Chapter 1503 - 63: Direct Strike at the Core (Part 3)

"We’ve already dispatched a squad to capture them, but there are no results yet," said the Spirit Duke.

Bologue and Palmer caused quite a stir in the Land of Secrets. If it weren’t for keeping Holt and his group under control, the enraged Duke of Origin would have taken action personally.

Siti responded with a "hmm". Even before the two returned, she had learned of these events through the Aurora Path that shrouds the Land of Secrets.

She also knew that Bologue and his group had reached the bottom of the Forging Pit, where the squad sent by the Duke of Origin was engaging them in a fierce battle.

"They’ve reached the bottom of the Forging Pit. You must personally capture them," Siti instructed the Duke of Origin. "They cannot be allowed to cause any more damage, and..."

And the rest was left unsaid by Siti, but both she and the Duke of Origin knew very well what lay deep at the bottom of the Forging Pit. Although the situation had already come to face-off, Siti was not willing to expose these secrets yet.

"Declare a state of emergency in the Land of Secrets and deploy the Void Domain Protection, keeping a watchful eye on the movements of the Forty-Sixth Outpost," she continued, speaking to the Spirit Duke.

After capturing Bologue and dealing with Holt and his group, what Siti needed was to wait for the hunt for Nesanel to conclude. Once Nesanel was dead, the relationship between the Land of Secrets and the Order Bureau would essentially be at total war, at which point the Forty-Sixth Outpost would become the front-line base of the conflict. She had to find a way to endure the initial phase of the war.

As long as they could withstand the short-lived fury of the Order Bureau, the pressure from the Rebellious Royal Court and other forces would surely exhaust the Bureau, and afterwards they would begin to gnaw away, disassemble the colossal entity that was the Bureau, piece by piece, like a pack of wolves.

The Eternal Night Empire would rise again, and the era when Condensers reigned supreme would dawn. At that time, they would no longer have to hide in these remote mountains, but would instead be like true Celestial Gods, ruling above all mortals.

The Duke of Origin had no power to refuse. It was his dereliction of duty in the first place, and with Bologue having left the Land of Secrets riddled with holes like a mole, he immediately turned and left.

Holt watched the direction in which the Duke of Origin departed, deep in thought.

"I’m very curious about what exactly you’re aiming to do?"

Holt appeared calm and unruffled, as if he weren’t a captive or prisoner, but rather an envoy ready to hold Siti accountable.

"For a better world."

Siti replied naturally, seemingly patient and interested in explaining her vision of an ideal world to Holt.

"A better world?" Holt was puzzled for a moment. "What might that be like?"

"A New World brimming with miracles," Siti mused, "where Ethereum Technology beyond the era will no longer bind Condensers to the limits of gravity. We will ascend above the stars, and similarly, the domain of immortality would steadily expand. In this paradise, all Condensers will enjoy endless life."

Holt remarked, "I noticed an emphasis in your words...you’re referring to Condensers."

"Naturally. Are you suggesting I should be concerned about the convenience of mortals?"

Siti approached Holt gracefully, her whisper laced with complaint, "I’ve always found it difficult to comprehend one aspect of the Order Bureau: why are you so concerned with the survival of mortals? Surely, you understand biological evolution?"

"It’s foundational knowledge," Holt nodded.

"In my view, Condensers are the next generation of human evolution, and ordinary mortals ought to be eliminated by natural selection."

"So, you’re saying that your ideology of Condenser supremacy is more like a preference for might? The strong are right, irrespective of justice, legality, or ethical morality."

Siti did not respond to Holt’s words but rather observed him intently, feeling the ethereal fluctuations emanating from Holt beneath layers of confinement.

"A Defender, is it? Just enough," she said.

"For what purpose?"

"You really do have a lot of questions." Siti frowned.

"If nothing unexpected happens, I likely won’t leave here alive," Holt said, "People inevitably want to know the direction of their fate so they can prepare."

"The direction of fate?"

Siti chuckled lightly without offering an explanation.

The glow of Ether shone from Siti’s body, and a complex and intricate Alchemy Matrix spread, without needing to perceive the intensity of Ether, merely observing Siti’s dazzling runes could reveal her Tier.

Seeker of Glory.

It’s a pity she’s an old Seeker of Glory.

"Speaker."

Siti called, looking up.

Accompanied by the summoning of Ether and the inquiry of voices, the figures within the Crystal Beehive writhed more intensely. Sickly, bizarre sounds echoed, resembling someone forcefully kneading soil, carrying a sticky, moist sensation.

The Crystal Beehive split in a cross-shaped fissure, and amidst the ethereal blue light, Holt saw clusters of heart-like pulsating fruits, and a face embedded within them.

The flesh surrounding the face seemed alive, continuously writhing and twisting, as if struggling in agony. Roots, like green veins, were deeply embedded in the face, yet the face itself bore no expression, as if all emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness had been stripped away by time, leaving only a transcendent detachment from life and death.

He slowly unfurled his curled-up figure, revealing a withered body, countless fruits hanging tightly around his neck like rings, covering his chest and back.