Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 393 Purpose
Thales and Quick Rope stared in disbelief at the tavern owner, who sat sweating profusely and looking extremely uncomfortable at the empty table.

What are the chances of encountering a tavern owner and being robbed if you go out at night to dispose of a body?
"Marina, where has your manners gone? Why don't you invite our two new friends to sit down?"

Ricky still seemed very easy to talk to:

"And get them a drink, but no alcohol, I need them to stay sober."

As he spoke, he stared intently at Tampa.

Have a drink to stay awake.

Thales and Quick Rope exchanged surprised glances, communicating their feelings with their eyes.

What are you doing?
do not know!
The surrounding mercenaries continued to stare coldly at the two newcomers, their whispers and sneers exuding an ominous aura.

Marina raised her eyebrows, nodded at Thales and Quick Rope, and kicked an empty table next to her.

"Did you hear that?"

Thales and Quick Rope looked at each other, hesitating whether they should sit down.

Marina sighed.

She lowered her head and drew two swords with a "whoosh"!

And when she raised her head again, looking fierce...

Thales and Quick Rope were already sitting in the chairs next to the empty table.

It was as if they had teleported.

They leaned on the table, sitting upright, their white front teeth showing, and smiled obediently and docilely.

The speed, the good attitude, and the sweet smile made Marina, who was prepared to have some fun with blood, feel slightly frustrated.

The mercenaries behind them brought two drinks from the bar and slammed them down on the table without any ceremony.

Thales and Quick Rope instinctively shrank back.

They pulled their hands off the table, trying to keep them as far away from the two drinks as possible.

"What, worried about it being poisonous?" Marina looked at them with disdain.

“We are not thirsty.” This was the obedient Thales.

"I'm really not thirsty." This was a flattering, quick-response phrase.

Looking at the two people with sincere eyes, Marina sighed again.

"Really? I have a feeling..."

She raised her sword, and the two mercenaries behind her silently took a step forward.

"You prefer to keep your hands empty so you can easily pick up a weapon at any time..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Thales and Quick Rope shot out their hands in perfect unison, one extending and the other retracting, raising their wine glasses.

The movements are done in one go.

Swift and tactful.

Two heads rose side by side from behind the enormous wine glass, revealing friendly smiles.

“No, no…” This was the enthusiastic Thales.

“No, no…” This is a humble quick rope.

Seeing the two chuckling foolishly, Marina raised her eyebrows, her face twitching slightly.

She snorted dismissively and at least put her weapon away.

On the other side, Ricky, the leader of the mercenaries, looked at the expressions of the two men and sighed slightly: "Judging from the expressions of these two new guests in your house... I guess you were just bluffing earlier, Tampa?"

The kidnapped protagonist, Tampa, coughed, his face pale.

"Listen, with you being so high and mighty, the camp won't stand idly by."

Ricky, who had been watching the two new guests with great interest, turned his attention back to his boss.

"They're busy wreaking havoc in the desert, and this is just a personal grudge," Ricky said with a grin.

"So, they really won't care."

Tampa's expression grew increasingly stiff:

“You know you’re ruining the reputation of ‘Blood Horn’. No employer or referrer will want to hire someone with a criminal record…”

“Reputation,” Ricky said nonchalantly.
"Don't you know? This is a one-off deal—we're preparing to leave Baki Camp, and even quit this line of work."

Holding his wine glass tightly, Thales glanced around at the mercenaries in the tavern. Their silent demeanor added an inexplicable tension to the atmosphere.

One-off deal...

These words made Thales extremely uneasy.

That means this group of people doesn't care about the possible consequences.

So, how can he and Quick Rope, two people who were dragged into this for no reason, get out safely?

"I have no grudge against you 'Blood Siren'!"

Tampa slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth and pointing angrily at Ricky:

"Hey, it was your own fault for being so blind that your people got caught and thrown in jail by the camp. I've been trying my best to plead for you..."

During Ricky's self-defense in Tampa, a middle-aged man named Clay, standing next to Ricky, shook his head and chuckled, saying to the masked man:
"Don't you have eyes?"

"Shut up." That was the masked man's blunt reply.

Thales watched their interaction silently.

According to Ricky's introduction today, Clay is a swordsman from the North, while the masked man has a dangerous identity; both of them have just joined Blood Whistle.

But judging from their current performance, they show none of the awkwardness or distance they had when they first joined the team—for example, the quick rope versus Dante's greatsword.

It felt like we'd known each other for a long time.

These two newcomers sat at the same table as the team leader, and the other mercenaries in the tavern, including Marina, who seemed to be quite senior, had no objection to this fact.
something wrong.

Thales kept his suspicions in mind.

This so-called mercenary team...

It's not that simple.

"If you're blaming me for this, or trying to make a quick buck before you leave, you've got the wrong target..." Tampa continued his self-defense.

But Ricky raised a finger, silencing all three of them.

"This has nothing to do with business or personal grudges, old friend."

He said lightly.

Tampa paused slightly.

"So what do you want? Mercenaries?"

Ricky curled his lips into a smile.

"What we want might be a little too much..."

A hint of shrewdness and caution appeared in his eyes.

"But first, can you answer one of our questions?"

Tampa frowned.

Ricky pointed at Thales, which immediately gave Thales a bad feeling.

"Today, when I walked into the tavern, I happened to overhear you talking to that young man."

what?
Ricky's gaze momentarily froze Thales's smile.

I?
What's the matter?
“About twenty years ago,” Ricky’s expression turned serious:

"A mercenary squad active around the desert."

“They’re called the ‘Nine Giants’.”

At that moment, Tampa's expression changed slightly.

Nine giants?
Thales was still completely confused.

what?
Did Tampa mention this thing?

The tavern owner coughed and said, "So?"

Ricky nodded slowly.

"The Nine Giants—the old man in the Blood Siren said they also remembered it, but that was before I joined."

"So I want to learn more from you."

Tampa stared blankly at Ricky:

"Just for this?"

"So, you went to all this trouble to kidnap me?"

Tampa looked incredulous:
"Are you sick?"

But before the boss could continue speaking, the masked middle-aged man suddenly reached out and grabbed Tampa's head, slamming it hard onto the table!
"Boom!"

Thales and Quick Rope both shuddered at the sight.

The mercenaries showed no reaction, seemingly used to it.

The masked man said coldly:
"Remember: We are the ones asking the questions."

Ricky smiled amidst Tampa's muffled groans.

“So, according to some of the older members of the group, there was a pretty skilled young man among the ‘Nine Giants’—he’s probably in his forties or fifties now,” Ricky said, resting one hand on the table and slowly rubbing his fingers together, as if recalling something.
"I don't know what he was like before, but now, his swordsmanship is very special. His offense and defense are integrated, and his skills are a mixture of various schools, yet they flow smoothly and naturally. He often surprises his opponents, catching them off guard..."

Thales noticed that several of the silent mercenaries in the distance tensed up.

Tampa was still pinned to the table, enduring the pain with all her might.

“Even when facing a powerful enemy or being besieged, they can withstand the pressure and not be at a disadvantage.” The masked man who was holding Tampa down tightly suddenly spoke, his voice full of vicissitudes.

Ricky nodded slightly, gazing into the distance with a deep look in his eyes:
"Exactly."

He turned to Tampa and waved to the masked man: "Who is he?"

The masked man released his grip, allowing the writhing Tampa to straighten up.

Tampa, enduring the pain, took a deep breath.

"That's been too long ago, over twenty years ago, the 'Nine Giants,' back then I was just a poor tavern helper..."

He gritted his teeth:
How could you possibly know?

Ricky blinked and nodded in a friendly manner.

“You may indeed be underage, but…”

The mercenary leader leaned forward, a confident expression on his face.

“This is my home.”

Tampa said indignantly, "So what? This is a tavern, not a secret society."

Ricky snorted and pointed to the tavern entrance.

"You know, you have a great brand."

Tampa stiffened slightly.

"More than two hundred years ago, the first supreme queen in the history of the stars appeared: Erica Star, who ascended to the throne as the eldest princess."

Ricky smiled and said:
"She once routed the Exter people, forcing them to retreat in disarray and even shrink their borders, abandoning Coldhold."

"That's where the joke comes from: only under the leadership of women and children can the Star Kingdom defeat Exter—whether it's the twelve-year-old Sumerian I, who died young, Queen Esola who took to the battlefield herself, or the Iron Thorn Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, and most recently, the Fortress Flower."

Hearing Ricky's words, the masked man scoffed disdainfully.

"The Conqueror of the North" - Erika.

Thales had heard this history.

Of course, this is from the perspective of the northerners' "righteous indignation":

Princess Erika is said to be promiscuous and have boundless desires. Before her coronation, she was already having difficulty getting married because of her bad reputation and the fact that she was an illegitimate child whose father was a mystery.

For power, she even went so far as to use her beauty and body to seduce her enemies, instigating them to support her crown, and even cunningly and despicably tempting Bertram Hustel—the wise King of Exeter who had sternly rejected the Queen’s “superficial beauty and ugly heart” (“saying no” – Thales’s History Note 4). He, who upheld the interests and integrity of the Northlanders, was captured by the enraged “whore queen” (“arrested across provinces from End Castle to Everstar City” – Thales’s History Note 13), and unfortunately fell into her clutches (“his body was honest” – Thales’s History Note 15). He was imprisoned in the castle, imprisoned for years, and tortured every night (every time Selma read this, she would curiously ask Thales why he smiled so strangely), suffering endless humiliation.

Meanwhile, the despicable Starfolk secretly amassed an army, ready to launch a surprise attack. Worried about their king's safety ("probably worried about 'why he's still alive'"—Thales's History Note 24), the leaderless and disorganized Exter people fought tenaciously, building an unyielding defense before Coldhold ("then they lost Coldhold"—Thales's History Note 37), ultimately thwarting the Starfolk's 'Bitch Queen's' plot to enslave the Northlands.

Incidentally, the history book filled with Thales' ramblings and personal notes was eventually discovered by Lady Jinx. Lord Nicholas, the Grand Duke's bodyguard, was deeply moved after reading it and, in his admiration, decided to add it to the fireplace firewood, to do his part in keeping Valhalla warm during the cold winter.

Thales shook his head, drawing his attention back to what was in front of him.

Ricky continued, "But Erica's later years were not very pleasant: the 'Northern Conqueror' was overthrown by her own brother and forced into exile in the Western Wilderness, where she died in despair amidst daily sieges and endless betrayals."

"The forces loyal to Queen Elijah came to the edge of the desert. With the tacit approval of the Duke of the Western Wilderness, they were unwilling to serve the brutal 'Red King' and join his repeated conquests and suppressions, nor were they willing to leave their homeland and disappear into obscurity. So they chose to settle down as mercenaries and continue to fight for the Duke and the country on the western border."

Ricky pointed to the door and laughed:

"This is what your sign says: 'Queen Erika's Wine Glass'."

Tampa took a deep breath.

"This is also the glorious history of the mercenaries in the Western Wilderness—or what they think it is—and since then, this tavern, 'my home,' has been the unspoken command center for the mercenaries in the Western Wilderness."

Ricky stared intently at him:
"For more than two hundred years, political changes and the throne has changed hands, but 'my home' has always been the center of the mercenaries in the Western Wilderness and a sacred place in the hearts of many."

"And you, Tampa, like the previous owners here, took over the position and information from the previous boss, operating between the legal and illegal worlds, acting as an intermediary in this mercenary mecca, contacting the official forces in the camp on one hand, and providing shelter, introducing jobs, and acting as a guarantor for mercenaries who operate outside the kingdom and the law on the other."

“Every mercenary or legion with a bit of experience who comes to the Baki camp will come here to greet the local bigwigs and build connections. So you know the general situation and even the details of almost every mercenary legion—as long as they have visited here and looked for business, they will leave a record.”

Tampa slowly exhaled.

“In this chaotic camp, you may not be the most powerful or the strongest person, Tampa, but you are definitely the one who knows the most,” Ricky’s gaze sharpened. “Perhaps you know a little too much.”

"See, we know you better than you think."

Tampa frowned deeply.

“Now, tell me, Tampa.”

“Of the nine, the one who uses a sword,” Ricky said softly.
"Who is he?"

Clay and the masked man at the same table also turned to Tampa, staring intently at the tavern owner from both sides.

The mercenaries' eyes grew increasingly terrifying.

Tampa clenched his teeth, his face contorted.

But he shook his head: "No, it happened more than twenty years ago, that's too long, and they disbanded a long time ago, I don't want to think about it at all..."

Ricky's smile slowly faded.

"It seems you don't understand our determination to come here today."

he said coldly.

After saying this, Ricky nodded slightly to Marina.

Marina gave a mysterious smile and placed her hands on the shoulders of the two new guests.

Thales and Quick Rope turned around and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

What are we going to do?

But the next moment, Thales felt a bone-chilling cold emanating from the spot where Marina's hand was pressed!

It penetrates the entire body!

"Clang!" Thales and Quick Rope's glasses fell to the ground at the same time!

Thales shuddered.

cold.

Extreme cold.

It's like someone suddenly replaced all his blood with ice water.

It flows through the blood vessels.

In that instant, Thales' face turned pale.

This is……

Not only that, the cold also brought with it an unbearable dull pain, like two brothers charging forward relentlessly, violent and frenzied, invading his nerves inch by inch.

Oops!

Realizing something was wrong, Thales shrank back, trying to resist the terrifying force.

Quick Rope reacted even faster than him.

"Aaaaaah—!" the former Prince Exeter screamed in agony!

Quick Rope's eyes widened, his expression one of terror and pain, as if he had seen the legendary ferryman of the Hell River.

His face contorted in the eerie cold.

Tampa stared in disbelief at the two being tortured.

The mercenaries remained calm, even smiling, as if it were commonplace.

Thales gritted his teeth in pain: the chill made him extremely uncomfortable, yet his whole body was numb and he couldn't shake it off.

Just now.

boom!
A power that had been dormant for several days suddenly awakened within Thales' body!

The sins of the River of Hell reacted with explosive speed and rhythm, like a ferocious beast unleashed from its sluice gates or a flood bursting its banks, filling Thales' entire body.

Rushing toward that riotous and cold force.

what happened?
This is Thales before he could react.

In the blink of an eye, the Sin of the Prison River met that force.

Immediately, Thales began to tremble uncontrollably!

But it wasn't because of the cold and the torment of dull pain.

In fact, the feeling of that power gradually disappeared from his mind, regardless of the cold or the pain.

But another monster attacked without restraint: the sins of the River of Hell boiled up, filling his entire body inch by inch, like an enraged beast, its rise and fall so violently and frequently as it was second only to the times when he was on the verge of death.

Thales was taken aback.

What are you doing?
not only that.

The sins of the River of Hell, like a bewitching potion, crept into his heart. His hellish senses activated without being summoned, and his eyes unconsciously focused on Marina's vital points: eyes, throat, chest, armpits, abdomen...

more than.

Thales “saw” a lot.

The power of termination within the opponent surged and raged, gathering in Marina's hands and arms, both slowing the fatigue of her muscles and nerves and enhancing the senses on her skin to anticipate the opponent's next attack. It also carried a terrifying aggression, spreading wildly with each intense collision—Thales suddenly realized he knew all this.

Thales shook his hands, feeling the position of the dagger behind his waist.

but……

As long as my movements are precise... I can take her down by surprise.

An urge to launch a sudden attack surged through Thales' mind, making him want to make a move immediately.

Very comfortable.

This impulse made him feel good.

I really want to...

Urged on by the sins of the River of Hell, he subconsciously reached out and touched the dagger.

But at that moment, Thales felt a strange stinging pain in his forehead.

Then came a strange coolness that spread through my mind.

May you...

A peculiar, slight tinnitus sounded in my ears.

[Eternal... Journey...]

The coolness and tinnitus seemed to have some effect, almost instantly severing the connection between the River of Sin and Thales!
The urge to suddenly attack vanished.

Thales finally came to his senses!
He took a deep breath, but immediately realized something was wrong.

Many people—the mercenaries in the tavern, including Ricky and Clay, as well as the masked man—frowned and stared at him strangely.

Staring at Thales, who was panting with his head down.

It was as if there was something different about him.

And the other side.

"No no no ahhh—"

Kuaisheng's face was still contorted in agony, his screams continued, his whole body trembled uncontrollably, and he was drenched in cold sweat.

"Ahhh—" The screams grew increasingly agonizing.

Marina, who was holding the two men's shoulders, looked at the agonizingly painful Kuaisheng and then at Thales, who seemed completely unaffected, and became even more confused.

She made a puzzled "Eh" sound and gripped Thales's hand even tighter.

"What..." Ricky narrowed his eyes and asked Clay in a low voice.

Amidst the screams of the rope, Thales reacted instantly!
Alarm bells were ringing in his mind!
Oops.

Me and Kaisen, we are different!
The next second, Thales strained his brain to imagine the worst, most painful, and most terrifying experience he had ever had—this was no easy task, because he struggled to distinguish which could be considered the "worst"—trying to replicate his emotions and reactions.
"Aaaaaahh ...

Thales gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and screamed, "No, no, no, ahhh—"

He pretended to be in extreme pain, mimicking the most intense suffering.

That's difficult too.

After all, acting can never compare to real life. Thales had to exert a lot of effort and focus to barely manage to produce the kind of heart-wrenching, hysterical, and frantically trembling screams that felt like being skinned alive.

Seeing Thales's pained expression, Marina's brows finally relaxed.

This is right.

It seems... this short, effeminate woman is rather slow-witted.

She nodded with satisfaction.

The mercenaries gradually withdrew their doubts.

"enough!"

Tampa's roar interrupted Marina's torture of the two men—whether real or staged—and made her release her grip.

Kuaisheng collapsed onto the table with a dazed expression, groaning pitifully and twitching occasionally.

Thales followed suit and collapsed onto the rope, so that he could rise and fall with the rope's trembling without having to force himself.

But he was filled with shock and confusion.

What exactly was that just now?

"what is that!"

Tampa glared angrily at the two people who looked utterly miserable:
"Your poison? Bone-crushing techniques? Or legendary magic?"

“Just some small tricks to let you know our resolve.” Ricky looked at him politely as always.

“I know you were in the army, Tampa, and you might be a tough nut to crack, but…”

“If they really are your people, then take it as a spur and encouragement,” the mercenary leader chuckled. “If not…”

"Take this as an example."

He waved to Marina: "Put in more force."

Thales and the rope both trembled.

Tampa looked at them incredulously, his expression a mixture of surprise and hesitation.

"All right!"

Before Marina could smile and press her hands down again, Tampa spat out a disgusted spit.

He glared at Ricky.

"The Nine Giants, yes, the Nine Giants, I remember now."

Ricky nodded in satisfaction.

Thales and Quick Rope breathed a sigh of relief and looked gratefully at the tavern owner.

"Damn it..." Tampa cursed under his breath.

"Sorry?" Ricky's smile remained unchanged.

Tampa scoffed angrily and reluctantly began to speak:

"More than a decade ago, I mean the Year of Blood, most of the Western Continent was at war. Rebellions broke out among the southern nobles and mobs, and Exter's unprecedented army marched south. The same was true in the desert. Many famous mercenary groups here—the Soul Splitter, Double-Edged Sword, Moonscar, the Punisher of Evil, the Immortal Hunters, and the Servants of the Sun—were affected by the war and suffered greatly. Some died, some were scattered, and some were even wiped out. The Nine Giants were no exception. Oh, and there's also your Blood Siren..."

The middle-aged man named Clay interrupted him rudely:

“We know that history better than you do, so let’s cut the crap.”

Tampa paused for a moment, then gave Clay a displeased look.

“But beneath that facade, only a few insiders know,” he said indignantly.

"The Nine Giants, they survived the bloody year..."

Ricky's gaze sharpened.

"That's something I heard from Rooney's father... One night after the war, the accountant among the Nine, covered in wounds and blood, carried their leader on his back and knocked on the tavern door."

Tampa gritted his teeth and said.

That night, Rooney's father found them a doctor and, overnight, helped the Big Nine dispose of all their remaining assets so they could disappear without a trace.

Tampa snorted angrily.

"And the guy you're asking about? He didn't reappear for several years."

The mercenaries, their horns blaring blood, exchanged a grave glance.

“Some of the original veterans told me that he went to the inland of the stars, joined a newly emerging underground gang, and spent more than ten years becoming their leader.”

Ricky and the others exchanged glances.

"It's said his gang is very powerful, rarely suffering defeat even against the Blood Bottle Gang, who are henchmen of nobles," Tampa said coldly.
"And each of his appearances was like a legend, with no beginning and no end, leaving no trace."

Upon hearing this, Thales was stunned!
More than a decade ago, a newly emerging underground gang...

Facing the Blood Bottle Gang...

Tampa sighed, glaring at the other three. "He has a nickname, the old folks recognized him by that, supposedly it's called..."

He didn't finish speaking.

Because someone else gave him the answer.

"Black Sword".

The only masked man clenched his fist, his voice as cold as ice.

Tampa was stunned.

At that moment, almost all the mercenaries in the tavern held their breath.

They looked at each other as if they had found the greatest treasure.

"Right?"

The masked man spoke slowly, pausing between each sentence: "Because he was using a dark, unwieldy weapon that was extremely awkward to handle; whether slashing, hacking, stabbing, parrying, or blocking, it was all very strange..."

"Ancient Demon Sword".

From an unseen angle, Thales' pupils slowly focused.

(End of this chapter)