My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Dark as ink.

Three figures sped across the wilderness outside the empire.

Lin Mo took the lead, his black robe fluttering in the night wind.

Hunter Axe followed closely behind, carrying his giant axe, leaving deep footprints with every step he took.

Otem controlled the puppet of "Li Yiguang" and followed beside him. The body's movements were much more natural than at the beginning.

From a distance, he looked no different from the real Second Prince.

The night wind howled, and occasionally, the roars of unknown beasts could be heard in the distance.

How much further?

Lin Mo asked.

Hunter Axe looked up at the stars in the sky, then at the faint outline of the mountains ahead.

"Almost there. Once we cross that mountain ridge, we'll reach the Imperial Iron Prison."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further.

"The Imperial Iron Prison is not an ordinary dungeon. It is an independent space opened up by a demigod of the royal family a long time ago. Only those with royal blood or special warrants can enter. The entrance is hidden in that military camp. Outsiders only know that it is the training camp of the royal guards. No one knows that it is the most heavily guarded prison in the empire."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow: "Using the military camp as cover?"

"It's more than just cover."

Hunter Axe said, "That military camp is garrisoned year-round by two hundred royal guards, each of whom is above level sixty. They take turns guarding the area day and night, rain or shine. Without the king's order, anyone who steps into that area will be besieged."

Lin Mo was silent for a moment.

Two hundred royal guards of level sixty or above.

If deployed outside, this force would be enough to raze a small country to the ground.

"Where is their leader?"

Lin Mo continued to inquire, reasoning that such a force should be guarded by a more powerful expert.

Hunter Axe paused for a moment.

It was a very brief moment, but Lin Mo noticed it.

"It's a magical beast."

"Hunter Axe said."

Lin Mo was taken aback.

"Use Warcraft to defend it?"

Hunter Axe nodded.

The moonlight fell on his face, making his scarred face appear somewhat gloomy.

"Its name is Daming. It's a hybrid beast created from a human and a silent ape, and its level is above 80."

He paused.

"Tat Ming possesses intelligence no less than that of humans, or even higher, and is said to be the 'masterpiece' of an alchemist."

Lin Mo frowned.

Yin Xue poked his head out from his shoulder, a hint of disgust flashing in his blood-red eyes.

She clicked her tongue.

"Hybridization? And it retained its intelligence? Or is it just that you humans have gone astray?"

The tomahawk did not refute.

He simply continued walking forward, his voice low:

"The Silent Ape is one of the most intelligent species in the Warcraft world. The intelligence of an adult is no less than that of a human. In addition, with human genes... Daming's IQ is higher than that of most people. It has guarded this military camp for twenty years and has never made a mistake."

Lin Mo did not speak.

But he quickened his pace.

After crossing that mountain ridge, the view suddenly opened up before us.

Under the moonlight, a sizable military camp sat quietly on a gentle slope.

The tents were neatly arranged, campfires flickered, and patrolling soldiers could be vaguely seen moving between the tents.

Everything looked just like any other training camp.

If it weren't for the faint, unsettling energy fluctuations permeating the air.

Hunter Axe squinted as he looked into the depths of the camp.

"The entrance is in that direction."

He nodded with his chin.

"Behind the largest tent, there is a bunker entrance. That's the entrance to the Iron Prison's space."

Lin Mo nodded.

"Walk."

Otem took a deep breath and controlled 'Li Yiguang' to step forward.

Lin Mo and Hunter Axe lagged a few steps behind, following in the shadows.

As they approached the camp gate, a figure emerged from the darkness.

Lin Mo frowned.

It was... a humanoid creature, but it just made people feel uncomfortable no matter how they looked at it.

Its body proportions are close to those of a human, but its arms are slightly longer, and its body is covered with thick gray-brown fur.

The facial features are still vaguely human, but the brow bone is prominent, the jaw protrudes forward, and the eyes are amber-colored vertical pupils.

It wore a specially made leather armor, had a long sword hanging from its waist, and walked in a manner that was somewhere between a human and a beast.

Its left hand is the most striking feature.

In that hand, a rough iron chain was being dragged along.

At the other end of the chain was a chimpanzee.

The chimpanzee was much larger than usual, its fur was dirty and matted, and its face was covered in scars.

It was dragged along by the iron chain, staggering behind, its eyes lowered, not daring to look at anyone.

The hybrid beast named Daming quickly discovered Lin Mo and the others.

At first, they were startled, but then they breathed a sigh of relief after seeing who it was.

He strode up to Li Yiguang and immediately put on a flattering smile.

That smile looked particularly eerie on its half-human, half-beast face.

"Your Highness! It's so late, why have you come in person?"

Its voice was hoarse, with a certain indescribable tone.

"This humble general has failed to greet you properly; please forgive me, Your Highness."

As it spoke, it tugged the chain in its hand backward.

The chimpanzee was pulled so hard it stumbled and almost fell, but dared not make a sound.

Li Yiguang nodded slightly, a standard smile on his face.

"I apologize for disturbing you so late at night; it was rather presumptuous of me."

Daming waved his hand repeatedly.

"Your Highness, you flatter me. It is my honor that you have come..."

As it spoke, it suddenly sensed that the dark figure behind it seemed to have caught the attention of Lin Mo and Hunter Axe.

It looked down at the chimpanzee it was dragging, then looked up at 'Li Yiguang's' expression, a hint of embarrassment flashing across its face.

"That beast..."

It tugged at the chain, its tone tinged with annoyance.

"It's not very obedient, and I'm disciplining it. Please forgive me, Your Highness, for offending your eyes."

It tugged again, and the chains rattled.

The chimpanzee kept its head down and remained motionless.

Hunter Axe stood behind, squinting at the chimpanzee.

The moonlight fell on its face, and one could vaguely see the traces of humanity left on it.

His pupils contracted slightly, and his tone was skeptical.

"If I'm not mistaken, the person you're dragging is your mother."

The air suddenly became quiet.

Daming's smile froze on his face.

The chimpanzee's body trembled slightly, but it still didn't raise its head.

Daming slowly turned his head and looked at the hunter's axe.

Something was slowly changing in those amber-colored vertical pupils.

It was silent for a few seconds, then twitched the corners of its mouth, revealing a half-smile.

"This is just my biological mother."

Its voice dropped a few decibels, and the flattery on its face vanished, replaced by something cold.

"You know, this is also my shame."

Lin Mo's brows furrowed even deeper.

He looked at the chimpanzee, or rather, at the being called 'Mother'.

It had its head down, was filthy, its fur was matted, and its body was covered with bruises from being whipped.

But it stood there, motionless, offering no resistance, not even a trace of expression.