Chapter 482: The Land Running on the Sea (4)

Gapseon’s talisman blocked the surveillance equipment scattered throughout the dark corridors, imbuing them with illusions.

Simultaneously, Lennok completely cut off all nearby presences and sounds, as Rapperd and Piyo moved swiftly.

“Intruder, ugh…!!”

“They’re stronger than expected…!!”

“Run…!!”

The time it took to clear out the dozens of priests filling the sewers was less than a minute.

All the Watchers gathered here were Saint-grade superhumans.

They were powerhouses who had accumulated an absurdly high Hierarchy, far too strong to be simply overwhelmed by numbers.

Thud!!

“Damn it, why were we discovered already?”

Piyo grumbled with an annoyed expression as he let the last fallen priest flow down the sewer hole.

Gapseon also seemed to be deep in thought, reviewing their actions carefully.

“Perhaps… maybe I was too reckless in gathering information about mutation spells…?”

“That’s probably not it.”

Lennok shook his head at Piyo’s somewhat disheartened remark.

Lennok had also chosen to subdue the priests as quickly as possible, thinking there was no other way once they were discovered.

However, upon reviewing the situation after everything was cleared, there were certainly discrepancies.

“There are too many personnel just to guard the sewers… yet they’re too weak to have known about our presence beforehand.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s not wrong.”

The power difference was such that Lennok and the other Watchers could clear them out in under a minute.

Furthermore, even though nearly 100 seconds had passed since the commotion started, there was still no sign of additional reinforcements.

If they had been clearly aware of their presence, they wouldn’t have been satisfied with just this level of security.

From that fact, Lennok quickly deduced the cult’s operational principles by tracing the origin backward.

[They were wary of someone else, not us.]

Lennok immediately nodded at Gapseon’s words.

He continued speaking as he quickly walked along the sewer’s exterior.

“Not a certainty, but a suspicion. If they thought this was the only possible point of entry, then this measure isn’t entirely incomprehensible.”

If their suspicion was merely that, and they hadn’t deployed particularly strong forces, it could explain the current situation.

“We should go inside the island and check…”

Thinking that, Lennok stared at the iron door that appeared at the end of the passage.

Whirrrr…!!

Outwardly, it was an old door with no visible marks, but when he placed his hand on it, it resisted entry with a faint magical ripple.

Through it, the complex patterns of a barrier formation emerged from beyond the shadows.

Lennok confirmed the barrier’s appearance, then turned his gaze to Gapseon.

“Is this the same pattern as the grand barrier said to be built around the island’s perimeter?”

[There are some differences, but if you consider it finely adjusted according to altitude and direction, then yes, it’s certainly the same.]

Gapseon replied.

“I see…”

“Can you dismantle it?”

Piyo’s question made Lennok ponder.

“It’s far more intricate and complex than I thought.”

He had guessed as much from the moment he saw it through binoculars on the coast, but seeing it directly confirmed it.

The barrier formation blocking Lennok’s path was precisely the barrier magic used by Jindun himself.

It was a pattern of barrier magic used by the Ascendant even after reaching the Peak of Extremes during his lifetime.

“So it really is…”

“Well, nothing ever goes as expected. Let’s think of another way now.”

Rapperd and Piyo sighed and shook their heads, but neither of them seemed particularly disappointed.

They understood well that it was rare for things to go smoothly against organizations like the cult.

But Lennok quietly shook his head at their words.

“I said it was difficult, not impossible.”

He reached into his coat, pulled out a small piece of paper no bigger than his palm, and clutched it.

On the paper, unknown patterns were intricately overlaid, so complex that even Lennok couldn’t fully discern them.

“If I didn’t have a plan, I wouldn’t have started.”

The moment Lennok carefully dabbed a drop of blood on it, then tore it into shreds and scattered them over the invisible barrier—

Shhhhhhh…!!

The barrier formation blocking their path melted away like flowing snow, revealing the scenery beyond.

[….]

Even Gapseon was slightly surprised by the sudden dissolution of the barrier and looked at Lennok.

“What, what was that…?”

“Evan, what did you do?”

“I’ll explain later. Let’s go in for now.”

Lennok said, nodding his head.

What Lennok had obtained from Jindun’s Hanghasa Labyrinth was not just the Ascendant’s artifacts.

Spell Armaments. The incredibly complex magical symbols inscribed on the reverse side of the Papyrus Argenteus.

They weren’t mere decorations, but rather a ‘key’ control code that could forcibly seize control over all artifacts existing in Jindun’s vault.

Lennok hadn’t forgotten it; he had carefully copied it and kept it separately so he could use it anytime, just like this.

‘Just as expected.’

But even as he vaguely brushed them off, Lennok’s eyes couldn’t leave the barrier formation.

He precisely understood what it meant that Jindun’s control code worked.

The control code was, after all, for controlling Jindun’s artifacts, not something that could interfere with barrier magic itself.

If the grand barrier surrounding the Far Eastern Branch had been created by Jindun, the code wouldn’t have worked.

The fact that the control code worked meant nothing less than that the grand barrier was a manifestation of Jindun’s legacy.

In other words, it was evidence that Jindun’s artifacts were hidden somewhere on this massive island.

Lennok had decided to participate in this operation precisely to confirm that and obtain it.

If he could seize the barrier formation surrounding the cult’s Far Eastern Branch, he could at least survive even in the worst-case scenario.

It would be enough just to find out what was hidden inside this island and confirm its purpose.

While Lennok was lost in thought, the other Watchers seemed to have finished their preparations and began moving diligently toward the exit from the sewers.

“Evan, take this.”

Piyo, having somehow stripped one off, threw him a clean priest’s robe with little blood on it.

Piyo and Gapseon had already changed into priest robes and were focusing on concealing their magical power.

The sight of a Peak of Extremes sorcerer wearing a talisman mask and a priest’s robe was truly bizarre, but a sorcerer of Gapseon’s caliber would surely take care of himself.

Instead, Lennok quietly turned his gaze to the dog standing beside the two.

“…”

“What?”

Human speech erupted from the mouth of the jet-black large dog, standing on all fours.

“I’ve never heard of a Beastman having such an ability.”

“It is the power of the primeval faith I serve. A spell manifested according to legends that sometimes speak of gods appearing on earth in the form of beasts.”

So this was why Lapis had said Rapperd was good at handling situations.

Indeed, the form of a wild dog would be far less conspicuous than that of a dog-headed giant.

“I hope there are a few more ownerless wild dogs on this island.”

“Alright, alright, stop the pointless talk and let’s get going.”

Piyo, apparently already aware of Rapperd’s disguise method, grabbed the doorknob with a determined expression.

“If we open this door, we’ll be inside the Far Eastern Branch. Everyone knows that, right?”

“…”

“We’re infiltrating a cult’s secret base. A cruel and horrific sight surely awaits us… Don’t let your guard down.”

It wasn’t wrong.

If they had built a grand barrier using Jindun’s legacy, it wasn’t hard for Lennok to imagine what cruel secrets they might have hidden inside the island.

The atmosphere in the room settled, and even Gapseon nodded, hands behind his back, at that moment.

Piyo, with a hardened expression, nodded and then flung the door wide open.

Thwack!!

“…!!”

Piyo, who was at the forefront, immediately rolled forward without hesitation as soon as he opened the door.

This move was intended to draw attention and disrupt aiming if any cult combatants were waiting at the door.

It was an impeccable judgment, but no one paid any mind to Piyo, who had made such a daring move.

The people walking outside the door merely glanced at Piyo, who was sprawled on the ground, and passed by as if nothing happened.

“…”

Lennok silently watched from behind, then slowly walked out the door.

Piyo, who had been lying flat on the ground, cautiously looking around, widened his eyes as Lennok walked past him.

“…Huh?”

Only then did Piyo realize that things were different from what he expected, and he awkwardly got up, covered in dust.

Lennok stepped out the door and murmured, watching the other Watchers naturally blend into the crowd.

“It’s very different from what I expected…”

A street lined with various structures made of white rock.

And a procession of people walking through that street, along with the scene of a boisterous band.

Even countless balloons and confetti adorning the sky.

The cult’s Far Eastern Branch. A secret region known as a moving island and also the Guido Cult’s supply depot.

Instead of a solemn ritual, a massive festival was taking place here, where Lennok and the other Watchers had infiltrated.

*Pwooo~! *

Trumpet blasts and cult hymns reverberated from all directions.

The streets were packed with continuous processions of devotees and magnificent statues displayed everywhere.

A spectacular festival unfolding as if they had no intention of hiding what was happening on this island.

It looked less like an Apostle selection ritual and more like an event commemorating a cult anniversary.

Lennok and the other Watchers split up to investigate various parts of the street, then reassembled near a secluded alley.

“Most of the people on the island are cult devotees. There seem to be hardly any outsiders.”

[Most of the flat land, excluding the bustling areas, is used for agriculture. It appears they produce and supply their own food.]

They quickly exchanged information about the scenes each had observed.

“The Apostle selection ritual is definitely planned. Some of the devotees seem to be aware of that fact.”

“It looks like the Proxies, selected as Apostle candidates from various cult branches, have gathered. They all seem to have arrived already?”

“We don’t have much time then…”

Those chosen within the cult to become Apostles were apparently called Proxies.

The very fact that all the Proxies had arrived was proof that the ritual was imminent.

Considering that the Watchers didn’t discover the existence of this island particularly early, there might not be much time left.

“However, there were no outward signs of human sacrifice or slaughter.”

“Perhaps they didn’t perform large-scale sacrifices except when building the altar.”

“No, that’s unlikely.”

Lennok said, subtly shifting his gaze.

He opened a trash can casually abandoned near the alley and unhesitatingly plunged his arm inside.

As he pulled out a clump of hair soaked in blood from the trash can, the other Watchers fell silent.

“This isn’t an ordinary festival. Something involving human sacrifice is already well underway behind the scenes.”

The island’s size was considerably larger than Lennok had thought.

Not only the bustling area where they were currently located, but even from outside the streets, one could see the cult’s temple situated in the center of the island.

Furthermore, there were autonomous granaries outside the city for self-sufficiency.

In a place capable of self-sufficiently providing food, clothing, and shelter, it was unnatural for them to have moved to the Sea of Understanding just to hold a festival.

Something was definitely happening.

“We can’t rule out the possibility that the festival itself is a ritual…”

“Should we investigate further?”

[It’s not a problem we can solve by deliberating together.]

As Gapseon muttered that, his body began to blur slightly.

[I have more to investigate, so I’ll be moving separately from here.]

Piyo looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

“Dreyfus-nim…?”

[I’ve gotten a lead by scouting the island. We’ll meet again when it’s confirmed.]

With only those words, Gapseon vanished without a trace.

His actions showed no particular inclination to cooperate. But Lennok didn’t bother trying to stop Gapseon.

If it was something a sorcerer of his caliber needed to investigate alone, he must already have some degree of certainty about something.

Perhaps he had intended to move separately from the moment they arrived on the island.

“Evan, should we also split up for now?”

Lennok shook his head at Piyo’s question, which seemed to be subtly gauging his mood.

“No, let’s go to the plaza.”

“…The plaza?”

“I listened to the devotees while walking around the streets. They said the Archbishop would hold a general assembly for the devotees in the plaza before sunset.”

Even in a cult that boasted an enormous scale across the continent, the position of Archbishop held special significance.

Most likely, she was the highest-ranking leader of the Far Eastern Branch, or its branch director.

If the Watchers alone had to capture the Far Eastern Branch, it would be good to see the leader’s face beforehand.

Lennok immediately led the other Watchers toward the plaza.

He purchased a hood to wear over his priest’s robe at a nearby shop to conceal his face, and quietly blended into the procession of devotees.

A massive altar stood in the middle of the wide plaza.

Hundreds of people, easily over that number, gathered around the towering altar, looking up at the people seated on its platform.

Rapperd, having identified those on the platform, called out to Lennok in a low voice.

“…Evan.”

“I see them.”

About ten ornate chairs were placed on the platform. Figures of superhumans sat in every one of them.

Considering that each of them exuded powerful magic, they must be the Proxies selected from each cult branch to become Apostles.

There were many skilled individuals who appeared to be in the late 6th or early 7th level.

Simply by numbers, the power gap was such that the Watchers couldn’t even estimate their chances of victory.

But it wasn’t just the presence of these Proxies that dismayed Rapperd and Piyo.

As an elderly woman in the center of the platform rose from her chair and walked forward, a grim-faced knight followed, guarding her.

The moment the woman appeared, the surrounding devotees uniformly bowed their heads and began to pray.

“Archbishop Nidri-nim…”

“O High Priestess…”

“Look down upon us…”

Archbishop Nidri. Was she the noble who held the highest position on this island?

If so, it was highly likely that she was a core leader who also took on the role of the Far Eastern Branch director.

But what came to Lennok’s mind was not the name Nidri, but the title by which she was called itself.

‘High Priestess…?’

The High Priestess of the cult he had encountered at the edge of the jungle.

Completely different in appearance and name from the High Priestess who had released the 6th Apostle’s restraint and allowed his death.

Unlike the High Priestess named Seina, Archbishop Nidri, whom the devotees now called High Priestess, looked completely different from Lennok’s memory.

And then, a middle-aged man, leaning back slightly to the side of the platform, arms crossed, looking down at the crowd.

From his body, an odd, almost non-human presence radiated.

Lennok instinctively sensed what that unusual presence meant and subtly hardened his face.

An Apostle, treated as a special combat force even within the cult.

To the Apostle selection ritual, a being already complete as an Apostle had arrived and was looking down upon the devotees.

“Damn it…”

The moment Piyo faintly cursed under his breath,

The man presumed to be an Apostle suddenly turned his head as if he had discovered something.

Immediately after, the man’s body blurred and vanished from the platform, reappearing directly in front of Lennok.

“…!!”

“You, you feel a bit strange.”

The Apostle stared at Lennok with sharp eyes and gestured with his chin.

“Take off your hood.”

“…”

An icy silence instantly filled the surroundings.

The Apostle’s reaction was more agile than even Lennok had anticipated.

Piyo, standing a few steps away, gritted his teeth, and Rapperd, circling the crowd in dog form, quietly bared his fangs.

The moment Lennok quietly raised his hand to calm them.

Kiiiiiiing…!!

The Penteract, hidden within his coat, slowly began to vibrate.