Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 428 Dusk
As he calmed his breathing, a smile gradually appeared on his face.

"You can take a gamble—the infamous Sackel, maybe I'm just bluffing, maybe it's just a flash or a smokescreen?"

He shook the ball in his hand, and it immediately emitted an unsettling buzzing sound.

The Knight of Punishment stared intently at the sphere, the veins on his hands almost bulging out of his skin.

Thales' eyes widened.

How come...

"I must say, everything that just happened left a deep impression on me, Punishment Knight," the cleaver grinned maliciously.
"Looks like you're still got it."

Sakel scoffed dismissively.

“As for you, Your Highness,” the assassin leader turned to Thales, slightly out of breath, “you have also greatly surprised me.”

"But wouldn't it be a shame to die here with me like this?"

Thales stared at the drill bit, biting his lower lip.

With this, the situation once again veered in a direction beyond their control.

The prince looked at Yodl, but the masked guard simply shook his head slightly.

hateful.

“Let him go, Chisel,” Thales said solemnly after taking a deep breath. “I promise you, in the name of the Star, that you can leave safely.”

Sacel glanced at Thales.

But the chisel shook its head, its smile unchanged.

"No, Your Highness."

"Do you think that I went through all this trouble to get here just to 'leave safely'?"

Chisel sneered, "The Shadow will never perish, because we have no fear of death."

He quietly pulled a bottle from his pocket and, under Sackel's wary gaze, let it roll between them.

“This is the most common sleeping potion, Your Highness. I swear, there will be no side effects,” Qianzi chuckled. “Please let your legendary knight drink it.”

He shook the alchemical orb in his hand:

"Then we can live in peace."

Thales's face turned cold as he stared at the medicine in the bottle.

Do you think this is possible?

Sakel also snorted coldly.

But the chisel just shook its head.

"I know this might make you a little unhappy, but compared to what's coming next..."

He raised his left hand, snapped his fingers with a sneer: "They're here. I hate doing this, but..."

Footsteps sounded.

Thales and Sackel warily raised their weapons.

However, the person who emerged from the darkness greatly alarmed the prince.

Those were three assassins.

They escorted three people, bound hand and foot, slowly into the firelight.

“No,” Thales said blankly.

No.

How could it be them?

Sacelle turned to look at the prince, a puzzled smile playing on his lips.

Chisel smiled, took a step back, but didn't put down the alchemical ball in his hand.

“I have three hostages here, oh, now there are four.”

He gestured smugly at the newcomers.

Thales stared at the chisel with a mixture of shock and anger, then at the newcomer.

Damn.

With a smile, Qianzi drew his dagger and approached the first bound hostage, forcing her to raise her face as she struggled.

"First, the enemy who caused you so much suffering."

Chisel shook his head with a grin.

Beneath his blade, the mercenary wielding the twin swords of the Sword of Calamity, and the girl he had stolen a kiss from, Ms. Marina, appeared disheveled and exhausted.

She gritted her teeth, first glancing at the utterly astonished Thales with a look of shame, then struggling angrily:

"Pah, cockroach."

The assassin behind her struck her hard, and Marina immediately went limp.

Thales' heart slowly grew cold.

The chisel moved to the next person, and the dagger twirled in his hand.

"Secondly, complete strangers."

The owner of my tavern, Tampa, obediently accepted the assassin's coercion. His face was ashen, and he sighed with utter despair:

"What bad luck! I probably forgot to worship the Desert God today..."

Thales clenched his fist.

He walked up to the last person, smiling as he pressed the dagger against the latter's neck.

"Next up are your loyal subordinates."

After being separated for a while, the rookie mercenary with a head of strange red hair, Quick Rope, revealed a simple and innocent smile.

He forced an awkward twitch at the corner of his mouth, then raised his eyebrows obsequiously at Thales:

“Um, hey, Prince Thales, do you remember me? I'm your... your... your Wyatt Cassel?”

Your Wyman?
Thales let out a painful breath and slammed his longsword heavily into the ground.

thump.

Fuck Wyatt!
(In Dragon Sky City, a prince's attendant, who was staring at a masked mute man, sneezed.)
How could you be so stupid!

Aren't you still in the hands of the sword of calamity?

They actually caught us?

Kuaisheng blinked her innocent big eyes, her grievances and embarrassment still faintly visible.

But the drilling wasn't over yet.

He raised his dagger, pointing it at Yodl who was bound by four men, and let out a cold laugh.

"And the last one: the mysterious guard who follows the prince to the death."

Yodl shook his head again.

Sacel frowned and looked at Thales.

The prince knew what he wanted to ask, but...

But given the current situation...

"Having witnessed your performance just now, Your Highness, I have even greater confidence in your benevolence," Qianzi said, brushing his hair with his dagger and wiping away sweat.
"for example……"

He narrowed his eyes, pointing the daggers at the hostages one by one: "Whom would you choose to die first?"

"Enemy? Stranger? Subordinate? Or guard?"

Who will die first?

Thales stared intently, his gaze sweeping over the group with disbelief.

Marina convulsed weakly, Tampa sighed groggily, and Quick Rope seemed to have a strong will to survive, struggling desperately to give Thales a meaningful look.

Thales clenched his teeth tighter and tighter.

how……

how come……

Alchemy orb, plus hostages?
Yodl.

There's also a quick rope.

Even the other two.

Thales's face showed struggle as he tried to avoid looking at Sackel's suspicious expression.

The wound on his shoulder throbbed faintly.

“This is impossible,” the prince said with difficulty, only to find himself at a loss.
“Sakel has his own dignity and choices.”

"I don't think he'd be willing to drink your drug..."

The chisel quickly broke him.

“Then we’ll settle for second best,” the assassin leader said with a smile.

"I'm a very easy-going person."

The chiselman intentionally or unintentionally raised the metal ball in his hand:

"Your Highness, why don't you drink the sleeping potion, and then, for your peaceful sleep, let your knight go as far away as possible?"

Thales was taken aback at first, then felt indignant.

Sacel snorted softly, a cold smile playing on his lips:

"How dare you say that."

Chisel blinked politely, showing no trace of the helpless and desperate situation he had just been forced into by the Knight of Punishment.

Thales remained silent and did not speak.

He suddenly felt that the torch behind the drill was so dazzling.

How to do.

Where is the way out?
"Are you sure?"

Thales said bitterly, "Let go now, and you'll still have a chance to escape."

Chisel chuckled.

“Your decision, Your Highness,” he said, completely ignoring Thales’ words and shrugging to himself.

"Or perhaps we could have some appetizers first?"

"Let's test just how far your benevolence can go?"

An appetizer?
Thales frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

With a dagger in hand, Chisel walked up to Marina and pressed the blade against the vein in her neck, forcing her to tilt her head back.

“Behave yourself, madam,” the man with the skewer stood behind Marina and grinned maliciously.
"It won't look good if your face is scratched."

Marina spat through gritted teeth: "What a coincidence! I was just about to get my eyebrows done!"

Thales's expression grew increasingly grim.

Sacel observed Thales's expression, seemingly understanding something, and appeared thoughtful.

"How about starting with our enemies?"

With a cold smile, Chisel stared at Thales from afar: "I'll cut her veins, as a reminder to make your decision."

"Then, in that order, strangers, subordinates, and guards?"

Every word the chisel uttered made Thales increasingly distressed and furious.

Calm down, Thales.

Calm down!

Throughout his remarkably rich and varied life experiences, there was only one scene where someone held a knife to his neck.

Being threatened with someone else's life...

This is truly the first time.

Thales pursed his lips and mocked himself sarcastically.

I felt incredibly depressed.

“Sakel,” he began with difficulty:
"you can……"

But Sacelle seemed to already know what he was going to say, and simply shook his head.

"A potentially deadly alchemical orb, plus four hostages in different locations, I can't keep an eye on them all."

The Knight of Punishment shook his head solemnly:

"No one can do it."

Thales' heart sank.

His last hope was dashed.

Saxeel looked at the prince and sighed softly.

“But I can still get you out of here, child.”

The Knight of Punishment glanced at the chisel from afar and said softly, "His words are not to be trusted, and your identity is clearly more important than theirs."

"This choice is not difficult."

Thales tightened his grip, feeling the longsword in his hand become incredibly heavy.

Is making a choice easy?

but……

Thales scanned each hostage one by one: Marina, the ill-tempered fallen noblewoman; the cunning yet kind-hearted owner of Tampa; and Quick Rope, a man of extraordinary status and carefree spirit.

as well as……

The prince looked with difficulty at the masked guard who appeared to be on the verge of death.

Choose to sacrifice them all, and then escape alone?
Or should they sacrifice some of their "less important" people and then pin their hopes on Sackel's raid to turn the tide?
No.

Do not!
The other party has more than one bargaining chip.

And he...

He had nothing and was at a loss.

Thales felt a heavy weight on his shoulders.

“I don’t have a whole day, Your Highness,” Qianzi said coldly, seemingly tired of the stalemate.

"quick decision."

Strangely enough, at this moment, Thales suddenly remembered six years ago.

Six years ago in Valhalla, facing the five Grand Dukes, he also shouted himself hoarse, nearly in despair.

At that time, I even wavered and considered whether to accept Ashida's proposal and use her power to overturn the chessboard.

and many more.

Thinking of this, Thales trembled slightly.

He gritted his teeth, and his right hand, gripping the hilt of the sword, gradually stiffened.

He is not...

We're not at a complete loss, are we?
At least.

Thales struggled to lift his head and looked around at everyone.

He is Thales Shining Star.

There are still some chips left.

Final.

Thinking of this, Thales almost crushed the hilt of his sword.

The prince stared intently at Yodl's dark purple mask, his expression unreadable.

The masked guard's heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly knew what the prince was going to do.

“No,” Yodl struggled, trembling, and called out his name anxiously:

"Thales! No!"

Don't take the risk! You are more important than any of us!

Thales closed his eyes. Sackel frowned, and Chisel cast a suspicious glance his way.

Am I more important than all of them...?

The prince recalled the assassination attempt long ago at the Palace of Restoration, when Yodl bravely pushed him aside and single-handedly blocked three crossbow bolts.

He recalled how, in Dragonfall City, others entered the Hall of Heroes with weapons in hand, trying to secure an opportunity for the prince's precarious plan.

At that time...

For the Yodals, for them...

That's not a difficult choice.

Is not it.

because……

Because he is not just Thales.

He was also Prince Thales.

He is the heir to the kingdom.

however.

Is he?
Thales remembered what Ashda had told him a long, long time ago.

If I had come to you when you were still a beggar, would you have reacted the same way?

The prince gritted his teeth, remembering his former self.

When you revel in the glory of a prince or struggle in the misery of a beggar, when you oscillate between the joys and sorrows of both, have you ever pondered what you truly are?

[A prince noble by blood? A beggar born of lowly misfortune? A precocious genius? A pitiful person struggling to change their fate?]

Thales' breathing began to quicken again.

When you are stripped of all the definitions imposed by others, and stripped of all the circumstances that define your existence, what are you left with?

What do I have left?
The next second, Thales suddenly opened his eyes!

“Sakel”.

In that instant, he felt his voice become firm and deep.

"Mr. Emmanuel Sackel, the former Royal Guard clerk and watchman, is that right?"

It's no longer that unpleasant, frivolous hoarse voice.

But inside, he felt incredibly relaxed and open-minded.

No longer worried, the heavy burden is no longer unbearable.

The Executioner Knight, who was observing the enemy, frowned and turned his head: "Hmm?"

Thales said decisively:
"Please act according to the circumstances and do your best."

Sacel was slightly taken aback:
"What opportunity?"

Thales did not answer, but simply smiled faintly.

The kidnapped man, thinking Thales was finally going to abandon them, hurriedly spoke up: "Um, Thales? Listen to me, we can choose a more neutral one..."

But Thales shook his head.

“Shut up, hurry up and tie the rope,” Prince Star sighed.

"By the way, your sales pitch is terrible."

Quick rope was stunned.

Thales took a deep breath, a smile spreading across his face, and looked at the drill with a calm and indifferent expression.

“Do you know, Chisel, this is the territory of the Alchemy Tower.”

"They left behind a lot of things, most of which were inherited by the Star Kingdom."

Chisel's face turned cold; he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

The Alchemy Tower?

What do you mean?
The prince, gazing at the dilapidated state of the dimly lit dungeon, plunged his longsword heavily into the ground.
"The mages... while they were still around, there were all sorts of magic tricks, and the alchemical ball was just the most insignificant part of them..."

Thales looked at the beautifully designed and expensively decorated longsword in his hand with mixed feelings.

“The Starry Sky royal family knows some of these things, and they also possess some of them,” he said absentmindedly, then chuckled, as if talking to himself.

"Of course, I'm not talking about shimmering golden blood..."

Sacel squinted and looked Thales up and down again.

With a silent gesture, the assassins tightened their grip on the hostage.

The prince raised his head and looked at the assassins in front of him.

Thales turned his gaze away, as if he hadn't seen Yodl's heavy head shaking.

who am I?
I am Thales.

From the first day I came into this world.

Until the last day.

He said quietly.

No one can change that.

No one can deny it.

No one can question it.

Because I am, and can only be, Thales.

Instead of others.

Thales gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, feeling a sense of peace.

"Don't blink," the prince chuckled, amidst everyone's curious stares.
"because……"

"This may be the most interesting, magical, and dazzling magic show you've ever seen in your life."

Thales calmly lowered his left hand and gently stroked the sharp silver blade of the longsword.

He felt a sharp pain and a warm sensation in his palm.

He once did this in a moment of extreme excitement.

But now, he is so calm.

Will he succeed?
Instinctively sensing something was wrong, he pressed the steel bar firmly against Marina's throat, gritting his teeth and threatening, "Your Highness, I swear, if you try anything funny, I will strike immediately..."

But Thales could no longer hear.

Even Yodl and Sakel disappeared from his senses.

In that instant, he was already immersed in boundless light.

It was as if he had transcended himself.

----

Eastern Continent.

A small, unknown fishing village.

evening.

In a simple thatched hut by the sea, a woman with brown skin and a serene and gentle appearance is quietly washing a wooden bowl in her hands.

She listened to the sound of the waves, her hands moving without stopping, her face calm and her expression serene.

It seemed that nothing could interrupt this pleasant and tranquil scene.

Until the next second.

"Clap!"

A wooden bowl fell to the ground and spun endlessly.

The woman did not pick it up.

Instead, she slowly raised her head, her face full of astonishment.

It felt like witnessing the most incredible thing in the world.

The next moment, the beautiful woman decisively abandoned everything, walked out of the hut, and gazed at the sea.

The last rays of the setting sun lingered on the sea, like a child bathing in a tub, half-sinking, half-hidden, lazy and mischievous.

The woman gazed at the golden, shimmering waves where the sea met the sky, her expression growing increasingly solemn.

The next second, a dry, harsh voice suddenly rang out, like heavy ink suddenly intruding into a painting!
"Frellan!"

The dry, rapid-fire voice spoke with apparent urgency: "This is—it!"

The woman nodded, her expression never relaxing.

“I know,” the woman named Freylan nodded slowly, her voice steady, unconsciously calming everything around her.
“I can feel it, that guy… is on the verge of knocking on the door again.”

That rascal.

The woman frowned slightly.

The visitor from the void seemed to be in a hurry, interrupting the other party abruptly before they could finish speaking:
"She must be crazy—quick, where is he or she?"

Freylan did not answer immediately; she simply stared intently at the horizon.

The next moment, something unusual happened.

Purple light.

Endless purple light emanated from the depths of Freylan's eyes!

The light spread across the woman's face, like branches forking.

As the light shone, the woman's features were gradually obscured, her gentleness vanished, and she appeared increasingly imposing and terrifying.

It was as if everything in heaven and earth had lost its color; from this moment on, only she radiated light.

But the woman remained gazing at the horizon, motionless.

The voice in the void remained silent; he knew what the other party was doing.

A few seconds later, the purple light trembled slightly.

“Sagare,” the woman asked softly in return:

"Where are you?"

The hollow voice echoed again from the void, this time carrying a hint of barely perceptible caution.

“Dragon Sky City,” the guest said dryly, “I heard that Giza appeared here and had a fierce battle with that wicked old woman, Kroles, so I came to look for clues. It’s quite lively here now…”

Freylan showed no intention of listening to him continue; her purple-glowing face swayed slightly.
"Then the target is not in Longxiao City, at least not within a hundred miles of you."

The woman squinted slightly, as if experiencing something: "Hmm, the feeling this time is much more pronounced than last time..."

A moment later, she suddenly opened her eyes:
"In the Western Continent!"

"The Great Desert!"

She said decisively.

The voice in the void was silent for a moment, and when it rang out again, it carried a hint of joy:
"Could you be more precise? Your abilities are better suited for searching than theirs, as long as we get there first..."

However, the next moment, Sager's voice suddenly cut off, as if he had gasped for breath!
Not only him, but the light on Freylan's face also trembled violently!
The woman seemed to sense something; her expression suddenly changed, and she looked up at the sky.

Everything was normal in the sky; the clouds were silent, and the firmament was still.

Only a few seagulls lazily flew across the twilight sea, crossing the waves to return to their nests.

But that's not the point.

The purple light in the woman's eyes became increasingly unstable.

The voice in the void suddenly became cautious, with a slight tremor:
"No, no, this is..."

The woman nodded solemnly:
"Ah."

“Bloodthorn and Black Orchid,” Freylan said, her expression unusually complex.
"They knocked on the door."

There was only quiet silence in the void.

The silence lasted for quite a while.

Until the woman sighed deeply:

"They must have prepared countless methods just like us, waiting for six whole years, waiting for that newcomer to make a mistake, waiting for him or her to knock on the door again."

A dry voice slowly opened in the void, hesitant and stammering, filled with uncertain doubt and a deep, profound resentment:

"So, that newcomer, that newcomer... once he successfully knocks on the door and enters his true form..."

Freylan sighed and nodded sadly:
"It's like walking into a trap; there's no way to escape."

"To become the spoils of war of the two emperors."

The sea was peaceful and quiet at dusk, with only the waves and the cries of seagulls rising and falling.

The sun had already sunk two-thirds of its way down, and the golden hue on the sea was slowly turning deep red.

The woman stood quietly, her face filled with sorrow.

The purple light faded from her face, restoring her original gentle and beautiful appearance.

Until Sager's voice came again:

"No, that's no longer the point."

Freylan indifferently raised her head:

"What do you mean?"

The guest in the void remained silent for a long while before speaking with deep concern:
"Bloodthorn and Black Orchid, they fear each other and hate each other to the core. They would rather tear each other apart at any opportunity."

“Once they both find that new person, I don’t think they’ll be willing to share…”

And that means...

The dry, hoarse voice gradually faded away.

Freylan frowned slightly and shook her head, saying:
"Do not……"

But Sager was clearly engrossed in his own words and continued:
"Six years ago, they suddenly encountered each other in their original state because of that newcomer, and hastily engaged in battle—the aftershocks of the battle triggered a massive tsunami, the likes of which were unparalleled in a century, around the Sea Eye. If it weren't for the Lord of the Abyss awakening from the depths of the Hell River and controlling the situation..."

The dry, hoarse voice gradually faded away.

The woman's brows were furrowed, and her face was full of worry.

The unseen Sager said somberly, "And they must have made ample preparations for this encounter."

"Regardless of whether it's for newcomers..."

"Still, it's about each other."

he murmured.

The woman faced the sea, and the empty void, her face showing an expression of disbelief and sorrow.

A well-prepared double crown?
Facing each other as arch-rivals?
Her heart suddenly clenched.

"Do not."

The woman with dark brown skin closed her eyes and sighed softly:

"They are the world's top magic users, surely they wouldn't be so short-sighted as to destroy the world without considering the consequences?"

This time, the hollow voice in the void laughed emotionlessly, sounding rather sullen:
"He said the same thing to us more than 600 years ago."

The woman's hands, which were wrapped around her forearms, tightened slightly.

"Who?"

The visitor from the void sighed softly and uttered a strange phrase:

"Holy Day".

Freylan was slightly taken aback.

Holy Day.

How long has it been since we last heard it?
Only the mysterious figure in the void could be heard speaking in a low voice:
"In the final battle of the final war, he personally descended upon the triumphant capital of the ultimate empire to confront the desperate Brothers of Truth..."

"Before the final negotiations."

Freylan did not answer.

With another wave, the setting sun in the west completely disappeared below the surface of the sea.

This tranquil and comforting world is left behind...

A bleak future.

Wow! I'm so excited! In the next chapter, I can finally openly write about the meteorite escape plot?
By Wu Jian with an evil expression
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(End of this chapter)