NOVEL NEXT Chapter 70 : Uninvited Guests
Throne Room of Azaroth, July 15, 19:00.
An unexpected barrier emerged during Operation: Azaroth Typhoon, blocking access to the dungeon and the massive chasm. This, of course, caused a significant setback for Operation: Azaroth Typhoon.
Alice didn't want to waste any time, so she immediately reassigned half the staff from Operation: Azaroth Typhoon to other tasks. Aurelle was also withdrawn from the operation.
The troops involved in Operation: Azaroth Typhoon were ordered to surround the dungeon and the chasm to prevent the enemy from entering if the barrier opened.
Currently, Alice is summoning Aurelle and Boo to the throne room to give them a new mission. She doesn’t want to waste her subordinates' efforts and aims to use them as effectively as possible.
During the holidays and the past few days, Alice has been thinking a lot, and she has noted everything down in a small notebook to avoid forgetting.
Now, Alice is sitting on her throne in the throne room, with Aurelle and Boo kneeling before her.
"I am summoning you because there is an important task for both of you," Alice said.
"What task is that Alice-sama?" they replied in unison.
Alice then stood up from her throne.
"Sooner or later, we will need revenue from this world. We can't rely on the treasures from Azaroth forever, as they may run out one day," she explained.
"For this reason, Aurelle, I will entrust you with establishing a trading company named Omega Corporation, which will eventually control the world's economy," she continued.
"Aurelle, you can also recruit talented subordinates from this world. For the details, take this," she said as a black portal appeared beside her. Alice retrieved a journal from the portal and handed it to Aurelle.
"I understand, Alice-sama. Thank you very much," Aurelle replied, bowing deeply.
"And, Aurelle, Omega Corporation will operate on the side of good, but its goal is singular: exploitation and monopoly," Alice stated firmly.
She then retrieved another journal from the black portal beside her.
"Boo, you will establish a dark organization called Dark Origins. Recruit and train talented individuals from this world who have already fallen into darkness," Alice instructed.
"For the details, take this," she added, handing the journal to Boo, who then bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Alice-sama," Boo responded.
"Aurelle, have all your subordinates and staff left Operation: Azaroth Typhoon?"
"Yes, they have left as per Alice-sama's orders."
"Good, once everything is ready, proceed with your task."
"Understood, Alice-sama."
After ensuring everything was settled, Alice quickly left the throne room.
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Great Hall, Great Zitadelle, Zlaburg City, Lunarian Theocracy
Lunarian Theocracy can be considered the only nation with a theocratic system, and it has a singular religion, the Lunarian faith, which worships the Goddess Lunarian.
It is one of the most influential countries in the Western continent, along with the Navian Empire, the Igrasian Empire, and the Demon Lord Domain.
Currently, several high-ranking officials of the Lunarian Theocracy are in discussion. In the previous meeting, it was decided that they would improve relations with the Navian Empire and send an intelligence team to the Abyssal Forest.
A newly formed team from the Lunarian Theocracy called the Blue Blood Team, is led by a Reincarnator named Kelton.
"Has the Blue Blood Team departed?"
"Yes, they left a few days ago. They should reach the Abyssal Forest in three days."
"Good, it’s crucial for them to gain experience, especially since many of them are young and eager."
"Hoho... That reminds me of when I was young."
"They have also been equipped with powerful items, so we don’t need to worry about them. Besides, we have that technique."
"Indeed, as long as we have their blood and with the blessing of the Goddess Lunarian, we can summon them back from death, even though they will lose a few levels if they die."
"Yes, that's a risk for not being able to protect oneself."
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The Border between the Igrasian Empire and Abyssal Forest, July 18, 11:00 AM.
The border between the Igrasian Empire and the Abyssal Forest consists of a series of not-too-high mountains, creating a natural barrier separating the territory of the Igrasian Empire from the Abyssal Forest.
In a mountain valley, a group of people can be seen traveling. They are dressed in different outfits and appear to be a group of wanderers. Most of them look young, estimated to be between 18 and 22 years old, though there is a man who appears to be around 40.
There are seven of them, all from the Lunarian Theocracy. Despite their appearance as wanderers, they are an elite force from the Lunarian Theocracy sent to the Abyssal Forest to gather information: the Blue Blood Team.
During the monthly meeting of the high-ranking officials of the Lunarian Theocracy, everyone agreed to send the Blue Blood Team to the Abyssal Forest.
Its leader, Kelton Weisse del Tasshe, is a reincarnator from Earth who has reached level 150 and is one of the strongest individuals in the Lunarian Theocracy. At around 23 years old, he possesses many powerful skills, like other reincarnators.
He has black hair that is neatly arranged like a high-ranking noble. His handsome face is complemented by blue pupils that resemble gemstones. Standing at approximately 185 cm tall, he wears a white robe that covers him from neck to feet.
Despite being a reincarnator and handsome, Kelton has a less-than-pleasant personality; he always appears arrogant and haughty, feeling he has reached the pinnacle. However, Kelton can become very cautious when facing an enemy of equal strength.
In this world, Alice is not the only reincarnator, but she is a special one because she has become a character from the game she played.
“Stop, let’s rest here,” Kelton said.
They had been walking non-stop since the night, and according to Kelton, it was time to rest. Before reaching the Abyssal Forest, they had to pass through the Igrasian Empire.
Normally, if a nation’s troops enter another country, it would be considered a violation of sovereignty and could potentially provoke a conflict. However, this group used some tricks to reach the border between the Abyssal Forest and the Igrasian Empire.
Here is the list of Blue Blood Team members:
- [Leader] Kelton Weisse del Tasshe (Level 150)
- Lisa Sanford el Migard (Level 132)
- Edward Weaver (Level 141)
- Cliff Weichs (Level 124)
- Nash Hayes (Level 121)
- Madadh Connor (Level 126)
- Catrinna Hennesh (Level 134)
“Alright, my de-ar leader,” said Lisa.
Lisa Sanford El Migard, from her name, can be seen to be of noble descent, as her name consists of four words.
In this world, having a four-word name usually indicates noble lineage and a name with five or more words indicates royal lineage.
Although Lisa is now part of the Lunarian Theocracy’s special forces, she originally came from the nobility of the Navian Empire. During the great civil war between the Emperor's faction and the Ice Princess's faction in the Navian Empire, Lisa's family was killed by both sides, accused of conspiring with the Lunarian Theocracy.
Kelton decided to calm them both down, as unnecessary conflict would be highly detrimental, especially given that they were currently in enemy territory.
As the night wore on, Kelton and Lisa chose to move a little away from the others. Of course, the other members knew exactly what they were doing, and it was quite commonly understood among them.
"Goodness, they have a lot of passion," remarked Connor.
Connor, like Kelton, is a reincarnator but has developed much more slowly compared to Kelton. He plays the role of a pure gunner and always carries a long-barreled rifle wherever he goes.
The rifle Connor uses is a magic rifle, and he is the only one who possesses it. No one knows its origin.
Connor has messy blond hair, tired-looking eyes, and an expression that makes him seem lazy. Despite this, he is competent and very reliable in any situation.
Usually, Connor stays in the back because his job is to eliminate enemies from a distance.
"Oh, come on, Connor, they're just young people in the prime of their passion, hahaha," said Edward.
"It's disgusting that they're doing it out in the open."
"Hahaha... Do you want to join in, Connor?"
"Don't joke around! I'd rather practice my shooting skills."
"Mmmmh... Ettoo..."
Catrinna's face turned red, and she seemed quite confused because the topic they were discussing was too mature and very inappropriate for her.
Catrinna is a magician specializing in necromancy, a shy woman who wears glasses. Despite this, Catrinna's abilities cannot be underestimated, as she is one of the necromancer geniuses in this world and has greatly contributed to the study of the undead.
Cliff and Nash remained silent. They are siblings with such weak presences that their existence is often hard to notice. No one knows their origins, not even the other Blue Blood Team members.
The two rarely speak but are highly skilled and competent when given a task. Kelton often relies on Cliff and Nash to handle difficult missions because of their exceptional talents.
The night passed very peacefully, with no attacks from undead or monsters, though faint sounds of a woman screaming could be heard. They were able to rest quietly that night.
The next morning, they decided to continue their journey deeper into the Abyssal Forest to gather information. However, as they descended the mountain, something happened.
They all stopped moving.
“Be careful... The ground is moving,” someone warned.
“Everyone, stay alert!” Kelton ordered.
The entire Blue Blood Team was now on high alert, ready to face a possible battle.
The bright morning atmosphere began to darken, and fog started to envelop the entire area as if the Blue Blood Team had entered a forbidden zone.
Shortly thereafter, thousands of undead emerged from the ground, ready to block the Blue Blood Team from venturing deeper into the Abyssal Forest.
“They’ve finally arrived,” Kelton said with a serious expression, narrowing his eyes and pointing his sword at the approaching undead.
(After Operation: Azaroth Awakening was completed, all the undead and demons that participated in the operation were spread throughout the Abyssal Forest to patrol. These were all mid-level undead and demons.)
(Meanwhile, the forces used in Operation: Azaroth Typhoon were different, consisting of a combination of high-level undead and demons.)
