Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 676 Not enough
“I must say, your spirit is commendable, young lady,” Thales said as Hilly pulled him forward, turning a corner. “But come on, let’s be realistic: there are only two of us, how are we going to chase after them?”

“Let’s go up to higher ground first; the view will be better.” Hilly shook his head solemnly, clearly unwilling to give up.

A higher vantage point? A better view?
Thales' expression was subtle:
Well, what other options does he have?

Soon, Hilai skillfully squeezed past a group of hawking vendors, turned into a stone archway, and arrived at the exterior of a four-story building. He stepped up the outer staircase, went up to the top floor, and unceremoniously raised his hand to knock on the first door: bang bang bang!
"Wait a minute—who is it?"

Upon hearing the sound coming from inside the room, Hillary turned and walked forward, knocking on the next door.

Thales's expression changed. He glanced worriedly at the door that had been knocked on, and nervously followed the girl: "What do you want?"

But Hilla ignored him and showed no awareness of disturbing others' lives. She simply continued walking forward, knocking on door after door, receiving responses from countless male and female guests:
Stop knocking, the door isn't locked!

"Oh no, it must be my husband coming home! Quick, hide in the closet!"

"Fuck off!"

"If it's the landlord, just say I'm not here! And that you'll definitely pay the rent next week!"

"Is Daddy back? If so, Mommy said I can't open the door, and I can't tell you she's playing games with Uncle Abby in her room!"

"Snoring~ Snoring~ Snoring~"

"Coming, coming, wait for me a moment..."

"Grandma said I can't open the door when she's not around! Because the water ghost will come and snatch the children!"

"Holy crap! It might be a guard. Quick, you bastard, stop smoking and flush the stuff down the toilet..."

"Don't open the door, finish this first! I charge by the session, pulling out counts as two times!"

The various responses from behind the door caused Thales' expression to change repeatedly, but Hilly ignored them all and went to the next room whenever she heard a sound from behind the door.

Thales was baffled:
"Xi-Huyana, what are you doing? Who are you looking for?"

"Nobody's here," Hilly replied nonchalantly, knocking on the next door.

This time, there was no response from behind the door.

Hilly's eyes lit up. She took a half step back, and the next second, she lifted her skirt and kicked open the door, which was only tied with a rope, without any burden.

Telston was immediately startled.

What are you doing?
"This is a short-term rental in the Goddess District, near the new suburbs. It's considered one of the taller houses in the area—of course, it's an illegal structure, but the landlord has paid the fine."

Hilly entered the simple little room and gestured for Thales to close the door:

"Most of the people living here are workers from various industries and people from other places. During the festival, they either have no money and can only entertain themselves at home, or they have to go out to find work and won't be back for a while—don't worry, we'll only stay for a short time, and it's not free. The homeowner will be very happy."

Hilaire took out a few copper coins and slapped them on the uneven table.

Faced with all this, Thales was a little stunned; he was dumbfounded.

"How did you know—no, how could you be so skilled?"

“My last name is Kevin Deer,” Hilly said, lifting her dusty dress as she pushed open a small door that led to a storage room. “This city belongs to us.”

“Thank you for your well-reasoned and convincing answer,” Thales said sarcastically, “It reminds me that I still have the surname Star.”

Thales nervously and cautiously opened the window, laboriously sticking his head out to look at the streets of the Emerald City:

"Alright, we're up here now. The view is definitely better, and we can vaguely see the barbershop, but we can't see anything at all. How are we going to find Slimani—hey, what are you doing?"

Thales turned around and saw Hilly squeeze into the storeroom.

“Doing bloody things,” Hilly smiled mysteriously at him, “Go change your menstrual pads.”

"At this time? Really?"

His response was a crisp slam of the door shut.

Thales blinked: What?
"Guard the door tightly, no peeking!"

Miss Kevin Deer's voice came from the storeroom:

"Or eavesdropping!"

“I thought we were here to do something serious!” Thales said indignantly.

"Then get to your business!"

Damn it, I knew she was unreliable...

Thales shrugged incredulously.

It would be better to let Marius take charge, even at the risk of Jann finding out.

But well, now I have to rely on myself.

After glancing at the storage room again, Thales had no choice but to press his head against the tiny window once more and look out at the street.

Go up to a high place.

High up...

A few seconds later, he sighed.

No, it's too far away; I can't see anything at all.

And Hilla, that young lady, is so unreliable.

Thales clenched his fist.

But if he gives up here... he'll have even less chance of finding Slimani.

Without finding Slimani, who was in charge of defending the case, he would still not know why the wool merchant Diop was silenced, why the wine merchant Dagory sought him out, how these matters were connected to the political struggles of the Emerald City, or how many times Jann and Miko had already clashed on this chessboard. He would remain in the dark, like a blind man touching an elephant...

They were left to be manipulated and used by King Kessel.

Thales instinctively gripped the bone ring in his pocket.

"Then you'll always be a pawn, struggling and unable to escape." — A voice whispered in his heart.

Thales grew increasingly agitated.

No, Thales, you need to calm down.

He pressed against the window frame, shook his head to encourage himself: focus on doing the small things in front of him first.

Whatever I can do.

First of all, it hasn't been long, so Slimani must not have gone far.

He had to first note down the surrounding road conditions and then go back to tell Marius.

His personal guard captain must be able to devise a meticulous plan, at least knowing where the clues went down and where to pick them up again to continue the investigation.

Thales took a deep breath, squinted as he looked down at the crisscrossing streets, and invoked the sins of the River of Hell.

The familiar feeling, Hilay, activated his Hellish Senses, making distant images and sounds clear:

"Suleiman's classic cluster fireworks! A must-have for celebrations! The stall owner had to change careers due to some issues, so it's the last day of clearance sale, selling at a loss!"

"Damn it, your fireworks stall has been here for ten years, hasn't it? Every day is 'last day'!"

"Today really is the last day!"

With his enhanced vision and hearing, Thales could see a street corner in the distance, which, as always, was bustling and lively during the celebration.

"The Yeti Circus from faraway Allenby is now on sale for their East Coast tour! Exotic flair from the Thornlands..."

"Brothers, 'The End of the Sea Eye is Your Home,' ready—sing! La la la, ha ha ha, the end of the sea eye is your home, every time we set sail we encounter it! The ship leaks, the sails break, the compass is damaged, the reefs and whirlpools are full of pirates! Pirates! Ha ha ha, la la la, the maiden curses you, the mast breaks, the waves are high, the wind is strong, the rudder collapses! The emperor beckons, the prince smiles, wishing you to accompany him! Accompany him!"

"Fuck these damn sailors from Varyaban, guys, let's respond with 'Robbery of a Commus,' ready, sing!"

"Hunchback! Two coins for three blocks! Where to? Tell me!"

"Local interpreting service! Take you all over Emerald City! Tourism, business, and foreign language learning, just one silver coin a day! High quality, large quantity, and excellent service, guaranteed satisfaction every time! Thorn Language, Common Language, Elven Language, Dwarven Language, Near Eastern Language, Plains Language, Far Eastern Language, Orcish Language! Except for the Ancient Empire Language, everything is Sasa Kruli!"

Thales calmed himself down and carefully searched for each figure, but the Emerald Festival was crowded with people. There were people coming and going at this street corner alone. Before he could even see one person clearly, the next one would come and go.

He couldn't see that far, nor could he see that much; he couldn't even recognize or remember what the unfamiliar streets looked like.

Let alone finding any trace of Slimani.

How to do?
【not enough.】

Thales frowned.

【not enough】

A voice inside him whispered: "Not enough, you're not trying hard enough, Thales."

The price paid wasn't high enough, nor was it significant enough.

That's why you can't find Slimani.

[He couldn't find a way out of his own predicament in the game.]

[You will never become a strong person who decides your own destiny.]

Thales's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

Strong.

Strong?
and many more!

Gazing at the distant street, Thales suddenly had an idea.

Think about it, Thales, think about it back in Dragonsreach, when you fought against Giza...

How did the powerful human he had ever met—Black Sword—so meticulously investigate and gather intelligence about his surroundings?
It is vibration.

Thales remembered.

The Black Sword, and the Black Sword's River of Sin, probes vibrations.

Even if it's thousands of miles away, or as insignificant as a mosquito or fly.

As soon as Thales had a thought, the sins of the River of Hell reacted, converging as if they were sentient, scalding hot.

Just like the Black Sword back then.

But he can't just be a copy of Black Sword.

Thales recalled the words of the leader of the Blade of Calamity—he could not go with the flow; he had to have something of his own.

After all, he wasn't Black Sword.

He doesn't possess vibration perception, but rather...

Hellish senses.

Thales' eyes lit up.

The next second, the Sin of the River of Hell within his body began to heat up, and the scene before his eyes became clearer and clearer, two, three, four... more and more streets came into his view.

It's as if the senses of hell have been more than doubled.

but……

【not enough.】

The voice in his heart remained indifferent, coldly reminding him: "This is not enough."

Thales gritted his teeth.

The River of Sin seemed to hear his thoughts and began to operate even faster.

Thales tried to concentrate, observing the street in the distance.

Now, standing behind the window of this simple room, he can hear sounds from any direction, see details from any angle, and discern the current state of any street...

but……

【not enough.】

The voice deep within grows increasingly cold:
You need to give more.

【More!】

[Taking everything into view.]

Take control of everything.

Make everything work for you.

Thales' breathing quickened, as if the power of termination within him was burning him up.

To take everything in at a glance?

all.

everything……

A second figure appeared before Thales' eyes.

He looked at that figure, recalling how he fought eight opponents single-handedly, moving with ease and composure, taking control of every detail from all directions and turning them into a thousand troops in his palm.

Immanuel Sakel.

The Knight of Punishment.

Thales's breath hitched.

How, Sacel, how did he do that?
【not enough.】

The sin of the River of Hell grew increasingly intense, accompanied by a stinging, burning sensation, as if it had transformed from boiling water into flames.

It sparked and exploded inside the body, a little here, an inch there.

Just like Sacelle.

【not enough.】

The next second, the sensations of hell changed again.

Thales moved his eyes, a sense of surprise rising in his heart.

Time, time seems to have slowed down again?
He turned his head and saw the fireworks vendor pushing his cart, calling out as he moved forward.

At this speed, he will reach the corner in about five seconds.

Thales turned his head again: a messenger was rushing down the street, probably two seconds away from entering the next street.

The prince did not stop looking: an elderly woman carrying two baskets of vegetables was about to turn and enter his blind spot.

But at this speed, she will reappear from the other side of the house in ten seconds, back into his sight.

And there were two children by the canal, about to run onto the canal bridge—no, judging from the sound, they were slowing down; they would take three seconds to get onto the bridge. The sin of the Hell River continued to burn, growing ever stronger, the burning sensation changing from an occasional sting to a persistent throbbing.

Thales let out a low groan.

but……

【not enough.】

Thales clenched his fist.

Without a mirror, he was unaware that his eyes were now bloodshot, but Thales felt that as his gaze swept faster and faster, more and more people entered his senses, providing him with different positions, speeds, accelerations, and trajectories of motion...

Although there aren't enough details yet, and although there will be many unexpected events along the way—for example, the fireworks vendor might be stopped by customers, the anxious messenger might quicken his pace, and the two children might fall down along the way…

but……

【not enough.】

In the slowed-down time and amidst the burning pain, Thales slowly turned toward the barbershop.

From the moment we left the barbershop until now, given Slimani's pace... no, perhaps a bit faster, and considering his possible mindset, he probably won't take the main road...

So the possible directions, distances, and ranges he might go to are...

Thales turned his head back and forth, shifting his gaze with a blank expression.

Centered on the barbershop, he quickly delineated three areas along different streets and roads, out of sight—in such a short time, Slimani was most likely to have escaped to these places.

Three regions.

But... how do we confirm it?
How can I confirm this?

【not enough.】

Thales suddenly remembered the Prison of Bones—there, Jonah Cannon, a former scout of the Royal Guard, had used his hearing and memory to identify the footsteps of the Shadow Shield assassins in the darkness.

It was just footsteps.

pace.

That's simply incredible skill.

【not enough.】

Snapped!
The sins of the River of Hell burned ever brighter, crackling and popping like real flames.

Thales instinctively closed his eyes.

The power of termination continued to burn, flowing into his brain and then rushing to his ears.

Thales jolted awake and opened his eyes abruptly!

boom!
A loud bang exploded in his ears—Taylor instinctively covered his ears, his face contorted in pain and utterly overwhelmed.

No, not near the ear.

But...

Thales struggled to lift his head:
That was the sound of wheels hitting a bump two streets away, which sounded to Thales as terrifying as an everlasting oil explosion.

Swish!
These are women washing clothes by the river.

Each bristle on the brush clings heavily to the clothing, relentlessly rubbing against every thread, as if countless snowflakes were tumbling down a mountain peak—a breathtaking spectacle.

Wow--

This is a scene of two drivers arguing over a collision.

Their tongues struck each other between their lips, their vocal cords vibrated in their throats, and air rubbed against each other between their teeth. Every sound they uttered was like a thunderclap, a roar that shook the heavens and the earth.

Snapped!
These are some children playing war games with tree branches.

The branches clashed crisply, splitting along their grain, like deep trenches cracking in the earth, extending endlessly until the land sank and the world collapsed in the apocalypse.

Ding!
Bang!

Crack!

Wow!
In an instant, the sound coming from his line of sight was amplified countless times, without any focus or omission, as if it were happening right next to his ear, strung together in a thunderous roar.

Such as endless tinnitus.

Thales trembled all over, his face ashen.

In the midst of the dizziness, he could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Ahhhhh!
Thales cried out in his heart in anguish.

In just a few seconds, countless noises, far more piercing than ever before, surged in like a tsunami, relentlessly assaulting his senses.

Black Sword...

Black Sword, how did he do that?
Although it was different from his own method, when the Black Sword sensed the vibrations through the Sin of the River of Hell and detected the Blood Demon Master, it must have been the same, receiving a massive amount of information from all directions, magnified countless times, in an instant.
But how did that guy manage to put up with all of this?

【not enough.】

A voice inside him mechanically reminded him.

That's right, it'll be soon.

Just bear with it a little longer.

Just one more time.

With that thought in mind, Thales gritted his teeth and endured the pain, trembling as he got up.

He could see and hear his surroundings.

almost.

We're almost there... Slimani!

Therefore, he had no time to attend to anything else.

【not enough.】

Thales was breathing heavily. He urged himself to concentrate, to burn with the power of termination, and to try to focus his auditory senses on the three areas he had just marked out, continuing to search for the sound he wanted.

This time, the River of Prisons seemed to be at his beck and call, readily obeying his choices.

Like a wild beast that has been trapped in a cage for too long, finally breaking free and running wildly.

It was incredibly excited and frenzied, burning endlessly within its body, the flames crackling and popping.

【not enough.】

At that very moment, a thought flashed through Thales' mind:
In the past, the sins of the River of Hell within him were like wisps of mist, trickles, or babbling brooks—thin and fragile.

But when did it turn into a raging fire, burning endlessly, intensely hot and violent?
when?
Why, why didn't he, as the master and user of the power of termination, notice this?

But Thales no longer had time to think about it.

【not enough.】

Tormented by countless terrifying sonic waves from three regions, Thales was like a rower struggling to paddle, trying to discern a sliver of clear water:
The muffled sounds of chatting, chaotic arguments, the screech of wheels, boisterous laughter, and the barking of dogs...

Fortunately, with patience and habit, and perhaps thanks to years of experience using the senses of hell, he gradually got the hang of it.

He gradually found order in the chaos, categorizing and organizing the information.

It's not this, it's not that, it's none of them. What he's looking for is...

【not enough.】

As Thales thought, the flames burning from the River of Sin moved simultaneously, turning as if they were aware of their own will!
Ahhhhh!
In that instant, Thales's expression was contorted with extreme pain.

This time, they penetrated deeper into the brain, bringing not only more intense burning and pain, but also awakening and connecting with Thales' memories:
Not long ago, the rhythm of Slimani's walk, the speed of his steps, the friction between his feet and the ground, even the lightness and frequency of his breathing, and the sound of his clothes rubbing together—these memories were pulled from the surface of the sea of ​​memories, fading away from their blurriness and becoming clearer and clearer, turning into a standard, unambiguous sound template, as if right before one's eyes.

Thales closed his eyes tightly and frowned.

Find a template in the three areas.

Just one piece.

Footsteps, breath, friction...

【not enough.】

The sin of the River of Hell was boundless and intense, guiding Thales' hearing and memory, converging in his mind into a scorching bat that flew over the streets and roads he had just observed, receiving countless sounds, observing every corner, and absorbing countless details:
The sounds of workers' footsteps, horses' hooves, tourists' cheers, oars paddling, sacks being dragged on the ground, children's laughter, guards' angry shouts, and the clinking of coins...

Finally, the bat flapped its wings, and a familiar set of sounds echoed in his mind:

"Damn it, get out of the way, get out of the way!"

Thales was invigorated!
【not enough.】

Burning bats circled in the sea of ​​perception, painting a dynamic picture before Thales' eyes:

A man, a man with rapid breathing and unsteady steps, was running frantically through the streets.

He shoved aside several pedestrians blocking his way, ignoring their curses.

But the man ignored it, only glancing back nervously from time to time.

His expensive boots echoed strangely as they trod through the filthy, urine-stained alleyway.

Until the man stumbled into a narrow alley, tripped over a stone, and fell hard to the ground:

thump!
The next second, Thales suddenly opened his eyes and returned to the simple little room!

enough!

This is it!

Thales turned around abruptly, sparks of the River of Hell within him flying again, but the prince couldn't care less. He strode across the cluttered room and just happened to see Hilay Kevindir open the small door of the storage room and look at him hurriedly amidst a stench!

"Turn left after leaving the shop, go straight to the third intersection, then turn right, go straight to the second intersection, then turn left into the alley with the stone wall on the left..." Thales said anxiously.

“The third alleyway on Regina Street, near the fork in the road next to Milton’s Pawnshop!” Hilly said just as urgently.

The two spoke almost simultaneously, and were also taken aback at the same time.

"how do you know?"

"What is that place?"

But in that instant, the sin of the River of Hell was completely extinguished.

The next second, Thales felt dizzy and exhausted: tired, sleepy, in pain, suffering...

"Ugh—" Thales groaned in pain.

A wave of soreness washed over him, making him lose his balance and collapse from exhaustion.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?!"

Hilly was horrified and grabbed the swaying Thales to steady her.

"I, I...unexpected, hehe."

Thales collapsed into her arms, a weak, exhausted smile on his face.

Oh no, here comes the price of overusing the River of Hell.

Thales was panting heavily, feeling as if his lungs were on fire.

Damn.

Why at this particular time?

Wait a minute... How could he have forgotten that?

Why would they so frantically activate the Sin of the River of Hell?
Hilly, with all her might, supported Thales and slowly brought him down:
"You're so heavy... Don't tell me you saw some pretty girl again?"

“Yes,” Thales said, gradually getting used to the pain. He trembled and tried his best to appear relaxed, “even though she doesn’t think so herself.”

Hilly gave a sarcastic smile:
"Smooth talk won't help you catch up—ugh!"

She trembled and covered her mouth in terror.

"What's wrong with you again? Why are you sweating so much?" Thales then noticed that Hilly's condition also seemed off.

At this moment, Hillary was drenched in cold sweat and her face was pale.

Hilly loosened her grip and managed a strained smile:

Do you know what I ate for breakfast?

"No, why?" Thales felt dizzy as soon as he opened his eyes and had to close them again.

"Because we'll find out very soon."

The next second, before Thales could react, Hilly threw herself onto his chest and vomited uncontrollably!
Thales was taken aback. Ignoring the filth on his hands and the foul smell of acid, he quickly caught the limp Hilley.

"No, my God, what happened to you? Are you alright? Xi-Wyana? Sister?"

Amidst a pool of filth, Hillary, having finished vomiting, weakly raised her head and glanced at him.

"Damn it, it's all digested, I can't even tell what the original dish was like."

"Is this the time to worry about that?" Amidst the pungent, sour stench, Thales shifted his position in disgust, trying to get as far away from the puddle of filth as possible. "Besides, I have absolutely no interest what you had for breakfast—"

Hilly's expression changed, and she suddenly raised her finger, signaling Thales to wait a moment.

"what happened again?"

The girl from the Iris family smiled at him, but the smile was extremely forced.

But just a second later, Hilla's expression turned ferocious again!
She suddenly pressed herself against Thales' chest.

"Ugh—ugh—ugh!"

During Hilla's second wave of vomiting, Thales, already exhausted and suffering, turned his head away in pain.

He tried hard not to look at the large, ever-growing pile of food scraps.

Very well, although he didn't want to know at all, Thales was now basically certain:
Miss Hilly's breakfast contains at least three kinds of vegetables.

It's still emerald green.

Lively.

The next chapter is being written; if all goes well, it might be released around midnight.

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(End of this chapter)