Chapter 309
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 309
Chapter Title: Investigation Team
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I wonder when was the last time I felt this exhausted.
Was it because I'd come to the unfamiliar 8th layer?
No.
Endo quickly realized that this fatigue wasn't physical, but mental.
It was something he was somewhat familiar with.
After all, as a child, his mind had always been weary.
Just like back then, he closed his eyes to soothe himself.
He knew it wouldn't help much, but he had no other options.
"......"
As soon as he shut his eyes, sleep came rushing in.
Darkness fell for a moment, then a faint light appeared. Looking closer, it was his younger self.
What was his child self staring at?
A gaunt corpse.
Young Endo hadn't understood what it was at first.
But an inexplicable chill crept up his spine, making the child's feet retreat.
-Young master. That's just an ordinary human.
The voice of his lifelong friend, who had been with him since childhood, rang out.
And from even further back, his familiar father's voice followed.
-You can save them. If a new world opens, you surely will.
The fear of seeing a corpse for the first time was overshadowed by the weight of those two voices pressing down on Endo's shoulders.
A heaviness that felt like his feet might sink into the ground at any moment.
Within that weight, the adult Endo opened his eyes.
As expected, his fatigue hadn't recovered much.
"Young master. You must have been tired."
"......I suppose so."
"Goodness, you can't be like this when you have big things ahead. Here, at least take this."
His old friend Lan pulled an elixir from his pocket and handed it over.
Endo swallowed it in one gulp.
A refreshing, clear fragrance filled his mouth, and his weary mind seemed to recover, if only for a moment.
But Endo knew this wouldn't last long either.
"Lan."
"Yes, young master."
"I saw those nobles grumbling during the meeting."
"Sigh. Indeed. The marquis must have firmly warned their families about the importance of this matter. What gives them the nerve?"
Endo knew the reason well.
But he didn't show it, asking Lan again instead.
"Are they necessary for opening the new world's horizons?"
"Haha... Well. It's hard to say definitively. If I had to, yes. They'll serve as hunting dogs, guarding the home from external threats."
But.
Lan added at the end.
"That's the picture the marquis envisions. Not mine."
"I see."
"In my world, they're unnecessary. They're just tools needed to open the new world—like nails, for example. Essential for building a house, but ultimately expendable."
"True. They're nothing but consumables."
It was obvious.
In fact, Endo had used nobles as consumables many times before.
His father had done the same, and he'd been taught to do so—there was no reason not to.
And those noble consumables, in turn, exploited and discarded the common folk at will.
Use, discard, use, discard.
Endo recalled the dream he'd just had.
Why had the starved corpse his dream self saw come to be?
"You're right, young master. Consumables. They'll be used up and thrown away."
-Isn't it because they're consumables? They look used up and discarded.
The voices of present-day Lan and past Lan overlapped, and Endo, who had closed his eyes, looked at the real Lan.
"Exactly. Discarded once their use ran out."
Just that.
Endo smiled as usual.
He couldn't endure this reality without smiling.
Still, the heavy burden weighed down on both his shoulders.
The decision on forming the investigation team shifted toward waiting and observing the situation a bit longer.
This was due to public opinion demanding a more cautious approach to the invaders' assault that began on the second day.
In the meantime, Jun and his comrades finished reinforcing the base camp and spent time dealing with Lanes's young disciples who occasionally visited.
Or, like now, heading out beyond the checkpoint with Aiden to face monsters.
"Academic name: Prisoner. Commonly known as Convict."
Jun pointed at a monster wandering aimlessly across the plains.
True to its name, its limbs were bound in shackles, unable to move, but its massive arms, wrapped in rebar, floated through the air.
"Scholars debate its origins. Some say fallen spirit, others abandoned by the gods—plenty of theories."
As if hearing Jun's voice, or perhaps because they were too close,
The Prisoner fixed its gaze on them and charged through the air at terrifying speed.
Even with heavy shackles on its legs, it moved like the wind.
"But for mercenaries like us, that doesn't matter. I just shared an assessment for facing the unknown."
No sooner had Jun finished his calm explanation than Aiden summoned wind, drew his sword, and engaged the beast.
"I'll explain what I can, but the 8th layer is uncharted territory. My words aren't gospel. You'll learn in real combat."
Boom!
Aiden's sword clashed with the Prisoner's massive arm.
Fierce energy erupted like a storm between them, and in that brief exchange, Aiden's blade sliced the rebar-wrapped arm multiple times.
"......!"
From the dented and slashed rebar, exposing the hollow interior of the Prisoner's arm, black energy burst forth.
Aiden, sensing the lethal aura that killed on contact, wrapped wind around his feet and widened the distance.
-Master! That arm is a mass of spirit power!
The wind spirit dwelling within Aiden shouted, and Aiden acknowledged it, closing in again.
Against the black energy exploding around the beast, Aiden summoned his own wind.
Like a wolf howling fiercely across the field, Aiden's mana-infused wind flowed along his sword, surging out to collide with the Prisoner's black energy.
The intense clash ended quickly.
The Prisoner's energy depleted first, and ultimately, its head was cleaved in two by Aiden's sword.
Srrrr...
"How was facing it yourself?"
"One moment of carelessness, and it would've been irreversible."
That was Aiden's impression after battling not just the Prisoner but other field monsters as well.
"Right. That's the theme of the 8th layer—the unknown itself. Overcoming it is humanity's current goal."
"What about the 9th layer, then?"
Aiden asked suddenly.
Jun met Aiden's blue eyes squarely.
"A being you must see and overcome."
And now, it was time to face the army he commanded.
Far off,
The red wave began surging again, and Jun and Aiden ended their brief diversion, returning to the checkpoint.
"The numbers are much greater than the previous invasion."
"Especially heavy casualties among the mercenaries from Dentras Mage Tower."
"They say the ominous shadows' momentum is fiercer than before. What changed?"
"That's an issue, but their appearance method has changed too. No erosion phenomenon visible, yet only corroders appear?"
"We must assume there's an area continuously spawning them."
The second wave of corroders began after a three-day interval.
The meeting's tone was far heavier than before.
The enemies had clearly grown stronger.
Mages presented various opinions: bolster defenses further, investigate external issues, and more.
Lanes, steadfast in defense as always, spoke up.
"First, we must form an investigation team."
"But internal defenses first..."
"We haven't been idle these past three days. We have ample leeway to deploy one."
"Urgh..."
The checkpoint wasn't that large to begin with.
Defenses were already airtight.
"If their assaults keep intensifying, we must resolve it before we can't anymore."
"Intensifying how much...?"
"Worst case, they grow continuously to this scale."
"Is that possible?"
"Urgh, not unprecedented."
"I heard something similar happened at a checkpoint that vanished this year."
"......Then we need to expedite the investigation team."
As a recurring agenda, formation was decided swiftly.
And at the top was the White Whale Mercenary Corps.
The investigation team totaled 10 squads, 20 members each.
Unfortunately, Lanes and Jun couldn't secure full authority for the team.
Given End Field's nature—conquered yet full of unknowns—flexible on-site responses were prioritized over rigid command structures.
In the end, White Whale was assigned to Squad 1, moving with 16 from Turtle Mercenary Corps.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Alkimond, captain of Turtle Mercenary Corps."
"Jun, captain of White Whale Mercenary Corps."
"Thrilled to team up with such a famed group. Good name for a mercenary corps."
Turtle. Resembling turtles, known for longevity.
A comical name, but Turtle Mercenary Corps consisted of elites who reached the 8th layer.
'Not bad.'
After greetings, Jun scanned the group.
Multiple 6th-circle mages, numerous ranged archers, and the rest close-combat warriors for rear guard.
Archers support warriors, warriors buy time for mages' spells—a textbook party setup.
"Pleased to meet you. Aiden of White Whale Mercenary Corps."
"Likewise. Bern here! Glad to fight together!"
"Eleanor. Speak up if you're injured."
In contrast, White Whale had just four members. Yet no one underestimated them.
They'd witnessed their prowess firsthand over the past days.
Thus, the investigation team ventured beyond the checkpoint, seeking traces of the Celestial Heaven Sect in End Field.
"No issues on day one."
Avoiding most fights, with only unavoidable skirmishes along the route, it was a fairly smooth journey.
They synced their combat styles moderately that first day.
But it was closer to parallel actions.
Each group had their own style—Turtle and White Whale alike.
All they needed was to respect each other's space without intrusion.
All elites, the first day passed uneventfully.
Day two.
Early dawn, comms from Squad 3: suspected erosion zone found, requesting nearby support.
Squad 5 was close; half a day later, good news—they eradicated the erosion.
But multiple injuries in combat, two deaths.
An intense battle.
Day three.
White Whale finally spotted an erosion phenomenon.
Captain Alkimond suggested calling for support, but Jun shook his head.
"We're already far from other squads. Waiting would take half a day. Time's short. We need time to return too."
Alkimond nodded readily, and the battle began.