Endless Debt
Chapter 231 - 22: Stepping Into the Evil Path

Chapter 231: Chapter 22: Stepping Into the Evil Path

In the blood-soaked, corpse-filled church, Palmer clearly heard Bologue’s voice in his mind, followed by a strong release of ether reaction and roaring noises.

Bologue had already engaged with the enemy, from the waves of combat, it looked like two madmen had clashed.

In fact, Palmer quite enjoyed fighting with madmen, that way you don’t have to worry about guessing anything, just find every possible way to kill the opponent.

But now in the deserted church, Palmer’s intuition told him that there was an invisible assassin hiding among them, and he had to find him before he was killed.

The wind howled, and the ether-filled gusts filled the room. It’s said that the old men back home, when their secret energy is fully unfolded, can determine their enemies’ positions and states through the flow of their breath.

Unfortunately, Palmer was only a First Stage Condenser; he couldn’t advance in controlling and sensing the wind. He could only hope the surging wind could temporarily interfere with the enemy, and in this storm-gathering state, Palmer could also release secret energy more quickly.

"Ethereal Concealment?"

Palmer couldn’t temporarily guess the opponent’s secret energy faction, after all, many factions could conceal their whereabouts, such as Commanding Light and distorting it, or the Ascension faction, where they conceal themselves.

But he was sure that the opponent must have mastered Ethereal Concealment, otherwise, the surging ether reaction would easily expose them.

Thinking of this, Palmer felt a bit troubled, ever since becoming a Debtor, he had become somewhat slack and even put aside his own advancement.

Now things were finally on track...though in his view, this track was entirely crooked, but it could be considered a stable job, and he should take it seriously.

"Such a hassle..."

As Palmer complained, a cold arrow sliced through the air silently, yet it still caught his attention.

The fierce wind was his domain, and slight disturbances within it would hardly escape his notice, but such a rapid and deadly approach could not be ignored.

But realizing it took time, and in the moment Palmer sensed and responded, the cold arrow was already at his face, Palmer twisted his body with all his might, and the howling wind hindered the arrow’s advance.

Ultimately, the cold arrow that was supposed to pierce his body merely grazed past him, his clothing was torn, sparks flew from the point of contact, it was his Iron-Repelling Armor that shielded him from injury.

The cold arrow nailed itself onto the statue behind, its tip exuding a black aura of death, coated with poison.

Palmer wasn’t surprised by this, poisoning was standard procedure for assassins, for those hidden in the shadows, silent cold arrows paired with poison were the perfect combination.

But this also meant one thing, once the assassins exposed their trail, their threat significantly diminished.

Palmer immediately used a short knife to pick up a cultist’s corpse, which was hacked in half mid-air, then the fierce wind corroded the body, spilling crimson blood onto the ground.

Thanks to Bologue’s violent actions, the place was piled with fresh corpses, when Palmer was on alert, cutting one corpse after another, a large amount of fresh blood was slapped onto the walls by the gust.

The already sinister crimson church now became even more eerie, the red rain scattered until a few drops of blood remained suspended in the air, unable to descend.

"Found you!"

Palmer happily shouted, pulling the trigger, thunderous sound erupted.

The large-caliber projectile was driven by gunpowder, the wind instantly shifted as if an invisible air wall slammed towards the assassin.

Secret Energy·Wind Source lacked direct destructive power, but like Secret Energy·Summoning Hand, it was highly extensible with great potential extending to different subfields.

The incoming fierce wind made it hard for those inside to breathe, and it blew eyes too shut to open, even if overcoming all this, the wind dragged debris across the ground, causing the enemy’s vision to become chaotic, making it difficult to detect the projectile’s trajectory.

The assassin swiftly shifted his position, realizing Palmer’s intent as blood adhered to his body.

The bullet struck the wall behind, creating a crater, imagining the damage if that projectile hit flesh.

The assassin thought he was safe, but another gunshot followed immediately, tracking his steps.

He tried to see Palmer’s figure, but he was the core of this hurricane, thousands of blood droplets and debris swirling around him, and now the previously invisible wind was given tangible form by this debris.

Subsequently, the gun barrel once again aimed at him.

The assassin understood why he was exposed, the surrounding violent wind gained a tangible form, and in Palmer’s eyes, a volumetric object appeared cutting through the drifting blood droplets and debris.

"Being born into a great family has its advantages!"

Palmer shouted as he pulled the trigger for the third time, and thunder erupted.

As the heir of the Clarks, ever since Palmer implanted the Secret Energy·Wind Source, he underwent extensive training specific to Secret Energy·Wind Source.

From the inception of the Clarks, they have been entrenched in the Wind Source Highlands, chasing the howling winds. The Secret Energy·Wind Source has been passed down from then to now, with each generation of the Clarks documenting their experiences with the Secret Energy·Wind Source to educate future generations.

Thus, during his training, Palmer became adept at using the Secret Energy·Wind Source to combat different types of enemies.

The third bullet grazed the assassin, slicing his skin and drawing a large amount of blood. It also briefly flickered his own secret energy, a faint silhouette appearing amidst the gale.

Palmer frowned. It was clear the assassin knew he couldn’t kill Palmer, and he was preparing to change positions. The most troublesome part was that this guy was much faster than Palmer anticipated. Even though he suppressed the assassin, his gunfire couldn’t land a hit.

He decisively made up his mind, stepping forward to close the distance between himself and the assassin, aiming his revolver at the rapidly moving figure.

Suddenly, the assassin turned. He was originally planning to escape through the door, but abruptly he turned back, raising his hand crossbow, and their gazes intersected.

Releasing a cold arrow and pulling the trigger.

The two actions intersected and then separated. The cold arrow whistled past Palmer’s ear, severing a few strands of hair, and blood blossomed on the assassin’s shoulder. The projectile didn’t hit completely, only grazing him, yet it still drew a large amount of blood.

"Looks like luck is on my side today."

Palmer said nonchalantly, though he felt a slight panic inside. If luck hadn’t been with him just now, that cold arrow might have embedded itself in his chest.

The cylinder rotated, and the fifth bullet was in position.

The assassin realized he was outmatched and stopped making any counterattacks. At this point, he was very close to the door. With his speed, Palmer’s gunfire was unlikely to hit, but suddenly he heard a slight unusual sound.

Amidst the sonata of the gale, there was a hint of discordant tone, which then became high-pitched and piercing, flashing past his side.

The assassin’s figure tilted, uncontrollably falling to the ground. He didn’t understand what had happened, and then he saw his severed tendon and the blood-stained flying knife embedded in the ground.

When did that happen?

The assassin didn’t understand, but soon recalled the moment the gale roared, limiting his vision. From that moment, this flying knife had stealthily lurked within the wind.

The fifth gunshot rang out, and the assassin was struck as if by an invisible heavy punch. After a brief shudder, the bullet pierced through his body, breaking through.

He rolled several times on the ground, seemingly dead, and the glow of the Alchemy Matrix dimmed along with him.

One more bullet remained in the revolver, the expensive Alchemy Warhead.

It seemed Palmer had saved this bullet, but his expression was not relaxed. Recalling his earlier judgments about these cultists, he sensed that this was far from over.

Approaching the corpse cautiously, Palmer kept his gun raised, the muzzle aimed at the head of the corpse. Even without the Alchemy Warhead, the revolver’s power was enough to turn his head into a bloody mist.

A hint of mania swirled around the corpse, unseen in other cultists. Palmer could even faintly hear the sound of flesh writhing.

In the next moment, the assassin suddenly sprang up. Palmer should have pulled the trigger, but thinking of how it was essentially half a month’s wages, he grimaced and, with sheer determination, used the gun butt to bash the assassin’s head, making it bleed profusely.

The assassin drew a sharp short knife, and Palmer swung his folding knife. Metal collided, sending forth a shower of sparks.

During the engagement, the sense of mania became increasingly clear. At that moment, Palmer clearly saw the assassin actually consuming something. He was gnawing on crimson flesh, which he had bitten off from the corpse beneath him when he fell.

The flesh seemed to be a delicacy to him, and as he ate, his own injuries began to heal rapidly, even the fatal wounds eased.

This phenomenon strengthened Palmer’s suspicion that he truly encountered those bastards from the Cult of Decay.

Before he could curse, the assassin advanced with his knife. But then, a booming vibration occurred, causing the entire church to tremble. The ceiling collapsed, massive bricks falling.

Their battle momentarily paused, no words were needed. Palmer kicked at the assassin’s chest, catching him by surprise and flipping him to the ground. By the time the assassin rose, Palmer had disappeared without a trace, and the heavy bricks fell, completely burying the assassin.

As the billowing dust dispersed, Bologue stood atop the ruins, beneath his feet a Howling Bear pierced completely by silver nails.