Master Of Astral Summoner

Chapter 219: The Resonance Breaker

While they followed Chelsie’s father from behind, Chelsie began explaining that her father led the Resistance. Theo frowned when he heard that. His expression stiffened for a moment before he spoke again.

"W-wait, that makes no sense at all." Theo let out a mocking laugh. "So you’re telling me you didn’t even know your father was alive?"

"Uhm... you could say that." Chelsie nodded slowly. "I even thought my father had been dead for a long time." She paused and exhaled softly. "But... I was wrong. My father has been alive all this time."

"Yeah, glad to hear your father is alive." Theo sighed and shook his head. "Just not for us." His eyes turned cold. "He’s the one responsible for all the chaos in Twilight Sanctum, and we need to take him down no matter what."

"W-wait, that’s not true." Chelsie shook her head and tried to convince him. "I know someone controls my father. Just ask Lira and Shaan. I already told them everything about this."

Theo smirked slightly. "Then if it’s not him, how does he manage to—"

Nalira, who walked behind them, suddenly grabbed both of their arms and pulled them behind a nearby wall.

The sudden movement startled Theo. He immediately turned toward her with an annoyed expression.

"Hey, what are you—"

"...Psst. Quiet." Nalira slowly pointed ahead of them. "Chelsie’s father. He stopped again and kept looking around."

"Jeez, what’s wrong with that guy?" Theo whispered back with a frustrated frown. "Why does he keep acting like that? What is he even doing?"

"Uhm... I think he might suspect someone is following him," Chelsie replied. "My father always acts very carefully. He never wants anyone to track him."

"...Then we need to stay even more careful and make sure he never sees us."

When Chelsie’s father started moving again, the three of them resumed their pursuit with extreme caution. None of them wanted to make a mistake and ruin their plan. Step by step, they followed him through the fog. Then, once again, he suddenly stopped.

"Damn, what’s going on now—"

Without giving Theo a chance to finish speaking, Nalira immediately covered his mouth. A moment later, the sound of approaching footsteps drifted through the fog from somewhere ahead of Chelsie’s father. The footsteps grew louder with each passing second until a man stepped out of the mist and approached him.

"Sir, all officers have gathered in front of the cathedral gates. They’re ready to launch the attack."

"Good." Chelsie’s father gave a brief nod. "What about the Resonance Breaker? Did the technicians finish the preparations?"

"Yes, Sir. They completed everything." The Resistance member straightened his posture and saluted. "The engineering team is conducting a final inspection right now to make sure the machine operates without any issues."

"Excellent news." The Resistance leader patted the man’s shoulder. "If this plan succeeds, we’ll finally shatter the defensive barrier protecting the Cathedral and every other fortified location."

"Yes, Sir. I agree." The Resistance member nodded. "We owe all of this to the informant who provided us with that crucial information. Without his help, we would never have learned the truth about the conditions inside the twilight sanctum or how the defense system works."

’An informant?’ Nalira frowned, and tension flashed across her face. ’Damn it. Shaan was right. There really is a traitor inside Twilight Sanctum. But who is it?’

"Haha, exactly." The Resistance Leader let out a satisfied laugh. "Everything is going according to plan. This time, we’ll take control of Twilight Sanctum once and for all."

"Sir, please follow me." The officer lowered his head slightly. "I’ll escort you to the Cathedral Gate. Everyone is waiting for your arrival."

Without wasting any time, the Resistance Leader and his subordinate disappeared into the thick pink fog that still blanketed Twilight Sanctum. Realizing they could lose their targets at any moment, Nalira, Theo, and Chelsie immediately quickened their pace and followed from a distance. Several minutes later, a massive silhouette gradually emerged from the fog ahead of them.

"Oh my God..." Theo stopped for a moment and tilted his head upward, trying to take in the structure’s full size. "That has to be the Cathedral they were talking about." He shook his head in disbelief. "What kind of monster fortress is this?"

"Uhm... but we need to keep moving," Chelsie said nervously. "We have to keep watching them."

"...I agree."

The three of them continued forward until they finally reached the Cathedral Gate. Nalira fell silent as she studied the enormous entrance. She couldn’t see any defensive barrier like the one she had heard about earlier. However, something else immediately caught her attention. A strange machine stood near the gate, facing directly toward the Cathedral entrance.

’...What kind of machine is that?’ Nalira narrowed her eyes.

At first glance, the machine resembled a rocket launcher with a long black barrel. The front of the barrel pointed directly at the cathedral gate, while a large turbine sat at the rear of the device. The turbine slowly rotated, producing a low mechanical hum as it powered the machine. Metal cables and reinforced support frames connected each section together, giving the entire structure a rugged, industrial appearance.

"Is that the Resonance Breaker?" Theo whispered.

"Uhm...I think so," Chelsie replied, unable to take her eyes off the machine. "That machine is kinda suspicious. How does it work exactly?"

For several moments, Nalira couldn’t understand it. She couldn’t figure out why they needed such a strange machine when nothing blocked the cathedral gate. The Resistance Leader could order his men to force the gate open, and that approach seemed far easier.

Nalira even began to suspect that the two men had lied. Then the Resistance Leader did something unexpected. He bent down, picked up a small object from the ground, and threw it directly at the cathedral gate.

’...A transparent energy barrier?’

Tension immediately flashed across Nalira’s face. The instant the object struck the gate, a strange ripple spread through the air. The distortion raced outward at incredible speed, and Nalira watched with her own eyes as a massive transparent wall of energy enveloped the entirety of Twilight Sanctum. A few seconds later, the barrier faded from sight once again.

"Holy sh*t!" Theo rubbed his eyes and stared at the gate in disbelief. "You saw that too, right? Nobody builds defenses like that."

"Uhm... yeah." Chelsie nodded slowly. "But how are they going to destroy a barrier like th—"

’Tap... tap... tap...’

"Ah, Commander." A man in a full uniform stepped forward from the front. A protective mask covered most of his face. "Perfect timing. We’ve been waiting for your order to activate the machine."

"Then activate it immediately."

"Yes, Sir." The officer straightened his posture and gave a firm nod. "Prepare to—"

’RUMBLE!’

The ground trembled beneath their feet.

"Thunder?" The officer frowned and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds had gathered directly above them. "But... how is that possible?"