Although things did not go exactly as expected, Fang Mo still took the Mogaro airship to the Empyrean Realm.
Given Fang Mo's strength, even if he were carrying these two "small burdens" dressed as snowmen, he could easily break through the Sea of Sky to reach this place. However, the problem was that he had no knowledge of the terrain in the Empyrean Realm. Originally, he was headed to deal with Kartel, and it would be quite embarrassing if he got lost.
After a brief consideration, Fang Mo decided to have Marlene Kitzka guide him. He had to admit, her piloting skills were impressive. While Fang Mo took a quick nap, the airship had already reached its destination—the capital of the Empyrean government, the divine city of Ghent.
One must admit, the environment in the Empyrean Realm is quite remarkable. According to the lore, the Empyrean Realm was originally a giant, unified continent. However, due to the thrashing of the Dragon King Bakal before his death, the continent was shattered into pieces. Apart from Ghent, the Etten Industrial Zone, and the western lawless zone, the Empyrean Realm is scattered with numerous islands of various sizes. Because of this, the climate here has a subtropical feel, warm and humid, with even the air carrying the scent of the sea breeze.
"So, this is Ghent?"
Sitting up from the woolen bed, Fang Mo glanced at the buildings outside. It was indeed a very beautiful city. Though the Empyrean Realm favored mechanical civilization, their architectural style was surprisingly retro. There were no skyscrapers or steel jungles; instead, the city was filled with exquisite, ancient-style buildings, lush vegetation, and babbling streams, giving it a distinct Korean vibe.
Of course, it could also be said to resemble the Japanese Edo period style. Since Fang Mo had no knowledge of history, he wasn't quite sure about these things. He simply felt that the place was quite pleasing to the eye.
If one had to point out a flaw, it would be that many parts of the city had become ruins, with smoke rising everywhere, clearly bearing the scars of war.
"Mr. Fang Mo, this is our imperial capital," Marlene Kitzka said after docking the Mogaro airship in a certain area. She turned to Fang Mo and continued, "As you can see, this was once an ancient and beautiful city, but Kartel's appearance destroyed everything. Now, I'll take you to meet the commander of the Imperial Guard."
"Oh, no need," Fang Mo waved his hand dismissively. "Just leave these two here and take me to the Floating Sea Port."
"Huh?" Marlene Kitzka was momentarily stunned.
"Wait," said the Summon, who had just arrived. "What do you mean by 'leave the two of us here'? What are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to rescue someone," Fang Mo said, shrugging. "You two handle rescuing the common soldiers in Ghent, while I, the boss, will rescue the big boss of Ghent. Isn't that right?"
"Wait, Fang Mo," Marlene Kitzka suddenly reacted, her expression turning incredulous. "Are you saying... you know the whereabouts of Her Highness, the Princess?"
"Oh, I might have a rough idea," Fang Mo nodded, not bothering to hide it.
"Where is she?" Marlene immediately asked, her concern evident. "I apologize if I'm being rude, but since Her Highness was kidnapped by those Kartelites, we've had no news of her. I don't know how she's faring now... Has she been mistreated? Have those rude people even fed her?"
"I don't think mistreatment is likely," Fang Mo pondered. "After all, Kartel isn't as twisted as I am... I mean, Kartel's goal is to rule the Empyrean Realm, so they probably won't harm the princess, who is a valuable hostage, before achieving their ambitions."
"...Is that so?" Marlene glanced at Fang Mo, feeling as though he'd said something odd.
"Actually, the princess should be in the lawless zone by now," Fang Mo recalled the plot of the Empyrean Realm. "Specifically, in a place called the Kartel Command Center. Do you know where that is?"
"...If we knew, we would have launched an attack by now," Marlene shook her head. "Unfortunately, Kartel's forces in the western lawless zone are too strong for us to approach."
"Alright," Fang Mo nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. In a world like this, if a command center was discovered, it would surely be subjected to large-scale bombardment. I imagine Don Enzo Sipo has hidden it well."
"No worries, it's not a big problem," Fang Mo waved his hand. "We'll just capture a high-ranking officer and interrogate them. Interrogation is my specialty."
"Kartel's high-ranking officers?" Marlene nodded, considering his suggestion reasonable. "So, should we..."
However, before she could finish her sentence, a woman's surprised voice rang out from not far away.
"Marlene?"
"Hmm?" Hearing the voice, the group instinctively turned to look and saw a Empyrean woman not far away.
The woman was dressed in black heavy armor, with black hair tied up behind her. Her resolute face bore two severe scars, and her right arm below the elbow had been replaced with something resembling a mechanical cannon, clearly marking her as someone who had emerged from the depths of hell.
"Zeldine?" Marlene quickly recognized her and introduced her to Fang Mo and the others. "She's the current captain of the Imperial Guard."
"Hmm? And who are they?" The woman, called Zeldine, approached and noticed Fang Mo and the others, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "I never thought the legends of another world beneath the Sea of Sky were true. So, you must be adventurers?"
"Ah, yes," the Summon instinctively nodded. "Hello, I'm Flavo, a Summoner."
"My name is Misha," the female Ghost Swordsman added.
"Nice to meet you," Zeldine nodded slightly. "Although you have come from afar, and we should hold a grand welcome ceremony... to be honest, our situation is quite dire. Marlene has probably already informed you, so I hope you understand."
"No worries, we've heard about it," the Summon replied politely. "We're here to help you fight against that evil organization."
"Is that so?" Zeldine looked troubled. "We appreciate your kindness, but Kartel's attacks are relentless. I fear that with just a few people..."
"Hey!" Fang Mo interrupted, clearly displeased. He suddenly swiped his hand across his face as if performing a magic trick, revealing a small black mustache. Slamming the table, he declared, "How dare Kartel challenge me! They're nothing compared to my..."
Before he could finish, the Summon quickly pulled him back.
"Could you please stop fooling around?" she said, exasperated. "Didn't you say you were leaving? Hurry up and go, I'm begging you..."
"And how do you know I'm fooling around?" Fang Mo asked.
"How would I know?" the Summon retorted. "But you've never said a single serious word."
"That's nonsense! I'm a hero who maintains world peace."
Fang Mo suddenly slapped the mast beside him and said, "Back in the day, I exterminated millions of Jews in Germany, and then World War II ended. The world finally welcomed a long-awaited peace... What I'm saying is the truth; how are you going to argue against that?"
"This..."
The sudden scene seemed to have stunned Zeldine, who was not far away.
Instinctively, she turned to look at Marlene Kirschka. However, this lady from a noble family, the top graduate of the Etiquette Academy, could only sigh helplessly at that moment.
"They really did save the entire world."
Marlene seemed to notice the confusion on Zeldine's face and offered a powerless explanation, "But the etiquette of the Arad continent is different from ours; maybe this is just how they normally behave..."
"Well, alright."
Since Zeldine was originally from the military, she didn't really mind this. What she was more concerned about was the strength of the people in front of her. But according to Marlene, they should be quite formidable, right?
Thinking of this, Zeldine spoke up.
"Then, how about this," Zeldine said tentatively, "Adventurers, though it might be a bit presumptuous... the power in this area of Ghent has already been cut off. We've been losing ground, and we don't even know the enemy's numbers. If you are truly strong, could you help us gather some intelligence around here?"
As she said this, Zeldine unconsciously focused her gaze on Fang Mo.
Although Fang Mo seemed to be the most troublesome one, Zeldine wasn't foolish. She could tell that among these three people, Fang Mo was the leader, and the other two, who were dressed in strange outfits, didn't seem to have much control over him.
"Hmm? Are you talking to me?"
Upon hearing her, Fang Mo turned to glance at Zeldine. "Sorry, but I've got something else I need to do. You can just give the task to those two."
As he spoke, Fang Mo casually gave a slap, almost sending the two small manhole covers flying.
"Huh?"
Zeldine was taken aback by this. "You..."
"This warrior, Fang Mo, is going to rescue Her Highness the Princess," Marlene explained from the side. "It seems he has his own intelligence network and knows something about the movements of the Kartel. Her Highness may already have been transported to the Western Wasteland."
"What?"
Zeldine was shocked to hear this. "They're moving that fast!?"
"Indeed."
Marlene replied, "So after careful consideration, Mr. Fang Mo decided to split up with his companions. There's no other choice, as Her Highness's safety is also important."
"Well, alright then."
Zeldine nodded but quickly hesitated, glancing at the pair in the snowman outfits nearby. "But..."
Yes, their strange attire did make Zeldine doubt their abilities.
"It seems like we've been underestimated."
Summon, one of the two, sighed helplessly. After all, Marlene had been emphasizing that it was Fang Mo who saved Arad, and indeed that was true. Summon and the Swordmaster were just there to make up the numbers, and their ridiculous outfits did little to inspire confidence.
But unlike the Swordmaster, Summon still had some confidence left.
"Commander Zeldine, please do not underestimate the two of us," said Summon, as she activated a summoning spell. "I've said before, I am a summoner..."
As the summoning circle glowed, numerous figures began to appear behind Summon.
"It may sound a bit odd."
Summon pulled a small octopus off her head, tidied her hair, and said, "But I alone... am an entire army."
"This..."
Zeldine was stunned by the sight before her.
As someone from the technology side, she couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Originally, she thought the two of them were just average in strength, but with all these summoned creatures, the overwhelming aura was so intense that she could hardly breathe.
Especially that huge humanoid armor; honestly, standing in front of it made Zeldine's legs feel weak. With such solid, thick armor... never mind bullets, even Kartel's snipers might be helpless against it.
"I apologize for my rudeness, Adventurers," Zeldine quickly bowed her head, "I was only worried you might get hurt, but now I see... Marlene was right, you are the strongest warriors. Please, save Ghent."
"Hmm, I'll do my best."
Summon simply nodded.
"I... I'll help too," added the Swordmaster, Misha, tightening her grip on the katana at her waist.
But no sooner had she spoken than her weapon was suddenly snatched from her waist.
"...Huh?"
Misha was taken aback, but since the person who took her weapon was Fang Mo, she didn't dare say anything, though she was a bit confused as she looked at him.
"What kind of trash weapon is this?"
Fang Mo glanced disdainfully at Misha's katana. He lightly flicked it with his hand, and the weapon instantly snapped in two with a crisp crack, the blade tip clattering to the ground in an awkward moment of silence.
"My... my sword broke?"
Misha seemed to lose her composure a bit at this sight.
"Ahem, no need to panic."
Fang Mo remained calm. "It's fine, I'm quite skilled in forging. I'll make you a better sword later. For now, let me lend you one to use..."
As he spoke, Fang Mo reached behind him.
"Girl, pick one."
Instantly, six weapons of different shapes were planted into the ground before him—Laevatein, Clausolas, Manyullyn, the Meteorite Sword, the Neutronium Greatsword, and the Abyss Sword.
"What the hell!"
Summon jumped in alarm, quickly hiding behind her summon, and shouted, "Misha, whatever you do, don't choose the one that doesn't speak!!"
"...Huh?"
Misha, who had never encountered this before, was bewildered. She looked at Summon, then back at the weapons in front of her, unsure of which one to choose.
"Hmm? A newbie?"
But soon enough, the weapons began to 'come to life.'
Noticing Misha as a new face, the weapons seemed to grow excited, floating up on their own and surrounding her, each eagerly trying to communicate.
"Isn't this Fei Zuo?"
"Wait, haven't I stabbed you before?"
"You're so cute, can you please hold my hilt?"
"Girl, I'm made of poop; I was in the sewer too, so we're neighbors..."
"Squeak!"
"Do you believe in light, young lady?"
The bizarre chatter left Misha utterly dumbfounded. Her hand, which had been reaching out to grab a weapon, froze mid-air as if her entire worldview had been shattered. She even took an unconscious step back.
"This... Is she afraid of us?"
"Maybe she's a fool?"
Upon seeing this, the weapons—particularly the Mayu Spirit Blade—rotated towards Fang Mo and asked, "Boss, why does this newbie seem so dumb?"
"Too much time with katanas."
Fang Mo couldn't help but wipe his face at the sight.