Endless Debt-Chapter 980 - 68: Transcending Time and Space_2

"Are you satisfied with this answer?"

The voice of the Second Seat calmed down as he asked the darkness, his heightened emotions settling.

Applause echoed from the shadowy depths.

Apart from the few of them, another person was hidden in the darkness. The words of the Second Seat were not just directed at Bologue, but also seemed to be an explanation for that person.

A blurred and indistinct figure slowly emerged from the darkness, dressed in a neat and straight black uniform. His polished shoes stepped through pools of blood, crossing over corpses, and white gloves adjusted the tie at his chest, making it as straight as a sword.

"Ah, I said you must know something."

Mammon chuckled, reclining back as blood surged up, forging a crimson throne.

"Tyrant..."

Staring at that terrifying Devil, Bologue realized why this operation had been so unsuccessful. This was the Great Rift, the Devil’s domain. This seemingly docile Devil had set his sights on Bologue from the very start. As wary as Bologue was of him, through constant negotiations, he had gradually been lulled into complacency.

"Though I’m not yet clear on what Leviathan is trying to do, it’s apparent that you are the key to it all."

Mammon clasped his hands together, placing them on his crossed knees.

"Are you sure you want to get involved?" Bologue asked sternly, "Mammon."

"Haven’t you realized? I’ve been part of this conflict from the very beginning."

Mammon said nonchalantly, and before he finished speaking, the Silent Ones approached, standing behind Mammon, declaring their stance.

The Second Seat said, "He is the Chosen One of Leviathan. If we resolve him, Leviathan will meet his downfall in the conflict."

Both the Second Seat and Bologue were insignificant pieces on the chessboard. They couldn’t jump off the board to play against the Devils, but the Second Seat could use Mammon’s power to target Leviathan.

"I know... I’m still considering it."

Mammon hummed a strange melody with excitement. He had noticed the underlying conspiracy during the secret war. Now, having grown into a difficult to sever abscess in the Great Rift, he had finally seen a part of Leviathan’s plot.

The Second Seat asked, "What about what you promised?"

"Naturally, as you wish."

Mammon said, glancing at Bologue, "It’s surprising, Bologue. So much has happened in just three short years."

Bologue replied emotionlessly, "It’s you, you were the one causing trouble in this operation."

Since entering the Fog Abyss Fortress, Bologue had come within Mammon’s vision, so this operation had been fraught with difficulties and changes.

He became the bargaining chip in the transaction between the Second Seat and Mammon. Bologue was uncertain what the Second Seat could gain from Mammon with him as leverage.

"You shouldn’t have come," the Second Seat said, "especially not to disrupt everything by sending people to destroy the Decay Plague."

"Decay Plague?"

Bologue didn’t understand what the Second Seat was referring to, but then he saw it. Wisps of infinitely diluted mist slowly emerged from the darkness, filled with death, gradually consuming the Fog Abyss Fortress.

Something happened where Bologue couldn’t see, and this event plunged the King’s Shield Guard into a dilemma, forcing them to temporarily trade with Mammon.

"Church?"

Bologue whispered.

...

This wasn’t the first time Bologue had seen the Decay Plague. During the first negotiation and skirmish with the Silent Ones, he witnessed the use of ammunition made from the Decay Plague. Now, the pure gas spread, the toxic mist diluted and eroded the entire Fog Abyss Fortress, turning it once again into a realm of death.

Bologue’s gaze lingered between Mammon and the Second Seat, and suddenly he realized something.

Since the transaction between the Second Seat and Mammon was coerced, it meant the Second Seat initially refused Mammon.

"You set up this trap."

Bologue glared at Mammon, as if every Devil was a terrifying master of weaving conspiracies, skilled at crafting one lie after another, leading their prey unknowingly into inescapable traps.

From the moment Bologue stepped into the Fog Abyss Fortress, he walked into Mammon’s trap. He informed the Second Seat of his intrusion, then turned around to use himself as leverage to coerce the Second Seat.

In this conflict, only the Devils were the winners. As for the truth about the secret war that Bologue learned from the Second Seat, he instead saw it as a curse.

A curse upon all those connected with the Devils.

The secret war was just a performance with the purpose of hiding the plan to create the perfect Chosen One by the Astronauts. To avoid attracting any attention, they endowed this powerful Alchemy Matrix to themselves. The Astronauts had begun this scheme since the Night of Blood, when Xilin was but a child.

Mammon emitted a series of twisted laughter, raising a hand to flick up a golden coin, which landed quietly before Bologue, resting silently in the pool of blood, engraved with mercury and the face symbolizing the Evil Spirit, facing Bologue.

"I only collected a small price, after all, I’ve helped you many times, Bologue."

Mammon uttered a sound resembling the chime of a telephone, as if mimicking its ring.

Bologue clenched the Grudge Bite, tensing like a fierce tiger. In this situation, he was still unwilling to surrender and was looking for a chance to fight back.

The Second Seat said calmly, "You’ve disrupted Leviathan’s plan. He won’t let you off so easily."

"And what about you?"

As Mammon spoke, he stepped slowly through the sticky blood towards Bologue, "Second Seat, you have your share too."