Chapter 83

Chapter 83

#83. The Northern Counterattack (2)

“So this is the rumored headquarters of Arad Trading Company.”

It was a dark night where clouds had spread out to cover the moonlight, making it as black and cold as ink.

Even for those moving covertly, it was a harsh night, but the Workshop was cold yet not dark.

“Who would’ve thought I’d see lighting Magic Stones like the ones only at the Mage Tower and Imperial Palace here in the far north…”

Magic Stones embedded between factory buildings and all over the streets were shining brightly through the night.

“And this… feels insane.”

Between the bright streets and walls were hung portraits of Duchess Ariana of the North and Professor Arad.

“It’s really another world. Though if you think about it, they must be crazy to make such things on this level.”

Former head of the Empire Intelligence Division Sigma and intelligence officer Astral, along with a team of twenty, had successfully infiltrated inside the Arad Workshop.

The squad made up of Sigma Knights and Demon Den Dark Wizards split into groups of one to three members each and scattered throughout the workshop.

‘There’s no one around other than soldiers and knights.’

Astral surveyed the surroundings while resisting the northern cold with mana coursing through their body.

The inside of the workshop was eerily quiet.

Employees seemed to have gone home as there was no sign of them, only occasionally spotting guards patrolling.

[Professor Arad’s location has been confirmed. He’s at the place called the First Factory.]

At that moment, the voice of a Dark Wizard who succeeded in reconnaissance via familiar echoed in Astral’s mind.

It was telepathy, a sixth-circle magic.

Meaning, the current Dark Wizards collaborating with the squad were high-ranking officials from the Demon Den.

‘I must say, the Lenslet Dukedom sure cooperates well.’

What kind of deep grudge does the High City hold…? Astral thought they should avoid making enemies with the Dark Wizards as much as possible.

Swish

Was the telepathy not just delivered to Astral? The infiltration squad scattered throughout the workshop moved in unison.

Fifteen elite Sigma High Knights and five Demon Den High Dark Wizards formed a small but elite group moving in one direction.

[Hold on! A message from Sir Isaac.]

Just then, the Dark Wizard who sent the previous telepathy added a new transmission.

[The operation in the High City failed. The Duchess of the North wasn’t there.]

That statement caused the squad who had just started moving to hesitate momentarily.

[Arad! The Duchess of the North is by Arad! By the way, Valkyrie and Sun and Isabel are in the High City.]

“!!”

[In other words, right now, there isn’t a single Swordmaster-level superhuman by the side of the Duchess of the North!]

Pew pew pew

The squad that hesitated resumed rushing forward as if nothing happened.

Right in front of the First Factory.

For the first time since infiltrating the workshop, the squad of twenty gathered in one place.

They didn’t bother hiding their bodies.

As if challenging anyone to mistake them for non-Sigma agents, they possessed magical artifacts distributed by the Mage Tower.

This applied to the Demon Den Dark Wizards as well.

“Remember this: a man named Professor Arad must never be killed. We must capture him alive. Even if we kill him, it must be done by us!”

“The Duchess?”

“That woman is your discretion.”

“Didn’t the Empire also target the Duchess?”

“Our current mission doesn’t include the Duchess.”

“Good.”

Sigma and Demon Den conducted their final checks on the operation and equipment.

‘Absolutely going to succeed!’

Astral observed the soon-to-be infiltrated First Factory building.

Worthy of being a former Sigma director, they instantly grasped everything from the infiltration route to the guard deployment.

‘They did put some thought into it.’

The level of the soldiers and knights guarding the workshop wasn’t high, and their numbers were fewer than during the previous reconnaissance.

It looked like almost all forces were concentrated in the High City.

‘This was the real deal.’

There was a frosty smell everywhere in the First Factory.

Though Valkyrie and Sun weren’t there, there would definitely be formidable High Knights stationed.

‘In situations like this, boldly entering through the main gate can actually be more effective.’

If Astral’s guess was correct, splitting their forces now would result in them being annihilated one by one by the Frosthaven stationed throughout the First Factory.

“If there was a Swordmaster-level superhuman here, dispersing our forces would’ve been the right move, but not now.”

“Let’s finish this before Valkyrie and Sun arrive.”

“Agreed.”

The Demon Den Dark Wizards quickly agreed with the changed plan.

“Everyone drink the potion!”

As soon as Astral’s order ended, Sigma operatives pulled out some bottles from their robes and drank them.

“Ughhhhh…”

“……”

Astral also pulled out a bottle from their robe and gulped it down.

With the black liquid passing through their throat and after a minute,

“My strength is overflowing.”

Their momentum became even sharper.

Through this, for a short while, they wouldn’t be High Knights by continental standards but High Knights by northern standards.

“Attack!”

The doped-up special operations team brazenly charged into the First Factory.

There was nothing to fear.

They had consumed awakening agents that temporarily amplify mana and strength.

On their bodies were special cloaks of invisibility crafted by the Mage Tower.

No matter how cunning the northern sorcerer Arad might be.

No matter how strong the northern knights might be.

This time, they would pay the price for their complacency.

However.

The confidence of the special operations team plummeted as soon as they entered the factory.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

The first thing to greet them was white smoke erupting at the entrance of the First Factory.

“Kweeek!”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

“What is this… This is…!”

“Aaaah! My eyes!”

“I can’t breathe!”

An unprecedentedly spicy and stinging pain tormented the eyes, noses, and throats of the special operations team.

Even after just a brief exposure, normal thinking became impossible.

[Disappear!]

[Scatter!]

Had the Dark Wizards not hastily cast purification spells, they would’ve been captured right away at the start.

Also, had they not boosted their bodies with doping, they might’ve suffocated to death.

“This is bad! The invisibility cloak!”

“Is it because of that smoke earlier?”

Realizing their stealth status had been completely lifted after passing through what was essentially an alternate-world CS gas, the Sigma operatives…

“The magical lights embedded in the ceiling have nullified the invisibility cloak.”

“Professor Arad truly isn’t ordinary.”

The Dark Wizards examined the cancelled stealth magic, their pupils trembling.

Something felt ominous from the very start. Everyone instinctively sensed it.

The factory interior was filled with magical lighting stones, brighter than outside.

It wasn’t just bright; it was warm too.

And like the workshop streets, portraits of Duchess Ariana of the North and Professor Arad were hung everywhere, bordering on madness.

But the intruders had no leisure to admire them.

“Everyone, charge!”

Already fully exposed, the special operations team now openly dashed through the factory.

Greeted first by severed monster limbs, the production lines here were even more demonic than the Demon Den itself.

Sssshhwhoosh

Pew pew pew

Then, arrows and spears-like projectiles shot out from between them.

“Attack!”

The Sigma operatives raised their swords to deflect the incoming projectiles.

Although the attacks were fast and threatening, they were confident that with their enhanced strength and reflexes from doping, they could easily block them.

Clang, crack!

“Crack?”

But their swords broke or shattered upon deflecting the arrows.

“Pfft, boom!”

One Sigma operative, witnessing his broken sword, was immediately impaled through the head by a subsequent dagger and died instantly.

Pfft! Boom! Pow!

In that short moment, four Sigma operatives and one Dark Wizard fell.

Swish swish swish swish swish-

If their weapons break and they can’t deflect, they could dodge, but there were too many arrows and spears flying to dodge them all.

Besides, they needed to protect the Dark Wizards behind them too.

“Infuse mana into your weapons to deflect the attacks!”

Astral quickly infused mana into their second sword and shouted.

Using mana so early would drain both stamina and mana faster while in an awakened state.

Still, it was better than dying pointlessly to traps.

“These aren’t ordinary arrows! They’re made of monster bones!”

Astral inspected the arrows and daggers embedded in the floor.

The identity of the projectiles that shattered imperial steel-made master swords and effortlessly killed Sigma knights equivalent to High Knights was monster bones.

“What kind of bones are this hard?!”

Looking at the bones, one Sigma operative said in disbelief.

How hard and fast must they be to require using mana even in a doped state just to barely deflect them, leading to questions turning into fears.

“Not ordinary bones. These are bones treated with extremely potent magic.”

That question was answered by a Dark Wizard.

“The shield is ready. You can come this way now.”

While the Sigma operatives deflected the attacks, the Dark Wizards layered protective shields.

Clang clang!

The barrage of bone-spears and bone-arrows lessened.

Not because of the Dark Wizards’ shields but because it seemed they had nearly used up their prepared bone-spears and arrows.

“Each bone spear is thinly coated with a magic stone. Is this the rumored Aradian enchantment?”

“I’ve heard the Mage Tower enchants items similarly.”

On the floor lay at least a thousand bone-spears and arrows.

Each one carefully enchanted.

“Even so, individually enchanting such expendables…”

“Such tastelessness is something I’ve never seen in my years as a Dark Wizard.”

They evaluated with stunned eyes the reinforced monster bone attacks specially crafted by Arad.

The special operations team, which began with twenty members, was reduced to fifteen.

Still, the team didn’t falter.

Because everyone was prepared to die.

To revive their fallen houses, to restore lost honor, to prove loyalty and save their families.

Each Sigma operative involved in this mission had their own reasons.

Ching ching ching!

Now deflecting the sporadic bone attacks, the special operations team advanced.

Mutter mutter mutter…

Behind them, the Dark Wizards helped by casting defensive barriers and wards.

Just as the Sigma operatives had their own stories, the Demon Den Dark Wizards also had reasons to willingly sacrifice their lives.

Deep-rooted grudges lasting over two hundred years with the Lenslet Dukedom, oaths sworn upon joining the Demon Den, things like that.

“Go! Go!”

The retreat route was blocked, and capture would mean brutal torture and death.

Thus, an honorable death was preferable.

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”

“For the Thousand-Year Empire!”

Behind the internal wall lies the target.

Close yet distant.

Each step, though burdensome, was taken without hesitation.

Finally reaching the alchemy production line,

Chug chug chug

The waiting Frosthaven and Northern Knights revealed themselves.

“There! There’s Arad and the Duke!”

That meant the target was nearby.

Indeed, between the alchemy manufacturing equipment, the silhouette of a man presumed to be Arad could be faintly seen.

The Duke wasn’t visible, but it didn’t matter.

Capturing or killing the Duke was the Demon Den’s goal.

Capturing or killing Arad was Sigma’s goal.

“Hyyyyaaaargh!”

Astral and the Sigma operatives charged.

The Dark Wizards also summoned all their mana to prepare attack spells.

“……”

Oddly, the Frosthaven and High Knights only drew their weapons without making any other moves.

Woooommm

They soon understood why.

“Magic circles…?”

Dozens of large and small magic circles suddenly appeared throughout the factory.

Regardless of the floor, walls, or ceiling.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh

The waiting Frosthaven and High Knights simultaneously donned peculiar glasses.

They seemed to be glasses carved from dark elemental magic stones.

Whaaaaaam!!

Simultaneously, the interior, already bright from the lighting magic stones, became blindingly bright to the point where one couldn’t open their eyes.

“Everyone, close your eyes!”

“It’s a flash magic!”

Losing vision in a life-or-death situation is akin to a death sentence.

“Quickly use darkness magic! Hurry!”

Astral, eyes tightly shut, shouted to the Dark Wizards behind them.

“Guhhhhh!”

But all they could hear were groans from the Dark Wizards.

Droooooop

‘Rain?’

With eyes closed, Astral felt droplets falling on their cheeks and forearms.

“Holy water! It’s holy water!”

The cause of the Dark Wizards’ groans and the nature of the droplets were none other than holy water.

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