Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 416 The Battle of the Sword of Calamity

Thales had experienced the bloody and heavy clash between the two armies at Dragonslayer Fortress, felt the heroic and fierce battle between the White Blade Guard and the Black Sand Territory in Dragonslayer City, and experienced the terrifying force of the orcish heavy troops and cavalry charging in the desert. But this sudden encounter in the Black Prison was definitely the most bizarre battle scene he had ever seen.

Because this is a battle that takes place in the dark, a battle without sight.

"call--"

In the pitch-black darkness, Thales had just entered the Hell's Senses when he heard the howling of the wind!

"Lower your head!"

A loud shout came from nowhere, and then, in the stark black and white of his hellish senses, Thales saw a Blade of Calamity fall to the ground three steps away from him in agony, a short arrow suddenly appearing in his chest.

The mercenaries around him warily raised their swords, but in the dark, they could not see where the threat came from.

The Hell Senses gave Thales a significant advantage, but it also made him, who could see the darkness, even more terrified than the blind mercenaries.

Like people driving along the edge of a precipitous cliff, one in the daytime and the other in the nighttime.

"Three o'clock! Crossbow!"

The mercenary Sonny roared in his ear.

Thales saw Sonny's figure turn around quickly, and a hand axe flew from his hand.

"External suppression!"

Several throwing axes and knives flew out from the Sword of Calamity at the same time, and at Sonny's command, they were thrown into the darkness on the right!

"Boom!"

A low groan followed, signaling the success of the counterattack.

However, the Sword of Calamity's counterattack was only temporary; everything had just begun, and the sounds of battle echoed from the dark surroundings.

"above!"

Thales heard a sound of robes rustling in the air from his upper left. He turned his head and was shocked to see a strange black shadow falling from the ceiling, rushing straight at a mercenary on the left side!

"thump!"

The two men fell to the ground. The mercenary struggled a few times but then stopped moving, while the assassin nimbly rolled backward to avoid the enemies who surrounded him.

"Keep an eye on the hostages!" Ricky's voice echoed from afar amidst the chaos.

Before Thales could even react, he felt a heavy weight on his shoulder as Marina tackled him to the ground in the darkness!
"Stay put! If you dare to make any trouble..." the red-clad female swordsman gritted her teeth and said rudely, pressing her entire weight down on Thales without any hesitation.

To take revenge for personal gain.

Thales was still coughing in the dust he was stirring up, thinking painfully.

He finally managed to catch his breath, when suddenly he inexplicably recalled the scene from six years ago, when he faced off against the vampire elites in the birch forest of the North.

That's how it was back then...

"clang!"

The sounds of weapons clashing broke his thoughts.

"No!"

A mercenary not far away, relying on his instincts, swung his sword to parry a thrust from the shadows. But he immediately cried out in alarm, his foot slipped, and he was dragged down by a rope that had somehow gotten tangled in him. He was then pulled into the boundless darkness, leaving only his screams.

"Damn it!"

Further away, an experienced swordsman cursed as he cut down an assassin who tried to flank him, but he was immediately struck by seven or eight hidden weapons, and with a groan, he fell to the ground dead.

With an extra layer of vision compared to others, Thales Khan watched all of this with a piercing gaze.

Chisel is right.

Darkness is the assassin's domain.

Moreover, they came prepared and showed no mercy. In the first round of attacks, the Calamity Swords, unable to adapt to the darkness, could only defend passively and were caught off guard by the Shadow Shield's endless assassination methods!
"coming!"

"Use the shields!"

One of them went to your right!

"Ah! Push it up, I've been hit!"

Crossbow bolts, throwing knives, piercing the air, screams echoed in my ears.

The figures of assassins nimbly swept past the outer edge of the formation, either seeking opportunities to attack or probing with their voices, keeping everyone on edge.

Even Thales, who could barely see clearly, felt overwhelming fear.

However, the Swords of Calamity truly lived up to their reputation as the "Blood Whistle." Faced with a tense, difficult, and terrifying situation where they were unable to see, these mercenaries displayed qualities no less than those of an army:
No one panicked, no one ran away, and no one even retreated.

Everyone in the darkness stood firm in their positions, like the most qualified soldiers.

"Don't panic, hold the front line, don't let them infiltrate! Cut down everything that moves!"

Clay's impatient command rang out:

"Cover! Lights!"

Soon, a torch was relit and lit in the center of the formation of dozens of Blade of Calamity!

It illuminated a small area.

As everyone subconsciously closed their eyes, they couldn't help but feel a jolt in their hearts.

There is light.

However, in that instant, the light of the torch was like the blood that attracted the sharks, drawing countless attacks from the assassins!
From crossbow bolts, throwing knives, and daggers to unidentified weapons.

"Boom!"

"boom!"

Thales heard a cacophony of sounds around him: the prepared Blade of Calamity raised three shields to block the projectiles flying from all directions, and many even used their bodies to protect the flames.

Sonny, brandishing his shield, bared his teeth and shouted, "No way! Now—light the fire!"

Illuminated by the firelight, the swords of calamity could see everything before them.

One after another, assassins flashed through the darkness, some leaping and bounding, others lying in wait, and some even strangely hanging on the wall.

They were all dressed in black and masked, revealing only a pair of cold, gleaming eyes.

Many assassins subconsciously turned their heads slightly, seemingly quite uncomfortable with the sudden flash of fire.

"Light up, counterattack!" Clay roared.

Immediately after the second fire was lit, the first torch was thrown without hesitation, hitting an assassin in a corner hard!
Caught off guard, the assassin was covered in sparks, making him incredibly bright.

This was his last sight—Sunny's second hand axe struck from behind, piercing his chest.

The torches that had been thrown were still burning, illuminating another assassin in that direction, and the two mercenaries caught up immediately.

"Ahhh!"

Two swords of calamity roared as they charged forward, one of them slashing the assassin until he was knocked off balance.

“Go to hell!”

The next person wielded a two-handed axe, slashing out sharp arcs with no effort!
"boom!"

As the axe blade cleaved through the assassin's neck, a shower of blood rained down, a truly intimidating sight.

The axe-wielder roared angrily, as if venting his pent-up frustration.

"Thump".

His head slammed against the wall, bounced back, and a few drops of blood splattered into Thales' mouth, causing the prince to turn away in disgust and spit out the blood.

hateful.

He hates the smell of blood.

Either one.

The frenzied roars still echoed in our ears, and the sounds of the melee grew even more frequent.

The situation seemed to turn around at this moment—after the first wave of panic, the sword of disaster retaliated quickly.

"Nine o'clock, behind!"

"Directly ahead, a wave of suppression!"

Orderly commands rang out, and more and more torches were thrown out, either hitting the assassins hiding in the darkness or illuminating their indistinct figures.

The swords of calamity arrived in perfect unison, either joining forces to suppress the enemy or delivering a fatal blow.

Most of them had furious eyes and a fanatical attitude as they cut down the previously agile assassins of the night one by one!
Clearly, the Shadow Shield excels at surprise sniping and ambushes, but when it comes to head-on combat, these assassins, who are used to living in the shadows, immediately reveal weaknesses that cannot be ignored.

"boom!"

"Come on, cockroaches!" Josh laughed angrily, ignoring the flames that covered him, and rammed into an assassin who had been accidentally hit by a torch, slamming his opponent against the wall.

The moment the assassin made contact with Josh, he trembled violently and was unable to move, as if under a spell.

Amidst the latter's terrified gaze, Josh plunged his sword into the man's abdomen, then laughed as he dragged the hilt of the sword horizontally.

The sword drew out a trail of bright red fluid, which spilled onto the ground amidst the assassin's agonizing screams.

It was both terrifying and disgusting.

More than that.

Thales frowned as he watched an assassin trying to disappear back into the shadows being dragged back into the mercenary formation by a rope that resembled a lasso around his neck.

A tall swordsman coldly reversed the hilt of his sword, deliberately and cruelly pointing the tip at the assassin's mouth. After letting out a satisfied sigh, he roared and thrust the sword down with all his might!

"Yaaaaaah!"

"laugh!"

The poor assassin, whose mouth and tongue had been pierced to the back of his head, let out a muffled groan as if he wanted to cry out, his limbs pounding violently on the ground, but could only accompany the sound of the blade piercing flesh, creating a melody of death.

Thales frowned again.

The assassins who revealed themselves were no match for the seasoned mercenaries. Coupled with the bizarre finishing power that Thales had experienced before, many assassins were often knocked off balance and unable to move in the first encounter, and then met a tragic death in the second or third strike.

But none of these were what Thales cared about most.

"Haha!" Sunny delivered a powerful shield strike, knocking an assassin into immobility. Having exhausted his hand axe, he discarded the shield, braced himself against the assassin's upper body, licked his lips, and pulled a dagger from his robes.

Do you enjoy killing people like this?

Sonny shouted gleefully, took three steps forward while holding the assassin, and thrust the dagger in his right hand into the assassin's chest more than a dozen times like a pile driver!
Each time, amidst the assassin's dazed gaze, countless drops of warm blood splattered onto Sonny's face.

This made him appear even more ferocious.

"Do you like it? A gutter rat!"

Until Sonny, his face flushed red, shoved the unconscious, convulsing assassin aside and turned back with a smile.

Then, he licked his lips again.

It looked like she had just finished dinner.

"Hmph," Marina sneered, "You haven't even wiped your mouth clean."

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

wrong.

The prince stared in disbelief at the sword of calamity.

Watching these skilled yet ruthless individuals mercilessly disembowel their opponents, inflicting the most gruesome death upon them, was truly awe-inspiring.

Almost every swordsman who fought the enemy returned covered in blood and bruises, with expressions of either pleasure or satisfaction.

wrong!

As Thales looked at these ruthless swordsmen, a long-forgotten sense of panic suddenly arose in his heart.

not like this.

Over the past six years, the prince has become quite knowledgeable and well-informed.

Whether it's the unparalleled power of the vampire sisters turning against each other, the unstoppable charge of the Kingdom's Wrath breaking through the army's lines, the precise strikes of Ada as she weaves through the encirclement, or even the life-or-death battle between Nikolai and Monty in the wilderness, every confrontation is exceptionally exciting, and ordinary people would never be able to witness even one of them in their entire lives.

but……

Thales stared blankly at the group of mercenaries who were bathed in blood during their battle.

But those people, whether vampires, Arakka, elves, or meteorites and death crows, are the most outstanding, efficient, and pure warriors, aside from their skills. When they act, it is solely for victory, for advancement, and for their goal.

Slaughter and bloodshed are merely the most one-sided and peripheral byproducts of this process.

but……

These people in front of me...

Thales stared blankly at the battle, at Josh's maniacal laughter, at Sonny's blood-licking antics, at the countless swordsmen who ruthlessly slaughtered their opponents yet savored the experience. It wasn't the personal style of any one warrior, nor a particular movement of any martial art; it wasn't one person, nor two…

Instead, almost everyone was immersed in the frenzy of battle, reveling in the enemy's screams and cries, pain and bloodshed.

It seems like they've forgotten themselves.

Thales grew increasingly alarmed.

Something's not right with this group of people...

Battles, ordinary battles, are definitely not like this!

He suddenly noticed that only a few leaders, such as Ricky and Clay, remained unmoved and unchanged within the Sword of Calamity.

He seemed like an observer.

Just now.

"Beep——"

A strange, lingering whistle suddenly rang out.

The swords of calamity all shuddered!
But they weren't the ones who reacted.

They are the enemy.

Upon hearing the whistle, the assassins of the Shadow Shield abandoned their fight, ceased their attack, and turned to flee, some dragging the corpses of their companions, others running alone for their lives.

It disappeared once again into the deeper darkness.

The battle came quickly and ended just as fast. In a short time, the assassins disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving behind only a few corpses that they didn't have time to take with them.

“They retreated,” Clay said, grabbing a torch and watching with disgust as the last assassin’s figure disappeared into the blurry distance. “They disappeared into corners, staircases, side streets…anywhere a cockroach could hide.”

Ricky nodded, but his expression did not ease.

"Take inventory and report!"

After this terrible encounter, although the Sword of Calamity had driven back its opponents, it was far from easy: many people fell in the first round of attacks, many more were wounded and bandaged on the ground, and some were even poisoned, either receiving treatment on the spot or gritting their teeth and enduring the pain.

Thales was roughly dragged up from the ground, painfully rubbing his dusty chin, trying his best not to look at the bloody mess on the ground.

"Are your people this crazy and...enjoying every battle?"

The prince looked at the Blade of Calamity, who was lying on the ground, wounded after a fight with the assassin, waiting for his companion to bandage his chest, and said intentionally, "Just like, just like a wild beast."

"What, has the bloody scene frightened our prince?" Marina mocked him mercilessly, pulling the prince to her side as she spoke with ill intent:
"Don't rush, you'll see more."

Thales sighed inwardly and turned his attention to the leaders.

“They retreated, but they didn’t give up,” Samir said, sheathing his sword with a grave expression.
"The environment here is too dark and too chaotic, making it a perfect hiding place for them to snipe and harass, and to pick off stragglers. It will cause us a lot of trouble."

"We have to do something."

But Ricky shook his head as he looked at the mess.

"No, you can never completely eradicate cockroaches."

"The only way is to take care of ourselves."

As Samir seemed lost in thought, Ricky looked at Clay, who had just finished taking inventory and was walking up to him.

"What are the casualties? Who was the first to fall?" Ricky asked calmly, but his questions were strange.

"After one round, we lost eight men and injured more than a dozen," Clay said, barely containing his anger.

"The other side has about the same number, maybe a little more or a little less. As for who was the first... it's hard to tell."

"And the Baron from Exeter has disappeared; I suspect he might be with those assassins."

Ricky pondered for a moment, then nodded.

But he immediately raised his eyes and scanned the entire room.

"Something's not right," Ricky said calmly.

Samir frowned:
"what happened?"

Ricky turned around and carefully examined the spot where the assassin had disappeared:
"The chisel is not trustworthy, but he is by no means stupid."

"It's normal for him to threaten us under these circumstances for the sake of the Star Kingdom's heir, but to overturn the chessboard and sever all ties? That's not in his interest."

These words startled both Clay and Samir.

Krasus, the Blade of Calamity, gave them no more time to think and decisively turned around to give the order.

"When carrying out wartime defense, the standard should be the same as that for a mopping-up operation."

Compared to before, Ricky's words carried a stern and authoritative air, as if he were on a military campaign:

“Clay, Josh, Sonny, you stay behind me and guard the rear. Start assigning people from here, keep in regular contact, and keep a close watch on all five floors, especially the corners and the top. Those assassins don’t just move on the ground—I don’t need absolute security, and it’s impossible to wipe them out under these circumstances, but I need to make sure that if there’s an attack, the news can be sent over immediately.”

Under their leader's command, the swords of calamity sprang into action, moving swiftly and efficiently.

Having experienced the bloody calamity, the swordsmen were like a pack of wolves awakened; their already undisguised iron-blooded aura was now even more frosty.

"Be careful, everyone. This time, our opponent is not the Tower of the End," Ricky said coldly.

"Instead, they are fearsome assassins renowned throughout the Western Continent. They will never launch a direct attack; they will only strike from the shadows."

"Samir, come with me. This time we'll go straight for the target and finish this quickly."

Samir followed without a word and came to Ricky's side.

These mercenaries, who had seen blood, followed Ricky and his men downhill, warily surveying the surrounding darkness. They set up sentries at every corner and fork in the road to guard their retreat and ensure that Krasus could escape unscathed.

Soon, illuminated by torches, they arrived at a special stone hall.

"This should be it, the last level, the stone steps end here."

What lay before them was still a dark, cold, and empty hall, which made them uneasy. But strangely, this stone hall was not as clear and distinct as the previous floors. Instead, it branched into three paths, leading to three deep passages.

“The structure here is much more complex,” Samir said, frowning.

“Based on the information I obtained from the Oracle,” Ricky raised his torch and carefully observed the three passages, “this is where the Imprisonment Research Institute developed anti-magic weapons. Although the later Starry Sky Secrets Department converted it into a prison, the basic layout couldn’t be changed much.”

Crassus quickly found an eye emblem.

“Here,” Ricky pointed to one of the passageways, “it leads to the original storage room, I guess…”

His expression suddenly changed.

"What was that sound...?"

This statement made everyone tense. Although they had taken many precautions beforehand, many people still turned around and cautiously looked back at the road they had come from.

But Thales frowned: he heard the voice Ricky had spoken of.

It seems to be coming from the other side of the passage...

A buzzing sound?
The sounds emanating from his hellish senses grew clearer, yet they also filled Thales with increasing confusion.

Ricky listened intently for a moment, then looked puzzled. "It sounds like... someone is praying?"

The swords of calamity listened intently, and sure enough, faint human voices came from one side of the dark passage.

"Do not."

Samir spoke, a slight tremor in his eyes as he gazed at the other end of the passage: "Not prayer, but..."

“No more questions,” Samir gritted his teeth, his torch illuminating the front half of the passage from which the mysterious voices had come:
"Our goal is right here, over there."

The swords of calamity suddenly perked up.

“You take some men and secure the exits first. If I remember correctly, there are two other routes,” Ricky nodded to Clay. “Don’t let the cockroaches and rats block them.”

"Once we're done..."

Clay smiled slightly and led his men toward another passage.

“The rest of you stay outside, especially watching the rear,” Ricky said solemnly to Sonny and Josh. “Samir can come in with us.”

Just when Thales thought Ricky was about to head off to find his "target," Ricky unexpectedly walked over and looked at the prince with bright, alert eyes.

"You can rest now, Marina."

"From now on, I will personally oversee our guests."

While Thales was still in surprise, Ricky stepped forward and, without saying a word, pulled Thales away from the bewildered Marina.

The prince stumbled along with Ricky through the crowd, with Samir following behind them. The three of them walked step by step into the deep passage.

"Why me?" Thales finally managed to steady himself and followed Ricky's torch, groping his way forward in the passage that was only two people high.

Ricky chuckled softly.

“Our friends lurking in the shadows are too worrying; I’d rather watch you myself…listen carefully.”

Ricky's expression shifted.

Sure enough, the moment Thales entered the realm of Hell's Senses, he heard unusual human voices.

It was a dry and cold male voice, with a slight dragging quality, muttering to itself.

"I know...I know...I know very well...something is coming..."

The sound felt like a dusty antique, echoing softly through a narrow stone wall.

He seemed to be muttering to himself.

The three people in the passageway were all moved.

"It's him," Samir said, looking excitedly into the darkness. "Yes, it's him!"

"He's still alive!"

Ricky remained calm: "Continue."

But compared to the two, Thales, aided by his Hell Senses, heard far more.

The voice at the end of the passage continued silently:

"I know your appearance wasn't without reason; you must be trying to foreshadow something, to remind me..."

Thales frowned deeply:
It sounded like that monotonous male voice was... having a conversation?
But he had no time to ask his own questions before he was forced forward by the steps of the two swords of calamity.

We are getting closer and closer to the source of the sound.

"But what do you want me to do? Give again? Save again? Regret again?"

The voice carried doubt and longing, seemingly seeking advice or begging for forgiveness, but the emotions it contained, about to overflow, made Thales feel vaguely uneasy.

The person at the end of the passage.

What is he doing?
Soon, with a slight flicker of the torch, they emerged from the unsettling passage.

The flickering firelight illuminated the small stone hall.

Before me was still a scene of desolate ruins, but the difference was that this stone hall contained only one cell, enclosed by a thick iron curtain, located on the other side of the hall.

And the long-awaited, monotonous male voice came from behind that iron curtain.

“No, I know you are testing me… but please believe me, I have never hesitated to make a sacrifice. I know this is what I must pay, whether it brings merit or sin, good or bad, and I will accept it with equanimity and never run away…”

The voice rose and fell, its pitch fluctuating, yet its rhythm remained orderly.

Ricky and Samir exchanged a glance, one frowning and the other nodding.

They slowly approached the cell.

"Yes, I foresaw my mission, my salvation, but when will it come?"

The sound continued.

As Thales looked at the iron curtain, an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

So, what's being held in that cell is...?

"Clap."

Before he could finish his thoughts, Ricky had already walked to the wall and inserted the dark green, long, rectangular "key" in his hand into the very center of an alchemical tower emblem.

Soon, the iron curtain slowly descended amidst the rumbling of its mechanisms.

The cover was removed, and the cell was exposed to light.

The ultimate goal of this journey is to reveal the sword of calamity.

The lowest-ranking prisoners in the Prison of Bones.

It's that time of year again for my long-awaited weekend late-night writing session.

It seems many people are quite dissatisfied with the anti-piracy measures implemented last time.

So next time... how about two anti-piracy chapters?
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(End of this chapter)