Marina's blade was very cold, especially when it was pressed against his throat.
Thales could feel himself improving ever since he was forced to be sandwiched between the Star Killer and the Raven of Death. In the end, all three parties used up their trump cards. His reaction to actual combat was better, his movements were faster, and his Power of Eradication flowed more freely.
'But …'
Thales looked at Ricky's indifferent expression and his relaxed attitude. He had no choice but to move his neck along with the other party's blade.
'Damn it.'
From the prince's sudden attack to Ricky's successful counterattack, both parties had only exchanged blows once. The sudden change only lasted for less than two seconds.
Quick Rope and Dean, who were covering for Thales, were pinned to the ground by multiple opponents. They could not move, and their faces were in pain. Many of the mercenaries were still prepared to fight. They watched in surprise as the situation turned around in an instant.
"Clearly, someone needs to teach our prince when and what not to do." Klein snorted in disdain from the side. He sheathed Dim Light, which was as fast as lightning.
"I told you." The former Baron Lasalle, who had calmed down after the shock, looked at the Disaster Swords around him in dissatisfaction. "This prince is very troublesome …"
Stake frowned at Thales, who had failed in his counterattack. "Restless little fellow, isn't he?"
"Bastard …" Marina gritted her teeth. Her face was red as she held her sword and walked forward. She was prepared to take down the bold prince and teach him a lesson.
But at that moment …
* Slap! *
The prince turned over without a care. He stretched out his right arm and firmly grasped his enemy's sword hand.
Ricky's expression changed. He looked at Thales in surprise.
Even Marina's footsteps paused.
"Hey, Disaster Swords."
Thales' arm muscles tensed. He pushed the sword away from his throat with all his might. His voice trembled slightly as he wrestled with Ricky. "It's not … over yet …"
However, at that moment, the prince felt that Ricky's wrist was like a thousand-year-old tree that had taken root, or a huge rock that weighed ten thousand pounds.
It could not be pushed away, nor could it be shaken.
"I heard that you're very interested in Black Sword, right?" Thales tried his best not to think about the cold sword on his neck. He forced a smile. "Unfortunately, I'm also very interested in him …"
Ricky watched Thales struggle like a cornered beast and frowned. He seemed very dissatisfied.
"A smart person should know when to give up …"
Following Ricky's words, a strange power flowed out from his wrist.
Thales' expression suddenly changed!
At that moment, Ricky's Power of Eradication flowed into his entire body through Thales' palm.
Thales felt as if he had been thrown into a cauldron, covered with a lid, and set on a flame.
Scalding hot.
It stung.
It was heavy.
In a trance, his blood emitted an uneasy muffled sound. His skin was slightly irritated, and the bones in his body couldn't move at all. It was as if someone was tightly clamping him down and putting him under great pressure.
With Thales' hell's senses, the Power of Eradication in Ricky's body was like countless deep whirlpools that devoured everything in its endless, rolling undercurrents.
Once one fell into it, there was no way to escape or leave.
'What is this,' Thales thought in agony.
At that moment, Ricky's cold voice slowly traveled into Thales' ears.
"… such as you."
Ricky watched with satisfaction as Thales' face turned from red to white. His breathing froze, and he watched as Thales' eyes lost focus under his terrifying power. Thales trembled slightly, and his grip loosened.
Every time.
Ricky pursed his lips and thought in a bored and indifferent manner.
'It's the same every time.
When their Power of Eradication surged into their opponent's body … '
He shook his head in disdain. But just as Ricky was about to push away the powerless Thales, the prey under his sword suddenly trembled slightly.
* Thud! *
Under everyone's gazes, the prince, who was already at the end of his tether, suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, extended his left hand, and grabbed Ricky's collar tightly!
Ricky's pupils instantly shrank.
Thales gritted his teeth and exerted force in his hand to close the distance between them.
Ricky stared at Thales in a daze and asked in slight doubt, "You, you can still move?"
"As a leader, you are indeed very special, Ricky." Thales' breathing became more rapid. Sweat broke out on his forehead, but his face was flushed, and his words were smooth. "They are all cold and violent, but you …"
Ricky shuddered violently. "What?"
"Yours is scorching, oppressive, heavy, and blots out the sun. It's like a terrifying whirlpool that you can't escape from." Thales smiled with his forehead drenched in sweat. He felt the Power of Eradication in his body surge inch by inch, as if it had a mind of its own, expelling and clearing the foreign power that invaded his body.
"But that ominous energy is still the same."
"The Disaster Swords."
The Power of Eradication began to spread in Thales' mind. It was boiling and excited.
When he heard Thales' words, Ricky widened his eyes in shock.
"You … How did you …"
Thales gripped Ricky's wrist and collar tightly. He resisted the influence of the Power of Eradication on him, and suppressed the urge and desire to immediately counterattack.
'Damn it.
'Not enough. Not enough.
I still … don't believe it!
I need … more! '
As he thought, Thales grunted with his forehead drenched in sweat.
He observed the characteristics of Ricky's Power of Eradication. Just like how he imitated the Twist of Fate not too long ago, he urged the power in his body to change.
'Scorching.'
As Thales thought about this, the Sin of Hell's River in his body began to flow on its own. It emitted a terrifyingly high temperature in his senses.
'Oppressive.'
The Power of Eradication roared and covered his blood vessels, muscles, bones, and almost all his tissues. It was like a dark cloud blotting out the sun, leaving not a single gap.
'Heavy.'
An inexplicable pressure descended on Thales' body. As the power changed, it became more obvious, as if it had substance.
It blotted out the sun.
Soon, the Sin of Hell's River spun around a center, as if it wanted to tear him apart, but also as if it wanted to devour everything. At that moment, Thales had the illusion that no matter what kind of attack it was, as long as he was still immersed in the vortex formed by the Power of Eradication, he could easily withstand it.
Thales exhaled in pain. He could vaguely hear his body protesting against the chilling sounds of friction, as if it was a machine that could not bear the weight of a heavy load.
No one knew that in less than a second, he had experienced the terrifying ups and downs from the peak of a mountain to a deep valley, and then from the depths of the earth to the clouds.
Compared to the Twist of Fate, which he was almost familiar with, this time, the transformation of the Sin of Hell's River gave him a greater burden and cost than he imagined.
'But …'
Thales tried his best to pull himself together and looked at the enemy in front of him.
The teenager took a deep breath and tightened his grip on Ricky's wrist. He smiled as if he had been relieved of a burden.
"Just like this?"
Soon, the newborn Sin of Hell's River, which had completed the transformation in his daze, poured into Ricky's body.
At first, Ricky looked puzzled, but as the unusually familiar power gradually surged into his body, the man's breathing became more rapid.
"This is …"
Scorching.
Oppressive.
Heavy.
Blotting out the sky.
'Just like …
'Just like …'
As he looked at Thales' smile and sensed the feeling coming from his body, there were no words that could describe Ricky's current expression.
"No …"
He widened his eyes and shook his head subconsciously, as if he could not believe what was happening before his eyes.
"Impossible …"
Thales coughed in pain, and the young Power of Eradication immediately dissipated.
His hand left Ricky's collar and fell limply to the ground.
The onlookers did not know what was going on. As they listened to the conversation between the two, they were surprised and bewildered.
The anxious Shawn wanted to walk forward, but Ricky waved him away.
"What's wrong, Ricky?" Klein asked tentatively.
But the leader of the Disaster Swords only shook his head slightly and did not answer. He was still immersed in disbelief and surprise.
"I know."
Thales looked as if he was on the verge of death. His expression was dazed, and he forced himself to stay awake. He gritted his teeth and said, "I know why all of you want Black Sword."
Ricky's shock slowly disappeared, but his frown deepened.
He began to face the truth before him.
"Who are you?" 'Crassus' of the Disaster Swords asked in a low voice.
But Thales only sucked in a deep breath and shook his head.
"Believe me, Ricky, you don't want Black Sword." The prince's face was full of exhaustion.
"You want me.
I'm the one you really need. "
The teenager fixed his gaze on the man.
"Me."
The lights in the tavern were much dimmer than before, making Ricky's expression look incredibly solemn.
On the other side, Stake of Shadow Shield coughed to remind the Disaster Swords.
"What are they doing?" Lasalle urged impatiently. "Are they chatting?"
Masked Man looked at Ricky worriedly. He watched as he suppressed the prince but did not move. "Ricky, we should take action …"
He waved at Shawn and Marina. The latter two walked forward cautiously or with gritted teeth.
But Ricky suddenly raised his head!
"Step back!"
The leader of the Disaster Swords had never been so serious before.
He looked coldly at his subordinates, who were prepared to come forward to capture the prince, and said coldly, "All of you."
The mercenaries were stunned.
But before they could react, Ricky withdrew the sword in his right hand, grabbed Thales' collar with his powerful left hand, lifted him up from the ground, and slammed him on the table beside him!
* Bang! *
Amid the loud noise, Thales lay on the table in pain and moaned.
But before he could react, Ricky turned his sword around, sliced through the air, and stabbed at his head!
* Whoosh! *
Thales' mind went blank.
* Thud! *
A muffled sound rose. The tip of the sword grazed past Thales' scalp and was embedded deeply into the table.
It was only an inch away from Thales' forehead.
The prince glanced at the cold glare of the sword through the corner of his eye. His heart pounded, and he stared at Ricky's eyes in shock.
"Hey, be careful!"
Stake widened his eyes, extended his hand, and cried out, "We don't want to get a corpse …"
But Ricky ignored him. Masked Man coldly blocked Stake's path, not letting him take even a single step forward.
The leader of the Disaster Swords slowly bent down and approached the shocked Thales.
"Tell me."
His hand was still on the hilt of his sword. He twisted the blade, and it made a terrifying scraping sound against the pierced wood. "Your Highness, you arrogant prince."
Ricky enunciated each word clearly, "Have you … tasted death before?"
His eyes were as cold as ice. Even the light reflected in his pupils was filled with coldness.
At that moment, Masked Man and Klein widened their eyes and looked at each other at a loss.
It was as if they knew something.
Thales stared into Ricky's eyes and digested his words.
'The taste of death.'
Ricky understood.
Thales breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
He had achieved his goal.
But obviously, the others did not understand.
"Honorable Crassus, forgive me for being blunt. He might have angered you, but the prince in your hands is very valuable …" Stake seemed to be worried about the hidden meaning in Ricky's tone. He raised his hands anxiously. "If you are dissatisfied with him …"
Ricky suddenly turned around. He glared at Thales and shouted fiercely.
"Shut up!"
Stake was rendered speechless. The rest of his words were stuck in his mouth.
In the next second, Ricky turned around and continued to stare at Thales on the table. He said sternly, "Answer me, prince."
His breathing quickened. "Have you seen death before?"
At that moment, Ricky was like a fierce beast with sharp claws and a long beard. He no longer had the indifference and indifference he had when they first met.
'Death.'
Thales frowned. His thoughts drifted away.
'"Only those who have survived death have the right to use and control it.
'"At the moment it fused with you, you wandered between life and death, and the boundary between life and death became blurred."'
As he mulled over the past, the prince recovered the energy he had used just now and clenched his fists.
And Ricky still held him hostage. He did not relax in the slightest.
The whispers in the tavern slowly disappeared. Although the mercenaries were puzzled, they still stayed in their positions and waited for their leader's decision.
A few seconds passed.
"Of course." The prince gritted his teeth. His breathing was chaotic. "I have seen it before.
More than you can imagine. "
Ricky's frown slowly disappeared.
"But you're alive," he said slowly. His anger and shock slowly disappeared.
It was not a question.
"Yes."
Thales repeated his words. His smile was forced.
"Although I can't remember clearly, but …" Thales took a deep breath and did not look at the blade of the sword that stopped next to his forehead. "Yes, I'm back. I'm back every time."
He raised his trembling right hand and pointed at his chest.
"Together with it."
Ricky's frown disappeared completely. He no longer twisted the blade on the table.
"How did you know?"
His tone was cautious.
"About us, about …"
Ricky's gaze followed Thales' finger. He said the next word solemnly and sternly, "It?"
Thales exhaled laboriously.
"Don't forget, I am a Jadestar." The prince smiled weakly. "We know everything."
Ricky's expression froze. He narrowed his eyes.
"Jadestar …
"Horace Jadestar?"
Ricky took a deep breath. His tone became downcast along with his head. "Is it him?
He … learned all of this from the Tower of Eradication? "
Thales was slightly stunned.
'What?'
"Whether it's him or not …" Thales gulped. He was determined to get through the crisis before him first. "But you want me."
He stared straight at the slightly confused Ricky. "You want me more than anything else.
"Because I represent the miracle and opportunity that all of you have been dreaming of," Thales repeated their words in a low voice.
"The end of the old era, and the beginning of the new era."
As Thales spoke, the confusion on Ricky's face slowly faded.
He looked up.
"Yes." Ricky looked at the prince in front of him, sighed, and said in relief.
"I want you."
There was a profound meaning in his words.
In the next second, Ricky exerted force with his right hand, pulled the blade out from the table, and turned to the others.
Thales was left alone, lying on the table, panting in shock.
"Take him down. Be polite." Ricky brandished his sword and tossed it back to Marina, who was staring at Thales unblinkingly and indignantly.
Shawn nodded and walked forward.
"Get ready." At that moment, it was as if Ricky had become the calm and indifferent leader from before. "We will begin the next step."
Klein and Masked Man looked at each other. They glanced at Thales uneasily and nodded in unison.
The mercenaries started to move.
Stake coughed to remind them of his existence. "Since we have subdued this mischievous prince, let us take him away, at least to a safe place —"
But Ricky suddenly raised his head and interrupted him.
"The prince must stay in our hands as a pledge."
Stake could not help but be stunned by his firm words.
"Only when we complete our goal and leave the camp," Ricky said lightly, "will I hand him over to you."
When he said this, both Stake and Lasalle widened their eyes.
Thales exhaled and felt slightly at ease.
'Finally …'
Quick Rope and Dean, who were subdued on the ground, became even more confused. Just like the mercenaries, they did not know what was going on.
"Wait!"
Stake stared at Ricky from afar. His tone was filled with disbelief. "I gave you such a huge guarantee, but you still insist on maintaining the status quo?"
He pointed at Thales, who was violently dragged down from the table by Shawn.
But Ricky only snorted softly.
"You didn't give me anything, Stake. Shadow Shield has always been Constellation's enemy," the leader of the Disaster Swords said coldly. "Even if that letter is exposed, it will only push your name forward on the Secret Intelligence Department's enemy list."
Stake's expression turned cold.
The veins on his hand could be vaguely seen.
"So, the letter I gave you is equivalent to throwing away my money?"
Stake's tone slowly tightened along with his expression. "This is not the way to do business."
He put his hands in his robe and slowly paced forward.
Masked Man consciously stood in front of him.
The mercenaries sensed the barely discernible tension. They did not need to be reminded to be prepared for battle. They stood in formation and were wary of the enemies hiding outside the eaves.
"We — mercenaries have our own way of doing business."
Ricky said nonchalantly, "Accept it, or screw it up. It's your choice."
Stake's gaze became extremely cold.
"Screw it up?" The guest of Shadow Shield gritted his teeth. His words were cold.
"Everyone." When Lasalle saw that the situation was about to reach a stalemate again, he quickly said, "This camp is filled with Constellation's army. If we drag each other down, no one will be able to walk out of here safely, and we won't be able to achieve our goal."
Ricky smiled in response.
"We did what we promised you. The prince is here.
"I think you don't mind us temporarily detaining the goods," Ricky said loudly, but intentionally or not, he glanced at a few corners at the top of the tavern. "Until you pay the rest of the money?"
Stake stiffened.
He knew that the places Ricky looked at just now were the places where the assassins of Shadow Shield had been hiding outside the tavern for a long time and were ready to attack at any moment.
'But …'
Stake clenched his fists in indignation.
"You don't think I'm blind, do you?"
Stake gritted his teeth and said, "Just now, you and the prince whispered in each other's ears for a long time …"
Shawn had just roughly tied Thales up. He noticed that Shawn was carrying Thales' luggage on his back. When he heard this, he was stunned.
Stake glared at Ricky, who looked calm and composed. "You weren't really tempted by the prince's words and reached some kind of deal with him, right?
"Such as … some kind of deal between you and Constellation, such as the Prison of Bones?"
Ricky stopped what he was doing.
Lasalle stopped talking as well. He stared at the others with deep distrust in his eyes.
Masked Man frowned.
"Then it'll be very ugly," Stake said coldly. "Do you think that Shadow Shield would come all the way here just to let you take away our target so easily?"
Ricky took a deep breath, turned around, and met Masked Man's gaze.
He laughed.
"Hahahaha …"
Masked Man laughed as well.
It was as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.
"I can understand. You gave us that letter, so you were very indignant. You felt as if you were being taken advantage of …" Ricky laughed very happily. He waved his hand. "Are you still worried that we will judge the situation and turn around to collude with Constellation?"
Make all of you fall short of success? "
Stake's expression became more and more unpleasant.
Ricky walked forward, moved past Masked Man, and arrived in front of Stake.
"But what I want to say is, Stake, just like you, we were destined to be enemies with Constellation a long time ago."
Stake was slightly stunned.
Ricky stared at him and said faintly, "As a reward for your letter, and as a reward for your 'sincerity' …"
With a calm expression, he crooked his finger behind him.
"Samel?"
While Stake, Lasalle, Thales, and the others were puzzled, Masked Man snorted coldly and walked forward.
He stretched out his hand and pulled down his mask without hesitation.
The lights flickered, and the Masked Man's face was indistinct.
It was a face that had been through the vicissitudes of life. The man looked to be in his forties or fifties. His cheekbones were high, and his sideburns were faintly visible.
Stake scrutinized him with a puzzled expression, as if he did not know what to do for a moment.
"You are …"
Masked Man shook his head in disdain.
But Lasalle's expression changed beside Stake!
"That is …" The former baron of Eckstedt stared at the man and shuddered slightly.
Many mercenaries, including Quick Rope, looked at each other in confusion. They were extremely puzzled.
Thales tried his best to stretch his neck, but he could only see Masked Man's side profile.
'Damn it …
'Who is that guy …'
But Thales was immediately stunned.
'Side profile.'
Yes, he could only see Masked Man's side profile.
But that was enough.
There was an obvious and ferocious brand on one side of the man's face, from his chin to his cheekbone.
His skin and flesh were turned inside out, and blood was everywhere.
It was like …
Thales stared at the brand on the man's face in a daze.
Just like the two brands on Raphael Lindbergh's wrists from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department six years ago. They were the Arunde Family's …
But the prince was shocked again!
He recognized it.
The imprints on the masked man's face had a regular pattern and a shape …
'That is …'
Thales could not believe his eyes.
But Masked Man quickly spoke and ended Thales' doubts.
"This is the letter'S 'from the Ancient Empire. It represents the Jadestar Royal Family. It was branded a long time ago," he said coldly as he gently touched the ugly and terrifying brand on his face.
Stake shuddered violently!
Masked Man said coldly, "The person who is branded with this brand is a sinner who was personally ordered by the Supreme King of Constellation to be punished. He will bear the shame and sin that will never be forgiven, and he will never be able to redeem himself."
Stake took a step back with a surprised expression.
Ricky crossed his arms and sneered slightly. Klein looked as if he had known about this for a long time and was not surprised.
Marina listened to Masked Man's confession with a complicated expression.
Thales stared at the man named Samel in a daze. He could not describe the feelings in his heart.
Stake remembered something and asked with uncertainty, "You said your name is Samel? You are … "
Samel, who was no longer masked, snorted softly.
"As you said, everyone has a past."
Samel turned around and faced the people in the tavern.
"After the war eighteen years ago, aside from all of you assassins who deserved to die … there was also a group of people in Eternal Star City who were sentenced to prison by the newly crowned King Kessel."
Samel slowly walked forward. His tone was cold.
"All of them were skilled, experienced, and powerful warriors who were born into nobility. They once made a glorious oath to protect the noblest descendants of the kingdom."
Samel turned his head abruptly and looked at Thales, causing the latter to be shocked.
Under the illumination of the light, the brand on his face became even more obvious and terrifying.
His gaze was very strange. He was clearly staring at Thales, but it was as if he was looking into the distance through a layer of water curtain.
Samel spoke slowly, "But because of that failure and humiliation that the world knew about, they were wronged under the wrath of the new king. They were charged with grave crimes, and from then on, they could only waste their lives in the miserable underground.
They could never be free, and they could never see the light of day. "
Samel raised his head. His tone was one of pride and pain.
"I am Colin Samel, from Eternal Star City. I am the youngest son of Viscount Luca Samel."
He said in pain.
"I was once the vice flag bearer of the Royal Guards of Constellation. I was the personal guard of the late King Aydi the Second. I was the glorious Emperor's Praetorian Guard."
He stared at Thales with a complicated gaze. "I was also a member of the Royal Guards who guarded Renaissance Palace during the Bloody Year."
Thales stared back at him in a daze. His emotions were in a mess.
'Royal Guards?
'Isn't that …'
Samel gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. In the almost suffocating atmosphere, he said angrily, "After the unfair trial, he was also the only one among the forty-six Royal Guards who refused to plead guilty and were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Prison of Bones. He was the only one who managed to escape."
"They are felons who have no place in the whole of Constellation."
Stake did not speak anymore. He only looked at Samel with a profound gaze.
The tavern was silent.
Then, Ricky spoke again, "Compared to your letter, which was more of a gimmick than a practical one, this is our guarantee, Stake.
"It is impossible for us to work with Constellation.
"So the prince will stay in our hands, and even act with us," Ricky said coldly. "His safety, and whether he can be handed over to you smoothly … all depends on the success of our next operation.
"And here I am, thanking both of you for your generous help in advance?"
Ricky's words were filled with hints.
Stake and Lasalle frowned.
Ricky snorted softly, turned his head around, and ignored them.
"Now."
The leader of the Disaster Swords swept his gaze over the solemn mercenaries. His gaze swept past Thales' face, whose emotions were complicated.
"Let's go."
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