Beyond the Apocalypse

Jormungandr nodded, and in the next instant, he waved his small paw, producing from his space ring the dismembered remains of a three-headed minotaur. The moment everyone caught sight of this gruesome corpse, their eyes narrowed in unison, immediately recognizing that it belonged to a Voroe Sage. Even if its aura was now absent, the remnants still exuded a kind of ominous energy that only powerful creatures possessed.

"We crossed paths with this Voroe not long after arriving in this Doomsday World," Vlad explained. "His name was Olivion. Once we defeated him, Jormungandr used his abilities to read Olivion’s soul. That’s how we learned about the ambush—and why we headed straight to the battlefield."

Vlad did not mince words. He laid out the facts without hesitation, moving quickly through the explanation so as not to invite confusion or doubt. Finally, he ended with a statement that carried a distinct weight. "By the way," he added calmly, "he was also supposed to be part of the ambush on the Solaris caravan."

A rush of surprise flickered across the onlookers’ faces. Seeing the corpse of a Voroe Sage was striking in its own right, especially when paired with the revelation that Jormungandr, a small yellow cat, could peer into souls. Yet it was Vlad’s final comment that rattled them the most. Two Voroe Sages cooperating on a single ambush was alarming enough, but the revelation that there had apparently been three of them involved indicated a far more orchestrated operation. Something bigger was at stake.

Even Agamenon and Zalasar, who had already gone through a life-threatening encounter involving two of these fearsome enemies, exchanged solemn glances. The caravan’s real objective had been meant to remain confidential, yet clearly, it had not been kept secret as effectively as they had hoped. The fact that the Chaovoratities Plane had sent only three Sages instead of a Legend suggested that their enemies had only partial information.

Marshal Maximo frowned, his mind evidently churning with possibilities. There was unquestionably a leak somewhere—someone passing along pieces of information that should never have seen the light of day. That was a danger not only to the caravan but also to the Golden Sky Fortress and the broader Graecia Empire. If one threat had already surfaced, there was a strong chance that more trouble lay on the horizon.

"Were you able to find anything else useful from the memories of that Voroe Sage?" Maximo asked at last. His voice had gone solemn, and the entire throne room seemed to absorb his tone. He focused on Jormungandr, clearly hoping that perhaps the small cat had gleaned an image, a conversation, or even a glimpse of some traitorous figure—anything that might simplify the hunt for the leak.

Unfortunately, Jormungandr shook his head with a regretful flick of his tail. "His soul was very powerful," he replied. "I couldn’t extract any more military secrets beyond the details about the ambush itself."

Maximo let out a quiet sigh and nodded. His disappointment was visible but not tinged with real surprise. Soul-reading, especially when the target was stronger or close to your own level, was a highly precarious skill. The more powerful the mind, the more challenging it became to access its memories.

"That is unfortunate but not unexpected," he remarked.