the rock, and the surroundings were covered in a dark blue light.
Fish and various aquatic creatures surfaced, gasping, rushing past him as he instantly shot above the water’s surface.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!!!
A storm-clouded sky, raging with downpours and fierce winds.
But even more astonishing was the sight of the endless, surging ocean surrounding this enormous charnel house.
Domain, unfold.
Hierarchy, Imagery Manifestation.
“[Delusional Shackled Warship (妄梁鎖例艦)]”
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa!!!!!
The endlessly narrow corridor was like a pilgrimage route passing through the deck’s lower passages.
The massive cavern where the giant’s body sat was precisely an arbitrarily arranged space on top of such a deck.
A colossal ghost ship, using the giant’s body, dozens of meters tall, as an anchor, wandering endlessly in the rough seas.
That was the charnel house itself, which the Military Spirit Sorcerer Madrich Onnion had been using to enshrine the spirits and bodies of the dead.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!!!
The pouring rain intensified.
Rain lashed down onto the heavily pooled water on the old deck, creating countless ripples, and from the center of those ripples, something began to emerge, piercing through the deck floor.
Crackling!!
Whitish flesh surged from various parts of the deck. All were plastered with rain, but their attire varied greatly, regardless of age or gender.
Hundreds of military spirit bodies, barely maintaining human form, clutched their throats and shrieked simultaneously with a snap of the giant’s fingers.
“[Aaaaaah!!!]”
Thick, long chains hung from their necks, rotating throughout this colossal ghost ship.
Clink-clink-clink-clink!!!
As the military spirits began to rampage across the ship, the hundreds of chains attached to them swayed like waves.
“[From the boundary between this world and the next, my domain sails towards the end of the world.]”
At the end of the surging horde of massive chains, the giant, paused in a prayer-like stance, looked down at Lennok and spoke.
“[The repose of the dead is an inviolable space that no one can disturb. From now on, I will show you that my answer was not wrong.]”
Lennok ignored the military spirit bodies in front of him and turned his gaze towards the giant, who served as the mast, opening his mouth.
“I think I generally understand how you comprehend the concept of a Domain.”
A Domain that projected an infinitely dense mindscape, yet different from a typical domain.
Unlike a standard Domain that fundamentally transforms the entire environment and temporarily fixes it, this was a space that constantly maintained and satisfied the conditions of a specific environment.
Olivera Ron Maize had also controlled his laboratory in a similar manner, hadn’t he?
“Is it a method of altering reality by varying the mindscape projected from a transcendent perspective of Hierarchy? I’ve seen a similar sight before.”
“[…]”
“A massive ghost battleship wandering the vast ocean… Is this how you intend to reach your answer?”
Lennok chuckled.
“Alright. To hear the answer I want, I’ve made my own preparations.”
As he simultaneously touched the inside of his wrists with both index fingers, something long sprung from his pocket and was gripped in both hands.
Click!!
A Gatling gun, modified by binding dozens of long barrels into a circular shape.
He raised the thick barrel, which from a distance looked like a single cylinder, and infused it with mana. The barrels spun madly, emitting a brilliant blue mana light.
Whirrrrr!!!
Instantly preheated and rotating, the intense heat evaporated the pouring rain, turning it into countless streams of steam.
Lennok nodded, inhaling both the cigarette smoke and steam rising from the end of the deck.
“This is a custom-ordered category system upgrade from the Machine City, Machina. The Predator Overbound Gatling Gun. A friend born less than 48 hours ago.”
What Lennok had ordered from Palmer wasn’t merely the modification of his existing firearms.
Even with a bit more time, the production of new equipment specifically designed to counter Military Spirit Sorcerers had been completed just barely on schedule.
To effectively deal with sorcerers who wield countless military spirits, such a machine gun would be ideal.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!!
The magazine rotated in sync with the spinning barrels, instantly sparking flames.
Lennok, holding up the heavy machine gun with mana threads tied to both hands for support, grinned.
“Let’s begin.”
“[Uwaaaahhhhh!!!]”
Though suffering from the chains around their necks, countless military spirits leaped from various parts of the deck, flailing their limbs as they rushed towards Lennok.
With their half-corpse-like gray skin and sickly blue complexions, they looked closer to zombies than humans.
Yet, their movements were incredibly nimble on this slick deck, where rain incessantly poured down.
Lennok immediately drew upon his mana and twisted his shoulder.
Shara-rak!!
Mana threads shot from his fingertips and attached directly to the mast above the ship’s bow. Lennok’s body lifted straight from the deck, soaring skyward.
Simultaneously, he aimed the recently drawn Gatling gun downwards and fixed the trigger in place.
The already superheated barrels spun frantically, spraying countless bullets onto the deck below.
Dudududududududududu!!!
A deafening volley of gunfire pierced through the sound of crashing waves and pouring rain.
Lennok’s preemptive strike, as he hung from the ship’s mast with mana threads, gliding alongside the vessel and indiscriminately firing the machine gun, left the military spirits utterly defenseless, screaming in agony.
“[Aaaargh!!!]”
Bullets rained down on the deck, not merely piercing the military spirits. The moment the bullets penetrated the flesh, they exploded, tearing the military spirits’ bodies to pieces and scattering their remains across the deck and into the sea.
Kwagwagwang!!
“[Uwooohhhhh!!]”
The military spirits, too, didn’t simply remain powerless under Lennok’s gunfire.
They quickly piled their bodies, forming tall towers, and thrashed their arms, splattering bodily fluids, to grab Lennok.
Though Lennok was firing the Gatling gun from above, out of their reach, it was only at the height of a mast. Some military spirits stacked their bodies to reach higher, or even climbed the mast itself to target Lennok from above him.
These were not mere zombies but spirits with both soul and body, moving according to the principles of Military Spirit Sorcery. Although they wailed in pain from the chains around their necks, they clearly retained intelligence and could use mana.
Ka-ga-ga-gak!!
Sharp mana essence, mixed with the raging wind, clawed at the surroundings and severed the mana threads Lennok was hanging from.
His rain-soaked coat flapped as he plummeted towards the deck below, and just as the military spirits, drooling, lunged at him—
Paaat!!
Lennok’s form appeared a few meters above, with a brilliant blue flash.
He instantly connected his mana threads to another mast, traversing the center of the deck.
In his hands, instead of the machine gun, was another object.
Click!!
A navy-blue, angular, cuboid muzzle, mana circuits flowing ceaselessly across its surface, and a rotating ring of mana light glowing from its engine drive.
“[Cannon charge 120% complete. Energy overload. Concentrated trajectory calculation ready.]”
The voice of a spirit emanated from the mage-engineered concentrated blast cannon, which Lennok clutched, reinforced by mana threads for grip and support.
Simultaneously, a light burst from the muzzle, brightly illuminating nearly half the ship’s deck.
The military spirits, realizing it wasn’t just a simple light but the firing range encompassed by a wizard’s bazooka, let out piercing screams.
Flash!!
As the flash ignited, brilliant blue flames surged across the deck.
“[Kiiyaaaahk!!]”
“[Hot…! Sav…!]”
The military spirits thrashed in agony, unable to speak properly.
Even amidst the torrential rain on the ship, the heat of the concentrated blast cannon did not easily dissipate, constantly tormenting and incinerating the military spirits’ bodies.
Lennok looked down at the military spirits, severed his mana threads, and lightly landed on the deck.
“[Aaaargh!!]”
One military spirit, engulfed in flames, failed to recognize Lennok and tried to crawl towards him, flailing its limbs.
Bang!!
Lennok pulled out his revolver and blew off the military spirit’s head, then stood up.
Lennok’s complexion wasn’t particularly good either, despite having swiftly dealt with hundreds of military spirits.
“Ugh… My stomach…”
He had taken a lot of motion sickness medicine the moment he heard Madrich resided in a sea area, but he couldn’t endure such intense movements for long.
Lennok wiped his mouth and stood up, using mana threads to grab a nearby fallen military spirit by the scruff of its neck, pulling it upright.
He strode forward to where the giant forming hand seals was visible and asked,
“The faces of these guys… They’re in my database. They were known as criminals who escaped from existing detention facilities, but they were here, huh.”
“[…]”
The giant did not reply.
Facing the giant, who silently stared down at him, Lennok chuckled.
“There were rumors that among the special detention facilities directly managed by the Vulcan City Government, there was a moving prison, not tied to a single location.”
And those who realized that it wasn’t just a rumor, but an actual existing concept, would never have gotten out again. Just like this massive ghost ship Lennok was standing on.
“Alahorn. So this was the City Government’s direct detention facility, said to imprison only the most heinous criminals?”
As the head of a judicial institution, he judged criminals and sent prisoners suitable for military spirits to his Domain, subjugating them.
In that process, he designated the Domain’s space itself as a detention facility, continuously transporting criminals, and at the same time, preserved the spirits of powerful figures who feared death.
A charnel house to console spirits, and simultaneously a prison to confine and command them.
This ghost ship on the vast ocean, perfectly fulfilling both purposes, was the very existence of the Domain Lennok stood upon.
From the moment Lennok found this charnel house, there were virtually no options. Either accept Madrich’s proposal and become a dog of the City Government, or become a military spirit bound to this ominous ship.
There was no way to walk out unharmed from either choice.
The giant, who had been listening silently to Lennok’s words, let out a weak laugh.
“[Perhaps it was a mistake to give a fragment of truth to a wizard like you.]”
“…”
When Lennok didn’t reply, the giant spoke again.
“[But if all this lineage ends here, it won’t matter. Cutting off regret and moving forward. It was a mistake endlessly repeated for decades.]”
“Impressive.”
Lennok said.
“To wield such power and death, and still dream of ascension? Even knowing that it might all be futile?”
“[Yes.]”
Madrich Onnion replied.
“[Because I so ardently yearned for it, I was able to come this far. Because I so desperately craved it, I can move further.]”
“I see.”
“[Do you think it’s a meaningless struggle?]”
Instead of answering, Lennok snorted. He raised both hands and slowly began to form hand seals.
At that moment, a colossal wave rose from the endlessly shaking sea, violently slamming into the side of the ghost ship.
Whoosh!!!
“[…!!]”
It was, at first glance, natural for waves to intensify during a storm.
But what changed Madrich’s expression was not the sheer power of the wave that struck the ship.
As the fierce wave crashed, a portion of its water poured unhindered onto the deck, beginning to form an unknown, whitish shape.
Koo-goo-goo-goo…!!
Vast seawater, pulled from the depths of the ocean, condensed into the form of a colossal giant.
Its lower half remained submerged, while its upper half was pulled onto the ship’s deck. The water-colored giant faced Madrich, who served as the ship’s mast, and roared ferociously.
Water-elemental unique magic.
Summoning-elemental double-attunement.
Environmental suitability catalyst setting complete.
“[Water Spirit Manifestation: Arise!]”
“[Uooooooohhhhh!!!!]”
Paaang!!
With a magnificent roar, a colossal wave burst forth from the giant, sweeping across the deck and sending military spirit bodies flying.
“[Aaaargh!!]”
The military spirit bodies shrieked desperately as they were swept away by the wave and fell off the ship.
But the thick chains around their necks prevented them from falling completely off the ship.
Hundreds of vengeful spirits, chained and dangling off the bow of the ship, screamed.
And the ghost ship itself, adorned with these spirits like decorations, cleaved through the sea.
“A spectacular sight.”
Lennok looked down at the utterly wretched forms and nodded.
“Do you believe the future of this world will ultimately be like that?”
The wizard stood atop the water-colored giant’s head.
His coat, and even his hair, were drenched, and rainwater streamed down his cheeks, but the brilliant blue light emanating from his eyes did not waver in the slightest.
“Using humans as raw material to cleave through the unseen dark sea, searching for a new world where no end exists… I think I understand what kind of future a Military Spirit Sorcerer like you dreams of.”
“[…]”
“But seeking the next path by relying on the city’s power is not the answer I want. That would simply be walking the path that has already failed, once again.”
Why was he so actively trying to uncover the Black Consumer Project’s secrets?
It wasn’t merely to avoid repeating the secrets left behind by their failure. He was certain that those who survived that project, like Madrich, were also desperately seeking a way to advance to the next stage.
Even at this moment, someone was searching for a way to sustain the world by overcoming destruction.
The answer Lennok sought would surely be visible right at the forefront of such advanced paths, across countless eons.
He couldn’t stop, even if it was just to learn where those who had once experienced such a bitter failure had progressed beyond their pain.
There was still so much more to do.
Dudududududu!!!
Enveloping his body with seawater drawn from the ocean’s depths, he roared with a voice empowered by the falling rain.
“[How unfortunate.]”
Madrich, who had been gazing at the colossal water giant rising from the edge of the vast deck, stood up.
“[By rights, the one to find the path forward should have been new talent like you, not old relics like us.]”
Maintaining the hand seal with one hand, he picked up one of the glass tubes attached to his body with the other and plunged it into himself.
Whoosh!!
An strange, deflating sound accompanied the injection of an unknown liquid into his body.
Madrich, closing his eyes and savoring it, slowly walked forward and stood facing the water-colored giant.
“[But there is no time left. At this point, where we cannot even guess where this world’s conclusion will arrive, understand that we cannot take a gamble.]”
“A gamble.”
Lennok couldn’t help but laugh. Because every moment since he woke up in this world had been nothing short of an adventure for him.
On the ship, crossing the storm-ridden sea, the two giants faced each other.
The tightly clenched forearms of the two giants crossed, and a massive shockwave burst through the rain.
Kwaaaang!!!