Chapter 926: The Summit (9)

At The Guileless’s sudden declaration of participation, the other attendees turned their gazes in surprise.

“Krod Azlan…!!”

“So the Guardian of Turyeonmun knew Adamant Thunder?”

“There were rumors they acted together during the Magic Particle Contamination Incident. But I didn’t realize their relationship was that close…”

“If you intend to challenge the Magic Tower Lord over the formation’s ownership, come any time.”

Ignoring the rapid whispers around him, The Guileless said,

“I intend to assist the Magic Tower Lord to the best of my ability in this place.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand, and the spear floating behind him slowly rose above his head.

Whirrrr!!

The martial arts mastery to manipulate objects in the air purely with will-thought.

Immediately after the other attendees recognized him, the fighting spirit that enveloped the ceremonial hall gradually subsided.

Krod Azlan was the Guardian of Turyeonmun, an organization with considerable influence even in the public sphere.

Moreover, he himself, despite being mentally unstable, was undoubtedly an apex-class spearman who had transcended his rank.

At this point, with a vanguard of such a class openly siding with Adamant Thunder, a direct confrontation would practically be a loss.

“They say, ‘One becomes like the company one keeps.’ It seems the words of old sages are never wrong.”

Olinic chuckled, observing the rapidly changing situation.

“Even after transcending seven ranks and standing at the precipice of ascension, people truly don’t change easily, do they?”

The metallic sphere seemed to turn towards Lennok, who was surrounded by the two spearmen.

“Otherwise, Adamant Thunder. How could you publicly parade around two mad lunatics like them?”

“…”

Lennok frowned, unable to retort to Olinic’s teasing words.

Standing beside Lennok now were Peshia Grisbern and Krod Azlan.

Both, ironically, were murderers who had made their names solely through their madness, one in the public eye and the other in the underworld.

Eight-level superhumans are beings who shattered their ranks and eroded their humanity, yet among them, there are those whose madness is particularly prominent.

Lunatics who used their own madness as a stepping stone to reach the 8th level.

“They say that spears, being long and narrow, are inherently ill-suited to contain a human’s mind, making them more susceptible to madness than other polearms.”

The red-eyed man, who had just been explaining the ritual, spoke with his arms crossed, seemingly intrigued.

“But it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that you’re leading around two spear demons.”

“Is there some understanding between superhumans famous for being mad?”

At Rage’s curious addendum, Peshia glared at Lennok with an irritated expression.

“Are you saying I have to listen to this idiotic nonsense because of you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s a limit to how much you can turn the tables.”

Lennok snorted.

“Anyone can see that I’m suffering because of your notorious reputation.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why are you suddenly trying to shift the blame to me?!”

“Then shall we fight again here and decide whose words are correct?”

“You, you son of a b****…!!!”

Peshia’s shoulders trembled, unable to bring herself to suggest fighting again.

It seemed the inability to win even after sacrificing a rank in their last battle had left a considerable knot of resentment.

The other superhumans’ expressions subtly changed, seemingly sensing this from their conversation.

“I never knew Grisbern was the type of person who could tolerate such words.”

“It seems the rumors of him overwhelmingly defeating the Ghost Demoness weren’t lies after all.”

“I think one crucial explanation is missing.”

At that moment, the giant, who had been engrossed in snacking without a word until now, abruptly spoke.

Licking the seasoning powder off his hands, he said with an expressionless face,

“Separate from innate abilities, what is the objective you wish to achieve through Anathema’s manifestation?”

“…”

“I have no interest in what blessings the nobles of Ars Nova are born with. If the sole purpose is to distribute abilities through this summit, then I’ll be leaving.”

The man’s body, which was thick, almost bulging, twitched. He seemed ready to leave the ceremonial hall at any moment, showing no lingering attachment to the place.

But Lennok quickly understood why the giant had no interest in Anathema’s innate abilities.

‘He’s a psychic.’

It was because the giant himself was an apex-level ability user who had developed a different type of innate ability to its extreme.

The giant’s words were rational, but there was a blind hunger somehow discernible in his movements. Perhaps he was an 8-level psychic who had awakened an innate ability related to consumption.

“Naturally, Anathema’s manifestation is closely related to the summit’s objective.”

The red-eyed man, Slain, nodded immediately, deeming the giant’s words reasonable.

“To explain that, I must first mention the reason the summit was held. You’ve heard about the incidents in Yorta and Machina, haven’t you?”

“…”

At that moment, the atmosphere of the vast ceremonial hall subtly shifted.

They, too, knew what the man was about to say.

“Croken Asylus, who brought down the Memorial Tower in Yorta. The Cult’s Second Apostle, who massacred Machina’s Supreme Council. The foundations of Military Spirit City and the Machine City were shattered, and at their core were Pandemonium and the Cult.”

The man’s red eyes glinted ominously as he surveyed the ceremonial hall.

“Such omens are no coincidence; they warn that this city, too, cannot escape that tide. Regardless of who the opponent is, it’s something that was bound to happen eventually.”

“Hold on, Slain. There’s a contradiction in that explanation.”

At that moment, the woman who had introduced herself as Rage raised her hand.

“There’s a wizard here who destroyed the Machine City even before the Second Apostle and walked out perfectly fine.”

“…”

As soon as those words were spoken, several attendees could be felt watching Lennok.

Since no one was unaware of the commotion Lennok had caused by single-handedly overturning Machina, they were curious about his reaction.

But the red-eyed man called Slain didn’t even bat an eyelid at Rage’s rebuttal.

“In Adamant Thunder’s case, his actions and motives are relatively clear, so it’s not difficult to surmise that he targeted the Ascension Gate’s legacy. It’s also evident that he achieved some results, given that he was released after negotiations with the Supreme Council and returned to Vulcan.”

“…”

Slain’s explanation accurately read what Lennok had done in Machina.

Given that the other attendees weren’t surprised, it was likely correct that they already knew what Lennok had been after in Machina.

Even if they didn’t know Lennok had faced an Ascendant from the Old World, other 8-levels had probably surmised that his objective was the Ascension Gate.

“But the case of the Second Apostle is entirely different. He attacked Machina’s core from thousands of meters beneath the surface, shaking the city, and massacred half of the Supreme Council for no reason. No one truly knows his motive.”

Slain explained in a cold voice.

“The point is one: there is a need to protect large cities from the series of destructive acts sweeping the continent. Anathema’s manifestation and the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams Formation are all preliminary work for that.”

“So, to protect Vulcan, you’re suggesting 8-level superhumans should all amicably join forces?”

Peshia snorted.

“Don’t be absurd. Do you think the superhumans of this city would be moved by such a grand cause and cooperate?”

“…”

“If that were possible, Vulcan wouldn’t have ended up in this state in the first place. Our corps wouldn’t have had to leave for the Central Front after the civil war ended.”

Peshia said, her eyes gleaming, addressing the silent gathering.

“Seeing you traitors, who were content to cover up problems, now dreaming of harmony, makes me sick. But I suppose that’s the kind of plan you people, who treated the Prohibition Edict as a shackle even though it became worthless paper after one military rebellion, would come up with.”

“[Aren’t your words too hurtful? Stinging only the bone is cheating, isn’t it?]”

“Someday, I’m going to kill all of you.”

Peshia, completely ignoring Olinic’s teasing, gave a chilling smile.

“I will surely return to Vulcan and avenge Lord Kaiser. I’ll tear apart the limbs of the turncoats who betrayed us and hang their flayed skins in the city square.”

“…”

“I’ll build a tower with the heads of your beloved disciples and scatter the corpses of their masters on top so they can’t be found-!!!!!”

Just as Peshia’s utterly chilling words echoed through the ceremonial hall, Lennok made an irritated gesture.

The luminous formation behind him rotated, pressing down on Peshia’s body and slamming her into the floor.

Thud!!

“Ghk…!!”

“Even setting aside the Ghost Demoness’s ramblings, I can’t help but agree about the plan’s unreality.”

Ignoring the surprised gazes of others, Lennok said,

“I wondered what you’d say after gathering 8-level superhumans, but you want to discuss the necessity of protecting Vulcan?”

“Adamant Thunder.”

“Even if we ignore Pandemonium, the premise of guarding against an Apostle’s attack is flawed. The highest-ranking Apostles, those in the single digits, do not cooperate with each other. Even if the Cult were to set its sights on Vulcan, there’s no reason for us to respond organizationally.”

Through multiple clashes with the Cult, Lennok knew that the high-ranking Apostles were half-hostile towards each other.

Though they were called and categorized as ‘Apostles,’ they were, from their very essence, monsters born into the world as incarnations of different Outer Gods.

The Cult’s true nature was that these incarnations of doom, born unable to understand each other, were bound by the leash of their doctrine, coexisting.

If they weren’t unified by the single focal point of the Pontiff, it wouldn’t be strange for them to have killed and devoured each other long ago.

“Cough, cough… You speak eloquently, despite never having faced an Apostle. Don’t you think your words lack convincing power?”

At that moment, the baby black wizard sitting on the stone statue let out a peculiar laugh.

“When dealing with the Cult, there is no logic that supersedes experience. All the more so because they are armed with the mad logic of doctrine.”

He looked down at Lennok with narrowed eyes and said,

“That’s why I had hoped ‘Cheonbeon’ would attend this summit, but it’s a pity. His experience in dealing with Apostles would have been the most valuable asset here.”

“It seems you’ve forgotten why ‘Cheonbeon’ couldn’t attend here.”

Lennok snorted, channeling his magic.

“Shall I teach you again, right here?”

“Tillian. Don’t provoke Adamant Thunder unnecessarily.”

Kiriya glared at the black wizard with an icy gaze.

“He attended the summit at our request. What’s with this disrespect?”

“Kiriya, then are you saying you’re not curious how the 10th Apostle, Amrita, met her annihilation?”

The black wizard called Craig Tillian retorted.

“Although the specific circumstances are unknown, it’s clear that Cheonbeon possesses flames capable of annihilating even an Apostle. As a member of Nox Biblio, I have a duty to clarify that fact.”

“…”

“I wanted to hear the Apostle-Slayer’s insights on that part, but some mad wizard caused a ruckus and ruined everything, didn’t he?”

The black wizard spoke, provoking Lennok, but Lennok stopped his response after hearing Kiriya’s words.

The black wizard Craig Tillian, who had tried to manifest a fragment of Extinct Eye Acrottrinier.

Wasn’t his surname the same as this baby black wizard’s, Tillian?

There was an opportunity to investigate that further. Having thought that far, Lennok ignored Craig Tillian and changed the subject.

“Enough. Let’s hear why Anathema’s manifestation is necessary first. It must be directly connected to this ‘protection of Vulcan’ you speak of, right?”

“That’s correct. I never intended to propose cooperation between 8-levels from the start. As Adamant Thunder said, that’s far too much… an act of trust.”

Slain’s red eyes curved self-deprecatingly.

“The real objective is to use the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams Formation to complete Anathema’s manifestation, and in return, to use the Eight Trigrams Formation in a different way.”

“Using the Eight Trigrams Formation in a different way, you say?”

The diminutive elder asked, surprised.

“Can that formation have any other use besides Anathema’s manifestation?”

“The Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams symbolizes all changes existing between heaven and earth, a power that explains the principle of the universe where all things are ordered.”

Slain said, slowly walking past the altar.

“Since it is a concept created to emulate the changes of all creation, it has infinite applications, but only the nobles of Ars Nova can properly wield it.”

“Emulating the changes of all creation, you say…”

Lennok murmured, following Slain’s words, and fell into thought.

“Surely, that emulation is—”

The contradiction of wanting the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams Formation to protect Vulcan, yet simultaneously wanting to end the cooperation of other apex-level ability users with this one instance.

Was it not because the result they sought to gain through the Eight Trigrams Formation could fundamentally block the dangers Slain mentioned?

Emulating a concept that could protect a mega-city like Vulcan through the changes of all creation. A power that only the nobles of Ars Nova could wield.

Recalling his conversation with Olivera, Lennok instinctively knew what would come next and snapped his head up.

“It seems some have already realized.”

Slain, standing before the altar, nodded, looking at Lennok.

“We intend to use the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams Formation to emulate The Veil surrounding Ars Nova, and envelop the entire mega-city of Vulcan.”

“You’re going to emulate Ars Nova’s Veil to protect Vulcan?”

At Slain’s words, the other attendees, who had only then understood the purpose of this summit, frowned.

“That’s preposterous.”

“Do you think that Veil is a concept that can even be emulated?”

These were individuals who had not only attained insights beyond their ranks in their respective fields but also possessed unparalleled expertise.

They, too, knew how absurd the goal he had just explained was.

“It’s a barrier that even the grand figures of the Central Front can’t easily touch. You’re going to emulate a concept that can’t even be analyzed?”

“Even the Order Alliance and the Ability Awakening Warband are focusing on merely passing through the gate, not even dreaming of breaching the Veil.”

“There are still some nobles of Ars Nova remaining in the Central Council. The Order Alliance Lord wouldn’t have failed to investigate that fact.”

But Slain calmly responded to the rebuttals from around him.

“We are not fully elucidating its structure and then emulating the Veil.”

He looked down at the rotating formation behind Lennok’s back and said,

“What the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams Formation emulates is merely the infinite ‘changes’ of the Veil itself. To put it precisely, what we’ll be casting over Vulcan is an inferior version of the Veil in the Central Council.”

“…”

“The Eight Trigrams Formation installed in Etanoc is a test run to verify the plan’s feasibility. Once Anathema’s manifestation is completed at this summit, the second Eight Trigrams Formation to be installed in Vulcan is scheduled to be handled directly by Anathema himself.”

His red eyes glowed intensely in the darkness of the ceremonial hall.

“As Adamant Thunder pointed out, any further cooperation would be inefficient and nothing more than worthless promises that cannot be trusted by each other.”

“…”

After Slain’s explanation, the ceremonial hall fell into a breathless silence.

Those who had already known the summit’s purpose and those who had heard the explanation late, all fell silent, lost in thought.

“[I have a question.]”

At that moment, a man who had been listening without a word until now spoke.

His expression was hidden by a visor, and even his voice was a faint mechanical hum.

“What is it?”

“[If the sole purpose is the reproduction of the Veil, you could have gathered only those willing to cooperate with the ritual. Why gather all 8-levels and hold a summit?]”

The man with the visor tilted his head, arms crossed.

“[Were you not confident in gathering volunteers needed for the ritual?]”

For someone who had been silent until now, his question was quite sharp.

“Marcus Tranquiller. The leader of Mirror Diver. He’s the superhuman said to have first crossed the ‘event horizon’ in Vulcan.”

As Lennok watched the man, Krod Azlan, standing beside him, explained as if he had been waiting.

“There were rumors he transcended his physical body, and much talk that he went missing beyond the Deep Web. It seems they were all false rumors.”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’ve become quite talkative since I last saw you.”

Krod gave a wry smile at Lennok’s offhand remark.

“Please understand. All the stories I overheard while confined in prison were things like this.”

“Did you make a plea deal with the City Council?”

The Guileless, Krod Azlan, was court-martialed and imprisoned on charges of treason immediately after the Magic Particle Contamination Incident in District 25 ended.

This was because he had privately used the operation to improve his condition, which involved losing his memory and going mad, and in the process, almost killed Lennok and his companions.

If such a Guileless was now released and attending the summit, wasn’t that itself the result of an agreement with the City Council?

But The Guileless only offered an uneasy smile to Lennok’s question, neither affirming nor denying.

“Hmm… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s quite a complicated story.”

“…”

“I’ll explain it to you if an opportunity arises later.”

While Lennok narrowed his eyes at the utterly suspicious words, Slain opened his mouth.

“If the degraded version of the Veil is spread over Vulcan, everyone will be under its influence.”

“[…]”

“We held the summit because we believed this agenda item required notification and consent from both the public and underworld spheres.”

Slain said, staring with his red eyes at the ceremonial hall spread out beneath the altar.

“Let me tell you, you don’t have to participate in the ritual. You can wait for the Siege Barrier to disappear and leave Etanoc. It doesn’t matter if you leak information about the Veil or oppose it.”

Slain’s answer implied he didn’t care if they opposed Anathema’s manifestation and the Veil’s reproduction, or leaked information to the outside.

Was this confidence that, with the summit already this far along, it was impossible to stop what was happening?

Immediately after Slain raised his hand without waiting for others’ replies.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!!

The ceiling of the vast underground ceremonial hall opened wide, revealing the night sky, well past midnight.

“Those who wish to participate in the ritual, please determine your assigned cardinal direction and complete preparations within 15 minutes.”

Slain, who had descended among Lennok, who had already claimed a formation, and the giants of the public sphere, including Olinic, nodded.

“We will now begin Anathema’s manifestation ritual immediately.”