Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 406 Intruder

The setting moon faintly illuminated a small alley. Thales leaned against the wall inside the alley, watching the Blood Siren mercenaries—or rather, the Blades of Calamity—skillfully lurking in all directions, silent yet highly vigilant, his heart filled with unease.

Damn.

After leaving the tavern, their men did indeed disperse, but they were even more vigilant.

That way, you won't find an opportunity.

From planning to execution, the Sword of Calamity was swift and decisive. Within minutes, both Prince Star and Quick Rope were escorted out of the tavern and moved towards the Prison of Bones efficiently and discreetly.

The combined efficiency of the Shadow Shield, the Blade of Calamity, and Russell was not to be underestimated. Along the route from "My Home" tavern to here, apart from their deliberate split-up and concealment of their movements, they did not disturb a single person, and even the patrols they were supposed to encounter disappeared from sight.

But at this moment, Thales' biggest worry was not these things, but one of his guards—a female swordswoman with a furious expression.

"Eight or nine years ago, when I returned to my hometown, a local thug tried to assault me."

Marina lightly rubbed her lips with one hand and lightly pressed the hilt of her sword with the other.

She leaned close to Thales' ear and whispered, her words carrying an undeniable hatred:
Want to know what happened to him?

In no mood.

Not at all.

But faced with Marina's gritted teeth, Thales could only offer a guilty and helpless, awkward smile.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about what happened just now, but you're so skilled, I had no choice but to do that..."

Before she could finish speaking, a cold glint flashed in Marina's eyes!
This caused Thales, who was already in the wrong, to freeze in shock.

His flattery had absolutely no effect.

Thank God, he has never done anything as despicable as "sexual harassment" in either this life or his hazy past life.

However, just now...

Thales lowered his head sadly, avoiding Marina's fierce gaze.

Two generations of illustrious reputation, ruined in one night.

Marina snorted and gently drew her sword.

“At that time, I just placed the sword between that bastard’s legs like this,” Marina, her face gleaming with cold light, lowered her weapon slightly amidst the goosebumps covering Thales’s body, “and then with a flick of her wrist…”

Fortunately, just before Thales felt a chill in her crotch and was about to cry for help, a steady and gentle voice stopped her.

"Marina."

“I told you to keep an eye on him, not to take him down,” Ricky said, appearing at the heavily guarded alleyway entrance. He nodded slightly to his subordinates in the alley, his expression grave. “Keep it down.”

Marina frowned, but still sheathed her sword under Thales' expectant gaze.

"Of course," she said calmly, concealing her resentment.

But Marina's next words caused Thales another pang of bitterness:
"We should gag him, and preferably break an arm or a leg, in case he gets caught in the middle of our operation..."

Ricky shook his head.

“Our distinguished guest is no fool,” Crassus, the Sword of Calamity, squinted at the prince who was trying to remain calm. “He knows when to negotiate and when to resist, and he knows who his greatest asset is right now.”

Thales's mood immediately turned heavy.

He knew that the Shadow Shield's forces were secretly hidden on the outskirts, and compared to those people, falling into the hands of the Blade of Calamity was not such a bad choice.

"Is not it?"

Ricky tilted his head back.

There, from Quick Rope and Dean to Tampa, the three poor hostages were bound hand and foot, their mouths gagged, and were being escorted mercilessly by a dozen fierce Calamity Swordsmen, who occasionally cast pitiful or resentful glances in their direction.

Seeing them, the prince could only sigh sadly.

"of course."

In comparison, Thales was extremely lucky to have only his weapons and baggage confiscated—he glanced at the Time Crossbow on Marina's back and the JC Dagger strapped to her waist, and couldn't help but swallow hard.

This gesture made Marina's eyes look even more disgusted.

At Ricky's signal, the mercenaries, including Marina, obediently moved away.

Ricky stood before the prince, his gaze intense, which made Thales uneasy.

"So, what you want to do is stay in the prison of bones..."

The prince coughed and tried to get some information out of him, but Ricky interrupted him halfway through.

“Not enough,” the leader of the Sword of Calamity said softly.

Thales was stunned: "What?"

“The Sin of the River of Hell,” Ricky looked at him with a strange expression, “you haven’t experienced enough, you haven’t integrated enough, you can’t even touch the threshold.”

The crime of the River of Prisons.

This abrupt topic made Thales nervous.

"What does it mean?"

I can't even touch the threshold...

The prince stiffened: "So, what you need is someone like Black Sword?"

But Ricky still shook his head and denied it.

"He's not enough either."

His gaze toward the prince carried both undisguised coldness and unsettling fervor; these two contradictory meanings made Thales increasingly uncomfortable.

"Therefore you need more tempering, to mature and grow stronger as soon as possible amidst bloodshed and danger, and to unleash your full potential, ultimately surpassing the extreme realm and reaching the legendary 'True Realm'."

Thales frowned, increasingly confused: "Beyond... what realm?"

"what are you saying?"

“That’s the only way,” Ricky said, seemingly oblivious to what he’d heard, his gaze fixed intently on Thales. “We believe that your selection by the River of Hell and your return from the dead was not without reason.”

Thales' eyelids twitched.

“In fact, from the Iron King, Gil Kuss, the Black Knight, to the Ninth, Solon Tann, and Chu Crassou,” Ricky recited one name after another that Thales had either heard of or were unfamiliar with, “even you, Thales Star.”

Thales was confused.

These names...

The Ironblood King seems to be an ancient northern king who led an army to resist the ancient orcs...

Jill Koos, he'd never even heard of him...

The Black Knight, hmm, he seemed to have glimpsed it in that pile of melodramatic knight novels or bard poems by the little rascal's bedside table...

The Ninth Man, what the heck is that? It's probably just a nickname...

Solon Tannen, Tannen, what a familiar surname…

Chu Crassus, that's strange. Isn't Crassus an honorific title for the leader of the Blade of Calamity...?

As for Thales Star... wait, what's wrong with me again?
Damn it, if only he were like Selma, who liked to flip through random books all the time and had a photographic memory...

Ricky continued, "We believe that throughout thousands of years of history, everyone who has struggled back from the edge of the River of Hell has had a mission in that era."

what?
Thales couldn't help but press, "What mission?"

But Ricky didn't answer him; instead, he gave him an unsettling smile.

"You have obtained a key, Prince, which can open a door that we have been waiting for for over a hundred years," the leader of the Blade of Calamity laughed. "Don't waste it."

The bewildered prince was about to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of carriages coming from outside the alley.

The mercenaries who had been lying in wait nearby became alert as if their territory had been invaded.

Ricky looked up at a figure outside an alley.

“Their signal has come,” Crassus, the Blade of Calamity, said with a frown. “Let’s go.”

Thales's expression changed, and before he could react, he was roughly dragged out of the alley by Marina, who was impatiently behind him.

On the empty, dark street, a rather long convoy approached them, consisting of handcarts carrying unknown goods and horse-drawn carriages.

Tampa behind him made uneasy "whimpering" sounds, only quieting down after Sonny's merciless actions "reminded" him.

Upon seeing the wine glass on the convoy flag, Thales immediately realized: This is the supply convoy of my family's tavern.

The convoy consisted of about twenty people, all dressed in ordinary coarse cloth clothes, shabby but practical, much like the locals of the Baki camp. Their horses kept moving, completely ignoring Ricky and his group who emerged from the alley.

In the carriage closest to them, a coachman adjusted Ricky's hood and nodded politely.

Thales recognized the coachman: it was Chisel.

"Don't worry, the nearest patrol has already left."

Sitting in the driver's seat, Qianzi smiled smugly at Ricky who approached him: "The three petty thieves who tried to break into the house under the cover of night have also been dealt with."

“Anything that could potentially expose our trip…”

But Ricky ignored him and looked at the other person sitting next to the chisel.

Beside the chisel, Samir, a former member of the Star Royal Guard, hummed softly.

“Along the way… I must say, they really have a knack for it,” Samir said, nodding despite his undisguised disgust, “Shadow Shield.”

Chisel lifted his hood with a hint of smugness:

"As we promised."

His gaze passed over Ricky and landed on Thales, who was standing in front of Marina, and he smiled as well.

Thales raised an eyebrow.

Looking around the convoy, Ricky noticed Chisel's gaze and snorted coldly.

But he didn't say anything in the end, he just climbed onto the rack behind the carriage and waved.

The group led by the Sword of Calamity followed the caravan, easily slipping into the gaps between the carriages and blending in with the convoy. Thales, on the other hand, was unceremoniously pushed into one of the carriages by Marina.

With their different wheels swaying, the convoy continued on its way.

The caravan was quiet. Neither the elusive Shield of Shadows nor the menacing Sword of Calamity uttered a word. Some drove their carriages, while others walked. The only sounds were the clatter of hooves and wheels, creating a tense atmosphere.

Finally, amidst Thales's anxious thoughts, a familiar-looking building appeared in his shaky vision: a giant, bowl-shaped fortress with only a protruding archway.

The prison of white bones.

As the supply convoy approached, a squad of soldiers guarding the archway stepped forward, carrying torches.

Thales watched from afar, and couldn't help but frown.

"You've arrived far too early," a guard who appeared to be a captain approached the first carriage, accompanied by several comrades. Looking at the smiling coachman, he frowned.
"There is still......"

The carriages in front stopped.

The coachman jumped down from the carriage, directing his "staff" to unload the goods while saying with a forced smile, "These are special times, please be understanding..."

But the captain's gaze shifted to the rear of the convoy.

"and many more."

"Your convoy is quite long," the guard captain said, looking at the endless stream of vehicles following behind, a hint of suspicion on his face. "And why are some of them carrying weapons?"

But the driver remained calm, simply spreading his hands and explaining with a fawning smile, "We're new here. As you know, things haven't been peaceful in the camp lately..."

The captain's gaze froze.

He took a step back and instinctively put his hand on his waist.

The seven or eight guards behind the captain also became alert.

Thales, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists: he saw that the captain's armor bore the Stardust Guard insignia.

Swish!
"Unstable my foot!" Sensing something amiss, the guard captain drew his weapon without hesitation and said warily, "We don't need this many men to transport supplies!"

The guards behind him changed their expressions.

The driver's face paled, and he hurriedly waved his hands in protest: "No, no, no, it's because... because we're from the Prison River—"

The captain, weapon in hand, paused slightly upon hearing this: "What about the Prison River?"

The next second, one of the guards behind the captain suddenly stepped forward and hugged him from behind!
laugh!
"—The ferryman." The traitor behind the captain casually picked up where the driver left off.

The captain of the guard's mouth was tightly covered. He convulsed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the blood-stained blade thrown from his chest.

Thales' breath hitched, but Marina pressed her hand firmly to his mouth.

Before the other guards could react to the sudden turn of events, the coachman sprang into action!
He bypassed the captain, whose eyes remained wide open in death, and stood before the second guard. To the latter's astonishment, he plunged a dagger into his throat, silencing his screams between trembling teeth. At the same time, six or seven eerie figures emerged from the darkness!
A terrified guard drew his weapon and was about to shout when a "buddy" who had circled behind him grabbed his chin and skillfully slit his trachea.

In despair, he looked to his colleague for help, only to find that the latter was being strangled by an assassin who had appeared out of nowhere, his face contorted in pain as he looked back at him, his hands futilely clawing at his neck.

Another guard instinctively reached for the archway for help, but before he could turn around, with a terrible snapping sound, his head was twisted in the direction of an assassin.

There were even assassins who pulled out crossbows and accurately shot a guard who turned and ran away through the back of the neck, severing his steps and his screams along with his spinal cord.

In Thales's terrified eyes, these suddenly appearing, mysterious figures stabbed, stabbed, strangled, or constricted, silently and with astonishing efficiency ending the lives of nine guards.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Thales almost forgot to breathe.

This is……

Ghostly figure?

The mercenaries who accompanied the convoy stared wide-eyed in shock at the scene unfolding under the moonlight.

When Marina, equally surprised, released the panting Thales, the assassins carefully helped the motionless guards up, skillfully caught their fallen torches and weapons, dragged the bodies into the shadows, and disappeared from everyone's sight.

Soon, the area in front of the Bone Prison became deserted, and the last trace of the Star Soldiers disappeared into the street.

Only the faint traces of blood on the ground told the story of what had just happened.

Ricky's brow was furrowed more deeply than ever.

“Williams’ men are indeed vigilant,” Chisel clicked his tongue, looking at the scene before him with complete nonchalance. “They’re quite different from those conscripts. If we hadn’t been so well-prepared, and it was just you guys…”

Ricky nodded slightly and stepped down from the carriage.

He remained calm, knowing that the chisel was taunting him.

For the "goods" they seized.

“Damn it,” Clay, the Northern swordsman who had somehow appeared beside Ricky, commented on the silent, bloody massacre with a grim expression, “I’ve killed quite a few people, but this is too much…”

He looked at the bloodstains on the street and couldn't continue speaking.

But Thales understood what he meant.

Ricky patted Clay on the shoulder and made a gesture.

The mercenaries, who had been stunned by what they had just witnessed, finally came to their senses.

The disguised convoy continued on, passing through the archway and entering the deep passage leading to the prison of bones.

Thales was among them, his expression grave.

"As you can see, the guards outside the Bone Prison have been quietly dealt with, and we've arranged for replacements to take their place," said Qiangzi, seemingly unfazed, as he smiled at Ricky from the carriage, looking past the torches and pools of blood on the ground.
"The curfew patrol will pass by in fifteen minutes, but they are all conscripts sent by various families to fill vacancies. They complain constantly, have low morale, and are inefficient. They can't compare to Williams' standing army—they can't see through it."

"We can have at least four hours until our shift in the Bone Prison."

Thales felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to their conversation.

Ricky nodded. "Is there anything else I should know?"

“Even if an emergency occurs along the way,” Qianzi said with a smile, “the patrol soldiers responsible for the two nearby areas belong to Yinghun Fortress and Xinxian Land respectively. The two families they belong to have a long-standing feud. We can try to delay their arrival and give them enough time to evacuate.”

Russell Vida, a former emissary of Exter, appeared in the group, frowning:
"As far as I know, 'Runaway' Frank is still at the camp. He's a tough guy. The small number of Stardust Guards he commands are the elite standing army under Williams. They are quick to react, incredibly powerful, and know the camp inside and out."

Chisel smiled and nodded.

“That’s right, but right now there are plenty of nobles in the Baki camp who are of higher status than Frank, this country bumpkin—don’t expect a bunch of earls and viscounts to obey his orders; it would be good enough if they didn’t hold him back.”

With a sly smile, Chisel said, "Adding our little efforts—conscripted soldiers and standing troops, local nobles and royalty, and the poorly organized Baki camp—it will take them much longer than usual to realize the problem, gather their forces, and rush to our aid."

Russell understood, then nodded approvingly: "The Star People are mobilizing their forces and marching westward in a massive campaign, seemingly to show off their power in the desert, but they are actually tying their own hands in their own camps—you are really lucky."

Samir rubbed the brand on his face and sneered, "Why do you think we chose this time to come in, Northerner?"

Seeing that the two who didn't get along were about to start arguing again, Qianzi quickly changed the subject.

“And even at the very last step,” Chisel coughed, “we can still use a feint to lure the enemy away from their base.”

Clay looked puzzled: "What?"

Chisel smiled smugly: "That's what Teng's family calls it. It means to distract—think about it, there's an accident in the Bone Prison, the nobleman who came from afar is assassinated, and the military supply depot catches fire. If you were Frank, as the watchdog left by Williams, which one would you deal with first when these three things happen at the same time?"

The three members of the Sword of Calamity understood the meaning behind the chisel's words. They exchanged glances, their expressions grave.

“You seem to have forgotten the Kingdom Secret Service and their spies in the camp,” Ricky began quietly. “They’ll be completely unaware?”

Chisel's eyes lit up.

"They may have noticed some clues, but they can't react in time: we released the bait a long time ago. A boy who looks just like the Star Prince has recently appeared at the Tower of the End—believe me, the secret agents of the Baki camp are busy traveling north for this news."

Hearing this, Thales, sitting in the carriage behind, let out a disappointed sigh.

Ricky was silent for a moment.

“You didn’t come here by chance or out of the blue,” Ricky realized something and raised his wary eyes. “You had this planned all along.”

Chisel smiled indifferently.

"Perhaps you are better at head-on combat, but when it comes to this..."

Chisel looked around and said, "We're the professionals."

Samir snorted angrily:
"Just like eighteen years ago?"

Chisel smiled and wisely refrained from replying.

They finally traversed the passage, which was neither too long nor too short, and entered the main building of the Prison of Bones.

A large wooden gate, as tall as three or four people, came into view.

From behind the gate, the faint sounds of prisoners shouting could be heard.

Clay stepped forward and knocked on the door.

“My tavern delivers supplies,” he said coldly.

A small window opened in the wooden door, revealing a man's face who looked at the convoy with a puzzled expression: "Supplies?"

“You’ve arrived too early, and…shouldn’t you have been accompanied by guards?”

These were his last words.

The next second, the longsword at Clay's waist shot out like a thunderbolt, piercing straight into the face of the guard behind the window.

A flurry of shouts came from behind the gate.

"Intruder!"

Clearly, the guards behind the door were aware of the situation outside, and a voice rang out anxiously: "Quick, sound the alarm—uh!"

His voice stopped abruptly, disappearing along with the other sounds of panic.

A few seconds later, in the sudden, chilling silence, the sound of several heavy objects hitting the ground came from behind the door.

With Chip's smile unchanged, Ricky loosened his grip on the sword hilt in the carriage.

Thales' breathing became faster and faster, and the muscles in his arms tightened more and more.

Soon, with a crisp metallic clang, the door opened with a heavy creak.

Two assassins dressed as guards emerged from the darkness behind the door and nodded expressionlessly at the chisel.

Amid Thales's sigh, the swords of calamity leaped from the caravan, carrying torches as they filed in.

In the darkness, the sounds of fierce fighting rang out one after another.

The brief struggle ended quickly.

Thales took a deep breath and, urged by Marina, entered the prison of bones.

Away from the moonlight, only the dim light of the fire could be heard, along with the unique clamor of the prison cells—knocking, groaning, crying, cursing, and the commotion of the prisoners.

"Hey—come and see, there's a good show!"

"Hahaha, who has the guts!"

"What happened?"

"Holy crap, I think I saw a bunch of thugs lying on the ground!"

"Hey, anyone living outside, tell me what's going on at the door?"

"It looks like the thugs are fighting?"

"I'll bet ten gold coins. Lear's big; he's sure to win!"

"Twenty gold coins! I'd bet everything on Morpheus! He trained at the Tower of the End!"

"You two smugglers, what gold coins do you have?!"

Thales shifted his gaze from the dead guard on the ground and looked around at the area in front of him.

Although the Bone Prison looks like a circular, rough arena from the outside, the layout of the buildings inside is quite complex, and it is clear that they have only entered one level.

The first thing that caught Thales's eye was the hard stone floor, which was hard and rough. A few torches were stuck in the walls made of huge rocks for lighting. Whether it was the low ceiling, the darkness in the passageways on both sides, or the constant buzzing of prisoners' shouts in his ears, everything made Thales feel depressed and uncomfortable.

The chaotic noise came from the arc-shaped passages on both sides, where the torches couldn't reach, and many arms could be vaguely seen sticking out of the fence, waving desperately.

"Damn it, I can't see clearly!"

"A prison break! Someone must be trying to break in!"

"Come on, people are calling for a prison break every week. Can't we come up with a different story?"

"Hey... you guys breaking into the prison, could you lend me a hand and unlock my cell while you're at it?"

The swords of calamity paid no heed to the sounds; under their command, they dispersed in a well-trained manner, disappearing into the darkness on either side.

The chisel stopped and turned towards Ricky.

“We’ve come in. Of course, some might slip through the net, since the guards have to patrol, but there’s only one exit.”

“According to intelligence, each floor holds a considerable number of people,” Qianzi said, taking down a torch and gesturing to his left and right. “The first floor we’ve seen has the most, and the next floor up…”

But Ricky gently raised his hand, interrupting him.

That's our business.

Even after being rebuffed, Chisel wasn't annoyed. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, he still bowed amicably.

A few minutes later, sounds of fighting and the prisoners' frenzied shouts could be heard from the darkness.

A moment later, amidst the growing clamor of drums, many of the Blades of Calamity, bearing the marks of battle, returned one after another from the passage on the right. The sharp-eyed Thales noticed that among them were many ragged newcomers, who seemed to be prisoners of the Bone Prison.

One of the prisoners, a strong-looking man, approached Ricky and calmly accepted the weapons and clothes that Sonny threw to him.

“Looks like you’re quite used to prison food,” Clay sneered. “Josh.”

“Ext, Anrenzo, Allenbia, Star, different places, but the cells all look the same,” the prisoner named Josh said, changing his clothes, looking around, and chuckling. “Apart from the fact that they locked me up with a disgusting male prostitute in women’s clothing, it’s not a big deal.”

"Wow, that was fast. I thought you guys would make a big fuss."

“Luckily, we received some unexpected ‘help’,” Ricky replied with a smile.

Chisel winked at you in a friendly way.

Russell, standing to the side, observed the released prisoners with a frown.

"You broke into the prison just to let these people go?"

Russell seemed somewhat dismissive: "To be honest, it only takes a little money..."

Ricky chuckled and shook his head.

"Is this your first time in the Prison of Bones, Baron Russell?"

Russell was slightly taken aback.

He squinted at the chisel beside him, who just smiled helplessly.

“In fact, the Prison of Bones has two parts,” Ricky patted Josh, who was freed from his imprisonment, and turned to Russell. “Your Excellency, what you saw was only one of them—the so-called White Prison.”

"And we're going to..."

He looked at Josh: "Tell me, you've found it."

Josh shrugged, put away the weapon he had just acquired, took a torch, and stepped into the darkness: "Of course."

"Follow me, we have to go down."

(End of this chapter)