Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 352 Who Knows

"Trust me! About ten steps ahead, there's a gap where you can turn left..."

Thales' tone was excited, and his pace was slightly hurried: "Go that way!"

"what?"

Krzysz, somewhat confused, continued to resist his help and asked in bewilderment:

"But you..."

Sensing the lack of cooperation from the person beside him, Thales grew increasingly impatient.

The seamstress sighed, "Never mind, you'll be faster by yourself..."

Damn!

This guy……

Why all the talk?

"Leave me here, perhaps this is my price... I shouldn't have done unpaid work..."

Thales could no longer bear it. He took a deep breath, leaned close to Krzy's neck in the darkness, and shouted into her ear:
"Shut up, you bitch!"

Kerz shuddered!
"What did you call me?" she gritted her teeth and said, "Kid?"

"Nonsense!" Thales roared back. "If you die here, who will take care of that cripple whose brain is full of shit?"

"Without you, one day he will die in some remote, dilapidated alley!"

"It rotted into the soil, and nobody knew!"

Krzysz's arms around his neck trembled slightly.

Thales dragged the seamstress forward with all his might, gritting his teeth as he said, "Stop your stupid babbling! We'll definitely get out of here alive!"

"I don't have the time to relay your messages. The prince is very busy!"

"Say whatever you want to say to whomever you want to say it!"

Krzysz's voice trailed off.

All I could hear was her soft breathing.

"Damn it..." Krz gritted his teeth, suppressing his voice, his nose twitching as he sniffled.
"What do you know... you little brat who's never even touched a woman..."

But she stopped resisting and instead followed Thales' rhythm, limping forward.

The collapse behind us was getting closer and closer.

Thales suddenly left the rock face he had been supporting and forcefully pulled the woman to the other side of the rock.

Just a second after they left, the rock wall suddenly cracked and collapsed.

"Follow my footsteps, there's an uphill slope ahead, we need to climb it..."

Krz was startled: "Huh?"

Exhausted and out of breath, Thales didn't bother to explain: "We're here! Reach out and crawl! It's right in front of us!"

The seamstress looked suspicious: "But how did you know..."

"Damn it, get up!" Thales grabbed the other's arm and lunged up the slope, pushing and shoving with his shoulder to help the badly injured Krzy climb. He roared furiously, "Don't say another word!"

"This is the prince's order!"

Kertz was taken aback, and surprisingly, this time she didn't retaliate.

Instead, she obediently followed the prince to escape.

This was probably the most well-behaved she had ever been in her life.

They climbed the slope, and just seconds later, it was covered by a fallen slab of rock.

"Boost……"

Between breaths, Thales urged, "I'm trying to choose the safest path... but... the rock beneath our feet is fragile... it's about to... collapse..."

Without saying a word, Krzysz shifted half his weight onto Thales's shoulder and quickened his pace.

The desolate darkness, coupled with the endless years, is a terrible torment.

Knowing that a deadly threat was imminent behind them, yet still forced to grope their way forward in the boundless darkness, was a form of torture worse than any other form of torture.

Strive forward, strive to climb, strive to explore.

Try your best to overcome obstacles and avoid danger.

Yet they still couldn't see a way out, nor could they see the sun.

It was still pitch black all around.

It was so dark that you couldn't see the sun, couldn't see your own fingers, and couldn't see any light.

It seems like everything was in vain.

Why, why haven't we arrived yet...?

Did we go to the wrong place?
Thales's hope gradually faded, and he had a feeling that if he continued alone, he would eventually be driven mad by this terrible torture.

but……

but now……

He felt the equally warm body on his right, and felt the heart inside her chest, so close to his, beating rhythmically.

No.

He can't give up.

Thales bit his tongue hard, letting the pain remind him.

He can't give up!
Darkness still shrouded Thales' eyes, as if he had become completely blind in those ten minutes.

The ground was cold and damp, and the path was rugged and difficult to traverse.

But he couldn't give up.

Instead of walking in a straight line, they hurried back and forth several times, traversing the dark underground labyrinth.

The collapse never stopped, whether above or below them, with rubble almost brushing past their heels several times.

“No, don’t turn that way. There’s a cliff ahead that leads to deeper underground… We’ll turn right…” Thales said through gritted teeth.

He took a deep breath, touched the rock wall, shook his head, and confirmed his feelings.

"How do you know?" After holding back the whole way, Krzy finally couldn't help but ask, "The sound of falling rocks on the right is too loud. We'll be buried alive!"

“Because there’s a cliff right in front, which split open after an earthquake thousands or hundreds of years ago…” Thales shook his head: “And on the right there’s a naturally formed cave, which is very sturdy…”

“No, no, no,” Krzysz’s questions grew more and more pronounced: “I’m asking—the cliff, the earthquake…how do you know all this?”

Thales's breathing faltered slightly.

They turned right into a cave, where the ceiling kept trembling and dust kept falling from above.

But it didn't collapse in the end.

"do not know……"

Thales struggled to climb, muttering, "I just know, I just know..."

He just knows the way.

That's it.

The prince knew very well that Krzysz was very suspicious of how he had suddenly become such a skilled guide.

But he didn't have time to explain.

Just now, at the instant I touched the rock face.

Time did not slow down, the perspective did not rise, and the senses were not enhanced.

But Thales felt as if he had seen something more.

The rock strata fractured...

The compression of the mountains...

The rhythm of the earth's crust...

And—where he should go.

Everything is in my heart.

Thales gasped for breath, astonished by the strange sensations he was experiencing, wondering if this was a new function resulting from the further development of his "Hell Senses".

But according to Black Sword—he clearly hasn't "died" yet, so how did the power of termination upgrade?

"Forward, ever forward, that's the only path to the outside world, the only exit," Thales was drenched in sweat, but he couldn't tell if it was Kertz's sweat or his own. His shoulders ached, his legs trembled, and his back, pressed against Kertz's, was almost numb.
"and……"

He said no more.

Based on this situation...

Whether it's an exit or not, it will all collapse and disappear within minutes.

This completely shut out the world's view of the Black Path.

However, just after climbing a gentle slope, Krzy suddenly spoke.

"This feeling...that's right, the air is getting clearer and clearer."

"We're getting closer and closer to the ground and the exit!"

With her extensive experience, her voice held a hint of surprise: "Kid, you're amazing!"

Thiel was immediately invigorated!
Finally, after turning a corner, they could see the rocks in front of them clearly—at the top of a steep slope, a faint light seeped into the cave.

The two of them took a deep breath!

Arrived!

"Bang!"

The roar behind us suddenly intensified!

A huge stone pillar crashed down from behind.

"Run!" Thales roared. Kez didn't need his reminder. The two of them used all their strength to climb the steep slope!
They just kept their eyes glued to the top exit, focused solely on moving forward.

The flying debris and deafening roar behind them did nothing to make them turn around.

As they gradually increased their height, their wrists and knees became bruised and bleeding.

Thales gritted his teeth, feeling his strength gradually waning.

No.

climb.

Climb quickly!

Krzna's equally rapid breathing echoed in his ear.

Her life, her future, still rest on his shoulders.

The other party's compliance and trust made Thales feel a heavy weight in his heart.

Even though Krzysz has lost hope.

He cannot succumb to despair.

The roaring sound in my ears and the trembling sensation beneath me continued unabated.

And there was the sound of shattering behind me.

But he couldn't give up.

We must move forward.

Keep going.

Keep moving forward!

Finally, after climbing the last rock, Thales stuck his head out of the hole and greedily inhaled a long-awaited breath of fresh air.

"what--"

The bright sunlight made it hard for him to open his eyes, but Thales felt a sense of relief.

He didn't have time to rest, so he quickly rolled out of the cave, turned around, and grabbed Kez, who was lagging behind due to his limited mobility.

The sins of the River of Hell spread up her arms and legs, and Thales roared as he pulled her out of the hole.

Krzy collapsed painfully at his feet, and the two of them, panting, crawled out of the gap in the mountainside using both hands and feet.

"My God..." The seamstress's face was covered with scrapes and bruises, and stained with dirt, but she looked at the clouds in the sky with excitement and trembling, reaching her hand out into the air.

It was like touching the air for the first time.

"We actually... made it out alive?"

Thales collapsed to the ground, panting in pain, his body also covered in wounds, but a few seconds later, he burst into a hearty laugh. Just then…

"Boom!"

Amidst the deafening roar, a sudden gust of wind swept through the cave, whipping up a massive cloud of dust!

Thales and Kez had to raise their arms to cover their heads while coughing incessantly.

"Cough cough... What's going on..."

After a while, the huge cloud of dust dissipated, and Thales and Kez, sitting on the ground, looked at each other, covered in soot.

The cave they had climbed out of was blocked by a huge rock that had fallen from inside.

This road is closed.

If they had come out even a moment later...

Krzy stared intently at Thales, who looked like a refugee, then suddenly burst out laughing and lay down on his back.

Thales smiled too.

He slowly lay down on the ground.

They lay there in the rocky crevice at the foot of the mountain, laughing together.

I laughed for several minutes straight.

At that moment, the prince truly felt that he could see the sky, he could see the sun...

It's so happy.

Compared to those underground...

As he thought about it, his mood turned cold.

"Hey."

"Have you been here before? How did you know the exit?" After laughing enough, Kez lay on the ground, looking at the blue sky and white clouds she hadn't seen in a long time, and a sense of satisfaction welled up inside her.

Thales' smile froze slightly.

“I’ve climbed the Black Trail at least ten times,” the seamstress chuckled, “but I’m always the one leading the way for others…”

The next second, Krz suddenly flipped himself up from the ground!
She placed her hands on either side of Thales' shoulders, her knees wrapped around the prince's waist, pressing her entire body above Thales and blocking his view.

“Don’t tell me this is a required course for nobles or royalty,” Kuz said with a sharp look in her eyes. She nodded slowly, her eyes getting closer and closer to Thales. “Even the lords in the Hall of Heroes don’t know about this damned place—it took us several generations to figure out a way out of it, and many of them never came out again.”

Thales looked at her nervously—a gesture that made the boy feel quite uneasy.

Krz's gaze grew increasingly sharp.

His heart was beating faster and faster.

Oops……

How, how do you explain it?

“Hahaha, just kidding,” Krzysz suddenly burst into laughter again. “You’ve already escaped, who cares how you knew—look how scared you are…”

Thales breathed a sigh of relief.

“But,” Dankers’ eyes darted around, his gaze scrutinizing, as if deep in thought, “you’re quite calm… unlike the first time.”

"Huh?" Thales was taken aback.

Krzysz switched from supporting himself on his palms to supporting himself on his elbows, getting closer and closer to Thales.

Thales stared at her nervously.

Krzy observed his expression and grinned mischievously.

This time, Thales choked, his face turning genuinely red: "Cough cough..."

He turned his head awkwardly: "Nothing like that..."

"Is that so?" Krz squinted, staring intently at him as if he'd caught him cheating.

Thales felt awkward again: "Um, um, oh right, about how I knew the way... that's because..."

"Tch." Krz shook his head dismissively at Thales's attempt to change the subject, then turned over and sat back down.

Thales escaped his restraints, nervously fled the spot, and stood up.

But he was immediately stunned.

here it is……

He looked up at the towering peaks, the layered rocks, the tranquil soil, and the tenacious trees before him…

Thales looked up again, following the curve of the mountain peaks, taking in the winding mountain ranges stretching outwards.

It looked so special under the sunlight.

It is the Sighing Hills.

He slowly exhaled and unconsciously walked forward, touching the rock formation standing in front of him.

This was the first time Thales had stood outside the mountain's interior, at its foot, surveying the majestic mountains that protected Dragon Sky City.

At the summit of the mountains stood a humanoid shadow that was too far away to see clearly—but Thales knew what it was; for the past six years, he had only been able to gaze at the magnificent statue of the hero from Valhalla.

It stands quietly on the earth, beneath the sky.

The scorching sun, the raging wind and rain, and the footsteps of travelers did not move it an inch.

From ancient times to the present.

From the present to the future.

To eternity.

It has a strange kind of magnificence.

In that instant, Thales suddenly understood.

That is not the sin of the River of Hell, nor the senses of hell.

But -

"You ask me how I know the way?"

“Because,” Thales said, momentarily lost in thought:

"Because someone gave me a blessing when they left."

"what?"

Krz's expression changed: "A blessing?"

Thales felt the rock beneath his palm tremble and smiled.

Yes.

He lowered his head and looked at the sealed cave.

That figure reappeared before my eyes.

May the mountains embrace your footsteps.

May the earth bless your journey.

“He blessed me…” Thales stared blankly, thinking of the deep underground, and said with mixed feelings:

"Never lose your way."

"So, I found a way out."

Krzysz stared intently at Thales for several seconds.

Looking at the absent-minded expression on his face.

“Sigh,” Krzysz sighed and shrugged. “Another one gone mad.”

Thales snapped out of his reverie and chuckled softly.

"Maybe."

The two lay quietly on the ground, recovering their considerable strength.

There was no terrifying darkness, no silent solitude, no falling rocks behind, and no tremors in the ground.

At this moment, it seemed as if the whole world had become languid.

Thales rested his head on his arm, looking at the faintly visible humanoid shadow on the mountaintop, and slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“Valhalla,” he said calmly.

Krz was taken aback: "What?"

Thales stared at the dark figure, muttering in a daze, "That's the magnificent palace in Dragon Sky City, the ancestral home of the Grand Duke of Dragon Sky City."

"Built against a precipitous peak, it commands the summit of the mountains..."

He smiled faintly:
"But why is it called that?"

Krz frowned, looking at him as if he were a madman:
"Heroic Spirit?"

"You'll have to ask the people who built it."

Thales scoffed softly.

He shook his head, his heart filled with emotion:
"In the ancient northern language, it means—the spirit of a hero."

A gentle breeze swept through, bringing fresh air to this small flat area nestled at the foot of the mountain.

The sun was blocked by clouds, and the two found themselves in a bit of shade.

Thales stared intently at the mountain peak:

“Do you know, Krz, that somewhere in this city, somewhere beneath these mountains, there might really be the spirits of ancient heroes…”

The boy sighed:

"Day after day, year after year, without seeing the light of day, without end, and unknown to anyone..."

"In Dragon Sky City and in the darkness unseen by people..."

"Watching over this city, this land."

Krzys raised an eyebrow, his gaze toward Thales growing increasingly strange.

At that moment, the prince suddenly remembered the scene of his first encounter with the Silver Shadow.

The other person, in a daze, gripped his throat, and his silvery arm plunged dangerously into his chest.

Just as he was about to lose his life, he managed to stop.

Thales was slightly taken aback.

He instinctively reached for his chest and pressed down.

【Thank you. 】

[She brought my greetings.]

The boy trembled slightly.

Thales' expression slowly darkened:

He said with mixed feelings:
What do you think, Krzysz?

Krzy looked at Thales with the pitiful gaze one would give a patient, and helplessly rolled over.
"you ask me?"

Here we go again, you crazy kid—she thought to herself.

The seamstress shook her head dismissively:

Who knows?

It turned out to be the case.

Thales continued to touch his chest, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

“That’s right,” he said, smiling as he looked at the towering mountains.

"exactly."

Thales chuckled softly, his hand resting on his chest:
Only the 'ghost' knows.

The sensation under his palm gave him the outline of a pair of glasses.

It was those glasses.

He got it from the cunning little devil in Valhalla...

That heavy, ancient, cracked...

Old black-rimmed glasses.

(End of this chapter)