Kingdom's Bloodline, page 538
What was more amazing was that the bricks moved in a manner like they had reached an agreement before this. They retreated from top to bottom, and each brick moved at a different distance from the others. When they reached the end of their journey, they formed a flight of stone steps that led up. It connected the floor to the ceiling, and the stairs itself was eight to nine people wide. It led to the dark hole leading to the unknown.
Cold wind continued to rush into the hole that was growing larger and larger, causing Thales to shudder.
Ten something seconds passed…
When the tremors completely disappeared, the hole above them was revealed in its final form. The group was stunned.
‘This is…’ In his daze, Thales stared at the stone steps that seemed to have moved to the back on its own.
“I know. Very shocking, isn’t it?” Samel stood beside the newly formed stone steps and said with a sigh, “Such is the miracles made by the wizards. When I first saw it, I reacted the same way as you did.”
Thales sucked in a deep breath. He recovered from his shock and tried to convince himself not to be so stunned. The teenager moved forward.
“Alright, then let’s…” Thales tightened his grip over the key. ‘Wait.’
At that instant, he suddenly understood what was wrong with the situation.
“Samel.” Thales stared at Samel with a dumbfounded expression while the man stood by the stone steps. “You activated the exit without even searching for it? You knew its location since the beginning?”
The prince’s question attracted almost everyone’s attention.
Samel snorted softly. “Indeed, I have known since the beginning.”
Thales was stunned. He tried hard to control his breathing while he lifted the green key with a trembling hand.
“Then why… didn’t you need to use the key?”
Thales’ question caused everyone to realize what was wrong with the situation. Barney’s expression changed.
Samel snorted softly before he turned around. His back was now turned towards the exit and the stone steps. “Because this exit had been opened since an hour ago, before the key fell into your hands,” said Samel expressionlessly.
Thales felt faint. He tried to understand this strange logic. ‘The door that serves as the exit has been opened since a long time ago before the key fell into my hands? Wait, where did I get this key, which was supposed to be able to open every door in the Prison of Bones?
‘That is…’ When he thought of this, Thales could not help but turn pale-faced.
Samel stared into the darkness of the exit and frowned slightly. “They might be a little late and need some reminding…”
Samel tightened his grip over the silver longsword in his hand, and tapped the stone tiles. The blade instantly let out a clear sound that traveled into the empty darkness beyond the exit.
*Ting… Ting… Ting…*
During that moment, Barney Junior and Beldin’s expressions changed!
“Samel?”
Samel turned his head around and snorted softly. He did not say anything. Soon, abnormal changes appeared in the room.
*Thud.* Footsteps.
The sounds of mysterious footsteps appeared from the darkness in the exit. They traveled into Thales’ ears.
They were right behind Samel.
Barney Junior instinctively took a step forward and formed a two-man formation with Beldin. They protected Thales behind them while the prince was busy being shocked and bewildered. The two guards confronted Samel, who had an odd expression on his face.
*Thud, thud, thud…*
Multiple footsteps appeared, more of them arose, and they grew from faint to loud, far to near; they were once barely distinct, but now they were clear.
Everyone became alert!
“Samel, what did you do?” Barney Junior stared at his former colleague in disbelief. But Samel only stared back at him coldly.
*Thud, thud, thud…*
In the end, a pair of desert boots appeared on top of the stone steps. The owner of those boots walked out of the darkness and continued to move down the stone steps at a leisurely pace.
“Well done, Samel.” A voice—so unfamiliar that Thales had almost forgotten but immediately remembered once he heard it—rose from above those boots. “We waited for so long that I thought you died.”
The voice was composed, but also very cold and indifferent. Samel snorted coldly and did not answer.
Barney Junior and the guards looked at each other in puzzlement, but they did not get their answer. However, they noticed that Prince Thales’ expression had suddenly become unpleasant and surprised.
‘Impossible.’
“So, all of our troubles…”
Those desert boots slowly traveled down the stone steps, and their owner’s figure was gradually revealed. The person with the composed voice continued to speak,
“Shadow Shield, Northlanders, Secret Intelligence Department, your prisoner friends, and that damn masked man… They should have already suffered considerable losses from their fight against each other, right?”
Samel nodded. He ignored the puzzled and disappointed looks from the others around him.
“Of course. The people here are all wounded. They are no longer threats.” Samel swept his gaze over his former colleagues, and he said coldly, “But Shawn did not manage to survive.”
The owner of the desert boots froze for a moment. “Ah, a pity, but we will remember him.”
Barney held his sword with one hand, and was completely on guard. Beldin guarded Thales’ side tightly, and the others went into formation with serious expressions on their faces.
But Thales was completely rooted to the spot. ‘…Impossible.’
The owner of the desert boots finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, and his entire figure was revealed under the firelight.
“No, no.” Thales stared at the person dumbly. “I personally saw you get impaled…”
The owner of the desert boots sighed slowly, as though he was a little displeased.
“Yes, yes, I know.” He sounded like a librarian who had explained the rules of a library countless times to others, but still ran into people who violated the rules on a daily basis. His words were laced with a lackadaisical tone and impatience. “You saw it with your own eyes. I died.”
At the moment the guards were surprised and bewildered, Thales stared at the person who should not appear in this place. ‘Impossible.’
“So, why don’t you take a guess, Prince Thales?” The newcomer spread his arms in a relaxed manner. With the same polite smile as before, he showed Thales his undamaged neck and chin. “Just what kind of existence in this world…”
The newcomer paused for a moment, as if he was enjoying Thales’ reaction, before he continued with a chuckle, “…would not die after he is killed, and would be reborn?”
The newcomer’s chuckles seemed to contain some form of magic, drawing out the deepest fear in Thales’ heart.
‘…would not die after he is killed, and be reborn…’ Thales turned his head stiffly to look at the man on the stone stairs. He felt as if his thoughts had halted. ‘An existence that won’t die even after it’s killed?
‘In this world, that would be… that would be…’
“By the way, thank you for helping me take care of Everlasting Truth.”
Right before Thales’ shocked gaze—his eyes were practically fixed on that man—the newcomer politely and indifferently took the silver longsword Samel handed to him.
‘It’s Ricky,’ Thales thought to himself in confusion and panic. ‘It’s him.’
This person should have died long ago under Yodel’s sword, but right then, the leader of Blood Whistle, Crassus of the Disaster Swords, and the constantly composed Ricky, stood on the stone stairs while he flashed the two lines words engraved on the blade with a streamline design.
*Thud, thud, thud…*
More footsteps appeared from above. The prisoners’ expressions changed.
Right behind Ricky, Klein, Josef, and many of the Disaster Swords who had disappeared from their sights just now walked down the wide stone stairs one after another. They were fully-equipped, and they were watching the heavily injured warriors—who had just fought continuous intense battles.
“But I do remember that you did not manage to understand the engraved words on the sword.” Ricky clicked his tongue and shook his head slowly.
As he stared at Thales, who was utterly baffled, Ricky’s eyes shone with a chilling glare. The man, who seemed to have been resurrected, recited the engraved words on the sword in a completely relaxed tone,
“We struggle endlessly. The truth never dies.”
Chapter 465: Truth Swords |
“I remember this man. He was among the traitors of the Tower of Eradication. He came with Samel.”
Beldin’s face was tense as he said this to Barney, who was next to him. Thales listened to them, dazed, while his gaze was fixed on Ricky.
The huge shock not only exhausted his mind, it even aggravated the pain his body.
‘How could this be…’
Barney Junior stared at Samel while the man stood among the Disaster Swords. “Samel, you lied to us on purpose, and said this was the exit, to lure us here… for this?”
Barney Junior’s words caused the Royal Guards to grit their teeth. Samel glanced at Barney for a second before he snorted and shook his head.
“I didn’t lie to you.” Samel paused for a while. His voice was cold as he continued to say, “This is the only way out. If you leave through the main gate, you will only face death.”
Barney Junior grunted angrily. The overbearing swordsmen before them clearly appeared hostile, but the people on Barney’s side were…
Barney stole a glance at his right arm—it was still throbbing in pain. He also swept his gaze over the people who had suffered greatly under the effects of the Alchemy Ball, and felt the severity of the situation.
“You can save the reminiscing for later.” Ricky confidently yet politely interrupted the glaring between Samel and his former comrades. “Now, gentlemen, we should head home.”
Once Ricky finished speaking, beside him, Klein, the Northlander swordsman who could wield his sword at an astonishing speed, and Josef, who was dispatched as a spy in the prison, reached for the swords at their waists slowly.
The Royal Guards’ faces grew even more tense. They lifted their weapons laboriously—even though they were not in good condition to fight—and moved into battle formation.
“We are not in good condition, so it is best that we stay away from chaotic warfare and avoid being flanked. Their Powers of Eradication are problematic, so we cannot get entangled with them,” Barney Junior stared at Ricky before he spoke softly to the man beside him, “Beldin, I can only move one hand, and there is no room for me to test waters.”
Beldin’s expression was serious as he replied quietly, “I understand. I will wait for your signal.”
Barney Junior nodded, raised his head, and spoke loudly to Ricky, “What are your intentions?”
Ricky smiled faintly. He opened his mouth and said, “Don’t worry. I am only…”
However, Thales’ expression changed after he managed to calm himself down—which he only managed through great effort on his part. He suddenly realized what Barney Junior was up to.
The teenager instinctively raised his hand. “Wai—”
Before he could continue, both Barney Junior and Beldin charged forward with the force of an avalanche.
A battle instantly broke out!
Perhaps it was because of his injury, but Barney Junior did not take the lead this time. Instead, Beldin was the one who charged forth as the roaring vanguard. Beldin with an axe at the front, and Barney with a sword at the rear. They attacked Ricky in front of them!
Maybe it was too sudden, because even though Klein and Josef had instinctively drawn their swords while they were beside Ricky, they still did not manage to receive Beldin and Barney’s attacks. They could only watch the other two men close in on Ricky.
*Swish!*
At the same moment, Ricky drew a graceful arc with his silver longsword, Everlasting Truth. The wind whistled with his movements before it charged with his sword to envelope the two men who came to attack him.
*Ting!*
A soft sound rose up. Everlasting Truth struck Beldin’s axe in the air, because it had been the first weapon to draw close to him. At that moment, Beldin suddenly had the false impression that he had slipped into an endless, scorching whirlpool, and he was about to suffocate.
Worse still was that even though he predicted this, the Power of Eradication from the Disaster Sword still affected his arms, and he could not fight back against it, because it came at him stronger than all the previous times the other Disaster Swords had attacked him with their Powers of Eradication.
Scorching, oppressive, and heavy.
The slightly heavy mercenary axe in his hand began to tremble uncontrollably.
Ricky smiled. Beldin could only helplessly watch his own attack miss by inches. The axe only managed to cut into Ricky’s wrist.
Ricky sneered to himself. He knew that Beldin’s attack no longer posed a threat, so he turned his longsword to face the other man.
But at that moment, Barney Junior, who was one step behind Beldin, finally drew close.
To Ricky’s surprise, Barney Junior did not attack him with his only functioning arm. Instead, he straightened his body and crashed into Beldin!
*Bang!*
A muffled sound echoed. Beldin grunted and loosened his grip over the axe which he no longer seemed able to control. With the momentum provided to him by Barney Junior’s crash, Beldin changed direction, wrapped his fist in his palm, and struck Ricky with his elbow!
Ricky, initially calm and unruffled by the chaotic situation, finally showed a change in his expression.
‘That axe was only a… lure?’
Beldin, who appeared to have lost control just moments ago, was now right in front of him.
Thales suddenly registered what happened. It was another variant of the Northland Military Sword Style—Defence Position. It was just that Barney Junior had decided to use his comrade as his shield.
A thought appeared in his mind. ‘Just what sort of trust and teamwork must be formed for a person to change from using a shield, to a living person beside him? How did the both of them work together to launch such an attack?’
Thales did not have time to think about this in detail. Ricky had to lower his body and move, but even so, he did not have time to pull back his longsword, and could only use the sword hilt as his shield. He hit Beldin’s abdomen violently and shifted the direction of his strike.
As Beldin grunted, Barney Junior took this opportunity and, after building the momentum of his attack for a while, finally thrust the sword at Ricky’s abdomen!
The sound of flesh being ripped apart was heard.
“Ahhh!” Ricky’s bellows resounded through the dungeon!
In that moment, both Barney Junior and Beldin, who were confident about their chances of winning, trembled, as if the air that surrounded them had been compressed.
*Bang!*
Before Thales could understand what was going on, Barney Junior and Beldin appeared to have lost control of themselves. They stumbled like drunkards as they surrounded Ricky before they fell down in a mess of limbs!
*Clang!*
Both the axe and the sword fell to the ground. Thales sighed in agony.
“No!” Tardin, who took over the place to stand guard beside Thales and protect him, cried out in alarm as he glared at Ricky.
In the next second, the Disaster Swords reacted to the situation. Josef and Klein finally made it to the battleground. They pressed their longswords against Beldin and Barney’s necks, and suppressed the two men who had failed in their ambush.
Ricky’s body shook. He stuck his longsword into the ground as he struggled to maintain balance. He looked down in pain. Blood flowed profusely from the gaps between the fingers of his left hand, which was pressed against his abdomen.
In just a few seconds, the dangerous and swift exchange of blows had ended. The people in the room were astounded by what they saw.
Klein, the Northlander swordsman, glared at Barney by his feet. He was flustered and exasperated. “Damn it. How many times have we been ambushed tonight?”
When he wanted to continue speaking, he was stopped by Ricky.
“No, they are extraordinary,” Ricky panted. He raised his hand, rejecting Samel’s kind offer of wanting to help him up. “Even after they have been imprisoned for years and are heavily wounded, they still found an opportunity to attack.”
Ricky watched the blood flow down his waist and sighed. Since Barney Junior and Beldin failed in their attack and were captured, Thales’ heart grew heavier and more anguished.
“Quill Barney, right?”
Ricky’s face was pale as he watched Barney get dragged up from the ground by his subordinates. Barney Junior was in a sorry state, he even looked wretched. Ricky also saw Barney Junior’s indignation and hatred in his eyes.
“Samel mentioned you to me. They always sounded like exaggerations.” Ricky knitted his eyebrows, as if he was enduring some pain.
“He told me that no matter how bad your condition was, as long as you were alive, even if you would have to rely on your teeth, you would still launch the deadliest strike.” Ricky stared at his waist, and let out a broken bark of laugh. “I believe him now. I have seen some men who know a thing or two about the Northlander Military Sword Style, but you’re one of the most threatening ones.”
Barney Junior spat violently in reply, but his gaze never left the serious injury on the man’s waist.
‘Damn it. I missed by a little… Just a little bit!’
“On any other day, you would surely make a great opponent who is worth fighting, but not today.” Ricky’s panting gradually calmed down. He turned to Thales, who had a ghastly expression. “Your Highness, I am surprised and amazed. In such a short time, you have found yourself a team of top-notch guards.
