Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

“Relax,” Axel said with a shrug. “This has nothing to do with me.”

He wasn’t lying. But he had expected something like this.

After days of reconnaissance, he was certain: the large-scale movements of the mutated beasts weren’t random. There was a higher will directing them—something intelligent.

…....

The City of Sin Legion set out again.

Once the march began, Axel was surprised to feel Star Guide’s amplification wash over him.

“Not just stronger… higher-tier amplification?” he murmured.

Even without checking system metrics, he could feel the difference. His physique, his Force, even his mental strength had all risen noticeably.

Outside the blockade, mutated beast encounters had been sporadic.

Inside? They surged.

Fortunately, at this point, none of the commanders dared to hold back. They converted stockpiled Originium directly into brutal military-grade Original Instrument firepower. Explosions tore through advancing hordes without hesitation.

The legion pushed forward with surprising efficiency. For a day. Then everything changed.

“Axel,” one commander demanded inside the temporary operations room, staring at the scout footage. “You’re not screwing us over, are you?”

The projection flickered. A blizzard howled across the screen. And beyond the swirling snow—

Mountains. Completely carpeted in mutated beasts. The sight was suffocating. They had barely broken through one encirclement before being trapped inside another.

And now, just as they committed to reaching Northern Spiritual Town, they discovered the mountain range before it was already swarming. The timing felt almost malicious.

Axel watched the footage without blinking. Then he smiled. “Congratulations, everyone.”

The commanders stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “Congratulations?” Valentino snapped. “Have you gone insane?”

“Our choice was correct,” Axel said calmly.

If not for the sea of red eyes in the video, they might’ve believed him. “Yehuda, what nonsense are you spouting now?” Quinlan sneered, unable to hold back.

Axel ignored him entirely. “We came here to rendezvous with Krythos’ fortified pass. That was the objective.”

He gestured toward the screen. “The fact that so many mutated beasts are massed in front of Northern Spiritual Town proves one thing.”

“Krythos hasn’t abandoned it.” He let that sink in. “In fact, it suggests the opposite. There must be a significant defensive force stationed there. Otherwise, why would the beasts commit this many units?”

The room quieted. The logic held. If Northern Spiritual Town were empty, there would be no reason to concentrate forces like this.

Even so, Isos spoke up. “And what does that get us? With that density, we won’t reach the town in time.”

He folded his hands calmly. “Three days. That’s my estimate before the beasts behind us complete their encirclement. At that point, whether Northern Spiritual Town stands or falls won’t matter. We’ll be crushed.”

Axel waved dismissively. “That’s easy.”

“Select elite troops. Break through their outer blockade and deliver our communication equipment to Northern Spiritual Town.”

He looked around the room. Star Guide was the signal source. As long as they had one of our communication units, they could connect to our network.”

Before the operation, he had confirmed this with Lilith. No wonder the legion could still communicate after abandoning the City of Sin—the signal didn’t rely on fixed infrastructure.

“Right now,” Axel continued evenly, “Northern Spiritual Town is heavily besieged. They’re isolated.”

“And they must be desperate.” He leaned forward slightly. “Under those conditions, they’ll need help.”

“And once they realize we’re here?” A faint smile curved his lips. “They won’t hesitate to respond.”

“If someone can establish contact, they’ll definitely coordinate with us,” Axel said, clapping his hands once as if sealing the deal. “They strike from inside, we strike from outside, we tear open the blockade together. Problem solved.” And that—

That had been his goal from the very beginning.

Bring the power of the City of Sin back into Krythos territory… and, while they were at it, stabilize the northern border. After all these days of maneuvering, they were finally standing at the edge of that outcome.

Several commanders’ eyes lit up.

“Clap. Clap. Clap.” Isos applauded lightly. “An interesting plan. Mr. Yehuda must have given this considerable thought.”

Axel sensed the undercurrent in his tone, but he only smiled. “Whether it works is what matters.”

“Very good.” Isos nodded. “The plan is solid. So… who’s going to carry it out?”

Axel waved a hand. “I will.”

No one objected. His strength alone made him qualified—and more importantly, he was a native of Krythos. That increased the odds of cooperation significantly.

Isos shot Saka a glance.

Saka nodded. “I’ll go as well.”

Penny immediately opened her mouth, but Saka gently patted her shoulder and smiled. “Darling, I’m more at ease with you staying here.”

Then Saka’s tone turned formal. “I am the legion commander. If we’re negotiating with Krythos’ forces, I must personally demonstrate our sincerity. Caroline will remain here to stabilize the situation.”

Caroline gave a curt nod. She understood—morale couldn’t be allowed to fracture at this stage.

Isos raised a hand lazily. “I’ll join too. To be honest… I don’t entirely trust you.”

The implication hung in the air. Quinlan immediately followed. “I’m going as well. I want to see whether you’re truly acting in good faith.”

Axel didn’t react to the hostility. He merely smiled. “The more commanders willing to help, the better. But no more than this. Any additional manpower would weaken the defensive line.”

The others agreed.

“Half an hour,” Axel said. “We move then.”

The meeting dispersed.

......

“Hmph. Scheming bastard…” Quinlan muttered, glaring at Axel’s retreating back.

Isos stepped beside him, smiling faintly. “Quinlan, don’t let your hatred show so clearly.”

“Cut the sarcasm.”

“It’s not sarcasm,” Isos replied mildly. “It’s advice. If you can’t hide your emotions… how exactly do you intend to kill Yehuda?”

Quinlan froze. He lowered his voice. “You… volunteered for this mission to kill him?”

Isos tilted his head. “Isn’t that what you did?”

Quinlan didn’t relax. “I have a personal grudge. I fled to the City of Sin because of a vendetta charge. But you? Don’t play dumb with me. You and that idiot Valentino have had your eyes on him for a while.”

He narrowed his gaze. “What’s your angle?”

Isos chuckled softly. “He’s young. Which means resources. And he has no roots in the City of Sin. Removing him won’t destabilize anything. So I thought… why not?”

“Is that so?” Quinlan didn’t seem entirely convinced but didn’t press further. “Are we sure we can pull this off? He’s strong. And he’s slippery. Not to mention Saka.”

Isos’ smile deepened. “It’s simple. There are already mutated beasts everywhere out there. Accidents happen.”

“He’s a close-combat specialist. I’ll pin him down. You handle ranged suppression. Together, we bring him down.”

Quinlan nodded slowly… but hesitation remained.

“You’re worried about Saka?” Isos asked.

Quinlan didn’t deny it. Isos’ voice dropped to a near whisper. “There are no eternal friends. Only eternal interests.”

Quinlan’s eyes flashed. “You mean…”

Isos merely smiled.

“I don’t want his resources,” Quinlan said coldly. “I just want him dead. Anything else is yours.”

“Excellent.” Isos extended a hand. “Pleasure cooperating.” They shook.

......

The City of Sin Legion shifted into a defensive formation. At the same time, a small squad slipped away from the main encampment.

“Mr. Yehuda,” Isos said lightly as they advanced, “you must have some method to avoid detection by mutated beasts, yes?”

“Of course.” Axel smiled. A surge of Force rippled outward from him. In an instant, Isos and Quinlan felt it—

Their life force signatures dimmed dramatically, almost vanishing.

“A group-wide concealment technique?” Isos’ eyes widened. “No wonder you survived so easily in the wilderness… no wonder you found the City of Sin.”

“One of my Original Instruments,” Axel replied casually. “I don’t use it lightly.”

Under the effect of Group Silence, he lied smoothly. There was no way for them to verify it anyway.

They advanced silently, threading through the snow-lashed terrain. Then—

The concealment effect vanished. Completely.

“What the fuck?!”