Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Of course, “he” could very well be an illusion, a puppet, or something else. However, it was essentially all the same—perhaps Sky City had already suffered the infiltration of the Oracles a very long time ago.
“That is a fortress that contains tens of thousands of people…” Rock murmured. With the means of an Oracle, destroying anything wasn’t difficult; after all, they were able to tear open rifts and create Erosion. But to complete an infiltration under the noses of tens of thousands of people and ultimately not be detected made them unfathomable.
“I’m also wishing that I’ve made a mistake, but this is the most reasonable conclusion.” Roland sighed.
The Dream World had its relatively unique laws; thus, preventing Oracles from fully expressing their strength. Whatever they wanted to do required the support of magic power.
And the only places with a relatively large store of Fallen Evil cores were Prism City and Sky City.
Now, the fact that the Oracles had chosen to appear beneath Prism City from the very beginning didn’t seem like an absolute coincidence. Despite being alien intruders, they were not unknowledgeable about this world.
Perhaps right after Prism City was destroyed, they had already targeted the Association’s Headquarters. As for the Oracles left behind, apart from seeking a chance to assassinate Zero, the remaining ones were just a front to mislead.
“It’s meaningless worrying. We will know once we head there.” Roland pressed down on the Defender’s shoulders. “Do you still remember what I said previously? Now, two worlds are fighting against God, and the Association has already contributed significantly to the Battle of Divine Will. Now, it’s time I repay you.”
“Mr. Roland…”
“Leave the rest to me.”
Under Rock’s heavy gaze, Roland walked out the main hall.
Fei Yuhan and Valkries were waiting outside for him.
The former being there wasn’t surprising. As an Association member of the new generation with outstanding strength, she would definitely appear wherever there was danger. However, the latter being there was rather odd. He didn’t believe that Valkries would generate any feelings for the Dream World, much less fight to defend it. The typical person would find an inconspicuous spot to take things easy.
The Oracles’ repeated defeats did not mean that they were without threat. Even in the framework of the Dream World, they were able to easily kill a martial artist. With Valkries no longer the Nightmare Lord of the past, she was not much different from ordinary martial artists having lost her magic stone powers. By heading to Sky City, she would no doubt face all sorts of dangers.
“There’s no need to have such an odd expression,” Valkries snapped at him. “I simply wish to confirm what the God and Oracles you keep mentioning look like. If you were in my shoes, you wouldn’t be indifferent towards such an opportunity, isn’t that so?”
Roland shrugged. “… seems like it.”
As they were chatting, the roar of a helicopter’s engine sounded from the base a distance away—the moment for them to set off was here.
What followed would be a hectic series of activities lasting as long as a day and a half.
They were sent to the airport via helicopter before taking a private special plane to head for their destination. Finally, they were simply split into teams and briefed on the mission, then sent to the war zone via military helicopters.
It was apparent that the government’s disaster response measures were out in full force. The jam-packed cars were only seen about a hundred kilometers from Sky City. As for the orderliness of the refugees, they were placed under control of the disaster-management military, therefore, the situation had not descended into utter chaos.
Valkries was staring outside the window from the moment they took off. After getting on the plane, she requested to switch to a window seat. Clearly, she was filled with curiosity over such a novel experience.
“Apart from it being a little noisy, the speed isn’t too bad. At least, it flies faster than me.” Moments later, she let out a sigh. “Humans indeed have unique abilities when studying the laws of a world.
“You can fly as well?” Fei Yuhan asked with great interest.
“Unless restricted by magic power or physical size, most upgraded demons will choose to fuse with a magic stone which brings about faster movement speed. One of them naturally includes flight.”
“How’s it? Do you now know the potential of humanity?” Roland didn’t miss the chance to brag.
“Unfortunately… There’s no trace of magic power on this.” Valkries shrugged.
“Why do you say so?” Fei Yuhan asked, perplexed. “If a plane requires magic power to fly, then it can only be driven by martial artists like us.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. Humans were able to create a machine so intricate without the use of magic power. Then, what would happen if magic power was added into the mix?” Valkries said slowly. “I’ve always been wondering what the difference between God and us is. Could it be this? After all, magic power is also a part of the world’s laws.”
Roland pricked his brows up in surprise. He had the urge to marvel at how she deserved being the Nightmare Lord. In less than half a year in the Dream World, she had already learned to use a scientific approach to understand matters.
As a result, the saying that longevity was an obstacle to a civilization was not necessarily accurate.
More critically, it depended on what kind of people had long lifespans.
The next day around noon, Roland could already see Sky City sitting atop the mountaintop.
The city at the foot of the mountain was billowing with thick smoke, with explosions sounding from time to time. Clearly, martial artists that rushed over from all across the world were fighting the Fallen Evils. Compared to the evacuation team’s orderliness, this was the true battlefield.
Perhaps even they had never imagined the day when the enemy would form a horde to charge through the streets.
As for the mission handed to Roland, it was very obvious. It was to head straight for the incident’s heart, the Association Headquarters.
The helicopter transported them to the gathering point at the mountainside. And here, there were already more than twenty martial artists from other branches waiting for his arrival.
Perhaps they had been warned prior to their deployment, but no one engaged in idle talk, nor did they question Roland’s identity. After a brief exchange of words, they confirmed the basic route and delegation of tasks. Compared to the first joint mission, the team this time was clearly made up of experienced elites. Not only did they cooperate well, they were also extremely disciplined.
The layout of Sky City happened to be completely opposite to that of Prism City. As the Erosion had appeared in midair, the Association had built a tower to contain it. However, in consideration of the problems arising from the evacuation and rescue operations, there was a concealed passageway connected to the tower’s peak at the bottom. As long as one was familiar with the route, they could avoid the swarming Fallen Evils on the mountaintop.
Under the lead of the Headquarters’ guide, the assault force did not meet with much opposition. Occasionally, they would bump into a few Fallen Evils who were rapidly finished in a silent process. Roland didn’t even need to do anything.
Soon, the assault force arrived at the isolation room at the top level where the cores were stored.
It was a huge room in the shape of a drum. The metal walls confined all the fallen cores the Headquarters had gathered to date. And in the middle of the room was a mobile platform, as well as two robotic arms which could be used to retrieve cores. In terms of it being a magnificent sight, Sky City was in no way inferior to Prism City.
They found a figure standing in the middle of the platform—the Martialist Association’s President.
However, when “he” turned around, he gradually transformed into another person. The transformation didn’t happen in a blink of an eye, but it was a reorganization of his facial features at a speed detectable by the naked eye. His height also decreased and finally, he took on a form of an unfamiliar woman.
“I’m Oracle Epsilon,” she said calmly. “Roland, I’ve been waiting a long time for you.”
To have the enemy waiting for them was definitely unpropitious. This meant that everyone might very well have fallen into a trap. But surprisingly, Roland didn’t hear anyone stir.
If it were Fei Yuhan, she should have drawn her sword to prepare for an assault.
He turned his body slightly to take a glance, and his heart could not help but sink.
There was nothing around him—not a single person.
