Chapter 217
Chapter 217
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 217
Chapter Title: 62. Manion (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
11.
The Resistance was the most calculating group in Maple World.
They had to be.
Adventurers could simply go on adventures, but the Resistance was different. They couldn't afford to adventure.
Failing an adventure meant losing far too much.
That was why they always had to move within the bounds of thorough calculations, no matter what they did.
The same went for this Blue-grade Mystic Gate raid.
Before the raid, the executives gathered and ran the numbers.
And they quickly arrived at an answer.
“We hope at least two hundred return.”
They didn't expect even two hundred to come back alive.
Even that was the best-case scenario.
The worst-case scenario included failure—total annihilation.
That was why.
“323 Resistance members have returned.”
When they faced over three hundred returnees, the Resistance was happier than ever.
It essentially meant they had conquered the Mystic Gate with virtually no losses.
Of course, not everyone was happy.
At that moment, Gelimer—who was monitoring the situation in the Resistance's secret base in real time—wore a colder expression than ever.
For one, he was in a bad mood.
He had been in deep sleep just moments ago and had been urgently awakened.
“An unbelievable event has occurred.”
But the bigger problem was that Gelimer couldn't make sense of what had just happened.
“We prepared Manion.”
It was a Mystic Gate swarming with absurd monsters like undead Conians, even without Manion.
“With the Hydra's heart.”
And according to Gelimer's expectations, Manion with the Hydra's heart should have become a monster incomparable to any other.
At least a navy-grade level monster!
Yet they had captured such a monster?
“Over three hundred survived against that?”
The Resistance survivors numbered so many that it was no exaggeration to say there were virtually no losses.
This was utterly incomprehensible.
And what Gelimer could not tolerate was anything he couldn't understand.
“These rats.”
Naturally, he had no intention of letting this slide.
“I need to keep them alive, no matter what.”
He planned to keep everyone who emerged from this gate alive, using every means necessary.
“For research purposes.”
That way, he could figure out how they had conquered that place.
That was the scientist known as Gelimer.
He never tolerated mysteries!
And he would do anything to solve them!
Of course, this was far from welcome news.
If necessary, Gelimer intended to kidnap the Mystic Gate survivors and subject them to human experiments that would make torture seem mild.
“So I need to make a list.”
To that end, the first thing Gelimer did was identify the survivors of this Mystic Gate.
It wasn't difficult.
All Resistance news reached him in real time.
“Just exclude the dead. The dead are…”
That was why he knew immediately.
“For now, El Pam's party is dead.”
12.
El Pam's party is dead!
The news saddened the Resistance.
That was all.
“It was a great sacrifice. One we must remember for life.”
No one questioned El Pam's party's death.
There was no reason to.
It was a Mystic Gate raid where no one dying—or even total annihilation—would have been surprising.
“Without their sacrifice, conquest would have been nearly impossible.”
Moreover, El Pam's party had willingly taken on the most dangerous role, one more perilous than anyone else's.
They were fated to die first.
So everyone mourned El Pam's party without a shred of doubt.
Naturally, no one imagined.
‘What in the world is the reason?'
That El Pam's party was alive and moving in the Resistance's secret headquarters.
'Why pretend to be dead?'
The story began the moment El Pam's party, having slain Manion and found the exit, encountered Alby, the Resistance leader.
There, El Pam made a demand.
Treat us as dead.
He even attached conditions.
Don't ask why.
And keep it from Supreme Commander Sigmund.
It was an absurd demand.
Deceiving Supreme Commander Sigmund could massively impact the Resistance's values and very existence!
Normally, Alby would have laughed and nodded at those words.
Then, the moment the other let their guard down, she would strike and kill them.
But it was El Pam's party that gave her pause.
It was the demand of the El Pam party that had slain Manion—the El Pam party that had already conquered the Mystic Gate.
Moreover, El Pam had willingly risked his life for the Resistance until now.
So Alby accepted the proposal.
And it didn't end there.
'Why not even speak of it?'
El Pam later demanded that his comrades not engage in any conversation.
The same after exiting the Mystic Gate. They couldn't utter a single word.
It was enough to drive anyone mad with curiosity.
El Pam explained the reason a day later.
It wasn't verbal.
El Pam still kept silent and wrote with a pen.
'From now on, all communication is in writing. The moment we speak, Blackwing will notice us.'
Everyone understood instantly.
Why they had maintained silence.
And they were shocked.
'This is the Resistance's secret headquarters?'
Blackwing's ears were here, in a place even Blackwing couldn't find?
Something no one could even imagine.
And utterly chilling.
If Blackwing knew of this place, the Resistance's lives were essentially in Blackwing's grasp.
'Nothing else explains what's happened so far. It's impossible to grasp internal affairs this quickly with just an internal traitor.'
But to El Pam, it was clear.
And if El Pam said so, it must be true.
So his comrades harbored no further doubts on this point.
'So? Why hide your identities? What are you planning?'
They posed the next question.
'Black Mage followers can alter Mystic Gate monsters.'
Here, El Pam explained.
'But there are conditions. First, they can't change everything freely. Even adding one monster requires a significant price. Second, they can't add monsters to a Mystic Gate being raided by adventurers. Third, followers can't immediately check events inside a Mystic Gate.'
Everyone wore shocked expressions at the explanation.
Analyzing this in such an absurd, storm-ravaged situation?
Of course, this was just explanation.
'So why pretend to be dead?'
It didn't answer the question, so El Pam did.
'If we raid a Blue-grade Mystic Gate unexpectedly, Black Mage followers can't respond in time.'
Everyone's faces filled with shock at the answer.
They knew.
What El Pam intended.
'Yes, we're raiding a Blue-grade Mystic Gate. Our party alone.'
13.
Blue-grade.
An realm of impossibility, with successful raids barely exceeding a hundred times.
Most of those hundred were achievements by elite forces from places like the Adventurers' Association, Cygnus Knights, and Cross Hunters.
Achievements from raids with 100 or fewer entrants—the lowest difficulty among Blues.
Blue raids were that dangerous, which was why even the Resistance—with power rivaling the Adventurers' Association or Cygnus Knights—had been slower than others at Blue-grade Mystic Gates.
To the Resistance, members' lives mattered far more than achievements.
That was why.
“We succeeded in two consecutive Blue-grade raids!”
The Resistance was more intoxicated than ever by this raid's success.
It wasn't just any Blue-grade, but ones allowing over three hundred entrants—stages in Maple World with so few conquerors they could be counted on one hand.
And it wasn't a normal conquest.
They succeeded with almost no losses despite unforeseen variables.
“The Maple Alliance failed!”
They had succeeded solo where even prior elite parties had failed.
It wasn't mere success.
“We've conquered Blue-grade!”
From now on, most Blue-grades across Maple World were as good as conquered!
It meant the valuable items beyond would soon bolster the Resistance's forces.
And the Resistance had.
“We just need to secure the Blue-grade Mystic Gates!”
The technology to find and relocate Mystic Gates!
They could raid Mystic Gates faster than anywhere else.
That wasn't all.
The Resistance executives and Supreme Commander gathered to talk.
“We plan to share this raid's rewards with the Maple Alliance.”
“Share? With the Cygnus Knights?”
“Yes.”
Everyone wore dissatisfied expressions.
Distrust of the Cygnus Knights still lingered deeply in Resistance members' hearts.
Sharing such valuable rewards with them didn't sit well.
They simply couldn't trust them.
But Supreme Commander Sigmund said firmly.
“What would take us a year alone, we can do in a month with the Maple Alliance.”
They couldn't let emotions override the race against time.
“I won't entertain objections on this. Proceeding by Supreme Commander authority.”
And here, Supreme Commander Sigmund tolerated no dissent.
Rather than complain, everyone accepted it.
They sensed it.
'The time has come!'
Supreme Commander Sigmund's firmness meant it was nearly upon them.
'The time to seize freedom!'
Blackwing!
Preparation for the final war to clip its wings!
No one who had reached this point in the Resistance would object now.
Of course, no objections didn't mean no questions.
Especially before war, when sensitivity and cool-headedness peaked.
Cheki voiced it.
“Everything's good, but is this enough?”
In other words, it wasn't sufficient.
Blue-grade items would undoubtedly make the Resistance formidable.
The Maple Alliance's forces would strengthen too.
But Blackwing was stronger.
Above all, the Resistance had learned from Orca, Blackwing's former Wingmaster, in her dreams.
That the Black Mage backed Blackwing.
That attacking Blackwing would mobilize Black Mage followers.
And those followers could alter Mystic Gate monsters.
There were clear risks.
Supreme Commander Sigmund addressed it.
“Our goal is securing Blue-grade items and 7th Circle powerhouses.”
“7th Circle?”
“Yes, targeting Indigo-grade conquest.”
No more questions remained upon hearing that.
Conquering even there would essentially mean mastering Mystic Gates.
“One more reason to ally with the Maple Alliance: We've secured the Hydra's heart. But the Resistance lacks a poison-attribute mage to wield such a powerful item. We need the Maple Alliance's help to secure one.”
They needed to properly utilize the formidable items now in hand.
Someone asked then.
“Where is the Hydra's heart now?”
Everyone's curiosity piqued at the mention.
It was warranted.
No one wouldn't wonder about such an incredible item.
“Alby has it.”
“Is that so?”
“She's bringing it now.”
Right then.
Creak!
The door opened right on cue, and Alby appeared from beyond.
'Oh no.'
Alby's expression as she appeared was poor.
She was lying right now.
At El Pam's request, lying about his existence and that she had the Hydra's heart he obtained.
'Can't hide it anymore.'
But the lie was at its end.
Standing before the executives, Alby said.
“I'm sorry.”
Everyone was startled by her sudden apology.
This wasn't the time for apologies.
“I don't have the Hydra's heart.”
The follow-up shocked them further.
“El Pam's party has it.”
And the next words left them beyond shock—stunned into blank stares.
The Resistance executives, who had faced all manner of shocks and horrors in the war with Blackwing, lost their composure.
“…So where is El Pam's party?”
Supreme Commander Sigmund recovered first and asked, but Alby didn't answer.
“Pant, pant! E-emergency!”
A Resistance member who burst in suddenly answered instead.
“Th-the Blue-grade Mystic Gate portal has activated!”