Endless Debt

In this moment of life and death, the long-awaited Sixth Group finally arrived for Bologue. His tense nerves slightly relaxed, and he let out a deep sigh, causing even the restless Soul Shards to fall silent.

Yas did not launch an attack; instead, he stood in place, maintaining the Ethereal Prohibition to contend with the King's Shield Guard, handing the battle directly over to his squad members.

Faced with an Ethereal Prohibition from a Negative Power User, the First Stage Condensers offered brief resistance before their Rectangular Soul Criticals were invaded.

Even though they hadn't been completely breached, the overwhelming oppressive force still severed their connection to the Ether, rendering them no different from ordinary mortals at that moment.

A squad member stepped out from the group, hoisting a machine gun whose ammo chain extended into the backpack behind him. Without any warning, he pulled the trigger.

In an instant, dense bullet rain showered the crowd; flesh and bone, losing their ethereal support, shattered under the onslaught of steel, as the mighty Condensers fell like mere mortals.

Some tried to retaliate, struggling under the Ethereal Prohibition's constraint to muster a bit of Secret Energy, summoning various peculiar forces to fiercely strike at the Sixth Group.

At this moment, Sido entered the scene, wielding a Warhammer and Giant Shield, or rather, Hart. Hart raised the Giant Shield, a milky white barrier appeared out of thin air, encapsulating all the squad members.

Whether it was the gunfire from the King's Shield Guard or the impact of Secret Energy, all were completely absorbed by the raised barrier. Each collision brought forth small electric arcs, but as the sparks dissipated, the barrier remained intact.

One of the Ether Skills: Ethereal Barrier.

"Order Bureau..."

Nade knew very well who had come; he understood the operating style of the Violence Suppression Action Group. However, he couldn't fathom why they were appearing at this moment.

If they had targeted the Gray Trade Association from the start, they should have stormed the venue as soon as the auction began, rather than waiting until the various factions were indeed caught in chaotic combat.

Nade didn't ponder for long, as Yas's actions directly revealed his intentions.

A strong sense of suffocation gripped Nade's heart. First, the surrounding Ether plunged into silence and dispersion, followed by his own Ether gradually being sealed.

Prohibition and Silence fell upon Nade simultaneously.

From the beginning, Yas's target was himself... the Order Bureau's target was himself, and the King's Shield Guards.

A strong sense of crisis rose in Nade's heart; they thought they had perfectly hidden themselves, yet in reality, they had already been exposed to the Order Bureau's scrutiny. They had remained unreactive all along, intending to catch everyone in one fell swoop at this decisive moment.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Nade roared as he unleashed all his Ether; both he and Yas were Negative Power Users, and Yas's Prohibition and Silence could not completely bind Nade. At most, they barely affected him.

But even a slight influence was enough to pose an extremely strong threat to him amidst this cluster of Origin School Condensers.

Oddly, Nade did not retreat; instead, he engaged in fierce combat with the fully empowered Violence Suppression Action Group, sparks flew as if from a volcano exploding.

Nade no longer restrained his power; the immense Ether seeped from the Alchemy Matrix, and under excessive Ether output, his body began to blur and twist until he lost human form, transforming into a demonic entity.

Bologue could vaguely see that fearful figure; this was not Nade being affected by his own Secret Energy, but rather the authority inherent to him as a Negative Power User.

Upon reaching the Third Stage, the intimacy between the Negative Power User and the Ether almost fuses into one, elevating the mortal body and hence achieving energy transformation... that is Etherealization.

The reason Negative Power Users are notoriously hard to kill and why their lifespan extends far beyond ordinary people is precisely because their flesh has long shed mortal constraints and fused with Ether.

Nade had laid eyes on that revered "Secret Source" and was graced with its favor and blessing.

"For my King!"

A twisted, hoarse voice arrived with waves of heat; Ether altered Nade's body, akin to a mythological creature stepping out from a story. The extreme heat vaporized all surrounding matter, forming his bat wings, sharp claws, and long tail until he transformed into the Flame Demon descending upon the world.

Secret Energy·Ghost of Blazing Flames.

Bologue dared not look directly at that beautiful yet evil figure anymore. Everyone present averted their gaze, save for Yas who stubbornly continued to stare at him.

Raising his hand, Yas lifted his palm from the void and clenched his fist forcefully.

An invisible pressure came from all sides, as if a shield encapsulated Nade. The rampaging flames were bound and trapped in a spherical cage, transforming into a blazing sun in the sky.

"What a pity, in the end, he is merely a Negative Power User."

Yas muttered softly, pure white light emanated from his eyes. He walked the most extreme path, of absolute Origin School, where all power inclinations pointed towards coexistence with Ether.

His clenched fist trembled slightly but continued to firmly grasp everything, as a splendid Alchemy Matrix emerged from his body, its burgeoning brilliance clashing with the burning flames.

Until a certain moment when Nade could no longer resist, the invisible cage suddenly tightened, piercing through the flames and Nade's body, transforming into countless silver-white chains in the void, binding Nade's body, and then dissipating without a trace.

It seemed as if nothing had happened, but Nade could clearly feel the stagnation of his own ether flow. Another ether transformed into countless chains around his Alchemy Matrix, constantly eroding his Rectangular Soul Critical.

Under prohibition and silence, an absolute seal would bind everything.

The howling wind rushed down, and before Nade could attempt to break through Yas's restraint, another shadow appeared above him. Hart, who had been in a defensive stance, abandoned his Giant Shield, wielding the heavy Warhammer with both hands.

Ethereal Amplification.

In the thunderous roar, even the Flame Demon's form was smashed into the ground by this heavy strike. Nade struggled to stand up, spewing flames like a Fire Dragon, trying to incinerate Hart to ashes, but the dense bullets pierced through the flames, leaving bloody holes on his body.

The machine gunner fired at Nade. Ordinary bullets couldn't affect Nade under high temperatures, but the machine gunner wasn't using ordinary bullets; every bullet he fired was an expensive Alchemy Warhead.

In a matter of seconds, the machine gunner spent a month's salary of Bologue, but if it could kill a Negative Power User, the cost was more than worth it.

Nade struggled to weave together a fiery defense, with the Ethereal Prohibition and Ethereal Silence limiting him, and the combination of the two forming an Ethereal Seal, further trapping his Alchemy Matrix.

Those guys from the Origin School are so tricky. Like vicious hyenas, Nade had no fear in one-on-one battles, but once encircled by them, he could only be slowly worn down to death.

But it is worth it.

Nade had no fear of death, but was rather fanatical; he had stalled the Violence Suppression Action Group here, giving Jiamon the chance to escape. Jiamon carried the Blood Transfer Sword beneath him and was the most likely to leave this place alive, bringing the Immortal Heart to the Shadow King.

His sacrifice had value.

The gunfire ceased, and Hart swung the Warhammer once again. He was never one to linger in battle, always retreating immediately after a swing. If Nade attempted to pursue, he would encounter attacks from other team members.

The hand crossbow occasionally shot out cold arrows. The arrowheads were not expensive Alchemy Warheads, but they were explosive arrowheads, releasing large amounts of Alchemy Poison Gas with each rupture, further intoxicating Nade.

Other team members excelled in different Ethereal Skill techniques. They cooperated, and all of Nade's resistance resembled a trapped beast's struggle, merely a futile struggle leading to his total demise in mere seconds.

Yas stood at the forefront, intimidating Nade, one hand raised for the seal, while the other hung by his waist, gently resting on the Military Sabre, his movements graceful yet revealing authority.

The hazy glow flooded; a violent ether tangled on the blade. With Yas's power, he could at any time use the Military Sabre as a medium to manifest a deadly Ethereal Blade.

"Report on the mission."

In work mode, Yas was extremely reticent, much like Lebius. He continued to watch the struggling Nade, but Bologue knew he was speaking to him.

The range of Prohibition and Silence gradually narrowed under Yas's control, allowing Bologue to escape from this suffocating feeling, and he overlapped once again with Aimou.

Admittedly, in this hellish world, overlapping with Bologue gave Aimou a strange sense of reassurance, although sometimes when Bologue was injured, it brought immense pain, but it was all bearable.

Bologue's shell was like a shelter, keeping all the wickedness outside.

"The King's Secret Sword mentioned by Lebius, he escaped with that Contract Object Secret Sword, carrying the Immortal Heart. There's also a Crimson Bishop, a Negative Power User, chasing that King's Secret Sword."

Bologue paused, then continued.

"I haven't found Teda, but he should also be pursuing the Immortal Heart."

Yas nodded after hearing this, the roaring blaze several times threatened to reach him, to swallow him, but each time an invisible barrier repelled the flames.

"Then what are you waiting for, Bologue?" Yas said again.

Bologue did not react for a moment, and just then, another lively voice sounded in his ear.

"Yeah! What are you waiting for? Leave this to Yas, and let's chase after it! Kill that guy!"

Bologue turned his head sharply, not knowing when a bandit had appeared beside him. He looked quite disheveled, but judging from his tone, his spirits were quite high.

"What's wrong? Haven't seen me in a few minutes and already miss me?" Palmer said.

After a moment of silence, Bologue punched Palmer in the stomach, cursing angrily.

"Palmer! You bastard!"