Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Centaurus King (9)
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209
60. Centaurus King (9)
23.
Resistance Headquarters.
Located underground in Edelstein City, the place was usually quiet and serene.
After all, it was underground in a city—no good reason to kick up a fuss.
But not this time.
“Get ready!”
“Yes!”
It was busier and noisier than ever.
The reason was simple.
“It’s here! The gate’s here!”
The Resistance was in the process of transporting a Blue-grade Mystic Gate right into headquarters.
A critically important operation.
“Make it precise! One slip-up in the middle, and the Mystic Gate vanishes for good!”
Even the tiniest mistake would wash away all their hard work up to now.
“Done!”
Naturally, there were no mistakes. The Resistance successfully relocated a Mystic Gate into headquarters.
“That’s ten!”
And with that, the tally of transported Mystic Gates hit a whopping ten.
All Blue-grade!
Essentially, they’d scooped up nearly every Blue-grade gate available on the continent where Edelstein sat.
No easy feat, of course.
“We pulled it off.”
“Yeah. The cash and effort sunk into this could’ve built a thousand Metal Armors, though.”
The resources poured in were enough to make the Resistance reel hard.
Truth be told, no proper Resistance ops for the foreseeable future.
Still, no one was worried.
If they could haul items back from beyond these Blue-grade Mystic Gates, the power boost would make further special ops unnecessary.
“Ten Legendaries. Ten that outclass Legendaries, even. Beats a thousand Metal Armors, sure.”
They could just pick a fight with Black Wings outright.
Put another way, they had faith.
“Now we just wait for them to come back.”
Faith that their Resistance comrades beyond the one active Blue-grade Mystic Gate would return.
“They’ll be here soon. It’s the scheduled day.”
That was the moment.
“Huh?”
Amid the chaos, the Mystic Gate’s portal rippled.
One figure emerged.
The instant they spotted him, everyone shouted.
“He’s out!”
“He’s back!”
Every Resistance member cheered without exception at their comrade’s return.
This wasn’t some routine homecoming. It was the return that would draw the curtain on their long, grueling war with Black Wings.
Like toasting victory ahead of time.
Mechanic instructor Cheki and Wild Hunter instructor Bell, both on-site, grinned at the sight.
The comrade looked fine, too.
No grave wounds.
Now it was just time to celebrate!
“Alvida!”
Right then, Albi appeared.
Cheers peaked at their leader’s return.
But the executives held back.
“I have something to report.”
Albi had spoken.
“The memory was wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“There was a Centaurus King in there.”
24.
Resistance executives didn’t gather like this often.
Too much on their plates.
But this time was different.
All of them, together.
All to celebrate.
To give a hero’s welcome to the Resistance members returning on D-Day.
A feast was prepped and ready.
But now, every bit of it was pointless.
“Is that for real?”
“Yes. The intel and the reality didn’t match. A Centaurus King was there—one that shouldn’t have been.”
Shock rippled through the room the moment they heard it.
Odd, in a way.
The Resistance thrived on intel, but betrayal by it was routine.
Plenty of times, rock-solid sources led straight into traps.
They’d built up a thick skin for bad intel.
Yet their reaction here was different.
It had to be.
“Wingmaster’s memory was wrong?”
The source? None other than Wingmaster Orca—Black Wings’ creator, one of the Black Mage’s legion commanders.
And it wasn’t just any grab. “A memory pulled from her dreams?”
No torture involved. They’d delved into the dreams of the comatose woman herself.
Falsifiable? No chance.
That’s why the Resistance had dumped massive funds, resources, and time into Blue-grade Mystic Gate conquests.
Certainty.
But wrong?
“I’m certain.”
Cheki stepped up.
Bear mask still on, he declared.
“Wingmaster’s memory can’t be wrong.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Wingmaster herself. Only the Black Mage could fool her. Sure, the Black Mage—or something—might pull it off. But tricking her about a boss monster’s presence in a Mystic Gate? What’s the point?”
Nods all around.
Everyone knew Wingmaster Orca’s ice-cold ruthlessness.
The payback for deceiving her made this too petty a ploy.
“Then it’s simple. Someone swapped out the Mystic Gate’s contents midway.”
The alternative was just as jarring.
Mid-run difficulty tweak? Despair incarnate for would-be conquerors.
“There’s a method, though. Like we all just found out, Black Mage followers have Martyrs. They bump Mystic Gate difficulty up a notch.”
The Resistance had learned of Martyrs this time around, so no shock at the theory.
“The issue’s they did it before we even tried. That’s the real kicker. Sending a Martyr means someone clocked our moves.”
Worry only that this op’s intel had leaked.
Grave stuff.
Resistance info security, cracked.
Or so they thought. They couldn’t fathom worse.
Either way, they stewed.
“So what now?”
Ten Blue-grade Mystic Gates secured.
Bought with huge bets on solid strat—now headaches.
Couldn’t just trash them, though.
‘Incredible stuff inside.’
Everyone knew.
‘Secure it, and we win the Black Wings war.’
To end this endless resistance, items trumped all right now.
That was the moment.
Worries thick in the air.
“The last survivor’s back!”
A voice cut through the pondering.
“Last survivor?”
“El Pam! He’s returned!”
25.
Maple World had its untouchables.
Captain Kaylin, mages’ mentor Heinz, Abdullah VIII—you might glimpse them from afar, but a sit-down chat? Forget it.
Toughest of all: Empress Cygnus.
Maple Alliance head in name and fact, drowning in threats. Even Cygnus Knights commanders needed clearance and hoops to see her.
Equally elusive: Resistance Supreme Commander Sigmund.
No one questioned why.
Black Wings!
Everyone knew they were the behemoth’s number-one kill target.
“I’m Sigmund.”
And there the supreme commander stood, before El Pam.
“Heard from Albi. You saved a lot of lives.”
El Pam’s huge hand in the Resistance return? Undeniable.
Gratitude? Expected.
But Supreme Commander Sigmund stepping up personally? Unnecessary for thanks.
“We’ll repay this debt on the Resistance’s honor, somehow.”
Thanks weren’t the goal.
“No repayment needed. Need my help? Just say the word.”
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony with some questions.”
Sigmund laid his cards bare.
Circumstances demanded it.
No time for face-saving delays.
“You’ve probably pieced it together already. Right?”
“Resistance nailed Blue-grade Mystic Gate monsters, exit spot, conquest conditions. But boss monster didn’t match expectations. That’s my read so far.”
“Spot on.”
“And the boss swap? Martyrs.”
Sigmund’s eyes sharpened at El Pam’s words.
“You know Martyrs.”
“Black Mage followers nearly killed me plenty. Not knowing would be weirder.”
Sigmund upped his El Pam appraisal.
‘Beyond expectations.’
“Yeah. Headache city now.”
El Pam recalibrated too.
‘Resistance is clueless. Black Mage followers can rewrite Mystic Gate setups wholesale.’
They hadn’t hit El Pam’s conclusion.
‘Opportunity.’
A tantalizing one for El Pam.
No joke.
‘They’ll go for conquest.’
Same conclusion as El Pam? No Blue-grade dreams.
Martyrs only? Worth a shot, they’d think.
‘Items stay the same.’
El Pam now grasped those items’ worth too.
‘War-changers.’
Hyperion’s Helmet alone remade El Pam.
A few more?
Not an auto-win over Black Wings, though.
They were massive.
But options went beyond Black Wings fights.
Mystic Gate conquests? Child’s play. Then, flood of top-tier gear.
Not a few strongmen—the whole Resistance powered up!
‘Victory in sight? Maple Alliance jumps in.’
Key: Resistance wasn’t solo.
Right moment, full Alliance mobilizes.
El Pam didn’t game it out that far, though.
‘In my hands? Hontail’s mine.’
El Pam’s focus: always solo Hontail hunt.
Unmissable chance, all angles.
He’d even seen it.
‘All Mystic Gates gathered.’
Resistance holding every dormant gate packed with those items.
Decision made, safest conquests ever.
One more: El Pam knew.
‘Rules won’t bend easy.’
Black Mage followers couldn’t tweak setups lightly.
‘Exposed? No one conquers.’
El Pam was sure now.
‘Their nightmare.’
Monsters and primo items beyond? Purely for their agenda.
Agenda needing adventurers’ all-in on Mystic Gates.
Hid Martyrs for that.
More tweaks now?
Even if, no sweat.
‘Real kill shot? Hontail, not Centaurus King.’
Tweaks had limits.
No dumping way-over-grade monsters.
‘My level now? Anything goes.’
Hyperion’s Helmet in pocket—El Pam could crack any monster in bounds.
Goals aligned.
“Headache means you’re pushing conquests ahead.”
“Right. Can’t quit now. Game-changer shot.”
Sigmund’s verdict matched.
“Need your help.”
El Pam in the party.
El Pam replied.
“Show me the strat, I’ll decide.”
Sigmund—not shocked—handed over a file, as if anticipated.
Their intel.
Blue-grade monsters ahead.
“Can’t bank on it fully now.”
Unreliable, sure.
Monsters shiftable anytime.
El Pam never cared for monsters anyway.
Items only.
‘All new to me.’
Most items? Pre-return, even El Pam hadn’t seen.
Last page, though—El Pam’s gaze shifted.
He knew it.
‘Hydra’s Heart’s here?’