"It's all up to you, Leilus," Fridd said with a smile on his face.
Even though ten people surrounded him, he still had that smile on his face. As long as Leilus undo the sealing runes, it would be fine if he died.
He accepted it.
No, the warriors have accepted it.
Marcus and Drami were standing side by side. Around them, there were more than twenty people from the Red Matter Association.
"Do you think that Squad Leader already got the device to remove the sealing runes?" Drami asked her lover. Her condition wasn't good. She couldn't move her left arm as most of the muscles in this arm were ruptured.
"I don't think so but Squad Leader will surely accomplish it," Marcus said as he forced a smile on his face despite his condition.
"Then, let's hold these guys as long as we can," Drami said as she lifted her right hand and wiped the blood on her face.
"We'll take down as many enemies as we could," Marcus said.
Both of them knew that they could die on this mission. The percentage of them dying when they accepted to go with Leilus to get the device was high.
Even so, they still accepted it. Who's going to help Leilus if not them?
The Wind Slide Squad?
Their job at pulling out the other forces of Red Matter was important.
Paolo and Sekmet?
No, they were weaker than the two of them. They were just at Solidifying Realm so they wouldn't be able to stop if multiple Shackled Realm come at them.
The elite soldiers with President?
No, their entire forces were weaker and the others need their help so that they could last longer. Their presence alone also helped Leilus push through the enemy's formation.
They were the right people for this job.
"Marcus, don't die before me. You have to let me die first." Drami glanced at Marcus. "I don't want to see you die so..."
"..." Marcus stared at her eyes. "I got it. I'll just follow you."
A beautiful smile formed on Drami's face after she heard his words. "I love you, Marcus."
"Me too," Marcus replied with a soft smile.
...
Inside the building...
Leilus was looking at the device in his hand.
This was his final mission.
After he removed the sealing runes, he would have to face the enemies outside this building. Knowing the number of enemies, he knew that wouldn't survive it.
Not just him, but also the elite soldiers, the President, the Wind Slide Squad, Marcus, Drami, Sekmet, and Paolo would suffer the same fate.
No, in fact, they would perish first before him. After all, they were the ones currently fighting outside, not him.
Once he gets out of this place, who would still be alive waiting for him? He didn't know the answer to his question.
"This is it."
Leilus pressed the button on the device.
Ohm!
The button emitted a strange light but it quickly disappeared.
"What happened?"
He turned his head and looked at the windows.
Hundreds of sealing runes slowly rose in above. The runes came out of the bodies of the warriors as they slowly floated towards the sky.
Ohm!!
But then something occurred, the sealing runes emitted a strange electricity as it flew back towards the bodies of the warriors.
The mana pools of the warriors were once again sealed.
The thing that Leilus and the others risked their life for... was useless...
It only removed the sealing runes for a short moment.
"Ahaha!"
Leilus laughed madly after he realized what happened.
They risked their lives for nothing.
Why didn't he realize that if this was the true device to remove the seals, then why it wasn't heavily guarded? There's only a bunch of Solidifying and One Shackle Realm experts here.
Even the lowest rank Grain Leader would be able to take it away.
"I'm sorry, everyone... I failed..."
...
Somewhere in the Aekr Republic...
Inside a laboratory, a woman with a fiery red hair was leaning on the huge glass tube. She had snow-white skin and a pair of purple color eyes. She was wearing a green dress and on her back, there was a pair of wings covered in brown feathers.
She was an executive of the Red Matter Association, Shiela.
After fighting Banni, the second strongest in the entire Third Set, she went to this old laboratory. She almost died in the battle and she probably couldn't help her master anymore.
Her condition was worse. If she didn't take first aid, then she would've died from severe injuries all over her body.
"You think you can easily counter our plan... We've made several plans just to delay your advancement and let master complete the project..."
Shiela mumbled with a soft smile on his face. There was a small device in her hand and it was the same device that Leilus found in the old building.
The device that Leilus used to remove the sealing runes was real. The sealing runes were removed but what he didn't know was that Shiela also possessed the same device.
So after Leilus removed the sealing runes, Shiela used the device in her possession to seal the mana pool of the warriors again.
She felt something from her dress. She took out a piece of yellow paper inside her dress and realized that her master was calling her.
"This is... Shiela. I-I'm sorry, Master... I didn't answer immediately." She quickly apologized.
"It's fine. No need to apologize to me. I'm glad that you're still alive. Jayden had failed." Avron's voice echoed from the piece of yellow paper.
"Jayden...?"
"Yeah, are you still going to continue it?"
"Yes, Master... This is the only thing I could do for you." Shiela said with a smile on her face.
"I see... Thank you for all your hard work. I won't forget you."
"It makes me happy hearing those words from you," Shiela said as she slowly put down the device in her hand and the yellow paper.
Then, she took out a small square-shaped device. It was different from the device to control the sealing runes. This device was for the lethal poison scattered around the entire nation.
There were poison bombs scattered around the Aekr Republic. Once she pressed the button, the bomb would explode and the entire nation would be covered in poison. It would kill everyone under the Five Shackles Realm while it would weaken the people above this level.
"Goodbye..."
She was about to press the button when a blade came through her chest.
Ugh!!
Shiela spat a mouthful of blood. She was stunned as she didn't expect this situation at all. She wasn't in a condition to engage in another battle and even those weak One Shackle Realm have a chance to defeat her.
"Isn't this a transmission talisman?" A voice sounded behind her.
She forced herself to look back, only to see a figure with a plain expression.
The figure was a man with a dark green skin. He had a small horn on the center of his forehead and he was wearing dark clothes underneath his red robe.
This man was emitting best feram. He didn't bother hiding it at all.
"A monster...?"
"Yes, I'm a real monster,"
Souta said as he crouched down and picked the two devices. One was for the poison bombs and the other was for the sealing runes.
"Let me remove the sealing runes from my fellow warriors."
He said as he pressed the button on the device in his left hand. Then, he throws it on the ground and glances at the remaining device in his right hand.
"You guys planned to poison everyone including me. It seems that I really have to destroy you guys or else I would suffer the consequences."
Souta turned his head to Shiela. He knew that Shiela wasn't in the condition to fight yet ordinary Solidifying Realm wouldn't be able to breach her tough flesh. Unless they had high-grade weapons or secret skills.
Unfortunately for her, Souta had a high-grade weapon and his power level surpassed that of a Solidifying Realm.
"Let me end your suffering."
Souta said as he raised the vajra sword and swung it down with all of his might.
[Cross Moon]!!
Even though she was on death's door, Souta still used his skill to kill her. He would never underestimate someone at Shackled Realm.
After killing her, Souta destroyed the device used to activate the poison bombs across the entire country. It would be dangerous if he left it.
Then, he picked up the yellow paper on the floor.
"This is really the transmission talisman. So the Red Matter Association is one of the organizations that smuggled goods from Mechanic Country."
He mumbled while staring at the talisman in his hand. He could remember that the forces of Mechanic Country would arrive on this continent to eradicate such organization.
Such quests were given to the players that joined the army of Mechanic Country.
It means that they would arrive soon.
