Chapter 253: Looking Out for Zich [2]
If Kane truly was trapped somewhere inside Myriad Beast Mountain, in an area disconnected from the main spatial network, then continuing their standoff with the Voss family here would only waste the most precious time they had to rescue him.
The man in dark gold armor, whose name was Gavin Locke, slowly loosened his clenched fists.
He did not trust the Voss family.
He trusted the words Walter had just spoken even less.
However, while Kane’s fate remained uncertain, he could not keep the entire strength of the Locke family’s First Layer branch here simply because they suspected Zich.
If Kane was still alive, every minute they wasted would further reduce his chances of being rescued.
Gavin turned toward the person responsible for controlling the fleet.
"Divide the thirteen warships into four teams and search the outskirts of Myriad Beast Mountain from different directions."
The orders rapidly spread throughout every Locke family warship.
The players who had already prepared for battle began changing positions.
All the cannons mounted outside the thirteen warships closed, while the golden energy chains connecting the ships gradually faded.
The golden lion phantom that had hovered above the fleet had already been forcibly shattered by the silver vertical pupil. Only a cloud of golden motes remained, slowly drifting beneath the clouds before fading away.
Gavin looked back at the Voss family’s three warships.
"The Locke family will lift the blockade around Myriad Beast Mountain, and we will no longer interfere with the Voss family retrieving its people, so you can dispel the mental domain."
The Voss representative who went by the name Walter Voss did not do as ordered immediately.
He first glanced at the Locke family’s completely deactivated weapon systems, then used his mental power to inspect the energy flow within all thirteen warships.
Only after confirming that the other side was not secretly recharging its main cannons did he slowly raise his right hand.
The silver vertical pupil in the sky gradually closed.
The mental pressure enveloping the entire area began to recede.
Inside the Locke family’s warships, the energy circuits that had been forcibly locked began operating again, while the red warnings covering the spatial jump devices gradually disappeared.
Even so, not a single Locke family warship dared to reactivate its attack systems immediately.
Everything that had just happened had already proven one thing clearly.
The moment that silver vertical pupil opened again, they would still lose control of their fleet within an extremely short time.
The gap between the two sides was not something that could be overcome through numbers alone.
Gavin spoke in a deep voice.
"The Locke family will continue searching for Young Master Kane, but we will also send ordinary members to the First Shelter to question Zich. I hope the Voss family will not interfere again."
"As long as you truly intend to do nothing more than ask him questions, I will not stop you," Walter said calmly.
A trace of anger flashed through Gavin’s eyes.
"I still don’t understand why you are so hellbent on protecting a nobody like him," Gavin said.
"The Voss family does not need to explain itself to you," Walter replied with a small smile. "Perhaps if the Locke family established itself in the Third Layer, then we would have this conversation."
Gavin clenched his fists again.
In the end, however, he did not continue questioning the Voss family.
Their earlier confrontation had already proven that the Voss family possessed the strength required to say such words.
The Locke family could refuse to accept that answer.
But they could not change the outcome.
"Fleet, move out." He turned and issued the command.
The thirteen golden warships slowly separated and began to depart one after another.
Soon, the golden lion banners gradually disappeared into the distance.
Only after confirming that all thirteen Locke family warships had left did the eight Silver Eyed Guards withdraw their power simultaneously.
The sword wielding phantoms floating behind the three silver warships slowly dissipated.
A member of the Voss family approached Walter.
"Can they really find Kane Locke?"
"No," Walter answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Kane is already dead."
The family member’s eyes trembled slightly.
Walter lowered his gaze toward the silver crystal in his hand.
The complete report Nadia had sent back to the family contained an extremely detailed account of what had happened at the third ancient beast altar.
Zich had killed Kane during the final competition and had even attempted to do the same to her, but she had escaped.
Walter had just told the Locke family that Kane remained alive after losing to Zich and had been transported away from the final area by another spatial force.
From beginning to end, the entire story had been a lie.
He had not revealed that Kane was already dead.
Nor had he told the Locke family that the person who killed Kane was Zich, the very person they wanted to investigate.
If the Locke family had immediately confirmed Kane’s death, they would never have devoted all their forces to searching Myriad Beast Mountain.
The most likely choice for those thirteen warships would have been to fly directly toward the First Shelter and forcibly take away Zich, who had already returned.
Even though large scale battles were prohibited within the First Shelter, the Locke family’s accumulated influence on the First Layer would still allow them to mobilize large numbers of members to monitor Zich, seal every possible escape route, and even seek an opportunity to subject him to mental interrogation.
The Voss family could not allow that to happen.
At least, not before Zich explicitly rejected their recruitment.
They would not allow the Locke family to turn a sixteen year old champion with an SSS class summoning profession into an enemy, or destroy him before he could leave the First Layer.
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