Chapter 523 524-Insufficient Privilege

Chapter 523 Chapter524-Insufficient Privilege

Compared to subhumans, humans are a different kind of creature—more complex, more absurd.

Yet, it is this ridiculous species that now dominates the continent.

Will this ever change?

Currently, humanity shows no sign of decline, with research on mana delving from the tangible to the conceptual, and continental exploration no longer satisfied with mere observation.

It is rumored that some nations are preparing to venture into the endless ocean.

Perhaps only an unstoppable natural disaster could bring down such a formidable race, just as one did to the Orc United Empire in the past.

Ali mused aimlessly, finding some relief from her tension in these thoughts.

Hours later, she stepped onto the land of the subhuman village once more, only to find the surroundings utterly transformed.

Raising her hand to activate a mana shield, Ali hurriedly began searching through the ruins.

The entrance to the "Hall of Truth" was not fixed—it could be a door, a staircase, sometimes even a mirror.

The "gateway" refers only to the spell that opens the "door," and in theory, this spell can attach to any medium.

Expanding her mana sensing, the village's mana environment was chaotic, likely the aftermath of Roronora's battle.

Smoothing out these chaotic ripples bit by bit, Ali finally discovered another stable mana environment, characteristic of the "gateway's" unique mana micro-environment.

This micro-environment, crucial for maintaining the stability of the "gateway," was beyond Ali's full understanding.

She knew the complexity of such technology was unimaginable, possibly achievable by the entirety of humanity's efforts, but certainly not so effortlessly.

Perhaps only deities, along with the almost omnipotent "The Truth Society," could accomplish such feats.

This time, the "gateway" was attached to a battered door, half-destroyed by fire, with only a fragment remaining.

In the mana vision, it emitted a faint glow.

Standing in front of the ruined door, Ali lifted her hand, and mana formed a ribbon of light that fell upon the door.

With a hum, akin to the sound of magical machinery starting up, a vortex of pure white light appeared on the damaged door.

Without hesitation, Ali stepped through the light portal.

It felt similar to teleportation, yet not quite the same; there was none of the dislocation sensation typical of teleportation spells, only a slight dizziness for Ali.

Then the white light dissipated.

A clean and splendid hall unfolded before Ali's eyes.

"The Hall of Truth," the only part of The Truth Society open to the outside world.

The hall was quiet, filled with countless figures in plain white cloaks moving like ghosts, their features abstracted and simplified to standard humanoid forms.

The disguise would only lift upon mutual recognition of identity.

Moreover, although it seemed everyone was in this great hall, in reality, Ali was there alone.

It appeared that clarifying this would not be possible in the short term.

Scratching her face, Ali then typed a name into the input field on the terminal screen.

This query was processed smoothly; in less than a second after beginning the search, an abundance of information appeared.

This time, her inquiry concerned Gick, including a brief biography, specific abilities, and details about people closely associated with him—nearly all the available intelligence was laid bare.

While this method of inquiry was straightforward and quick, it required Ali to know a specific concept.

To search for something, she needed to be aware of its existence and corresponding description, as vague searches were not supported.

However, if she were to vocalize her inquiries, even broad questions might yield precise answers.

Yet, direct questioning seemed heavily restricted by access levels; so far, she had asked only a handful of questions, with just two or three receiving answers—the rest were met with "insufficient access."

The Truth Society's adherence to access restrictions is no small matter.

After thoroughly reading through the intelligence on Gick, Ali realized the caliber of individual she was dealing with.

The largest slave trader in the northwestern border of the Silverwind Kingdom, though of half-orc heritage, had climbed the ranks through ruthless actions and exceptional mana talent, eventually becoming a kingpin in the underworld of the northwestern territories.

He could almost be considered the uncrowned king of the northwest.

Why would such a figure take an interest in "Forest Village," a minor village?

The two should not have any intersections.

With questions in mind, Ali queried for intelligence again.

The existing reports, which briefly mentioned Gick's rise without detailing his origins, simply stated he was of unknown background.

However, the new query did not yield additional results.

If it wasn't a matter of insufficient access, then perhaps The Truth Society did not possess relevant intelligence.

Honestly, Ali leaned more towards the former possibility, considering she did not even know the total number of access levels within The Truth Society, let alone the scope of queries each level permitted.

Even so, the aid provided by The Truth Society remains irreplaceable.

At the very least, Ali now knows Gick's hideout and has an idea of Monka and Rudo's next moves.

If her sole intent was revenge, this information would be more than sufficient.

But it must be said, adventurers truly are a bunch burdened with an excess of curiosity; it's no wonder so many perish each year.

Daring to delve into any ruins, it seems adventurers have a death wish.

Ever since learning about the mysterious origins of "Forest Village," especially the part about it being "allegedly established by the remnants of the Orc United Empire," Ali has found it nearly impossible to restrain her curiosity about the small subhuman village hidden within the forest.

She yearns to uncover what secrets it holds, secrets so profound they're tied to the Orc United Empire and warrant Gick's considerable efforts.

If there weren't significant secrets hidden there, Gick wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

For a tiny village lacking even a single magus, Gick mobilized two level 1 magi, seven level 2 magi, a dozen level 3 magi, and a group of preparatory-level magi by the squad!

Such a force is substantial enough to wage a localized war!