Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 470 The Devil Remains Silent
In the firelight, Thales, watched warily by Klay and Josh, ascended the stone steps in the storeroom.

An indescribable, eerie stench filled the air, causing Thales to frown repeatedly.

Incredibly, just hours ago, he was escorted into the Bone Prison by the Blade of Calamity, and hours later, he was still under the Blade of Calamity's watchful eye, forced to leave with them.

It's a unique kind of story that has a beginning and an end, with the beginning and the end echoing each other.

Severely wounded, Sackel was supported by Cannon and Brie as he staggered to the left front of Thales. The security around them was even more extravagant than that around Thales—Ricky, wearing a hood, walked beside them personally, never leaving their side.

Not far behind the prince, Tardin and Quick Rope were once again bound hand and foot, enduring the wary gazes of those around them with a sullen expression.

Barney Jr. and Belletti, who had injured Ricky, were probably considered "dangerous individuals." The two were separated from the others, their hands tied behind their backs, weapons placed on their wrists, and placed under surveillance.

Thinking of this, the weak and exhausted Thales couldn't help but sigh.

After Sakel collapsed, they had no choice but to face the truth and surrender—not only because of Ricky's peculiarities and strangeness, but also because after several fierce battles and even the sensory torture of the alchemical orb, the entire royal guard was exhausted and unable to fight back.

The secret stone staircase in the storeroom led them to a new platform. Through the torches held by the Swords of Calamity on the outside, Thales could vaguely see a dozen figures waiting for them ahead in the passage.

The moment Thales saw it clearly, his pupils narrowed!
That is……

"It seems you are the winner tonight, Your Excellency Crassus."

A fair-skinned man, sitting on the ground with a bruised and swollen face and bound hand and foot, glanced at Thales and Sackel, then looked at Ricky with a forced smile:

"Wow."

It's a chisel.

Thales stared in astonishment at the Shadow Shield leader, who was now subdued on the ground.

He didn't run away.

Instead, it fell into the hands of the Sword of Calamity.

Chisel turned to Thales, smiling weakly, maintaining his last vestige of leadership: "Look, Your Highness, if you had chosen to come with us... at least..."

The assassin leader shook his head at the menacing swords of calamity surrounding him and shrugged.

He looked regretful, as if to say, "Why won't you listen to advice?"

Thales frowned as he looked at him.

Ricky ignored Chip's words and looked at Samir behind him.

Samir nodded, stepped forward, and, suppressing the disgust on his face, questioned:
"When will the men you left on the ground begin their operation to divert the camp's attention?"

Thales was slightly taken aback.

The captured man, Chisel, was also taken aback.

To distract?

His eyes started rolling around.

"action?"

As if struck by a sudden thought, a smug look appeared on his disheveled face:
“I’m telling you: look at me now, do you think they’ll still take action?”

Samir's face turned cold, and he strode forward:

“I’m not Ricky, Chisel, I’m not as polite as him…”

The chisel smiled:

“Very well… Then, you probably don’t mind if I want to speak directly with Crassus—if you still want to escape Baki’s camp with our help.”

His gaze passed over Samir and went straight to Ricky.

Ricky didn't speak; his face remained hidden under his hood.

However, the next second, Samir frowned and kicked the chisel hard in the head!
The man with the chisel groaned in pain and collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from his nose.

"Listen, assassin!"

Scald was covered in cold sweat, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain as he tried to struggle to get up, but Samir's boots were pressing down on his chest, clearly not wanting him to have an easy time.

“You think you can negotiate like this when we’re in our hands?” Samir said coldly.

"But if you fall into the hands of the Star Kingdom along with us..."

"Don't forget, the letter proving you killed Hyman Cansing is still with us."

The moment the name was uttered, all the guard prisoners who heard it—Sakel, Cannon, Brie, and Tardin—were jolted.

They all looked up at the chisel.

The struggling drill bit froze.

Thales raised an eyebrow, remembering the letter in his arms.

Samir sneered:

"So, do you want to come with us, or go to the Kingdom's Secret Service as a guest?"

"Whether it's King Kessel or the Black Prophet, they would certainly welcome you."

silence.

The swords of calamity stared coldly at their conversation.

Chisel gritted its teeth and panted on the ground for a while.

Finally, the leader of the Shadow Shield scoffed, sighed, and resignedly said:
"The anomaly in the Bone Prison will be discovered in half an hour."

"According to the plan we agreed upon—which you have now broken—my men will first burn down the military supply depot, and then assassinate a certain Western Wilderness nobleman who is extremely unpopular and hated by everyone, creating unprecedented chaos in the entire camp."

Thales lowered his head and sighed.

The chisel tilted its head, revealing a cold, fierce look:
"I guarantee that those nobles from the Western Wilderness who have come from afar and are suffering from acclimatization will be in a flurry of activity and won't be able to figure things out for two hours."

Samir frowned:
"Can you do it?"

With a "what do you know?" look on his face, he scoffed:
“The most troublesome Williams isn’t in the camp... so yes.”

"We can do it."

Samir looked at Ricky.

The latter nodded under his hood.

Samir lifted his leg, allowing the painfully panting Chisel to sit up again:

“Great, we’ll act at that time.”

However, just as he caught his breath, he laughed again:

"But."

"There will be a small problem with our follow-up plans."

Samir, who was halfway turned around, turned back again, his face displeased:
"What trick are you trying to pull now?"

Chisel quickly shook his head, having thoroughly understood the man's temperament, and said with a submissive and helpless expression:

"You know, if my people meet up with us outside and find that I've been captured... don't get me wrong, they won't fight you to the death, but you should know that the Shadow Shield has an 'excellent' tradition of cutting off their own tails to survive."

To survive by cutting off the tail...

Samir narrowed his eyes.

He turned his head to the side, wiped the blood from his nose that had trickled down his chin onto his collar, and sighed helplessly:
“My men… they’ll cut off our escape routes without hesitation and leave us in the chaotic camp to fend for ourselves.”

The swords of calamity remained silent for a moment.

Samir raised his head:

"A severed tail? Even if you're their leader?"

The chisel gave an embarrassed smile:

"Precisely because I am their leader."

then……

Chisel thought to himself with a chilling expression: "The Dragon Sky City branch will soon have a new leader of the Shadow Demons."

Looking at the bloodied and battered Chisel, Thales suddenly gained a new understanding of the Shadow Shield.

Chisel shrugged again, his expression a mixture of feigned and genuine helplessness, and gestured towards the rope binding him.

"How about it? I don't need the prince, but our cooperation doesn't seem to be over yet? At least untie me and put on a show for my men..."

Just then, a chilling voice rang out in the air, like a sand snake flicking its tongue, or a gale sweeping through a cave, making Thales feel uneasy:
"no need to worry."

Amidst the instinctive backsteps and ear coverings of those around him, Ricky walked through the crowd, his hooded figure reaching the chisel, and continued to torment Thales' ears with his inhuman voice:

"We have our own way."

But whether it was because he had gotten used to it or because Ricky was deliberately controlling himself, Thales could feel that when he heard Ricky's inhuman voice again, his discomfort and trembling were not as strong as before.

The chisel trembled for a few seconds, also affected by the voice.

He was puzzled for a moment, then subconsciously asked, "Crassu, your voice... why does it sound so strange?"

Ricky winked at the person behind the chisel.

The next moment, a slender figure stepped forward from behind the chisel and knocked him unconscious with a blow to the hilt of a sword.

Thales recognized the person who had knocked out the man with the drill.

He was stunned again.

“We’re done, time to leave,” Clay, standing next to Ricky, stepped forward to hand over the order to the people waiting there.

"Well done, young lady. The intelligence you brought back is invaluable; it will surely pay off."

It's Marina.

Under Thales's astonished gaze, Marina Norfolk, the calamity-ridden swordswoman who had tied him and the rope to my tavern, nodded, her cool gaze sweeping over the prince before quickly parting.

Wait, what did Clay just say...?

what……

The intelligence brought back?

A second later, Thales suddenly realized:
Previously, the information that Sacel was hunting Thales was brought to the Sword of Calamity by Marina after she awoke.

After that, Sonny caught up with him and Quick Rope.

After he had no choice but to seek help from the guard prisoners, Samir replaced Sunny and appeared before them.

Thinking of this, Thales' face turned pale, and he glanced uneasily at Ricky, who was hiding under his hood beside him.

After being rescued by the Yordles, the prince thought he had gotten rid of the mercenaries and that the only remaining threat was the Shadow Shield.

But in reality, whether it was Marina, Sonny, or Samir—Tales was always under the watchful eye of the hidden sword of calamity, without exception.

Until Thales' side and the other enemies in the dungeon wore each other down, both sides suffering heavy losses.

The more Thales learned, the heavier his heart became.

The group was carried away by the sword of calamity and continued on their way.

They continued up another stone staircase until they reached an enormous circular platform that seemed capable of holding hundreds of people.

In the center of the platform stands a huge circular stone pillar, surrounded by a dozen different stone platforms or tables arranged in a fan shape. There is also a huge, empty, dilapidated circular well, many of which have been broken and abandoned, turned into countless stones or scrap iron, scattered all over the ground.

Thales carefully stepped over an obstacle that he couldn't tell was made of steel or stone, and stared at the layers of stone platforms on the ground, asking in a daze:

"here it is……"

Ricky didn't even turn his head:

"Foundry Hall".

"Or...the rest of it."

This time, Ricky's voice began to return to normal. Although it was still unpleasant to listen to, it no longer gave people that unbearable feeling of something scraping against a steel plate.

Ricky sighed:
“A long, long time ago, the prototype of the world’s first standardized anti-magic weapons was secretly born here.”

Thales was startled.

His gaze shifted as he looked at the stone platforms, which had clearly been abandoned for a long time.

"such a pity……"

Ricky stopped in his tracks.

Thales then realized that they had arrived in front of a standing stone slab.

Ricky pulled out the key that had returned to its former master from Thales and gently brushed it across the stone slab, revealing an eye symbol that led to "omniscience." "Everyone, rest where you are—and hold on tight."

Ricky said calmly.

At his command, Sakel was forced to kneel beside a stone platform by Samir, while Cannon and Brie protested as they were led away by swords. Quick Rope and Tardin were led away to their distant places under Clay's watchful eye—the guards were scattered far apart, unable to look after each other.

but……

rest?

Hold on tight?
Thinking about Ricky's choice of words, Thales didn't react for a moment.

But the next second, as Ricky's key began to turn, a rough and unpleasant vibration came from under his feet once again!

Rumble…

Thales steadied himself by holding onto a stone table beside him, and instinctively looked around.

He thought to himself that another exit was probably about to open.

But when he looked up, he realized he was wrong.

Rumble…

In the dim firelight, Thales was astonished to see that the wall at the edge of the platform was slowly sliding down!

Soon, Thales felt a weight on his body and a faint pressure coming from the soles of his feet.

This is……

Many people, including the Sword of Calamity, jumped up in shock, their expressions changing drastically!

"What the hell—"

Before Thales could finish his sentence, he realized the situation.

He looked at Ricky, then stared in shock at the wide, descending, curved walls around him:

"Are we... are we rising?"

Ricky laughed.

“You are very perceptive, Your Highness.”

He nodded, opened his arms amidst the panicked crowd, and watched with satisfaction as the platform slowly rose.

"Right now, we are traveling on the tools the mages use to transport materials up and down the tower, heading to the ground—which used to be the top floor."

Rumble…

"Up and down the tower? To the top floor?"

Thales squinted as he peered into the deep darkness beyond the firelight.

"But isn't this underground...?"

He didn't finish his sentence.
"That's right, most people think that the Bone Prison is naturally an underground dungeon."

Ricky sat down on the stone platform beside him, facing Thales, his tone filled with emotion:

"But only a few people know that this place, the Imprisonment Research Laboratory under the Alchemy Tower, was once a giant tower that rose from the ground."

A giant tower.

Thales paused for a moment.

"what?"

The prince instinctively looked up at the ceiling: "But we came in..."

But Ricky simply raised a finger to stop him:

“You know, a thousand or even several thousand years ago, before the empire was established and before humanity rose to power, the Great Desert was not called the Great Desert.”

Ricky sighed softly and tapped the stone platform beneath him:
"At that time, dozens of sandbars of varying sizes had not yet been connected, and the lakes and oases had not yet been covered by layers of yellow sand—this magic tower stood in the middle."

"Unfortunately, too many years have passed, and countless sandstorms have buried most of its body. As a result, many people now believe that the Baki Camp was a solid and reliable sand dune by nature, and are not surprised at all that so many fortresses could be built on the soft sand. They are used to it."

Ricky's tone held a hint of regret.

"Get some rest. We'll be on the ground soon."

Amidst the slow, rhythmic, and somewhat awe-inspiring rumble, Thales remained silent for a long while.

"You know this place so well?"

Thales muttered to himself:

"So, you've seen what this tower used to look like?"

In that instant, Ricky quickly raised his head, revealing his terrifying bright yellow eyes beneath his hood.

Thales instinctively leaned closer to the stone platform behind him.

"There's no need for you to go to such lengths to probe my background, Your Highness."

Without realizing it, Ricky's voice had returned to normal, just like his face—except for his yellow eye, he was almost like a normal person.

Ricky stared at Thales for a long time, making the latter increasingly uneasy.

“Yes, I am older than I look,” Ricky said softly.

"But I'm not that old."

"At least, it's not as 'historically significant' as you might imagine."

Thales swallowed hard.

Seeing his expression, Ricky burst out laughing.

“I know what you want to do, Your Highness. I can see that you have a certain quality.”

Ricky stared intently at Thales.

The boy suddenly realized that Ricky's bright yellow left eye was changing color.

It will revert to the color of a normal human.

Even now, even in the most disadvantageous, worst, and most desperate situation, you refuse to give up, right?

Ricky chuckled and pointed a finger: "I wonder, did you acquire the Sin of the River of Hell because of this, or did the Sin of the River of Hell turn you into this?"

Thales was slightly taken aback.

The worst, the most desperate situation...

Thales turned his head and glanced around.

On the slowly rising platform, Sakel squinted at them from a short distance away, looking weary and completely ignoring Samir's words beside him.

Brie and Cannon were tied together backwards and sat on the ground in a disheveled state.

Tardin leaned against a stone pillar, glaring angrily at something else, seemingly annoyed by his "nephew" Quick Rope, who was looking mournful and chattering beside him.

Barney Jr. and Belletti were both in the distance, and Thales could only see their blurry figures, but given their "previous record" of sneak attacks, he guessed that the two brothers wouldn't get much treatment.

The swords of calamity stood in close formation, all vigilantly watching these seemingly exhausted prisoners.

Thales sighed.

They were all trapped in a predicament, and there was nothing they could do to change it.

but……

“I’ve grown accustomed to struggling in the dark,” Thales muttered, staring at the dust on the ground and leaning against the stone platform to ease his exhaustion.

Even if there is no light in front of you.

These words made Ricky fall silent for a moment.

“Me too,” Ricky said, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"We are all."

No.

You are not.

Thales scoffed inwardly: You can be reborn, huh?

“Don’t worry, darling,” Ricky said softly, looking at him and unconsciously changing his form of address.
You will be safe and sound.

Thales sighed and replied helplessly.

"Thank you."

But Thales then remembered Ricky's identity and felt increasingly strange.

He just...

Was he comforted by a demon living among humans?
Ricky suddenly reached into his waistband and pulled out a cloth bag.

"Would you like some of this fine jerky?"

Thales was taken aback again.

What?
“Don’t be shy, I know the Sin of the River of Hell puts a huge burden on the body,” Ricky said, pulling out a piece of jerky without any hesitation.
"It would be strange if you weren't hungry."

Ricky put the food in his mouth, then tossed the bag to Thales:

"And I also need to replenish a lot of my energy."

Thales hurriedly took the bag.

He stared blankly at the other person, then at the cloth bag in his hand.

Finally, Thales sighed, took out a piece of jerky, and reluctantly began to eat, just like Ricky.

Thus, an unusual and peculiar sight appeared on this platform:
Thales sat on the edge of the stone platform, opposite Ricky, who sat cross-legged. The man and the demon sat silently facing each other, each trying to tear at the jerky in their hands.

Just then, Sacel's voice suddenly broke in.

"why."

Thales and Ricky both turned their heads.

Sakel leaned weakly against a stone platform not far away:
"Demon, what is your purpose?"

Ricky frowned slightly.

Seeing the weak Sacel, Thales instinctively wanted to offer him some jerky, but Ricky glared at him and stopped him.

Sacel ignored the jerky and said quietly:
"Since the final battle, no demon has dared to openly appear on the earth or among humans for a long time."

After the final battle...

Thales seized this opportunity.

"Haven't done it in a long time?"

Ricky stared intently at Sackel, a smirk playing on his lips: "Are you sure?"

Sackel didn't answer immediately; he looked at Ricky for a while.

Finally, as Ricky impatiently turned his head, Sackel spoke with a hint of hesitation:

"Ok."

“Long ago, there was a questionable record in the heritage records of the Watchmen of the Guard.”

"It is said that a star king went mad, and his subsequent actions brought countless disasters and chaos to the kingdom, causing immense suffering and loss of life."

Thales was startled.

Sackel stared intently at Ricky, as if trying to rip something out of his body.
"Afterwards, both the temple and the secret society had suspicions..."

"That king..."

"He's possessed by a demon."

Behind-the-scenes sharing:
The eerie face made of black tendons that Ricky revealed after "appearing in the fire" was inspired by something: when Wu Jian was in elementary school, he rented a pirated DVD from a video store called "The Cannibals," a horror movie with a demon driving a truck (you might remember it).

I watched "No Sword" secretly at home with my cousin. To prevent the adults from coming home early and finding out, we sat very close to the TV so we could turn it off and put it away at any time. But at the time... after watching it, I didn't dare to press the eject button.

Simply put, it's because of the demon's appearance in the film...

It's so delicious with rice.

Especially at the end, when the demon revealed his true face in the police station, that face was truly... holy crap...

Four words: childhood trauma.



(End of this chapter)