Chapter 117

Chapter 117The Atlantis City’s District 3 had more than just entertainment facilities and guild houses. As an island that could hold over a million people, it had an unimaginably large amount of land and a diverse population. Some wanted to dance, sing, and drink, while others wanted a place to quietly contemplate or take walks.

Leonard was currently standing at the observatory deck, and he looked down at the sandy beach stretched beneath him, which was another very popular tourist spot in District 3.

It has a different kind of charm compared to the South Sea.

And unlike Hainan Island, which was humid all year round, Atlantis City’s temperature and humidity were relatively mild.

“...It’s only morning, but people are already energetic.” He turned his gaze from the horizon to glance at the explorers bustling about.

It wasn’t very hard to distinguish those who were here for relaxation and tourism and those who were not. Even if they had on an intricate disguise, they couldn’t hide their intentions from a powerful master martial artist who had his upper dantian open.

Leonard’s eyes darkened when he spotted scouts.

I was able to get rid of one of their tracking tools thanks to Herman, but I’m sure they have many other strategies other than that artifact that they can use to trail me, since this city is more partial to Moby Dick than Atlantis.

Though he was using the Waning Moon Fleeting Art to avoid being seen, if he was spotted, it would be hard to conceal himself again. He was confident that he could stay hidden for longer if he dug into the earth and used the Turtle Breathing Method, but it was only a matter of time until he had to face Pablo, and avoiding him wasn’t a permanent solution.

However, Leonard couldn’t fight him without a plan either. Herman’s words bothered him.

Herman was cautious about Pablo’s capabilities, but he didn’t have any suspicions about his identity. His being able to defeat two Transcendence Tier martial artists simultaneously is only a human measure of power.

In other words, Pablo didn’t use mysterious substances to amplify his power like Conrad had.

But even if they brought this to light, if they couldn’t figure out his true identity, people would stay silent just as they had eight years ago. After all, humans didn’t tend to care about things until they were personally affected.

If the Five Elements True Dragon Ring determined that Pablo was an enemy, Leonard would be able to use the Five Elements Augmented Qi, so he might be able to kill him without much of a hitch, but...

In order to check that, I’ll have to have a proper fight with him, but at that point, one of us will be dead by the end.

If Leonard could use the Five Elements Augmented Qi, he would cut down Pablo, and if he couldn’t, he would be crushed under a power that could defeat two Transcendence Tier fighters. In some rare scenarios such as this, it was stupid to even try to run away.

Beep. Beep beep. Beep. Beep. Beep beep.

Suddenly, the artifact Jack Russell had given him started letting out a small sound. It allowed for one-sided communication.

Leonard immediately grabbed the device and soon smiled. Frances’s update was better than he’d expected.

Both the phantom ship the Pequod and Gordon Haywood, the second most powerful person in the Council, were now in their hands. Now, it wouldn’t be very difficult to take out Pablo and then Moby Dick once Frances returned to the island. If they obtained proof that Pablo was behind the tragedy from eight years ago, he would be ostracized by all of Atlantis.

But neither Frances nor Russell even has a clue that there’s something lurking behind him. Not even Herman was able to find out who they were in the near decade he was with Moby Dick, so it’s not like we can figure it out after a day or two of research.

If they pushed Pablo into a corner without knowing anything, whoever was supporting him could make an explosive entrance from the heart of the city. They could heavily damage Atlantis City from there, and if Pablo and his lackeys slipped away on top of that, it would be total chaos. At least, that was what Leonard’s instincts told him based on his experiences from his past life.

It won’t matter if Pablo can easily cut off whoever he’s working for, but he’s in a powerful position. He’s stronger than a Transcendence Tier martial artist, of course, but considering how he was allowed to wipe out Aquamarine eight years ago... at the very least, he should be working for a top executive or someone else who has great influence within the Alliance.

If Pablo suddenly fell into a crisis where he would be forced to cut off his connections, would he be able to do it as easily as he’d done with Conrad?

Leonard didn’t think so.

But what if the situation was set up so that whoever was controlling Moby Dick couldn’t even interfere and that not even Pablo could predict how much danger he would be in until he was forced to reveal the truth?

It’s doable.

And the only person who could make this foolish plan into a reality was Leonard.

His chances were low. If he failed, he would die.

In other words, it was the same as always.

* * *

After Bermuda made its ruling, Pablo stayed at Moby Dick’s guild house so he could move out as soon as they located Lenoard. It was the obvious route to take, since other than Pablo, the boy was a powerful fighter whom no one could guarantee victory against regardless of their faction.

He had countless Outer God Worshippers, whom he’d been gathering since the Alliance’s early days. Even aside from those who could be considered his elite forces, there were thousands of worshippers who could be useful in searching for Leonard. Leonard was surrounded by ocean on all sides, and with all those eyes, he wouldn’t be able to run away forever.

Indeed, it wasn’t long until he received a message.

“Reporting to the Chosen One. One target, Leonard, has been spotted near the shores of District 3.”

At that, a dubious expression appeared on his face. “Interesting. A bold choice of location. Or perhaps he mistakenly thought that I wouldn’t make a move in broad daylight. Or...” he muttered, tilting his head. “Perhaps they’ve laid a trap... I do find it suspicious that neither Russell nor the wretches of Aquamarine are with him. But the shoreline of District 3 is not a good place for a trap. Yet, I’m certain that he wouldn’t try to lure me in without a plan.”

Aside from beheading Christopher Conrad, this boy was so strong that he had made Herman resolve to use his full power for a few exchanges.

Pablo wasn’t fooled by Leonard’s age and appearance. Leonard was no novice.

Tens of possibilities flickered through his head, but none of them were realistic. He couldn’t think of a logical reason as to why they’d use Leonard as bait.

“Either he’s arrogant and underestimating me, or there’s a trap I can’t figure out.”

To this very day, Pablo was only able to undermine the Alliance for so long due to his being this cautious and crafty before using violence.

If he wasn’t, he would have failed eight years ago—no, even before that.

Even after finding out Leonard’s location, Pablo pondered for over an hour before deciding that the boy was simply arrogant.

“Though it’s unlikely, it’s possible that he’s trying to keep me occupied for Frances’s sake. Search each district thoroughly and locate the members of the Aquamarine Expedition Team.

“As the Chosen One commands,” a chorus of voices responded.

“I’m going to go to District 3 now and catch that boy. If he surrenders, I will make him into one of our brethren and make him slit the princess’s throat. It would make quite a delightful scene.”

Pablo stood up from the throne and left the guild house before boarding the coach waiting for him.

There was no need for him to be reckless and try to rush it. If Leonard started running away, Pablo would be informed and could simply chase him down.

At least, there was no way for him to escape Pablo’s grasp while he was still in Atlantis City. The only people who could stop him from expanding his power had died eight years ago, and other than the Magic Tower, there was no place his eyes didn’t reach. In fact, if he was careful enough, he could even infiltrate the Tower.

The shoreline wasn’t far from the guild house, and it didn’t take him long to get there.

“Captain. We’ve arrived,” the coachman announced.

“Hm.” Pablo stepped out of the coach and looked down at the beautiful, sandy beach before turning to look at something else.

There was no way that Leonard didn’t sense him, but instead of turning around, he was simply watching the horizon.

Internally, Pablo was surprised when he saw him.

He’s strong. Even Herman would only be able to win against him about half the time.

Pablo didn’t sense the specific aura given off by Transcendence Tier martial artists, which meant that the boy was about as strong as those in the peak of the Transcendence Tier while only being in the External Force Tier. It was a baffling conclusion to come to, but Pablo didn’t reject the truth and accepted it as it was.

“I commend you for not running away,” he said as a test.

The people nearby had already retreated hundreds of meters away from Leonard and Pablo. The mere sight of Transcendence Tier fighters who were radiating hostility and killing intent was enough to scare off the weaker members of the audience.

The air grew icy, and the ground shook minutely.

And still, Leonard did not turn around.

“It’s also amazing how you can be this arrogant when I’m your enemy. But you will pay for killing my son.”

“Heh.” Leonard suddenly burst into laughter, still watching the horizon. “Did you just call him your son? He was a bastard child you treated worse than a pet dog. You’re finally calling him your son now that he’s dead? Lucciano must be celebrating in the afterlife. After all, he spent his whole life being treated like a dog in the mere hope that his father would acknowledge him, even if it was just once.”

“What are you plotting, boy?”

It was extremely obvious that Leonard was trying to provoke the councilor, but Pablo’s eyes still turned as cold as ice. Leonard was a smart one after all.

Only then did Leonard turn around. He was able to see right through the man. Pablo was built like a bear, big and strong, and beneath even the snake, he was a spider lurking somewhere deeper and darker. The more intelligent a person was, the more nervous they became when they couldn’t read their opponent’s intentions. Leonard sensed that this was how Pablo was feeling and looked out to the horizon again.

“Don’t mistake yourself. It seems that you’re suspecting that I’m bait for a trap, but I wasn’t sitting here waiting for you.”

“What did you say?” Pablo stiffened. It would have taken a normal person a lot more pondering to figure out, but it only took a few seconds for him to realize what Leonard was implying. He turned to where the boy was looking; his eyes were so wide that they seemed they would pop right out.

It was only natural.

There wasn’t a single person in the Alliance who wouldn’t recognize the vessel approaching on the horizon. Searᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“The Aquamarine...?!” Pablo was shocked. Unlike the docks, District 3’s waters weren’t very deep, so there was a limit to how close a ship could get.

After racing toward them, it stopped once it was the size of a coin.

And then, Frances and Jack Russell flew up to the observatory tower where Pablo and Leonard were confronting each other.

As they landed, Russell’s mana mastery spread out, pushing away the energy of Pablo’s bloodlust. Behind him, Frances had a light smile on her face.

Her voice was as bright as always. “What do you think? Perfect timing, right?”