After clearing out the Church of Morte outpost, I casually scouted the area.
Unfortunately, there was nothing of real value—none of the typical relics or insignia associated with their sect.
'Guess I'll just have to settle for whatever else I can scavenge.'
I stuffed whatever equipment, weapons, and food I could find into the [Rift Space]. Sorting it all out later would be a pain, but that's what Janus and Esther were for.
["Achoo...! What the heck? Why am I sneezing? Master! I think something's wrong with me!"]
'Quiet.'
I ignored Esther's whining and started walking again. I'd pretty much gathered everything worth taking.
'Time to move.'
I launched into the sky using the Wings of Ankelenth, the Z-74 Jetpack, and my reinforced greaves all at once.
I'd need serious altitude if I was going to catch up with Horus, who was likely still flying high above.
["But seriously... why'd you let him go?"]
"I didn't say I did."
["Please, Master. I've been with you long enough. It was obvious you let him go."]
Sharp as ever—well, she was a ghost, after all.
"I'm going to track the upper echelons of the Church of Morte."
["...Don't tell me you're thinking of going after a bishop."]
"You know about them?"
["Of course I do. But even for you, going after that monster... it's not the smartest move."]
Esther, who probably knew me better than anyone in this world, hesitated at the mere thought of confronting a bishop.
That said everything.
The bishops of the Church of Morte were terror incarnate—living symbols of overwhelming power.
There was a saying among The Defense players: if the Ark had generals, then the Church of Morte had bishops.
'Still, I'm going anyway.'
From the moment I started the Silk Road episode, a confrontation with the bishops was inevitable.
Better to strike before they move.
["The bishop's outpost won't be a joke... shouldn't you call Rook and Knight in for this?"]
"No."
Battling a bishop was too risky.
I wasn't planning on involving Rook and Knight this time.
The risk was too high.
'If I lose either of them, that's a huge blow.'
The Turncoats Rook and Knight had become loyal forces of mine. And since bone parasite beasts could share power and abilities with me, they were irreplaceable.
'Once this is over, I should get them proper mounts.'
Sure, they had bone wings—diluted versions of the Wings of Ankelenth—but the gap between true flying beasts and imitators was significant.
Creating bone symbionts like Horus would make deploying them far more efficient.
'Groups like Shadow Order and Möbius are fine and all, but in the end, the most important force is one I can control directly.'
Turncoats were perfect for that.
I had every reason to keep them close and protected.
'Anyway…'
Once I caught up to Horus, I climbed aboard.
["You been holding up okay, Bonesy?"]
[Kihet!]
I glanced down at the ground.
Sure enough, the priest I'd let go was moving steadily.
If he kept at it, he'd soon lead me straight to an upper-level outpost with a bishop.
"Stay on him. Quietly."
[Kihehet.]
Horus nodded subtly, keeping altitude steady. Dropping too low would risk alerting the priest.
And so... the covert pursuit continued.
Even with the Serpent's Blessing, a priest crossing the barren plains on foot took time.
["Yaaawn…"]
Esther exaggerated a yawn.
She didn't need to do that, obviously. It was just her way of showing boredom.
["Why don't we just grab him and force him to talk?"]
"Threats won't work."
["Then torture?"]
"That won't work either."
What made torture effective was fear—of death, of mutilation, of irreversible loss.
But the Church of Morte didn't fear death. Mutilation? They welcomed it.
'Not that they fear nothing... but it's not something I can exploit easily.'
While mulling over my options—
["Master! Down there!"]
At Esther's cry, I spotted a massive crater forming in the distance.
It didn't look ancient—it seemed freshly made.
'That must be it.'
An outpost capable of carving a crater like that in short time…
I recognized it.
'The place where the Bishop of Earth resides.'
The Bishop of Earth's outpost was one of the hardest to find.
The Earth's Blessing made it ideal for concealing such a location.
'The fact that it's visible now means… either I got lucky, or they're expecting the priest.'
Which made sense. The priest I let go was one of their top bishop candidates. Of course the Bishop of Earth would be informed.
'Now that I know the location... time to plan.'
Even though I'd pinpointed the bishop's outpost, I wasn't about to charge in just yet.
This was the Bishop of Earth we were talking about.
A head-on assault without preparation could get me killed.
'No need to rush.'
Not even a bishop could relocate their entire base at will.
That meant—for now—they'd stay put.
"Horus."
[Kiheet!]
I tugged the bone reins, signaling Horus to pull away.
Now that I had the coordinates memorized, I could begin preparing for the siege.
["Where to now?"]
The answer was obvious.
As I was now, I didn't have enough force to take on a bishop's stronghold.
Sure, I could try.
But the odds of success were shaky at best.
I needed reinforcements.
And I knew exactly where to find one.
"Snake Cave."
["Wait… don't tell me you mean that place. Where we first met?"]
"Exactly."
["…You're not talking about him, are you? No way..."]
Esther shook her head.
Naturally.
The Snake Cave was home to a being that had slumbered for ages.
It was also an old… friend.
Because, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
"You're thinking right."
["Sheesh..."]
Esther groaned.
["Are you sure about this? Isn't that way too dangerous?"]
"That's exactly what makes it worthwhile."
If this "friend" weren't dangerous, I wouldn't bother.
But because he was…
That was what made him valuable.
["Ugh… I'm not dealing with this."]
Ignoring her, I kept pressing Horus forward.
Ouroboros (ουροβóρος).
It was time to meet the master of the Snake Cave again.
* * *
Colonel Melissa, commander of the Turncoat Suppression Unit, raised a clenched fist—signaling her troops to halt.
They had left the Ark a while ago, but still had found no trace of the Turncoat Pawn or Turncoat Knight.
Not surprising.
The mission itself was a needle-in-a-haystack search through desert sands.
"Colonel, we're approaching wave cycle. Shouldn't we return soon?"
One of the Skull Knights approached. A sharp one—Melissa liked to call him "the Scholar."
"We proceed. If a wave begins, Turncoat Pawn is more likely to appear."
"That's... extremely risky, ma'am."
The mission was difficult enough: navigating the treacherous lands outside the Ark, hunting unknown targets.
And now waves to worry about?
Frustration was only natural.
"No other option."
"...Understood."
Fortunately, the team trusted Melissa deeply. No one voiced serious complaint.
But she knew trust had limits—and time eroded them.
'Still… there's no other way.'
She had taken this mission.
She had to see it through.
The march continued.
Despite the fatigue, the elite Skull Knights and Ether Soldiers showed no outward sign of weariness.
"Colonel, we've reached the Snake Cave."
At the scout's report, Melissa gazed at the distant, ominous den.
Normally, it would be suicide to get close—but it seemed the master was still asleep.
"Keep your distance. We camp here."
"Understood."
They made camp just far enough to avoid danger but close enough to monitor.
'Nothing should happen... but just in case.'
In the world outside the Ark, "safe" didn't exist.
Melissa knew that better than anyone.
Then, while overseeing camp setup and monitoring the den—
She saw it.
Something falling from the sky.
Fast.
'What the hell is that?'
Before she could answer, it crashed into the den—triggering a massive explosion.
BOOOOOOM────!
"What in the world…?!"
Melissa's blood ran cold.
To awaken the master of the Snake Cave like this—who could be so reckless?
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE───!
The ground shook.
Not just imagination.
Not an earthquake either.
"Brace for impact!"
At her command, the Skull Knights raised bone shields, and the Ether Soldiers summoned barriers.
And then, she saw it.
[SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE────!]
A roar split the heavens.
The master of the Snake Cave had awakened.