Chapter 192: Conspiracy and a Turning Point
The Chimera Guide's performance was nothing short of professional.
It expertly weaved through the complex ruins, sometimes leading them to a shimmering treasure chest tucked away in a forgotten corner, and other times precisely luring out a small squad of patrolling minions.
Stelle, naturally, was grinning from ear to ear. Her baseball bat swung with a satisfying whoosh, clearing out the minor enemies with practiced ease. She was in her element, cracking open chests and reaping a bountiful harvest of points.
Her luck with the loot, however, seemed decidedly average. Most of what she found were common-quality materials and a handful of low-grade energy crystals, with no particularly striking items making an appearance.
Lycaon's feelings were far more complex. Here he was, the former Crown Prince of Hanging Edge City, walking through the skeletal remains of his homeland, forced to rely on the guidance of an external creature… a creature that seemed to know the city's secrets even better than he did. The sensation was both absurd and tinged with an indescribable bitterness.
In the corner of a half-collapsed side hall, the Chimera suddenly let out a sharp cry, its head gesturing toward several scattered stone slabs on the floor.
A flicker of intuition stirred in Lycaon's chest. He stepped forward, brushing away the thick layer of dust from the slabs to reveal the ancient, angular script of Hanging Edge carved into their surfaces.
"There's a record here!" Lycaon announced, his voice low as he began to carefully decipher the text.
As he read, his rugged face grew increasingly solemn. His brows furrowed into a tight knot, and soon, an expression of raw anger intertwined with deep heartache twisted his features.
"What does it say?" Phaethon asked, noticing his companion's visible distress.
Lycaon took a deep, shuddering breath, his voice hoarse with fury. "It's Nikador… He… he has completely abandoned the last shred of his glory and dignity."
He slammed a fist against the stone wall beside him. "He's attempting to use the power of the black tide to conceal his twisted minions within its shadows. He plans to bypass Okhema's defenses and infiltrate the city from within… This is… this is playing with fire! He's inviting absolute destruction!"
His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. As a former prince who had once believed in and followed Nikador, witnessing his one-time idol not only descend into madness but also stoop to collaborating with the world-devouring power of the black tide… the sense of betrayal and despair was nearly overwhelming.
After a brief, heavy moment of sorrow, a powerful sense of responsibility surged through him.
Lycaon's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto Phaethon and Stelle. His tone was urgent, unyielding. "This message must be sent back to Okhema immediately! If Nikador's plan succeeds, Okhema could be in danger of complete collapse!" He took a step closer, his voice rising. "Phaethon, Stelle, I believe we should return to defend the city at once! Protecting Okhema is the priority!"
Phaethon's expression had also shifted, his face a mask of grim concern. His perspective, however, was more complete. "I understand your concern, Lycaon. Okhema's safety is crucial."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "However, we are now deep within the inner city of Hanging Edge, possibly just a single step away from Nikador's throne. If we give up now, all our previous efforts, the blood of the warriors who sacrificed themselves for this campaign… will it all have been in vain?"
"If we can slay the Mad King here and now, all of his schemes will naturally unravel," Phaethon argued, his voice firm. "This is the only way to solve the problem at its root!"
"But what if we're too late?!" Lycaon shot back, his voice strained. "What if his plan has already been set in motion? Every moment we delay here, Okhema could be facing infiltration and attack!"
"A frontal assault on Nikador also carries immense risks," Phaethon insisted, holding his ground. "We need time to formulate a more secure plan!"
The two strongest warriors of Okhema were suddenly locked in a fierce argument, one advocating for an immediate retreat to defend their home, the other for seizing the opportunity to cut the head off the snake.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Stelle finally interjected, clearly annoyed by their bickering. "What's there to argue about? It's not like we can't do both at the same time!"
Under their puzzled gazes, Stelle adopted an expression that seemed to say, 'You guys are so behind the times,' and calmly laid out her plan. "Lycaon, translate and organize the important information from that stone slab. Keep it simple and clear, especially the part about the black tide infiltration."
She then turned to the other man. "Phaethon, you continue to keep watch with me. Don't let any enemies sneak up on us."
Though he didn't understand what she intended, Lycaon suppressed his anxiety and quickly jotted down the key information on a piece of parchment he carried with him.
Stelle, without any particular rush, placed a Domain Anchor—an item given to her by Dan Heng—in a stable corner of the side hall. She then gave the two men a jaunty wave. "I'll be right back. You two wait here and be careful!"
Before either of them could react, her figure, enveloped in the soft halo of the Domain Anchor, instantly vanished from the spot.
"?!" Phaethon and Lycaon were once again left dumbfounded. This ability to teleport freely, to come and go as she pleased, was a casual display of power that continued to challenge their fundamental understanding of the world.
Stelle teleported directly back to her private bathhouse in Okhema. Without a moment's delay, she pulled out a [Bamboo-Copter] and fitted it to her head. The small propeller spun to life, and with a cheerful whir, it carried her straight out the window, zipping toward the Chrysos Heirs' bathhouse in the Cloudstone Sky Palace.
Fortunately, Aglaea had not yet left and was in the middle of a discussion with Corin, Tribbie, and a few others.
Stelle flew in like a divine soldier descending from the heavens, landing with a steady, practiced grace.
"Stelle? How did you—" Aglaea began, her eyes wide with surprise at the sudden return.
"Emergency, long story short!" Stelle spoke in a rapid-fire burst, directly stuffing the parchment Lycaon had prepared into Aglaea's hand. "This is what we found in Hanging Edge City. Nikador wants to collude with the black tide to infiltrate Okhema! You all need to be extremely careful! Read this for the details! I'm going back now; they're still waiting for me over there!"
Having rattled off her words like a machine gun, she gave Aglaea no chance to ask further questions. She turned, and the Bamboo-Copter whirred back to life, carrying her out the window just as quickly as she had arrived. She left Aglaea, Corin, and Tribbie standing in the bathhouse, exchanging bewildered glances, not yet fully comprehending what had just transpired.
Aglaea quickly scanned the information on the parchment, her face growing increasingly grave with every line she read.
Just then, a voice laced with amusement and inquiry drifted from the doorway.
"Oh? Aglaea, it seems you've recently been entertaining some very 'interesting' friends. Visitors from beyond the heavens, are they? This is… getting more and more interesting."
It was Kaines from the Senate. She had appeared at the doorway at some point, leaning casually against the frame. A knowing smile played on her lips, her gaze sweeping over the open window from which Stelle had just flown.
Meanwhile, back in the inner city of Hanging Edge.
Phaethon and Lycaon watched Stelle disappear and then reappear, all within the span of a few minutes, feeling somewhat dazed by the whirlwind of events.
"...The message, was it sent?" Lycaon asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"Of course!" Stelle said with a relaxed expression, clapping the dust from her hands. "Done! Aglaea and the others know by now. They'll strengthen their defenses."
She grinned. "We can now safely continue our great mission of 'treasure hunting'… no, I mean, 'defeating the Mad King'!"
Phaethon and Lycaon were once again rendered speechless. They were beginning to feel that the way these otherworldly visitors solved problems was always beyond their expectations—simple, direct, and brutally efficient… yet always accompanied by a kind of reckless impulsiveness that made them want to both laugh and cry.
For example, Stelle's lightning-fast operation had just perfectly resolved their dispute. But it had also undoubtedly exposed the fact that "Domain Anchors allow instantaneous teleportation anywhere"—a secret Dan Heng had originally tried to keep under wraps—to the high-ranking officials of Okhema.
All of Dan Heng's previous careful arrangements had just gone completely to waste.
After that small interlude, the diligent Chimera Guide cried out again. The arrow above its head pointed resolutely deeper into the inner city—toward the Hanging Edge Coliseum. That grand arena, once a symbol of the city's ultimate glory and gladiatorial might, might now very well be the Mad King's lair.
Stelle's team set off once more, moving step by step deeper toward their final destination.
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