Stake calmed his breathing and gradually revealed a smile.
"You can take a gamble, the famous Zakriel. Maybe I am just bluffing. Maybe this is just a flash of light or smoke?"
He shook the sphere in his hand, and it immediately let out an unsettling buzz.
The Knight of Judgment stared at the sphere. The veins on his hands almost popped out of his skin.
Thales widened his eyes.
'Why …'
"I have to say, everything that happened just now left a deep impression on me, Knight of Judgment." Stake smiled savagely.
"It seems that you are still as good as ever."
Zakriel snorted in disdain.
The leader of the assassins turned to Thales and panted slightly. "As for you, Your Highness, you have also exceeded my expectations.
"But isn't it too much of a pity to die here with me?"
Thales stared at Stake and bit his lower lip.
With this sphere, the situation once again slipped into a direction that they could no longer control.
The prince looked at Yodel, but the Masked Protector only shook his head slightly.
'Damn it.'
"Let him go, Stake." Thales took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I promise in the name of Jadestar that you can leave safely."
Zakriel glanced at Thales.
But Stake shook his head. His smile remained.
"No, Your Highness.
Did you think that I came here after so much trouble just to 'leave safely'? "
Stake sneered and said, "Shadow Shield is immortal because we are not afraid of death."
He gently took out a bottle from his bosom, and under Zakriel's wary gaze, he let it roll between them.
"This is the most common drug, Your Highness. I swear, there will be no side effects," Stake said with a chuckle. "Please let your legendary knight drink it."
He shook the Alchemy Ball in his hand.
"Then we can live together in peace."
As he stared at the drug in the bottle, Thales' expression turned cold.
"Do you think this is possible?"
Zakriel also snorted coldly.
But Stake only shook his head.
"I know that this may make you a little unhappy, but compared to what is coming next …"
He raised his left hand, smiled savagely, and snapped his fingers. "They are here. I hate doing this, but …"
Footsteps rose.
Thales and Zakriel raised their weapons warily.
However, the people who walked out of the darkness made the prince pale with fright.
There were three assassins.
They escorted three people who were tied up and slowly walked to the firelight.
"No," Thales said in a daze.
No.
How could it be them?
Zakriel turned his head to look at the prince and curled up the corners of his mouth in puzzlement.
Stake smiled. He took a step back, but did not put down the Alchemy Ball in his hand.
"I have three hostages here. Oh, four now."
He pursed his lips triumphantly at the newcomers.
Thales stared at Stake in shock and anger, then at the person who came over.
Damn it.
Stake smiled and drew his dagger. He went to the first bound hostage and forced her to raise her face while she struggled nonstop.
"First of all, the enemy who made you suffer so much."
Stake giggled and shook his head.
And under his blade was the Disaster Swords' dual-sword mercenary, the girl he stole a kiss from, Madam Marina. She was in a sorry state, and she was mentally exhausted.
She gritted her teeth and glanced at the astonished Thales with a sense of humiliation. Then, she struggled angrily.
"Bah, cockroach."
The assassin behind her hit her hard, and Marina instantly went limp.
Thales' heart slowly turned cold.
Stake went to the next person and spun the dagger in his hand.
"Next, a stranger I've never met before."
The owner of My Home, Tampa obediently accepted the assassin's coercion. He looked defeated and sighed as if he had nothing left to live for.
"How unlucky. I probably forgot to pay my respects to the Desert God today …"
Thales clenched his fists.
Stake went to the last person, and with a smile, he pressed the dagger against the latter's neck.
"Next, your loyal subordinates."
The rookie mercenary, who had been separated for a while, Quick Rope, who had a head full of strange red hair, revealed an honest and innocent smile.
He forced himself to twitch his lips awkwardly and raised his eyebrows at Thales in a flattering manner.
"Uh, hey, Your Highness, do you remember me? I'm your … your … your Wya Caso?"
'Your Wya?'
Thales exhaled in pain and slammed his longsword against the ground.
* Thud. *
'F * ck you, Wya!'
(In Dragon Clouds City, the attendant of the prince, who was staring at a certain mute masked man, sneezed.)
'Why are you so stupid?!
Aren't you still in the hands of the Disaster Swords?
You were actually captured by them? '
Quick Rope still blinked innocently. His grievance and embarrassment could still be seen.
But Stake was not done.
He raised his dagger and pointed it at Yodel, who was bound by four people. He sneered.
"And the last person, the mysterious guard who follows the prince through life and death."
Yodel shook his head again.
Zakriel frowned and looked at Thales.
The prince knew what he wanted to ask, but …
'But the current situation …'
"After seeing your performance just now, Your Highness, I am even more confident in your kindness." Stake used the dagger to flick his hair and his sweat.
"For example …"
He narrowed his eyes and pointed the dagger at the hostages one by one. "Who do you want to choose to die first?"
"Enemies? Strangers? Subordinates? Or guards? "
'Who will die first?'
Thales widened his eyes. His gaze swept past these people in disbelief.
Marina twitched weakly, Tampa sighed in an obscure manner, and Quick Rope looked like he had a strong desire to live. He struggled desperately to signal Thales with his eyes.
Thales clenched his teeth tighter and tighter.
'How …
'How …
'Alchemy Ball and hostages?
'Yodel.
'And Quick Rope.
'Even the other two.'
Thales struggled. He tried not to look at Zakriel's doubtful expression.
The wound on his shoulder throbbed.
"This is impossible," the prince said with difficulty, but found himself at a loss.
"Zakriel has his own dignity and choices.
I don't think he will be willing to drink your knockout drug — "
Stake quickly interrupted him.
"Then we will settle for the next best thing," the assassin leader said with a smile.
"I am a very easy person to talk to."
Stake waved the metal ball in his hand, intentionally or unintentionally.
"Your Highness, why don't you drink the knockout drug? Then, for the sake of your sleep, let your knight go as far as he can?"
Thales was first stunned, then indignant.
Zakriel snorted softly. A cold smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
"You really have the guts to say that."
Stake blinked politely. He no longer looked as pathetic as when he was forced by the Knight of Judgment to the point where he was at a loss for what to do.
Thales was silent. He did not speak.
He suddenly felt that the torch behind Stake was very piercing to his eyes.
'What should I do?
Where is the way out? '
"Are you sure?"
Thales said bitterly, "If you let go now, you still have a chance to escape."
Stake snickered.
"Your decision, Your Highness." He completely ignored Thales' words. Instead, he shrugged to himself.
"Or we can have an appetizer first?"
"Let us test to see how far your benevolence can go."
'Appetizer?'
Thales frowned. An ominous feeling rose in his heart.
Stake held the dagger and walked to Marina's side. The blade was pressed against the blood vessels on her neck, forcing her to raise her head and lean back.
"Behave yourself, Madam." Stake stood behind Marina and grinned viciously.
"You won't look good if you cut your face."
Marina, who was about to struggle, turned pale.
Thales' expression became even more unpleasant.
Zakriel watched Thales' expression from the side. He seemed to have understood something, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
"How about we start with the enemy?"
Stake sneered and stared at Thales from afar. "I will cut her blood vessels, and it will serve as a clock to remind you of your decision.
"Then the stranger, the subordinate, and the guard?"
Every word Stake said made Thales feel more uncomfortable and angrier.
'Calm down, Thales.
Calm down! '
In his life, which could be said to be rich and colorful, he had only ever had a knife pressed against his neck.
'Being threatened with someone else's life …
'This is the first time.'
Thales pursed his lips and mocked himself sarcastically.
He felt incredibly oppressed.
"Zakriel," he said laboriously.
"Can you …"
But Zakriel seemed to know what he wanted to say. He only shook his head.
"A potentially fatal Alchemy Ball, and four hostages. They are in different positions, and I can't split my attention to look around."
The Knight of Judgment shook his head solemnly.
"No one can do it."
Thales' heart sank.
His last hope was dashed.
Zakriel looked at the prince and sighed slightly.
"But I can still get you out, child."
The Knight of Judgment cast a glance at Stake from afar and said softly, "His words cannot be trusted, and your identity is obviously more important than theirs.
"This choice is not difficult."
Thales' arm tightened. He felt that the longsword in his hand was incredibly heavy.
'Not difficult?
'But …'
Thales swept his gaze over each of the hostages: the bad-tempered and distressed Marina, the treacherous but kind Tampa boss, and Quick Rope, who had a very high status and was at ease.
'And …'
The prince stared at the Masked Protector, who looked like he was about to die.
'Should I choose to sacrifice all of them and escape alone?
'Or should I sacrifice some of the "less important" people and hope that Zakriel's sudden attack will turn the situation around?
'No.
'No!
Zakriel has more than one bargaining chip.
And I … '
He had nothing. He was at his wit's end.
Thales felt a heavy weight on his shoulders.
"I don't have the whole day, Your Highness." Stake seemed to be tired of this stalemate.
He said coldly, "Make it quick."
It was very strange. At this moment, Thales suddenly remembered what happened six years ago.
Six years ago in Heroic Spirit Palace, when he faced the five archdukes, he also screamed at the top of his lungs and almost fell into despair.
At that time, he even wavered and considered whether he should accept Asda's suggestion and use the latter's power to overturn the game.
'Wait.'
When he thought of this, Thales shuddered slightly.
He gritted his teeth. His right hand, which was on the sword hilt, gradually stiffened.
'I'm not …
I'm not at my wit's end, am I?
At least. '
Thales raised his head with great difficulty and looked around at everyone.
'Me, Thales Jadestar.
And the last bargaining chip.
The last. '
When he thought of this, Thales almost crushed the sword hilt in his hand.
The prince stared straight at Yodel's dark purple mask. The expression in his eyes was difficult to understand.
The Masked Protector had a thought.
He suddenly knew what the prince wanted to do.
"No." Yodel trembled and struggled for a while. He anxiously called out Thales' name.
"Thales! No!
Don't take the risk! You are more important than all of us! "
Thales closed his eyes.
Zakriel furrowed his eyebrows. Stake also cast him a suspicious glance.
'I'm more important than all of them?'
The prince remembered the assassination attempt in Renaissance Palace a long time ago. At that time, Yodel pushed him away without a care for his own safety and blocked three arrows alone.
He also remembered how the others in Dragon Clouds City held weapons and entered Heroic Spirit Palace to fight for a chance for the prince's unstable plan.
'At that time …
'For Yodel, for them …
'That's not a difficult choice, right?
'Isn't it?
Because …
'Because I'm not just Thales.
I'm also Prince Thales.
I'm the heir to the kingdom.
'However …
'Am I?'
Thales remembered what Asda said to him a long, long time ago.
"'If I came to you when you were still a child beggar, would you still react like this?"'
The prince clenched his teeth and remembered his past self.
[When you are intoxicated with the title of a prince, or when you are struggling with the misery of a child beggar, when you are going back and forth between the happiness and pain of both, have you ever thought about what you really are?]
"'A prince who is noble because of his bloodline? A child beggar who was born lowly and unfortunate? A genius child who grew up prematurely? A pitiful person who struggled and tried his best to change his fate? "'
Thales' breathing quickened again.
"'When you are stripped of all the definitions given to you by others, and you leave all the situations in which you exist, what do you have left?"'
'What do I have left?'
In the next second, Thales opened his eyes!
"Zakriel."
At that moment, he felt his voice become firm and heavy.
"The former penal officer of the Royal Guards, the watchman, Sir Immanuel Zakriel, am I right?"
His voice was no longer unpleasant and frivolous.
But his heart was incredibly relaxed and open-minded.
He was no longer filled with worries and burdens.
The Knight of Judgment, who was observing the enemy, frowned and turned his head.
"Hmm?"
Thales said resolutely, "Please act according to the circumstances and do your best."
Zakriel was slightly stunned.
"Act according to what circumstances?"
Thales did not answer. He only smiled faintly.
Quick Rope, who was being held hostage, thought that Thales was finally going to give up on them. In his anxiety, he quickly said, "Uh, Thales? Listen to me, we can choose a more neutral — "
But Thales shook his head.
"Shut up, Quick Rope." The Prince of Constellation sighed.
"By the way, your salesmanship is terrible."
Quick Rope was stunned.
Thales took a deep breath and smiled. He looked at Stake calmly and coldly.
"Do you know, Stake, this is the territory of the Alchemy Tower?
They left behind a lot of things, and most of them were inherited by Constellation. "
Stake's expression turned cold. He suddenly felt that something was wrong.
'The Alchemy Tower?
What does it mean? '
The prince looked at the dilapidated environment in the dark dungeon and stabbed his longsword into the ground.
"The wizards … before they disappeared, they always had all kinds of tricks. The Alchemy Ball was just one of the most insignificant ones …"
Thales stared at the beautiful and expensive longsword in his hand with complicated emotions.
"The Jadestar Royal Family knew some of them, and they also mastered some of them," he said absentmindedly. Then, he snorted, as if he was talking to himself.
"Of course, I'm not talking about the sparkling golden blood …"
Zakriel narrowed his eyes and sized up Thales again.
Stake silently made a gesture, and the assassins bound the hostages even tighter.
The prince raised his head and looked at the assassins in front of him.
Thales averted his gaze, as if he did not see Yodel shaking his head vigorously.
'Who am I?
'I am Thales.
'From the first day I came to this world.
'Until the last day.'
He said quietly.
'No one can change it.
'No one can deny it.
'No one can question it.
'Because I am, and I can only be Thales.
'And nothing else.'
Thales clenched the hilt of his sword tightly. He felt at peace.
"Don't blink." Under everyone's strange gazes, the prince chuckled and said,
"Because …
"This might be the most interesting, magical, and brilliant magic show you have ever seen in your lives."
Thales moved his left hand down without batting an eyelid, and gently touched the sharp silver blade of the longsword.
Stinging pain came from his palm, as well as a warm sensation.
Once upon a time, he had done this when he was extremely excited.
But now, he was so calm.
'Will I succeed?'
Stake instinctively felt that something was wrong. He pressed against Marina's throat, gritted his teeth, and threatened, "Your Highness, I swear, if you play any tricks, I will immediately attack …"
But Thales could no longer hear him.
Even Yodel and Zakriel disappeared from his senses.
At that moment, he was already immersed in an infinite light.
It was as if he had surpassed himself.
— — —
Eastern Peninsula.
In an unknown fishing village.
In the evening.
In a simple and crude cottage by the sea, a brown-skinned, quiet, and beautiful woman was quietly washing the wooden bowl in her hands.
She listened to the sound of waves in her ears, and her hands did not stop moving. Her face was calm, and her expression was indifferent.
It was as if nothing could interrupt this pleasant and peaceful scene.
Until the next second.
* Clatter! *
A wooden bowl fell to the ground, spinning nonstop.
The woman did not pick it up.
Instead, she slowly raised her head, and her face was full of shock.
It was as if she had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world.
In the next moment, the beautiful woman decisively left everything behind, walked out of the cottage, and looked at the sea in the distance.
In the end, the setting sun stopped on the surface of the sea. It was like a child bathing in a bathtub. It was about to sink, languid, and mischievous.
The woman stared at the sparkling golden waves on the horizon, and her expression became more and more solemn.
In the next second, a dry voice rose abruptly, as if heavy ink had suddenly barged into a painting!
"Freuland!"
The dry voice spoke very quickly, and it seemed to be extremely anxious. "This is … it!"
The woman nodded. Her expression did not relax for even a moment.
"I know." The woman named Freuland nodded slowly. Her voice was steady, and she subconsciously comforted everything around her.
"I can feel it. That thing … is on the verge of knocking on the Door again."
'That thing.'
The woman frowned slightly.
The visitor from the Void seemed to be in a hurry. He did not wait for the woman to finish speaking before he interrupted her.
"It must be crazy. Quick, where is he or she?"
Freuland did not answer immediately. She only stared at the sea with a dark gaze.
In the next moment, something unusual happened.
Purple light.
Endless purple light seeped out from the depths of Freuland's eyes!
The light spread to the woman's face, like branches branching out.
As the light shone, the woman's facial features were gradually obscured. Her gentleness was gone, and she looked even more awe-inspiring and terrifying.
It was as if everything in the world had lost its color. From this moment onwards, she was the only one shining.
But the woman still stared at the sea without moving.
The voice in the Void did not speak again. He knew what the other party was doing.
A few seconds later, the purple light trembled slightly.
"Zarkel," the woman asked softly.
"Where are you?"
The voice in the Void rose again in a hollow voice. This time, there was a hint of caution that was difficult to detect.
"Dragon Clouds City," the guest said dryly, "I heard that Giza once appeared here and fought to the death with that evil woman, Clorysis, so I came to look for clues. It's quite lively here now …"
Freuland did not intend to listen to him. Her face, which shone with purple light, swayed slightly.
"Then the target is not in Dragon Clouds City, at least not within a hundred miles of you."
The woman narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she was experiencing something. "Hmm, the feeling this time is much more obvious than the last time …"
After a moment, she suddenly opened her eyes.
"In the Western Peninsula!
The Great Desert! "
She said decisively.
The voice in the Void was silent for a while. When it rose again, there was a hint of excitement in it.
"Can you be more precise? Your ability is more suitable for searching than theirs. As long as we get ahead of — "
However, in the next moment, Zarkel's voice was suddenly cut off. It was as if he had sucked in a cold breath!
He was not the only one. The light on Freuland's face also trembled violently!
The woman seemed to have sensed something. Her expression suddenly changed, and she looked up at the sky.
Everything in the sky was normal. The clouds were silent, and the sky was silent.
Only a few seagulls flew lazily over the sea at dusk, crossing the waves to return to their nests.
But that was not the main point.
The purple light in the woman's eyes became more unstable.
The voice in the Void suddenly became cautious, and there was a slight tremble in it.
"No, no, this is …"
The woman nodded solemnly.
"Yes.
Blood Spike and Hellen … "Freuland revealed a complicated expression that she had never shown before.
"They knocked on the Door."
There was only silence in the Void.
The silence lasted for a long time.
Then, the woman sighed deeply.
"They must be like us. They must have prepared countless methods and waited for a total of six years for the newcomer to reveal a flaw, for him or her to knock on the Door again."
The dry voice in the void slowly opened its mouth. It was hesitant and filled with uncertainty, as well as a deep unwillingness to admit defeat.
"So, that newcomer … Once he successfully knocked on the Door and entered his original form …"
Freuland sighed and nodded dejectedly.
"He will walk right into their trap, and he will not be able to escape.
He will become the Two Empresses' spoils of war. "
The sea at dusk was pleasant and quiet. Only the waves and the cries of seagulls could be heard.
Two-thirds of the sun had set, and the golden hue on the sea slowly turned dark red.
The woman stood quietly with a sorrowful expression.
The purple light on her face dimmed, and she returned to her gentle and beautiful face.
Then, Zarkel's voice traveled into the Void again.
"No, that is no longer the main point."
Freuland raised her head indifferently.
"What do you mean?"
The guest in the Void was silent for a while before he spoke with great worry.
"Blood Spike and Hellen are wary of each other. Their hatred is as deep as the sea, and they want to tear each other apart the moment they have the chance.
"Once they find the newcomer at the same time, I don't think they will be willing to share …"
'And that means …'
The dry voice slowly became softer.
Freuland frowned slightly and shook her head.
"No …"
But Zarkel was clearly immersed in his own words.
He continued, "Six years ago, they suddenly met in their original forms because of that newcomer, and they hastily fought against each other. The aftermath of their battle stirred up a huge tsunami that is rarely seen in a hundred years around the Eye of the Sea of Eradication. If the Sovereign of the Abyss did not wake up from Hell's River and control the situation …"
The dry voice gradually weakened.
The woman frowned deeply, and her face was full of worry.
Zarkel, who could not be seen, said darkly, "And for this encounter, they must have made ample preparations.
"Regardless of whether they are facing the newcomer …
"Or each other."
He mumbled.
The woman looked at the surface of the sea and the empty void with a look of disbelief and pity on her face.
'The Two Empresses who are well-prepared?
'Against each other who are mortal enemies?'
Her heart suddenly clenched.
"No."
The dark-brown-skinned woman closed her eyes and sighed softly.
"They are the best Mystics in the world. They would not be reckless and short-sighted enough to destroy the world, would they?"
This time, the hollow voice in the Void laughed emotionlessly. It sounded a little gloomy.
"More than six hundred years ago, he also said the same thing to us."
The woman's arms around her forearms tightened slightly.
"Who?"
The guest in the Void sighed slowly and uttered a strange phrase softly.
"Holy Sun."
Freuland was slightly stunned.
'Holy Sun.
'How long has it been since I last heard it?'
The mysterious person in the Void spoke softly.
"During the last battle of the Battle of Eradication, when he personally descended upon the Final Empire's Capital of Triumph to meet the Brothers of Truth, who were at the end of their rope …
"Before the final negotiation."
Freuland did not answer.
As another wave rose, the setting sun in the west completely sank into the sea.
Only this quiet and comfortable world was left …
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