Chapter 491: Everyone Had a Plan Until... (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 491: Everyone Had a Plan Until... (2)
They followed Joshua’s group from a safe distance, slowly making their way toward the 2nd Magic Tower.
Since Joshua and the Black Knight were slaughtering every Zipple and Kinzelo force in the sectors ahead, there was no need for Jin’s group to hide or worry about getting caught in a skirmish.
A trail of corpses, blood, and destruction marked their path. The vibrations and noise of battle continued to echo from up ahead; at this rate, it felt as though the entire shipyard might collapse at any moment.
It seems it’s our turn to be led by Joshua this time.
Dipus ruminated on Jin’s final words as they moved.
‘Right. Even the youngest can’t grasp everything perfectly.’
That fact didn't disappoint him in the least.
‘Joshua, that snake of a bastard, isn’t just a master of schemes—he has what amounts to a prophet’s foresight… It’s already impressive enough that the youngest has read the flow of events this far. Honestly, I couldn't even keep up.’
Dipus felt a sting of frustration at the realization that he hadn't been of much help yet.
—Second Brother, to be honest, I didn't intend to make this proposal to you. I thought I could kill Joshua perfectly fine on my own. But Sister Mary asked me to. She told me to come back with you, and to make sure neither of us gets hurt.
He recalled the words Jin had spoken just before the operation began.
If things continued like this, even if they managed to kill Joshua as planned, Dipus would be little more than a passenger riding on Jin’s coattails. As a fellow flagbearer and an older brother, he could not accept such a result.
‘I have to be useful. I can’t let this turn into another situation like the one with Barton, where we would have been forced to retreat if it weren’t for the youngest.’
Just as Jin admitted he didn’t yet know the source of Joshua’s confidence, Dipus couldn't immediately think of a solution either.
The important thing, however, was that he had managed to rein in the excitement that had clouded his judgment at the prospect of finally killing Joshua.
Dipus, too, was a man who rarely failed to achieve what he set his mind to.
Soon, the group passed Sector 19 and reached Sector 20.
According to the shipyard’s structural map, this area contained an emergency passage that offered the most direct route to the 2nd Magic Tower.
Looking around, they saw the wreckage where Joshua and the Black Knight had already forced the passage open.
“Youngest, it seems there was no battle in the passage. Did Kinzelo use a different route?”
“Or perhaps they used the High Leader’s Iron Gate.”
“That ability from the terror attack on the Sword Emperor Castle… damn it. Everyone except Runcandel seems to be bypassing the limits of Teleport Gates.”
“Viment has yet to show any such new technology or abilities.”
“An empire can’t be compared to us. That’s why we haven’t seen anyone from Viment here. Regardless, it leaves a bitter taste. Let’s head out.”
Outside the passage lay the Sota Desert.
Whirrrrrrr—!
A fierce, thick sandstorm blanketed the entire desert. Massive pillars of sand swirled hazily in every direction, giving off an ominous aura.
Naturally, no traces of Joshua or the Black Knight’s movements remained. Footprints were buried by sand the moment they were made, and it was difficult even to breathe without forming a protective shield of aura.
The environment itself was a weapon.
Harsh conditions that would be calamities for ordinary people were rarely fatal to trained martial artists. An 8-star warrior or higher wouldn't be killed by falling rocks, nor would they perish even if struck by lightning—an event with astronomical odds.
This was even truer for warriors who could be called superhumans, like Jin and Dipus.
However, the environment of the Sota Desert currently threatening them far exceeded such ordinary dangers.
‘This is no joke…’
It was a vicious environment that an ordinary person couldn't withstand for a single second. The wind, heavy with sand, lashed against their shields as sharply as blades.
It felt as if the entire desert was boiling with horrific destruction magic.
In fact, it was.
‘These are large-scale barriers and chained defense spells, maintained at all times to protect the 2nd Magic Tower from intruders.’
The 2nd Magic Tower was one of Zipple’s most vital locations. It was near the heart of the Lutero Magic Federation, with their headquarters, Drakka, right next door.
A defensive system of this magnitude was only to be expected.
Dipus pointed toward the distance. Through the haze of the sandstorm, far off in the sky, the Tower of White Night was visible.
The problem was that there wasn't just one tower.
“An illusion barrier.”
“I never saw this phenomenon the entire time I was scouting before you arrived.”
“It’s likely a barrier that only manifests when you enter a specific area or deviate from a set path, like we just did. All these defensive spells, including that illusion barrier, are probably part of the same system.”
There were five towers in total.
All but one were fakes created by the illusion barrier. And as was typical for such defenses, reaching a fake would likely trigger another trap.
This time, Murakan jerked his chin toward the sky.
“Ah, damn it, I was wondering why it was so dark… Kid, Dipus. Look up.”
The sky was filled with flying ships.
At a glance, there seemed to be well over a hundred. If Jin, Murakan, or Dipus harbored any deep-seated fear of Zipple, it was a sight that would have made their legs give way.
And unlike the towers, they couldn't be certain if the flying ships covering the sky like a pod of whales were illusions.
Considering the scale of the shipyard they had just witnessed—and assuming there were several more just like it—that number could very well be real.
In other words, those ships could be finished, mass-produced models that had come to support the shipyard.
“Should I head up there and clear them out? I can check which of those towers is the real one while I’m at it.”
“The moment you reveal your true form, Murakan, all three of us are dead meat. And there are clearly over a hundred of them.”
Even if the ships were illusions like the towers, flying up there in the middle of the Lutero Magic Federation was madness. If it were that simple, they wouldn't have needed to plan an infiltration route in the first place.
“Ah, that horrible wench is the expert at this kind of thing.”
“Lady Misha?”
“Yeah. I don't have a knack for discreetly dismantling these kinds of barriers. I’m only good at smashing them with brute force.”
“I think I have a general idea of the source of Joshua’s confidence now,” Dipus said, his expression grim. “He had a way to bypass the barriers. Unlike me, he must have planned to raid the 2nd Magic Tower from the start, not the shipyard, so he would have prepared the means in advance. Using that prophet's power.”
Jin was thinking the same thing.
“And he likely didn't think this would be enough to stop us,” Dipus continued. “The fact that he moved so conspicuously means he intended to use us if we followed.”
Just as he said, Joshua intended to actively use Jin’s group.
He would use his key to rob the vault without a trace, but the fact that an intrusion and theft had occurred would eventually be discovered. When that happened, Zipple would have to deactivate all the barriers around the 2nd Magic Tower to allow their own forces to search for the culprit. At that point, Jin’s group and Kinzelo, still wandering helplessly within the barriers, would become the primary suspects and face a concentrated pursuit in his stead.
This was one of the outcomes Joshua desired.
Grit! Dipus gnashed his teeth as he pieced the plan together.
He couldn't let things play out that way.
“Lord Murakan.”
“Yeah.”
“How about we just force our way through? I’ll take the lead and endure whatever traps we hit. You and the youngest can focus on chasing Joshua as fast as you can.”
“Oh? Are you as sturdy as Runcandel’s first or second daughter?”
“I’m at least comparable.”
“Do you even know how much destructive power those traps have?”
“As the youngest said last night, this is a moment that calls for a gamble. Didn't he say that an opportunity this dangerous might never come again? We will enter the 2nd Magic Tower, get the real intel, and kill Joshua.”
“Spirited, aren't you? I like it. Let’s see you overcome this crisis by sacrificing yourself.”
Murakan, speaking as if to agree, glanced at Jin. As always, the decision was Jin’s to make.
Jin refused without a moment’s hesitation.
“No. That’s a last resort. If you were to fall to a trap, Brother Dipus, the loss in our combat power would be too great. And if our location is exposed because the barriers are triggered, we’re truly finished.”
“I knew you’d say that, youngest. Do you have another way?”
Shring!
The blade of Bradamante slid from its scabbard.
“...I’ve experienced a desert as vicious as this once before. I gained a sword technique along with an enlightenment back then, and I think it might work here.”
Spirit Sword 1st Form: Soul Slash.
Jin had passed the final trial of the Mitra Great Desert with that very sword. No matter how great Zipple’s barriers and magic were, he didn't think they could be superior to Solderet’s trial.
Even after forming a blood alliance with the Ghost Squad, when the remnants of the Seigal family attempted a suicide attack in the nameless desert east of the Kascal Principality, Soul Slash had proven effective.
Hooooo—.
Bradamante was cloaked in black shadow.
“If the Spirit Sword doesn't work, I’ll try to manually dismantle the formulas of the barriers and magic with all my knowledge. If even that fails, then we’ll consider putting you at the front, Brother.”
Jin closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
The heart to cut, the belief that one can cut, and the will to cut through. The resolve and enlightenment he had gained in the Mitra Great Desert surged through his body and mind.
Soon, just before he swung his sword, a smile spread across his lips.
An indescribably mysterious sensation, as if he had already glimpsed the result, flowed to the tip of his blade.
He began to move, swinging his sword in a fluid motion. Each time Bradamante sliced through the air, the sandstorm subsided, and the illusions obscuring the tower were washed away. Jin continued to swing his blade until everything was cleared, his movements looking almost like a sword dance.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt as refreshed as if he had just taken a bath.
The horrific sandstorm had vanished as if it were a lie. In the quiet dawn twilight, under a gentle breeze, the Tower of White Night stood alone.
The tower was much closer than it had appeared when hidden by the illusions.
“The moment you must risk your life for the family, Second Brother, won't be for a mere barrier like this.”
Having said that, Jin waited for Dipus’s reply, satisfied that he’d just one-upped his brother.
However, for some reason, no answer came even after several seconds.
Instead, he heard Murakan clicking his tongue.
“Holy… Tsk. Wow. Those… they were all real…?”
Dipus was unable to answer, momentarily dazed by the realization that the flying ships filling the sky were all real.