Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 476 is much higher.

Chapter 476 High... Much

Thales didn't like dawn.

The last dawn that left a deep impression on him was six years ago in Dragon City, at the moment when the disaster subsided and the giant dragon took to the sky.

But as the night drew to a close and dawn broke, what he saw was not hope, but an abyss.

Back then, he experienced disasters that most people couldn't even imagine, enduring physical strain with minimal supplies and rest, and facing seemingly insurmountable problems.

In the tense atmosphere, facing dozens of menacing mercenaries, Thales clenched his fists.

Barney, who only had one arm, tightly wrapped the chain around his left shoulder, leaning his body to the side as he tried his best to bind Ricky.

“A brilliant… counterattack… so… now… what… do… we do…?”

Barney practically spat out those words through his teeth, a testament to his difficult situation.

The other three people who were controlling Ricky were in no better shape. They were newly released prisoners, and after a series of battles, their supplies couldn't keep up with their consumption. At this moment, they were all panting heavily and grimacing.

How to do?
Thales took a deep breath, trying to dispel the dizziness that seemed to be rising in his brain again.

When they were captured by the Blade of Calamity, the lurking Yordle could only hastily inform Thales of his rescue plan—Ricky kept a very close watch on Thales.

And that hastily planned project came to an end.

But what happened next...

Thales gazed at the Baki camp in the distance, racking his brains for a way out.

Sacel stood with his sword still in one arm, facing the mercenaries who surrounded him in a semi-circle, confronting their gnashing teeth and resentful eyes.

He remained as steady as a mountain, his expression serene.

“This is unwise, Your Highness, Sacel. You must know we mean no harm.” Standing at the forefront of the mercenaries, Samir tried to persuade Thales while struggling to keep the Blades of Calamity from getting out of control.

“You’d better listen to him.” This was Ricky, bound tightly in chains, gritting his teeth amidst the dust covering his face, his eyes tightly shut.

what to do……

Thales closed his eyes.

Camp, prison, sword of calamity, shield of shadows...

Let me think about it, let me think about it.

Think of a solution quickly!

But at that moment, the quick rope standing beside him suddenly screamed:
"Holy crap!"

Thales opened his eyes and, along with all the impatient people, turned his head to see what trouble he was causing now.

Surprisingly, this time it seems that the rope wasn't the one who caused the trouble.

Quick Rope stared in shock at his empty hands, repeatedly looking up and down.
"This place is haunted..."

But before he could finish speaking, another figure appeared in the dark ripples, holding the black Time Crossbow in his hand.

It's Yodl.

For some reason, the moment Thales saw him, he felt a sense of peace from the bottom of his heart.

Just like many years ago.

Kuai Rope's mouth was agape in an "O" shape, and it took him a long time to recover.

Before everyone's eyes, Yodl skillfully bent down, stepped on the pedal, and cocked the instrument in one smooth motion, all within a few seconds.

He drew a small, distinctive arrow from behind his waist and mounted it on the crossbow.

"Damn it! What the hell do you want to do—" Josh, one of the mercenaries, cursed, then seemed thoughtful.

Quick rope then realized what was happening and reached out his hand, shouting urgently:

"Wait, there's a problem with the sights on this thing—"

But Yodl showed no intention of paying them any attention.

The masked guard raised his black crossbow, faced the camp, and pulled the trigger.

"call out!"

A sharp, piercing sound!

Whether mercenaries or royal guards, everyone was stunned for a moment.

"call out--"

The sound of the crossbow bolts was sharp and high-pitched, moving all who heard it.

It emanates from the sky, lingers on, and spreads far and wide, clearly audible for miles around.

This, of course, includes Baki's camp.

Yodl tossed the spent crossbow back to Quick Rope, ignoring the latter's disheartened muttering, "Why can't I do it?"

"call out--"

The sound of the crossbow bolts began to fade, but Thales' ears twitched!
He had heard that sound before.

This is……

"Is this a signal crossbow bolt from the White Blade Guard of Dragonsky City?" The prince looked at Yodl with a mixture of surprise and delight amidst the astonished gazes of the guard prisoners.

The masked guard nodded silently.

Thales opened his eyes wide:
"But how could you—"

Yodl bowed and nodded, his figure beginning to blur again:
"The Meteorite".

"You didn't finish going through his luggage."

The masked guard completely disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving only a faint sentence in the air.
So... I didn't waste any.

No waste?
Thales raised an eyebrow.

He imagined the Fallen Star Nikolai waking up to find himself naked in the wasteland, his horses and luggage looted and penniless.

Thales shook off his boredom and felt a surge of joy:
Very well, now all they have to do is stall and wait for rescue...

"Oh no, I recognize you," Tardin hissed, his eyes wide as he clenched the chains, staring at the spot where the masked figure had vanished.
"You were that little girl in Fuxing Palace back then..."

But Sacel, who had been keeping a close eye on the enemy situation, suddenly spoke up, interrupting him:

"Taldin! Focus!"

"There's no time to talk about that!"

The stern rebuke from the Knight of Punishment drew everyone's attention back to the enemy.

“I’ve had enough, and you’ve reminded me,” Josh, the mercenary at the front, stepped over Samir and glared at the seemingly insurmountable Knight of Punishment, his anger blatant.

"Since we're already outdoors..."

"Change to crossbows!"

Without hesitation, the dozen or so mercenaries in the back row, full of anger, immediately and decisively put away their melee weapons and pulled out crossbows or short bows from their backs or waists.

what?
Thales' expression froze.

Sakel frowned slightly.

Bow and crossbow.

Great, yet another thing he absolutely hates.

"Load as many as you can, fully loaded and wound!"

Josh's face was contorted with rage, his longsword pointed directly at Sakel, who was also frowning.

"Cover-the-area fire! I refuse to believe we can't take down this son of a bitch, the Branded Warrior!"

Thales watched with a grim expression as the mercenaries brought out a dozen or so crossbows of varying sizes and several menacing bows. The crossbowmen stepped on the foot pedals, bent down, and used the levers or hooks to draw the strings, while the archers drew their arrows more quickly and nocked them.

The image of countless crossbow bolts flying towards him and Little Sly during the Night of Dragon Blood flashed before his eyes.

"No!"

However, beside Josh, Samir angrily pressed down on a bow that was already nocked an arrow:
Ricky wants them alive!

"Especially that prince!"

The mercenaries paused, hesitating as the two leaders disagreed.

But before they could react, Josh turned around, grabbed Samir by the collar, and angrily said:

"It was 'you' who wanted them to live!"

"Because you can't forget that damned brotherhood! You royal guard!"

"But I don't care about that; I care more about ourselves!"

Samir seemed startled by Josh's sudden outburst. He paused, looking awkwardly at his former colleagues who were barely clinging to life, and then at the mercenaries who were seething with anger.

"Keep winding!"

Josh shoved Samir aside, gritted his teeth, and gave the order, turning back to Sakel:
"Listen up, branded warriors! If you want to become targets, then keep resisting!"

"Ricki won't die anyway."

The mercenaries' actions moved the guards deeply!
Cannon instinctively shielded Thales behind him, while Quick Rope, like a frightened bird, looked around and instinctively hid behind Thales.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

"Oh no, we can't wait for rescue..."

Seeing that the situation was not going well, Barney, who had been gritting his teeth and persevering, made up his mind and said to the others:

"Bri, you and Belletti will let go of each other for a moment and cover Sacel. Take down the leader at all costs..."

however.

"Do not."

The sudden interruption left Barney, who was making plans, speechless.

"What?" The vanguard officer turned to the person who interrupted him, looking displeased.

The knight of punishment, who stood in front of the crowd, shook his head as he faced the countless crossbows that were about to be fully assembled.

"We retreated back into the dungeon to seek cover."

Sacel remained calm and gestured with his lip towards Ricky, who had his eyes closed.
"But before that, cut off this monster's head and kick it as far away as possible."

"Wait a few seconds, three..."

but.

"Hey!"

Barney, who was struggling to restrain Ricky, was already irritable. After being interrupted, his expression changed several times, and he angrily said:

"I am the chief vanguard officer!"

Thales, who was getting anxious, raised his eyebrows.

“But… he’s a Watcher,” Tardin said, shaking his head in anguish as he struggled to pull on the chains.
"Slightly... a tiny bit higher on the chain of command?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Barney's expression stiffened slightly.

"Do not."

Sacelle slowly turned around, utterly calm, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary:

"The Watchman is second only to the Captain of the Guard and is equivalent to the Deputy Captain of the Guard in emergency situations."

"Much taller."

high.

a lot of.

Barney took a deep breath.

He turned his head back to its original position as if constipated, and made a rude mouth gesture while grimacing.

He looked utterly regretful, as if thinking, "Why didn't I finish this bastard off with one sword?"

The guards all turned their heads away, trying their best not to look at the vanguard officer's face.

But at this moment...

"Um, everyone?"

Belletti, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his voice filled with barely concealed terror as he looked at Ricky, who was trapped in the center of the chains:
"This guy's strength..."

Everyone was startled and turned their heads.

"...Something's wrong!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than the chains on Belletti's hands trembled!
He seemed to be out of control, sliding several inches toward Ricky in the sand!
It wasn't just Belletti; Barney, Brie, and Tardin, the three people who controlled the chains, also started sliding at the same time!
Thales stared at the locked-up Ricky:

Without anyone noticing, he had freed his hands from the chains, gripped the barbed chains behind his back, and slowly pulled them back.

what?
The chains began to vibrate violently.

“No, no, no,” Barney exclaimed incredulously, looking at the path he had slid through the sand.
"There are four of us, what's going on..."

Just then, a chilling voice seemed to appear out of nowhere, lingering in everyone's ears:

"You think you've trapped me."

rough.

sharp.

Dry and hoarse.

Like the roughest friction, it resounded in my heart.

It fluctuates in strength and intensity, sometimes high and sometimes low.

Everyone present, whether the royal guards or the Sword of Calamity, trembled!
But that terrifying voice, seemingly rising from the depths of their hearts and echoing endlessly in all directions, did not let them go:
"But you didn't..."

The four people pulling on the chains twitched, their breathing became disordered, and the force of their being dragged increased suddenly.

Many mercenaries dropped their arrows or unraveled their crossbow strings that were only half-drawn.

Some even clutched their heads in pain.

Sacel abruptly closed his eyes, knelt on one knee, gasped for breath, and supported his body with the "eternal truth".

"You don't have..." The voice kept repeating.

Thales couldn't help but shudder and instinctively turned around to grab Cannon, who was swaying!

Quick Rope fared even worse; he let out a scream and knelt on the ground in agony, covering his ears.

"No……"

Thales struggled to steady his body, which seemed about to lose its balance, and looked in horror at Ricky, who had made that sound.

What's this?
The moment he heard that voice, his heart raced and his blood surged.

I felt a chilling wind all around me, and my whole body was covered in goosebumps.

It was as if someone had unleashed an endless nightmare.

The next second, Ricky, in the center of the chains, swung his arms, and the guards on both sides could no longer withstand it, and the chains slipped from their hands!

"boom!"

A piercing explosion!

While many people closed their eyes in agony, Thales, struggling to keep them open, was astonished to see:
The chains shattered inch by inch, falling helplessly to Ricky's feet.

His body was covered in bloody marks from the barbs.

No.

Do not!
But that's not the scariest thing.

Ricky gently wiped the dust off his face and gave Thales an unsettling smile.

Thales tensed up, feeling as if that glare under the yellow light possessed some kind of power.

The other person seemed... different after escaping?

momentum?

Posture?

still is……

Anything else?
"I've said it before, don't think you're smarter or stronger than the devil."

Ricky's voice was still terrifying, and in the dim light of dawn, his pupils gleamed with a rare, ominous yellow light as he stared straight at Thales.

Thales was startled and realized what was happening.

Oops.

His first goal after escaping was...

The next second, Ricky moved and charged towards Thales!
The sudden turn of events lasted only two or three seconds. Sackel reacted the fastest; he roared, staggered to his feet from the sand, and charged towards Ricky:
"Stop him!"

The four royal guards who had been freed from their chains, second only to Sackel, gritted their teeth and struggled to their feet, blocking Ricky's charge.

On the other side, Clay, who had just recovered from dizziness, pushed through the staggering crowd, shoved aside Josh and Samir, who were clutching their ears in pain at the front, and shouted angrily:

"Do it!"

The mercenaries roared in response, rising to their feet with the help of the power of termination, drawing their swords and charging forward!
The once-balanced situation has once again descended into chaos!
The moment Ricky set off, Thales disregarded everything else and instinctively turned and ran towards the dungeon exit!
But he overestimated his physical abilities.

After eating and resting, he was fine taking a slow walk, but now the more he ran, the softer his legs felt and the darker his vision became.

In the midst of the chaos, Ricky paused, turned around, and with one arm, struck Belletti, who was blocking him from the side!
"Boom!"

The executioner, who only had time to protect his head and face, let out a muffled groan and was thrown backward by the terrifying force, falling into the soft sand.

In just a short while, Barney, Tardin, and Brie, who were closest, caught up with Ricky!
Bree roared and charged forward with both arms outstretched, ready to meet the attack head-on. Barney's left elbow struck Ricky's side, while Tardin kicked at Ricky's knee. The three prepared to subdue their enemy in perfect unison.

But in that instant, an endless power of destruction surged within Ricky, like an endless abyss, allowing him to calmly turn around and face the three.

The three who collided with the enemy felt their offensive power vanish without a trace, as if they had touched an endless ball of cotton, or... a boundless abyss.

Ricky only trembled slightly.

"Do you think I'm just a target that won't die?"

The terrifying voice rang out again, causing the three people holding off Ricky to tremble!
"Oops-"

Barney only managed to utter half a word.

The next moment, Barney, Tardin, and Bree flew out like kites with broken strings, some tumbling and some flying straight, kicking up clouds of dust in the sand like splashing waves.

Ricky seemed like a completely different person at that moment.

His eyes grew increasingly violent and ruthless, and his movements became even more swift and fierce.

Even more... insane.

Ricky gave a soft snort, turned around and took a step, but Sackel's sword was already upon him, following him like a shadow!
Ricky tried to dodge, but frowned and realized that Sackel seemed to be in the perfect angle, making it impossible for him to dodge.

So he smiled.

"laugh!"

Steel breaks bones.

But Sakel was stunned.

His sword slashed into Ricky's cheek from the side, even cutting half of his lip, but then stopped inside his mouth.

"You said... you wanted to cut off my head?"

With half his cheek slashed open and blood gushing out, Ricky, looking horribly horrified, clenched the sword in his mouth—literally "in his mouth"—and revealed a sinister smile.

"Impressive skills..."

His teeth and lips didn't move, but that terrifying voice suddenly and eerily rang out, making Sackel tense and feel a chill run down his spine:

“A stupid… idea.”

Ricky reached out and grabbed the blade beside his face, pulling it out and then pulling it back!
Sacel immediately released his grip on the sword hilt, thus avoiding being pulled upwards by the opponent's immense strength.

In just a short while, the sounds of battle erupted all around!
The mercenaries surrounded them, and Barney and the others, who were struggling to get up, had no choice but to engage in battle immediately.

“Give up, before there are more casualties!” Samir said through gritted teeth as he approached Barney.

"Fuck you!" Little Barney cursed, throwing out a piece of chain he had grabbed from the ground.

Thales, who had finally reached the dungeon exit, suddenly felt his legs give way and he had to use a rope to steady himself.

“Go help them,” Thales said firmly to the hesitant Cannon, while testing the lifeless sins of the River of Sin and the near-forbidden magical power.

"Delay for time."

"go with!"

Cannon's hesitation lasted only a moment before he decisively shook his head:
"No!"

"You are more important!"

The weakened Thales could only grit his teeth and gasp for breath in anger.

On the other side, Ricky retrieved his silver-bladed longsword and, before his half-slashed face could heal, charged at the unarmed Sackel!

Sacel dodged a sword strike, his brow furrowing.

He realized with alarm that his opponent's strength seemed boundless, and his movements were fluid, swift, and without any hesitation.

However, his moves were ruthless, his momentum was astonishing, and his oppressive power was immense.

Having lost the initiative and in poor condition, the Knight of Punishment was struggling and faced danger several times, yet he managed to narrowly escape each perilous moment.

After forcing Sackel to tumble awkwardly, Ricky suddenly stopped and turned around to strike with his sword!
"clang!"

He swept a streak of fire through the air.

In the clash of metal, Ricky stretched out his right arm and stabbed a figure in the ripples of air!
Thales was startled!
“You forgot one thing, the mask.”

Ricky turned to look at the gradually materializing Yordles, and his terrifying voice rang out again:

"The night has ended, and dawn is breaking over the desert."

"And when you strike, I can see your footprints."

The masked guard trembled as he gripped the blade embedded in his left shoulder, struggling to stop "Eternal Truth" from advancing any further.

The next second, Yodl seemed to give up struggling. Instead, he raised his head, flicked his right hand, and a gray short sword shot out like lightning!

Ricky simply tilted his head slightly and dodged the attack.

"You've gone astray."

Ricky sneered as he looked at the masked assassin, who was trembling and kneeling on the ground, already overwhelmed by his terrifying power of termination.

But it wasn't Yodl who answered him.

Instead, it was a gray dagger that pierced through the back of his neck and emerged from his mouth!
"He wasn't biased."

Sackel, who had appeared behind Ricky at some point, said coldly.

Ricky trembled as he felt his cervical vertebrae being severed, and he lost all sensation below his neck.

He involuntarily released his grip on the longsword.

"Do not……"

Ricky stared in disbelief. Despite the damage to his mouth, the terrifying voice still rang out out of nowhere, sending a shiver down Sackel's spine.
"how do you……"

Sacel twisted his arm forcefully, stopping him from saying anything more:

"Do you know what capabilities this legendary anti-magic weapon has?"

The Knight of Punishment shook his head in disgust and pushed Ricky away.

As expected... a legendary anti-magic weapon?
Ricky collapsed, powerless.

He watched as Sakel pulled Yodl up, patted him on the shoulder, picked up the "Eternal Truth," and turned back to him.

Sacel coldly raised his longsword:
"I won't tell you."

However, the next moment, Ricky on the ground let out a whoosh!
The howl was piercing and mournful!

It was breathtaking!

Everyone in the midst of the chaotic battle trembled, unable to control themselves, and instinctively knelt down!
Thales used all his strength to hold onto the iron plate at the dungeon exit, while Cannon and Quickrope beside him had already collapsed to their knees in agony.

What is this?

On the other side, Ricky struggled to his feet even faster than before, managing to block Sacel's trembling longsword with his bare arms!
It was as if he no longer needed to spend time regenerating and recovering.

Sacel and Yodl exchanged a glance, staring in shock at Ricky—the yellow light in his pupils grew stronger, and charred, eerie muscles were faintly visible through the wounds all over his body.

"Then you should never say it again."

Ricky looked at Sakel and Yodl in front of him, and for the first time, a resolute killing intent appeared in his eyes.

At that moment, a primal tremor of fear, a feeling that ran through Sackel's skin and blood, surged forth in the face of danger!

From afar, Thales saw it with eyes blazing with fury:

Ricky swung his arms, and Sackel and Yodl were both sent flying!
Sacel collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood in agony.

Covered in blood, a terrifying sight, Ricky approached Yordles.

“You’re great, Mask—the last person to kill me twice and I was completely helpless…”

Her name is Jasmine Lorraine.

Ricky lifted the masked guard off the ground and covered the dark purple mask with his right hand!
"Then let's see what's under your mask..."

"no no!"

Sackel, lying to the side, reached out in pain and terror:

"That mask—you can't!"

Ricky grinned maliciously, gripping the edge of the deep purple mask, his palm surging with immense power.

For more than a decade, Thales had never heard Yodl cry out in pain or scream.

The masked guards were taciturn, and even when wounded in battle, they would only let out a muffled groan.

Until this moment.

"Ahhh-"

Yodl screamed in agony, his voice trembling with unbearable pain!

Under Ricky's incredibly gleeful grin and endless force, Yordles struggled even more fiercely!

His hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, as if he were being subjected to the most terrible torture.

"No!"

Thales almost ground his teeth to powder when he saw this!
He instinctively snatched the Time Crossbow from Quick Rope's hand:
"Give me the crossbow bolts!"

Kaito was startled:
"But it, that sight—"

At this moment.

"call out!"

A sharp, piercing sound.

Like the morning light breaking through the darkness.

What followed was an even more ear-piercing explosion:

"Snapped!"

Mercenaries and royal guards alike paused, all looking up.

Beneath the faintly glowing sky, a dazzling spark was flashing in the air.

The flashes caused figures to dart about on the chaotic sandy ground.

It wasn't just the firelight that broke the chaos.

"Woo——"