Episode 567
Tick-tock, 30 seconds.

Bonita led the imperial palace guards as they mounted the dragon.

She instructed the dragon that once they reached the final signal point, the guards would dismount and infiltrate inside the barrier. The dragon blinked slowly, its expression unreadable—whether it understood or not was anyone’s guess.

Tick-tock, 25 seconds.

With a powerful flap of its massive wings, the dragon surged forward dozens of meters.

Except for Beric, none of the palace guards had ever ridden a dragon before. They stiffened their bodies, bracing against the shocking speed, focusing intently. The fallen golems and the blood-soaked battlefield of soldiers began to come into view.

Tick-tock, 20 seconds.

The mages fighting in the sky noticed the dragon’s movement.

The Luswena forces quickly erected a new shield to block the dragon’s flanking maneuver, but the Bariel mages unleashed a barrage of spells that shattered it instantly.

“Iaaan!”

Tick-tock, 18 seconds.

Beric shouted loudly, instantly noticing Ian’s pale face. His dark clothes were soaked—blood. It was clear from Ian’s white fingers.

“What’s wrong with you?!”

“Beric! Focus on the front!”

“Hey! Ian!”

Tick-tock, 15 seconds.

Ian frowned and nodded slightly, signaling to his comrades to stop worrying and focus on the mission.

Though Beric didn’t know the full details, seeing that the team was composed solely of palace guards, he guessed it was an infiltration squad. The best defense is a good offense—they were clearly trying to eliminate threats to protect the emperor.

Whoosh!

Tick-tock, 10 seconds.

The dragon fully crossed the barrier. The massive triple-layered defense line was now clearly visible.

Barsabe quickly scanned the area, then pointed in one direction—about a hundred meters north of Gate One, where the Burgos flag was planted. It was an easy landmark to direct the dragon.

“That way!”

“Prepare to descend!”

Tick-tock, 8 seconds.

The dragon flicked its tail sharply, changing direction as Idgal arrows whizzed past.

It glided smoothly, curving gracefully toward the designated spot. A powerful gust whipped through, tossing the guards’ hair wildly.

“Descend!”

Tick-tock, 7 seconds.

At Bonita’s command, Kanna and Wakion leapt without hesitation. They unleashed their magic, locking eyes with the soldiers who had been staring blankly at the sky from atop the barrier. The soldiers gasped and scattered in all directions.

“The sky’s been breached!”

“Enemy infiltration! There are five of them!”

“Alert! Alert!”

Tick-tock, 6 seconds.

Beric kept staring downward, unsure where to land, until Barsabe kicked him sharply in the back.

“Huh?”

Beric fell awkwardly, unlike Kanna and Wakion who landed forward—he toppled headfirst.

Without hesitation, Barsabe followed suit, diving down with a clear, confident motion. Bonita patted the dragon’s neck in thanks.

“You can go now. Return safely.”

—Whoooosh!

Whoosh!

Once everyone had jumped, the dragon spun once in place, then shot back toward the Bariel camp even faster than before.

Tick-tock, 3 seconds.

Kanna and Wakion grabbed the flagpole bearing the Burgos banner to slow their descent.

A dozen meters below, Burgos soldiers looked up, spears raised, ready to skewer them on the spot.

Bang!

“Ahhh!”

Ignoring the danger, the two released their grip simultaneously, using their magic as a cushion to land safely.

Their mission was to draw all attention inside the Burgos barrier, buying time for Beric to find Clark and for Bonita and Barsabe to uncover the source of the mysterious attack.

Bang!

Tick-tock, 1 second.

Beric, Barsabe, and Bonita landed inside the barrier one after another.

Through the rising dust, the three figures appeared. Each had grabbed a soldier’s head in one hand—decapitated in the brief moment of landing.

The severed heads tumbled away, and the soldiers stared at them in stunned disbelief.

“Beric, Barsabe.”

“Yes, Captain.”

At Bonita’s order, Barsabe took Beric’s arm and led him down the stairs. Beric, who knew Clark, would scout ahead, while Bonita and Barsabe planned to support and guide him.

Deep inside the barrier—

Even if they didn’t make it back alive.

If they could identify the attackers, it would be good. If they could kill Rutherford, even better. Their resolve was united and unwavering.

“Molars! Which way?”

“I don’t know the details from here!”

“Okay. So we’re just gonna have to muscle through?”

Smack!

“Enemy!”

“Kill them!”

Beric punched at the soldiers rushing him, pushing forward. The tight quarters made it hard for the soldiers to swing their swords properly—they just shoved and surged forward.

To the magic swordsmen, these soldiers were nothing but a nuisance—too many to be convenient, but no real threat in combat.

Slash!

“This way!”

Barsabe spotted a gap and slipped around the corner. The harsh stomping of soldiers’ boots echoed from all sides. As Beric reached for his magic sword, Bonita stopped him.

“If you explode it, the barrier will collapse! It’s too dangerous! Not yet!”

“So we just keep running around like this?”

“At least until we find something!”

“Damn it, I knew this would happen! That’s why I didn’t want to come!”

Smack!

Beric’s fist slammed into a soldier’s face, sending him crashing back like a puppet against the wall. Torch-bearing soldiers warned them to stay back.

“Here! The intruders are here!”

“Stay still, you bastards!”

“They say they’re magic swordsmen—don’t get close! Wait for the higher-ups!”

“Surround them! Don’t approach, just surround!”

The three exchanged glances. Higher-ups?

Whoever they were, they must be strong enough to face magic swordsmen. Beric charged through the crowd, and the soldiers swung their torches in defense.

Smack! Ssssh!

Flames flickered wildly, eventually catching on Beric’s sleeve.

Still burning, Beric punched a soldier’s face, crushing it inward. The impact snuffed out the flames, releasing a cloud of gray smoke.

“Move aside, you bastards!”

“Ahhh!”

“Clark! Clark! If you hear me, signal!”

“What’s Clark? There’s no one like that here!”

“What do you know, damn it!”

Tap-tap-tap!

Beric broke through the crowd and sprinted ahead, with Barsabe and Bonita close behind.

How long had they been running, breaking through, and causing chaos inside the barrier? Suddenly, Beric caught a foul stench.

“Huh?”

What was that? Not gunpowder, not blood—more like a mix of fishy and rotten food smells, thick and putrid.

Beric instinctively turned his head and spotted a broken window. Strange. Everything else was intact—why just that spot?

“Molars!”

“Yeah! Got it!”

At Beric’s shout, Barsabe leapt up and grabbed the window frame. Peering inside—

“Damn.”

He cursed in shock without realizing it.

Fallen soldiers, the thick stench clinging to everything, and a strange liquid trailing far outside…

“This must be it! Captain!”

“Understood! Beric, keep watch around here!”

Smack!

“You want us to take care of these bastards?”

“Find Clark!”

“Clark! Where are you! Lady Lien’s boyfriend!”

Bonita followed Barsabe through the broken window.

Left alone, Beric shouted and swung his fists, soon spotting a familiar figure—a man in Burgos armor.

“…This way.”

“Ahhh!”

Whoosh!

Tap-tap-tap!

Clark cut down soldiers’ backs and dragged Beric deeper inside. The underground area was dark, shielded from sunlight, with many places to hide from the soldiers’ watchful eyes.

Clark panted, removing his helmet.

“Hah, ha, you’re Beric, right?”

“Yeah. Long time no see. But why are you breathing like that?”

“Fell through a window—think I broke some ribs.”

“Ah, really? Not too bad then. What about Rutherford? We lost contact with you. We need to find Gypsy too.”

Clark gave Beric a baffled look, then took off his helmet and placed it on Beric’s head. His red hair caught the eye.

“Gypsy was captured by Rutherford. His gills were torn, but it looked like they stopped short of cutting open his belly.”

“Because of the secret?”

“Rutherford’s trying to uncover Ian Hielo’s secret. I heard the emperor’s secret is involved too.”

Beric blinked.

The emperor’s secret? Jin never mentioned that when talking about Gypsy. Beric tilted his head in confusion, then waved it off.

“Enough. What else?”

“What do you mean ‘it’s fine’? If it’s a secret of the Emperor, that’s serious! Especially during wartime.”

“No, I said it’s fine. Did you notice anything strange? There’s definitely something deeper inside. Someone capable of long-range attacks, but we can’t identify them. If things go south, it could be dangerous for His Majesty.”

Ugh. Clark pressed firmly against his aching lower back and whispered through clenched teeth.

“Well, I didn’t see anything unusual. Although… there was someone watching the doll.”

“A doll? What doll? In this mess?”

“Exactly why it was odd. There’s a passage you reach after climbing two flights of stairs and turning right. I saw a man staring at a doll there as I passed by.”

Oh, really?

Beric jumped to his feet and addressed Clark.

“There are two palace guards causing a ruckus outside—Kanna and Wakion. Get their help, and if they’re dead, use your judgment to escape. Head to Bariel’s camp.”

“And you?”

“Me?”

Clatter, clatter!

“There! Over there!”

The searching soldiers spotted Beric and Clark and came running. Beric threw off his helmet and struck the lead soldier squarely in the head.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

“You little bastards! Did you eat boiled grubs or what?!”

Beric nodded to Clark, signaling a quick goodbye, then sprinted up the stairs. Drawing attention was the cue for Clark to slip away.

Clark melted into the shadows, moving cautiously step by step, glancing nervously at the noisy commotion above. He worried if Beric would be okay, but right now, just surviving on his own was a challenge.

“Two flights up. Then right!”

Whoosh!

Beric charged up the stairs in a blur.

Reaching the floor, he looked around. It was quiet here—few soldiers remained. The doll master’s intimidation had driven them off, though Beric had no way of knowing that.

“Upstairs!”

Hearing the pursuers below, Beric flung open every nearby door.

On opening the third—

Boom!

“Ughhh!”

He spotted someone staggering, clutching the wall. On the table lay a massive doll board, and a doll stood upright.

Bagvan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned around.

“I told you not to make a fuss… huh? Who’s there?”

“And you are?”

Beric casually picked up the doll and scanned Bagvan up and down.

“Pervert?”

“What nonsense…”

“Come on. An old man playing with dolls in the middle of a war? That’s perverted, no doubt. Did you make the hole in Ian’s belly?”

“Put that down!”

“Put it down, huh?”

“Yeah, now! Ugh!”

Bagvan swayed as if dizzy, and Beric grinned, grabbing the doll’s arm with both hands. Without hesitation, he tore it apart.

Snap!

“I don’t listen to what perverts say.”