Chapter 33 - Serpent’s tongue

The scene that unfolded before the group had been nothing short of spectacular—at least for everyone except Thaddeus and Li. Unlike the others, they appeared more concerned than amazed by the Admiral's display of strength, though, fortunately, their expressions went unnoticed by the rest.

The first to leap from her spot with great enthusiasm was Kazue, who darted toward Augustus with eyes shining and full of excitement.

“That was awesome, gramps!”

“Hahaha! Yes, this old body of mine still packs some punch inside!”

The interaction between the two was endearing in a way, so much so that the rest of the group forgot where they were and relaxed momentarily. Even Nikolai, who was usually rather grumpy and kept to himself—and who didn't understand a single word Kazue was saying—had a melancholic smile on his face as he watched them.

The best way to describe their relationship was that of a man and his granddaughter, who saw him as a hero—a sentiment that, at this point, might very well be true. It didn't take long for everyone to compose themselves and resume walking in the direction the arrow had mentally mapped out for them, with the girl and the Admiral leading the way, marching and laughing merrily. Given this moment, Adam discreetly called for Li, Drake, and Nikolai's attention. Thaddeus, meanwhile, seemed more concerned about the noise they were making in a place where they were supposed to move silently, while Sebastian tried to calm him down cheerfully.

“There is something I need to discuss with you, it’s about the… Soldiers that were here a moment ago.”

The three men moved closer to Adam, looking confused at first, but when he spoke, their eyes widened with interest—except for Nikolai, who didn’t seem particularly interested in anything that was happening, still, he stayed to listen.

"I managed to see the information about those soldiers before they were destroyed. They were undead sentinels created to defend this place, and now they wander since their creators are no longer around."

Adam explained without pause, lowering his voice to not be noticed, something that Li didn’t quite understand.

“Okay, but why is that important in any way? We already know that these ruins were from dark mages or whatever.”

“The important thing is that it was written in the info chart that they were created by the ‘Golden Pavilion’... The same place or group from where the hexes used by the Armada came from”

That was quite odd. Kazue's original idea had been that the 'Golden Pavilion' was the third shadowy force mentioned in the story's synopsis, somehow infiltrated the Armada to manipulate it from within. However, this new information left more questions unanswered, leading Adam to form a new hypothesis.

"I think... there wasn't an infiltration of a third power within the Armada. Instead, there's someone—or perhaps a group—within its ranks secretly using ancient knowledge or technology found here that belongs to the 'Golden Pavilion.' This would explain why none of the soldiers seem aware that they're using curses; to them, they appear as just another type of skill," Adam suggested.

If this were the case, then they had been focusing on the idea of a third power in the shadows all wrong. It wasn't an external group trying to infiltrate others and control their actions; instead, it would be a group born within the already established factions—conspirators with enough power and influence to change the very workings of something like the Armada's military from within. But what if that wasn't the reason? What if no one had been forced to use these things, and they had done so willingly—as a gift... no, as an enhanced technology to the army?

Adam's eyes widened as he looked at Thaddeus, who was still walking ahead, unaware of the conversation happening behind him. He began to connect the scattered pieces in his mind. However, Li interrupted him after noticing his expression and understanding what he was thinking.

"Hold on a moment, kid. I recognize that look. Don’t rush to conclusions. Remember the description of the subplot we’re part of right now; it clearly states Isaac Volta and his company’s intentions. The system might be cryptic at times, but I can assure you it never lies, if it says that the request from that guy was genuine, then it is."

That made a lot of sense, in fact, causing Adam to doubt his own deductions. After all, the system had been straightforward and reliable up to this point. If it had associated 'Stratos Technology' as an entity solely seeking the common good, then it couldn’t be the one behind a potential betrayal. This left only one other possible alternative, which Li noticed, and hurried to continue.

“On the other hand, don’t you think it’s suspicious that there was a last-minute change in our guide? Not to mention that they were originally only supposed to take us to the entrance and not come with us.”

Having sown that seed of doubt, Li let Adam do the mental gymnastics on his own, while Drake seemed confused and Nikolai looked away.

That was a valid option: some high-ranking officials in the Armada could be the ones responsible and potential conspirators. In that case, it would make sense that they had altered the plans initially made by the executives of 'Stratos Technology'. The presence of someone as powerful and influential as an Admiral would be the perfect way to keep them monitored while searching for the 'Atomica Arcanum'. Was their objective to steal it?

"You're right, Mr. Li, but it would still be best to tell Thaddeus. We need to find out if our conjectures, though logical and plausible, are correct and if Admiral Augustus is indeed a traitor to the Armada. However, doing nothing puts us at risk."

Adam said thoughtfully, glancing at the elderly man in front of the group. It was hard to imagine him as part of such a grand conspiracy, given how cheerful and content he seemed while interacting with Kazue. Perhaps that was the point of his demeanor—to mask his true intentions or mission.

"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of talking to the wonder kid about it. You all just keep an eye on the old man."

Li said suddenly, bringing the matter to a close as he moved away to speak with Thaddeus later.

"Are you sure that Admiral Augustus is someone suspicious? I’ll be honest, he really doesn’t seem that way to me."

Drake suddenly asked with a worried expression. Adam completely understood where he was coming from; no, the old man clearly didn’t seem suspicious or like a bad person, but it was one of the few possible explanations. However, before Adam could respond, a voice spoke up nearby.

“It's often those who seem the most innocent who end up hiding their true selves.”

It was Nikolai, who spoke suddenly and surprised the two boys. They couldn't refute what he had said and simply returned to walking with the group.

As the others rejoined the group, Nikolai observed the Admiral at the front. He firmly believed in his own words, but the truth was that he didn't see any typical signs of a liar in the Admiral. He also didn’t have a sense of falsehood in the old man's words and actions—something he had learned to distinguish over years of practice as someone who made a living lying and stealing; that Li guy on the other hand… Still, he decided to stay quiet.

Several minutes passed without further complications, aside from a few dead ends caused by collapsed ancient walls and the occasional bottomless pit. At one point, Adam stumbled near one of these pits and nearly fell into the abyss.

“...!”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Without losing a second, Admiral Augustus saved him by digging his fingers into the wall to create a solid grip and grabbing the boy's arm just before he could be swallowed by the darkness of the hole.

Everyone's feelings were truly mixed after discussing the possibility of betrayal, a suspicion that grew stronger as their journey continued and the old soldier increasingly showed his concern for everyone's well-being. Had they been mistaken? This line of thought lingered a bit longer, interrupted only by mechanical sounds similar to those they had heard moments before.

In front of them stood an even larger number of golden soldiers with skeletal faces, and not only that—behind them were two different types of automatons. Four of them resembled the soldiers from the waist up, but their lower bodies were strikingly similar to a spider's, with massive, sharp, golden legs, while the two last ones on the back were way taller and had golden robes instead of armor.

“Now this is more like it!”

Augustus exclaimed at the sight, cracking his knuckles with a smile. At the same time, Kazue was also excited and cheerfully asked if he could leave some of the soldiers for her to practice on and show him what her training with Commodore Kathlene had taught her.

“Of course, missy! Let’s have some fun, Hahaha!”

Both of them charged forward as the first row of undead soldiers also rushed toward them. Knowing that the Admiral was more than capable of taking care of himself but also imagining how recklessly daring his companion could be, both Drake and Adam moved in behind her, eager to provide support. Li noticed this and could only sigh in resignation, receiving a rather serious look from Thaddeus in response.

“Okay, fine, I get it”

Li responded, then moved slowly after his companions while making his spellbook appear in his hands. Sebastian and Nikolai, on the other hand, stayed back—one because he knew he couldn't do anything to help, and the other because he had no intention of putting himself in danger for them.

However, none of them got very far, as they soon realized that the old man was effortlessly taking care of almost all the enemies present. He casually let a pair slip through, directing them right toward Kazue, making it clear that everything was well under control.

On one hand, the regular soldiers were destroyed with a single blow from the man, while those with spider-like bodies climbed the walls and ceiling before launching themselves at their target, only to be grabbed like simple toys and slammed to the ground. Meanwhile, the girl faced two regular soldiers in a rather curious manner. While she didn't possess highly developed athletic skills, she managed to avoid their two charges by quickly stepping back, and positioning both enemies in a line, one behind the other.

"This is perfect! ... Thunder Piercing Hand!"

Unlike previous times when the girl had used that technique, the electric energy manifested in her gauntlet almost immediately. Instead of appearing as a spark of free energy, it now seemed contained in her fist, with a bright blue coating. Without wasting any time and taking a swift step forward, Kazue delivered a powerful punch to the first soldier. He was immediately struck by a blue flash that traveled through his entire body, which, due to its proximity, also spread to the second enemy. Both were affected by the technique and collapsed within seconds.

The girl didn't know it, but since her targets' armor was made of gold, they were extremely vulnerable to electricity, which allowed them to be exterminated so easily, even by a low-level technique.

Kazue let out a laugh of pure bliss at the same moment, celebrating with her arms raised, as she was living out one of her greatest dreams, meanwhile, the Admiral, who had watched her, laughed heartily with palpable pride. It didn't seem like the others would be needed, so they were able to relax a bit. Adam took this opportunity to finally pay attention to the information windows that had appeared before his eyes, especially those detailing the two new types of enemies.

[ Gilded Skull Trapper - Rank E ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠A basic undead warrior made with the mixture of necromancy and technology by the ancient ‘Golden Pavilion’ dark scientists. Their armor is made of gold, and the lower part of their body resembles that of a spider, with legs as sharp as any sword, which allows them to attack and climb walls. The corpse that wears it will indiscriminately attack any living thing in the vicinity of its wandering.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Notice: ‘Gilded Skull Trapper’ has lost its masters long ago, it now just wanders the Citadel aimlessly.⌡ ⌠Hint: Undead creatures are immune to any mental attack.⌡

[ Gilded Disciple of Sloth - Rank D ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠A regular undead guard made with the mixture of necromancy and technology by followers of the ‘Sloth Sect’ in the ancient ‘Golden Pavilion’. It wears a robe made of golden fibers with the emblem of "Sloth" on the back, and its body is held together by internal mechanisms within the corpse. Its only function is to cast the hex [Golden Hex of Sloth Lv3] on any nearby detected enemies.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Notice: ‘Gilded Disciple of Sloth’ has lost its masters long ago, it now just wanders the Citadel aimlessly.⌡ ⌠Hint: Undead creatures are immune to any mental attack.⌡

The last part alarmed Adam greatly. He quickly looked up intending to shout for them to retreat immediately, but it was too late. Before he could say anything, the two hooded figures were already watching them, eyes glowing with a radiant golden light.

[Skill: Golden Hex of Sloth Lv3] [You have seen the skill twice, data is being collected] [A curse from the “Golden Pavilion”, it casts a dark enchantment that dramatically slows the target's movements and dulls their reactions and speed, making them sluggish and clumsy.]

Once again, that heavy atmosphere, which many had endured during the assault on the Anchorage factories, made its presence felt. It caused almost everyone present to fall to their knees, including Kazue, who, at the worst possible moment, stopped moving while two more golden soldiers charged at her. The Admiral was slow to realize what was happening, as the decrease in statistics was so minimal for him that he did not detect the change affecting the others. Thus, he did not immediately intervene to help the girl. By the time his eyes turned toward her to check on her, his smile vanished upon seeing that she was only a few steps away from being attacked.

Even with his incredible speed, he wouldn’t make it in time, but he would try, using all his strength if necessary to arrive even a microsecond earlier. However, that wasn’t needed, as a very fast figure appeared behind Kazue, grabbing her by the collar and pulling her back with force, thus preventing the skeletons’ attacks.

It had been Adam, who, with his speed and reflexes significantly enhanced once again, had managed to foresee what was about to happen and arrived just in time to help his companion. He stumbled along with her, making them vulnerable to a potential second attack. However, this did not come to pass, thanks to Augustus's appearance, who charged in with a tackle that resembled a wrecking ball, striking the rest of the enemies.

*Bang, Bang*

Two shots echoed suddenly, causing Adam to look up and see both disciples of sloth fall to the ground with their heads completely destroyed. Turning his gaze toward the source of the attack, he saw that it had been Thaddeus, wielding a strange mechanical-looking revolver, its barrel now smoking.

When the environment finally returned to normal and everyone was able to get back on their feet, the young scientist explained what had happened. Meanwhile, the Admiral was profusely apologizing to Kazue and Adam, embarrassed for having made such a foolish mistake.

"Those were special automatons of one of what we call the 'Seven Lights,' sects into which the inhabitants of this place are divided. They use some mysterious energy to significantly reduce the physical and cognitive abilities of those nearby... Their presence indicates that the path you have been pointing to is correct. We might encounter more of these and even worse things, so we need to be cautious."

A few more seconds passed before they could resume their walk, this time with more caution and attention to their surroundings. However, something stopped Adam in his tracks, as he felt his right arm being pulled backward by a slight but swift tug.

“Eh?”

It was Thaddeus who had grabbed him and stopped him to keep them both at the end of the group while signaling him to remain silent.

“Mind if we have a little chat?”