Pirate Kingship.

Chapter 430: Lightless Fortress, Habsburg (6200 in one)

Except for Byron and Therese, two Night Demons who each had their own plans, they vaguely discovered that this "Holy Lake Coronation Ceremony" seemed a little unusual.

The other legitimate princes and their guards were unaware of this and continued to devote themselves fully to this ceremony that would determine their own fate and the fate of the entire country.

Atahualpa was no exception.

A big wave:
"Let's go. With the help of your two majesties this time, the [Sun Crown] will definitely belong to me!"

After easily dealing with nine third-level [Lava Giants], he realized that the 70% of brothers who accepted his bribes would not become an obstacle to him.

He immediately excitedly lit up the Sun Badge and led Byron and Violet to the second level.

With his confidence greatly increased, he proudly vowed to be the first to reach the finish line.

As for the other teams still struggling with the first stage, once any prince dies, the Sun Badge cannot be activated and they can only stay where they are until the ceremony is over.

Therefore, protecting one's own prince is always the top priority, and the elimination of the prince means the elimination of the entire team.

When it came to the evening of the first day, the three of them stepped into the third level together.

According to the report of the Council of Nobles, the number of princes who still have the strength to continue to advance in the entire "Trial to Become the King" has dropped to one-half.

Among them were two kills they contributed again.

And there were no accidents. The amount of "blood of political enemies" injected into the [Scarlet Holy Grail] was still only one-third of what was expected.

But Byron was not in a hurry, as he had the crown of the Holy Golden Empire and his foundation was strong enough.

Even if the harvest is only one-third of the original, he is confident that as long as he can send any one of the four princes away, he can brew a cup of [Blood of Eternal Life] on the spot.

However, the three people who had just passed the second level all looked a little disheveled.

In particular, Atahualpa wrung out his dripping clothes and breathed a sigh of relief:

"My luck this time was really average, as the two levels I passed were all secret realms that were not even recorded in history books.

The water-attributed [Cyclops] and the sea beasts they control are too unfriendly to us, the descendants of the Sun God.

Fortunately, Her Majesty the Queen is here, otherwise I would be in trouble."

The trial that gave headaches to the founding father of the country, the first-generation direct descendant of the Sun God Inti, is also fraught with dangers for today's descendants.

Half of the princes were defeated in the first two trials alone. The casualty rate was really too shocking.

The first match, "The Test of the Lake Monster Gibaro", could be blamed on their carelessness and poverty, but the second match, "The Test of the Cyclops", had no skills and relied entirely on strength.

At least four Cyclops of the same level and their trained beasts must be killed to collect the Sun Badge which is divided into four petals.

Thanks to Violet, a witch who dared to fight in the water, they were able to catch up with the first echelon while completing the trial, and recovered the time lost twice by the succubus servants.

"The third level: the test of the lightless fortress."

The high priest who presided over the ceremony routinely informed everyone of the name of this trial, but it was limited to one name.

This is another unpopular secret place that no one has ever encountered before.

After Byron walked out of the stone gate, he immediately sent out two ravens to begin investigating the third level of the secret realm.

They soon discovered that this island was much smaller than the previous two levels. The main part was an isolated ancient stone fortress. The place where they appeared was in a corner of the east wall of the fortress.

No danger has been found nearby for the time being. The only strange thing is that although there is lush vegetation outside this rock city, there is no grass inside the city, not even a fallen leaf or a bug.

Byron and Violet were both very adaptable to naval battles, and they also had monster-like physiques, so they were still very energetic and could go without sleep for several days.

In the past, when a young couple was enjoying themselves, it was common for them to stay up all night long.

However, Atahualpa was drowned several times in the second stage, which was quite exhausting. Byron turned to ask for his opinion:
"How about we fix it here for a while?"

The latter thought about it and did not try to be brave:

“Well, although the trial is to randomly select 52-3 islands from the 5 trial islands, no one in the trial knows whether it will be three, four or five.

Just like the founding ancestor Manco Capac, who never knew how many difficulties and obstacles were waiting for them ahead, and how long it would take to find the city building site mentioned in the oracle.

We have passed two levels in a row and have fought several bloody battles, so it is necessary to rest for a while."

At this time, Byron also used the eyes of the raven to see the other people in the first echelon.

The other three governors are all here, as well as an additional seven or eight third-tier teams with good luck and strength.

Realizing that he and his group had indeed caught up with the other fourth-level [Sons of the Sun] and the first echelon where the succubus Therese was, he did not light a fire and expose himself.

Instead, he opened the "border puzzle" to conceal his existence, took out the canned beef and rum in glass jars that he had prepared in advance, and distributed them to Violet and Atahualpa.

They had been away from the Bantaan Islands for less than a month.

The supplies brought out from the base camp were still fresh, and they were all [Blood Red Whiskey] made by Alfred, a third-level gourmet. The conditions were much better than those of ordinary ocean-going sailors.

As time went by, Byron looked forward to having [Heaven on Earth] as his personal logistics base.

While eating the carefully cooked canned beef, Atahualpa marveled at another powerful relic that Byron had taken out: the First Overseas Development Order.
“Your Majesty, Lord of Heaven, although I don’t have as much gold as I do in your Golden Empire, I do have quite a few powerful holy relics.

The great [Sun God] Inti taught us to give civilization to the years, rather than giving years to civilization.

Let us, the descendants of gods who are like the sun, pursue more meaning in life and promote the progress of Quechua civilization in the limited time we have, rather than letting meaningless lives last for a long time.

I believe that only a country bathed in the light of civilization can produce numerous [Relics] while influencing the progress of mankind.

This can be seen from the weapons and food. Whether it is guns, canned food, or rum brewed from sugarcane, they all show that the northern civilization is strong.

If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely take Sister Aya to visit your territory."

He did not realize that the target of the first overseas development order was precisely these indigenous people.

He also misunderstood that the so-called "civilization" of the Old World was not the same as he had imagined.

It is only because of the continuous wars among the countries that the social structure is far more mature than that of the slave-based Solar Empire.

Byron remembered that the captain of the guard had once said something similar about wanting to study abroad in a northern country.

Obviously, as they learned more about the outside world, they became more and more aware that the Solar Empire would soon face the first wave of attacks from colonists.

Including military, culture, economy, infectious diseases and other aspects.

"Guns, germs, and steel" is an unavoidable theme in colonial wars in any world.

Rather than waiting until the colonists’ cannons force open the country’s gates, it is better to take the initiative to find out in advance.

As an ally, Byron was also happy to see the upper echelons of the Sun Empire demonstrate an open-minded and enterprising political spirit, and not learn from the old witch in the previous life who brought endless tragic history to the Chinese people.

Of course, the premise of all this is that Atahualpa can become the final winner, or at least survive to the end.

Byron kindly helped the "fragile" Queen Violet open the can lid, and nodded to Atahualpa:

"If you can successfully ascend the throne, our Holy Golden Empire and the Sun Empire will be brotherly countries. I will of course welcome you and Princess Aya.

I believe that Princess Aya will be able to get along happily with my sisters and queens by then."

Atahualpa looked more approachable and winked at him, as if they were all of the same kind.

"Marry a sister and become queen, I understand!"

But they don’t know that Byron only dared to mention the queens because he was wearing the guise of the "Lord of Heaven".

If we dare to go out in public after returning to the Old Continent in the future, there will inevitably be a catastrophe as severe as the collapse of the world.

It is definitely as deadly as the coronation ceremony of the princes today.

The church will most likely be the first to jump out and give him a righteous iron fist.

The three of them just took a short break after their meal.

I saw the sun in the sky gradually setting into the lake, and some of the disorderly buildings in the entire fortress cast long shadows under the setting sun.

It was like the sharp claws of countless demons dancing, swallowing up all the trial-takers bit by bit.

Byron and his party were located at the base of the east city wall. They watched with their own eyes as the light around them gradually disappeared and the shadows continued to expand.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Byron felt that the shadows here were too dark.

As it crawled on the ground, it looked like a pool of thick ink slowly flowing on the ground.

They watched as the shadow cast by a tall tower opposite arrived first and slowly touched a glass jar at their feet with some soup still in the bottom.

rustling
Byron, who had already sensed something strange, noticed that something seemed to move in the shadow, and the soup in the jar disappeared in an instant.

The glass jar also fell to the ground inexplicably.

Then the scraps of meat that fell on the ground and the few pieces of water plants they brought from the previous level all suddenly disappeared with a strange rustling sound.

They finally saw clearly that there were countless sharp mouths hidden in the shadows.

Any organic matter covered by the shadow will be eaten up instantly. No wonder there is no grass growing in the fortress, not even a bug. It turns out that everything has been eaten up.

boom!
Violet fired a large-caliber whale oil bullet at it, but it had no effect, just like hitting an ordinary shadow.

The log also peeked into the details of this strange shadow at the same time.

"[Secret Realm: Lightless Fortress]:
In a sacrificial accident long ago, an old god beyond the norm was contacted, and the whole city was polluted by his power.

All the hungry residents were trapped in the desolate mirror city in the shadow, and over a long period of time they became darkness itself, craving for everything edible in the material world.

It is absolutely safe during the day, but beware of the night!
Only by bathing in light can one be protected from attacks. As long as the light flickers once, the darkness with countless sharp teeth will devour them all!
Hold on until the sun rises again, and you will automatically receive a Sun Badge and move on to the next level. "At the same time, the shadows from the mirror city also began to attack the "border puzzle lock" that enveloped them.

Obviously, no borders or barriers are allowed to exist in this fortress.

Byron could only remove the maze immediately and control several fire element crystals that were a specialty of the Fire Ring Mountains to form a shadowless lamp.

A bright light source was cast above the three people's heads, without even a shadow.

Only then did he have time to explain to Violet and Atahualpa the rules of killing in this secret place, and at the end he reminded them:
“We don’t have the power to fight against an entire city of shadows, we can only use the power of light to resist them.

Our first priority tonight is to keep the lights on."

"it is good."

Violet responded crisply, her fingertips flashing with lightning as she used alchemy and the materials in her traveler’s bag to make several shadowless lamps for use.

Atahualpa scratched his head when he heard Byron's words.

"I don't think it's that troublesome."

As he said this, he began to transform into a fire element. His entire body began to glow, and he instantly turned into a bright human-shaped light source.

The light, which is brighter than that of a shadowless lamp and more completely shadowless, instantly makes the large area of ​​darkness around it retreat.

"This level is so simple?"

Byron was stunned and realized that he had made an empiricist mistake as a human being.

In addition to using a shadowless lamp, the best way to eliminate shadows is to turn yourself into a light source to ensure that no shadow can touch you.

This secret place [Lightless Fortress] is indeed a death zone for ordinary humans, and one will be completely wiped out if one is not careful.

But for those [Lava Giants] and [Sons of the Sun] that have been burning fiercely, there is no danger at all as long as they don't extinguish themselves.

After receiving Atahualpa's hint, Byron and Violet also used the Night Demon's transformation technique, imitating the "fluorescent squid" and turning their skin into luminous organs.

They turned into two light men, and were also immune to the damage of shadows.

However, this also brings up another extremely serious problem.

When the three of them looked up at the originally pitch-black city, they discovered that it was not just them, but there were also spots of light that were exposed like torches.

Even at the edge of the city, you can see the fire on the other side at a glance.

Obviously, those who can get here are the "survivors" who are excellent in all aspects, and they have all thought of simple ways to avoid being eaten by the shadows.

But as all the light-blocking methods such as the "border maze" were broken, everyone was exposed to the eyes of others.

It was like a group of armed hunters walking in the dark in a dark forest, and suddenly they were all forced to turn on high-power lights.

To fight or not to fight?
This is not a problem at all!
"what--!"

At the moment when thirty or forty light sources lit up one after another, a shrill scream suddenly pierced the night sky.

The two ravens saw clearly that the first group to take action was the team of the second prince [Playboy] who was the focus of attention.

The fly lady [Totem God·Messenger of Poison and Plague] who was the mother-in-law of the second prince flew into the air.

Holding an obsidian ceremonial sword that emitted a strong ominous light, he slashed the third-level prince closest to them at lightning speed, then quickly retreated.

It should have been a very ordinary skin wound, but to elemental creatures, the damage it caused was about the same as losing two hairs.

But after the prince screamed, it was as if half of his life was chopped off by someone.

The whole person aged rapidly, with wrinkles, age spots and loose teeth appearing on the skin. In the blink of an eye, he turned from a young man in his thirties or forties into a white-haired old man.

The bright light on my body also changed from the sun at eight or nine o'clock in the morning to the setting sun.

This obsidian dagger is exactly the [Relic: The Thief of Time] that the succubus Therese gave to the second prince!
If a person's theoretical maximum lifespan without any illness or disaster is 100 years old, and he is 20 years old now, he should be able to live another 80 years.

Cutting it in half with this obsidian knife does not mean that you will live forty years less in the future.

Instead, it is equivalent to living an extra forty years now and becoming a sixty-year-old old man on the spot.

A fourth-level person can live to 150 years old, but a third-level person is only about the same age as an ordinary person, and a single cut is enough to be fatal.

Because this sword not only steals lifespan, but also affects physical fitness, health, and thinking in all aspects, turning one into an old, weak, and disabled person, and one's fighting ability is greatly reduced.

This is the true meaning of [Time Thief]!

On the other hand, the fly girl [Poison Messenger] who had inherited his lifespan was radiant and looked a lot younger.

If it weren't for the side effect of being hunted by the [Weird Time Hunter], this dagger would be equivalent to an alternative elixir of life, enough to drive the kings of the Old World crazy.

“Hahaha, this treasure is really useful. I will follow my grandfather’s example [Dark Day of Death] to eliminate all competitors.

This time the coronation ceremony will end early at the third level!
Especially my good brother, if I cut you with a knife, you would probably die on the spot, hahahaha."

The Second Prince believed that he had the upper hand in strength and had powerful relics to help him, so he did not intend to miss out on the excellent location of the Lightless Fortress and was ready to lock in victory in advance.

There are more than one person who thinks the same as him.

As they took action, screams could be heard throughout the fortress.

At this moment, besides the second prince, the other one who showed his might was not the eldest prince [Earthquake Light] who was apparently the oldest and the strongest, but the third prince [Hero's Blood].

Or rather, it was one of his guards who tore off his black robe, revealing a face with white skin.

Byron saw the black double-headed eagle emblem on the other party, and his pupils suddenly shrank:
"Emperor of the Holy Silver Empire? The Habsburg Dynasty?"

Violet, who was sharing the senses, also shuddered.

"I thought it was the Castilians or the Remites, but I didn't expect that they would be the ones supporting the Third Prince?"

The current emperor of the Habsburg dynasty of the Holy Silver Empire and the only holder of a [Crown] among many church countries - Frederick III.

The core territory of the family is Vinaya City, where the Vinaya Academy of Arts, where Violet once studied, is located. How could she not be familiar with this family?
The Habsburg family is one of the most powerful royal families in the Silver Continent, with the largest territories under its rule.

This family has seized the throne of the Holy Silver Empire since the year 1438 of the Silver Age, and it has not been taken away by the other six electors until now, and it is very likely that they will continue to rule.

It's not the force that he relies on, but the lower body.

A family's style of doing things can be learned from its family motto.

The Lancaster family motto is: "I am the pioneer."

The Habsburg family motto was: "Let the continental countries fight, and we will get married happily."

It was also jokingly called by the nobles of the continent: "ruling the world with the lower body."

Others would not shed blood for what they can get through bloodshed, but they would not shed blood for what they can get through marriage.

“In the past, this family’s main interests were in the mainland, and its overseas colonies had a weak presence. But this time, they actually sent people to the southern continent and took decisive action while the throne of the Sun Empire was changing?

What do they want from this?”

Before Byron and Violet could figure out what was going on, the Habsburg pulled out an old steel dagger and stabbed the closest third-level prince.

The wound was not big and did not hit any vital parts, but the prince lost blood rapidly and fell to the ground without a sound in the blink of an eye.

When Byron and Violet saw the dagger, it was as if they were stung. They subconsciously took a step back with fear on their faces.

They did not recognize the [Thief of Time] in the hands of the natives, but they all recognized this dagger:
"No! That's the Kingslayer's Cassius's Dagger!"

In 44 BC of the Silver Age, Gaius Julius, the famous leader of the human race in the Age of Gods, became the lifelong dictator of the Ancient Silver Republic.

At the same time, 60 senators who opposed the monarchy conspired to assassinate him.

On March 3 of that year, when Gaius Julius entered the Senate, the conspirators surrounded him and stabbed him 15 times with daggers hidden in his toga.

The 55-year-old future emperor was killed on the spot and a piece of history was changed forever.

Many historians believe that if the prospective emperor had successfully ascended the throne at that time.

The power of the emperor's crown may not be inferior to the papal triple crown, and the church will have nothing to do with it later.

"There are 23 regicide daggers, all stained with the blood of Gaius Julius.

It is said that if you collect 23 of them, you will have the power to kill the only holder of the [Crown] head-on, and you can kill the [Kings] and princes under the Emperor even more easily.

Even if they only got a small cut on their fingers with these daggers, they would bleed to death unless their entire hands were cut off.

If you are stabbed in the torso, you are doomed to die.

Because the organizer of the murder was named Cassius, these 23 daggers are also called "Cassius's Daggers."

The extraordinary person from the Habsburg family raised the [Dagger of Cassius] in his hand and laughed wildly:
"Hahaha, today I'm going to kill a little prince!"

Byron didn't know whether it was logical for the native princes to "use the swords of the previous dynasty to chop down the officials of the current dynasty" and "use the knives of the Old World to chop down the native princes."

But knowing that it is absolutely logical to kill him and Violet, who are princes and princesses from the Old World!

I don't dare to confront this kind of prince and princess special attack weapon head-on:

"The wind is strong, retreat!"

Rumble.
But at this moment, there was a loud tremor under everyone's feet, and a circle of illusory stone walls rose from all sides of the fortress, and gradually compressed towards the center of the city.

However, it was the Habsburg who activated the second treasure in his hand, a wonder of civilization, a barrier-type holy relic [The Colosseum where Ten Thousand Beasts Cry Blood]!
(End of this chapter)