Endless Debt-Chapter 875 - 25: Mission

With Red Dog leading the King’s Secret Swords, they stood at the edge of the industrial zone gazing into the distance, fueled by the hatred accumulated from the secret war. Red Dog was not surprised by the Order Bureau’s arrangements, and when the Silent Legion invaded, he showed no reaction, as it was all within his expectations.

Red Dog murmured, "As expected, the Second Seat’s group is not completely wiped out."

During the secret war, the Second Seat faction took the initiative, launching a fierce assault on the Cultivation Room, sparking a brutal conflict. On the surface, the First Seat faction did not send troops, but after Xilin died and during the mid-war period, Red Dog was secretly dispatched.

At that time, Red Dog’s mission was the same as those of the Second Seat faction who fought desperately; they were all to seize Xilin’s corpse, to obtain, more precisely, Xilin’s dominion power over all things.

With the Order Bureau’s victory, Red Dog thought the battle for the corpse should have ended, but unexpectedly, it still continued years later.

"What’s the use of getting it?" Red Dog muttered to himself, "That’s a power we cannot wield."

Like the doubts of Church and Ivan, Red Dog had realized this issue early on. Under the First Seat’s suppression, it was already extremely difficult for the Second Seat to gather resources for Xilin’s ascension to Seeker of Glory; how did he manage to develop such a terrifying Alchemy Matrix?

Could it be external aid? The Order of Truth? Those fervent Seekers indeed possess such expertise, but if they had such power, the Order of Truth would have become the world’s greatest war profiteer long ago, unable to tolerate oppression from other forces.

If it wasn’t them, then there was only one answer.

Thinking of this possibility made Red Dog somewhat despondent. He was a battle-hardened Defender, the high and mighty Sixth Seat, yet what use were these several honors when he remained a trivial pawn on the chessboard.

Red Dog felt only awe and fear, the helplessness and despair of being unable to grasp one’s fate in this cruel world.

But... but who can truly control their destiny?

Red Dog often comforted himself this way, for even the seemingly omnipotent Devil was, in a different sense, a prisoner.

A hint of a smile blossomed on his troubled face; in such a mad, chaotic world, maintaining a playful attitude seemed the only solace.

Utterly meaningless.

...

The Shadow King closed the door, sealing off a space entirely with metal that formed a cohesive whole. Protected doubly by the Void Realm and blocking metal, Nesanel was confident that no one would learn of the conversation here.

"The Silent Legion... Is it really Mammon’s doing?"

Nesanel wasn’t in a hurry to broach the main subject, choosing instead to probe.

"We’ve speculated before; the Silent Legion’s characteristics are much like Mammon’s. As long as ample remuneration is provided, they’ll do anything... Moreover, Mammon’s the only Devil you can reach now."

"I loathe Devils, but among them, Mammon is one of the few not so revolting."

The Shadow King’s words were heartfelt; compared to other Devils he had dealt with, Mammon seemed less a Devil and more an avaricious merchant.

Everyone prefers clear pricing.

He confirmed his connection with Mammon but didn’t elaborate on the Silent Legion, interjecting, "As for the Silent Legion, they’re irrelevant to this talk."

Nesanel didn’t require the Shadow King’s response; he had already guessed much: in Devil’s conflicts, there are wins and losses, but there’s always one Devil maintaining neutrality, madly amassing wealth like a war profiteer.

"So back to the main topic."

Nesanel sat upright, towering over the hunched Shadow King like a giant bear.

"What does the King’s Shield Guard want?"

"Xilin’s corpse."

It was the expected answer, and Nesanel continued questioning.

"The price?"

The price, there’s always a price, and the Shadow King was well aware of this. He paused for a moment, appearing to think, yet more so recollecting, with many scenes flashing back in his mind, and he spoke firmly.

"The price is that we will wage war for you."

"Oh?"

This answer was unexpected by Nesanel, sparking his interest.

"Continue."

"The King’s Secret Sword, the King of Slaughter, and the Devils behind them... the Crimson Queen.

I will declare war against them and everyone, until utter destruction."

The Shadow King clenched his fists, his once tranquil heart now inflamed. Nesanel sensed the soul-scorching rage within that emaciated body, and under the witness of that fury, Nesanel trusted the Shadow King wasn’t lying.

"Not enough, it’s still not enough," Nesanel shook his head, "I’ve heard too much about revenge; don’t think it can move me."

"I need something... more tangible."

Nesanel’s eyes lowered, emitting a Canyin glow. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Your time is running out, Shadow King."

As the words fell, both sensed the violent Ethereal Fluctuation outside the room, like a monster rampaging about the building, unknowingly raising the room’s temperature. Both felt a bit feverish.

"You should understand the importance of this conversation; to avoid suspicion from others, I must deceive even my own. Don’t waste this rare opportunity."

Nesanel regarded the Shadow King playfully as the latter fell silent, both immersed in a prolonged quiet.

"All I can offer is war."

The Shadow King took a deep breath, his voice now sounding forlorn and powerless.

The current power of the King’s Shield Guard couldn’t support the Shadow King’s ambitions; at least before obtaining Xilin’s corpse, their actions were extremely limited.

"Apologies, but I must refuse you."

Nesanel found little worth discussing with the Shadow King; the value shown by the King’s Shield Guard was not enough for the Order Bureau to surrender Xilin’s corpse. Not to mention, the Order Bureau couldn’t fully trust the Shadow King, as they remained in a somewhat adversarial stance.

"There’s still plenty of time. Do you want to discuss something else?" Nesanel glanced at his watch, sensing the outside condition roughly, "I’m very interested in your experiences over the years... Second Seat."

From this moment, Nesanel referred to the Shadow King as the Second Seat.

"I still remember our battle during the secret war; after all these years, I haven’t encountered another opponent like you."

Nesanel displayed a nostalgic demeanor; this secret negotiation turned into a reminiscence.

"I didn’t expect you to become like this... Is it because of Xilin?"

The Second Seat lifted his head, the darkness beneath his mask scrutinizing Nesanel as the latter continued, "From our intelligence, after the Bloody Night, it was always you nurturing and educating Xilin—you were like his father, teacher, while to you, he was akin to your child, best disciple."

"To you, Xilin’s corpse would have a very significant meaning, wouldn’t it?"

Nesanel wielded words as a sharp sword, cutting into the Second Seat.

"It’s not just a corpse wielding dominion power; it’s your child’s... corpse."

The Second Seat remained mute.

Nesanel emitted a piercing laugh, apologizing repeatedly, "Forgive my harshness; after all, there’s a blood feud between us, I’ve got to vent a little, right?"

"Well then, Second Seat, perhaps we can engage in another deal."

"What?"

Nesanel stated calmly.

"I want to know what actually happened within the Pillar of Royal Authority during the Bloody Night."

The Second Seat shook his head, decisively refusing.

"I won’t speak."

"Why?"

"It’s a mission."

"Who entrusted you with this mission?"

The Second Seat fell into silence once more, unwilling to answer, as Nesanel leisurely rose. In the next second, his aura became perilous. He emitted no Ethereal Fluctuation, yet the Second Seat acutely sensed Nesanel having transformed into an extremely menacing being.

The power of Glory.

Without any warning, Nesanel’s eyes ignited, silently annihilating the wooden table separating them into fine dust.

Nesanel approached the Second Seat, placing his hands lightly on his shoulders, standing over him.

"Old friend, old rival..."

Nesanel’s gaze was chillingly aloof as he raised a hand to grip the silver mask, gently tugging it off.