Endless Debt Chapter 1376: Finale: A War for the Few

In the early morning, the hazy sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room. Bologue opened his eyes, sat up after a moment of easing into the day, and proceeded to make breakfast, wash up, and get dressed... Even though today was a day off, Bologue’s routine was as precise and tight as a well-oiled machine.

Pulling back the curtains in the living room, the bright sunlight instantly flooded in, momentarily blinding Bologue. After adjusting, he sat on the sofa with a breakfast tray. Another breakfast lay on the coffee table. A few minutes later, the bedroom door was pushed open vigorously, and Palmer dashed into the bathroom, looking utterly groggy.

Palmer was adjusting his sleep schedule. Besides gulping down melatonin-like substances at night, he would chug a few sips of water, so that come morning, physical discomfort from his bladder would forcibly wake him up.

He had been living like this for a while now. Palmer’s routine visibly improved, the only concern being potential issues with his urinary system. Yet Bologue felt that, as a Negative Power User, Palmer shouldn’t be that fragile.

Negative Power User... That’s right, a month ago, while Bologue, Holt, and many others were fighting fiercely in the Abandoned Land, Palmer was calmly undergoing his ascension ceremony at the Sublimation Furnace Core.

Palmer’s luck pulled through as the entire process went smoothly without a hitch. In subsequent observations, his performance was exceptional. The only unusual occurrence was the significant amount of calories he burned during the ceremony, requiring him to eat three single meals afterward to feel satiated.

Bologue couldn’t help but marvel at Palmer’s fortune.

After a burst of running water, a soothing sigh was heard. Palmer pushed the door open and staggered onto the other end of the sofa.

His body was awake, but his mind was still in a fog.

Bologue, accustomed to such a routine, continued on, putting scrambled eggs into a slice of bread and taking a bite.

Palmer slowly came to, sat up straight, grabbed the breakfast Bologue had prepared for him, and began eating unceremoniously.

In the silence, only the sound of their chewing remained.

After a while, Palmer asked, "Do you have any plans for today?"

Bologue said, "Going out for a walk, that’s about it."

"Sounds like something a retired old man would do..."

"Indeed, by age, I am practically a retired old man," Bologue swallowed his food and asked in return, "What about you? I’m on vacation, but you shouldn’t be, right?"

To commend the brave efforts of the employees in the Abandoned Land, shortly after the operation, the Order Bureau held a brief commendation ceremony, followed by the distribution of bonuses and vacation arrangements.

Without compromising the Order Bureau’s ruling authority, the various special operations groups involved in the operation started their rotation leaves. Logically, as a member of the Special Operations Group, Palmer, even though he didn’t do anything, should have also enjoyed this treatment.

"Damn Fuen."

Palmer unabashedly referred to his father by name, reclining backward to collapse into the sofa.

When Fuen emerged bloodied from the Abandoned Land, he found his eldest son having devoured three single meals, belching from fullness.

That truly made his blood boil.

Simply put, Palmer was requisitioned by his father. With the Regent King emerging, the massive Rebellious Royal Court was eyeing them menacingly. As the foremost Night Race killer family, even without a call from the Decision Room, the Clarks still actively engaged in a series of operations.

A fierce wind poured out from the Wind Source Highlands, sweeping through the Rhine Alliance Territory, significantly alleviating the pressure on the Order Bureau. Besides the Clarks, many Extraordinary Clans closely tied with the Order Bureau chose to join in this tide.

The Decision Room didn’t reveal any war indications, but everyone knew that war was imminent, and many employees secretly referred to this unsettling period.

The eve of war.

After complaining, Palmer picked up the remaining half-slice of bread, wiped the jam on the plate clean, shoved it in his mouth, and mumbled, "You were part of the Scorched Earth Fury. As a veteran, if war truly breaks out, how large do you think it will be?"

Hearing this question, Bologue fell into contemplation, not answering immediately but instead tossing Palmer a newspaper.

"The Order Bureau’s philosophy has always been the isolation of the Extraordinary from the mundane, but you and I know that Condensers are born from the mundane world. Our food, clothing, housing, even military research, and logistical maintenance... all of it requires mundanes to execute.

In my view, Condensers aren’t special. They aren’t like the Night Race or some ’nobility’ transcending ordinary humans.

Condensers are soldiers, just like army, navy, air force - they’re merely a more specialized troop type."

Bologue sighed helplessly, "The philosophy of the Order Bureau, isolating the Extraordinary from the mundane, is indeed a fine idea in peacetime - everyone minding their business without interfering - but in wartime, this false separation crumbles instantly."

Palmer listened quietly; it was only when talking about these distant past stories that he realized Bologue was like a ghost traversing through time.

"War is ruthless; it spares no one. No one can stay uninvolved."

Palmer looked at the newspaper in his hand, filled with politicians’ attacks on one another, furrowing his eyebrows. Normally, newspapers didn’t contain such sharp content, and these items weren’t limited to the Rhine Alliance; many were from the Kagader Empire.

"War is a simple yet complex matter; at its core, it’s a means to an end."

Bologue walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, observing the hurried passersby on the street, "Some think it doesn’t matter, some believe they can escape its clutches, but in reality, they’ve been part of the war from the start without realizing it."

"I suspect some ordinary people with sharp senses have already felt the off-kilter world atmosphere." Bologue chuckled, though the smile was incredibly stiff.

"Sounds terrible, doesn’t it..."

Once full-scale war breaks out, Palmer figured he’d be unable to catch a new movie for a while; perhaps his favorite rock band would get blown to smithereens in an air raid, or maybe he’d die in the scorched earth himself.

"Was it like this during the Scorched Earth Fury?" Palmer couldn’t help but ask.

"My hometown..."

As Bologue’s words emerged, some unsettling memories resurfaced, but this time, Bologue confronted them head-on.

"I once wanted to visit my hometown, but I couldn’t find it on the map. I guess it got razed during the Scorched Earth Fury."

Recollecting Redwood Town, the destruction of Raymond Gaudent also surfaced in Bologue’s mind.

Even a month later, Bologue still wasn’t sure how to handle these emotions - both unfamiliar and fearful.

"Don’t worry too much, Palmer. Even if full-scale war breaks out, it probably won’t last long, at least not like the Scorched Earth Fury, dragging on for years."

Bologue reassured, "Condensers wields terrifying enough power. If we can eliminate the opponent’s Condensers, the war is half-won."

"No more long trenches, no months-long stalemate battles, not as many being mobilized and dying - just deadly struggles among the Condensers."

With that thought, Bologue, surprisingly, grew optimistic about future war scenarios.

"This will be a war of the few."