#514

The True Value of a Sniper (7)

Throb, throb, throb!!

Logia's facial features were contorting wildly, swelling as if about to burst out of their sockets. At the same time, the inner balance of mana that had once been harmoniously full suddenly crumbled and reversed, as if it were a lie.

Rumble!!!

It felt as if undigested food were rising back up the esophagus, with every cell in the body exploding outward as if being blasted through the skin. All the achievements that had been thought to be absorbed and digested by consuming the mana master were vanishing like a lie due to a single word from Lennok.

The rapid loss of strength slipped away like grains of sand between the fingers.

“Hah…!!!”

The massively swollen werewolf’s body shriveled in an instant, and the black sheen of its fur faded to a pitiful ashen color. Making a pathetic sound as if it had lost decades' worth of vitality all at once, Logia collapsed onto all fours before Lennok.

It was an eerie sensation, as if a tumor inside was draining all vitality and mana from the body. Twisting violently, Logia let out a desperate scream.

“No, no…!!! This can’t be…!!!”

“It was worth suspecting at least once, wasn’t it? Right, werewolf?”

A shadow slowly rose, revealing an obsidian mask between the figure's folds, with slender fingers adjusting it. The mage's eyes shone coldly through the mask, tilted slightly downward, as if observing Logia from above.

“Why was it so easy to drain the sorcerer’s mana? Why was it so easy to digest the mana master within your microcosm?”

Lennok murmured, lifting Logia's head by grabbing it.

“You got excited. You lost control. Drunk with a power you couldn't handle, you forgot to assess the situation.”

“Kill… kill…!!”

Bang!!

Lennok tied up Logia’s muzzle with mana strands and slammed him onto the ground.

“In that regard, you are truly nothing more than a beast,” Lennok said.

The mana that Logia had thought he had devoured and digested never once slipped from Lennok's control. With Lennok’s extraordinary mana manipulation and control skills, there was no way his power could be consumed by someone else’s microcosm.

The reason Lennok had waited despite having the ability to crush Logia’s body the moment he activated his microcosm was because Lennok desired something more valuable than Logia’s death.

“Thanks to your voracious appetite for devouring mana, I can now sense even the deepest parts of your mind.”

As he spoke, dark energy flowed like mist from Lennok’s right eye through the mask.

“If I draw it all in now, I might be able to glimpse every memory and flame of your mind."

The new ability of Lennok’s right mystic eye doesn’t suppress the opponent’s power but instead drives it berserk, breaking it apart. This same ability was used to collapse Amrita’s Sanctuary, the Seabed Crescent Moon, now driving Logia’s spirit into a frenzy, extracting all the memories contained within.

“A double agent with a foot in both Pandemonium and Aegis… You ended up like this because you tried to be too clever…”

Lennok laughed.

“But at least you know a little more than most. I’ll take every last bit of your memories and knowledge here.”

“You bastard, you were toying with me from the start…!!!”

Logia, realizing only now that the recent battle had been a staged act from the beginning, glared at Lennok with bloodshot eyes. But Lennok, as if expecting this reaction, looked down, averting his gaze.

“You asked earlier why I didn’t immediately inform Doctor when I realized your identity. The answer is simple.”

Lennok whispered quietly into Logia's ear.

“I’m just like you.”

“……!!!!!!!”

This was the final trigger, meant to disrupt the opponent’s thoughts and spirit entirely, exploiting its vulnerability. As Logia tried to speak with his eyes wide open, Lennok thrust a mana blade directly between the werewolf’s brows.

A surge of electricity passed through the blade, instantly piercing Logia’s mind and forcibly shutting down his consciousness.

Crack!!

  *

“Logia was a double agent?”

[To be precise, maybe a double spy? Or a double agent? It’s likely something like that.]

Maya frowned sharply at Doctor’s words coming through the communicator.

“I don’t get it.”

[His actions make it somewhat obvious. If he were truly on one side, his behavior wouldn’t be so ambiguous. It’s the typical conduct of someone weighing their options.]

“No, that’s not what I mean… What’s the benefit of doing such a thing?”

Maya asked, looking around the darkened satellite city.

“Is there even any benefit to be gained from being a mole in this organization?”

Pandemonium never hides most of its plans. It doesn’t deny the destruction, killings, crimes, and chaos that unfold as part of its operations. As a criminal organization, Pandemonium has never strayed from its core essence.

The idea of infiltrating such an organization to leak information is pointless. While Maya cooperates with Pandemonium for her own goals, she understands the organization’s nature and operations well. If there’s truly information that must be kept secret, it’s managed by the higher-ups—monsters like Commander or Fame—who only share the results.

Even the operation at the Pantheon’s well had been so obscure that other organizations knew as much about its start and progression. The same applies here. Any information one could obtain internally is accessible from the outside, while information that remains hidden is unreachable, even in death.

Maya herself still isn’t sure of the organization’s true nature, so what could Logia hope to gain by taking such risks?

But instead of agreeing, Doctor laughed loudly as if amused by Maya’s remark.

[Didn’t expect such naive words from you. I suppose you never even considered such a possibility?]

“What?”

[It wasn’t about leaking Pandemonium’s information to gain something. It’s more like borrowing external forces to participate in the settlement.]

Doctor whispered leisurely through Maya’s earpiece.

[You mentioned the special agency Aegis, right? What if he borrowed their power to secure relics from the Old World and then participated in the settlement in return for leaking information about it?]

Doctor continued as if finding the mere thought intriguing.

[Think about it. If Logia were truly on Aegis’ or Pandemonium’s side, why didn’t he act when conflict broke out?]

“…”

[Instead of seeking a significant gain in that situation, he seemed more focused on subtly slipping away.]

Click, click.

An unknown mechanical noise echoed through the earpiece, accompanied by Doctor’s voice.

[If Logia believed that merely participating in the settlement was beneficial and wanted to avoid ruining it, that would explain his ambiguous actions.]

“Believed that participating in the settlement itself was beneficial?” 

Maya let out a sharp laugh upon hearing that.

“Ridiculous. Does he even understand the true nature of the operation?”

[No way. Even Logia must have some idea of the possibilities Commander is considering. An idiot incapable of such understanding wouldn’t be able to play the role of a double agent.]

“Then?”

[He’s just a pathetic beast who couldn’t resist the bait dangling in front of him, despite knowing it all.]

Doctor’s voice carried a faint tone of ridicule.

[In the end, all other races are the same. Barring a rare few exceptions, they all harbor an uncontrollable bestial nature. And that instinct eventually becomes the very fangs that pierce their own throats.]

“……”

[Personally, I find that imperfection quite fascinating, even worth preserving as a rare specimen of its kind…]

As Doctor spoke, the unknown noise continued to rhythmically fill the communicator.

[Alright, the ritual backlash adjustment is nearly complete… The information about the sealing of the Apostle Ritual is important to us as well. Victor really pulled off a significant feat this time.]

“He’s dangerous. Even knowing that Logia was targeting him, he never showed any signs of being caught off guard.”

Maya replied as she began walking down an empty street.

“Only someone deeply accustomed to this sort of situation could respond like that. If Logia had pursued him, the outcome would’ve been predictable.”

[Heh, you’re not wrong. Judging by the information he requested during this settlement, he knows far more than we expected.]

Doctor chuckled.

[It’s not just coincidence that he joined the well operation immediately after receiving Fame’s recommendation. Agneta’s message confirms that much. Quite intriguing...]

“‘Intriguing’?”

[It’s more interesting to have someone with many secrets remaining than a werewolf whose tricks are all revealed, isn’t it?]

“……”

Static, static…!!

As Maya continued walking, the communication with Doctor began to cut off gradually. Even though she anticipated that the communication would soon be lost entirely, neither of them stopped talking.

[Anyway, we’ve roughly gathered the causal adjustments needed with this settlement. Perhaps we can take some action next time.]

“Not interested.”

[Perhaps the machine city you desire so much could be one of the candidates.]

Maya abruptly stopped walking at those words. Doctor’s voice sounded amused, as if he understood her thoughts.

[We might even be able to recreate the failed Ascension Gate project with our own hands. Doesn’t that pique your interest?]

“You… now…”

[Of course, our purpose would be entirely different from what the machine city sought, but it might bring you closer to the goal you’ve been pursuing.]

The voice beyond the communicator grew faint. Maya instinctively reached up to her earpiece, but Doctor didn’t wait for her.

[Whether the failure of the Ascension Gate was truly an accident or something more meaningful, I hope you get the chance to verify it for yourself next time.]

Without any further farewell, the communication abruptly ended.

Maya, still holding her hand to the earpiece for a while, eventually pulled it out without hesitation and crushed it underfoot.

Crack!!

Doctor is not the type to contact someone just to relay unnecessary words. Considering that, the earpiece she had was now completely useless. Given what she had to do next, it was nothing more than dead weight.

With that in mind, Maya slowly turned her gaze. A dense, endless fog had settled over the dark streets of the satellite city.

Swish…!!

The disruption of communication with Doctor wasn’t simply a device malfunction. The overwhelming force emanating from ahead severed all nearby flows, enforcing isolation.

Lennok had assumed that Maya remained to hold back Evelyn based on her experience in the Ganges Sand Labyrinth, but the one she was waiting for wasn’t the Bow God.

It was someone who had never revealed themselves throughout the operation, maintaining only a faint presence.

One of the two external forces participating in this operation, a monster whose strength rivaled even Evelyn's.

Maya remained in the city, anticipating the identity of the other superhuman. She understood that a decisive confrontation would bring about a much cleaner resolution than attempting to flee.

Huff!

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

As the fog cleared, a young man clad in a pure white robe appeared. His silver hair cascaded down a tilted head, with a white spear loosely strapped to his back. His hands were neatly clasped together, head bowed with closed eyes, exuding a serene presence. 

Yet, Maya could fully sense the destructive aura emanating from him.

An 8th-level apex ability user, and a rare martial artist who wielded a spear—a long weapon. His spotless, dignified figure shone brilliantly even in the midnight darkness. The noble air, the skill, the confidence, and the distinctive appearance—it was hard to imagine two people like him existing under the same sky.

Maya's lips curled into a sharp smile.

“I had my suspicions, but I never thought you’d lend your hand to an operation like this.”

“It’s been a while, Renslit.”

“The lifting of the Golden Decree must have been significant. The old monster who never showed his face beyond the city now takes a stroll into the satellite city. The world really has changed.”

Known as Innocence, he was said to tolerate not a speck of impurity in every moment of his existence. One of the monsters representing the power of the light side, bound by the Golden Decree within the great city of Vulcan. 

He was an 8th-level apex ability user, a spear master who reached the level of a great master. A member of [Tourenmun], one of the most powerful martial sects dedicated to nurturing superhumans in the light side of Vulcan. He had even served as both a senator in the Central Assembly and an internal advisor to the city government.

In terms of age, he seemed to be on par with Maya, making it hard to believe such a figure was participating in this operation. It highlighted just how much the city government had invested to ensure its success. Yet, Innocence only maintained a gentle smile.

“Strictly speaking, that’s not the reason I’m here. If it were just about helping the operation, I’d have left it to Marcia.”

Referring to Evelyn Marcia in a familiar tone, indicating his seniority.

“Then why?”

“It’s because of you, Maya Renslit.”

Releasing his clasped hands, Innocence took a step forward and naturally reached out with his hand.

Zing…!!

At the same time, the white spear that had been strapped to his back shot up and landed smoothly in his hand. It wasn’t just the manipulation of the spear through mana; he controlled it as if it were an extension of his will, honed through years of attachment.

Grasping the spear, a fierce gust erupted from Innocence's body.

Wham!!

The air around them began to swirl like a windmill, pushed by the light spinning of the spear. The cold night air mixed with the heat of friction, raising the surrounding temperature. Standing at the center of this rising heat, the white-clad spear master smiled at Maya.

“I was thrilled when I heard the greatest enforcer of the machine city would appear here.”

“……”

“It seems it’s fate that we can finally settle our unfinished match. Though both of us have been bound by various constraints… tonight, at least, we’re free.”

“Pointless. I have no interest in a battle long past…”

Maya started to speak but then stopped, letting out a small laugh. Did she, who was still obsessed with the failure of the Ascension Gate, even have the right to say such a thing? It no longer mattered.

If this battle-mad old monster had ignored the operation entirely to wait for her, she could at least offer him the courtesy he deserved. Letting out a sigh, Maya took a half-step back.

“Five minutes. That should be enough, right?”

But Innocence responded as if he had been waiting for her words, smiling brightly.

“That will be plenty.”

A pillar of pure white will stood upright in the darkness.

  *

Boom!!!

“…It’s getting noisy over there too,” Lennok muttered, glancing towards the enormous white column piercing the night sky.

A clash of mana so overwhelming that even Lennok found it hard to gauge. It was likely a battle between Maya and one of the external forces that had yet to reveal themselves. While the reason Maya was still here handling things was unknown, Lennok had no time to be concerned about her.

He withdrew his hand from Logia’s slackened mouth, his eyes rolling back in unconsciousness, and stood up. In his saliva-covered glove was a pitch-black crystal orb—the "Eyes of the Divine Body," distributed to him in phases by Doctor’s orders. 

Lennok had used the orb Logia possessed to capture the overflow of his memories. Since he focused on gathering the most vivid recent memories, a careful investigation later might yield useful information.

“It ended sooner than expected. Rattling him on purpose at the end helped.”

Without that shock, taking down Logia this quickly would’ve been impossible. Lennok reflected briefly on his actions and then shook his head cleanly.

A double agent caught between Aegis and Pandemonium. Even if he were to disappear mysteriously, no one would suspect the duplicity. Lennok’s plan from the start was to extract information from both sides through this battle.

Logia, having worked longer than Lennok in Pandemonium and having contributed to training Aegis agents, was certainly a high-ranking operative. It was highly likely he possessed useful information for both organizations. Lennok, sensing Logia’s true nature, aimed to secure a major gain by the end of this interim settlement.

“Now, just some fine-tuning left. Let’s wrap this up outside Byrutz.”

Since it was unclear whether the desired memories were properly stored in the crystal orb, Lennok needed to verify them against Logia’s memories directly. There were still tasks to complete before Logia could be killed outright.

Clang, clang!!

As another train approached from the other side, Lennok unwrapped the mana chains and bound the unconscious Logia’s body.

[We’re lucky it was just in time.]

“The response was better than expected. I almost missed the timing.”

Lennok glanced back at Logia’s collapsed body. As he lay unconscious, the werewolf’s form began to shrink, reverting to human shape. Davi watched the transformation with fascination.

[I once read a paper that claimed that demi-humans are generally closer to humans than beasts, and it seems to be true.]

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have transformed into a stronger wolf when he absorbed my mana.”

Lennok stretched his stiff muscles as he spoke.

“Being closer to humans, his ideal form leaned towards a powerful beast. I wonder if Logia even realizes that.”

Achieving this level without thoroughly honing his talents was a testament to Logia’s extraordinary potential. However, it also made it easier for someone who could discern that gap to exploit it.

Now, all that remained was to lie low until the painkillers wore off, recover his condition, and return to Vulcan. After fighting multiple battles with injuries sustained during the clash with Amrita, Lennok was extremely fatigued. 

Lennok considered catching a nap on the approaching train when he turned towards it—only to lock eyes with a pair of glowing green irises.

“….”

[….]

On top of the swiftly passing train, someone clad in a jet-black suit was crouching and watching him. A thick visor concealed the face up to the nose, and the dark green suit covered the whole body, with ebony hair swaying in the cold night wind.

Although the attire resembled that of Aegis operatives, the aura emanating from this figure was on an entirely different level. It was a faint life signal, barely perceivable even while staring directly at it. Yet the sense of a chilling, unknown presence approached without restraint.

It was a hunter’s gaze—detached, cold, and utterly devoid of emotion. Lennok, feeling this archer-like scrutiny across his body, muttered under his breath.

“This wasn’t part of the plan…”