🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 211
“The magical tracking has been lost. Fortunately, it seems they haven’t discovered this location.”
“Seriously, Jet, we can’t let our guard down. Did you prepare any pursuit items or something?”
A subordinate gave a respectful report.
Tsk.
Onma clicked his tongue lightly.
Although Chairman Peng had given repeated instructions, dealing with Lee Hyun was proving extremely tricky.
“How much damage have we sustained so far?”
“Uh, well…”
“Just tell me.”
“According to the current tally, two bombers were destroyed, twelve armored vehicles, several small tanks, and…”
As the list continued, even Onma, who rarely showed emotion, let out a hollow laugh.
“…As a result, the operational capability across this region has been paralyzed. The estimated short-term losses amount to roughly this much.”
When the subordinate cautiously presented the report, Onma furrowed his brow instinctively.
The figure was astronomical.
In the billions.
In dollars ($).
And that didn’t even include projected future damages.
“…If we don’t catch him now, the losses will be massive.”
Perhaps stopping the pursuit here might actually minimize losses. For a normal company, that would be a reasonable decision.
But Sama Corp was no ordinary company—it was a warlord organization.
“If we give up on him here, we’ll end up with neither victory nor profit.”
One could never relinquish the advantage once gained. If a goal was set, it must be seized at all costs.
Any sign of weakness would mean being torn apart by the pack of predators along this front.
Moreover,
“The secret of the <Journey to the West> myth that Jet may possess… if fully obtained, it could reverse all losses.”
Then,
a dream army—one that all guilds and factions would covet—could be born.
An army of immortals.
With only one step left to achieve an army of undying troops.
“The research we’ve conducted using the Seven Great Stars has already yielded tremendous results, especially the data obtained from King Sata.”
Onma briefly imagined King Sata wandering around the Palmyra ruins like a sleepwalker, then shook his head to return to reality.
“Where are they heading?”
“From what we confirmed with multiple drones, most are moving west, gathering scattered troops. Anwei and Su Weiyingqi are carefully pursuing them.”
Onma nodded.
Anwei was one of the high-ranking members who had joined Sama Corp.
Although not counted among the Four Demons, his skills were unquestionable.
Moreover, Su Weiyingqi, the “Cavalry that Chases Shadows,” lived up to its name. They wouldn’t recklessly pursue like Hashad and risk annihilation.
“West, huh… the ruins area? They’re gambling. Hiding right under our noses to avoid pursuit?”
The strategy was obvious, but effective.
No faction would dare provoke King Sata right now.
But,
“They’re walking toward their own deaths, unaware of King Sata’s situation, I suppose.”
Onma had a hidden card related to King Sata.
“Are the Babel Tower guys hiding in there?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Now that I think about it… isn’t there someone from Qinglei in Babel Tower as well? Recently gaining recognition as a Saintess, if I recall.”
Onma’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“And Astra Base will have detected them too, so they’ll try to dispatch reinforcements… This could make for an interesting scenario.”
King Sata, Jet, White Burn, Astra, Babel Tower, and Sama Corp.
Onma paused his muttering and gave orders.
“Tell Anwei: Do not overextend. Maintain distance and continue surveillance for now.”
“Order acknowledged.”
Watching his subordinate leave, Onma murmured quietly.
“King Sata, King Sata…”
His gaze then fell on a long glass flask containing turquoise reagent.
A miraculous elixir Peng Jinghao had devoted his life to creating since the Central Hero Committee.
The reflection of Onma’s face on the liquid smiled coldly.
“Not much longer now. The day of achieving immortality and undying power…”
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun and Eom Gi-seon had an unexpected encounter while heading to the ruins.
“Team Leader Kang! You’re here! Thank goodness you’re safe.”
“How did you end up here…?”
It was Kang Yoon-su, the team leader of X Team.
Unlike Z Team, X Team had gathered a sizable number of members.
“I see. I wondered what happened when the bomber suddenly exploded. Turns out it was your doing, Team Leader Jang.”
Kang Yoon-su’s face, once filled with envy when he looked at Lee Hyun, now appeared haggard from the recent events.
Not only had the pursuit been intense, but several in his group were injured.
“He must have been busy protecting them, which also limited their movement,” Lee Hyun realized.
The fortunate thing was that most of the injuries were minor.
Although not everyone was so lucky.
“And Director Oh…”
Worry clouded Kang Yoon-su’s eyes.
“There was a cursed magician among the pursuit group. Unluckily, he was afflicted with a severe curse.”
“May I take a look?”
“You probably wouldn’t understand. We don’t know the curse type, and attempts to remove it have failed. We must hurry back to find a healer or exorcist.”
Director Oh Young-geol’s injury was partly Kang Yoon-su’s responsibility. While he had stepped away to handle the pursuers, another squad attacked his group.
Lee Hyun carefully examined Director Oh’s condition.
Kang Yoon-su felt immense gratitude and also deep remorse for his previous behavior.
“No need to examine so closely. Even if the lightning attribute has strong anti-demonic properties, without finding the cause, the curse might spread to you,”
“It’s finished.”
“…Huh?”
Kang Yoon-su was stunned.
“Finished? The treatment is done?” Lee Hyun smiled.
“It was embedded deep in the bone marrow, but once I found the source, it was easy to remove.”
Kang Yoon-su’s eyes widened.
“Team Leader! Director… he’s awake! The curse is gone!”
The X Team erupted with excitement. The foul aura around Director Oh was completely gone.
Moreover, each injured member Lee Hyun examined recovered significantly as the curse dissipated.
“Do you… have knowledge of curses as well?” Kang Yoon-su asked in awe.
“Not particularly. I just learned how to handle the lightning attribute more broadly, and these techniques helped,” Lee Hyun replied.
“This is… considered poor skill?” Kang Yoon-su laughed in disbelief.
A spirited Sa Oh-jeong chimed in with commentary, and a small humorous exchange ensued, amusing everyone present.
Lee Hyun concluded,
“Even so, full recovery isn’t guaranteed. Once at the base, seek a healer or specialist immediately.”
Kang Yoon-su bowed deeply in gratitude and apologized sincerely for his earlier behavior.
“If you ever need help, just call. We’ll come running.”
“Thank you, truly.”
“The ruins are visible just below that hill!”
A scout returned with bright news.
Excitement lit up the faces of Kang Yoon-su and his team. Their first destination was finally in sight.
“I hope many team members have gathered.”
“They’ve been communicating via radio, so probably yes,” Lee Hyun observed.
They reached the hilltop as guided by the scout.
“…!”
“…!”
“There it is…! It’s even more magnificent than the photos.”
A vast ancient city sprawled across the red sands.
Rows of blazing red stone pillars. Half-ruined temples and buildings. Shadowed symbols standing tall as if welcoming new worshippers.
Even the cracked murals shimmered in the wind.
A city where the passage of time and divine mystery coexisted.
Suddenly…
Thud! Thud! Thud!
At the city’s edge, a colossal black giant moved slowly.
Each step sent tremors through the ridge where Lee Hyun’s group stood. The sheer spiritual pressure displaced clouds above and whipped sandstorms below.
“…U.C.O. That’s it. The scale is beyond what we saw on screen.”
As Kang Yoon-su lowered his telescope and muttered,
“It’s our turn now, right?”
Sun Wukong appeared above Lee Hyun, smirking. Sa Oh-jeong and Bongmawang hovered on his shoulders, and the small-form Kyoma King floated in front.
*”All SD characters, huh…” Lee Hyun thought.
Excluding Wu Yongwang (recovering) and Zhu Bajie (at Astra HQ), essentially everyone had gathered.
Kyoma King’s eyes gleamed with desire at the sight of King Sata.
“Let’s go.”
With a flash, Sun Wukong leaped forward, the other demon kings following in streaks of light toward King Sata.
“Then we…!”
Lee Hyun turned to his team.
Suddenly, a scream came from the ruins.
Static crackled through their communication device.
“You have injured team members; follow slowly,” came a voice.
Everyone rushed toward their respective missions. Sun Wukong’s group to save King Sata, Lee Hyun’s team to rescue their companions.
Each moved for the sake of their allies.
