Chapter 317 - 312: Going to War

Chapter 317: Chapter 312: Going to War

"Jilian!!"

Everyone from the Super Research Department was horrified.

They were all too familiar with that name. The two Evolvers who had almost been affected last night had mentioned it, and Luna had also mentioned it while she was in her chaotic state.

However, the information Luna revealed through her words, though frantic, was more coherent. It indicated she was under some influence, and her words included "corpse," as well as other phrases like "terrifying," "no," and "don’t want to die."

They didn’t know what the word meant because it was unlike any known language. The way the affected individuals pronounced it sounded more like a combination of strange tones.

Kodell looked at the Dawn Sage, whose face was obscured, but he could feel the Sage’s gaze on him.

Ever since discovering the existence of the Dawn Association, whether through sifting through heavily adulterated and chaotic historical records or from their contact with Dawn Members, it was clear just how important the Dawn Sage was.

It wasn’t just Dawn; many people in the relevant organizations of the World Alliance would add "Master" after "Sage" when referring to him, as a sign of respect.

Under most circumstances, the Dawn Sage almost never appeared in person. Or rather, the current situation had not yet reached a point where his presence was required.

Since he had come personally, you didn’t need to be a genius to know this was no simple matter. And from the Dawn Sage’s words, it seemed "Jilian" was the name of some entity.

He was about to ask something, but the Dawn Sage’s voice rang out again.

"Mr. Kodell, as a show of respect, I will first extend my goodwill to you. I also thank you for helping us guard the seal for the past six months. Given our shortage of manpower, that time has been invaluable to us."

Kodell was smiling, but inwardly, he was quite frustrated.

Dawn must have known the truth about the Death Illusion Barrier long ago, but they hadn’t told them, letting them act as unpaid watchmen for six months.

However, this was something the people of the World Alliance countries could understand. Dawn had a natural distrust of those in power, a fact easily gleaned from history.

Within the limited historical materials, a significant portion consisted of documents slandering Dawn. This, combined with the murals discovered in succession at various Dawn ruins—depicting members being cruelly executed as Witches and heretics—elicited a shared sense of admiration and sympathy from all people of conscience in the World Alliance.

Of course, the higher-ups, as people in power, and some historians could often understand the thinking of ancient rulers by referencing periods of historical authoritarianism, but that didn’t stop everyone from feeling indignant.

Even villains watching TV might hate the bad guys in a show; how much more so for clear-headed people like them.

Besides, on second thought, improving their relationship with Dawn was the best reward they could ask for.

"However, for what comes next, you had best tell your subordinates not to get too agitated."

"Uh... Master Sage, what do you mean?"

Meanwhile, at a temporary sentry post on the outer perimeter of the camp, two Soldiers were on high alert, watching the blockade line from above and observing the other Soldiers stationed there in the distance.

One of them had just torn open a pack of gum when he happened to glance behind the post. He immediately dropped the gum by reflex and raised his rifle, on guard.

Elsewhere, a Super Research Department Evolver was focused on guarding the exclusion zone, but he suddenly sensed something, his breathing quickening as he spun around.

At the sentry posts, the blockade line, the fire support points, and the various observation zones—all within the circular perimeter of the Death Illusion Barrier’s blockade—the defending Soldiers and Super Research Department agents, both regular humans and Evolvers, began to notice the change behind them one after another.

A heavy, oppressive feeling descended, one that even ordinary Soldiers could clearly feel moments later.

One, two, three...

Within their line of sight, a number of special individuals gradually appeared. Their steps were steady and slow, yet each stride covered a considerable distance as they steadily drew closer.

They were all tall and imposing, their expressions stern. They seemed to ignore the surrounding sounds of rifle bolts being pulled and shouted commands, advancing with their gazes fixed intently on the exclusion zone.

Some were dressed in tight-fitting gray clothes like ancient Rangers; some wore metal armor while others were simply in casual clothes or formal suits. Some came empty-handed, while others dragged enormous weapons behind them.

Their skin tones varied, but their features were indistinct. They were not particularly close to one another, yet they seemed to fill all the space between them.

Something often only seen in works of fiction, a thing called "aura," now pressed down on everyone’s hearts with undeniable reality.

"Are these... people from the Dawn Association?"

Many of those in the know, not without a sense of shock, either muttered to themselves or reassured those around them.

A moment later, the belated "friendly forces" signal came over the comms, ordering everyone to hold their fire.

Below the sentry post, a passing Silent Knight candidate shouldered a heavy warhammer, a bizarre, oversized gun hanging at his waist. For most people, this was their first time observing these legendary figures up close.

They were completely different from the Evolvers of the Super Research Department. Or rather, those Evolvers weren’t even in the same league as them.

White mist billowed around them, and the cold, early spring air warmed noticeably in their presence. Just from their steady march forward, you could almost feel the weight of their footsteps.

...

Kodell listened to the feedback coming from all locations, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"Master Sage, how many people did Dawn send? And what exactly is Jilian?"

This was a question everyone present was desperate to know the answer to.

Hearing this, the Sage didn’t answer directly. Instead, he gazed toward the Death Maze Zone’s blockade line, as if he could see each and every one of his imposing members from afar.

He looked at Kodell, then swept his gaze over the observers from the various World Alliance nations.

"Otherworldly Ancient Demon Jilian. An ancient being from the desolate past that inflicted devastating losses on Dawn at the height of its power thousands of years ago. A terrifying nightmare that transcends legend. Even among the Demons of the Outer World, very few have ever heard of it."

"The Dark Tide is approaching, and as expected, the power of the ancient seal has grown dangerously weak... Even though we have long been prepared for this, we must still proceed with caution. If the presence of three hundred of our members has disturbed you, I offer my apologies."

These words, coming from the Dawn Sage, carried immense weight. While adding to the pressure, they also revealed several important pieces of information.

The Death Maze Zone was actually the place where Dawn had sealed a terrifying Demon in the past, and Jilian was its name.

"Three hundred people?"

Du Peipei, one of the observers from Hua Country, couldn’t help but exclaim in a low voice. During the Battle of Kyoto, Dawn had only dispatched a little over seventy people, and that was to provide support for the entire city.

But this was just a cordon around a small village, yet they had mobilized three hundred members at once. The Sage himself was even present, and it was unknown how many powerful Magic Controllers were among them. It was clear just how dangerous this place was.

The reactions of those around her were much the same.

Intelligence from De Yi Country indicated that two Dawn Members, acting in haste, possessed what was described as "Dragon Slaying Power." This gave a glimpse into the individual combat prowess of a Dawn Member, and those were likely just ordinary members.

For the Dawn Sage to admit that it had inflicted devastating losses on Dawn at its peak, and that they could only end the conflict by sealing it away, the horror of the thing inside was likely beyond the imagination of any ordinary person.

An agent from the Super Research Department took a deep breath.

"What if we launch a direct tactical nuclear strike?"

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoxia’s brow twitched. ’Can we please not jump to saying such scary things?’

He answered in a slightly humorous manner.

"There were no nuclear bombs thousands of years ago, so I can’t answer that question. However, I hope you will only consider that option after we have failed. And I would prefer that humanity never has the chance to test it."

Then, for the first time, he revealed a faint smile.

"Rest assured, even if our power is far less than it was back then, Jilian is in an even worse state."

No one would resort to a nuclear strike unless it was the absolute last resort, so the agent had only asked out of nervousness. And while the Dawn Sage’s joke didn’t make everyone laugh, given the gravity of the situation, it did succeed in easing the tension in the air.

Having said so much, Qin Xiaoxia didn’t intend to drag it on any further. It was time to get down to business.

"Now then, Mr. Kodell, I hope your people can pull back farther, at least far away from our blockade line, to prevent them from being affected by Jilian’s leaking power."

After saying this, Qin Xiaoxia and Su Su vanished from everyone’s sight.

It took Kodell a moment to react, realizing they must have gone to the front line. He immediately issued the order to fall back, telling the defending Soldiers to maintain a distance of at least one kilometer from the Dawn members.

In less than two minutes, Qin Xiaoxia and Su Su arrived just inside the blockade line, where all the Dawn Members were preparing in silence.

Even for those within the Association, this was the first time they had encountered a situation of this magnitude, so everyone was actually quite tense.

An "Ancient Species" was a terrifying Demon beyond imagination. Even knowing the inside story, Qin Xiaoxia had still brought more than enough people. While it served to build up the atmosphere and show off a little, it was also because he was afraid that some troublesome things might leak out.

PS: Second Chapter for Saturday.

It’s the 30th, the Chapter burst event is starting.