Chapter 496 - Departure and Plans
Since the eting ti was approaching, Xio finished her breakfast and returned to the military port to join Princess Vera and the elite mbers of the Loen Military Intelligence 9th Division.
Ebner, on the other hand, returned to the underground wine cellar of the Wall family. First, he conducted a simple communication with "Vice Admiral Iceberg" using the "Roselle Séance Technique." Then, after waiting for about ten minutes, a fla-bordered portal appeared on the "transportation altar," and Edwina's figure erged.
"I've already made arrangents aboard the Golden Dream. We can set off now," Edwina said calmly, dressed in her intricate shirt and dark trousers.
Ebner didn't respond imdiately but instead described in detail the series of actions taken by the military and the "Rose School of Thought" that he had learned about.
Although "Vice Admiral Iceberg" had promised to help him hunt the "Finks Lion," the current situation had changed, and it was necessary to explain everything clearly to her.
Edwina listened quietly, took out a small mirror from her pocket, manipulated it for a mont, and then said thoughtfully, "Perhaps Maria's subordinates were able to spot the 'Finks Lion' back then because its lair had been disturbed."
"You an... the Loen military and the 'Rose School of Thought' might be targeting the original habitat of the 'Finks Lion'?
"Hmm, that does make sense... If that's the case, we should indeed follow behind the military convoy! After all, even if the lion was startled, it wouldn't have gone too far..."
Ebner suddenly understood her reasoning and couldn't help but feel a bit curious about the small mirror Edwina had taken out. Could it be the "prophecy" item bestowed by the God of Knowledge and Wisdom?
Edwina did not explain further. After putting the mirror away, she spoke with conviction: "Since I've promised to help you, I will not go back on my word... Besides, although there may be risks, I'm quite interested in the military's objective."
Lady, we're just going to hunt the 'Finks Lion,' but your curiosity could easily complicate matters...
Though he silently complained, Ebner sincerely expressed his gratitude to Edwina. He then dismantled the "transportation altar" and stored the materials in the resting chamber of the "Dream Labyrinth Tower."
Edwina assud he was using so "space" type mystical item. Although intrigued, she didn't ask further questions.
Once everything was ready, the two of them simultaneously activated their "invisibility" abilities and left the Wall family ho together.
It was worth noting that the head of the Wall family, Mr. Wall himself, had been conscripted by the military and was currently serving as a guide for Xio's team.
The two mid-sequence Beyonders of the Reader Pathway ascended through the spiral staircase, passing through Upper Lip District, Left Cheek District, Left Brow District... until they finally reached the Bald Plateau at the very top of Gulain City.
According to descriptions from Loen newspapers and travelogues, this location marked the boundary between civilization and barbarism, between prosperity and desolation. Beyond this plateau lay the forests of the wild South Continent, no longer part of the colonial city but the territory of native tribes.
—Although large numbers of native residents also lived in Gulain City, along with the chaotic and impoverished slums, the city as a whole still operated within the order established by the Loen colonial military.
Due to earlier delays, Ebner and Edwina lagged behind Xio's group by about an hour. However, they were not concerned. Instead, they waited for another ten minutes to ensure a safe distance before officially starting their journey.
...
In the fifth level of the "Dream Labyrinth Tower," within the Tingen scenario.
Klein arrived at the agreed location just in ti to see Sharon, holding up the hem of her Gothic-style dress, leaping and bounding across the rooftops with a speed that rivaled a steam locomotive.
This... compared to her mysterious appearances from mirrors, Sharon's current style is entirely out of character... Klein's mouth twitched slightly as he silently ridiculed the sight. A "Werewolf" and a refined young lady just don't go together...
When Sharon finally landed before him and resud her emotionless "doll" state, Klein asked, "Do you want to change into sothing more suitable?"
"Sothing easier for running and jumping, perhaps?"
"That's not necessary," Sharon replied with an unchanged expression. Then, her calm, blue eyes t Klein's as she added, "This is a dream."
A dream... are you implying that your appearance can be altered freely through so thod? Klein mused. I an, with the help of the Gray Fog, I could do it. But if you really had that ability, why were you still holding up your dress while running earlier?
Sharon seed to notice Klein's internal grumbling. She pursed her lips slightly and explained, "I'm not proficient yet."
Ah, that makes sense. Klein nodded in understanding. Letting go of these minor, irrelevant details, he began recounting his earlier experiences to Sharon. "Mr. Azik wasn't at Hoy University. According to the other professors, he left Tingen a few days ago."
"The Nighthawks received reports of ghostly activity. They'll arrive in an hour," Sharon shared her findings. After a brief pause, she added softly, "He's not an ordinary demigod."
Klein nodded in agreent with her judgnt. If Mr. Azik were just an ordinary demigod, this scenario wouldn't have excluded him... He either has a level of authority too high to simulate or possesses power that disrupts the balance!
Regardless of which was true, it ant Klein's idea of enlisting Mr. Azik's help had failed.
However, Klein wasn't disheartened. Before eting Sharon, he had revisited the events of Tingen through the Gray Fog, carefully reviewing the situation and performing multiple divinations. After so thought, and by combining his insights into the "Dream Labyrinth Tower's" apparent rules, he had co up with a new plan.
Klein carefully considered his words before speaking under Sharon's calm gaze, "From the previous levels we've experienced, and given the restrictions placed on our abilities, it's clear that this labyrinth isn't focused on testing our combat prowess. Instead, it examines our ability to gather information, analyze logic, and use intelligence to solve problems..."
...and our ability to cheat.
Of course, Klein kept the last thought to himself.
Sharon listened silently, nodding faintly to show she agreed with his assessnt.
"And I believe this level is no different... Although Linster rging with the Evil God's offspring seems overwhelmingly powerful and impossible to defeat, there must be tools or thods in this scenario designed to counter him!
"Linster hasn't attacked us or Captain Dunn right away, which suggests that the scenario has intentionally given us ti to break the deadlock."
"Scenes with high difficulty are still designed to be solvable, even if they seem dire. For example, in the previous level, despite the extre weather conditions we faced at the start, there was still a path to survival."
After listening to Klein's analysis of their predicant, Sharon remained quiet for a few seconds before speaking, "Ince... and '0-08'?"
"Exactly. I believe the key to solving this lies with '0-08.' Only by obtaining it can we rewrite the situation to our advantage. This also allows us to eliminate one enemy ahead of ti, preventing a two-front battle during the final confrontation."
Klein nodded as he organized his thoughts and continued, "Moreover, the '0-08' in this dream scenario doesn't truly possess the power of a Sequence 0 Sealed Artifact. It doesn't have a high enough level of authority; it's rely mimicking abilities within this dream. So, its writings only affect entities within this dream scenario. They can't influence us directly."
"And Linster, having chosen to rge with the Evil God's offspring, has beco a part of this dream. He is subject to its effects," Klein concluded.
"Are you sure?" Sharon's icy blue eyes locked onto Klein as she asked concisely.
"I'm sure," Klein replied firmly.
Before eting Sharon, Klein had tried divining Ince's location within the dream through the Gray Fog. To his surprise, the answer had co to him with remarkable clarity. He imdiately realized that the "0-08" in this scenario, as he had suspected, was rely a fabricated imitation without enough authority to disrupt his divination from the Gray Fog.
Only after confirming this through a series of divinations did Klein finalize the plan he just laid out.
(End of Chapter)
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