Endless Debt-Chapter 956 - 54: Calamity Orderkeeper_3

"The Gray Trade Association? I don’t think they would attack us proactively," Hart’s voice rang out; he had some knowledge of the Gray Trade Association. "They only handle business, and if they were to take action against us, they would probably send mercenaries."

"The Silent Legion."

Upon hearing "mercenaries," everyone voiced the name of those silent enemies in unison.

Except for Bologue, the others didn’t feel as much pressure from the Silent Ones. During the battle in the first negotiation, they felt the Silent Ones, aside from their almost numbed fighting spirit, weren’t all that terrifying. But only Bologue knew that the true strength of the Silent Ones would only be revealed when more than half of them were dead or injured.

Back then, Bologue was merely a Prayer Believer and had absolutely no power to resist the Silent Ones who advanced to become Defenders. But now, he became a Negative Power User and fully aware of the existence of Protection·Soul Sucking and Essence Stealing. Coupled with his Undying Body, Bologue felt capable of confronting, even killing, a Defender.

Ether is the source of power for all Condensers.

When facing the Zongge Orchestra, especially Bai Ou, Bologue often felt a sense of helplessness. The Undying Body allowed him to endure pain that could be fatal, and the existence of Protection·Chaotic Joy made his ether almost inexhaustible. If not for the Canary’s targeted attacks, Bologue couldn’t think of a way to defeat him.

Protection·Chaotic Joy is powerful, but compared to Protection·Soul Sucking and Essence Stealing, it’s less practical.

It allows the Condenser to obtain a massive amount of ether, but it cannot affect the opponent. Regardless, the opponent still has enough ether to mount some degree of counterattack.

But Protection·Soul Sucking and Essence Stealing is different. It directly siphons ether from the enemy, enhancing oneself while weakening the enemy. Without ether, even a Defender would become powerless.

The Astronaut’s protection is like a deadly dagger. As long as Bologue uses it aptly, combined with the unique attack of Secret Energy·Commanding Decree targeting Rectangular Soul Critical, there is a great possibility for Bologue to assassinate a Defender.

But Bologue still hesitated.

Previously acquiring Soul Shards from a Demon’s body was almost an instinctive passive release of Protection·Soul Sucking and Essence Stealing. Yet, once actively wielding this sharp sword, Bologue feared being cut by it, feared the deepening of the curse.

Bologue suddenly halted his steps; he remembered something.

"Another Evil Spirit."

He muttered in a barely audible voice.

Unknowingly, an invisible web linked all the things Bologue had suspected together, speeding his thoughts. A terrifying suspicion arose in his mind.

Suppose...

Suppose it’s not some so-called vigilante, extrajudicial enforcer?

What if, like Bologue, he is also a Contractor of Protection·Soul Sucking and Essence Stealing? Collecting souls... from within the Demons.

Bologue is the only Chosen One by the Astronaut. It doesn’t mean the Astronaut has no other Debtors or Contractors.

The swirling mist brought waves of coldness, brushing past Bologue’s nerves, bringing slight stings.

Bologue had always warned himself to be wary of the Astronaut, yet he unknowingly relaxed his guard, completely unaware of such a possibility.

Looking at the dim, deep corridor ahead, the billowing mist resembled roaming phantoms, showcasing that desperate place of death to everyone.

"What’s wrong, Bologue?" Palmer asked upon seeing Bologue pause.

Bologue said, "Nothing...nothing."

"Are you nervous?" Kemp said, "This is, after all, a temporary action team, the first operation."

"Actually, there’s nothing much to be nervous about," Shelley said leisurely. "Compared to previous joint operations, this time we just have a unified designation."

Shelley gently stroked the armband on her sleeve; she liked this thing, considering it a testament of honor.

Bologue took a deep breath; he said nothing more, just followed the tether’s guidance, advancing into the depths of the Great Rift. Palmer’s eyes could vaguely perceive the tethers, though they were too indistinct, mere black shadows.

After journeying a distance, Bologue signaled the team to halt. He held out his hand, and the few observed closely to see the faint outlines of ancient buildings emerging amidst the swirling Sea of Mist.

This was once part of the Wandering Crossroad, but now it’s engulfed by the Sea of Mist and abandoned. During the time-axis disorder event, Bologue once battled in such ruins.

"Stay alert."

Bologue’s voice directly echoed in everyone’s mind. This was a scouting mission; if possible, avoid any direct confrontation.

Drawing out the Dagger, the dark blade rested in his hand. Leveraging the Dagger’s property of severing ether flow, along with Bologue’s Secret Energy and Protection, Bologue’s offensive capabilities reached a terrifying peak.

After becoming a Negative Power User, Bologue not only solved his lack of direct offensive deficiency but also turned this shortcoming into his specialty.

The hand gripping the sword trembled slightly; Bologue found himself somewhat excited, looking forward to encountering enemies, engaging in fierce battles, using blood and corpses to prove the might of his abilities.

"Silence."

Bologue lowered his breath; Ethereal Concealment enveloped his body. Not only him, but others also employed Ethereal Concealment. Even Palmer did so; after honing his skills over time, he had mastered this Ethereal Skill.

Their presence felt almost completely stripped away; aside from visibly confirming their existence, no power could sense them.

After traversing narrow, dark corridors and a series of rugged paths, Bologue delved deeper into the Great Rift. Amidst the mist and terrain interference, few could discover this place without those shadowy tethers’ guidance. No wonder previous cleanups by the Order Bureau failed to find them.

In the silence, a clinking sound emerged, like pickaxes striking ore. More light descended in the dimness. Bologue squatted down, casting his sight outward to see countless ropes dangling from above, workers tying them around themselves, going up and down beside the cliff.

Iron pickaxes repeatedly knocked on the rock, carving out the silhouette of buildings on the steep cliff. Bright firelight emanated from a cracked entrance, as if a fire burned inside the rock, with light filling every crevice.

"They hollowed out the rock."

Hart was shocked; no one expected a construction team like this to exist in the desolate Great Rift.

Palmer was also shocked. "They’re rebuilding Fog Abyss Fortress; what exactly are they planning?"

Bologue furrowed his brow. As a Negative Power User, his senses had been enhanced several times over. While others might not have noticed, Bologue already spotted the crucial point ahead.

"It’s them," Bologue whispered. "The Silent Legion."

On a high rocky outcrop, a Silent One stood, overlooking the Sea of Mist. At another end of the churning mist, there was another Silent One.

Who knows how many Silent Ones are hiding here. Relying on shared senses, they formed a watertight alert network. Any anomaly would trigger a full-scale counterattack from the Silent Ones.