Episode 569
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted, sending a towering column of water into the sky.
The operatives, having swiftly dealt with the beasts and navigated the waterways, emerged back onto the surface. They had infiltrated through the sewers of Jupiter Castle, bypassing its defenses.
Once out of their diving suits, the operatives moved with precision, scanning for any nearby guards. Dmitri watched them, mouth agape, utterly bewildered.
“What kind of organization has the Knight of Salvation created?”
Boris detected a magical signal behind the sewage treatment plant and attempted secure communication through a crystal orb. After listening to the signal, he nodded and relayed a message to the team via magic.
[The infiltration order has been approved. Move to your designated positions.]
At his command, the operatives dispersed. Boris turned to Dmitri.
“Where’s Castro?”
Dmitri, regaining his composure, replied, “He’s likely holed up in his office. With his secret weapon and assault both failed, staying inside the castle is his best option.”
Boris nodded. “Alright. Team One, including Zion and Adol, will follow me. Serena and Aaron, secure this area and ensure our escape route.”
Dmitri, observing the situation, asked Boris, “Should I come along?”
Boris shook his head. “We haven’t built that level of trust yet. We’ll consider it after this mission.”
With that, Boris signaled to Serena. Understanding immediately, Serena, who had the ability to manipulate metal, crafted handcuffs and secured them around Dmitri’s wrists. Dmitri, momentarily startled, settled into a corner, accustomed to being treated as a captive.
“Good luck with the mission. My life depends on it. Be wary of Castro; he might unleash some insane weapon he stole with the dark wizards from Nero’s legacy in Rome.”
Boris nodded at Dmitri’s warning and issued a brief command to his team. “Move out.”
BAM!
In his office, Castro slammed his desk, clutching his head in frustration. Broken bottles littered the floor around him.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
His bloodshot eyes scanned the room as he hurled objects off his desk in a fit of rage. He collapsed back into his chair, breathing heavily.
“Those damn allied forces…”
Even after deploying Nero’s secret weapon, he failed to inflict any significant damage. The enemy king and the Dracula Knights had vanished without a trace. His mercenaries and troops, sent out in a frenzy, were repelled by the enemy’s fortified defenses, resulting in needless casualties.
Desperation etched on his face, Castro grabbed another bottle, uncorked it, and drank deeply, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Huff, huff.”
As he struggled to think of a plan, a waxen-faced dark wizard appeared behind him.
“The atmosphere in the castle is tense. The mercenaries are growing restless, and the Breaker Mercenary Leader is demanding a meeting with you.”
Rumors were spreading that Castro had used dark magic to turn the mercenaries into berserkers. A rebellion from within was a real possibility.
Castro slammed the table again, shouting, “How dare those lowly scum! The mercenary leader wants to meet with me, the commander? Ha! They should just do the job they’re paid for. Worthless scum…”
His eyes burned with a murderous glare, as if he might storm out and decapitate the mercenary leader at any moment. But even in his madness, Castro knew that such an act could lead to the downfall of Jupiter Castle from within.
The dark wizard spoke, “I have something to discuss with you, Commander.”
Castro, still seething, slowly raised his head. “What is it?”
“There is a way to turn this situation around instantly.”
Castro’s eyes widened at the dark wizard’s words. He leapt from his seat, approaching the wizard eagerly. “A way to turn it around instantly? What is it?”
The dark wizard replied, “Among Nero’s legacy brought to Jupiter Castle, we discovered a sealed forbidden mystery.”
Castro’s eyes grew even larger. “A forbidden mystery? What is it?”
“I’m not entirely sure. But if the mad emperor sealed it, it must be something dangerously potent.”
Castro’s eyebrows twitched at the wizard’s words. He sat back down, massaging his temples in thought, then turned to the wizard.
“If we don’t know what’s inside, we can’t be sure we can control it.”
“If we unleash it within the allied forces, we won’t need to control it.”
Castro’s eyes widened slightly, then he nodded slowly. There were no other options left. Remaining holed up and waiting for the allied forces to collapse was not feasible, especially with the disgruntled mercenaries.
Ordering the knights to kill the mercenary leader was easy, but it risked provoking the mercenaries into setting the castle ablaze or defecting to the allied forces.
Pressing his temples, Castro finally spoke to the dark wizard. “Fine. Let’s use this forbidden mystery to strike the allied forces from behind.”
Having made his decision, Castro descended to the castle’s underground with the dark wizard. The underground storage housed various supplies and Nero’s legacy from the Roman palace.
Among the emperor’s legacy were many artifacts related to the dark magic he was obsessed with, most of which were stored without knowing their purpose.
In the underground storage, Castro and the dark wizard headed to the innermost section where Nero’s legacy was kept. Other dark wizards were already examining the artifacts.
The waxen-faced dark wizard gestured to the others, who then brought forth a massive black chest carried by hulking creatures.
THUD!
The chest, placed before Castro, was adorned with unfamiliar symbols that exuded an eerie aura.
Castro eyed the chest and said, “Is this the forbidden mystery left by the emperor?”
He reached out towards the chest, but the dark wizard grabbed his wrist with an icy grip, shaking his head.
“There’s no need to get too close to an unknown mystery.”
Startled, Castro stepped back. Though he didn’t know what lay inside, it could be the key to changing the tide of battle. The power contained within was likely immense, and he had nearly been swept away by it.
Calming his racing heart, he asked the dark wizard, “How do you plan to get this to the allied forces?”
“Send it under the guise of a diplomatic envoy. Once inside their walls, unleash the mystery to create chaos, then launch a full-scale attack.”
Castro nodded at the plan. If successful, it could indeed disrupt the allied forces.
“If it works, the mercenaries’ focus will shift to them, quelling internal discontent.”
He told the dark wizard, “Prepare the envoy. We must act quickly. Bring the chest up.”
The dark wizards ordered the creatures to lift the chest again. Castro, with the dark wizards, ascended the underground stairs.
It was then that the solid stairs suddenly turned to sand, causing their feet to sink.
“What the…?”
Sensing something amiss, the dark wizards attempted to channel their magic, but the flow was disrupted, preventing their spells from forming.
“Ugh!”
Amidst the confusion, a shadowy figure emerged, a sword imbued with aura piercing a dark wizard’s back.
SQUELCH!
The attacker was none other than Luther Zemben, the magic swordsman known in a past life as the Mage Slayer, Boris’s secret weapon.
Luther wielded his aura-infused sword with one hand while disrupting the dark wizards’ magic with the other. Caught off guard, the dark wizards failed to respond effectively, and the waxen-faced dark wizard suddenly opened his mouth wide.
“Kaahhhh!”
From his mouth, a swarm of black insects erupted.
Buzzing furiously, the dark swarm surged toward Luther. But just then, Zion emerged from the shadows, erecting a telekinetic barrier to shield them.
The insects collided with Zion’s barrier, unable to advance. With a deft motion, Zion manipulated the shield, gathering the insects as if wrapping them in a blanket, compressing them into a transparent sphere.
Inside, the insects thrashed wildly, desperate to escape, but Zion’s telekinetic grip held firm. With a decisive clench of his fist, the sphere shrank, crushing the insects within.
The crushed remains fell to the ground.
While Zion dealt with the insects, Luther sprang forward, swiftly decapitating the dark sorcerers lurking in the rear. Despite his unassuming appearance, his deadly skill was undeniable.
The sorcerers, caught off guard by Luther’s Sevenfold Phantom Blade technique, fell without a chance to retaliate.
In a panic, Castro shouted to a waxen-skinned sorcerer beside him, “Quick! Stop them!”
But the sorcerer’s magic was disrupted by Luther’s technique, making it difficult even for someone of his rank to cast spells effectively.
In desperation, the sorcerer drew a dagger and sliced his palm, letting black blood drip to the floor. Moments later, the blood pooled and began to ripple, something slithering out from within.
A dark, snake-like tendril emerged, slithering up the bodies of the grotesque creatures holding a chest, slipping into their ear canals.
The creatures began to convulse, their skin turning a deep gray as they swelled grotesquely.
With a guttural roar, they hurled the chest aside and charged at Luther, who was attacking the sorcerers.
Adol tried to trap them by turning the ground to sand, but the creatures leaped with terrifying speed, launching themselves up the stairs.
Their fists, powered by immense strength, aimed to crush Luther. But Zion, from behind, unleashed his telekinetic force to halt their advance.
For a brief moment, Zion’s power held them, but the creatures soon tore through the telekinetic grip with brute force.
Luther quickly retreated, and the creatures, unable to stop their momentum, crashed into the ground, their fists shattering the stairs beneath them.
As they struggled to rise, dozens of sandy hands emerged, dragging them into a quicksand trap.
The creatures thrashed, trying to escape, but the sand held them fast.
With the creatures momentarily subdued, Luther’s Sevenfold Phantom Blade technique ceased, allowing the dark sorcerers a brief window to cast their spells. Yet, in that short time, most of them had already fallen.
Watching from below, Castro clenched his teeth in frustration.
“Damn it. I have to get out of here, at least…”
But then, a voice cut through his thoughts.
“Move, and you die.”
Before he realized it, someone had crept up behind him, a dagger pressed to his throat. Boris had seized the opportunity amidst the chaos.