Chapter 396 - Initiator

In the ambush battle at the venue, the King’s Shield Guard stepped into the trap set by the Order Bureau and suffered heavy losses, but the Sixth Group failed to capture all of them. Many Shield Guards still managed to escape, carrying information related to the ambush.The King’s Shield Guard and the King’s Secret Sword are mortal enemies in principle, viewing each other as traitors. However, this was Oubos after all, where the King’s Secret Sword posed no real threat. Instead, it was the Order Bureau, the master of this place, that made the Shield Guards extremely vigilant.

Bologue thought he was just an ordinary field staff member, but in his short career, he had already outperformed many long-time field staff, drawing attention.

The King’s Shield Guard split off from the King’s Secret Sword. Even now, many Shield Guards remain hidden within the Secret Sword, infiltrating its intelligence network to a certain extent, making most of the information shared between the two.

When the King’s Secret Sword noticed Bologue, so did the Shield Guards.

Soon after becoming a Condenser, Bologue autonomously thwarted the Secret Sword’s conspiracy, intercepting the train carrying the Philosopher’s Stone within Opus.

The Shield Guards didn’t understand the role the Tyrant played in all this and could only attribute the oddities to Bologue himself. Shortly thereafter came the ambush battle, where Bologue was deployed as elite by the Order Bureau and executed the task perfectly.

After the battle ended, information about the Special Operations Group appeared before them, and it was then that the Shield Guards noticed what was special about this group.

"Debtor, is it?"

Hood showed an angry expression, staring intently at the continuously regenerating Bologue. He remembered the intelligence about the Special Operations Group, which was composed of Debtors.

The most special and bizarre among them was Bologue Lazarus, who possessed the Undying Body.

Bologue took a deep breath. Amid the disturbing pain, his body was rapidly healing. Given a few more minutes, Bologue would fully recover, but he understood that his opponent, Hood, a Negative Power User, would not grant him that time.

His gaze fell on the intricate patterns covering Hood’s throat, as he could utilize sonic waves to attack, not only shaking the mind but also carrying a massive amount of Ether capable of destroying everything in its path with ease.

With strong destructive power and a wide range, along with Hood’s high attack frequency, this deadly enemy reminded Bologue of Nade. Facing the wide-spread raging flames, Bologue could barely get close.

Yet even with such a disparity in strength, Bologue couldn’t retreat.

"Aimou! Can you hear me?"

Bologue suddenly shouted, attempting to call out to the battered Aimou in Hood’s hand.

More than one person was in pursuit of Aimou. While intercepting Fast, Hood was also chasing Aimou and had captured her easily.

Repaired just a few days ago, Aimou was already in a dilapidated state again. She showed no reaction to Bologue’s words; the fatal sound wave had destroyed Aimou’s hearing at the first strike against Hood, leading to her dismantlement.

Just as when Bologue saw Aimou in the Sublimation Furnace Core, all that remained was the ever-flickering light in her eyes, unresponsive to external stimuli.

Bologue clenched his fist, Hood’s Secret Energy had caused multiple fractures in Bologue’s body, his internal organs shaken into blood, yet he staggered and could still move.

Silver serpents spilled out from under his clothes, forming supports that stabbed into the ground, lifting Bologue’s body. It wasn’t over; the swarm of serpents enveloped Bologue, solidifying into sturdy armor.

At this moment, Bologue resembled some kind of armor-clad monster, with sharp limbs extending from the armor, swiftly descending upon the ground, charging directly at Hood.

"Stop!"

Hood roared at Bologue, and the howling sound wave immediately enveloped the silver figure, shattering the ground and sending dust flying. Under the Ether’s impact, the solidified metal was filled with cracks before collapsing.

Large chunks of metal peeled off from the armor, and in an instant, the massive monster became thinner until all defenses were destroyed.

This was, after all, the full-force strike of a Negative Power User. To withstand Hood’s roar head-on was already a miracle for Bologue, yet it was still not enough.

Amidst the flying metal fragments, Bologue’s figure was revealed. In his immobile state, he used Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid to replace his limbs, aiding his movement.

Now he rushed toward Hood at great speed, with a cold blade in hand.

Hood took a deep breath. Bologue had lost all protection now; a mere casual strike could knock him down... and then he saw the greenish-blue glow flickering around.

In the roar, Bologue’s armor disintegrated, and the shattered armor, like snowflakes, brilliantly silver, scattered everywhere. Before they completely fell, green trails of light connected these fragments.

No, it wasn’t light trails connecting them, but those slender, nearly indiscernible silvery threads, with ether light shining upon them.

While Hood destroyed Bologue’s armor, Bologue had already set up a trap, never believing he could advance in front of a Negative Power User. It was all a feint, devised for this cunning sneak attack.

Bologue swung his blade forcefully, the source of all the silver threads, and with the swing of the blade, all threads were pulled up. The shattered and sharp fragments swirled into a metallic storm, like countless striking Whip Blades, completely engulfing Hood.

Hood’s roar is extremely lethal, but it also has weaknesses, unable to fully envelope himself like Fast’s Shadowless Barrier, to withstand attacks from all directions.

However, the opponent is a Negative Power User after all, and Bologue doesn’t believe this strike will kill, or even harm him. Bologue has always been testing the opponent.

The battle between Condensers is also a battle of information disparity. As long as he gathers enough intelligence in this Time Reversal, he will be able to prepare in advance for the next Time Reversal.

Countless shards filled the sky, reflecting Hood’s face like countless mirrors. He opened his mouth, like a dragon breathing flames, with light patterns constantly undulating in his throat.

As the Ether prepared to roar, thick roots rose from the ground, surrounding Hood and blocking Bologue’s Whip Blade.

In another corner of the battlefield, Gold struggled to raise his hand. Luckily, he survived and couldn’t continue fighting for now, but he could still provide some assistance.

Sharp metal pierced into the roots, followed by a roar from the front.

Bologue heard a loud noise and then lost his hearing again. A maddening pain echoed in his mind, after which he saw himself rapidly falling back, his vision plunged into chaos, and then he crashed heavily into the cliff.

The whole body felt like being trapped under a hydraulic press, crushed evenly by violent Ether over every inch, and Bologue lay among the rubble, his vision veiled with a layer of crimson.

Hood gazed at Bologue with a heavy look. Just a few exchanges, and Bologue had already brought too many surprises; what troubled him the most was Bologue’s Undying Body.

As long as Bologue got a chance to catch his breath, he could rise again, like an unfading specter.

"Damn it..."

Bologue coughed up a large amount of blood, casting a glance at Gold, thinking he should have killed this guy first.

This arrogant fellow never regarded Bologue, a Condenser, from the start, hence Bologue’s fake death assassination was so effective. But once he became alert, Bologue would face a fully empowered Prayer Believer.

Fortunately, everything can start over; Bologue will have the chance to kill Gold again.

"Undead, huh? Seems pretty valuable,"

Hood murmured, wondering now if he could capture Bologue; the Shadow King would enjoy such surprises.

But at this moment, a strange sensation came from his hand, and Hood turned, seeing Aimou slowly raising her head.

She had only half of her body and one arm left, appearing dead and unresponsive in the previous conflict.

But Bologue knew that Aimou was aware of his arrival; she could sense his Ether reaction.

Under Hood’s gaze, Aimou’s broken body suddenly became illusory. The silent earring on her earlobe released unimaginable power at that moment.

Aimou’s figure fell into absolute illusion. Hood felt he touched a pile of unretainable sand, and thus she vanished from his hand.

Ether converged at the other end of the battlefield, and then Aimou’s figure transformed from illusion to solid. Relying on the earring’s power, she made a short-range traverse.

"A futile struggle, huh!"

Hood understood the priority of the target, so he rushed directly towards Aimou. But now Aimou had increased the distance, her actions unimpeded.

Facing the assault from the Negative Power User, Aimou had no capacity for resistance. Amidst roaring sounds, her figure teetered, most of her sensory functions crippled, but as Bologue anticipated, Aimou could sense Bologue’s Ether reaction.

Bologue arrived, though Aimou couldn’t see, she knew he was there.

Aimou didn’t want to meet Bologue under such circumstances, nor did she want Bologue to witness what was coming. But Aimou knew if she didn’t act now, it’d be too late.

She raised her broken arm and fiercely struck her chest, smashing the translucent, luminous tumor.

From that light, an eerie impact arose and released; each person’s figure was forcibly stagnated, and then Bologue saw it.

The familiar scorching white light erupted from Aimou’s chest, rapidly expanding within moments, engulfing everything around—from the Great Rift, it soared up, swept like a storm, completely enveloping Oubos.

When the dazzling light dissipated, Bologue was no longer in the Great Rift but had returned to the familiar bar counter, with Serey still looking like death, and in front of him was his heartfelt breakfast and a cup of orange juice.

The third Time Reversal was over.

The fourth Time Reversal begins.