The airship Soaring Wings has left human territory and officially entered the wildlands of the south.
Along the way, there was surprisingly no obstruction from any hostile side. This situation didn't make the S-rank strongmen put their guard down but rather as they left the human borders they all tensed up. If there was no attack before then now should be the opportune time.
It would be the middle of the night when they reach the location of the labyrinth. There is still a long distance left. After leaving the borders the greenery and plains became commonplace as they kept heading southwards.
The temperature also started to become warmer.
On the ground many monsters and beasts looked at the sky when the shrill noise of the airship breaking through the speed of sound resounded as it passed by. S-rank adventurers can at least cover up their sounds by deploying a Mana Barrier on the body when they fly in supersonic speed but this colossal structure is unable to do so.
That's why it always ends up drawing everyone's attention as it flies by.
In the extreme north more than half of the year is a bitter winter. The time of the competitions and this trip to the labyrinth was in the rare time when warmth spreads to the harsh lands.
Though there is still some time before the labyrinth becomes automatically cleared due to damaged core crystal but if the council delays it any longer then they might have to face the harsh conditions of winter in this trip.
The council is in a hurry for proper reasons.
Inside the airship.
Orion stood up from the stool and looked outside.
A strong fluctuation of Cosmium came from that direction. He also glanced at the remaining seven directions where similar fluctuations could be sensed.
The airship is currently being besieged!
Well, even if it's under siege he won't move from his position. There are sixty S-ranks deployed by the council. Surely they won't be so fragile that he will have to shoulder everything.
What matters to him is that the corridor he guards doesn't see any uninvited guests.
His extrasensory perception was used at its limit as he monitored all the details. Soon, he found seven S-rank coming here in a hurry. They were all familiar faces but Orion only looked at them coldly without any sign of going up to check on them or muttering any words to ask their purpose.
"Oh! Thank goodness. I thought you went somewhere else instead."
"The airship is under siege!! There are close to fifty S-rank who are attacking us."
"We need to provide reinforcement. Your strength will be greatly needed, Orion."
He nodded before replying in a flat tone, "I believe in your strength. I will guard here so you can support outside without any worries. Go on now."
His reply made the faces of these seven change for a second before they said something about leaving it to him and heading outside in a hurry. Suddenly four out of seven slowed down before attacking the other three in their back.
The situation became chaotic as three of them became seriously injured from the sneak attack. They used their trump cards and various skills to block the next attacks while shouting at Orion for help.
However, he remained unmoved and just watched them fight.
"Orion!! Why aren't you helping us!? Quickly attack these traitors! Ahh!! Damn it, Samantha, how could it be you!?"
"Orion, lend a helping hand, my guy!! The injury is worse than it appears, I won't be able to hold on for long."
"Argh! Why are you just watching!? Are you in cahoot with these four?"
The three who were being madly attacked shouted for help but he still remained motionless. Anyways, it doesn't matter whether they die or not. In his priority people in this secret realm can die as much as they want but nothing must happen to the five nobles.
If that were to happen then his head will surely fly next.
Worried that someone might sneak inside the corridor when he left to help them, he made the simple decision to just watch them die. As for feeling guilty, sorry it doesn't exist.
What does it matter if a barely familiar person in this small place died in front of him or far from him? They aren't the ones who're paying his salary nor with the authority over his life and death. Taking risks with his life just to help them would be idiotic.
No matter what happens, he ain't budging!
A few moments later two of three attacked S-ranks died. They were filled with anger and helplessness at the moment of their death. This guy really just stared at them without lifting a finger to help. When have they ever expected to die in such an aggrieved way?
Betrayed by friends and abandoned by others!
The last one wasn't far from death but at the moment those two died the four traitors stopped attacking him. He got up from the ground with a hideous expression, his body tattered with holes and smeared in blood.
He calmly drank some Holy Potions and applied Holy Elixirs on the gaping wounds. The other four have completely changed their stance instantly as they now guarded him while remaining vigilant of Orion's movement.
"Marvelous! Five out of seven turns out to be in the same group. One of them even dared to be attacked like that just so I could be moved to rescue them. Truly marvelous!!"
Orion clapped as he admired the turn of events.
He was indeed suspicious of those seven but even he didn't expect that one of the three being attacked was a mole himself. If he dared to go forward to rescue them then no doubt one of the attacking four would sprint towards the corridor while he would be caught off guard and delayed because of the mole's backstab.
This was a layer by layer acting which was designed meticulously.
Unfortunately, they met him, an imperial citizen who's very concerned about causing any displeasure to the nobles. After all, his life and death is in their hands. He never put the locals' lives in his eyes and neither he felt any guilt or self-blame for not helping them.
Though their plan was brilliant and it might've worked against any other S-rank but it certainly will fail when faced against an outsider like him who subconsciously contempts this small place which can only accommodate Level 1.
It also never flashed past his mind that locals in this Azure Planet could kill the five nobles. Since the Five Founding Families dared to let them enter this realm despite the suppression of their true evolution level then naturally there must be trump cards and various arrangements to ensure their safety.
The empire has vast experience in exploring unknown secret realms so naturally their preparation will be foolproof to ensure that no geniuses will fall in such a small place.
Thus he had no concern about the five nobles' safety but only of his own. He didn't want to try his luck again. At the previous assassination incident he already irritated them once and was fortunate enough to be forgiven because of Lord Umbra's generosity.
The role of a S-rank backer would truly become useless if such a thing happened again. The very reason why he is operating in the secret realm would become redundant and no doubt he will be liquidated for not fulfilling his assigned role.
Ritchie finally restored his health enough to have some combat effectiveness. His expression was incredibly gloomy. He took massive risks and endured great pain to act but that wretched guy didn't even bother to rescue them.
He truly felt his death approaching and wondered if his comrades would accidentally kill him. Fortunately, two innocents died first and the purpose of this act failed. He didn't dare to think whether his "comrades" would have killed him first if the other two didn't die early.
He doubted if they made use of this opportunity to vent on him for any grievances.
"Orion, you're really a cruel man! You could have prevented their death but you refused to help them. I think your personality actually matches with our three factions. How about you join us?"
Ritchie tempted him but his movements didn't pause as he attacked him with the other four. The siege outside wouldn't last for long as reinforcements from the stationed S-ranks inside the airship had gone to assist.
Out of two dozen S-ranks onboard, five of them were traitors and were charged to kill the priority targets from the interior sneakily while there was an external siege from the outside.
From inside and out, this pincer attack was supposed to cause the highest damage possible to the council's interest. Plan did look solid in the paper but reality was disappointing.
Five of them were stuck at the first hurdle!
Among the targets in this airship, all the three hostile factions have marked the five disciples of Ghost Spear Orion as the highest priority target. Even higher than some top A-rank adventurers. The potential shown by them is obviously the tip of the iceberg as none of the opponents in the competition were able to withstand more than two hits.
The three factions don't dare to imagine what kind of menace they will become if they really entered S-rank in the future.
So, the first one to be eliminated as soon as the plan begins were these fives. The more they were delayed to be eliminated the greater the chances are that Orion and other S-ranks would guard them first after realizing their treachery. That's why they must be taken out at the first turn after revealing their true identity.
This way, the three factions can withstand the strategic losses for revealing these five hidden agents to the council. The number of S-rank who serve the three factions inside the council are definitely a small number. Revealing five of them in a single operation is considered a heavy loss but as long as the five disciples were killed the three factions felt that it was worth it.
"Don't bother with this mind game. Since you dare to betray humanity then as a righteous S-rank adventurer I must eliminate you for the greater good."
Orion swept his spear and blocked all the incoming attacks. His tone was awe-inspiring and his expression was heroic. If not for the fact that two S-rank who just died earlier had their cold bodies laying flat in the distance then maybe his words would have been found credible to the five of them.
"Heh! Hypocrites like you are the reason why I hate the council!!"
Samantha, one of the five traitors, sneered as she continued attacking him. She wasn't surprised that five of their attacks were blocked by Orion so easily. The title of contemporary strongest adventurer is not for nothing.
They already expected a tough battle.
Orion was already renowned for his fast leveling speed and lethal spear skills. The record of killing three S-ranks in a few days later made him famous as the contemporary strongest adventurer. Maybe only the ancestors who fought all the directions during that tragic year were of the same caliber as him.
This doesn't actually mean that Ghost Spear Orion can't be defeated.
He only managed to kill three S-ranks because they were all one-on-one fights. If five S-ranks were to attack him at the same time then there is a great possibility that he will fall as long as his escape route can be cut off.
The present situation is such an opportunity.
If he dared to escape then his disciples behind him would be killed. And when he is injured enough due to their concentrated attacks and his instinct for survival prevails it will be all too late.
Five of them have already blocked the escape routes when they began the battle and the injured Orion won't possibly be able to overpower them to pry open a gap in their encirclement. As for attacking the airship and forcefully creating an escape route it's impossible.
This ship's defensive property is sturdy enough that Orion can't break it no matter how much he tried in his peak, let alone after being injured by them. It was really good luck that he was in this part of the airship when the plan began. Killing him is also one of the highest priority in this operation.
With time, place and luck in their hands the five of them were sure to keep him here forever.
"Oh? What's with that confident look? Surely you don't think you can kill me just because five of you are besieging me?"
His mocking tone angered them and just as Ritchie was about to retort his eyes went wide as he felt a strong momentum gathering on Orion's body. The surrounding mana seemed to solidify.
It became sharp like the tip of a spear and the five of them felt as if their skins were being scratched by the sharpness. Faint sounds of bone creaking and muscles tearing came from Orion's body. White smoke rose from the muscles and shrouded his entire body.
They vaguely saw a pair of cold eyes in the smoke, looking at them as if a hungry beast looking at the ignorant prey.
Ignorant of their impending death.