Master Of Astral Summoner

Chapter 220: Beneath the Mask

Another flash of lightning streaked through the mass of clouds overhead, followed by a peal of thunder even louder than before. Nalira fell silent. At that very moment, memories from the past rushed into her mind. The hooded figure who had murdered her family. The figure that continued to haunt her thoughts.

"Jeez, looks like it’s going to rain soon." Theo looked up at the sky, watching the clouds grow darker. "That’s strange—why is this happening?"

’...Just calm down.’ Nalira clutched her shirt tightly while trying to steady her racing heartbeat. ’Don’t make the others panic.’

"Lira, are you okay?" Chelsie immediately turned around and gently patted Nalira’s hand. "Everything will be fine, Lira."

"...I’m fine." Nalira exhaled, trying to stay calm. "Thank you, Elsie."

Raindrops slowly began to fall, dampening the ground beneath them. As the rain continued, the thick pink mist that filled the Twilight Sanctum gradually thinned. The surroundings became clearer and clearer.

Soon, Nalira could finally make out the shape of the Resonance Breaker, a weapon large enough to dwarf most conventional firearms.

"Commander, this is serious," said the officer, his voice beginning to sound panicked."The rain is already weakening the pink mist’s effects."

"Strange. I accounted for everything, including situations like this. Rain shouldn’t fall during Lunaris Revia." The Resistance leader fell silent for a moment. "Something is wrong. My calculations can’t be wrong."

"What you’re saying is true, Commander," said a man in a dark blue uniform as he walked toward the Resistance leader. A face guard concealed his features. "This isn’t natural rain. Someone created it, and I know exactly whose idea this was."

"Ah, it’s you." The Resistance leader turned toward the man in blue. "The informant. It’s good to see you here."

’Damn it. So that man serves as the Resistance leader’s informant.’ Nalira clenched her fists, irritation flashing across her face. ’Someone needs to teach him a lesson. Who is he, really?’

"Artificial rain?" The resistance leader fell silent for a moment, trying to process the informant’s words. "Why would you think that?"

"Look." The informant held out his hand. Something shimmered inside the droplets. "Natural rain doesn’t contain this."

"Hmm... yes, that makes sense." The Resistance leader lowered part of his face guard and took a careful breath. "Metal. I can smell a strong metallic scent. This is clearly no ordinary rain."

"That’s exactly right, Commander." The informant nodded. "Ordinary rain carries the scent of wet earth."

"Interesting. I never expected them to use a method like this to disperse the pink mist."

"Only one person could create artificial rain on this scale. Daisy Luminarie, the new leader of the Twilight Codex," the informant said with complete confidence. "Damn it. That girl was clever enough to think of something like this in advance."

"Commander, the rain is getting heavier," one of the officers said as he looked up at the sky. "If we don’t act now, the mist will disappear, and our plan will be ruined."

"Activate the Resonance Breaker." The commander gave an order. "Let’s see how long their precious sanctuary survives."

"Yes, Sir!" Several Resistance members answered in unison.

Without wasting a second, the operators powered up the machine once more. The turbine immediately began to spin. Its rotation grew faster and faster as clusters of white light gathered around the tip of the massive barrel.

"Fire!"

The moment the Resistance leader gave the order, the operator unleashed the concentrated beam straight at the cathedral gate. In an instant, the beam slammed into the transparent barrier.

’SKRRRREEEEEEEECH!’

A violent screech erupted as the two forces ground against one another.

"Oh, crap." Theo’s eyes widened as he watched the surface of the protective wall begin to crack. "We have to get out of here before—"

Before Theo could finish his sentence, a massive explosion tore through the protective barrier.

’BOOOOM!’

The blast shattered the wall and sent a thick cloud of smoke billowing into the air. Fragments of the barrier scattered in every direction and nearly struck the three of them.

Fortunately, Nalira reacted instantly. She grabbed Theo and Chelsie and pulled them away just moments before the flying debris could reach them.

"Good grief, that was close." Theo let out a long breath as he looked at the shattered fragments scattered across the ground. "The Resistance has completely lost its mind. That explosion was powerful enough to kill their own people."

"Uhm... yeah, you’re right." Chelsie coughed several times. "Why didn’t they even consider something like that?"

"That’s enough." Nalira slowly turned her head and surveyed the situation. "...We need to stay calm and watch their movements. We still don’t know what they’ll do next. Whatever happens, don’t let them discover we’re here."

"Uhm... I understand."

"Commander, we did it!" one of the officers shouted excitedly. "We finally broke through the cathedral’s defenses!"

"Now nothing stands in our way." The Resistance leader removed his face guard, revealing a smug grin. "Everything is proceeding exactly as planned. Thank you, Walter."

’Walter?’ Nalira froze for a moment. ’W-Wait... isn’t that the name...’

The moment the informant removed his face guard, Nalira’s stomach dropped. No. It couldn’t be him. Dr. Marshall had spoken about Sir Walter countless times. A reliable friend. Someone who had served Twilight Sanctum for decades. Yet, the face beneath the mask matched that description perfectly.

His hair, his facial features, even the way he carried himself—everything resembled the man Dr. Marshall had told her about. Even his name matched. Damn it. So, he was the traitor all along. The traitor who had leaked information about everything that happened inside Twilight Sanctum. But why? Why would he betray Twilight Sanctum in the first place?

"That bastard!" Theo clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His jaw hardened with rage. "So that damn old bar owner was behind all of this. Someone needs to teach him a lesson!"

"Theo, just calm down." Chelsie immediately grabbed Theo’s hand. "We can’t act rashly right now. Our hideout will be discovered."

Theo turned toward Chelsie and fixed her with a cold glare. "Then what do you suggest?" he snapped. "Do we just let that bastard take control of Twilight Sanctum while we hide here like idiots?" He rose to his feet and prepared to charge forward. "I’m not a coward." His voice dripped with fury. "I’ll kill that old bastard with my own power."

Nalira tried to stop Theo. "...Theo, don’t act rashly. You have absolutely no idea how strong that man is. We need help."

"Heh?" Theo let out a bitter laugh. "Why are you afraid of an old man like him? He’s just a weak old fool waiting for the slaughter." A smug grin spread across his face. "I’m confident in my power. I can kill him with ease."

Chelsie immediately stood in front of Theo, blocking his path. "No. What Lira said is true. We have to stay here to—"

"Ah, just get out of my way!" Theo shoved Chelsie aside without hesitation.

"Ouch!"

"Elsie." Nalira immediately rushed to help Chelsie, who had fallen. "Lira, you’re okay, right?"

"Uhm... Yeah." Chelsie nodded slowly, her face still showing shock. "Thank you, Lira."

"...Theo, what are you thinking?"

"Try to stand in my way again, and I’ll kill both of you." Lightning surged across his body as a dangerous smile twisted his lips.