Conquering The Game's World-Chapter 263: Elyndor Vale!
Aiverson Empire.
Northern Wasteland, further east of the city of Almast.
Decades ago, this desolate expanse was once known as Elyndor Vale.
A neutral transit city situated at the convergence of three of the Seven Great Nations: the Aiverson Empire, the Grandas Kingdom, and the Esperia Kingdom.
Trade caravans crossed its gates day and night, diplomats negotiated under shared roofs, and races that slaughtered one another elsewhere lived side by side within its walls.
Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Beastkin of the Temar Kingdom, and Giants of Nephilim coexisted here.
That is why it was called Paradise.
The miracle endured because of one man: Damian White, the mayor of Elyndor Vale.
A being of transcendent rank, Damian White ruled without pretence. He did not negotiate peace; he enforced it. Any faction that attempted to disrupt the balance was crushed without exception. Under his absolute suppression, Elyndor Vale endured for decades while the rest of the world burned in racial wars and territorial conflicts.
Then came the Great War.
When hostilities erupted between the three neighbouring nations, the city's neutrality became irrelevant. With a silent consensus, the armies of Humans, Dwarves, and Elves turned Elyndor Vale into their primary battlefield.
The fighting erased the city from existence. The land collapsed, and the city was buried, turning the region into the current Northern Wasteland.
At present, deep within this wasteland lies a hidden base under the ruins of Elyndor Vale.
---
Inside the underground base.
The office was austere and windowless, its walls layered with composite alloys, mana-dampening sigils, and electromagnetic shielding.
A black, middle-aged man sat behind a reinforced desk, an eye patch covering his right eye. The artificial projection reflected faintly off the embedded tactical display hovering above the tabletop.
Captain Travis Grace stared coldly at the two figures standing before him.
"Frank. Rover," he said evenly. "After months of deep-cover operations, all you bring back are the target's samples?"
Frank stiffened. "C-captain, we were close. If that damned snake hadn't interfered—"
He stopped mid-sentence as Travis's gaze sharpened.
Rover stepped forward, his brow knitted. "Our operation was compromised. The Dennis family's lackeys intercepted us during our escape. Their heiress also encountered us when we tailed Alex. I believe our identities were exposed back then."
Travis stared him in silence, then shook his head.
"No," he replied calmly. "If Oracle Academy had confirmed your identities, you would not be standing here alive. That place is a nest of Overlord-rank monsters. At most, there was suspicion from the Dennis Heiress, which resulted in interference."
Rover lowered his head. "Understood, Captain." He felt there was something more to it. However, he didn't dare contradict their superior. Who knows? He might end up at the experimental table in one of the labs. There's no way he would want to experience being a specimen.
Sure enough, the fierceness in the captain's gaze eased a little upon hearing that.
"What about the side mission issued from above?"
Rover explained. "We had little time to prepare, Captain. That Suarez kid was rescued in time. It only worked as a distraction for the main mission."
"You used a Grieving Heart and didn't even succeed? What a waste!" Travis almost let out foul language. Though he felt pained by the loss, he could only sigh in distress.
"Forget it, you two are already on the Oracle Academy's target list. It's better to stay low for now." He tapped the desk as he instructed. "Be on standby at the base until the next mission."
"Yes, sir!"
They saluted and exited.
---
As he watched the two leave. Travis rose and left his office, moving through a sequence of corridors that resembled a living fortress.
Every passage was layered with security: automated turrets concealed behind adaptive alloy panels, keyed to biometric and mana signatures.
Sentinel drones hovered silently, their lenses constantly recalibrating threat probabilities.
Psi-scan arrays probing for hostile intent, illusions, or mental interference.
Human guards were present, but they were the last line of defence.
Travis stopped before a massive metallic gate with two guards present on either side. He took out a black authorisation card.
*Beep!*
A retinal scan followed, then a brief pulse as the system verified his neural signature and mana resonance.
[Identity confirmed.] An electronic female voice announced. [Welcome, Captain Travis Grace.]
The gate opened, and a vast laboratory unfolded before him.
Rows upon rows of containment cylinders lined the chamber, each filled with translucent nutrient solution. In them were bodies suspended, some intact, some partially dissected. Monsters, humans, dwarves, elves, harpies, lamias, hippotaurs, and a wide variety of species were present.
Soft blue holograms pulsed rhythmically, and data streams hovered above every container, detailing genetic structures, mana compatibility, mutation stability, and bloodline decay rates.
At the centre of the lab was a sprawling workbench cluttered with technological instruments. Owned by the world-famous geneticist, officially missing for over a decade.
Dr Morbo Vulmuske!
He was tall and thin, with ash-grey hair left unkempt, sunken eyes due to a long period of continuous research. His lab coat was stained with reagents, sleeves rolled up without care for appearances.
As Travis approached, Morbo didn't react to his presence.
The scientist was hunched over the workstation, one eye pressed to a high-magnification microscope, observing the sample on the petri dish with utmost focus. Mana structures and genetic helices were projected in real time beside him.
"Dr Morbo," Travis called out.
Morbo clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face. "I told you not to disturb—"
He paused, straightened, and looked up.
"…Ah. It's you, Travis."
The annoyance vanished instantly.
"You brought me an extraordinary material," Morbo said happily.
Travis also had a faint smile on his face as he asked curiously. "What did you find, Doctor? Is he truly special?"
Until now, they targeted Alex based only on vague intelligence. The conjecture was that Alex was indeed special. However, the level of his importance would depend on Dr Morbo's verdict. Then they would decide on how to approach him. Exchange of interest or forceful capture. Though they had already tried and failed once.
Morbo turned back to the holographic displays, his fingers moving across the controls.
"It is exactly as we suspected," he said, his voice tinged with restrained excitement. "The target's bloodline factor is not fully human…"
***
[Quiz Time:]
What species hybrid is Alex?
1) Human-Fairy
2) Human-Dragon
3) Human-Demon
4) Human-Monster
5) Other Options
