The west-slanting moon shone faintly on an alley. Thales leaned against the wall in the alley and watched the Blood Whistle mercenaries — or rather, the Disaster Swords — skillfully lurking in the alley. They were silent but highly vigilant. He felt anxious.
'Damn it.'
After they left the tavern, they did spread out, but they were even more vigilant.
'I can't find a chance like this.'
From planning to taking action, the Disaster Swords could be said to be swift and decisive. The Prince of Constellation, Quick Rope, and the others were escorted out of the tavern in a few minutes. They approached the Prison of Bones in an efficient and low-key manner.
The efficiency of Shadow Shield, Disaster Swords, and Lasalle working together was not to be underestimated. Aside from them deliberately moving in groups to hide their tracks, they did not alert a single person along the way from My Home to this place. Even the patrols they were supposed to run into had disappeared from their sights.
But at that moment, what Thales was most worried about was not this. He was worried about one of the people guarding him — a certain swordswoman with an angry expression on her face.
"Eight or nine years ago, when I returned to my hometown, there was also a local rascal who wanted to molest me."
Marina rubbed her lips gently with one hand and pressed the hilt of her sword with the other.
She leaned close to Thales' ear and whispered. Her words contained hatred that could not be ignored.
"Do you want to know what happened to him?"
'No.'
'Not at all.'
But in the face of Marina, who was gnashing her teeth, Thales could only return an awkward smile filled with guilt and helplessness.
"Hey, um, I'm very sorry about what happened just now, but you're too good. That was the only way I could —"
Before he could finish speaking, a cold glare flashed in Marina's eyes!
It made Thales, who was already in the wrong, freeze.
His flattery did not work at all.
God take pity on him. Be it in this life or his previous life, which had blurry memories, he had never done something like "sexual harassment", which he despised and despised.
However, just now …
Thales lowered his head sorrowfully and avoided Marina's fierce gaze.
His reputation in two lives was destroyed in one night.
Marina snorted coldly and gently pulled out her sword.
"At that time, I placed the sword between that bastard's legs just like this." As goosebumps rose all over Thales' body, Marina lowered her weapon with a cold expression. "Then, with a twist of my wrist …"
Fortunately, when Thales felt a chill at his crotch and was about to cry for help, a steady and gentle voice stopped him.
"Marina."
"I asked you to keep an eye on him, not to find a chance to kill him." Ricky's figure appeared at the entrance of the heavily guarded alley. He nodded slightly at his subordinates in the alley, his expression solemn. "Restrain yourself."
Marina frowned, but she still put away her sword under Thales' hopeful gaze.
"Of course." She put away the unwillingness on her face and said lightly.
However, Marina's next sentence made Thales feel bitter in his heart again.
"We should gag his mouth and remove one of his arms or one of his legs. If he's in the middle of our operation …"
But Ricky shook his head.
"Our esteemed guest is not a stupid person." Crassus of the Disaster Swords narrowed his eyes and stared at the prince, who was forcing himself to remain calm. "He knows when to negotiate and when to resist. He also knows who is his greatest support at this moment."
Thales' heart instantly became heavy.
He knew that the people from Shadow Shield were secretly hiding in the periphery. Compared to those people, falling into the hands of the Disaster Swords was not such a bad choice.
"Isn't it?"
Ricky tilted his head behind him.
There, the three pitiful hostages — Quick Rope, Dean, and Tampa — were tied up and gagged. They were unceremoniously escorted by more than ten fierce Disaster Swordsmen. From time to time, they would cast pitiful or indignant glances at Thales.
When he saw them, the prince could only sigh sadly.
"Of course."
Compared to them, Thales was very lucky to only have his weapons and luggage taken away. He glanced at the Crossbow of Time on Marina's back and the JC dagger tied to her waist. He could not help but gulp.
This action made Marina's gaze even more disgusted.
Under Ricky's signal, the mercenaries, including Marina, obediently moved a little further away.
Ricky stood in front of the prince. His gaze was burning, and it made Thales feel uneasy.
"So, what you want to do in the Prison of Bones is …"
The prince coughed and wanted to ask for some information, but he was interrupted by Ricky.
"Not enough," the leader of the Disaster Swords said softly.
Thales was stunned. "What?"
"The Sin of Hell's River." Ricky stared at him with a strange gaze. "You haven't experienced enough, and you haven't fused with it deeply enough. You can't even touch the threshold."
'The Sin of Hell's River.'
This sudden topic made Thales nervous.
"What do you mean?"
'Can't even touch the threshold …'
The prince's body stiffened. "So, what you need is someone like Black Sword?"
But Ricky still shook his head and denied it.
"He's not enough either."
When he stared at the prince, there was an undisguised coldness in his gaze, but there was also a fanaticism that made people feel uneasy. These two contradictory meanings made Thales feel even more uncomfortable.
"So, you need more training. You need to let it mature as soon as possible amidst blood and danger, become stronger, and release it. In the end, you will surpass the supreme class and reach the legendary 'True World'."
Thales furrowed his eyebrows. He became even more confused. "Surpass … what world?"
"What are you talking about?"
"That is the only way." As if he did not hear what Thales said, Ricky continued to stare at Thales attentively. "We believe that it is not without reason that you were chosen by Hell's River and returned from death."
Thales' eyelids twitched.
"In fact, the Iron Blood King, Gil Cuse, the Black Knight, and the Ninth Man, Shawlon Tan En, Hill Crassus …" Ricky read out the names that Thales was either unfamiliar with or had heard of. "Even you, Thales Jadestar."
Thales was confused.
'These names …
'The Iron Blood King seems to be the ancient Northland King who led the army to fight against the ancient orcs …
'Gil Cuse, I've never heard of him before …
'The Black Knight … Hmm, I think I've seen him in the pile of novels about pitiful knights by Little Rascal's bedside or in the bardic poems …
'The Ninth Man, what the hell is this? It's a nickname, right?
'Shawlon Tan En, Tan En, what a familiar surname …
'Hill Crassus, strange, isn't Crassus the honorific title given to the leader of the Disaster Swords …
'As for Thales Jadestar … No, what about me?
'Damn it, if only I had a photographic memory like Saroma, who likes to flip through random books when she has nothing better to do …'
Ricky continued, "We believe that in the thousands of years of history, every single person who struggled to return from the edge of Hell's River had their own mission in that era."
'What?'
Thales could not help but ask, "What mission?"
But Ricky did not answer him. Instead, he flashed a smile that made people uneasy.
"You obtained a key, prince. It can open a door that we have been waiting for for more than a hundred years," the leader of the Disaster Swords said with a smile. "Don't waste it."
The confused prince was about to speak, but he was interrupted by the sound of carriages coming from outside the alley.
Around them, the mercenaries who had been lurking quietly became alert, like wild beasts whose territory had been invaded.
Ricky raised his head and looked at a figure outside the alley.
"Their signal is here," Crassus of the Disaster Swords said with a frown. "Let's go."
Thales' expression changed. Before he could react, he was violently escorted out of the alley by the impatient Marina.
A rather long fleet of carriages headed towards them on the empty and dark street. There were both human-powered carts carrying unknown goods and carriages pulled by pack horses.
Tampa whimpered uneasily behind him. He only quieted down when Shawn 'reminded' him mercilessly.
When he saw the wine glass on the flag of the fleet, Thales immediately understood. 'This is the supply fleet for My Tavern.'
There were about twenty people in the transport fleet. They were all dressed in ordinary clothes made of coarse cloth. They looked shabby and light, just like the locals of Blade Fangs Camp. Their horses did not stop galloping, and they turned a blind eye to Ricky and the group of people who popped out of the alley.
In the carriage closest to them, a coachman lifted his hood at Ricky and nodded politely.
Thales recognized the coachman. It was Stake.
"Don't worry, the patrol team closest to us has already left."
Stake sat in the driver's seat and smiled smugly at Ricky, who approached him. "There were also three thieves who wanted to take advantage of the night to burgle, but they have already been dealt with.
"All the factors that could expose us for this trip …"
But Ricky did not pay attention to him. Instead, he looked at another person sitting beside Stake.
Beside Stake, Samel, the former Royal Guard of Constellation, snorted softly.
"Along the way … I have to say, they really have their ways." Samel did not hide the disgust on his face, but he still nodded. "Shadow Shield."
Stake lifted his hood in a smug manner.
"Just like what we promised."
He looked past Ricky at Thales, who was in front of Marina, and smiled as well.
Thales quirked an eyebrow.
As he sized up the front and back of the fleet, Ricky noticed Stake's gaze and snorted coldly.
But in the end, he did not say anything. He just boarded the rack at the back of the carriage and waved his hand.
The group of Disaster Swords caught up with the fleet. They walked into the gaps between the carriages with ease and became one with the fleet. Thales was unceremoniously pushed into one of the carriages by Marina.
The fleet of carriages continued moving forward as the wheels of the different carriages swayed.
The fleet was very quiet. Be it the secretive Shadow Shield or the murderous Disaster Swords, none of them said a word at that moment. The coachmen drove the carriages, and the pedestrians walked. For a period of time, there was only the sound of hooves and wheels. The atmosphere was oppressive.
Finally, amidst Thales' uneasy thoughts, a seemingly familiar building appeared in his shaky vision. It was a huge, bowl-shaped fortress with only a protruding arched entrance.
The Prison of Bones.
As the supply fleet approached, a group of soldiers guarding the arched entrance walked forward with torches in their hands.
Thales watched from afar and could not help but frown.
"You're too early." A guard who looked like a captain approached the first carriage accompanied by a few of his comrades. He looked at the smiling coachman and frowned.
"There's still some time before dawn …"
The carriages in front of them stopped.
The coachman jumped down from the carriage. While he commanded the "workers" to move the goods, he smiled obsequiously and said, "It's a special time, please understand …"
But the captain's gaze shifted to the back of the fleet.
"Wait.
"Your fleet is a little long." The captain of the guards looked at the endless stream of vehicles behind them. Suspicion appeared on his face. "Why are some of them carrying weapons?"
But the coachman did not panic. He just spread his arms and explained with an obsequious smile, "We're new here. You know, the camp has not been peaceful recently …"
The captain's gaze froze.
He took a step back and subconsciously placed his hand on his waist.
The seven or eight guards behind the captain also became alert.
Thales clenched his fists as he watched from the side. He saw that the captain's armor had the emblem of the Stardust Unit.
* Whoosh! *
"Not peaceful, my foot." The captain of the guards, who noticed that something was off, drew his weapon without hesitation and said warily, "We don't need so many people to transport supplies!"
The expressions of the guards behind him changed.
The coachman's face turned pale. He quickly waved his hand and explained, "No, no, no, that's because, because we're from Hell's River —"
The captain, who had a weapon in his hand, froze for a moment when he heard this. "What from Hell's River?"
In the next second, a guard behind the captain suddenly took a step forward and hugged him from behind!
* Shick! *
"… The ferryman of Hell's River," the traitor behind the captain faintly finished the coachman's words.
The captain's mouth was covered tightly. He twitched and widened his eyes in disbelief as he stared at the blood-stained blade that had been thrown out of his chest.
Thales held his breath, but his mouth was covered by Marina, who was beside him.
Before the rest of the guards could react to the sudden change, the coachman's body moved violently!
He moved past the captain, who died with his eyes wide open, and arrived in front of the second guard. Under the latter's shocked gaze, he stabbed a dagger into his throat and nailed his screams between his chattering teeth.
At the same time, six or seven mysterious figures appeared from the darkness!
A panic-stricken guard pulled out his weapon. He was just about to shout when a "fellow" behind him pressed down on his chin and skillfully slit his windpipe.
In despair, he looked at his comrade beside him for help, but found that the latter's neck was strangled by an assassin who had appeared at some point in time. He stared back at him with a pained expression, and his hands clawed at his neck in vain.
Another guard instinctively wanted to ask for help from the arched door, but before he could turn around, there was a terrifying cracking sound, and his head was twisted by an assassin.
There was even an assassin who took out a crossbow and accurately shot through the back of the neck of a guard who had turned around to run away. His footsteps and his screams were cut off along with his spinal cord.
In the eyes of the terrified Thales, these mysterious figures who had suddenly appeared either stabbed, strangled, or strangled nine guards. They quietly and shockingly efficiently ended the lives of nine guards.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Thales almost forgot to breathe.
'This is …
'Shadow Shield?'
The mercenaries who came with the caravan widened their eyes and watched the scene under the moonlight in shock.
By the time the equally surprised Marina let go of Thales, who was breathing rapidly, the assassins in front of them had already carefully supported the guards who were no longer moving. They skillfully caught the torches and weapons they dropped, dragged the corpses to a dark corner, and disappeared from everyone's sight.
Soon, the area in front of the Prison of Bones became empty. The last trace of the Constellatiate soldiers also disappeared from the street.
Only the barely discernible bloodstains on the ground told of what had just happened.
Ricky's eyebrows were furrowed tighter than ever.
"Williams' subordinates are indeed vigilant." Stake clicked his tongue as he watched the scene in front of him. He did not care at all. "They're very different from those recruits. If it weren't for the fact that we were well-prepared and you were alone …"
Ricky nodded slightly and got off the carriage.
He did not bat an eyelid. He knew in his heart that this was Stake's demonstration to him.
It was all for the 'goods' they seized.
"Damn it." Klein, the Northlander swordsman, had walked to Ricky's side at some point in time. His expression was unpleasant as he commented on the silent and bloody massacre. "I've killed quite a lot of people, but this is too …"
He looked at the bloodstains on the street and could not continue speaking.
But Thales understood what he meant.
Ricky patted Klein's shoulder and made a gesture.
The mercenaries, who had been stunned by the scene just now, snapped out of their daze.
The disguised caravan continued forward. They stepped through the arched door and entered the deep tunnel leading to the Prison of Bones.
Thales was among them. His expression was solemn.
"As you can see, the guards on the ground outside the Prison of Bones have been quietly dealt with. We've arranged for people to take over their sentry posts." While on the carriage, Stake acted as if nothing had happened as he moved past the torches and the bloodstains on the ground. He smiled at Ricky and said,
"The patrols during curfew will pass by in fifteen minutes. But they are all recruits sent by the great clans to fill in the gaps. They're full of complaints, their morale is low, and their efficiency is low. They can't compare to Williams' regular army. They can't see through us.
"We'll have at least four hours until the shift at the Prison of Bones."
Thales felt a chill in his heart as he listened to their conversation.
Ricky nodded. "Is there anything else I should know?"
Stake said with a smile, "Even if there's an emergency on the way, the patrols in charge of the two areas nearby belong to Brave Souls Fort and New Offering Land. The two clans they belong to have a grudge against each other. We can try to delay them from coming over to inspect the area and leave enough time for us to evacuate."
The former envoy of Eckstedt, Lasalle Weider appeared in the group. He frowned.
"As far as I know, 'Running Horse' Frank is still in the camp. He's a ruthless character. The Stardust Unit he commands is the elite regular army under Williams. Their reactions are fast, their combat abilities are astonishing, and they know the camp like the back of their hand."
Stake nodded with a smile.
"That's right. But right now, there are many nobles in Blade Fangs Camp who are nobler than the bumpkin Frank. Don't expect a group of counts and viscounts to listen to his orders. It'll be good enough if they don't drag him down."
Stake smiled slyly and said, "And with some of our efforts, the recruits and regular army, the local nobles and the royal family, and the Blade Fangs Camp, which is not under full command, will take much longer than usual for them to realize the problem, gather their forces, and rush over to provide reinforcements."
Lasalle understood and nodded in approval. "The Constellatiates gathered their forces and marched westward on a large scale. It might seem like they're showing off their might in the desert, but they're actually restraining themselves in the camp. You're really lucky."
Samel rubbed the brand on his face and snorted coldly. "Why do you think we chose to come at this time, Northlander?"
When Stake saw that the two of them, who did not get along with each other, were about to argue again, he quickly changed the topic.
Stake coughed and said, "And even if we reach the last step, we can still create a diversion and lure them away."
Klein was puzzled. "What?"
Stake smiled smugly. "This is what the Teng Family said. It means to distract their attention. Think about it, an accident happened in the Prison of Bones, a noble who came from afar was assassinated, and a fire broke out in the military warehouse. If you're Frank, and you're the watchdog Williams left behind, which one would you deal with first?"
The three Disaster Swords understood the meaning of Stake's words. They exchanged glances, and their expressions were solemn.
"You seem to have forgotten about the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department and their spies in the camp," Ricky said quietly. "Do you think they didn't notice anything?"
Stake's eyes lit up.
"They might have noticed some clues, but they couldn't react in time. We released bait a long time ago. A teenager who looks like the Prince of Constellation has recently appeared in the Tower of Eradication. Trust me, because of this news, the Secret Intelligence Department's spies in Blade Fangs Camp are busy traveling north."
When he heard this, Thales, who was in the carriage behind them, sighed in disappointment.
Ricky was silent for a while.
"You didn't come here on a whim or because something happened suddenly." Ricky seemed to have figured something out. He raised his vigilant gaze. "You planned this a long time ago."
Stake smiled in an indifferent manner.
"Maybe you're better at fighting head-on, but when it comes to this …"
Stake glanced at his surroundings. "We're the professionals."
Samel snorted angrily.
"Just like eighteen years ago?"
Stake smiled. He wisely did not continue the conversation.
They finally finished walking through the tunnel, which was neither too long nor too short, and entered the main building of the Prison of Bones.
A wooden door that was as tall as three or four people appeared in front of them.
Behind the door, the prisoners' noisy shouts could be vaguely heard.
Klein walked forward and knocked on the door.
"My Tavern, delivering supplies," he said coldly.
A small window was opened on the wooden door, revealing a man's face. He looked at the caravan in puzzlement. "Supplies?"
"You're early, and … shouldn't you be accompanied by the guards?"
These were his last words.
In the next second, the longsword at Klein's waist shot out like a bolt of lightning, straight into the face of the guard behind the window.
Panicked shouts came from behind the door.
"Intruders!"
Obviously, the guards behind the door were aware of the situation outside. An anxious voice rose, "Quick, sound the alarm — Urgh!"
His voice came to an abrupt halt, along with the other panicked shouts.
A few seconds later, in the sudden and chilling silence, the sound of a few heavy objects falling on the ground came from behind the door.
As Stake's smile remained unchanged, Ricky loosened his grip on the sword hilt at his waist in the carriage.
Thales' breathing became faster, and the muscles on his arms became tighter.
Soon, with the crisp sound of metal clanking, the door opened with a loud creak.
Two assassins dressed in guard uniforms walked out from the darkness behind the door. They nodded at Stake expressionlessly.
As Thales sighed, the Disaster Swords jumped down from the caravan and entered in a single file with torches in their hands.
In the darkness, the sounds of intense fighting rose one after another.
Soon, the short fight ended.
Thales took a deep breath, and under Marina's urging, he entered the Prison of Bones.
Without the illumination of the moon, in the darkness where there was only the light from the torches, noises unique to prison cells could be heard — knocking, moaning, crying, cursing, and the noises of the prisoners.
"Yo, come and watch, there's a good show!"
"Hahaha, who's so daring?!"
"What's going on, what's going on?!"
"F * ck, I think I saw the guards fall all over the floor!"
"Hey, those who live outside, tell me, what's going on at the entrance?"
"It seems like the guards are fighting?"
"I bet ten gold coins that Lear is big, he'll definitely win!"
"Twenty gold coins, I bet all my money on Morpheus! He trained in the Tower of Eradication! "
"You two smugglers, you don't have any gold coins!"
Thales moved his gaze away from the dead guard on the floor and sized up the place before him.
Even though the Prison of Bones looked like a rough, circular colosseum from the outside, the layout of the buildings inside was rather complicated. Clearly, they had only entered one of the floors.
The first thing that entered Thales' eyes was the ground made of hard stone. It was hard and rough, and there were a few torches stuck in the walls made of huge rocks for illumination. The low ceiling, the darkness in the passageways on both sides, and the incessant buzzing of the prisoners' shouts made Thales feel depressed and uncomfortable.
The chaotic noises came from the arc-shaped passageways on the left and right sides where the torches could not illuminate. He could vaguely see many arms stretching out of the bars and shaking desperately.
"Damn it, I can't see clearly!"
"Prison break! Someone must be trying to break the prison! "
"Come on, there are people shouting about a prison break every week, can't you change the story?"
"Um … Prison break, help me out, can't you open a lock for me while you're at it?"
The Disaster Swords paid no attention to these voices. Under their command, they spread out in a well-trained manner and entered the darkness on both sides.
Stake stopped moving and turned to Ricky.
"We're in. Of course, there are bound to be some who slipped through the net. After all, the guards also have to patrol, but this is the only exit to the outside world.
"According to the information, there are quite a number of people locked up in each floor." Stake took out a torch and gestured to the left and right sides. "The first floor we saw had the most prisoners. If we go up one floor —"
But Ricky raised his hand gently and interrupted him.
"That's our problem."
Stake was not annoyed even though he was rebuffed. Instead, his smile faded, and he still bowed in a friendly manner.
A few minutes passed. The sounds of fighting came from the darkness, along with the fanatical shouts of the prisoners.
After a while, as the sounds of fighting grew louder and louder, many Disaster Swords returned from the passageway on the right, one after another. The sharp-eyed Thales noticed that there were many newcomers in ragged clothes among them. They seemed to be prisoners of the Prison of Bones.
Among them, a strong-built prisoner came to Ricky, and with a calm expression, he took the weapon and clothes Shawn threw to him.
"Looks like you're quite used to prison food." Klein sneered. "Josef."
"Eckstedt, Anlenzo, Alumbia, Constellation. The places are different, but the prison cells all look the same." The prisoner named Josef changed his clothes, looked around, and chuckled. "Other than the fact that they locked me up with a disgusting male prostitute in women's clothing, there's no big deal."
"That was fast. I thought you guys would make a big ruckus."
"Fortunately, we received some unexpected 'help'," Ricky answered with a smile.
Stake winked in a friendly manner.
Lasalle observed the prisoners who were released from the prison and frowned.
"You broke the prison because you wanted to let these people go?"
Lasalle did not seem to think much of it. "Honestly, as long as we use some money …"
Ricky chuckled and shook his head.
"This is your first time in the Prison of Bones, right, Baron Lasalle?"
Lasalle was slightly startled.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at Stake, who was beside him. The latter only smiled in resignation.
"In fact, the Prison of Bones has two parts." Ricky patted Josef, who had just escaped from prison. He turned around and said to Lasalle, "Baron, what you saw was only one of them — the so-called White Prison."
And the place we are going to … "
He looked at Josef. "Tell me, you found it."
Josef shrugged. He put away the weapon he had just obtained, took a torch, and walked into the darkness. "Of course."
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