Endless Debt Chapter 1043 - 100: Clash_2

What was called a surprise attack was basically no different from a frontal assault.

In the depths of the wandering crossroads, the poison fog was like condensed death. It felt like an unbearable scent emerging from the Abyss, conjuring images of the putrid liquid dripping on one’s head.

Bologue instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword and axe. He felt something quietly lurking within the mist, silently stealthy in the endless wasteland.

Their target was not each other, but rather the people who inadvertently stumbled upon this place. The aura of fear deepened within the abandoned buildings as the poison fog thickened, and in this dark and lonely world, the fog had become the source of all terror.

Until the first glimmer of light arose, a stream of scorching fire burst over Bologue’s head, followed by more streams erupting, converging into a dense fire rain and meteors that pierced through the mist, striking the airborne corridor where the team was located.

The intense tremor made it difficult for people to maintain balance, not to mention the rapidly burning flames that were scorching through ropes, the high temperature melting the corroded metal partitions.

"Go!"

Bologue shouted, and the team accelerated forward with fury, striving to reach the forward buildings before the aerial corridor broke. Yet, awaiting them ahead was a barrage of dense gunfire.

In an instant, dozens of kilograms of ammunition rained upon the team, transforming into a curtain of death.

Facing the joint assault of the Order Bureau and the King’s Secret Blades, the King’s Shield Guard had long prepared, fortifying this region into a solid fortress to block Bologue’s advance.

What a pity... If Bologue had led a mortal force, they’d be annihilated here. But now, he was followed by an extraordinary team, one which included the likes of the Defender Tier Fourth Seat.

The Fourth Seat didn’t even activate the Secret Energy, merely calling upon a vast amount of Ether to forge an unshakable Ethereal Barrier in front of them. The rain of bullets pattered against it, doing nothing but sparking harmlessly.

The Ethereal Barrier began to contract, and soon the defense turned into an offense, with gathered Ether blasting into the buildings. Houses collapsed, wails persisted, and the fierce gunfire abruptly silenced for the most part.

This was not the end.

Waves of Etheral reactions arose within the building complex, guarding the periphery of the Fog Abyss Fortress, deterring Bologue’s advance.

Those familiar Etheral reactions, Bologue knew who was blocking his path.

"Silent Legion."

Seeing the figures emerging from the mist, the Fourth Seat also recognized this group of enigmatic enemies.

The silent Black Armor Legion wielded their standardized Alchemy Armament, likely aid from the Gray Trade Association. With a simple probe, Bologue found that every Silent One’s Etheral reaction was exceedingly weak, not even qualifying as a Condenser, revealing the scale of their fragmentation.

But despite their meager individual strength, they could establish formidable Etheral capabilities through tethering between Ethers, supported by immense Alchemy Armament and those forces still lurking within the mist. Bologue realized this would not be a simple raid.

"Just as we discussed, leave them to you."

Bologue said to the Fourth Seat, "Once I find the Shadow King, I’ll fire the signal flare."

Using the umbilical connection, Bologue was like a hunting hound, having tracked down the highest value prey.

The Fourth Seat nodded, leading the other Secret Blades forward decisively. Just before the skirmish commenced, he suddenly said to Bologue, "I thought the Order Bureau would be a group of difficult people."

"I also thought the King’s Secret Blades were a bunch of hard-to-talk fellows," Bologue replied.

Bologue hadn’t been in contact with the Fourth Seat for long, but he realized there were similarities between them. To be precise, both were extremely dedicated workers, something Bologue admired about the Fourth Seat.

If possible, Bologue wanted to try and glean intelligence from the Fourth Seat.

About why the King’s Secret Blades required a large amount of Philosopher’s Stones, and about the beam of light within the Kagader Empire’s borders, who was it really?

No more words were necessary. Before another round of salvo began, the Fourth Seat led the Secret Blades forward into a charge. The frantic Ether turbulences swept away the fog, the earth tremored, and cries of anguish echoed.

Bologue and Palmer avoided the front line, monitoring the confrontation from afar as they infiltrated from the flanks.

Nobody knew how many more enemies lay deeper inside, but Bologue knew all he needed to do was kill every non-Order Bureau or King’s Secret Blades camp figure he encountered.

"Truly insane..."

Palmer watched the center of the battlefield, the Fourth Seat was like a beast invading the battleground, leveraging his Tier superiority. Despite the Silent Ones wielding so many Alchemy Armaments, they hardly affected him.

Just when Palmer thought the situation would be one-sidedly settled by the Fourth Seat, multiple Defender Tier Etheral reactions rose among the Silent Ones, two Silver Knights brandished their blades, confronting the Fourth Seat.

As mere domination objects, the Silver Knights were clearly unable to overcome the Fourth Seat, yet they wouldn’t swiftly fall to his hand. The Silver Knights stalled the Fourth Seat, allowing the Silent Legion to reorganize their defenses, pulling the trigger for a barrage, suppressing the advancing Secret Blades.

The Sea of Mist rang with a sharp whistle, causing Palmer to refocus on his surroundings, where he saw a dense flock of birds approaching swiftly like a dark cloud.