Endless Debt-Chapter 870 - 20: The True Manipulator

Kemp looked at the terrifying figure silhouetted by the firelight in front of him, surprised that after so long, Bologue had once again saved him. In an instant, a plethora of complex emotions surged within Kemp’s heart, feelings far more indescribable than physical pain. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Don’t just stand there!"

Bologue shoved Kemp, causing him to stumble backwards, retreating into the defensive line of the Sixth Group’s members.

A gentle hand grabbed Kemp from behind, and Shelley shouted at Kemp, trying to drown out the piercing sounds of battle.

"Stick together!"

Although Kemp’s mind was still dominated by those bizarre emotions, his body reacted instinctively—a reaction honed over hundreds of training sessions in the past.

The ether within him quickly released, connecting with Shelley’s overflowing ether, linking more team members, and a more solid ethereal barrier rose between them.

This is a unique trait of the Origin School, where they unite to concentrate their strengths collectively, a characteristic also reflected in the Silent Legion.

With his ability to cut through ether flows, Bologue easily pierced through the now transparent ethereal barriers, killing Silent Ones one after another.

At the same time, Bologue went berserk, hacking wildly like a beast. Under the proliferation of Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid and the command of the Flame of the Cauldron, he could freely shape his own form, such as layering metal armor to form a beast-like figure.

Bologue reverted to his Silver Lion-like form, but this time he wore less armor, focusing more on offense.

Metal armor covered his spine, with fine threads extending along it. Near the coccyx, thicker fibers twisted together, and the long tail lashed wildly in the air, splitting and forging fiery red blades. Each swing and slash triggered the red mercury, igniting the strikes with blazing flames.

Yas maintained silence and prohibition. In this area, anyone who wants to distort reality must consume their reserved ether. Bologue’s violent assault would undoubtedly deplete his ether rapidly. Yet, as he carved a bloody path among the Silent Ones, his ether’s brilliance remained high, showing no signs of stopping.

Aimou continuously supplied ether to Bologue, their connection in some ways resembling the unity among the Origin School members.

Bologue tore apart the Silent Ones’ defenses, but it wasn’t enough; in the industrial zone, at least hundreds of Silent Ones were fighting, and their numbers continued to rise without stopping.

The battle expanded, with the Order Bureau wary of many possibilities, but they never expected the Silent Legion to disrupt the scene, let alone appear in such a bizarre manner.

Bologue raised his head, his scarlet scars still looming overhead.

The pathway torn by the Blood Transfer Sword wouldn’t last long. Over time, the scarlet scars visibly healed, but their healing was too slow, leaving room for at least hundreds more Silent Ones to be deployed.

"What the hell are these things!"

Palmer’s curses echoed through the Heart Core Net, followed by the area being enveloped in the screeching sound of buzzing.

Secret Energy·Furious Wind Pardon.

The furious winds wielded massive splitting Storm Feathers, sweeping low across the Silent Ones’ lines like a dense barrage, leaving countless cracks and flickering arcs on the ethereal barriers.

Palmer’s attack did not kill many Silent Ones, but he successfully suppressed them, buying the others some time.

The Silent Ones began to assemble, launching wave after wave of attacks on the Sixth Group, attempting to break the ethereal seal caused by silence and prohibition. Yas focused all his energy on mobilizing ether to maintain the large ethereal seal, protected at the core by the team members.

The Sixth Group was adept at this, but this time the enemy’s numbers were truly excessive. Just as they held the line, a series of explosions caused the ethereal barrier to tremble violently, flickering uncontrollably.

Shelley exclaimed, "They... they carry Alchemy Armaments!"

Earlier, the assault of the Fire-Calling Staff had alerted them to the Silent Ones’ armament, but they were surprised how much more extensive their armament was.

Various alchemy bombs were triggered, items inherently containing ether that needed only a small amount for external activation. During chaotic time sequences, Bologue used such items to blow off much malformed flesh.

They were now used en masse on the battlefield, with some alchemy blades drawn, more deadly with cruel cold gleams flashing on their edges.

But these couldn’t shift the battlefield; thus, the Silent Ones threw out their most lethal weapon.

Among numerous explosions, one triggered the prelude to disaster. Bologue felt an instinctive disgust, realizing his Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid was beginning to wilt and decay.

The extraordinary metal gradually lost its extraordinary properties, turning into ordinary metal, rapidly corroding, rusting, and dissipating into brown dust.

Bologue decisively abandoned that part of the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid, shedding his armor entirely from his body.

A stabbing pain arrived belatedly; Bologue belatedly raised his hand, only to find his fingertips rotting at a visible speed, down to the bone.

The bizarre decay did not spread widely, affecting only a small area. Yet soon, more people encountered such corrosive infestation, which affected not only matter but also eroded the scant ether.

Silent Ones were also affected, rotting bodies collapsing lifelessly, yet they paid no heed to their own life or death, treating themselves as expendables in battle.

"What are those damn things!"

Exclamations echoed in the Heart Core Net.

"Corruption Disease."

A calm and familiar voice rang out, as the light of Canyin swept among the Silent Ones, halting their movements, along with the yet-to-trigger warheads frozen in their firearms.

Geoffrey cleaved off the arm of a Silent One, retrieving the deadly warhead from its gun.

"An Order of Truth creation—a peculiar disease capable of corroding all matter and even ether."

Bologue recognized this Evil God’s creation, designated as an extraordinary disaster, foreseeing what dread scenarios the widespread release of Corruption Disease could cause.

Speaking, Bologue cleaved a Silent One’s head, "Is this the Order of Truth’s doing?"

"We just reached an agreement; how could they do this," Geoffrey referred to research on primal objects, "Besides, the Order of Truth never engages in conflicts unless in pursuit of the so-called truth."

"Provoking both the Order Bureau and King’s Secret Sword at once? Are they insane?" He continued, "It’s the Gray Trade Association, those bastards."

Geoffrey guessed who was behind it, "They are closely tied to the Order of Truth, likely commissioned by them to sell these alchemy weapons, passed to the Silent Legion. But now, with the appearance of the Corruption Disease, there must be Gray Trade Association manipulation behind it."

The Order Bureau had long been aware of the Corruption Disease’s dread, reaching an agreement with the Order of Truth years ago to prohibit the outbreak of this disease. The Order of Truth agreed to the accord, yet the Corruption Disease has existed for years before the agreement.

Considering their close relationship with the Gray Trade Association, it’s plausible these Corruption Diseases were rare stock from Gray Trade Association decades ago.

Bologue thought even deeper than Geoffrey—Gray Trade Association, Silent Legion, the attack on negotiations...

The missing puzzle pieces fit perfectly, as Bologue believed the Silent Legion was likely hired by the King’s Shield Guard. Then, considering aid from the Gray Trade Association and the greedy Devil.

"Mammon, are you the one orchestrating all this?"

Bologue raised his head again, gazing at the scarlet scar, no longer indulging in slaughtering Silent Ones, but instead planning ways to breach the fissure pathway, halting the continued deployment of Silent Ones.