Chapter 116

Chapter 116“I find that a little hard to believe,” Leonard said. He couldn’t immediately accept Herman’s words without question.

After all, the man had resolved to end their battle in a mutual loss even after Leonard used the incomplete Yellow Dragon Form against him. This Sword Demon was a master martial artist who was without a doubt at the peak of the Transcendence Tier. Not even the Sword Emperor Yeon Mu-Hyuk in his past life could guarantee victory against him. And Leonard, who defeated him, was just as capable as him, if not slightly more so.

But Pablo was so powerful that he couldn’t be defeated even if they teamed up.

“But you’re not necessarily saying that he’s reached the Demigod Tier,” Leonard pointed out.

“Well, yeah. If he did, he would already have Atlantis in the palm of his hands.” Herman didn’t deny it.

Starting at the Profound Realm, it’s basically impossible to win against an opponent who’s not in the same Realm.

Starting at the Demigod Tier, one could not only manipulate energy and natural laws with their mind but also impose their own laws and wield incredible power surpassing the limits of the material realm. Even a heart devil that could use even a fraction of that power could overpower several Transcendence Tier fighters. If Leonard didn’t have five-colored augmented sword energy, he would have had absolutely no chance of winning.

If Pablo reached the Demigod Tier, he would have no reason to pay any heed to Bermuda or the people of Atlantis. He would be able to dominate the Alliance with his exceptional power and obtain his goal without a hitch.

“He’s too strong to be in the Transcendence Tier, but he’s not in the Demigod Tier either. I’ve never seen any signs that he’s secretly a mage or spiritualist either, nor does he rely on artifacts. Suspicious, isn’t it?” Herman asked.

“Most definitely.” S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“I’ve been in Moby Dick for nearly a decade, but Pablo and his bunch are a little peculiar. They’re pretty different from normal expedition teams in multiple ways.”

Unless an explorer was caught in an exploitative contract as Vivian had, the structure of an expedition team was more equal than hierarchical by nature. Explorers joined teams either by seeking them out themselves or by being convinced by a member. They could also leave whenever they wanted. If there were any disagreements, such as those regarding the team’s activities or the way compensation was distributed, an explorer could either wait until the duration of their contract was up or pay a penalty to leave earlier.

Though there were people who could give orders because they had more experience or a higher position, on a fundamental level, everyone was equal.

“But Pablo’s lackeys in Moby Dick will do whatever he says without question, even if he orders them to their death. And whenever someone dies or goes missing, the position fills right back up...”

But it shouldn’t be easy to find people who were qualified to join a Rank A expedition team, especially the highest ranking one. It was almost as if there was something bigger and stronger lurking behind Moby Dick that could provide them with new members. The thought of that gave Leonard a feeling of déjà vu.

The Blood Cult. The group had infiltrated both orthodox and heretical sects and launched an invasion to seize control, causing immense damage.

What if Moby Dick was a smaller part of a larger entity like the Blood Cult?

If that’s true, it’s very likely that they’ve already started to plant their power in Atlantis or have already expanded it substantially.

Once this organization was confident that they could control the whole Alliance, they would one day take off the mask.

Perhaps Aquamarine had been their biggest obstacle eight years ago. Many people who were involved in the conspiracy would not have joined if Pablo had gone slightly further, so he and whatever was behind him had made a gamble. In the end, they somehow succeeded, and Pablo rose to an influential position in the Council.

Leonard’s eyes narrowed.

So whoever he serves now has both combative power and influence in Atlantis.

Something similar had happened in his past life. The Ba Li Sect had been an emerging sect that was less than a hundred years old, but its leader rose to the Apex Realm and was even considered an elder in the Murim Alliance. No one could have guessed that the Ba Li Sect was part of the Blood Cult. They were only found out because the Heavenly Strategist had investigated them after confidential information was leaked a few times, and even then, it was a close call.

...Bermuda should also be making a move soon.

If Leonard’s suspicions were correct, Pablo wasn’t just a man who was drunk on power. He was acting as someone else’s pawn. And if a mere pawn was that powerful a member of the Council, it wouldn’t be hard for whoever he was working for to infiltrate Bermuda as well. Not even the Chief Elder of the Magic Tower would be able to do much about it because he was only an outsider to the two other groups. With Pablo ready to pounce at this point, Jack Russell was too detached from the situation to hold much sway over his actions.

There was only one person who could meet his match.

“You’re free now. Go wherever your heart desires,” Leonard said resolutely as he turned to Herman. “From here on out, I’m going to be working alone.”

* * *

People were once again gathered at the auditorium that Pablo had summoned them to for the emergency meeting. Unlike the day before, there weren’t many explorers who came. But while the current audience didn’t have ambitions for joining the Council as he did, they understood politics, and most of them had picked up on what today’s meeting would be about.

A Bermuda executive stood at the podium, speaking carefully. “...We are gathered here today to announce the ruling of Leonard of Aquamarine’s killing of Pablo El Orlando Patterson’s son, Lucciano. We acknowledge Leonard’s right to self-defense as well as Pablo’s right to exact justice.”

At that, the explorers in the auditorium snorted and jeered.

“Self-defense? They’re being self-righteous dicks.”

“Bermuda seriously has no shame. If Njord was still alive, he would punch that old man’s face in for that bullshit.”

Their reaction was to be expected. While the executive’s ruling seemed fair on the surface, considering the context of the case, they had basically just given Pablo permission to kill Leonard.

“I thank you for your fairness. I will finally be able to have justice for my son.”

Pablo ignored the criticisms without a care and left the auditorium. The announcement had only been a formality, but the ruling was made.

Now, that boy was as good as dead.

It was a little strange that neither Frances, Jack Russell, nor any other member of Aquamarine had been in attendance... but even if they had come, nothing much would have changed, so it didn’t matter.

Pablo got in the four-horse carriage that was waiting in front of the building and leaned back in his seat as he said, “Take me to the guild house. Report on your findings.”

“Yes, sir,” the driver said politely from the coach box. He brandished the reins, and the horses began to clop evenly toward District 3. “Eleven Rank A explorers and 217 Rank B explorers have joined us as brethren. If we manage to recruit all the ones working with us, we will have 38 Rank A explorers and 420 Rank B explorers.

Pablo didn’t seem surprised. He muttered, “As I thought, Rank A explorers are not easy to win over.”

“Yes. They already have much in life, so most of them do not know how to appreciate divine grace. Rank B and C explorers who are stagnant in their growth are easier to recruit.”

“As long as they have what it takes to become brethren, their Rank doesn’t matter. Once they are embraced by those lofty arms, they will be granted as much power as they wish for. Obedience and submission are the most foremost virtues.”

The two of them spoke cryptically, in hushed tones. Even without knowing the full context, it wasn’t hard to guess what they were plotting. But there was no one nearby to hear them.

“Commander,” the coachman said, looking nervous. “Last night, Herman Melville took the Eye and left the guild house. The members of Moby Dick are trying to locate him, but because he is a powerful Transcendence Tier martial artist, it is difficult to track him.”

“What did you just say...?” A crack appeared on Pablo’s expressionless face.

At some point, that name had become dreadful to his ears. He had met that man by chance, and when he defeated him, Pablo was able to see through his personality and made him into a subordinate, which was all well and good. No one would ever turn down recruiting a Transcendence Tier martial artist just because there were a few drawbacks.

But Herman would rather die than do anything that went against his values, and he also put his craving for a good fight over the interests of Moby Dick and Pablo’s goals. The only reason the councilor had left him alone for so long instead of killing him was because it was all worth tolerating if it meant having Transcendence Tier power.

“This won’t do.” Pablo made his decision. “I brought him under my command even though I knew he would not convert, all for his power... but I have no reason to spare anyone who won’t bow to me or my master.”

“So you mean...”

“Yes. Track down Herman alongside the boy. Once you find them, report their locations to me right away. I will take matters into my own hands.”

“As the Chosen One commands.”

With that code-like phrase, their conversation came to an end.

Not long after, the coach arrived in front of Moby Dick’s guild house. As befitting of a top Rank A team, it had a magnificent exterior that made it look like the villa of a powerful noble family, or even a royal one.

But once he crossed the marble and platinum door and stepped inside, the atmosphere completely changed.

“We await the Chosen One’s commands,” a chorus of voices chanted.

The interior was so large that not even Bermuda’s auditorium could compete, and hundreds of members were lined up, who looked suspicious all the way down to their clothing.

They were wearing black robes embroidered with a snake with six heads.

They were Outer God Worshippers.

Their goal was to make the Outer God of the other sea, the Tattering One, descend onto Atlantis. This group had been lurking in these waters from the very advent of the Alliance, and they were still pursuing their mission to this very day.

Pablo was their leader as well as the Outer God’s chosen apostle, hence why he was called the Chosen One.

He sat down on something resembling a throne, which allowed him to look down at all the worshippers.

“Hear me.” His voice rang across the hall, creating an eerie echo. “The day that our god will descend is not far off.”

His words made the worshippers tremble with joy, and his ominous energy danced among them, making them bow even lower.

None of them could be considered human anymore.

“We will give all the waters of Atlantis as an offering, and the Tattering One will reward us with grace! This world has been godless for years, and we will bring about her reign! There will come a day when all the seas and the skies of this world will bow to her, starting with the Alliance!”

As Pablo’s speech progressed, the worshippers revealed their strange appearances.

There was one whose cheeks and neck were embedded with eyeballs.

There was one whose entire body was covered in shining scales.

There was one whose hair had turned into small writhing snakes.

There was one who was cackling delightedly with a supersonic voice.

Every single worshipper had received the blessing of the Outer God and was disfigured but stronger than before. Their transformation had granted them physical abilities, amplified mana, life force, and regenerative abilities that surpassed their previous Tier ranking by several Degrees and made them stronger than trolls.

“Σκ?λλα! Σκ?λλα!”

The worshippers bowed to their leader and chanted the disgustingly profane name of their Outer God.

“For Σκ?λλα.” The Outer God’s apostle haughtily looked down upon the worshippers. “We will dye Atlantis’s waters red with the blood of the nonbelievers. Then, our god’s great kingdom will rise in full,” he said quietly.

His voice echoed from the heart of Atlantis City.