The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 143: Joining the Organization

Gardner Martin looked at the members of the "Iron Blood Cross" seated across from him, nodding with satisfaction.

"Aim!"

With this command, Faustino and the others raised their glasses to their mouths.

So, this is what "aiming" means? Lumian nearly laughed, while the other members of the "Iron Blood Cross" remained solemn.

He began to grasp the essence of the ceremony and could predict what might unfold next.

At that moment, Gardner Martin issued another command:

"Fire!"

Almost simultaneously, Parsifal, Blake, and the others began gulping down a third of the red wine in their goblets.

"Fire the cannons!" Gardner Martin loudly called out the second phrase.

"For ordinary people, this might be hell, an abyss, a place of disaster. But for hunters, it signifies a treasure of unimaginable proportions."

"War! War! War!"

Even though they hadn't been subjected to any "ordinary" form of corruption, the heated atmosphere and the ideology of the moment stirred everyone. Gardner couldn't help but feel a little more excited than usual.

"Either Zhao Yiyu doesn't fully understand the situation in Banshee Port, or I've encountered a similar monster elsewhere..."

If Zhao Yiyu had just joined this secret organization, his tone would likely have been filled with less mockery.

Gardner furrowed his brow and asked curiously:

As he spoke, he lifted his goblet above his eyes, briefly touching his forehead with it before setting it back down on the table.

"Are you implying that there's no fundamental difference between ordinary people and those with special powers, and that the ordinary should be placed above the extraordinary? Why, then, do we aim to control and exploit these workers?"

Lumian tilted his head slightly and took another gulp, finishing another third of his red wine.

According to Aurore's descriptions, the "Blood Emperor" was as faint and distant as a god.

Vincent Lorin and others followed suit, performing similar actions.

The atmosphere had infected the members of the "Iron Blood Cross," immersing them in a sense of camaraderie, as if they were brothers and comrades.

**Note 1:** This was adapted from the ritual of the Freemasons' four sister lodges.

"Lay down your weapons!"

The irony wasn't lost on me: the ideology and actions of the "Iron Blood Cross" are entirely aligned.

"What you're doing in part is exploring the underground, searching for an entrance to Taborrel from the Seventh Epoch."

Zhao Yiyu smiled:

Gardner Martin, too, chuckled.

"I met a creature with only a head and a spine?"

Gardner Martin had the same reaction. He smiled and added:

"Even if it's just an illusion, it's likely not conjured from nothing but based on my experiences and knowledge..."

"Charge!"

Gardner Martin explained more elaborately:

Lumian finally understood that supporting Eugène Troa was not due to hidden gods backing him, as he had once thought, but something far more complex.