Chapter 408 - 405: Noeman and Chakus

Chapter 408: Chapter 405: Noeman and Chakus

Hours later, the Hua Country Capital received a report of victory from the front lines.

Within two or three days, the detailed battle report had reached nearly every major member nation of the World Alliance. It was transmitted via refracted ultra-shortwave signals, delivered by aircraft, and even sent through the partially restored fiber-optic cable network.

This unique battle report was written in a peculiar style. In addition to a wealth of precise, technical data, it read more like a complete narrative.

High-altitude photos and videos from reconnaissance aircraft, taken before the battle began, revealed a staggering number of Demons—enough to make any sane person shudder.

In response, the Hua Country had deployed its formidable military might.

Simply reading the first part of the report, accompanied by photos and videos, was enough to subconsciously pull the reader into the tense atmosphere.

When the high-altitude footage showed the bombers sounding the prelude to war, many soldiers and officers from the Hua Country and its allies clenched their fists.

Fighter jets roared, artillery shells boomed, and futuristic modern weapons raised the curtain on a crushing victory.

As a propaganda piece specifically made to boost the morale of military personnel and civilians worldwide, many of Hua Country’s weapons and equipment were given close-ups in the recording.

A powerful, high-interference-resistant phased-array Radar scanned the entire field, linked to a CNC high-sensitivity close-in weapon system that swung the fiery whip of the Death God.

The futuristic Laser Weapons produced no visible beams on camera, and no post-production effects were added to color them like in a sci-fi movie. Instead, their power was showcased by high-speed, long-range cameras; whenever a laser turret turned, a split-screen would immediately display the devastating results.

Electronic sensors captured innumerable translucent or hazy figures. As they were incinerated, the surrounding air and dust visibly shimmered. Even powerful monsters were seared and pierced by the beams of light; without a precognitive sixth sense, dodging the light was impossible.

The monsters on the ground were torn to pieces, and any monster that took to the sky was shot down before it could even react.

The artillery shook the heavens and flames scorched the earth. Anyone who had seen the initial reconnaissance videos would have felt their stomach churn with anxiety, yet this was a completely one-sided slaughter.

A slaughter of Otherworldly Demons by humanity!

The helicopters and reconnaissance aircraft high above completely recorded the Demons’ reactions.

So, these things could feel fear too!

After receiving the battle report, many nations with the spare capacity sent reconnaissance planes to the Hua Country’s border to survey the terrifying and stunning battlefield from the air.

The battlefield, stretching for dozens of kilometers in every direction, was a Hell piled high with corpses.

Even after being burned by fire, the remains—whether still fleshy or reduced to giant skeletons—all lay there quietly, blanketing the mountains and plains in a dense carpet.

On the seventh day after the battle, a private jet from Russia flew over the battlefield, escorted by Hua Country fighter jets.

Inside the plane, several generals and military observers stared down below, their faces etched with shock.

Having watched the videos hundreds of times was nothing compared to the visual impact of seeing it in person.

A massive and exceptionally obese General had a profound look in his eyes. Despite a build that looked like it could crush a bear just by sitting on it, his every movement was nimble and swift.

"Look... The forest is already starting to sprout anew!"

On the ash-covered ground, tender shoots were already pushing through. Beside the monsters’ corpses, vegetation began to grow. Even on the seemingly burnt husks of giant trees, new green branches were budding...

The plane flew very low, and most of the observers had personal viewing equipment, allowing them to see some of the details.

"Our Mother Nature is declaring this world’s sovereignty upon the corpses of these outsiders!"

...

「Munich, De Yi Country. The Secret Realm of the Dawn Archives Management Office.」

The Noeman Clan’s ancestral home was now completely unrecognizable, both inside and out.

It wasn’t that the building itself had been greatly altered, but that within the Secret Realm, the entire structure was enveloped in Magical Plants. The entwined vines created a unique artistic atmosphere, and with the addition of giant Crystal Pillars from the headquarters’ Crystal Forest serving as carriers for the Technique Array, it had the fantastical feel of an Elf Palace.

The external Secret Realm Array glowed faintly as several members of the association stepped out of the Technique Array.

"This is the association’s Archives Management Office. It holds the world’s most comprehensive knowledge of Magic Patterns, covering a myriad of topics from every world and every field imaginable!"

Hilbert was dressed sharply in a suit. His tall, lean frame concealed perfectly defined muscles that rippled with explosive power.

Beside him were some new members who had joined Dawn. Most of them were lonely souls who had been rescued from the jaws of Otherworldly Demons but had lost their families. Others were passionate individuals who had shown flashes of courage, wisdom, and other brilliant qualities during this catastrophe.

They had joined Dawn through various means. Some were new recruits scouted directly by various branches; some had been introduced by the Silent Knight Order; others had been discovered by the Celestial Travel Association. They had all completed the initial stages of training at their respective organizations and were here to receive more comprehensive knowledge.

"SHING~"

The sound of a sharp metal blade scraping suddenly echoed around them.

A blurry, black figure about three meters tall, dressed in a tattered black cloak, abruptly materialized before everyone. It emanated a faint black mist and held a long-handled scythe. The handle was at least four or five meters long, and the blade itself was over two meters.

Its face was indistinct, perpetually shrouded in the shadows of its cloak. Just one look at its appearance told you it was not to be trifled with.

"Don’t be nervous and don’t make any sudden moves. This is the Shadow of the Secret Realm, the core Guardian of this Secret Realm. Now, activate the library cards issued to you by the association."

Hearing this, the others quickly pulled out small pouches attached to strings around their necks. They opened the pouches to reveal small silver tags.

FLASH~

The moment the silver tags were exposed to the air, the insignia of the Day of Dawn faintly lit up on their surfaces.

"Permission to stay: 36 hours. Do not exceed the time limit."

A raspy voice emanated from the Shadow of the Secret Realm, which then dissipated and vanished once more.

Hilbert smiled as he looked at the twenty-odd young faces behind him.

"Let’s go. Don’t worry about counting the 36 hours. If you overstay, a member of the association stationed in this Secret Realm will come to remind you. Generally speaking, if you get completely absorbed in your studies, they won’t kick you out immediately. They’ll be flexible."

"Oh, and by the way, with your current spiritual strength, don’t even think about trying to read the Magic Pattern Scrolls directly. Just stick to the plain-text translated versions, or you’ll have a headache for a long time."

With that, he led the group forward and pushed open the large doors of the building ahead.

Upon entering, everyone felt the light shift again, as if they had entered a new Secret Realm. There were many people in the central area, and the door behind them was constantly being pushed open by new arrivals.

Given how busy it was, the fact they had been standing outside for so long without seeing anyone else clearly meant they had been in a different Sub-Secret Realm.

Straight ahead was something like a reception desk, where several young women were handling various tasks.

Some people entered the hall and went straight up the stairs, clearly having their own destinations in mind. Others ran up to the desk to ask questions.

Looking up, one could see gallery-style corridors spiraling upwards, floor after floor. It was like looking up from the bottom of a well at the magical, glowing "well-wall corridors." Conspicuous labels were posted on the doorframes of the circular hallways.

"Come on. You can ask the archives assistants next time you come on your own. For now, follow me."

He took the vintage-style staircase directly to the second floor and followed the corridor to the third door on the right, which was marked with the words "The Qualities of an Association Member."

Hilbert didn’t say much. After knocking a few times, he pushed the door open and went inside. The people behind him filed in one after another.

The room was much larger inside than it appeared, feeling a bit empty. There were only a few huge desks and some bookshelves at the far end.

A girl with a ponytail sat off to the side, scratching her head in frustration as she stared at a scroll on her desk, pen in hand.

KNOCK KNOCK~

The end of the pen tapped lightly on the corner of the desk twice. The girl didn’t even look up as her cool voice sounded.

"It’s ready. Do as you wish."

Hilbert smiled at this scene, as if remembering his own painful days of learning Magic Patterns. For those who hadn’t awakened their Magic Power, the only way was to rely on spiritual interpretation and rote memorization.

Without another word, he signaled for everyone to stay quiet and opened the door they had just come through.

This confused the twenty-some people with him. ’Weren’t we here to study? Why are we leaving as soon as we’ve arrived?’

But they understood as soon as they stepped out again.

After a faint feeling of weightlessness, they found themselves not in the hallway outside the door, but back in the center of the first-floor lobby.

There were many people around now, and the hall was bustling with the low hum of excited chatter, which in turn stirred up similar feelings in the newcomers.

The labels on all the rooms on every floor had changed. They now all displayed topics related to "The Qualities of an Association Member," covering everything from notices for various association departments to combat techniques.

"Alright, now you can really help yourselves. If you want to leave, just go back to the room we were just in and tell the administrator."

Hilbert pointed to the third room on the right of the second-floor staircase, which was now marked with the conspicuous word "EXIT."

He had explained everything necessary. The rest was covered in the *Member Memo*, so he didn’t need to worry about it.

He walked directly up to the second floor and left through the "EXIT."

The reason Hilbert had brought this group of rookies to the Archives Management Office was because he also needed to look up some information here.

As soon as he returned to the Main Secret Realm, he entered the Sub-Secret Realm labeled "Magic Power Awakening."

This place was also crowded, but everyone coming and going was very quiet. Hilbert navigated to the third floor with practiced ease. The "Hypothetical Possibilities" reading room was already packed.

Fortunately, there were always a few empty seats among the rows of reading tables.

There were two empty seats at a four-person table, where Frank was frowning in concentration, reviewing the association’s latest research on Magic Power awakening.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"No, go ahead."

He answered Hilbert without even looking up.

The latter didn’t say anything more. He sat down, placed his hand on a special wheel-like mark on the desk, and the Secret Realm’s Power responded faintly. A moment later, the light of a Technique Array flashed above the desk, and a few documents and a Magic Pattern Scroll slowly descended.

Frank’s eyes darted to the side, and he immediately sat up straight.

’A Magic Pattern Scroll? In this reading room, he can’t be here to study Magic Patterns, so does that mean he’s going to read it directly?’

’People who can directly read these "Original Texts" are extraordinary, even if they aren’t Magic Controllers. There aren’t many people like that in Dawn—one in a hundred at most.’

Normally, they would just mind their own business, but Frank was currently possessed by the same obsession as his old man. In fact, it wasn’t just him; the entire Noeman Clan was the same.

Restoring their family’s glory and proving their worth to Dawn—this was the long-cherished wish of their ancestors and the ambition of their descendants.

And awakening their Magic Power had become the grand objective this ancient family was determined to achieve.

’I must seize every opportunity to learn from a senior!’

Frank recalled his father’s words and extended his hand.

"Frank Noeman. It’s a pleasure to meet you!"

Hilbert was taken aback. ’Noeman? What a coincidence.’

Though surprised, his reaction was seamless. He extended his hand and shook Frank’s, his expression natural and his gaze relaxed, the very picture of aristocratic grace.

"Hilbert Chakus. A pleasure to meet you as well."

Frank didn’t have such composure. The moment he heard the name, his jaw dropped.

The Chakus Clan! There was no other Chakus Clan in the association!

The hereditary Barons Lion Heart! The faithful guardians of Dawn!

Unlike the Noeman Clan, which had failed to maintain a long-term presence in Dawn even in ancient times, the Chakus Clan was a hereditary Dawn family said to have guarded Dawn Silent Moon Island for centuries. Anyone who had read the public sections of the *Association Secret History* would find the family name thunderously familiar.

This chance encounter between the two just so happened to be witnessed by Qin Xiaoxia, who was experimenting with his Thought Body projection Technique.

Or perhaps it wasn’t by chance at all, because he had intended to test the influential capabilities of Spiritual Power. This was crucial for perfecting his new Reaction Technique, and there was no better test subject than Hilbert.

And so, to the side of their desk, Qin Xiaoxia was using all his might, drawing upon the Secret Realm Power to maintain his invisible "Thought Body."

PS: First Chapter for Monday.