Chapter 323: Mysterious Chain Magic

As the party pushed the door open, some green light blinded them. Giant magical chains were blocking their way.

Josh couldn't help but frown. The chains were bigger than the ones on the largest ships and formed a compact wall.

Actually, they seemed to be curled into a gigantic tight ball that filled the entire room. The issue was that it completely blocked their path to their objective.

He wasn't the only one finding it impressive:

"Oh, fuck no! I'm really getting tired of chains."

"Is there any way to bypass it? What if we dig the walls or floor?"

"Nope, I can sense its energy radiating. This thing doesn't have any opening."

"So what now? I guess we'll have to destroy it somehow, and by we, I mean chain-breaking guy."

They all turned to Josh with expectation. He could only sigh and slowly step forward as he grabbed his weapon, turning it into a large crowbar.

"Wait, that's a morphing weapon, right?"

"Why the hell are you using something so trashy?!"

"You'd be better off with a weapon that deals more damage."

What was that? Josh stared at the Climber who had made the suggestion. "But it can morph," he slowly uttered.

"What good is a weapon if that's all it can do?"

"Hey, don't be rude. It's not his fault if he's poor."

Poor? Josh's problem was that all the fucking Climbers were too goddamn lazy (sane) to do Hellish. He wanted set equipment, not just random gear!

Lana then suggested:

"You can have a blacksmith or an enchanter reinforce it. It might be hard to get compatible materials, but it's an alternative. Anyway, let's focus on the current issue."

Josh nodded, making a mental note to check it out later.

He stuck the crowbar in there as if a lever and exerted force while emitting killing intent. But in reaction, the chains suddenly came to life! They began wriggling akin to an endless snake, one evading the killing intent.

"Wow! Whatever you did, it's super effective."

"Do it again and open a path for us."

"We'll be in there in a jiffy!"

They couldn't help but rejoice at how well this was working. By now, they really couldn't deny Josh's capabilities.

"Alright, follow closely behind then," Josh instructed as he began walking.

As he kept sending killing intent outward, the chains moved out of his way. The Climbers nodded as they quickly followed—or tried.

The chains quickly slapped the guy in front, sending him flying at an incredulous speed.

— BAM! —

— Crack! —

He crashed into a nearby wall as he began coughing a ton of blood. He seemed completely paralyzed and had multiple broken bones for sure. It had been far too fast for anyone to react in time!

"What the fuck was that?!"

"It's like the chains will only allow him to pass."

"This is crazy! How is that even possible? It doesn't make sense."

As they seemed puzzled, one of them suddenly gasped, sending killing intent Josh's way for a slip second. But he quickly recomposed himself and whispered something in the recruiter's ear.

The recruiter seemed to become wary of him.

What had that even been about? How was he concerned? He was certain that he hadn't shown any clue as to his real purpose.

That's when Lana spoke:

"Can you proceed and scout the situation? If there isn't anyone defending it, you could just destroy the core. With the barrier down, reinforcements will be able to enter."

Josh wordlessly nodded and headed deeper. He didn't want to get stuck in this place either. He soon had the feeling of being inside a green sea. Green was all he saw during a few peaceful minutes, finally reaching the interior.

He instantly noticed the glowing yellow core that was floating in the middle of the room. The issue was that a man was reading in its proximity.

He wore a white joker mask along with a black suit, black gloves, and shiny black shoes. The guy reminded him of a butler, a very peaceful one, as peaceful as the green sea.

Somehow, his instinct was telling him to be extremely careful. Raising his head, the man elegantly waved at him.

"Hello and welcome to my temporary lair. Today sure is a nice day, isn't it?"

"Honestly, it could have been better. I was minding my own business when gas began gushing everywhere, and then people tried to kill me." Josh complained.

"Oh my. I'm very sorry to hear that. These things regrettably happen." He shook his head.

"So, what brings you here? Did you forget to pay your rent and figured you might as well squat here?" Josh inquired.

"Close, but no. I must admit that it is so easy to forget about something as mundane as Credits." He lightly chuckled.

So far, he hadn't given many clues to his identity or power. But, if he truly was the man who had created the chains, he was bound to be relatively powerful.

"So, what's your goal here?" Josh directly asked.

"Oh my, what happened to small talk? Aren't humans supposed to utter pleasantries for a while before discussing anything serious?" He seemed perplexed.

"Alright, It's fine if you don't wish to speak. If you'll excuse me, I'll access this core behind you."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." He refused.

"Why so?" Josh carefully asked.

"Simply because I require it."

"Is that so?"

"Well, yes. The warm yellow glow is just perfect for illuminating the pages."

"I'm sure these nearby chains would do the trick just fine." Josh felt this guy sure was peculiar.

"No, no, no. There is a vast difference between yellow and green. Do you know what it is?"

"..."

"It is a very key difference. It is red! Without red light, my hands are tied." He innocently shrugged.

How was he supposed to deal with this guy? He didn't seem to have any interest in fighting or fleeing. Was he even an enemy?

"What are you reading?" Josh curiously asked.

"An enlightening read concerning animalistic behaviors: from ingrained survival mechanisms to habits developed in reaction to the environment. It is quite fascinating!" He had wonder in his voice.

"I see. How long are you planning to read here, then?"

"Until what is happening outside somehow concludes. It is almost as interesting as my book."

This guy was reading about animalistic behavior and was now analyzing humans. Was he even with the Anti-Fallen? Probably not. Josh didn't feel the same profound hate in him, only curiosity. Chances were that he was nothing but a crazy guy that they had somehow convinced to help.

"How can you see anything from this lonely room?"

"Trying to gleam information, are you? Then again, I do not mind sharing, haha. I can witness anything that my link magic sees. For instance, I can see the people outside this very room."

The more he heard and the stronger this ability felt. Who the heck was he?! Perhaps Dario or someone at the MTA would know.

"Say, would you like to watch?" The man magnanimously offered.

"For sure."

The man waved his hand, and a colossal chain moved nearby. Oh god, if he could control them so easily, couldn't the man slap him to death?! But that wasn't all. He also emanated some strange deep, and unfathomable power.

How long had it been since he had felt so largely outclassed?

The gods? They could only appear briefly.

The rankers? He was confident that he'd reach their level eventually.

That one guide? She was the last one that had made him feel this way.

But, there was no terror with this man. He felt....calm, too calm. As if he had ceased being human and was nothing more than peaceful green. That didn't make sense, but that's how he felt!

"Here, observe carefully."

The chain suddenly started to ripple before forming an image. It was the entrance of the room. The Gemini party was assembled and discussed in low voices.

"I'm sure of it. He's with them!"

"What do you mean?"

"It's obvious! How is he the only one able to destroy the chains? How wasn't he affected by the illusion? He's the caster!"

"That doesn't make much sense. The others wouldn't have tried killing him if that was the case."

"Perhaps they had a falling out. What if he's some kind of enchanter? Maybe it takes him a long time to cast these chains! Maybe he can only remove them upon contact!"

"What if he isn't? There are many powers in this world."

"Still, it's far too coincidental. At first, I thought so too but remember. When he was making his way through these giant chains, he didn't use magic at all!"

"You mean?"

"Yes! It's impossible to cast a spell without mana, but there are many that can still be controlled afterward."

"So you're saying that he can control the chains whenever he comes near them?"

"Exactly!"

"It all comes together now."

"I swear that guy kept giving me weird vibes."

Josh couldn't help but feel at a loss. These blind bastard sure were quick to profess his guilt.

"I don't think that's right. He definitely used some kind of power to keep the chains at bay. It simply wasn't a conventional one." Lana lightly uttered.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever it is, he definitely has tons of worthwhile information. The next time you see him, capture him, and we'll bring him back to Gemini and slowly extract all he knows." The recruiter instructed, his tone assured and steady.

That's when the chain rippled once more, with the image disappearing. Had it all been true? Josh felt that it was quite possible and logical. It would explain the looks he had received before entering this place.

That's when he heard the calm voice of the mysterious man once more.

"So? Seeing what they are planning, what will you do?"

Josh could almost picture the curious grin under his mask...

Creator's Thought

This man always gave me strange vibes, every single time I met him. I never truly could fathom who he truly was. Sure, there was the obvious...but I think even he didn't understand his own identity. Well, not fully anyway.