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nCompared to subhumans, humans are a different kind of creature—more complex, more absurd.

nYet, it is this ridiculous species that now dominates the continent.

nWill this ever change?

nCurrently, humanity shows no sign of decline, with research on mana delving from the tangible to the conceptual, and continental exploration no longer satisfied with mere observation.

nIt is rumored that some nations are preparing to venture into the endless ocean.

nPerhaps only an unstoppable natural disaster could bring down such a formidable race, just as one did to the Orc United Empire in the past.

nAli mused aimlessly, finding some relief from her tension in these thoughts.

nHours later, she stepped onto the land of the subhuman village once more, only to find the surroundings utterly transformed.

nRaising her hand to activate a mana shield, Ali hurriedly began searching through the ruins. 𝑖𝘦𝑎.𝗇t

nThe entrance to the “Hall of Truth” was not fixed—it could be a door, a staircase, sometimes even a mirror.

nThe “gateway” refers only to the spell that opens the “door,” and in theory, this spell can attach to any medium.

nExpanding her mana sensing, the village’s mana environment was chaotic, likely the aftermath of Roronora’s battle.

nSmoothing out these chaotic ripples bit by bit, Ali finally discovered another stable mana environment, characteristic of the “gateway’s” unique mana micro-environment.

nThis micro-environment, crucial for maintaining the stability of the “gateway,” was beyond Ali’s full understanding.

nShe knew the complexity of such technology was unimaginable, possibly achievable by the entirety of humanity’s efforts, but certainly not so effortlessly.

nPerhaps only deities, along with the almost omnipotent “The Truth Society,” could accomplish such feats.

nThis time, the “gateway” was attached to a battered door, half-destroyed by fire, with only a fragment remaining.

nIn the mana vision, it emitted a faint glow.

nStanding in front of the ruined door, Ali lifted her hand, and mana formed a ribbon of light that fell upon the door.

nWith a hum, akin to the sound of magical machinery starting up, a vortex of pure white light appeared on the damaged door.

nWithout hesitation, Ali stepped through the light portal.

nIt felt similar to teleportation, yet not quite the same; there was none of the dislocation sensation typical of teleportation spells, only a slight dizziness for Ali.

nThen the white light dissipated.

nA clean and splendid hall unfolded before Ali’s eyes.

n“The Hall of Truth,” the only part of The Truth Society open to the outside world.

nThe hall was quiet, filled with countless figures in plain white cloaks moving like ghosts, their features abstracted and simplified to standard humanoid forms.

nThe disguise would only lift upon mutual recognition of identity.

nMoreover, although it seemed everyone was in this great hall, in reality, Ali was there alone.

nUntil identities were mutually confirmed, Ali could not interact with the others.

nLikewise, they couldn’t affect Ali, a measure purely for secrecy and safety.

nAnd it has always been effective.

nThe Truth Society housed all sorts of individuals.

nWithout a robust system of secrecy, the hall would likely become an endless battlefield.

nWithout delay, Ali found an unoccupied terminal in the center of the great hall and verified her identity.

n“Welcome back, Commissioner 9527. How may I assist you today?”

nThe familiar synthesized female voice echoed directly in Ali’s mind.

nShe swiped through the terminal’s projected screen, navigating to the intelligence search interface and inputting the keywords for the information she sought.

nPressing the “search” button, a flood of intelligence reports refreshed on the screen.

nAli’s gaze moved across the page, searching for the most reliable pieces of information.

nAlthough the repository contained a wealth of intelligence, not all of it was reliable; some were outdated and no longer reflective of the current situation, potentially causing more harm than good.

nHence, a preliminary filtering was always necessary.

nQuickly, Ali identified a few credible reports.

n“Forest Village, rumored to be established by the remnants of the Orc United Empire, exists to maintain a significant legacy of the Orc United Empire. All villagers are subhumans. The location can trigger three side quest chains. The top combat power is not fixed and changes over time; the highest confirmed level is forty. Considered an intermediate location, not recommended for visits by those of lower levels.”

nApart from the last warning, which was slightly puzzling, Ali understood most of the information provided in the report.

nOther reports contained similar descriptions, one of which included several images showing the village’s exterior and brief descriptions of a few key figures within.

nAmong these, Ali recognized Monka, Rudo, and a few other subhumans she had seen in the village but whose names she didn’t know.

nAfter reviewing additional intelligence, Ali keenly noticed that she seemed to have access to more information than before.

nEven the familiar interface had undergone slight changes, revealing more details.

nThis time, instead of entering a query, Ali directly addressed the terminal, “Hello, I’d like to confirm my current level of access.”

nPromptly, the terminal responded, a flicker of light passing over it as the synthetic female voice resonated in Ali’s mind: “Commissioner 9527, your current access level is sub-

nlieutenant official authorization, which allows you to view intelligence authorized for sub-lieutenant and unofficial access levels.”

nSub-lieutenant?

nWas I not even officially authorized before?

n“I would like to inquire about the specific classifications of access levels and their corresponding operational permissions.”

nAfter a brief pause, the voice replied, “I’m sorry, your access level is insufficient to inquire about this information.”

n“What level of access is required to query this information?”

nThe response was the same, with an identical pause: “I’m sorry, your access level is insufficient to inquire about this information.”

nIt appeared that clarifying this would not be possible in the short term.

nScratching her face, Ali then typed a name into the input field on the terminal screen.

nThis query was processed smoothly; in less than a second after beginning the search, an abundance of information appeared.

nThis time, her inquiry concerned Gick, including a brief biography, specific abilities, and details about people closely associated with him—nearly all the available intelligence was laid bare.

nWhile this method of inquiry was straightforward and quick, it required Ali to know a specific concept.

nTo search for something, she needed to be aware of its existence and corresponding description, as vague searches were not supported.

nHowever, if she were to vocalize her inquiries, even broad questions might yield precise answers.

nYet, direct questioning seemed heavily restricted by access levels; so far, she had asked only a handful of questions, with just two or three receiving answers—the rest were met with “insufficient access.”

nThe Truth Society’s adherence to access restrictions is no small matter.

nAfter thoroughly reading through the intelligence on Gick, Ali realized the caliber of individual she was dealing with.

nThe largest slave trader in the northwestern border of the Silverwind Kingdom, though of half-orc heritage, had climbed the ranks through ruthless actions and exceptional mana talent, eventually becoming a kingpin in the underworld of the northwestern territories.

nHe could almost be considered the uncrowned king of the northwest.

nWhy would such a figure take an interest in “Forest Village,” a minor village?

nThe two should not have any intersections.

nWith questions in mind, Ali queried for intelligence again.

nThe existing reports, which briefly mentioned Gick’s rise without detailing his origins, simply stated he was of unknown background.

nHowever, the new query did not yield additional results.

nIf it wasn’t a matter of insufficient access, then perhaps The Truth Society did not possess relevant intelligence.

nHonestly, Ali leaned more towards the former possibility, considering she did not even know the total number of access levels within The Truth Society, let alone the scope of queries each level permitted.

nEven so, the aid provided by The Truth Society remains irreplaceable.

nAt the very least, Ali now knows Gick’s hideout and has an idea of Monka and Rudo’s next moves.

nIf her sole intent was revenge, this information would be more than sufficient.

nBut it must be said, adventurers truly are a bunch burdened with an excess of curiosity; it’s no wonder so many perish each year.

nDaring to delve into any ruins, it seems adventurers have a death wish.

nEver since learning about the mysterious origins of “Forest Village,” especially the part about it being “allegedly established by the remnants of the Orc United Empire,” Ali has found it nearly impossible to restrain her curiosity about the small subhuman village hidden within the forest.

nShe yearns to uncover what secrets it holds, secrets so profound they’re tied to the Orc United Empire and warrant Gick’s considerable efforts.

nIf there weren’t significant secrets hidden there, Gick wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.

nFor a tiny village lacking even a single magus, Gick mobilized two level 1 magi, seven level 2 magi, a dozen level 3 magi, and a group of preparatory-level magi by the squad!

nSuch a force is substantial enough to wage a localized war!

nVisit .

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