The traitorous native of the Xianzhou Luofu remained oblivious to what was about to happen, continuing to oversee the placement of the container.
"Are you sure about this? The Cloud Knights might inspect this container. The Luofu is already in a situation where everything needs to be checked."
One of the men voiced his concern. He had no desire to end up in Shackling Prison—or worse, be killed. He simply wanted to live forever.
"Stop talking. What's there to worry about?" The man in charge dismissed his concerns with a wave of his hand.
"All we need to do is follow their orders, and we can ascend. We will become immortal, unlike those short-lived species still clinging to their foolish rules."
"But what if the Cloud Knights still come to inspect it?"
The man deliberately lowered his voice as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a token.
"I was once a high-ranking Cloud Knight. All I need to do is show them this."
"Oh! As expected of you, Sire!"
The man's doubts vanished almost immediately, and he eagerly returned to his duties.
"Though..." the leader muttered under his breath,
"it would be much better if no one came to inspect this and simply turned a blind eye."
He had once been a rather high-ranking Cloud Knight. But after witnessing the carnage brought by the Mara and Borisin, his perception of the Abundance had gradually changed.
He no longer saw it as a curse.
He saw it as a gift waiting to bloom in the hands of those worthy enough to receive it.
He had convinced himself that he was chosen—not because he had merely survived, but because he had seen through the so-called curse.
If only he could receive the direct blessing of Yaoshi, then he would truly be able to escape this cursed place.
That was his genuine goal.
It was not driven by madness, nor some twisted desire for destruction.
He simply wanted to live longer.
"Alright, wrap everything up." He clapped his hands, drawing the attention of his men. "Don't let any Cloud Knight notice your unusual behavior. We cannot afford to raise their suspicion."
Just a little longer.
She had promised that once she acquired that tree, he too would ascend.
But fate was a miserable thing.
"Ahh—help me!"
A scream suddenly tore through the air.
"You—aren't you a traitor?!"
"Master!"
A cold breeze swept across the harbor.
Then came the slash.
It carried boundless rage, accompanied by an ice so frigid that even the air itself seemed to freeze.
Blood sprayed through the air before crystallizing into red shards of ice. Their legs froze solid, leaving them completely unable to move.
Jingliu had arrived.
And she began massacring the traitors.
One after another, they fell beneath her blade. Their desperate pleas for mercy meant nothing. Not a single one was spared.
"Y-you..." The former Cloud Knight stumbled backward before falling onto the frozen ground. His trembling finger pointed toward the ethereal woman standing before him.
"I know you..."
The ground around Jingliu had been completely frozen. The air itself was as cold as the summit of the highest mountain.
Yet Jingliu did not even glance at him.
She did not acknowledge his existence.
He knew her.
One of the High-Cloud Quintet.
The Sword Champion.
The woman who had single-handedly defeated Hoolay.
She should have been banished after the battle between the High-Cloud Quintet and Shuhu.
So why...?
Why was she here?!
While fear and confusion consumed his thoughts, another presence approached.
Gilgamesh followed behind her, the golden soles of his footwear crunching against the frozen ground.
"Hm. Not bad for a cleanup."
He paid no attention to the surviving man. Instead, his scarlet eyes remained fixed upon the containers.
"It seems bringing the dogs of the Destruction is also part of that Envoy's plan."
Jingliu slowly returned to her senses and walked toward him. Her ruby eyes stared at the containers without emotion.
"Antimatter Legion?" she asked. "Here, inside these containers?"
She found the idea doubtful. Those creatures hardly possessed the temperament to remain idle inside such cramped spaces.
"Indeed."
Gilgamesh's expression remained composed.
"Perhaps their objective was to create a disturbance while their Envoy carried out the true objective. A rather thorough plan, I must admit."
His gaze sharpened.
"Using the chaos spreading throughout the Luofu while bringing an external force as bait... all while the Envoy has already accomplished their true purpose."
Jingliu slowly nodded as she understood his reasoning.
"And what are you going to do about this?"
Gilgamesh merely sneered.
Twenty golden portals suddenly rippled into existence above the containers.
Weapons emerged from within them.
Swords.
Axes.
Lances.
Spears.
Countless treasures of every shape and form descended from the golden gates.
Then—
They were fired.
The weapons crashed into the containers one after another, unleashing a series of relentless explosions that shook the entire harbor.
Gilgamesh deliberately chose weapons rather than relying upon his staff or magecraft.
Efficiency.
That was what mattered now.
He was no longer the same king who indulged in unnecessary displays of power.
"Naturally."
His scarlet eyes watched the burning containers.
"I dispose of it."
The barrage of weapons finally ceased.
The container was no longer recognizable, reduced to little more than scattered wreckage. Golden blood stained the ground amidst the remnants of the destroyed cargo.
Jingliu stood silently, her expression unchanged as she observed the destruction Gilgamesh had wrought.
She already knew of his abilities and understood just how powerful he was. Yet even with the speed of those weapons, she could still perceive their trajectories—and, more importantly, the strange and overwhelming power emanating from them.
Boom!
Jingliu's thoughts were interrupted.
Her ruby eyes immediately turned toward one of the remaining containers.
Its surface was already covered in deep dents.
Then—
A black blade suddenly tore through the metal, ripping the container open.
Several Antimatter Legion soldiers emerged from within.
Jingliu did not hesitate.
Her figure flashed forward, and her blade swept through them before they could properly react. Their ranks were among the lowest within the Legion, making them little more than fodder before her overwhelming swordsmanship.
One after another, they were cut down.
Yet before Jingliu could even lower her blade, another series of loud impacts echoed through Cloudford.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
More and more dents appeared across the remaining containers.
"...Why are they moving now?" Jingliu asked.
"Perhaps they have these things called 'power buttons.'" Gilgamesh sneered casually, still standing exactly where he had been.
Jingliu turned toward him with a cold glare.
"Your attempt at humor is distasteful."
Gilgamesh simply laughed, clearly amused by her reaction.
Jingliu ignored him.
She moved again.
Slashing.
Thrusting.
Freezing.
Repeating the same movements with ruthless efficiency.
Before long, the containers that had concealed the Antimatter Legion were reduced to nothing but scattered wreckage. What had once been a busy section of Cloudford was now little more than a ruined dock.
Jingliu released a soft sigh.
The black blade in her hand dissolved into golden particles before vanishing into the King's Vault.
She briefly felt the emptiness left behind by the weapon, but chose to ignore it.
Instead, she walked toward the surviving man still lying on the frozen ground.
"You."
Her voice was cold and direct.
"Where is the Envoy of Destruction?"
"I-I don't know! Please, spare me!"
The man trembled violently. He knew his own limitations and was not foolish enough to challenge this monstrous woman.
"Lying will get you nowhere."
Jingliu raised her foot.
Then brought it down upon his hand.
A sharp, sickening crack echoed across the ruined dock.
"AAAGH!"
The man screamed in agony.
His legs remained frozen, leaving him completely helpless. He could only wonder if he might have escaped while Jingliu and Gilgamesh were speaking.
But that chance was gone.
Jingliu stared down at him with cold, ruby eyes.
"Where is the Envoy of Destruction?"
She repeated the question, her voice devoid of patience.
"I truly don't know! I was only ordered to place this container!" the man pleaded through gritted teeth.
"Wait, Jingliu."
Gilgamesh stepped forward, his majestic presence immediately overshadowing the man before him.
"Your method of interrogation is worse than child's play."
Jingliu's teeth clenched.
This king...
He was truly becoming a pain in her head. Perhaps she should never have fought him if this was the fate that awaited her.
"You, mongrel."
Gilgamesh's crimson eyes narrowed as he gazed down at the trembling man.
"I shall not ask twice, nor shall I entertain excuses. You have five seconds to speak."
He paused, his voice carrying the absolute authority of a king.
"Tell me what you know. Otherwise, this king shall deem you guilty and cast you into a cage of wild beasts, where you may serve as their next meal."
Jingliu's expression twitched.
"That is not an interrogation."
The audacity of this golden bastard to criticize her interrogation when his method was hardly any different.
"Fool."
Gilgamesh glanced toward her.
"A king does not ask nor question a criminal."
A faint, arrogant smile appeared on his face.
"What he offers is a choice."
His gaze returned to the trembling man.
"Whether he begs for mercy… or is thrown away."
That's even worse than an interrogation, bastard!
Jingliu's right eye twitched.
She could only release an exasperated sigh.
"I... I truly don't know anything! I swear—"
"Silence, you cur!"
Gilgamesh's voice suddenly snapped across the ruined dock.
A golden ripple appeared behind him as the Gate of Babylon opened. From within it, he reached inside and pulled out a magnificent golden mirror before tossing it toward Jingliu.
Jingliu narrowed her eyes but caught it with one hand.
"Let him speak," Gilgamesh ordered. "Let the mirror do its work. The truth shall reveal itself."
"Why me?" Jingliu questioned. "Would it not be better for you to do it yourself, considering you know how it functions?"
"You are my attendant, as well as my slave."
Gilgamesh spoke as though the answer were obvious.
"A king does not lower himself into the same dirt as commoners."
"...You and that arrogance of yours."
Jingliu sighed before reluctantly accepting the task.
She raised the golden mirror toward the trembling man.
"Where is the Envoy of Destruction?"
The moment she asked, the mirror began to glow.
The man's eyes widened.
Then, as though compelled by an invisible force, the truth poured from his mouth.
He revealed everything he knew—the transaction, the orders he had received, the purpose of bringing the containers into the Luofu, and the plan to unleash chaos throughout the ship while the Envoy carried out their true objective.
Yet when it came to the Envoy's identity or whereabouts, there was nothing.
He simply did not know.
Jingliu silently memorized every piece of information the mirror revealed.
Once she had heard enough, she lowered it.
"That's all."
An ice blade instantly formed within her hand.
Before the man could utter another word, Jingliu's sword flashed.
His voice fell silent.
The frozen blade disappeared into the air, leaving only a thin trail of frost behind.
Jingliu turned toward Gilgamesh.
"There."
———
Got fired by my job so I guess I'll use this time to write this time, no lie. I am now a bum.