Endless Debt

The three exchanged glances, and even Palmer, despite his usual slowness, could guess most of what might happen.

Thinking of this, Palmer seemed to enter a state where his panicked expression disappeared, replaced by a resolute look with a glimmer in his eyes.

"Someone’s here," Palmer suddenly said.

Bologue and Olivia sensed the surrounding environment together but found no sign of anyone approaching. Then Bologue realized it wasn’t that they couldn’t detect it, but that Palmer could sense further.

Has he further refined Ethereal Perception? Bologue thought that Palmer, being so lazy, wouldn’t voluntarily train, leaving only one possibility.

Palmer’s Secret Energy after transformation.

It was then that Bologue realized that since Palmer ascended to become a Negative Power User, although they’ve had skirmishes, he hasn’t seen Palmer’s full strength.

"I can hear... the weak footsteps stirring the flow of air; a squad is passing by..."

Palmer closed his eyes, from the cracks of his eyelids pure points of light overflowed, like flickering frost hanging on his eyelashes.

Olivia actively reinforced the shadow curtain, reaching the Extreme Realm Ethereal Concealment to completely cut off the ether reaction of the three, making their existence approach "non-existence."

"Can you distinguish what they’re saying?" Bologue asked softly, trying not to disturb Palmer’s discernment.

"I’m trying."

Palmer tried to perceive the air currents gradually falling into chaotic changes, which pass through the throat, vibrate the vocal cords, and quickly propagate through the air...

Monitoring the frequency of air current disturbances to replicate what the other side said sounds somewhat fantastical, but for the Clarks, it’s not really an issue.

This Wind Source Clan has spent hundreds of years exploring every possibility of this single Secret Energy.

Just like in recent years, the Clarks have been researching the feasibility of wind power generation, filling the land with large wind turbines for this purpose.

When Bologue first arrived there, he was incredibly shocked. The towering wind turbines resembled towering giants, slowly rotating huge fans, with threads of air flow like their deep breaths, gathering together to form a storm.

Just as Bologue was immersed in such a marvelous mood, Palmer said something even more shocking, "According to the family’s instructions, every clansman must go up and command the wind for a few circles, and performance is evaluated based on power generation... You’re also from the Commanding School, want to go up and control it for a couple of circles?"

In an instant, the scene of perfect amalgamation of man and nature became a line operation visible in a factory.

Back then, Bologue didn’t have a deep sense or cognition, but looking back now, Bologue feels that is how society should be after Condensers take the lead.

"I’ve heard it."

Palmer’s voice interrupted Bologue’s thoughts.

Bologue remained silent, just placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, silently drawing Wraith Bite.

Palmer kept his eyes tightly shut; in the absolutely dark world countless thin lines of light gradually appeared, merging like lines depicting wind in a sketch.

As the Secret Energy gradually unfolded, Palmer saw more and more lines, dense like schools of fish swimming everywhere.

In this Secret Energy perception view, besides darkness, only these wind lines could be seen by Palmer, but through the flow and change of the wind, like sonar echoes, the wind lines outlined the building’s silhouette in the dark, and also depicted those people moving against the wind.

Not enough, far from enough.

Palmer further released his Secret Energy, like an unrestrained volcano, his ether became restless, nearing a wider range until Palmer observed a large crowd, and among the crowd, he heard.

"Chasing... Bologue..."

Palmer spied on those wind lines, translating their original words from their changes, although this transfer process inevitably incurred information loss, making his words scattered, but it was already enough.

"Nesanel... start a war..."

Upon hearing Palmer’s words, Bologue’s expression instantly turned serious, and recalling the Aurora Path withdrawn to the Supreme Hub, many things became clearer.

Palmer furrowed his brow, sweat dripped down his forehead; he needed to get closer. In the dark vista, as Secret Energy was unleashed, wind lines became clearer until power was fully unleashed.

Secret Energy·Wind’s Breath.

Palmer heard, thousands of air currents stirred disturbances in the mortal world, emitting a series of complex sounds.

People’s hurried breathing, the light sound of fingertips rubbing triggers, the clang of metal against metal, the muffled thuds of feet on the ground, and the hidden sinister whispers...

All sounds propagate through the air as a medium, thus, all disturbances in the air currents are monitored by Palmer.

"Transfer the blood people, don’t let the clients wait too long."

Palmer instinctively said the words described by wind lines, and simultaneously the wind lines he spied twisted and changed, like a storm rising instantaneously, driving all lines within his vision to twist and collapse towards it.

As Palmer opened his eyes, panting heavily, no words from Palmer were needed; everyone felt the rapidly approaching ether reaction.

"I’ve been discovered!" Palmer gasped breath, exclaiming.

"I know!"

Bologue no longer concealed his figure, unabashedly releasing ether, conjuring invisible giant hands grabbing surrounding buildings. After brief standoff, Bologue’s ether successfully infiltrated into the substance, commencing command and summoning.

The building’s surface began to collapse and shatter, scattered bricks overlapped, the ground became uneven, and huge walls rose like city walls, blocking the ether reaction’s charging path.

Since ascending to a High Tier Condenser, Bologue rarely used such large-scale commanding for defense, but this time the attacking ether reaction was a Seeker of Glory.

"Olivia, hide inside!"

Bologue shouted, and the ground beneath began to crumble, boring deep pits into the building, as Bologue led others swiftly diving in.

"You can’t be exposed yet!"

Olivia is Bologue’s trump card, but it’s not time to play it yet; the All Secrets Order pertains to the Night Race. Based on Bologue’s understanding of the Night Race, now Olivia is far more tempting to them than the All Secrets Order.

After all, she is someone the Regent King has yearned for.

If Olivia is exposed, even those Night Race who temporarily seek not to engage may abandon current goals, swarming toward her, possibly even... the Regent King might descend here.

Bologue hasn’t prepared for open war with everyone, at least not now.

Olivia didn’t refute, disappearing directly into Bologue’s shadow; she didn’t completely give up resistance, instead continued manipulating shadows, assisting Bologue in battle.

As Bologue’s shadow appeared to have life and form, extending black blades, effortlessly smashing falling debris, and swiftly retracting, leaving no anomaly.

Bologue looked up, the power of the Seeker of Glory had arrived, yet the visitor was not the Seeker of Glory’s entity but a plunging ether blade piercing through all matter, falling like a meteor.

"Get away from me!"

Bologue roared, swinging Wraith Bite. Although its sword body couldn’t hit the rapidly approaching ether blade, with Bologue’s swing, all surrounding matter trembled and became frenzied.

Secret Energy·Summoning Country.

Twisted steel bars, shattered bricks, fallen pillars, collapsed ground, delicate dust... All matter within Bologue’s domain listened to his commands at this moment, converging along Bologue’s sword trajectory, forming a massive blade.

Like a giant wielding an open mountain giant sword, slow yet resolute.