ALL NOVEL Chapter 575: Welcome to New Atlantis
— New Atlantis —
Several days after the meeting, New Atlantis was growing busier as members of mage families from around the world arrived for the Order of Ember's Founding Day. They had come many days before the ceremonies, most of them millionaires, and even the less fortunate ones were wealthy enough to own small businesses. None of the mage families on the guest list lived in poverty.
This was because learning magic required significant resources. Those not born into mage families had to seek patronage, enter the service of a mage organization, or become rogue mages—forced to steal and kill for the magical resources needed to practice their craft.
Amid this bustling environment, filled with new faces and people coming and going daily, spies from various factions poured in constantly.
Albert was in charge of security and did an excellent job intercepting many dangerous individuals attempting to infiltrate. However, a few low-risk or weak infiltrators managed to slip through into New Atlantis, but all newcomers were already on the radar of the Veneziale Gang.
Off the coast of New Atlantis, an unidentified submarine slowly drifted through the water currents toward the city. Inside were several mages preparing to disrupt the Founding Day celebrations.
"Say… isn't this the most excessive operation we've ever done?" one of the mages remarked to his comrade across from him in the crew quarters.
"Why's that?" the comrade asked.
"Think about it—we're using a submarine to infiltrate their city. Isn't that a bit over the top?" the first mage replied.
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"Isn't that because every other method has failed. Anyone else has either been killed or intercepted before even stepping foot on land. That's why the higher-ups had to resort to a submarine," the second mage explained.
"Nah… they just suck at infiltrating. If they were any good, they wouldn't have gotten caught so easily," the first mage dismissed with a smirk.
At that moment, an officer entered the crew quarters. "Get ready. We're nearing the target. We'll launch the two of you along with a special torpedo to get you as close to New Atlantis as possible," the officer informed them.
"Got it!" The mages responded and moved toward the bow, where the special torpedo chamber awaited.
Clank— Ummmm—
A clanking sound echoed through the submarine, followed by the groaning of pressurized metal. Alarmed, the crew and mages glanced around in confusion.
"What's going on?" one of the mages asked, bewildered.
Clank!!
Suddenly, the hull of the submarine tore open, and seawater rushed in. The sound of tearing metal filled the vessel as water surged uncontrollably. Screams of panic echoed throughout as the water pressure crushed several crew members, and electrical shocks from damaged systems killed others.
One of the mages caught sight of a massive tentacle gripping the submarine, crushing it. Outside the breach, a colossal monster stared back at them through the torn hull. That was the last thing they saw before the tentacle squeezed the submarine, causing it to explode.
Outside, Abysmoss, the Kraken, destroyed yet another submarine attempting to infiltrate New Atlantis. The vessel was not the first it had destroyed that day, and it would not be the last. Many more would meet their end in this watery grave.
—
In a remote, secretive area of New Atlantis, thick bushes and trees provided enough cover to conceal anything that might happen there. Within this secluded spot stood an abandoned house, rumored to have been left desolate after the entire family that once lived there was brutally murdered during a robbery gone wrong.
The perpetrator had been swiftly caught and sentenced to execution by hanging, leaving the house abandoned and avoided by all, as no one dared to claim the accursed property.
At this moment, a group of mages cautiously entered the area, scanning their surroundings before stepping inside the abandoned house. Despite its decrepit appearance, the house had been hastily repaired and furnished with basic amenities, making it suitable for temporary shelter.
Inside, another group of mages was already waiting for their arrival.
"Will the others be following you?" asked one of the waiting mages, seated on the couch.
"No, we're the last. The others are probably either caught or dead. Their security and information network is insane. We need to relocate immediately!" the leader of the newly arrived group responded, clearly panicked.
"Why the rush? This place is outside their patrol range. They won't detect us so easily," said the waiting mage, dismissing the urgency.
"You should have listened to your friend," a terrifying voice, distorted by magic, interrupted.
The mages spun around toward the voice and found themselves face-to-face with a mummy-like figure, his body wrapped in bandages, revealing only his flaming eyes filled with deep resentment. This man was none other than Jack the Ripper, leader of the Reaper Gate, the infamous assassin guild.
Before the mages could react, Jack lunged at them, his hands clutching several sharp scalpels like claws. He moved with terrifying precision, each slash and swipe of his scalpels like an art form. The blades seemed to have a life of their own, returning to his hands as swiftly as they flew.
In mere seconds, Jack's deadly strokes ensnared all the mages in a macabre dance of death. As their movements ceased, thin red lines appeared across their bodies, and blood began to seep out. Moments later, their bodies were sliced into pieces, collapsing in heaps before Jack the Ripper.
Gazing at the dismembered corpses, Jack's eyes flared with the fire of resentment. Flames erupted from his bandaged hands, consuming the bodies, burning them to ash. The abandoned house, too, was soon engulfed in flames, leaving behind nothing but smoldering remnants.
—
In the heart of downtown, where the lights and nightlife come alive, people mingled and socialized, drinks in hand, as laughter filled the air. Tourists and locals blended seamlessly, unaware of the arrival of a group of mysterious men in suits at the VIP bar, an establishment catering to those wealthy enough to afford its high-end services.
The men were escorted to a VIP room they had reserved in advance, greeted by a waiter and a hostess. They sat around the table, drinking and chatting like any other tourists. After a while, one of them signaled for the hostess to leave, claiming they had important matters to discuss.
"It's been an hour since the appointed time. Looks like we're the only ones who survived the infiltration," one of the mages said, his tone a mix of disappointment and dread. The group was horrified at the thought that out of hundreds sent to infiltrate, only a few had made it.
"Yeah, their security was worse than even our worst-case scenario. We're the only group left… We'll have to cooperate with whoever else survived to complete the mission," another mage agreed.
"I wouldn't count on the others being much help. Remember, they deliberately targeted the stronger ones and let us through because they don't think we can make a difference," a third mage chimed in, commenting on their bleak situation.
This group had been sent by their faction to infiltrate New Atlantis. They had survived only because they didn't register as a significant threat according to Albert's standards. Albert, focusing his limited resources on the more dangerous operatives, had chosen to ignore them, seeing them as indistinguishable from ordinary people due to their low level of magical ability.
Their mission was to disrupt the Founding Day celebration, keeping Daniel too occupied with domestic issues to send forces overseas to stop their planned uprising. The idea was to create enough chaos to distract him from intervening.
"Hmph!" one of the mages scoffed. "Do they really think we pose no threat? So what if we can't use large-scale destruction magic? This is the modern day—conventional weapons should scare them more! Explosives can do just as much damage," he sneered. He was an explosives expert, skilled in both modern and magical explosives, and though his magical power was weak, his expertise made him a serious threat.
At that moment, the door to the VIP room swung open. A young butler with a monocle entered, followed by several men in suits of various styles and colors. The butler, looking far more refined than his companions, stepped forward.
"Please excuse our intrusion, gentlemen, but we have a special gift to commemorate your visit," the butler said smoothly.
The mages looked confused, but before they could react, the men behind the butler pulled submachine guns from their suits and opened fire. Caught off guard, some of the mages died instantly, while others managed to raise shields just in time.
However, the bullets exploded on contact with the shields, leaving behind small runes. These runes rapidly drained and burned through the mana barriers. As the shields faltered, more runes appeared, breaking down the defenses in mere seconds.
"Wha… What!?" One mage cried in alarm, but those were his final words as a barrage of bullets riddled his body, leaving him lifeless on the floor.
In just a few minutes, all the mages in the room had fallen under the hail of bullets. However, one mage remained conscious, his life force remarkable due to the modifications he had made to his body with organs from various magical creatures.
Noticing this, the young butler smiled warmly and walked toward the surviving mage. This butler was none other than Russo Veneziale, the young master of the Veneziale gang.
"Welcome to New Atlantis," Russo said in a cordial tone before his fist began to glow brightly. Without hesitation, he delivered a crushing blow to the mage's skull, shattering it like a watermelon.