Endless Debt Chapter 677 - 188 Siege War

"Steller’s Jay... Steller’s Jay... Steller’s Jay..."

Palmer seemed entranced, mumbling the name repeatedly, his eyes scanning the crowd, scrutinizing one unfamiliar face after another.

Duwa and Geoffrey followed behind Palmer, puzzled by his strange behavior.

"Is he a blood enemy of your Clarks family?" Geoffrey’s voice resonated directly in Palmer’s mind, "Are you taking this so seriously?"

Palmer responded using the Whistle, "No, no, no, this has nothing to do with the Clarks family."

How could it possibly have anything to do with the Clarks? This was simply closely tied to Palmer’s personal interests.

If Geoffrey knew he was taking this so seriously just to personally meet his favorite author, Geoffrey would surely press the gun muzzle against his own nape.

Palmer coughed twice and solemnly said, "The last person to see Nolen was Steller’s Jay. As long as we find him, we can find clues to Nolen."

"Do you know what Steller’s Jay looks like?"

Geoffrey glanced around, thinking their current search was pointless.

"I don’t know," Palmer shook his head, "Absolutely no idea."

As a reader of Steller’s Jay, Palmer was acutely aware of his mysteriousness; he was completely enshrouded in fog, revealing no information beyond his works. It had been so long since he last published that many believed Steller’s Jay had died.

"But haven’t people said?" Palmer continued using the Whistle, "Steller’s Jay seems aged, wearing a bulky coat, dressed like a weary traveler."

Their gaze swept over the surrounding men and women, everyone dressed lavishly, fully showcasing their wealth and power.

"If Steller’s Jay hasn’t changed his attire, his appearance would certainly be noticeable."

Palmer spoke with a laugh, as everyone tried their hardest to appear in the most perfect posture at the banquet, drawing all attention without realizing that amidst endless luxury, the ordinary appeared rare and precious, attracting even more notice.

Geoffrey said, "Could he have already left the banquet hall?"

"That’s possible too," Palmer had already surveyed a circle without any findings, "Paradise is too big; should we split up to search?"

Regarding Palmer’s suggestion, Geoffrey shook his head and rejected, "The situation is unclear now, we’d better stay together."

Geoffrey knew the true reason wasn’t an unclear situation, but his distrust in Palmer.

Admittedly, Palmer was indeed a highly skilled Field Staff, but due to his personality and Blessing, Geoffrey just couldn’t fully trust this guy, as if with one careless glance, he’d cause a huge problem.

If Bologue were by his side now, Geoffrey would surely agree to this proposal.

Duwa looked at the two in confusion; Geoffrey and Palmer’s conversation relied entirely on the Whistle, leaving Duwa sidelined. He couldn’t understand their eye exchanges and occasional nods.

Suddenly, the two stopped, Geoffrey and Palmer simultaneously turned their heads to look at Duwa.

"Duwa, you..."

Palmer reached out his hand, resting on Duwa’s shoulders. Duwa swallowed nervously, knowing that interacting with these Order Bureau’s Field Staff was not an easy task.

At this moment, Duwa missed Bologue; although that guy gave off a cold, oppressive vibe, chatting with Bologue made Duwa realize he was actually quite nice, at least they agreed on the matter of King Solomon.

"Damn it..."

Duwa cursed inwardly, the operation was too sudden, having only a few hours from receiving the message to setting off. It was only when boarding the train that Duwa realized he hadn’t brought anything for self-defense.

The fervent thirst for knowledge led Duwa to forget the peril he was about to face.

Duwa stammeringly asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"Those eyes of yours... should be able to see through quite a lot, right?" Palmer asked curiously, "Like seeing through things?"

Duwa felt trouble looming, "Barely, what’s up?"

"You should have sensed it, right? A Void Realm blankets this ship; maybe you can help us..."

Palmer threw an arm around Duwa’s neck, appearing as close brothers while in truth, they had only known each other for a few days.

Duwa contemplated for a few seconds, thinking of his desired primal object. He resolutely nodded, and they immediately retreated to the edge of the banquet hall, first trying Duwa’s Secret Energy to prevent any mistakes.

Outside, rain poured and the wind howled, prompting the group to tighten their clothing. Duwa took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes forcefully; for so many years, he had always utilized Secret Energy as a scholar, but now he was to release power in the guise of an intruder.

Layers of auras appeared in Duwa’s eyes, the ship’s structure began to unravel and break down. Soon, under layers of matter, he glimpsed a field woven by Ether.

Just as they suspected, the Void Realm covered Paradise, dividing it into different zones, severing others’ surveillance.

Duwa wanted to carefully observe the Void Realm on Paradise, but suddenly a brighter light spot invaded his view, moving swiftly, entering the banquet hall and brightening intensely.

Duwa was stunned, past experiences surged in his mind, warning him incessantly, but he was, after all, a scholar, his sluggish body unable to react in time.

Luckily, there were professionals beside Duwa.

Palmer immediately tackled Duwa, while Geoffrey’s eyes blazed as the Ether reaction rose, powerful Ether surged within his body.

A booming explosion rang beside ears, the serene string music in the dance floor abruptly ceased. Heat waves surged into the cabin like tides, ramming into everything along the way.

Thickened glass windows were filled with cracks, then completely shattered. Cold wind and rain flooded in, with high temperatures and extreme cold interwoven, screams permeated the air.

As the flames and shockwave dissipated, the jovial crowd transformed into a scorched heap spread across every corner of the banquet hall. The massive crystal chandelier swayed precariously, then collapsed into fragments among the corpses, shattered crystals sweeping around like shrapnel.

This banquet had few Condensers; the rest were ordinary people. The sudden explosion claimed most lives, even the Condensers, if their stages were low, suffered great injuries. Some died instantly.

Duwa felt the world spinning around him, the lingering sound of explosions in his ears. Painfully, he tried to get up but was restrained firmly by Palmer.

Before Duwa could comprehend the situation, more explosions erupted, transforming one zone after another into ruinous fiery infernos. The guards had no time to fight back; the flames devoured them, collated in the corridors, and rampaged through.

All areas on Paradise not protected by the Void Realm were blasted, and the entire ship fell into a sea of fire in an instant.

A man’s silhouette gradually emerged behind the rainy mist at the dock; he held a long knife without a guard, as always.

Paradise was blown apart at one corner, tons of seawater poured in, causing Paradise to tilt slightly to one side.

Hert silently watched the ship, lighting another cigarette for himself, inhaling deeply, sensing all the real feelings emanating from his body.

"You know what to do."

Hert whispered, as shadowy figures emerged from the rain mist behind him, surrounding the dock. Each held weapons, their faces radiating manic smiles.

Another explosion sounded, and the gangway fell from a side gap. Without Hert’s direction, the crowd surged forward, ascending along the narrow gangway, waving weapons recklessly.

Some conscious guards raised firearms and fired at the enemies on the gangway. Countless people fell into the raging waves, yet countless more climbed the gangway, reminiscent of sieges from old times. Hert was the siege man, and Paradise was the isolated fortress at sea.

Throwing the cigarette butt into rain and wind, Hert grew tired of waiting; he hefted the long knife and strode forward.