Chapter 348: Attacking The Claymore Facility! A Mysterious Soldier Appears

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They continued downward until Vladimir finally broke the silence.

"Are you sure about this? We don’t need to conquer three dungeons at the same time... Even for me, this is insane!"

"No, it’s fine. We need to show them. We need to tell Claymore, no, everyone... that we’re serious about this," Riven replied. He did not slow down, even as the staircase shook from distant explosions occurring elsewhere. His other bodies and allies were already moving through their assigned dungeons, and there was no turning back now.

"..."

Vladimir shook his head, clearly unconvinced, but then smiled and flexed his remaining hand. "Fine... It better be fun."

Once they reached the second and final floor of the dungeon, an immense wasteland stretched before them. The evil forest was mostly gone, replaced by contaminated mana pools and fields of crystallized miasma. Broken pipes and buried metal structures protruded from the dead soil, revealing that someone had transformed this part of the dungeon into an industrial facility. Farther ahead, a tall reactor released pulses of green and violet light into the dark ceiling.

Mutated imps with huge, muscular arms and horrible, tentacled Treants roamed here and there. Riven ignored them. They were already too pitiful for him to bother killing, and there was a much bigger fish to fry either way.

"A Spirit Reactor... So this is where they’ve been storing such a massive deposit of spirit stones!" Vladimir said, staring at the tower and the streams of energy running into it.

"Indeed. It’s much more heavily guarded than it could have been before," Riven said. "There are robots stationed here and there... Cagliostro, can you detect any powerful, high-ranking presence?"

"There’s an A-Rank presence inside, nearing S-Rank," she said. "I cannot properly identify them from here... Their aura is faint, as though something is suppressing or concealing it. However, it is definitely coming from within the reactor."

"Hmph, so they did leave a bodyguard behind," said Vladimir, narrowing his eyes at the distant facility. "Can we handle it?"

"Easily." Riven nodded, pointing Cagliostro at the tower. Holy light gathered around the spearhead, growing brighter with every passing second. "Let’s begin without delay."

RUMBLE!

BOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!

Cagliostro released a concentrated beam that pierced the Communication Tower and destroyed it instantly. The attack continued into the Spirit Reactor behind it, tearing through its protective shell before the entire structure exploded. Spirit energy erupted upward like a mushroom-shaped cloud, illuminating the whole wasteland in green and violet light. The shockwave flattened nearby buildings and sent broken machinery flying in every direction.

Yeah, this time, Riven had no intention of dealing with Willheim appearing there again. He destroyed the entire place from afar for good measure, leaving the enemy no time to activate another device or prepare an escape route. If Willheim had hidden another body inside the facility, it would have to survive being buried beneath the wreckage first.

The barriers surrounding the facility were easily pierced by the polearm’s power. Several chain explosions followed, spreading through the connected towers, pipelines, and underground chambers. Warning sirens began screaming as mass panic consumed the entire facility. Soldiers ran between collapsing structures, while defensive machines activated one after another and searched for the attackers.

Meanwhile, Riven used his shadow as an avatar and moved into the territory alongside Vladimir. They ignored the guards panicking outside and slipped through the smoke before the defensive formation could completely surround them. Riven’s shadow stretched across the broken ground, passing beneath fallen walls and burning vehicles as he searched for the powerful presence Cagliostro had detected.

Even so, soldiers and giant Magitech mechs soon surrounded them, firing missiles and gunfire in every direction. Bullets tore through the smoke, while missiles descended from above and exploded across the ruined pathways. More units emerged from underground hangars, blocking every visible route toward the reactor.

Vladimir and Riven made quick work of them. They blurred forward and unleashed devastating attacks, cleaving through machines and soldiers without slowing down. Vladimir ripped through a mech with his claws and hurled its burning remains into another squad, while Riven’s shadow blades swept across the battlefield and cut apart every weapon aimed at them. Within moments, the forces blocking their path had been reduced to wreckage.

"So, where is it?" Riven asked, scanning the ruins while Cagliostro’s light flickered toward the reactor.

"There!" Vladimir shouted, suddenly sensing something descending above them.

CRAAASH!

Out of nowhere, a streak of blue light descended and struck the ground between them. The impact blew away the smoke and shattered the surrounding metal platforms, forcing Vladimir to leap back. However, the newcomer did not appear to belong to any special family or powerful lineage. At first glance, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary soldier...

Or so it seemed. The energy spreading from his body was far too controlled, and despite standing within the burning ruins, there was not a single trace of fear on his face.

"Who is that?!" Vladimir asked, raising his claws as the dust cleared.

"No idea. That’s... a Claymore Soldier," said Riven. The uniform and insignia were unmistakable, but something about the man’s aura made his shadow recoil. "Or... wait..."

The soldier had long silver-white hair streaked with black and a tall, slender yet muscular build. He stood around two and a half meters tall, wearing a full, skin-tight Magitech Suit reinforced around his arms, legs, and spine. A pair of long katanas rested in his hands, their blades gleaming with concentrated laser light. Several tubes connected the suit to the back of his neck, pulsing with different colors as energy circulated through his body.

"Terrorists," the soldier said, raising both katanas as his eyes focused on them. "I shall eliminate you in the name of Claymore."

He spoke in a robotic tone before blurring away. In the next instant, he appeared behind Vladimir, swinging both swords with all his strength. There had been no warning, and not even Riven’s shadow had noticed him moving.

"Ugh?!"

CLAAAASH!

RUMBLE!

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