Endless Debt-Chapter 874 - 24: Feint

In the narrow, enclosed building, dozens of Silent Ones simultaneously called upon Ether, saturating the environment with a high concentration of Ether. Bologue felt the air was damp, like after a heavy rain, and then he saw the liquid Ether condensing into a tangible form, like raindrops.

A sharp blade cleaved through the golden raindrops.

Countless sword strikes landed on Bologue’s armor in an instant, sparks flying and iron shavings scattering. Dents covered the metal surface, even penetrating it and injuring Bologue’s body.

Bologue found himself once again surrounded, just as he had been heavily wounded at the gate.

Through shared vision, the Silent Ones’ slashes were not without strategy. Blade followed blade like an endless torrent of rain, targeting the weak spots of Bologue’s armor. Even though the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid continuously repaired the Iron Armor, it couldn’t withstand the relentless assault.

The spiteful bite swung, cutting into the body of a Silent One, who dropped their weapon and grasped the blade with both hands, trying in vain to stop Bologue’s sword with their flesh.

With the aid of Ethereal Amplification, Bologue was able to cut the Silent Ones in half, but this brief pause was enough to drag him into a deadly situation, with the Silent Ones suppressing him one by one. For a few seconds, the crowd surged chaotically, then the crash of iron erupted, piercing everyone’s eardrums.

Bologue transformed into resilient roots, countless iron branches sprouting and piercing from his body. Thanks to the excellent ductility of the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid and the unique Commanding Power of the Flame of the Cauldron, the spreading branches punctured the bodies and armor of the Silent Ones, nailing them firmly to the surrounding walls, creating a wide space for Bologue to move.

Ether was consumed rapidly, but with Aimou replenishing him, Bologue maintained a high combat stance without any pause. Sparks erupted from the branches, followed by an explosion, and in an instant, the violent firelight consumed the Silent Ones.

Bologue didn’t worry about whether they lived or died; time was of the essence now.

Geoffrey mentioned a high-value target in the building, so from the actions of the Silent Ones, they must have come for this, along with that cloaked figure who increasingly disturbed Bologue’s thoughts.

Moving quickly ahead, in a new layer, new Silent Ones blocked the path, akin to caltrops hindering the advance of horses.

Bologue had no time for delays, fully releasing the Face of Horror, transforming instantaneously into a ghostly figure from a nightmare. The terrifying impact swept through the Silent Ones, but it fell silent in response to Bologue.

The Silent Ones had faced so much death they had grown numb, unaffected by the impact of Face of Horror.

The brilliant ethereal blade was gripped tightly, and the Fire-Calling Staff raised again, a roaring wave of fire engulfing Bologue, like a waterfall of flames cascading forward, the entire lower area enveloped in high heat.

Amid the scorching firelight, a black shadow gradually emerged, and in the next moment, Bologue burst from the inferno, shedding the reddened armor.

This time, the Silent Ones were prepared, greeting Bologue with ethereal blades flashing a deadly light. Yet before they could strike Bologue, his figure began to distort and completely vanish, replaced by a delicate dagger as Bologue appeared on the other end of the staircase.

Utilizing the unexpected nature of the Phantom Dagger, Bologue advanced once more, despite the entire building being controlled by Silent Ones. Even though he had advanced this far, nothing changed.

Some Silent Ones’ movements began to falter, as if an invisible force constrained their limbs, and they glimpsed the silver threads strewn across the space.

The Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid had formed into thin threads, turning Bologue’s area into a silver spider’s nest. Every thread possessed immense resilience, capable of restraining the Silent Ones to a certain extent, but only to a certain extent.

The battle-hardened Silent Ones calmly sliced through vast swathes of threads with their ethereal blades, but Bologue’s objective was already achieved. Not to mention, the dancing threads pulled the Phantom Dagger back, returning it to Bologue’s hand, ready for another throw.

By leveraging the coordination between the threads and the Phantom Dagger, Bologue’s figure flickered repeatedly, like disjointed film frames, effortlessly bypassing the Silent Ones’ defense line.

After each Curved Path Shuttling, Bologue would feel a profound nausea. With repeated use in a short span, this negative state rapidly intensified until, after the final shuttling, Bologue experienced severe dizziness and hallucinations. Fortunately, Aimou safeguarded his will, and this deadly negative state lasted only briefly.

Heart Overlapping Shadow stabilized Bologue’s will, providing immunity to most hallucinations of the same tier.

The other downside to Curved Path Shuttling was the rapid Ether depletion. At this reckless rate, even if Bologue could withstand the negative state, the Ether would soon run dry, forcing him to rely solely on Aimou’s power, increasing the risk considerably.

Burning stairs and bricks behind him with the Flame of the Cauldron, Bologue’s Command dismantled them naturally. Dust and debris, which he had hoped would obstruct the Silent Ones’ advance, were overcome as the Silent Ones displayed unexpected strength, breaking through the dust.

"Do you feel it, Aimou?"

Bologue swung the spiteful bite, clashing with an ethereal blade. After a brief stalemate, he severed the ethereal blade alongside the Silent One.

Through masterful Ethereal Amplification and the properties of the spiteful bite, Bologue had reached the direct killing power comparable to most Negative Power Users. However, in overall strength, he was still lacking significantly.

"These guys have gotten stronger... This isn’t the power of a First Stage Condenser."

As the battle wore on, Bologue noticed the Silent Ones’ strength steadily increasing. Yet, strangely, if they had stronger power, why deploy it now?

The Order Bureau’s ability to suppress this silent legion was largely because their average Ether strength was only that of a First Stage Condenser, but now their power was rising continuously, seemingly without end.

Bologue was no longer keen on fighting, his heavy steps fell on the stairs as he pressed forward. After the blood-soaked battle, Bologue lifted his head, finally catching up with that cloaked figure in the stairwell, who also noticed Bologue. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

For a moment, Bologue stopped, and that eerie feeling in his heart reemerged. The figure seemed to feel the same, halted by Bologue, despite facing no obstruction since arriving here.

Then Bologue saw, beneath that black robe, a delicate silver-white mask emanating a chill in the sweltering air.

"Bologue... Lazarus?"

He recognized Bologue, his gaze becoming complicated. Admittedly, Bologue’s appearance disrupted his plans. His blood stirred, much like Bologue’s, yet unlike Bologue, he controlled himself; there were matters more pressing than mutual slaughter.

"Not yet time."

He shook his head.

The Silent Ones caught up with Bologue at that moment, as their Ether intensity surged once again, reaching the strength of Prayer Believers. The furious Ether completely surrounded Bologue, even if the spiteful bite cleaved through the Ether flow, it would be restored instantly.

"Stop!"

Bologue shouted, but the figure ignored him, continuing forward until the sounds of clashing swords faded, until a door slowly opened before him.

It was a dim, narrow room, resembling an interrogation chamber. He noticed the strange metal inside, replacing tiles, wrapping the room entirely.

"It’s interception metal, our latest invention. It can largely block detection, even the power of the Devil."

The voice emerged from the darkness, even Geoffrey wasn’t aware that anyone existed in this supposedly evacuated, sealed building.

The figure stepped out of the darkness, revealing a tall form.

Nesanel looked at the black-robed figure with a smiling face, praising, "Quite the feint, sure to deceive everyone."

He squinted, scrutinizing the unexpected guest.

"So what should I call you?

Is it Second Seat, or... Shadow King."

The Shadow King removed his hood, the stifling silence akin to his numb, withered heart.

"Call me Shadow King," he paused, "the Second Seat is a thing of the past."