Endless Debt

"We might not hold on until you get here."

Kemp could hear the approaching footsteps, but more importantly, he could clearly sense the surge of Ether. A Condenser was getting closer, along with some weaker etheric reactions belonging to those lethal Alchemy Armaments.

With the arrival of the Gray Trade Association, a large amount of Alchemy Armament flooded the market, arming these thugs to the teeth.

"Don't give up, you're very close to the Great Rift; the rescue team is heading towards you," Yas said.

"The Great Rift?"

Kemp quickly surveyed the surroundings. The two unlucky souls weren't exactly in the Great Rift but at the edge where it bordered the surface. Mist drifted here, and there were twisted and malformed buildings, marking this place as the transitional zone between the Great Rift and Opus.

The Fourth Group?

Kemp remembered the mysterious Special Operations Group, always roaming the Great Rift, seldom seen within the Order Bureau. They were probably the only ones who could come to the rescue from within the Great Rift.

"Sorry, it's my dereliction of duty." Kemp continued to apologize.

The mist inside the Great Rift had a bizarre interfering ability. In such a critical situation, even a Curved Path Breakthrough would take some time to open a passage, and the passage would be very unstable.

"Stop the chit-chat and find a way to survive," Yas' voice grew firm. If possible, he didn't want to lose any team members.

The chaos brought by the Gray Trade Association to Opus meant that the Sixth Group was tasked with dealing with these thugs, investigating their actions and preparing to wipe them out.

In theory, Kemp and Shelley's actions, even if they went wrong, should have allowed them to retreat unscathed. But clearly, these two rookies underestimated the danger posed by the thugs armed with Alchemy Armament.

Alchemy Armament was extremely expensive, beyond what these thugs could afford. However, the Gray Trade Association thoughtfully prepared different goods for different clients.

They sold these people a large amount of inferior Alchemy Armament, each weapon carrying deadly firepower, correspondingly lacking stability, but the thugs didn't care at all.

For ordinary people who weren't Condensers, the merchants sold items like Alchemy Warheads, Alchemy Armament that didn't require Ether activation. Although they were consumables, with these added firepowers, not only the thugs but even ordinary people could become deadly.

The two found themselves in such a sorry state under the barrage and the fierce attacks from the hostile Condensers.

This is the daily life of a Field Staff, dancing on the edge of life and death.

"Head towards the Crossing Abyss Bridge."

Suddenly, another unfamiliar voice joined the Heart Core Net, directly echoing in Kemp's mind.

"Who are you?" Kemp asked.

"Follow his instructions!" Yas' voice rose, dispelling all of Kemp's doubts.

Indeed, in such a life-threatening situation, as long as they could survive, following a stranger's instructions wouldn't be an issue, even if a ghost or a god offered a hand, he wouldn't mind grasping it tightly.

The distorted buildings resembled a dark forest growing wantonly. Maniacal laughter and gunfire resounded from behind, immediately followed by a thundering explosion, blinding flames roaring forth.

Kemp thought he was under attack, but it seemed more like the Alchemy Armament had exploded uncontrollably. He dismissed such chaotic thoughts and instead looked up at the gray shadow standing above the dense fog.

It was a bridge spanning the Great Rift, like a miraculous man-made construct, connecting the urban areas on either side of the Great Rift. The bridge was bustling with traffic, with light rail trains speeding beneath it.

The people of Opus called it the Crossing Abyss Bridge, a name that simply meant the Long Bridge across the abyss.

There were three such bridges over the Great Rift, connecting urban areas sliced apart by the Great Rift and playing an extremely important role in the city's traffic and logistics.

The mist rising from within the Great Rift enshrouded them, making it difficult for anyone to see the full view of the Crossing Abyss Bridge. From a distance, it appeared as a fortress rising from the abyss.

Kemp didn't understand the intention of that unfamiliar voice, but he earnestly executed the command, arduously heading towards the black silhouette spanning the Sea of Mist, step by step.

"I am very close to it."

Kemp said, setting Shelley down. They both lowered their breathing, hiding behind a low house, praying to stay hidden a little longer. Every extra minute survived enhanced their chance of survival.

"Do you still have Ether?" the voice asked.

"I do, why?" Kemp asked.

"Release it all, create as strong an Ethereal Fluctuation as you can, otherwise I can't find you."

"What? I'll die!"

Kemp's voice rose. Releasing all his Ether would not only bring him to Ether depletion but also reveal his position to the hostile Condensers.

No matter how close the rescue team of the Fourth Group was, after the Ether burst, the thugs would certainly find them first.

"Trust me."

The other's words were extremely cold, as if indifferent to his life and death.

Kemp looked at Shelley beside him. She nodded at him, affirming the situation.

"Alright... fine!"

Kemp decided to trust the mysterious voice this once. If he couldn't survive, it would also be the last time.

Taking a deep breath, he summoned the remaining Ether within his body, calling upon the surging Ether around him, intertwining them and injecting them into the Alchemy Matrix, bursting forth with heavy brilliance, invisibly stirring a storm.

Kemp's pupils were covered by a blazing white, this was the purest Ether.

There was no need to kill, no need for defense, just release, blooming with all his might like a flower.

The thugs in the mist were like a pack of wolves smelling blood, all looking towards the spot where Kemp was hiding, cheering yet cautiously closing in.

Gunfire roared, Kemp's ears filled with the sounds of intense gunfire.

"Where are you?"

Kemp demanded, while continuing to fire back, trying to buy time.

"I'm here."

"You're here? Where are you! I don't see you!"

Upon hearing the voice's reply, Kemp's heart surged with uncontrollable joy, but the joy was shattered by gunfire. In this grayish surrounding, he saw no sign of reinforcements, just he and Shelley were waiting for death.

His voice grew hoarse, even carrying a tinge of anger, feeling as though he were being toyed with before dying.

"Look up."

The voice replied.

"I'm above you."

Kemp looked up, gazing at the overcast sky.

Gray mist cloaked the Crossing Abyss Bridge in a dark shadow. On it, signal lights flashed, barely sketching out the bridge's shape, followed by waves of metallic agitation.

Something was coming. Kemp didn't know what it was, but he sensed it was a terrifying monster tearing through the metal path, swirling with cyclones and carrying a heavy hum and heat.

It was here.

Dazzling headlights cut through the darkness as a silver-white light rail like a serpent broke through the mist, rumbling past beneath the bridge, its carriages faintly echoing with screams, passengers terrified by the blade piercing in from outside the carriage.

Outside the carriage, the uninvited guest gripped the hilt to anchor himself, arriving through the mist with the light rail. He gazed at the dense fog below, then removed the Ether Flow Goggle worn over his eyes.

He drew the folding blade.

In Kemp's gaze, a shadow descended from the sky, the wind lifting his cloak like an owl perched on a dead tree. It spotted its prey, spreading its wings, descending with deadly talons and a deathly howl.

"Rupert's Tail, Special Operations Group."

A cold voice resounded within the Heart Core Net, the newcomer introducing himself.

"Bologue Lazarus."

Pulling the trigger, a scorching trail of fire fell from the sky, illuminating death and the gloomy scene, slicing through the battlefield over Kemp and Shelley's heads.