Endless Debt Chapter 1072 - 110: Day of the Flood _2

Red Dog’s eyes were fixed on the Misty Sea, from which ominous and monstrous forces radiated; it was certainly not his inaugural encounter with the Devil’s breath.

Meanwhile, ghastly visions replayed unceasingly within his mind.

Following the bestowal of honors for the secret war, Red Dog did not depart from the Pillar of Royal Authority immediately. As the youngest Defender, he possessed a standing to be immensely proud of and an unwavering spirit.

Red Dog harbored a desire to expose the hidden truths within the Pillar of Royal Authority; he was driven to comprehend why so many held that unseen royal power in such high regard.

An overwhelming sense of curiosity consumed him.

“First,” Red Dog murmured expansively, “there exists a darkness utterly devoid of starlight.”

It was as though the world had succumbed to eternal night, and all life had been extinguished. The suffocating essence of the Abyss was palpable, and the profound silence was deeply unsettling.

He moved like a man on the verge of death through deserted passageways, with only the solitary echo of his footsteps breaking the stillness.

An unnerving quiet pervaded the Pillar of Royal Authority, resembling a colossal tombstone. Red Dog began to yearn for any sign of life, but as moments stretched into an eternity, his mind spiraled into a form of derangement, his breathing accelerated, heartbeats thundered in his ears, and a pervasive pain seemed to diminish as he pursued an invisible quarry.

The deathly silence and encroaching darkness tormented Red Dog’s nerves to their absolute limit, making him feel as though his sanity had slipped beyond his grasp.

Reflecting on it now, Red Dog became convinced that he had walked into a meticulously orchestrated trap.

As the very heart of the Kagader Empire, the fount of the royal family’s clandestine affairs, how could the Pillar of Royal Authority possibly permit an easy intrusion? It must have detected him long ago, subtly guiding him as if playing a cruel jest.

He traversed seemingly endless corridors, navigating chasms as profound as the Abyss itself.

Suddenly, Red Dog perceived a deep crimson shadow; though indistinct, he recognized it as the very individual to whom he had shown deference mere minutes prior.

The man, distinguished by a crowned head, knelt on the ground, completely devoid of any regal bearing, appearing instead like a desperate beggar, incessantly pleading for something unknown.

Red Dog witnessed the usually placid Blood Lake begin to churn violently, and the crowned man cried out with intense emotion, only for his face to contort in agony, a terrifying sound emanating from his brownish-yellow teeth.

The tumultuous churning of the lake subsided with remarkable speed, yet the residual vibrations sent a subtle tremor throughout the entire cavern. Blood and gore, adhering to the stalactites, swayed gently, creating the illusion that the entire space was the colossal, slowly contracting intestines of some monstrous entity.

The surrounding atmosphere shifted, becoming palpably strange, as a woman materialized upon the lake’s surface without any discernible cause.

Her fair skin was dramatically streaked with scarlet blood, which clung to her like a crimson gown, congealing and dripping from her extremities. Her face was shrouded in a red mist, rendering her features difficult to discern. Yet, remarkably, Red Dog found he could see her eyes.

The instant their gazes met, Red Dog’s body felt as if it were encased in ice, overwhelmed by an irresistible compulsion. Those eyes, profound and dark, seemed to pierce through the deepest hidden evils and transgressions within a person’s heart. Her voice, low and captivating, possessed an extraordinary power, capable of mesmerizing all in its vicinity; defiance was impossible.

As she drew nearer, that enchanting allure intensified twofold. For a moment, Red Dog believed he had become her thrall, his mind consumed by a frigid yet obsessive sensation, a desperate need to flee yet an inability to break free from her spell.

It was only when agonizing shrieks shattered Red Dog’s trance that he saw the crowned man writhing on the floor in torment, begging for clemency like a desperate beast.

Red Dog’s inner composure shattered completely. His thoughts were consumed by a tempest of chaos and violence, his very essence overwhelmed by a bestowed madness. His consciousness struggled to contain the barrage of horrific imagery, and the fabric of reality began to fray, allowing his spirit and blood to dance in the fathomless Abyss.

When Red Dog finally regained his senses, he discovered he had already exited the Pillar of Royal Authority… He held no recollection of how he had left, nor any clarity regarding the disturbing visions he had witnessed…

Yet, Red Dog was acutely aware of what he had seen.

“Hahaha.”

The vivid recollection ceased abruptly, and Red Dog erupted into a bout of uncontrollable laughter, resembling a lunatic. The field operatives stood poised, yet the King’s Secret Swords appeared entirely unfazed.

They were all well aware of Red Dog’s purported madness, supposedly a consequence of injuries sustained during the secret war; ever since, his mind had allegedly become unstable, rendering him indifferent to everything, treating all matters as mere diversions.

Some speculated that Red Dog’s advancement was impeded by Soul Scars, preventing him from progressing beyond the sixth seat, while others believed him to be genuinely insane, fit only for the most unsavory tasks.

Red Dog paid these conjectures no mind whatsoever.

Because, in his eyes, none of it held any significance.

Had he not witnessed that harrowing scene, had he been able to persist in his blissful ignorance… the crushing sensation of collapsing faith was profoundly unpleasant. Since that fateful day, Red Dog had come to view the King’s Secret Sword, the Kagader Empire, and indeed, all existence, as utterly ludicrous.

Red Dog observed the stern countenance of Lebius beside him, audaciously extending a hand to clap him firmly on the shoulder. His voice carried a hint of mania as he declared,

“Cease your seriousness, my companion. It is all merely a game.”