Time passed rapidly for Damien as he fully immersed himself in absorbing the World Core Fusion Reactor and understanding its mysteries. But to many others, this period of time slowed to a crawl.
Within Evotech Headquarters' North Wing, a man covered in blood dragged his heavy feet through the halls. The copious amounts of blood drenching his body pooled on the floor, creating a small stream that followed his steps.
This man continued to walk despite his condition until finally reaching a large barracks. At this juncture, he finally felt secure enough to close his eyes.
"Lieutenant General!"
A panicked voice rang out as the barrack guards noticed the falling figure. They rapidly rushed to his falling body, catching him before he could hit the ground.
"Somebody call General Strohman! The Lieutenant General is—"
"Stop. No need."
The Lieutenant General interrupted the guard mid-sentence. After taking a few seconds to stabilize himself, he stood back up on his own two feet and shrugged off the aid of the two guards.
After thanking them for their help, he trudged further into the barracks, past the living quarters of ordinary soldiers, and towards the private room of the General himself.
This was the privilege granted to him not only by his rank, but by his close connection with the General. Although he'd only been a part of the military for a few months, he'd formed a bond stronger than blood with the General. This was the result of fighting countless battles side by side.
As he reached the General's quarters, he pushed open the door lightly. A current of mana enveloped his body, immediately cleansing all the blood and grime that covered him.
"Sheesh," a troubled voice came from the side. "Haven't I told you to take it easy? These small scuffles shouldn't involve figures of your status."
The one who talked was naturally General Strohman himself. But unlike the stern countenance he usually put on, his expression was closer to that of a worried elder brother at the moment.
"Hah," the Lieutenant General scoffed. "Unlike you, I'm still stuck in 3rd class. I need all the combat and experience I can get so I can finally cross that boundary."
"Regardless, overworking yourself is far worse than even not working at all. Long Chen, you must learn to pace yourself."
Surprisingly enough, the Lieutenant General was actually Long Chen! Not to mention his achievement in rising to such a rank in this short period of time, what was even more startling was the fact that General Strohman actually knew his true name!
"Brother Athan, your worries are unfounded. I know my limits more than anyone else, and these small scuffles with people at a similar level as me constantly help me test them. If I didn't know the importance of rest, would I have returned here today?"
General Strohman, or Athan as Long Chen called him, shook his head wryly. "If it wasn't for me threatening you 2 months ago, would you have ever bothered?"
Long Chen smiled, but didn't respond. Joining the military and spending these past few months on the battlefield was truly the best method of training for him. Even without the overarching plan that required him to do so, he still would've done it without hesitation.
Especially after learning the truth. This General Strohman who casually sat in front of him was actually a spy from Asgard! His status in the organization wasn't low at all either, and he was constantly updated on the general situation of the world.
If it wasn't for General Strohman, no, Inquisitor Athan Strohm, Long Chen wouldn't have been able to achieve nearly as much as he had. Over time, especially after baring themselves to each other, the duo became as close as blood brothers.
"How is everything going?" Long Chen suddenly asked. He washed himself with mana once more, clearing his cracked skin and giving way to a new layer of pristine, unblemished skin. Of the blood that stained his body moments prior, barely any was his.
"Hmm…"
Hearing Long Chen's question, Athan's brow furrowed. "It's not looking too good. Asgard and Niflheim are edging closer and closer to full-blown warfare. The two Death Gods in the Outer Wilds aren't helping the situation at all."
"Mm," Long Chen nodded in agreement. "It feels as if these two Death Gods appeared at the perfect time to stir up the already volatile situation. Whoever planned their advent is a true mastermind."
Long Chen was frowning as well. He understood that the storm caused by these Death Gods would accelerate the situation and further envelop the world in chaos. Naturally, this result would make it far easier for people like Long Chen or Athan to move, but Long Chen didn't know how to feel about it.
He had always been a righteous person. Even his Sword Aura held traces of his indomitable will to follow the righteous path, manifesting as a holy radiance. To someone like him, starting a war just for the sake of achieving one's goals was far across his bottom line.
But, in this situation, he could only endure his internal crisis. If he acted based on his heart alone, he'd only end up ruining himself.
'Enduring is not a problem. And when the chaos begins, I must make sure the collateral damage isn't too great. The goal of this mission is to eliminate the Nox's influence on both this world and Sector 3 in general. This way, we won't have to worry about internal strife when the Great War begins in the future.'
There was no reason for the innocents in this world to die because of the sins of others. Evotech might've been scum, but what about everyone else? What about the craftsmen of Avalon, the doctors of Caduceus, and all others in the world who were genuinely promoting humanity's growth?
Was the destruction of the Nox worth the sacrifice of so many talents?
Long Chen sighed to himself. It'd been roughly 5 months since the mission in Niflheim began, and it'd only be another month or so before the Celestial and Star Squadrons appeared in the world to begin their full frontal assault.
Time was running out. If Long Chen wanted to follow his righteous heart and guarantee the people's safety, he needed both strength and backing to do so.
Strength was one thing. It couldn't be gained easily, and even if Long Chen tried his hardest, he didn't have the ability to promote to 4th class any time soon. However, he had plenty of backing.
Evotech's military was closer to a mercenary group in their mindset. Rather than loyalty to Evotech, they had loyalty to one another. Only those who earned their respect on the battlefield were qualified to receive their loyalty and reverence.
As for Long Chen, he'd achieved this dozens of times over. Even if he told the military to rebel against Evotech at this very moment, at least 3/4ths of them would follow his command without hesitation.
Not to mention, Athan would support him as well. With their combined momentum, even if they began a hopeless assault without any prior planning, they'd at least be able to bring down two wings of Evotech Headquarters before faltering.
But the military wasn't enough. What Long Chen wanted to do went against the wills of Niflheim, Asgard, and even the Cloud Plane's forces. The path he wished to follow was entirely of his own design.
And the determination he had to follow this path was a blazing inferno that could easily encompass the entire world.
