Chapter 261. Suffocate.

"How was the alchemy conference?" Aiden asked as he walked towards them.

"Pretty stale, thanks to you," Ashbourne said.

"After the broadcast of the Ghost Machination event went viral, nothing that happened at the conference piqued my interest," Vandaport said.

Aiden chuckled lightly.

"Senior brother, senior sister, I have a favor to ask before you leave." Aiden knew they were busy people and they didn’t just show up to see him. They only happened to encounter him when they came here to taste the local delicacies before returning to the International Union HQ.

"Sure."

"What’s up?"

They replied.

"Desmonda and the others are entering a pocket world tomorrow. When they return, they may need your protection. The Order may try to attack them with beginner Rank 4 assassins to get to me," Aiden said.

"Don’t worry. They are my disciples. Vandaport will be busy with some duties at headquarters, but I can personally ensure they are well protected," Ashbourne said.

"Thank you," Aiden nodded.

"You are welcome," Ashbourne said.

"We need to leave, Aiden," Vandaport said. "Catch you later. I suppose you are joining the ancient sect ruin expedition, since you are still in Took Ancient Town?"

"Yeah. I will," Aiden said.

"My daughter told us they were headed here tomorrow," Ashbourne said.

"Yeah," Aiden said.

"Since you are with them, we have no reason to be worried. After what you have pulled off, a couple of beginner Rank 4 assassins won’t amount to much. You are always scheming several steps ahead after all, Mr. Ghost Strategist," Vandaport said.

"Seriously, you guys don’t think these nicknames are cringe?" Aiden shook his head.

"What are you gonna do? Find out who gave them to you and sue them?" Ashbourne patted Aiden’s shoulder.

"Old man... you..." Aiden didn’t know what to say.

"Hehe. You got him there. Let’s leave this place before he schemes and kills us. If he can use schemes to kill legendary Rank 4 warriors, beginner Rank 4 warriors like us are ants to him," Vandaport said.

Before he could even reply, the two old monsters flew into the clouds, entered a jet, and bolted off. However, their teasing laughter still echoed as they left.

Aiden had a warm smile on his face.

"Indeed, the powerhouses surrounding me are breaths of fresh air. Unlike some young warriors with inferiority complexes who always want to prove a point all the time, they don’t see any reason to put on airs or act superior to anyone to prove their power."

He shook his head as he left the park, heading towards the inn to rest.

****

Southern Continent.

Eldorath Empire.

Frontlines.

Sector 3.

Base C322.

Vanum Deepsea’s villa.

Deepsea, alongside the three admirals of the base, were staring at a hologram of Leonis Eldorath.

"How did it go?" Vanum Deepsea asked.

The hologram of Leonis spoke.

"All medium, high, and premium ranked members of the Order will also be fed detonative implants. Because the higher-ups are approaching the final stages of the Salvation project, they don’t want any key member to be compromised and leak any details about the Order to anyone and ruin the plan."

Deepsea and the others stared at each other.

One would have expected expressions of fear to appear on their faces. After all, they were medium-ranked members of the Order. Being fed detonative implants to prevent them from saying anything about the organization to an enemy meant that even if they were interrogated, broke down, and attempted to even say a single word about the Order, the detonative implants would naturally be triggered and they would die.

But they were smiling as fanatic glints flashed through their eyes.

"The higher-ups are really wise."

"None of us want to compromise the Salvation project. We will all go to sleep with Endra. So, what do our lives matter? However, before that happens, it’s good that the higher-ups are being extremely careful and accounting for all possible variables."

"Indeed."

"That’s a big relief."

The four talked among each other.

Leonis’ hologram looked at them with a similar expression on his face.

He added.

"By dawn, all medium, high, and premium ranked members of the Order, including Founder Edrissa Vann and Edwin Marr, will have detonative implants in them, just like the normal-ranked members."

Deepsea and the others nodded.

"As for Aiden Vhorn, beginner Rank 4 assassins have been dispatched personally from HQ after him," Leonis continued. "He personally eliminated all the legendary Rank 3 Order Assassin Corps sent after him from across the world over the past few weeks. So, the higher-ups are upping their game. He won’t survive this time."

"He will definitely perish."

"Indeed. He cannot be allowed to survive."

"For the Order and Humanity."

"For the Order and Humanity."

"For the Order and Humanity."

*****

Western Continent.

Somewhere in the Serma Empire.

Took Ancient Town.

Beach.

It was currently morning.

The weather was cold—the kind that caused people to breathe cold air out of their mouths.

Several Rank 3 warriors were crowded across the place.

Rank 3 warriors from powers all across the Western Continent were appearing at the beach.

Some were gathered in groups. Others were alone.

They were all waiting...

Had they known the actual location of the discovered ruins, they would have entered it on their own a long time ago.

However, the Warriors Association HQ in the Serma Empire discovered it and knew the location.

So, several legendary Rank 3 warriors from the Serma Empire Warriors Association HQ were personally here to lead the large crowd of Rank 3 warriors to the region of the sea that led into the ancient sect ruins.

However, when they entered the ruins, everyone would be on their own and they wouldn’t be responsible for anyone, since they would also be too busy looking for cultivation manuals.

Naturally, they would have kept this information to themselves. But information like this would naturally get out. So, instead of trying to be quiet about it to garner public hate, they had no choice but to publicize it.

Everyone here knew that.

"It’s 8:36 AM. We are leaving," a legendary Rank 3 warrior from the Serma Empire Warriors Association said.

Everyone nodded.

"We’ve been here for a while."

"Indeed. If anyone has to come and they are late, it’s their loss."

"Let’s leave."

Suddenly, someone spoke.

"Senior, if we can wait for a few seconds, a friend is coming and he’s almost here."

Everyone turned to look at him. He was an intermediate Rank 3 warrior. He was in a group. His eleven acquaintances stood close to him.

Who the hell were these people?

A legendary Rank 3 warrior from the Serma Empire Wariors Association HQ, someone with terrifying strength and political backing, was saying they were leaving, everyone, alongside even other legendary rank 3 warriors at the place, agreed, and he was saying they should wait for his friend?

"Hmph, a mere junior who is an intermediate Rank 3 warrior dares to be presumptuous to Senior Triga. How naive."

"Does he think the world revolves around him?"

"Heh."

Whispers and looks of mockery were directed towards the group of 12.

Wilson sighed.

"Never mind, Aiden is almost here anyway."Chromium tapped his shoulder.

Senior Triga looked at Cosmo and the others with a haughty look.

"If you are here to waste time, scram for me," he snorted.

A mere junior dared to be disrespectful to him?

He waved his hand.

Droves of thick bloodlust spread out of his body and moved towards Cosmo and the others.

"As expected of a legendary Rank 3 powerhouse."

"If that bloodlust washes over me, I might fall down and find it difficult to even breathe."

"Heh. Those arrogant fuckers asked for it."

The group were calm.

They manifested their bloodlust at the same time.

Their collective bloodlust collided with the bloodlust of Senior Triga.

Senior Triga and every other person snorted.

Senior Triga’s bloodlust overcame their bloodlust and headed towards them, causing them to struggle to even stand.

Everyone thought the group of 12 people were about to get themselves humiliated and kicked out of the expedition.

Even if they were spared, their chances of survival on this expedition would be slim. After all, they had made an enemy out of the Warriors Association HQ of the Serma Empire.

Suddenly, an extremely dense amount of bloodlust no one had ever experienced before washed over the place, causing everyone to suffocate.