Thud.
"Huu…"
Thud.
"Huu…"
Thud.
"Huu…"
VOOOOOOOOM!
A representation of Rose's perception.
Hard footsteps that resounded like booming explosions despite their extreme softness, and the overbearing pressure of the awareness wave that passed by them every ten minutes.
She could sense her comrades nearby, but she couldn't pay much mind to them.
She could only see them as figures of mana, figures she had to track at an atomic level to completely erase from reality.
'Focus.'
She repeated the word every few minutes to keep herself on track.
Minutes passed like this.
Minute changes had to be performed every millisecond, and the group's movement speed couldn't slow any further lest they never reach their destination in the first place.
Rose's illusions had been inching closer and closer to being a reality of their own ever since she realized her path in the Severed World, but she wasn't able to grasp the true power of this art yet.
There would be a time when she didn't have to do all of this.
A time when she could "program" her illusions to update in real-time so they could never be told apart from reality.
However, she hadn't reached that point yet.
She couldn't program, she could only command.
Therefore, every step became a grueling journey of a thousand miles.
Every time her foot touched the ground, she felt a shock through her body as her perception updated based on the changed environment.
This effect was multiplied many, many times due to the various factors that changed due to the group's presence in the area.
If there was one thing going for her, it was that Eien's atmosphere, especially so far into its depths, was not quite stable in the first place.
It was constantly fluctuating, so even if she missed something, it could be explained away.
As long as she didn't miss anything that indicated man-made interference, that is.
Slow steps made slow progress, but slow progress was still progress.
In the first half hour, they were able to completely hide from the Supremes and reach the halfway point between the expansive field and the basecamp.
The members of Judgement Order didn't make a single sound in this time, as to not distract Rose in any way, and silently focused on moving in such a way where she wouldn't bear extra burdens.
Rose was the center of their group in ability and spirit. Even after doing such taxing work during this phase of the plan, she still needed to be battle-ready when it came time for the next.
Ximen Wuhen had already prepared a myriad of blessings that could be cast on a single thought to bring her back to peak condition, but it was hard to say what that kind of mental stress was actually doing to her mind.
It wasn't something simple.
On the outside, she was perspiring like she was running a marathon and had a dull haze of absolute concentration clouding her eyes, however, her mind was experiencing a much more severe consequence.
Hairline cracks spread through her spiritual world in the same way Damien experienced its shattering long ago.
The cause was the same.
Extreme stimulation that the mind couldn't bear.
Unbeknownst to her, Rose's actions were too far beyond her capabilities. She was doing something that should've been impossible for a period of time longer than any living being should have been able to do so.
She was doing as she swore with Ruyue and Elena in the Severed World.
She was not letting reality limit her ability.
Things began to change during the second half of the journey.
Rose's movements became more fluid, and her eyes returned just slightly to focus.
It felt like she could feel reality more literally. The fabric she felt brushing across her skin ever since that day of blessing, she felt like she could feel its individual seams and creases.
If she just touched them…
'Focus.'
Now wasn't the time.
Now, she had a mission to accomplish.
She couldn't allow her mind to wander into fantasy.
The group progressed and progressed.
They walked through the least yet most dangerous part of their journey thus far tensely, and eventually…
They reached their destination without a hitch.
It was an absolutely unexpected outcome.
"Huu…"
Rose exhaled again. Her breath was shaky, but she stood up with trembling legs and didn't allow it to bog her down.
"The next part…should begin…soon."
HONG!
HONG!
HONG!
As if on cue, an emergency bell rang through the encampment.
All available Nox left their tents and gathered in the main square, where the three Supremes were already waiting.
"We've received reports that the group of rats we've been chasing have fled to the neighboring camps," the Supreme in the middle spoke.
"We have the option to leave this to them, but…"
"Do any of you wish for that?"
The two to his sides finished his sentence.
"Never!"
"I want to rip them apart myself!"
"Don't let those fuckers steal out kills!"
The reaction of the troops was quite strong.
A group of juniors managed to evade them for so long; it was utterly shameful for their camp.
And if others managed to catch the prey that evaded them, or worse, if that prey managed to escape…
Unacceptable!
They would become clowns of their race, and more importantly, they'd be killed off for such shameful behavior!
"Good," the main Supreme said.
"Apparently, our Executioners are incompetent. Ryugo and Tirius will lead the lot of you to the other camps to hunt them. Do not disappoint us."
Ryugo and Tirius. According to assumptions, they were powerful forces under these three Supremes, however…
It turned out, these two were the Supremes themselves!
The two standing on the man's right and left stepped forward and began dividing troops.
And inevitably, a question arose.
"Sir, what about our camp?"
If all of their troops were going to be positioned elsewhere, what would happen to their camp?
The Supreme glanced at the Nox who spoke. He was a High Commander who didn't stick out from the crowd much, but he'd been pinpointed instantly.
"Tell me, do you think our camp has no security?"
"N-no, Sir!" The High Commander responded nervously.
"Exactly. As long as I am present…this place will never fall."
They were arrogant words, but they were not as lofty as they seemed.
After all, that man, Hans, was a Supreme above Supremes, a man just a single step away from Divinity, and a man who'd slaughtered countless enemies on the battlefield,
As long as he was present, it was truly impossible for the enemy to breach their camp.
Because the only type of enemy that could defeat Hans…
…was the type their Lord had the freedom to personally deal with!
Under the Judgement Order's gazes as they watched from the camp's periphery, the two supremes Ryugo and Tirius took their divided troops and left the base camp moving in opposite directions.
Meanwhile, Hans returned to his tent without another word.
Rose and the rest waited.
They waited silently without a single movement for almost an hour.
"…"
"…okay."
That was when Rose finally spoke.
"Everyone knows what comes next," she said, placing her hand against the ground.
"The second you sense my mana…"
The group around her prepped themselves. This was the deadly part,
"…run like your life depends on it."
VOOOM!
