Chapter 479: The Land Running on the Sea (1)

An island that moves and wanders along the waters outside the continent.

Living humans are stacked up as altars, and flames are lit to create a colossal beacon.

Hundreds of people wander amidst it, offering prayers. And several times that many roam various parts of the island.

It’s astonishing that the island is large enough to accommodate nearly a thousand people, but is it even possible for it to be moving on the sea in such a state?

But Lennok couldn’t help but reflect on the environment as much as the shocking scene unfolding before him through the hologram.

‘A land that runs on the sea, huh…’

Just before coming here, he had checked a paper mentioning the existence of a mirror that reflects the will of existence.

He had considered it a Zen koan and intended to visit the Lighthouse of the Floating Island cluster, but he never expected to find a clue at this point.

Was it a coincidence, gained from having connections with various organizations and powerful individuals, picking up information from different regions?

“I’ve heard related stories before.”

As Lennok was lost in thought, Lapis murmured, biting her lip slightly.

“The fundamental reason the Cult isn’t tied down by supply and distribution across the continent was said to be because they might exist outside the sea.”

“…….”

“The Guido Cult’s Far Eastern Branch. I can’t believe they would appear in the Sea of Understanding at this point…”

“Because of the invisible barrier surrounding the outside of the island, it was difficult to enter without being detected.”

Layza shrugged, continuing her explanation.

“We had no choice but to swim around the perimeter and only observe the visible parts, so the rest is a rough guess. Even from sea level, the Cult’s temple-like structures weren’t properly visible.”

“If I had my way, I would have forced my way in right then and there to confirm, but I thought I should report the situation first.”

As the twins finished speaking, a chilling silence spread through the conference room.

It was clear that the news brought by the Watchers from the Western Continent branch was a far more serious problem than expected.

Grisha crossed her arms and laughed incredulously.

“For the news to come from the Western Continent branch, of all places… Should I call it fortunate that someone wanted to see the Floating Island cluster?”

“The important thing is that the Far Eastern Branch attempted to approach the Sea of Understanding, even at the cost of revealing their location.”

Lapis, who had quickly finished her thoughts, spoke coldly.

“Since we cannot confirm the strength deployed by the Far Eastern Branch, investigation must come first.”

“But isn’t the very act of approaching the Sea of Understanding first an indication that they are already prepared for a confrontation?”

“If they had intended to target the Floating Island cluster, they would have moved long ago. It’s more likely they have another agenda.”

At this point, no one spoke of needing additional reinforcements.

Considering the terrain of the Far Eastern Branch as reported by the Watchers’ senses, an excessive number of personnel could easily be detected by the Cult.

If they had not yet realized that the Eyes of Blue had discovered their existence, that fact needed to be thoroughly exploited.

At most, it would be best to use only the Watchers who just returned from the Sea of Understanding, or even fewer.

Lapis, having reached the same conclusion, rapidly tapped the table.

“Rapperd is right. We will aim to investigate the Cult’s purpose and ascertain the Far Eastern Branch’s strength.”

“Number of personnel for the operation?”

“Let’s keep it to no more than three.”

At Grisha’s words, Lapis continued as if she had been waiting.

“I believe all the Watchers gathered here have been operating alone, and it’s understandable if coordinated operations feel awkward. In that case, a small team composition that ensures individual range of activity without hindering it would be suitable.”

“…….”

The twins and Layza also seemed to have nothing to say, looking at each other and shrugging.

These were individuals who continued their personal activities without belonging to an organization, even after completing their Hierarchy.

Even after joining the Eyes of Blue as Watchers, it wouldn’t have been common for them to seek help from others while carrying out missions for the Lighthouse.

And when one’s skill or talent surpasses a certain point, sometimes the presence of others can feel like a hindrance… Lennok knew this feeling quite well.

Occasionally, Lennok felt such frustration not only with superhumans weaker than himself but also with those more powerful and intelligent.

However, he never tried to expend much emotion on such a series of processes because he never forgot that, despite various shortcomings, frustrations, and disagreements, there were times when they simply had to join hands.

Even the skilled individuals from Pandemonium, with whom he had recently worked, didn’t complain about the team operation process, despite having many areas where they didn’t quite mesh.

It was the same now. The Watchers sitting in this conference room wouldn’t be completely ignorant of that.

If circumstances allowed, they must have had some experience working with others.

An operation to infiltrate the Guido Cult’s Far Eastern Branch with a small, elite team. Who would undertake it?

Lapis was certainly not a leader who would pass on the decisions and responsibilities of such an operation to others.

“Dreyfus, Rapperd, and Pio. Are all three of you okay with this?”

“Huh, just me?”

Unlike the others who generally assented, Pio pointed at himself with a bewildered expression.

Perhaps it was surprising to pick only Pio from the twins, even considering Layza might not be suitable for an infiltration operation.

Lapis immediately explained the reason.

“Dreyfus, of course, and Rapperd, who uses primitive faith, or Pio’s mutation magic, would be most suitable for the purpose of infiltration.”

“Well… our abilities are different, so I guess it can’t be helped.”

Pio and Gio clicked their tongues regretfully at the same time.

“Still, it would be better if we went together. As you know, Lapis, we—”

“I know. But for this operation, if the minimum force is met, survival capability must be prioritized.”

Lapis sharply cut off their regret.

“What’s most important is to uncover the strength of the Far Eastern Branch, which has been shrouded in mystery until now.”

“It might not succeed with just one attempt.”

Grisha added his opinion.

“It’s a place whose location or identity has never been revealed before. If they’ve shown themselves at this point, it means they’re after something significant or a great price…”

“I will entirely leave the judgment on that matter to you. Please confirm which of the two goals—investigating the Cult’s purpose or understanding its strength—is more important, or even if judgment itself is impossible.”

Lapis continued unhesitatingly.

“The Far Eastern Branch couldn’t have failed to anticipate a clash with us. Nevertheless, I have no intention of letting them approach the Sea of Understanding without consequence.”

At that moment, Gapseon, who had been listening to Lapis without a word, finally spoke.

[I respect your judgment in breaking through the path to the front line with only the power of the Eastern main force. I will gladly cooperate with this operation.]

“Thank you. Then, as quickly as possible…”

[However, in my personal opinion, it seems that one more team member will be needed for this task.]

“…Who are you referring to?”

Lapis, who had been decisively making conclusions and planning operations regardless of the other Watchers’ intentions, couldn’t ignore Gapseon’s words.

Not just because he was an 8-level Peak of Extremes ability user, but because she knew he was an ancient sage who had lived for a long time and accumulated vast knowledge and experience.

Even when he was infamous for his bizarre acts in the Western Continent, he was a neutral party whose actions had their own reasons.

If Gapseon, who had said nothing, was now adding to the operation, it would be advice she couldn’t disregard.

As Lennok was thinking this, Gapseon suddenly turned his gaze and began to stare at him intently.

[….]

“…….”

Lennok subtly frowned at the unsettling gaze, whose reason he somewhat guessed, and Lapis smiled awkwardly.

“Um, well… Evan is merely an assistant helping us, not a Watcher…”

[I saw the barrier formations established all around the Trama Mountains. The craftsmanship was astonishingly precise.]

“…….”

[It was by no means inferior even when compared to the barrier surrounding the Far Eastern Branch. His help is absolutely necessary for this operation.]

Gapseon’s assertion directly contradicted Lapis’s words.

Just as Lapis lost her composure slightly after her previously resolute attitude, Lennok spoke.

“As Lapis said, if it’s to investigate the Cult’s strength, there doesn’t seem to be a need to unnecessarily increase the headcount.”

“…….”

“You’re not asking for my help because you can’t even penetrate one barrier built on the island’s periphery, are you?”

Lennok asked, tilting his head slightly and gazing at Gapseon.

“If there’s another reason, I’d like to hear it frankly now.”

Lapis had only requested him to act as an advisor, but Lennok also recognized that he would have to lend a hand if necessary.

Especially in a situation where they might directly clash with the Guido Cult, it was difficult to back out.

As long as he thought there might be clues related to existence projection on the island, Lennok had no great reluctance to act…

But at this point, he intended to test Gapseon’s reaction by pushing back once.

It seemed Gapseon had intended to bring Lennok on the operation from the moment he first saw him.

It wasn’t surprising.

Hadn’t Gapseon shown signs of being concerned about Evan even after meeting Victor in the Western Continent, mentioning his name?

However, it was a separate matter whether Lennok would readily comply with Gapseon’s intentions.

As Lennok thought so and was about to rise from his seat without waiting for an answer.

[The pattern of the grand barrier established on the island was astonishingly similar to the one newly installed in Pajeop Valley.]

“…….”

[As someone who handles talisman magic, I also have expertise in barrier magic. If my eyes are not mistaken, it must be a spell originating from the same source.]

Lennok momentarily met Lapis’s gaze and let out a small sigh.

Lapis wouldn’t doubt him since she knew Lennok inherited Jindun’s barrier magic, but that wasn’t the important fact.

A barrier formation similar to Jindun’s, which Lennok uses, is established in the Cult’s Far Eastern Branch.

What did this fact imply?

It was evidence that one of Jindun’s legacies, which flowed from the Hanghasa Labyrinth, had fallen into the hands of the Far Eastern Branch.

And it meant that the power of that legacy was strong enough to cover the entire moving island.

[Do you know that, despite Apostles dying on the Central Front, new Apostles haven’t been born within the Cult to an unusual degree?]

“…….”

[Even if they threw Apostles consumed by madness like bombs, the fact that precious special forces were diminished doesn’t change.]

Gapseon pointed at the shimmering heat haze at the very top of the hologram, on the peak of the tower built with humans as altars.

[This blurry heat haze is no error. It’s proof that beings with power so mighty that even the output of a memory-playback artifact couldn’t capture them were indeed there.]

The image of the altar entered the eyes of all Watchers sitting in the conference room.

[If such beings are gathered on the Far Eastern Branch island, which is presumed to focus on supplies, and if that location happens to be outside the territorial waters of the Sea of Understanding, doesn’t it have more meaning than what is visible?]

“…I understand what you’re thinking.”

Lennok sighed softly and nodded.

Gapseon’s words were very implicit, but they weren’t so arcane that he couldn’t grasp their meaning immediately.

“Do you mean the Cult is performing a ritual to create Apostles, centered on the Far Eastern Branch?”

[To be precise, it is the process of embodying the will of destruction into a vessel with suitable talent, making them an incarnate. They are holding a ritual to select Apostles.]

A chilling cold seeped out from beyond the talisman mask.

Gapseon quietly murmured in a cold, resonant voice.

[It is well-known that the Cult requires the oracle of the High Priestess to select Apostles. If so, it explains why they have been conducting the ritual in such secrecy,]

“…….”

[Has that been enough of an answer as to why your help is needed?]

“That’s the one.”

As the salty sea breeze hit him, Lennok pulled out binoculars from his pocket.

He focused on the horizon, and as he brought his gaze to it, he saw something faintly shimmering through the heat haze.

The rising currents over the Sea of Understanding, and the traces of a grand barrier subtly hidden within them.

Even without sensing any presence or aura from the island, the presence created by Jindun’s barrier magic was clearly discernible.

Only then did Lennok realize that Gapseon’s words were by no means false, and he let out a small sigh.

Among Jindun’s vast barrier magic, there weren’t many patterns of grand barriers that covered an entire island-sized area.

It wouldn’t be strange for Gapseon to recognize similarities with the grand barrier Lennok had constructed and seek his advice.

“Um, can you even see the island with those binoculars?”

“…”

At Rapperd’s genuinely curious question, Lennok quietly lowered the binoculars he was holding.

“Rapperd, you really don’t know anything.”

Pio grinned and slung an arm over Lennok’s shoulder.

“High-level wizards usually use tools with dignity. You have to understand them with an open mind.”

“I see… My thoughts were shallow.”

Ignoring Rapperd and Pio, who were spouting nonsense, Lennok stood up and dusted the sand off himself.

At the very end of the vast sandy beach.

The territorial waters of the autonomous region located on the outermost eastern coastline of the continent, the end of the trench leading into the Sea of Understanding.

“Evan, how is it? Infiltrating the island without breaking the barrier, is it possible?”

“Didn’t you say there were no problems when you approached it last time?”

Lennok quietly retorted.

“Let’s start by crossing the Sea of Understanding first.”

“That’s not wrong.”

“How did you cross the sea when you reached the Far Eastern Branch last time? Did you build a raft or something?”

Even through binoculars, the island’s shape was only a faint blur on the horizon.

It was at least several thousand meters away, even by a conservative estimate.

But Pio, in response to Lennok’s question, tilted his head with a bewildered expression.

“No? We just swam.”

“…….”

“It didn’t take long because Gio and I took turns carrying each other. The updrafts kept us afloat well.”

Rapperd seemed to have had a similar experience, nodding as he listened to Pio.

“I did the same. It wasn’t difficult if you just let your body go with the current.”

“As expected of a dog, you’re good at swimming.”

“…I don’t dislike water.”

Lennok pondered, looking at Rapperd’s disgruntled face, unsure whether to be angry or not.

‘Layza said there seemed to be no surveillance below sea level…’

That might not simply be due to the Cult’s lax security, but a structural limitation of the moving island itself.

What if the island’s movement method or operating principle made it difficult to pay attention to the area below sea level?

Lennok quickly concluded and nodded.

“Cut down a few usable trees near the sandy beach.”

“Huh? Why logs?”

“Are you thinking of building a wooden bridge?”

“Crossing the sea and approaching the island isn’t everything.”

Lennok said that, then turned his gaze towards the sandy beach.

“If that truly is a moving island, then there will be vulnerabilities that make it easy to strike precisely because of that. It would be better to target those.”

“…Alright. Pulling a few trees isn’t difficult.”

Rapperd silently turned away, and Pio clicked his tongue, swung his arms around, then seemed to remember something and spoke.

“Evan, can you spare a moment before the operation starts?”

“What?”

As Lennok turned his head, Pio extended a hand towards him.

“To clone you, I need your biological information. It’ll take some time for me to measure it.”

“…Clone?”