Chapter 122: 122. infiltration – 5

Benson’s carriage entered the base camp quietly after passing through a basic inspection at the outer gate, where the guards barely spared it a second glance due to Benson’s familiarity and the routine nature of such deliveries.

The wheels rolled over the stone-paved ground with a dull sound as the carriage moved inside the small camp, and from his concealed position, William calmly prepared himself for action.

He took out the Armament Nexus and reshaped it into Crimson Aeon, activating its invisibility trait immediately, because he knew that once movement began, the robe would become a liability rather than an asset.

Even though the robe’s invisibility was far superior to Aeon’s, it restricted movement too heavily during combat, and William at least knew that mobility was more valuable than concealment once blood started spilling.

As the carriage halted in front of the main hall’s entrance, several men wearing black robes similar to Benson’s approached without delay and began disembarking the chained captives one by one, handling them roughly before taking them to the basement.

William quietly activated Eclipse Veil on top of his existing invisibility, even though both effects overlapped, because Eclipse Veil suppressed sound to some extent and would reduce the noise of his movements during this time.

Following Benson inside the main hall, William observed the interior and noticed that people were moving around with panicked expressions and speaking in hushed voices, as if something had gone wrong.

“Act natural and go talk to someone,” William commanded Benson through the slave mark, “Ask them what’s going on.”

Benson complied immediately and approached a nearby cultist, while William lifted his gaze toward the ceiling and noticed that the structure above was an open truss system supported by metal beams and wooden braces.

William quietly climbed along the supporting bars stealthily and positioned himself above the main floor, since below was quite crowded.

From the roof, he could observe everything without bumping into someone and revealing himself.

From that vantage point, he quickly understood the situation.

“My Lord,” Benson’s voice sounded inside his mind, “the beastfolk princess has been caught sneaking around the base.”

William’s lips curved upward beneath the raven mask, and a low chuckle escaped him as he replied mentally.

“So what I expected has come true.”

“I am a genius.” William voiced in his mind with overconfidence.

For a brief moment, Fate seemed to agree with him.

Then, as if fate itself had been waiting for those exact words to leave his mind, it decided to differ and prove him wrong.

BOOM!!

A demonic fire spell slammed directly into the section of the roof where William had been perched moments earlier, shattering wood and metal alike as flames exploded outward.

The roof’s structure collapsed instantly, and William’s figure appeared midair as he dodged at the very last moment, his body twisted smoothly as debris rained down beneath him.

A black-robed cultist stood below, his hands still glowing faintly from the spell he had just released.

William was not worried about being exposed, since the raven mask and dark black attire hid his identity completely, but what truly concerned him was how this man had sensed him at all.

The cultist was only an SS rank.

“I’ll ask him personally,” William decided in his mind calmly.

As he lifted his gaze, he noticed another presence approaching rapidly from another direction, and the silhouette of a dragonkin emerged against the sky, with wings spreading wide as it floated in front of him in a few seconds.

The dragonkin sneered after sensing William’s rank and spoke with open disdain.

“Tsk, another pest.”

William slowly raised his sword and answered in a hoarse, distorted voice.

“What did you say?” he asked quietly. “I dare you to say the same in one minute.”

The dragonkin laughed mockingly.

“Hehe, what are you gonna do, crow?”

“Face-slapping,” William replied with a low chuckle as he opened a portal beside him.

“Play with him for one minute, Sunny.”

“Understood, master.”

Sun-chaser appeared instantly, his massive form blocking the sky as he launched himself toward the dragonkin, and the clash began without waiting.

<< 5 seconds>>

William did not look back at the battle.

Instead, he descended calmly and recalled Benson into the Domain of Infinity, removing him from the field without delay.

<< 10 seconds >>

William appeared in the center of the gathered cultists, who had already drawn their weapons and prepared their spells, their faces twisted with fear and confusion.

“Void Sovereignty Spell, first form: Space Lock.”

“Crimson Aeon Demonic Dragon Transformation.”

“Stellar Fire.”

“Radiant Flash Step.”

<<12 seconds>>

The demonic version of Crimson Aeon rippled violently as its bare metallic teeth shifted and clashed together with anticipation, as if the weapon itself thirsted for blood.

William’s figure erupted into blazing motion, and bodies began splitting apart before the cultists could even register pain.

zinnng!!

William tore through the base like a living grinder, slicing through frozen figures trapped by Space Lock, which had expanded to encompass the entire base.

More than a hundred and thirty cultists were immobilized mid-motion, their expressions locked in terror.

William moved with relentless momentum.

Meanwhile, Crimson Aeon did not cut cleanly.

Its teeth crushed bone, tore flesh, mangled veins, and snapped tendons before severing limbs, turning every strike into prolonged agony rather than swift cuts.

The experience was like a saw cutting limbs; it was painful and slower compared to how clean strikes felt.

Victims experienced only a blinding flash followed by a horrifying crunching sound before pain exploded through their bodies and organs ruptured violently under the sharp teeth of the sword.

<< 20 seconds >>

Some thought themselves fortunate when only their limbs were severed, at least they would live till their leader dealt with this man, but all their hopes were shattered soon.

Stellar Fire infected their wounds immediately, feeding on demonic energy in their bodies like an infection and preventing regeneration entirely.

Their screams pierced the air as the stellarfire made them feel a soul-piercing pain and agony.

William did not pause.

He moved from one cluster to the next, cleaving bodies apart mercilessly as screams echoed throughout the collapsing base.

<< 30 seconds >>

A few attempted resistance, but their bodies refused to move, held in place by unseen spatial constraints they could not comprehend.

“Origin Severance.”

William’s voice rang out coldly as a massive arc of sword energy struck the wooden floor, collapsing the structure beneath him, and at the same time, he dispelled the Space Lock.

The remaining cultists fell downward as the floors gave way, revealing three underground levels, with the lowest clearly designated as a prison area.

William floated above them, his eyes burned with unrestrained focus.

He descended again, moving like an executioner through falling debris and screaming bodies, carving through flesh as if he were shaping raw material rather than killing living beings.

The dragonkin above remained engaged with Sunny and did not witness the massacre below.

William’s expression had twisted into something unrecognizable, as if he were creating art rather than slaughter.

Space Lock activated again, freezing fleeing cultists in place mid-sprint.

Debris from the destroyed structure rose into the air as William activated True Armament Subjugation art, 72-Hand Control.

Massive chunks of stone, metal, and wood floated around him as he raised his hands slowly, sending them high into the sky.

He coated them with the fire element.

With a flick of his wrist, the flaming debris descended like a hellish meteor shower, one by one.

Those struck directly turned into pulp instantly as living bodies burst apart on impact, each collision collapsing more of the underground structure.

All seventy-two fragments fell without mercy, killing almost everyone.

<< 45 seconds >>

When the destruction finally ceased, William descended calmly.

Only one area remained intact.

The prisoners had been shifted aside deliberately and were now enclosed within a barrier formed of Sovereign Sword Intent, untouched by the devastation.

Another isolated barrier protected the SS-rank cultist who had attacked William earlier.

William floated toward the trembling man, who had lost control of his bladder.

“How did you sense me?” William asked in a hoarse and cold voice.

<<50 seconds >>

The man remained frozen in shock.

“SPEAK!!,” William shouted.

“There was interference in the heating formation,” the man stammered. “You were blocking heat.”

William frowned.

“What the hell? It’s not even cold. Why do you need heat formations?”

“It was cold,” the man swallowed nervously.

William executed him immediately, losing interest in further nonsense.

<<Tick tick tick… 55 seconds>>

William appeared before the dragonkin, and Sunny retreated to his side on command.

William pointed downward and said with a smug tone,

“Look down, scummy lizard.”

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