Apocalypse Lord-Chapter 66 - 64: Pilgrim’s Maze

Southern Territory border.

The thick blood-red fog has already obscured the sky and sun, and it’s slowly rolling and expanding every moment.

A cheetah is frantically fleeing, its tail flicking in panic, as the encroaching blood mist engulfs its habitat. It leaps to a high place and looks back, the predator’s eyes filled with fear.

Suddenly, it notices a gray rabbit jumping out from the depths of the blood fog.

The gray rabbit’s eyes are vacant, and its movements are noticeably sluggish.

The cheetah, long hungry during its escape, hesitates for a moment, instinctively lowers its stance, and creeps closer to the prey step by step.

An abrupt change emerges!

The rabbit’s head instantly splits into six parts, its expanding flesh swelling several times, with countless eyeballs and sharp teeth inside!

The predator’s wail is abruptly cut off, followed by the terrifying sound of bones and flesh being chewed to pieces.

"Tsk, that’s fucking disgusting..."

Hovering in mid-air, the Chaos Pirate comments.

Her black-scaled wings stir the air, Eleanor has already unfurled the black wings behind her.

She draws a revolver from her waist, loads a bullet into the cylinder, aims, and pulls the trigger.

Bang!

The ’rabbit’ explodes like a watermelon, its scattered flesh wriggling violently on the ground, then retreats to the depths of the blood fog, as if alive.

Eleanor’s face shows a hint of irritation.

Seagull Town is undoubtedly the haven for the Doragon people, but this sanctuary is about to sink, as the Abyss Disaster will soon destroy the entire island country.

Perhaps Lord Roland might have a solution?

The absurd thought flashes through Eleanor’s mind. She wipes her weapon clean, shaking her head.

People can avoid catastrophes, observe them, or even study them, but they can never confront them.

Any civilization that attempts to eliminate catastrophes eventually becomes part of them. The layers of ancient civilization ruins in the Gray Realm are the best examples.

Why bother asking for trouble?

The best way to deal with catastrophes is to leave them alone and let the sea handle them; after all, the ocean is vast and boundless, and sailors can always find new lands.

A faint discomfort continues to linger in Eleanor’s heart.

After leaving Lord Roland’s sphere of influence, the ’weight’ pressed down on her shoulders again, and this bone-linked scourge is truly detestable.

"Let’s hurry up and finish the job so we can go home..."

Eleanor mutters to herself, flapping her wings, as she suddenly senses something and sharply raises her gun towards the sky.

The next moment, a gray mask marked with intricate patterns flickers into existence out of thin air.

"Ah ha, look who it is?"

The Chaos Pirate grins, exposing sharp teeth: "Turns out it’s the Alliance’s mass-produced masked puppet!"

She pulls the trigger without hesitation!

In a bizarre twist, the space around the mask gently ripples, and the powerful bullet seems to vanish into thin air.

"I suggest you put away your hostility, Black-winged Calamity Master."

An emotionless voice rings in Eleanor’s ear: "Lord Roland has already accepted the cooperation letter issued by the Alliance, so our positions are currently aligned."

"Tch, who wants to stand with you emotionless puppets..."

Eleanor murmurs, holstering her revolver and replying irritably: "What do you want with me?"

"The diplomat is intent on doing everything possible to assist Lord Roland in expanding influence within the Lion Heart Kingdom."

The Secret Guard succinctly states: "But the current situation in the Lion Heart Kingdom is not optimistic, and we’re willing to share all our information about the form of the Celestial Calamity with Lord Roland."

"What a beautiful-sounding statement!"

Eleanor smirks, pointing out the coldest essence of the matter: "You mean the Alliance’s politicians are encouraging Roland to face the form of the Celestial Calamity head-on?"

She sneers: "Those cowards are really experts in meticulous planning!"

The Alliance’s upper echelons have always been like this.

Main island politicians always do their best to lure others into dangerous situations under the guise of solidarity and mutual benefit, while sitting securely in the safest spots, watching coldly.

Once their battered allies lose value, the only end is being kicked aside.

Eleanor’s vertical pupils flash with displeasure, but since Roland accepted the cooperation letter, it shows that both parties are merely using each other.

The Grey-clothed Secret Guard ignores the pirate leader’s irony and directly states the intelligence.

"Based on the information the diplomat gathered at the Royal Court, it’s suggested that Arthur, the founding king of the Lion Heart Kingdom, was most likely a member of the Alliance’s archaeology team two centuries ago."

She narrates in a cool tone: "Arthur was once a ’Platinum’-level sailor, and his last sailing record finally reached the depths of the ’Pilgrim’s Maze’, where the Golden Lion Archaeological Team got completely lost at sea."

Eleanor’s brow twitches.

Pilgrim’s Maze... That sea area is one of the Forbidden Routes recognized by both the Empire and the Alliance.

Every treasure produced from that maze bears indescribable curses and malice, thousands of voyagers rest eternally there, and even the Doragon people are reluctant to approach that route.

Although the Alliance is growing stronger, the Pilgrim’s Maze remains permanently sealed off by the Alliance officially.

No one wants to be foolish enough to pioneer a route with their life and blood.

The Secret Guard begins to narrate the horrifying truth.

"As the archaeological team delved deeper, the sailing record became fragmented and chaotic; the members seemed to fall into a kind of fervor, claiming they unearthed the World Core."

She states indifferently: "Under Arthur’s call, they tore off their flesh, pulled out their bones, loudly declaring their intent to offer everything to the Master of the Abyss, in turn to establish a Celestial Kingdom that shelters civilization."

"World Core? Master of the Abyss?"

These facts naturally don’t scare Eleanor; she asks with interest: "What exactly are those? Tell me more?"

"Arthur’s sailing record ends there."

The gray mask slightly shifts: "The then-administrators sealed off this document and enlisted the members of the Golden Lion Archaeological Team in the sacrificed list."

"Looking at it now, the sailor Arthur didn’t perish, and instead floated alone to this island and established a kingdom using the archaeological team’s name."

The Secret Guard pauses for a moment, then continues: "The diplomat speculates that the ’World Core’ in Arthur’s possession is most likely an immensely powerful piece among the Deep Sea Treasures, supposed to be placed by the Knights at the kingdom’s Western Border..."

"Alright, enough with the politicians’ bullshit speculations."

Eleanor cuts off the Secret Guard’s words forcefully, stating impatiently: "We can move forward without needing this manipulated carrot!"

She clear inside; despite having no benefits in facing the Celestial Calamity, Lord Roland wouldn’t abandon those people struggling in the wind and snow.

The Secret Guard gives no response.

"Any other information? If not, you can scram!"

In the face of the Alliance elite that the world respects and fears, Eleanor doesn’t hide the disdain in her vertical pupils.

The Secret Guard falls into prolonged silence.

The two parties stalemate in mid-air, and shortly after, that gray mask suddenly nears the Chaos Pirate.

"What do you intend to do?" Eleanor immediately grows alert.

"Eleanor, what I’m about to say is not on behalf of the entire Alliance’s will but rather a personal request..."

Only to hear the Secret Guard speak again, and this time, her voice surprisingly holds a rare emotional fluctuation.

"Since Lord Roland can unite the Doragon people, it signifies... he is..."

Within Eleanor’s sight, at this moment, the mask is crawling with grid-like vague symbols, akin to a broken screen, the Secret Guard’s voice becoming increasingly arduous.

"Please... help... the true... idealist..."