Endless Debt Chapter 1468 - 51: Fantasy Tree (2)

Mentioning these, Ossana quickened her pace significantly. "I can’t shelter you for too long; a Defender and a Negative Power User just disappearing into thin air in the Land of Secrets... They’ll suspect me, after all, in this situation, only I can hide you."

"Won’t you be in trouble?" Bologue asked.

"No, they have no direct evidence, and even if they did, the most they’d do is imprison me until the incident is over, rather than kill me," Ossana said.

At this moment, Bologue noticed some clues and asked, "If the Ancestral Council truly wanted to implement absolute will, they should have eliminated you Truth Faction members early on. What does it matter if you’re a Duke? The resources shared by three Dukes are more than those shared by four.

So, does your family’s existence hold some necessity for the Ancestral Council?"

Bologue’s sharp insight was anticipated by Ossana, but she had thought Bologue would only realize this after everything ended.

Ossana spoke, "The Ancestral Council is a bunch of damned yet not dead people; they’ve extended their lifespans through some special means, escaping the Scythe of the Death God."

"Just like those Elders in my family," Palmer murmured.

"Those life-sustaining means were provided by you," Bologue guessed.

"Yes."

"How did you do it?"

Bologue felt there was still ample time, and with the protection of this Duke of Fantasies, they were relatively safe for the time being. Thus, he kept questioning Ossana, fearing the next time they met, it would be her corpse he saw.

"It’s simple, the standard methods of the Illusion Creation faction," Ossana mentioned the term Bologue had nearly forgotten, "Fantasy Becoming Reality."

Bologue was taken aback for a moment, subconsciously saying, "Fantasy Species? What wish did the Ancestral Council make?"

"An Undying Realm, as long as they remain within that realm, they will retain their youth forever," Ossana continued, "You can feel it too, my family doesn’t really have a say within the Ancestral Council."

"Because there are none of your people in the Ancestral Council, or rather, they’re no longer ’people’," Bologue caught a glimpse of the dark corner of the All Secrets Order, "They’ve become Fantasy Species."

"Yes, just as I said."

Ossana still wore a composed smile, though it had an added tension of indescribable bitterness, "Once the radical ideology of Condenser supremacy spirals out of control, even Condensers themselves become just another form of resource, ultimately serving that Ultimate Condenser."

Through sacrifice, Ossana’s family attained the highest status, but they were also shackled by this status, unable to break free.

"Did I hear something I shouldn’t have?" Palmer cautiously interjected.

The trio remained silent for a good while until Bologue broke the quiet, "What about the others?"

Bologue looked up and glanced around; towering walls obscured his view, but he could still see the cliffs of the valley shrouding the sky, and the Supreme Hub situated at the center.

"So much happened; the Deputy Director couldn’t possibly not retaliate, but if he were to retaliate, most of the Land of Secrets should be scorched by now."

In response to Bologue’s question, Ossana shook her head, "Sorry, I really don’t know this part, but I guess he might be at the Supreme Hub."

She added, "As you can see, most of the Aurora Power is focused there; it’s likely used to deal with him."

"Aurora Power? Are you referring to the light surrounding them?" Bologue recalled some Condensers he had detonated, and they had a faint glow around them.

"Yes, it’s an augmentation method, transferring the Ether from the Aurora Path to other Condensers, thereby enhancing their power," Ossana explained.

"And the others?"

"They should still be alive, at least there haven’t been more High Towers collapsing," Ossana joked, then her tone turned serious, "As I said, even Condensers are just another form of resource; the others are likely controlled and then escorted to the Supreme Hub."

Ossana then recounted a bloody story, "Unlike members of other families, at the brink of death, they step into the Undying Realm, retaining their youth, whereas members of my family must become Fantasy Species, sustaining this false immortality.

But those who can create Fantasy Species are too few, and Fantasy Species, being such a precious resource, diminish one by one. To maintain the operation of the Undying Realm, my family has been researching this over the years."

"Fantasy Becoming Reality."

Ossana muttered the mystical term, "In that realm where every wish can come true, what if a wish is made to distort a target into a Fantasy Species?"

"That sounds like wishing to a Lamp God for three more wishes," Palmer said softly.

"Yes, it sounds unreasonable; in fact, it truly is unreasonable. There’s always energy loss in every transformation. Fantasy Species might achieve this, but the cost paid must exceed the gains."

"How did you resolve this problem?"

Bologue, like an apprentice full of curiosity, eagerly inquired, even though just minutes ago he had been locked in a deadly struggle with a Seeker of Glory’s might.

Listening to Ossana’s account, Bologue’s mind sprouted a series of new insights. All this while, his view had been confined within the Order Bureau, believing their research in the Ethereal Realm surpassed all forces, but now it seemed every force was advancing towards the truth, just in different directions.