The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 165

"So, you're saying that with this mysterious [Rift], Archbishop Lawrence could potentially invade any one of us?" Merlin asked, frowning as he processed Lloyd's intelligence.

In the heavily fortified room, Merlin's conclusion cast a pall of unease over everyone present.

Lloyd nodded solemnly. "Yes, but there must be some limitations, like certain conditions that trigger the invasion."

The invasion via the [Rift] required eroding the target to establish a navigational beacon.

"Is that so?" Merlin clasped his hands together, his mind swirling with complex thoughts. The situation was becoming increasingly dire and challenging.

"Mr. Holmes, this is an extremely dangerous matter," he said, his hollow eyes conveying the dread of it all. "An invisible and omnipresent enemy with some ability to foresee the future..."

The weight of his words pressed down on everyone, making the very air seem thick and unbreathable, like an iron curtain of despair, dark and heavy, blocking out all light. This was an enemy almost impossible to defeat. Merlin saw no hope of victory.

As gloom filled the room, it was clear that the Purification Mechanism had never faced such a formidable foe. They had no idea where to start... or if they even had a chance to fight back. In the last battle when Archbishop Lawrence appeared, he unleashed a terrifying erosion so intense that Lloyd was rendered unconscious instantly. The rest of them fared no better. Sending in more troops would be a death sentence.

"So, do you have any ideas?" Lloyd asked, looking towards the other side of the room where Arthur sat, his face as serious as ever.

This was the factory area of the Mechanical Institute. Though called a factory, it produced heavy weaponry, and the expansive industrial zone outside made it a defensible temporary refuge. If Archbishop Lawrence truly came with a demon army, the defenses and the open terrain of the industrial area could minimize the damage.

In this makeshift conference room, only Merlin, Arthur, and Lloyd were present. Celine was still unconscious, being tended to by Red Falcon and Yahweh. Due to the involvement of Archbishop Lawrence and the enigmatic [Rift], the other high-ranking knights had also been mobilized. The Perpetual Pump was hastily maintaining several old-century mechs, which were now ready for action.

No one had anticipated that an ancient, supposedly mythical curse would lead to such widespread trouble, awakening all the forces lurking in the shadows.

War was imminent.

"An idea?" Arthur murmured, his head bowed, his gaze complex and inscrutable.

In truth, Arthur was the most qualified to speak here. As a scion of the Phoenix family, the instincts of war were etched into his blood. In this overarching conflict, he was the best commander. He knew all the forces the Purification Mechanism could muster. Old Don Ling was his battlefield, and he needed to strangle Archbishop Lawrence here.

After a long silence, Arthur slowly raised his head.

"I have a preliminary plan," he said, looking at Lloyd. "But I'm not sure of your thoughts."

He glanced at Lloyd, for Lloyd's demon-hunting powers would be crucial in resisting Archbishop Lawrence. Arthur needed his agreement.

"Yes, your thoughts," he repeated. "If Miss Celine Stuart is his target, then... why not use her as bait?"

Arthur continued, emotionless. "As you mentioned before, Lloyd, when battling that high-temperature demon, you... stepped into its [Rift] and killed its consciousness, causing its external demon shell to collapse."