Thales had never heard of Crassus's name, and he could not understand why the man named Zhuozi suddenly changed his color.
But he knew who the driller was.
On the night of Dragon Blood six years ago, it was this man who stood in front of the Black Sand Duke with a happy face, negotiating back and forth with the notorious Charmaine Lombard, demanding the right to own the Prince of the Stars.
He and the taboo organization behind him played an indispensable role in that unprecedented and earth-shaking coup: whether it was Thales' thrilling assassination under the fortress or the despair of Archduke Perfitt before his death.
From the confession, to even the terrifying moment when the born king’s head fell to the ground, their figures were shuttled through it in a trance.
They are full of ghosts, omnipresent, mysterious, and traceless. Every time they appear, they bring blood and death, which shocks the viewer and makes the recipient regretful.
And the moment this group of people appeared again...
Thales took a deep breath, held back his anxiety and uneasiness, and stared at the man with all his attention, not even paying attention to the wink the quick rope gave him.
In the field, the driller carefully observed the mercenaries around him.
The man solemnly discovered that although the smell of killing and fighting on their bodies became stronger, from top to bottom, no one had any intention to refute or showed any strange expressions.
He didn't lie.
The driller's heart sank: he is indeed "Crasus".
Things are a bit beyond imagination.
but……
"So you are the Crassus of this generation."
"I have to say, I'm a little surprised," the driller turned to Ricky, his tone became cautious and inexplicably cautious, like a thief outside the window glancing at the belongings inside:
"Those in high positions rarely risk their lives."
Someone in a high position?
Thales turned his attention to Ricky, but could only see a rough and dusty face, the light leather armor common to desert mercenaries, and a rough and casual sitting posture.
No matter from any angle, he is just an ordinary mercenary leader.
The prince couldn't help but wonder: Why is he a high-ranking person?
"Or……"
The driller's eyes were focused on Ricky, and he changed the topic and asked tentatively: "What you are going to do tonight is really too important. With such a high position, you have to go into battle in person?"
The surrounding mercenaries were silent, but many of them looked at each other subconsciously.
The silence lasted for a few seconds.
A smile appeared on Ricky's face, but then quickly disappeared.
"Indeed, a good leader does not have to take risks personally, but has to do everything himself," he nodded and said calmly: "But he must never lack the courage and responsibility to do so."
The drill boy raised his eyebrows, as if he was in awe.
"I admire you greatly."
The man smiled shyly and said: "But this makes me quite worried. You obviously have such an important action, but you lack the necessary..."
But Ricky didn't let him go on.
"...Otherwise," although Ricky's eyes were fixed on the drill, he continued to speak, not caring whether the other party spoke:
"As a leader, he will one day become a waste behind the curtain, protecting himself in bubble-like lies just to conceal his cowardice and incompetence. He can only rely on hypocritical pretense and despicable tactics.
, win the trust of your peers, and use empty threats and false incentives to maintain the obedience of your subordinates."
Ricky's tone was very light, but he suddenly changed at the end:
"Tell me, how is Teng doing lately?"
If there is any point, the driller can't help but frown.
Thales, who was listening, was stunned.
What...what's going on lately?
He didn't understand the one-syllable word.
But the drill boy's reaction made him quickly understand: that is a name.
Teng.
The moment he heard the name, his expression froze when he faced Ricky's burning eyes.
But he quickly adjusted himself and returned his smile.
"Everything is well, the master of the film." Zhuozi bowed again, looking around at the mercenaries with a humble expression on his face:
"As good as you."
Movie owner.
Thales frowned.
If he is not the only one who has gained something.
"Damn it, Thales, I think..." Kuaisheng turned pale, poked him under the table, and whispered in disbelief: "I think I know who these people are..."
Thales nodded calmly.
"As good as me?"
"I don't think so." Ricky chuckled and shook his head. He raised a finger and pointed at the drill opposite.
"If he is as good as me...then Teng will not send you, an idea resident in Longxiao City, into the desert, into the Blade Fang camp of the Star People, and into a territory that is full of dangers for you."
"I don't remember Kessel V pardoning you."
Compared with his previous kind words and advice, Ricky became more aggressive when facing the drill.
Campa, the tavern owner sitting opposite him, couldn't help but sweat.
The driller frowned.
wrong.
It shouldn't be like this.
In this risky and special meeting, he should have initiated the topic, made suggestions, and laid out the conditions.
but……
At this moment, Zhuo Zi found that the initiative in this conversation was firmly in the hands of the other party.
"If he is as good as me," Ricky's face turned cold, and his tone slowly tightened like a noose around his neck:
"Then he won't send you like a stupid and arrogant blackmailer, knowingly and deliberately at a moment that we value so much, with a face of triumph, a lot of nonsense, secretiveness, and pretentious threats of 'I
Know what you are going to do'."
Ricky said disgustedly: "It's as if you really have a hold on us."
Zhuozi's pupils slowly narrowed: "What do you mean..."
"Remember, driller?"
Next to Ricky, the middle-aged swordsman Clay stared at the drill as if there were stains on his face, and said in a hoarse voice: "We have an account that hasn't been settled yet."
The drill boy looked puzzled.
"Six years ago in Longxiao City, you used our name to stir up trouble in the most dangerous place in Exeter and do whatever you wanted," the middle-aged swordsman from the Northland said like a leopard staring at its prey:
"Thanks to you, we lost a lot of people, including my students, to disasters, dragons, rebellions, chaos, and even the liquidation of Longxiao City afterwards."
"It was a really hard time."
"You think we'll let it go gently?"
The man's eyes narrowed.
The mercenaries became commotion and cast dissatisfied and hateful looks at the driller one after another.
Longxiao City six years ago...
Thales could feel that the fast rope beside him was breathing faster and faster, and he even clenched his fists.
For some reason, Marina behind her also looked like she was gritting her teeth, staring at the drill she was pointing at.
The driller sighed.
"I feel deeply guilty about this and please accept my apology."
Clay sarcastically said, "Apologise?"
There were disdainful groans from the mercenaries.
But Dong Zi was not affected at all, as if he was a hypocrite who had nothing to do with himself. After hearing about a tragedy in a distant place, he pretended to be sad, to prove his humanity and gain the understanding eyes of others.
"We were also surprised by what happened back then... But I am here today absolutely sincerely and want to put forward a win-win proposal..."
But Ricky raised his head slightly.
"There is no 'win-win' for us."
He rejected Drillzi's words, leaving the latter stunned for a while.
"When you came in, we hated your face with upturned nostrils, hated the timing of your appearance here, hated your self-righteous words, and even more hated the blood debt you left behind."
Ricky said coldly: "And we are not interested in your so-called suggestions or secrets that are pretending to be mysterious."
The drill boy's expression suddenly stiffened.
"A bastard living in darkness and rot, a fly chasing chaos and corpse odor," Ricky said without any positive emotion while looking at the frozen drill.
"Now, do you understand our attitude?"
Diaozi clenched his fists, his face full of disbelief.
"Why are you still wasting time here?" The masked man at the same table sighed and knocked on the table: "We have a full schedule today."
Northland swordsman Clay snorted coldly.
Following his snort, almost all the mercenaries in the tavern grasped their weapons with cold expressions, and many even took a step forward.
Facing the aggressive mercenaries, Zhuozi was stunned, and he subconsciously looked around.
Clay said coldly: "Don't look elsewhere, Brother, I promise you: once something happens, your companions squatting outside can't do anything until your head falls to the ground."
As a bystander, Thales silently pulled his head back a little, while the fast rope continued to stare at the drill.
The tavern was completely quiet, but no one felt that the atmosphere at this moment was very comfortable.
The driller looked around and frowned.
Damn it.
These brainless musclemen.
But he can't fall out.
cannot.
He still needs them.
These damn people...
"If you kill me here, the Star People will immediately know your plot here..."
The driller lowered his head with a serious expression: "Your plan will not succeed."
Ricky sighed.
"It seems he didn't understand."
The next second, a sword light flashed suddenly!
At a speed beyond what Thales could see with the naked eye, he instantly shot out of Clay's hand.
Thales, who was paying attention to the conversation, was caught off guard and his eyebrows jumped!
But fortunately, the sword was not coming towards him.
A sudden flash of sword light stopped in front of Drill's neck.
A second later, the driller reacted and couldn't help but take a step back, his face turned pale!
"Whoosh!"
The sword wind had just blown by at this moment.
Clay was seen holding a strange long sword with a blood groove and a hollow blade. The blade stopped quietly in front of the drill.
The mercenaries seemed to be used to it, so they didn't take it seriously and laughed one after another.
The son's breathing was up and down, but he forced himself to be calm and said: "Do you really want to do this?"
Clay held up a long sword with a strange style and shook his head slightly: "This is the 'dark light', when it rips open your blood vessels..."
As he spoke, his long sword moved forward slightly and touched the opponent's neck.
Zhuozi's pupils shrank instantly.
Damn it!
"alright, I got it!"
He raised his hands in an instant, gasped for breath, and finally made Clay stop his long sword: "Dear Crassus, and everyone."
"Whether you want to listen to my advice or not is your choice..."
"And I am willing... I am willing to answer all your questions."
The posture is humble and the tone is respectful.
The three leading mercenaries looked at each other.
"Very good," Ricky raised the corners of his mouth:
"Compared with the nonsense at the beginning...you finally started talking humanly."
The drill took a breath and re-examined the "Crasus" in front of him amid unwillingness and uneasiness.
Clay then snorted coldly and put away his long sword that was too fast to see clearly.
Ricky said calmly: "Tell me, how did you target us?"
After a few seconds, the driller sighed as if resigned to his fate:
"Tower of the End."
At this moment, Thales saw: Many mercenaries couldn't help but clenched their fists or weapons, and their breathing became rapid.
Clay and the masked swordsman frowned at each other.
Only their leader, Ricky's expression remained unchanged.
"Yes, I know," the driller touched his neck and gritted his teeth: "We have eyes and ears there."
Ricky continued: "What did you hear?"
"Not long ago, the Tower of the End was raided one night."
The driller carefully looked around at the mercenaries around him, observing their expressions.
"The opponent's origin is unknown, powerful, and numerous. The defense lines and warnings were broken through layer by layer. It was not until the invaders broke into the House of Heritage," Zhuozi said in a story-telling tone, "that they were repulsed.
."
"According to our people, some 'supernatural' and unusual forces appeared during the invasion."
Thales' eyebrows jumped.
etc.
Not long ago.
Tower of the End.
Was raided...
Supernatural…
The Star Prince blinked and recalled a "lesson" from long ago in horror.
At that time, what the guy who was about to leave said to him was...
No way?
Is it what I think?
"This is a rare vicious event in the history of the Tower of Ending. Even if the Gray Sword Guards keep strict secrets internally, it will be difficult for them to cover up all the eight major factions. All the eight factions suffered heavy casualties. Even the 'Red King' army of the stars two hundred years ago pressed into the territory.
The siege of Blade Valley is not that exaggerated."
Zhuo Zi sneered and looked at the dozens of mercenaries: "You did it, right? At least you participated in it? You cooperate with the Blood Bottle Gang, and they have many supernatural warriors absorbed from the Western Wilderness..."
There was a commotion among the mercenaries around.
Blood Bottle Gang.
Thales secretly covered his head in his mind, feeling that his guess was getting closer and closer to the truth.
Clay shook his head: "It has nothing to do with you."
"You later fled into the desert and returned to the Saber Fang camp. One of our spies in the desert recognized you while hiding in the blood whistle."
The driller continued:
"But the Blade Tooth Camp is about to send troops to the desert. After the blockade order was issued, there was obviously no business, but your mercenary group did not disperse. Instead, they continued to recruit people from all over the place. So I think: no matter what you encounter in the Tower of the End
, you are not going to give up just yet."
"That's why I sent someone to leave you a message: I'm here tonight."
The masked man sneered disdainfully.
Ricky and Clay remained silent.
"Listen, I don't care about your grudges with the Terminator Tower. Anyway, you two have been fighting for more than a hundred years." Seeing this, the driller rolled his eyes and continued: "I don't care what you are doing.
Raid there: want to vent your anger, stage a coup, or want to dig for treasure..."
Fighting back and forth with the Tower of the End for more than a hundred years...
Thales' heart moved.
"But I know that you are not having a good time now: if the famous Terminator Tower can be defended between the two powerful countries, and the standing tower is damaged to that extent, the price for the invaders must be even heavier."
Zhuozi's eyes lit up, he raised his hands and spoke in a high-pitched tone, as if he had forgotten the embarrassment and humiliation just now: "Now, no matter what you want to do, you are definitely in short supply of manpower. Especially, you still want to be in the Blade Tooth Camp in the Kingdom of Stars,
Break the notorious prison of bones and rob the prison like never before..."
What?
Thales didn't react for a moment.
But others are different.
At this moment, no matter Ricky, Clay or the masked man, they all suddenly raised their heads!
They stared at the drill in front of them.
As if he couldn't believe it.
The mercenaries also started to commotion, making a slight uproar.
"What are you doing?"
In disbelief, Quick Rope whispered to Thales: "These people want to... want to rob the Prison of Bones, that damn place? There must be something wrong with their brains!"
In the field, the driller continued to speak: "This will not be an easy thing..."
However, the next moment, the familiar sword light flashed!
Clay's long sword once again forced the drill's throat.
"Who told you!" the middle-aged swordsman from the Northland asked coldly.
"Damn cockroaches." This is the masked man.
Ricky frowned: "How did you know?"
Once again, Douzi was in doom and panting, but this time, he retorted in a neither humble nor overbearing manner.
"A few days ago, you deliberately sent some people to the Prison of Bones as an internal response when the time comes," the driller snorted coldly: "Tonight, you decided to gather here again, and you drove away early and kidnapped the guys.
Including this tavern owner..."
"Isn't this obvious?"
boom!
On the other side, Tampa, who had been silent for a long time, was stunned and slapped the table with his palm.
"Hold!"
"Is this why you kidnapped me?"
The tavern owner suppressed his anger and was confused: "You have known for a long time that 'my house' is the place that provides supplies to the Cage of Bones..."
"You want to wait until dawn and then use our convoy to transport supplies..."
Mercenary Sonny slapped him hard on the back of the head and suppressed Tampa's words in his mouth:
"Shut up."
Why?
Thales was extremely confused: Why did they want to rob the prison?
What to rob?
The most important thing is, if this group of mysterious mercenaries really wants to do this.
How would that deal with Tampa and the two of them?
The chaotic scene lasted for several seconds before it calmed down under Ricky's raised arm again.
"We underestimated you, Drill," Ricky said thoughtfully, his eyes bright:
"To be Teng's arm and deputy, you really have a lot to offer."
At his signal, Clay retracted his sword.
Teng.
Hearing this name again, Diaozi twitched his eyebrows imperceptibly.
"Look, what I said is right," the driller breathed out, carefully observing Ricky's reaction: "Your plan is too hasty and your manpower is stretched thin... But what if we can help you?"
Ricky said nothing.
Neither did the mercenaries.
"I know why you chose this moment in particular and not any other, my dear Crassus."
The driller moved forward slowly, his face returning to the confidence and calmness it had when he first arrived:
"Now, the Stardust Guards, the Skull Guards, the Crow Whistle Cavalry, the Black Lion Infantry Regiment, including a few well-connected professional mercenaries. These are the most elite, fastest, and most loyal troops in the camp. They all follow William for some reason.
Si Ding is at the forefront of the desert and will not be able to return for help for a while."
"And those who remain are either second-rate garrison troops, light infantry lacking mounts, or temporary conscripts from various parts of the Western Wilderness, or even auxiliary soldiers who rarely go to the battlefield and the barons who serve are not there, there are not enough
The powerful superiors suppressed them. They belonged to the royal family and local nobles. They were full of contradictions and conflicts. It seemed that they had more troops than usual, but in fact they had chaotic management, disordered command, and inefficient dispatch."
"This is a rare opportunity for you to rob the prison. Compared to facing the strict military appearance of the Legend Wings, is there any better time than this?"
Zhuozi looked around and waved to the mercenaries around him, ignoring their displeased looks.
"That's why you were able to gather so many people so easily to take over this tavern. I heard from local people that normally, Williams would have thrown any group of suspicious soldiers who gathered for no reason into jail."
We can't get out unless each person pays twenty gold coins."
The excited explanation came to an end, and he confidently turned back to look at Ricky who was deep in thought.
"You are right to take advantage of the chaos to rob the prison," the driller raised a finger:
"But it's still too difficult."
"For you, there are less than a hundred people. Even if you are all professional mercenaries who have fought in the war for a long time, even if you are just facing these old, weak, sick and disabled, it is not easy. If something goes wrong, casualties are inevitable and safety is difficult.
Guarantee, I really don’t want you to experience another tragic attack on the Terminator Tower.”
At this point, the expressions of the mercenaries were shaken.
The next second, Dong Zi changed the topic, and there was a bewitching color in his eyes:
"But with us here, it's different."
Ricky was still muttering to himself, while Clay looked at him coldly and remained silent. The masked man was even more exaggerated. His eyes staring at the drill never showed any emotion other than hatred and disgust.
"You know what we are capable of..."
The boss tried his best to make his words sound more tempting: "With us here, you don't need this lame plan, let alone this lousy boss."
Tampa stared at him fiercely.
The driller's eyes lit up: "We can provide you with the most accurate intelligence and news, obtain the best conditions and opportunities for action, and even transfer or even paralyze the defense of the Bone Cage for you in a short period of time, so as to equip you with safety equipment.
As a means of escaping, you don't need to fearfully disguise yourself as a transport team and sneak into the destination, or draw your sword and break through those damn prison doors at a heavy cost."
He lightly clenched his fist:
"You'll get what you want faster, better, easier, whatever that is."
Zhuozi paused for a moment, as if to observe everyone's reaction.
"Dear Crassus, and all you powerful warriors."
The drill spoke again.
"The edge of your sword is the greatest support we can find at this moment in a land full of strangeness and hostility." He was extremely humble at this moment, clasping his hands with a respectful and submissive expression: "And we are you.
The best eyes, ears and help you can find in a place full of powerful armies."
Zhuozi looked carefully at every pair of eyes that crossed his line of sight:
"But no matter which side we are on, we are all isolated and helpless here. You are a mercenary group that has been marginalized, and we are wanted criminals that everyone wants to beat. No one can face Williams alone, face the Blade Tooth Camp, face
To Xihuang, face the behemoth and powerful backup behind them: the Kingdom of Stars."
The drill opened his eyes wide and opened his hands: "So I suggest that we cooperate sincerely and get what we need: we will help you open the door to the Bone Cage easily."
"The Sword of Disaster and the Shield of Shadows, is there any better combination than this?"
The tavern became completely quiet, leaving only the breathing of the soldiers, one after another, with an irregular rhythm.
Zhuo Zi observed the expressions of the others calmly, his eyes moving back and forth.
It seems like a year has passed.
Finally, Ricky took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "Shadow..."
"What do you want?"
As soon as these words came out, both Clay and the masked man turned their heads sharply and stared at Ricky.
But Ricky ignored them.
"What are you going to do in the camp with our power?"
Here, the drill guy showed a smile.
He rubbed his hands together and slowly raised his head.
"We have extremely reliable information," the son said in a cautious tone, constantly observing even the smallest expression on the face of the person in front of him:
"A priceless target that involves all parties has just crossed the desert today and arrived at the Blade Tooth Camp."
A priceless...goal?
What?
At this moment, Marina only had to lower her head to notice: the bodies of the red-haired youth and the black-haired youth sitting in front of her stiffened.
"That's our mission."
Ricky narrowed his eyes.
"The target may receive unimaginable support at any time, with groups of troops and countless masters, continuous backup, and strict and thoughtful guarding. This cannot be solved by sneaking or attacking head-on."
The driller smacked his mouth and nodded with a sneer.
Under the surveillance of countless mercenaries, Thales and Quick Rope sat motionless, their eyes glazed over.
In the boy's hellish senses, Tampa's angry breathing rose and fell, Marina's snort was vividly in his ears, and the mercenaries' whispers continued.
And the heartbeats of him and Quick Rope.
Only faster and faster.
Getting heavier and heavier.
"And we, respected Crassus, and you all."
I saw the driller lowering his head, as if he was hiding some secret:
"What we have to do is work together to take down this difficult but rewarding target in the camp..."
Thales and Kuaisheng both stared at the drill.
Feeling anxious and frightened, but not daring to show even the slightest bit of bad mood.
Under the doubtful and hesitant gazes of many people, Zhuo Zi seemed to be a question maker who revealed the answer to the mystery at the last moment. With a malicious smile, he whispered: "The second prince of the Kingdom of Stars, the only heir to the Supreme King.
."
"Tiles..."
"Bright Star."
At that second, Prince Star's expression froze.
Together with his breathing, it stopped at this moment.
Beside him, Kuai Rope showed a happy smile, relieved...