Chapter 379 See You Again 2 (1/2)
Just moments after the hurricane swept through the Estrella Region and devastated all flora and fauna that thrived within its borders, hundreds of experts from the Alliance rode in on their Pegasus and Gryphons, bringing forth a line of divine light and hope to the decrepit land. For Meijing Bingying and Elder Baobiao, calling for help from the Alliance was as easy as blowing a whistle. In less than six hours, the entire region had been surrounded by hordes of Spirit Lords and Spirit Kings, with a handful of Spirit Emperors leading the charge.
Once the Alliance had gotten wind that Junius, as well as a possible Tier 9 Spirit Beast,was residing inside of the Crypts of the First Men, they had dispatched all of their fastest riders to surround the area to prevent the Black Masks from escaping to safety. Simultaneously, they had ordered a full-on march of a few thousand troops to encircle the Estrella Region with four groups of White Knights overseeing the whole operation.
For the Alliance, Shin's discovery was potentially the most significant blow to the Black Masks since the war against them had begun. If they could nab one of the executives in the syndicate that had planned the massacre in the Land of Dreams, the Alliance would gain their first real win in this war. Therefore, they didn't want to mess it up. Pouring all sorts of resources to keep their caged rat trapped, by the end of the day, there was already an encampment set up just outside of the Ancient Graveyard, with the entire Estrella Region cordoned off from the public.
The cries of the tamed Spirit Beasts thundered through the crudely made tents as the luminescence of the full moon shone down on the encampment. Shin and his few Lantis Republic mates were reporting straight to the commander about their encounter with Junius and had recounted the might of the hurricane which helped them to escape.
”Elder Baobiao… Even you couldn't stop them from running?” Seated at the opposite end of the tea table, a sombre tone called out to the elderly man. Donned in a resplendent golden armour, the matured woman who seemed to be at the peak of her prime cautiously questioned the Spirit Venerate.
”I could have, but if I did, these youngsters here would have been blown away as well.” Elder Baobiao lazily replied. ”My job here is a guard not to arrest Black Masks. When it came down to it, I chose the safety of these kids over taking hold of those criminals. I hope that's not an issue.”
”How could I blame you?” The woman shook her head while looking at the two younglings seated to his left and right. One was considered to be the most peerless female cultivator in the Lantis Republic and was already an accomplished name in the cultivation world. The other was perhaps the most prodigal cultivator in the world, so much so that two of the world's superpowers nearly waged war against one another for his signature. If she were in his shoes, the White Knight would have unquestionably prioritised their safety over nabbing a few Black Masks. ”These are just procedures. After a few more questions, you'll be free to go.”
The woman tapped on the desk twice before crossing out some of the irrelevant queries that would only serve to waste time. After turning the pages once or twice, the lady commander looked at the black-haired young man, deciding to conclude their meeting with a few short queries.
”Shin Iofiel. Your mission for scouting the Estrella Region has proven to be a success. You have eliminated most of the places that we never knew existed and had circled down the potential Black Mask retreat routes. The headquarters would be pleased.”
”I can't take all the credit. I had an amazing team and had assistance from a fantastic guide.” Shin shook his head and listed the names of his friends and the young thirteen-year-old that had shown him the way.
”So I've heard.” The White Knight nodded her head. ”Nonetheless, your contributions would be recorded accordingly, and the Alliance would reward you handsomely. If we really catch Junius and whatever else the Black Masks are hiding, we would take one step closer to ending this long-drawn war.”
Hearing that he would be rewarded didn't really put a smile on Shin's face. Instead, his eyes dropped, and his lips began to twitch, prompting the commander to examine the young man once more. ”Is there something wrong?”
”May I be forefront?”
”Sure, go ahead.”
”I don't want to be rewarded handsomely. All I want is to be there when the Alliance arrests Junius once and for all.” Shin declared, his posture as straight as can be. Shin had been chasing after Junius for the better part of six years. He had trained tirelessly to improve himself so that he could personally nab his fallen brother and bring him to justice. Now that Junius had been cornered, there was no way that Shin would squander this chance. ”Please! I can work as a porter or a cleaner. Just let me be there when Junius is finally brought to justice!!!”
”...”
The White Knight furrowed her brows and seriously considered letting the boy join their final assault. No one knew how fortified the Crypts of the First Men were. Though they had raided dozens of Black Masks bases, they had never infiltrated one where a leading executive stayed. Not to mention, there was still the mysterious force that created the hurricane just moments prior. To call the mission risky was an understatement and having young geniuses such as Shin partake in such an endeavour could be catastrophic. However, as someone who had lost some of her loved ones in the war against the Black Masks, the White Knight Commander could understand a little of Shin's frustrations.
”We can't let you join the main force… But I'll tell you what. When the fighting begins, I'm sure that the Black Masks would send thousands of Spirit Beasts to overwhelm our forces. You can join the backlines to help us thin out the numbers. Once it's safe, I'll give you a few minutes to talk to the Blade of Death before he gets moved to Alliance headquarters.”
”Deal!!!” Shin immediately agreed. He feared that the Alliance would instantly send him home now that his mission of scouting the area was over. Fortunately, the White Knight Commander was emphatic to his drive and gave him a minor role. At long last, his six years of training, pouring out blood, sweat and tears, could come to a conclusion with Junius' capture.
The golden-armoured lady smiled and folded the papers before her. ”That's all for now. Once reinforcements arrive, we will begin out assault on the Crypts of the First Men. All of you should take a well-deserved rest.”
”Thank you, ma'am!!!” Shin saluted the commander while Meijing Bingying and Elder Baobiao snickered.
Leaving the tent with the red-faced young man who had seemed to have finished a marathon, the sky-blue haired maiden turned around and pulled on the youth's ear. ”Hoho, you sure have some guts. Getting into a war when we're sent specifically to protect you.” Meijing Bingying jokingly chided the young man.
”I didn't mean to! I just...”