Endless Debt-Chapter 817 - 268: Eerily Absurd Silence (2)

The roar echoed incessantly in the narrow stairwell. Bologue’s foot landed on a dust-covered step, and the entire stone crumbled under the pressure, nearly causing Bologue to fall.

Damn it, how long has it been since Ewen maintained this castle?

After regaining his balance, Bologue continued forward, while the fatigue in his body became increasingly evident. Previously, Bologue could sense the Ether’s activity within him, but now it was slowly becoming lifeless, signaling that Bologue was nearing the root of the narrative.

"Sorry, Ewen."

Gathering what remaining strength he had, Bologue’s fist ignited with the Flame of the Cauldron, and with a punch, he struck the wall. In the next second, the entire wall collapsed under the blaze of the Flame of the Cauldron.

There was no need to use Secret Energy to kill demons; it was much more convenient to use it to clear a path. Like an enraged bull, Bologue crashed through several walls in succession, reminding him of the great battle in the Wind Source Highlands. The cascading walls gave Bologue an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Bologue felt he was the type who built sandcastles only to topple them over.

Releasing Ether once more, Bologue, with Palmer and Aimou, burst into a dimly lit room. This should be Ewen’s storeroom. Living in such a desolate and remote place, he must have stocked up on supplies. Bologue could already smell the potent scent of alcohol in the air.

The roars of the demons gradually faded away; it seemed he had evaded their initial pursuit. Setting Palmer and Aimou down, Bologue pried open several wooden crates, revealing bottles of sealed liquor. Although Bologue rarely drank, he couldn’t help but take several large gulps under the circumstances.

Under the numbing effect of alcohol, the sensory torment finally abated significantly. Bologue then poured bottle after bottle of liquor over Palmer’s face, attempting to awaken him in this manner.

Bologue hadn’t held much hope, but after a while, he heard a faint coughing sound, then breathing that gradually became heavy, until it turned into deep gasps.

"Are you serious!"

Bologue couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, dragging the drenched Palmer to his feet. Palmer, his eyes dazed, gradually recognized Bologue and almost burst into tears before hugging Bologue tightly.

"Oh my god, Bologue!"

Palmer’s voice was so sincere it could move one to tears. "I thought I’d never see you again!"

Bologue blocked Palmer’s face with his hand, then kicked him away. "What have you been through?"

Palmer hesitated for a moment, his eyes red. "You wouldn’t want to know."

What Palmer endured was quite mundane compared to the endless slaughter Bologue experienced. He wandered a world full of ruins... all alone.

"How did you escape?"

Bologue doubted mere liquor could awaken Palmer. Damn, was this guy Serey?

"Suicide. I jumped into a lake, and as I was about to drown, I found the lake had turned into wine," Palmer murmured, retrieving a bottle from the crate. "I thought it was the Devil’s mercy."

That’s Palmer for you, Bologue thought. Perhaps Ewen wanted to lighten the narrative and wrote Palmer this way, allowing him to awaken in such a comical manner.

Bologue didn’t know the answer. He’d have to ask Ewen personally to find out.

"Aimou, wake up, Aimou."

Now, only Aimou remained unawakened. Bologue gently called to her, pressing his fingers against her metallic body. This sturdy shell protected Aimou, but it also deprived her of many senses.

Her eyes tightly shut, Aimou, like the other two, was also enduring severe torment. Bologue could vaguely imagine the kind of torment that would target each person’s most vulnerable part of their soul.

As for Bologue... he thought he had no vulnerable parts, which was why Asmodeus attempted, in vain, to conquer him with this prolonged slaughter.

Clearly, she failed.

Bologue’s persistent calls genuinely worked. A faint light appeared between Aimou’s eyelids. Lazily, she awoke and saw the two disheveled individuals.

Palmer started to doubt, "Could it be this easy?"

Remember, Gold was tormented to death back in the day... perhaps external forces played a role. Gold was alone in Hell, whereas they had Bologue’s rescue.

"Could it be Ewen’s doing? Has he influenced Asmodeus, restricting her powers?"

Bologue wasn’t sure, but now that everyone was awake, that was the best.

"What’s the matter!"

Aimou gradually came to her senses, recalling all she’d been through moments ago, and felt a pang of fear. Just as she was about to ask questions, Bologue clamped her mouth shut, signaling her to stay silent.

In the darkness, the group hid in a corner. Behind the fissure Bologue had opened, a pungent scent wafted in. Bologue could hear numerous footsteps overlapping, akin to an earthquake, causing the whole castle to tremble slightly.

With the invasion of darkness, at least a thousand demons entered Daisy Castle. Under the influence of darkness, the demons’ powers were being gradually enhanced, while Bologue and the others were suppressed.

Bologue signaled the other two to move silently, but as soon as they poked their heads out of the opened fissure, Bologue regretted it. The narrow corridor was packed with jostling demons, and countless vine-like tendrils hung from the darkness above.

They seemed to notice Bologue almost simultaneously, then surged forward.

The bloody fight erupted once again. Taking advantage of the terrain, Bologue held his ground at the collapsed opening. With the power of resentment supporting him, the demons had no defense, but their strength and speed were gradually increasing—with rampantly growing tendrils interfering, too.

Soon, a small mountain of demon corpses piled up in front of Bologue, and in the cramped space, bodies started pouring back into the storeroom.

Bologue could keep slashing for a long time, but in this tidal wave of assault, he would eventually fall. Thus, Bologue made a decisive decision.

"I hope this castle holds no historical value."

Bologue abandoned the fight against the demons. He drained the last of his Ether, the Flame of the Cauldron burning wildly on his arm. With Bologue’s touch, the wall behind began to collapse.

"Follow me!"

Bologue shouted, breaking through walls one after another. Palmer and Aimou chased closely behind him. With each step, bricks and stones collapsed en masse, crushing many demons to a bloody pulp, only for more to trample over their fallen kin.

Like a jet-black tide.

Like a bulldozer, Bologue charged through the castle, following his instincts, sensing that strange power. After smashing through countless high walls, the familiar gate appeared before them.

The Grand Library.

Bologue rammed the door open with his shoulder. After Palmer and Aimou entered, before the door closed, he used the last of his Ether to engulf the entire area in flames, then collapsed it.

The relentless collapse turned the outside of the Grand Library into complete ruins. Bologue hoped this would stall the demons momentarily, giving him a chance to end this crazed narrative.

Having done all this, Bologue breathed deeply. Physical exhaustion could be overcome, but the weariness of the will had become riddled with holes.

Bologue finally returned to this familiar place, where he could end this extremely perilous Extraordinary Disaster. But when he turned around, what awaited him was an utterly unimaginable scene.

Ewen, back to everyone, tirelessly typing on a typewriter, while beside him, a woman sat leaning against a bookshelf, holding a copy of "Night Hunter," her expression complex as she read.

Everything was so serene, without a hint of apocalyptic disaster.