Diaozi breathed calmly and gradually showed a smile.
"You can take a bet - famous Sak'el, maybe I'm just bluffing, maybe it's just flash or smoke?"
He shook the ball in his hand, and it made an unsettling buzzing sound.
The punishment knight stared at the sphere so hard that the veins on his hands almost popped out of his skin.
Thales' eyes widened.
How come...
"I have to say, everything that just happened impressed me deeply, Punishment Knight," the driller said with a sinister smile:
"It seems that your sword is not old yet."
Sak'el snorted disdainfully.
"As for you, Your Highness," the assassin leader turned to Thales and gasped slightly: "You have exceeded my expectations."
"But wouldn't it be a pity to die here with me?"
Thales looked at the drill and bit his lower lip.
With this, the situation once again slipped into a direction beyond their control.
The prince looked at Yoder, but the masked guard just shook his head slightly.
hateful.
"Let him go, son of a bitch," Thales took a deep breath and solemnly said, "I promise in the name of the Brilliant Star that you can leave in peace."
Sak'el glanced at Thales.
But the drill boy shook his head and kept smiling.
"No, Your Highness."
"Do you think I went through all the trouble to get here just to 'leave peacefully'?"
The man sneered and said: "The shadows will never die because we are not afraid of death."
He gently took out a bottle from his arms and let it roll between the two parties under Sak'el's alert gaze.
"This is the most common drug, Your Highness, I swear, there will be no side effects," the driller chuckled, "Please let your legendary knight drink it."
He shook the alchemy ball in his hand:
"We can live in peace."
Staring at the potion in the bottle, Thales's face turned cold.
"Do you think this is possible?"
Sak'el also snorted coldly.
But the driller just shook his head.
"I know, this may make you a little unhappy, but compared with what's next..."
He raised his left hand and snapped his fingers with a grin: "They're here. I hate doing this, but..."
Footsteps sounded.
Thales and Sak'el raised their weapons warily.
However, the person who walked out of the darkness shocked the prince.
Those were three assassins.
They escorted the three tied-up people and slowly walked into the light of the fire.
"No." Thales said blankly.
No.
How could it be them?
Sak'el turned his head to look at the prince, and raised the corners of his mouth in confusion.
Zhuozi smiled and took a step back, but he never put down the alchemy ball in his hand.
"I have three hostages here, oh, now there are four."
He pouted proudly at the newcomers.
Thales looked at the drill in shock and anger, and then at the person coming.
Damn it.
The driller smiled and pulled out the dagger, and came to the first bound hostage, forcing her to raise her face while struggling.
"First of all, the enemy who has made you suffer so much."
The drill boy smiled and shook his head.
And under his blade, the two-sword mercenary of the Sword of Disaster, the girl he secretly kissed once, Ms. Marina described herself as embarrassed and mentally exhausted.
She gritted her teeth, first looked at the astonished Thales with a sense of shame, and then struggled angrily:
"Bah, cockroach."
The assassin behind her gave her a hard blow, and Marina immediately softened.
Thales's heart slowly cooled down.
The driller came to the next person and twirled the dagger in his hand.
"Secondly, a stranger."
The owner of my tavern, Tampa, accepted the assassin's persecution obediently. He looked defeated and sighed helplessly:
"What a bad luck, I probably forgot to worship the Desert God today..."
Thales clenched his fists.
The driller walked up to the last person, smiled and pressed the dagger to the latter's neck.
"Next, are your loyal subordinates."
I saw the rookie mercenary who had been separated for a while. The quick rope with strange red hair showed a simple and innocent smile.
He twitched the corner of his mouth reluctantly and awkwardly, and raised his eyebrows flatteringly at Thales:
"Uh, hey, His Highness Thales, remember me, I am your... your... your Wyatt Kasuo?"
Your Wyatt?
Thales exhaled a painful breath and struck the ground heavily with his long sword.
Boom.
Fuck you Waia!
(In Longxiao City, I was sneezing with a masked mute prince with big eyes and small eyes.)
Why are you so stupid!
Aren't you still in the hand of the Sword of Disaster?
Were they actually caught?
Kuai Sheng still blinked his big innocent eyes, vaguely showing grievance and embarrassment.
But the drill is not over yet.
He raised his dagger, pointed it at Yoder who was restrained by four people, and sneered.
"And the last person: the mysterious bodyguard who follows the prince in life and death."
Yoder shook his head again.
Sak'el frowned and looked at Thales.
The prince knew what he wanted to ask, but...
But the current situation...
"After seeing your performance just now, Your Highness, I am more and more confident in your kindness." The driller used a dagger to lift his hair and shave off the sweat:
"for example……"
He narrowed his eyes and pointed the dagger at the hostages one by one: "Who do you want to choose to die first?"
"Enemy? Stranger? Subordinate? Or bodyguard?"
Who will die first?
Thales glared at these people in disbelief.
Marina twitched feebly, Tampa sighed incomprehensibly, and Quick Rope seemed to have a strong desire to survive, struggling desperately to wink at Thales.
Thales gritted his teeth tighter and tighter.
how……
how come……
Alchemy ball, plus hostages?
Yodel.
There is also a fast rope.
Even if it's the other two.
Thales struggled with his expression, trying not to look at Sak'el's suspicious expression.
The wound on his shoulder ached faintly.
"This is impossible," the prince said with difficulty, but found that he was helpless:
"Sakel has his own dignity and choice."
"I don't think he would be willing to drink your drug..."
The drill boy quickly interrupted him.
"Then let's take a step back," the assassin leader said with a smile:
"I'm a very talkative person."
The driller raised the metal ball in his hand intentionally or unintentionally:
"Your Highness, why don't you drink the poison, and then let your knights go as far as they can for your peaceful sleep?"
Thales was startled at first, and then became angry.
Sak'el snorted softly, with a sneer on his lips:
"How dare you say that."
The driller blinked politely, not showing the slightest trace of the embarrassment that the punishment knight had just forced him into to make a desperate move.
Thales remained silent and did not speak.
He suddenly felt that the torch behind the drill was so dazzling.
what to do.
Where is the way out?
"Are you sure?"
Thales said bitterly: "Let go now, you still have a chance to escape."
The driller chuckled.
"Your decision, Your Highness," he completely ignored Thales's words and shrugged to himself:
"Or maybe we could start with some hors d'oeuvres?"
"Let us test how far your kindness can go?"
Appetizer?
Thales frowned, feeling an ominous feeling in his heart.
I saw the driller holding the dagger and walking up to Marina. The blade pressed tightly against the blood vessels in her neck, forcing her to raise her head and lean back.
"Be calm, ma'am," the driller stood behind Marina and said with a ferocious smile:
"It won't look good if you cut your face."
Marina, who was about to struggle, turned pale.
Thales's expression became increasingly ugly.
Sak'el looked at Thales's face and seemed to understand something, thinking deeply.
"How about starting with the enemy?"
The driller sneered and stared at Thales from a distance: "I will cut her blood vessels and use it as a clock to remind you to make a decision."
"Then strangers, subordinates, and guards?"
Every word he said made Thales feel more uncomfortable and angry.
Calm down, Thales.
clam down!
In his rich and colorful life experience, there was only one scene where he was held to the neck with a knife.
Being threatened with someone else's life...
This is really the first time.
Thales pursed his lips and laughed at himself sarcastically.
I just feel extremely depressed inside.
"Sacher," he said with difficulty:
"you can……"
But Sak'el seemed to have known what he was going to say, and just shook his head.
"The potentially fatal alchemy ball, plus the four hostages, are in different locations. I can't look around."
The punishment knight shook his head solemnly:
"No one can do it."
Thales' heart sank.
His last hope was dashed.
Sak'el looked at the prince and sighed slightly.
"But I can still get you out, kid."
The punishment knight glanced at the drill from a distance and said softly: "His words are not credible, and your identity is obviously more important than them."
"This choice is not difficult."
Thales tightened his arms and felt that the sword in his hand was extremely heavy.
Is it easy to choose?
but……
Thales swept through each hostage one by one: Marina, the ill-tempered nobleman in trouble, the treacherous but kind-hearted Tampa boss, and Quick Rope, who had an extraordinary status and was free and easy.
as well as……
The prince looked hard at the masked guard who looked like he was dying.
Choose to sacrifice them all and then escape alone?
Or sacrifice some of their "less important" people and then hope that Sak'el's surprise attack will reverse the situation?
No.
No!
The other party holds more than one chip.
And he...
He had nothing and was helpless.
Thales felt his shoulders were heavy.
"I don't have all day, Your Highness," the boss said coldly, seemingly tired of this deadlock:
"quick decision."
It was strange that at this moment, Thales suddenly remembered six years ago.
Six years ago in the Palace of Heroes, facing the five Grand Dukes, he was hoarse and on the verge of despair.
At that time, I even wavered and considered whether to accept Asheida's proposal and use the latter's power to overturn the chessboard.
etc.
Thinking of this, Thales shuddered slightly.
He gritted his teeth, and the right hand holding the sword hilt gradually became stiff.
He is not...
It’s not that there’s nothing you can do, is it?
At least.
Thales raised his head with difficulty and looked around at everyone.
He, Thales Bright Star.
There is still one last bargaining chip.
Last.
Thinking of this, Thales almost crushed the hilt of the sword in his hand.
The prince looked straight at Yoder's dark purple mask, with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
The masked guard's heart moved.
He suddenly knew what the prince was going to do.
"No," Yodel struggled tremblingly and called his name anxiously:
"Tiles! No!"
"Don't take any chances! You are more important than all of us!"
Thales closed his eyes.
Sak'el frowned, and the drillmaster also looked at him suspiciously.
Am I more important than all of them...?
The prince remembered the assassination in Fuxing Palace a long time ago. At that time, it was Yodel who pushed him away regardless of his own safety and blocked three crossbow arrows alone.
He also remembered that in Longxiao City, other people entered the Palace of Heroes with weapons in hand to gain opportunities for the prince's unstable plan.
At that time...
For Yodel, for them...
That's not a difficult choice either.
Is not it.
because……
Because he is more than just Tails.
It’s also Prince Thales.
Heir to the kingdom.
However.
Is he?
Thales recalled what Asheida said to him a long, long time ago.
[If I came to you when you were still a beggar, would you still react like this? 】
The prince gritted his teeth and thought of his past self.
[When you are intoxicated with the title of prince, or struggling in the misery of a beggar, when you go back and forth between the joy and pain of the two, have you ever thought about what you are?
?]
[A prince who is noble because of his blood? A beggar who is born humble and unfortunate? A precocious genius child? A poor man who is struggling and trying to change his destiny?]
Thales's breathing began to accelerate again.
[When you are stripped of all definitions defined by others and removed from all situations in which you exist, what is left of yourself?]
What do I have left?
The next second, Thales suddenly opened his eyes!
"Sacher."
At that moment, he felt his voice become firm and thick.
"The former executioner and watchman of the royal guard, Mr. Emmanuel Sakel, right?"
It’s no longer that ugly, frivolous drake voice.
But his heart was extremely relaxed and open-minded.
No more worries and heavy burdens.
The punishment knight who was observing the enemy frowned and turned around: "Huh?"
Thales said decisively:
"Please act accordingly and do your best."
Sak'el was slightly startled:
"What opportunity do you have?"
Thales did not answer, just smiled lightly.
The kidnapped Kuaisheng thought that Thales was finally giving up on them, so he said in a hurry: "Um, Thales? Listen to me, we can choose a more neutral one..."
But Thales shook his head.
"Shut up and hurry up," Prince Star sighed:
"By the way, your sales pitch is terrible."
Kuaisheng was stunned.
Thales took a deep breath, smiled, and looked at the drill calmly and coldly.
"You know, Brother, this is the territory of the Alchemy Tower."
"They left behind a lot of things, most of which were inherited by the Kingdom of Stars."
The man's face turned cold, and he suddenly felt something bad.
Alchemy Tower?
What's the meaning?
The prince looked at the dilapidated environment in the dark dungeon and stabbed the long sword heavily into the ground:
"The mages... when they haven't disappeared, they always have all kinds of tricks, and the alchemy ball is just the most insignificant part of them..."
Thales looked at the beautiful and expensively decorated long sword in his hand with complicated emotions.
"The Bright Star royal family knows some of them and has mastered some of them," he said in a daze, and then burst into laughter, as if talking to himself:
"Of course, I'm not talking about the sparkling golden blood..."
Sak'el narrowed his eyes and looked at Thales again.
The assassin made silent gestures, and the assassins restrained the hostages tighter.
The prince raised his head and looked at the assassins in front of him.
Thales turned his eyes away, as if he didn't see Yoder shaking his head heavily.
who I am?
I'm Thales.
From the first day I came into this world.
Until the last day.
He said silently.
No one can change it.
No one can deny it.
No one can question it.
Because I am and can only be Thales.
rather than anything else.
Thales clenched the hilt of the sword with both hands and felt peaceful.
"Don't blink," the prince chuckled under everyone's strange looks:
"because……"
"This may be the most interesting, magical and gorgeous magic show you have ever seen in your life."
Thales quietly moved his left hand and gently touched the sharp silver blade of the sword.
His palms felt tingling and warm.
He once did this when he was extremely excited.
But now, he is so calm.
Will he succeed?
The driller instinctively felt that something was wrong. He pressed hard against Marina's throat and gritted his teeth to threaten: "Your Highness, I swear, once you play any tricks, I will strike immediately..."
But Thales could no longer hear him.
Even Yodel and Sak'el disappeared from his senses.
At that moment, he was already wandering in infinite light.
As if transcending myself.
————
Donglu.
An unknown small fishing village.
evening.
In a simple seaside hut, a beautiful woman with brown skin and a quiet face was silently washing the wooden bowl in her hand.
She listened to the sound of the waves in her ears, her hands kept moving, her face was calm, and her expression was indifferent.
It seemed like nothing could interrupt this cozy and tranquil scene.
Until the next second.
"Crack!"
A wooden bowl fell to the ground and kept spinning.
The woman did not pick it up.
On the contrary, she slowly raised her head, with a look of astonishment on her face.
It seemed like I had seen the most incredible thing in the world.
The next moment, the beautiful woman decisively dropped everything, walked out of the hut, and looked at the sea.
The last sunset stayed on the sea, like a child taking a bath in a bathtub, about to sink, lazy and naughty.
The woman looked at the golden sparkling waves on the sea and sky, her expression becoming more and more solemn.
The next second, a dry voice suddenly sounded, like heavy ink suddenly breaking into the painting!
"Freland!"
The dry voice spoke very fast and seemed extremely anxious: "This is - it!"
The woman nodded, her expression never relaxing for a moment.
"I know," the woman named Frylan nodded slowly, her voice was steady, and she unknowingly comforted everyone around her:
"I feel that guy... is on the verge of knocking on the door again."
That rascal.
The woman frowned slightly.
The visitor from the void seemed to be in a hurry, interrupting hurriedly before the other party could finish speaking:
"Must be crazy—quick, where is he, or she?"
Frylan did not answer immediately, she just looked at the sea level solemnly.
The next moment, something extraordinary happened.
Purple light.
Endless purple glow seeped out from the depths of Fryland's eyes!
The light spread across the woman's face like branches branching.
As this ray of light lit up, the woman's facial features were gradually obscured, no longer soft, and the whole person became more majestic and terrifying.
It was as if everything in the world had lost its color. From this moment on, she was the only one shining brightly.
But the woman still looked at the sea level, motionless.
The voice in the void didn't speak anymore, he knew what the other person was doing.
After a few seconds, the purple light trembled slightly.
"Sagar," the woman asked softly:
"Where are you?"
The voice in the void sounded hollow again, this time with a trace of imperceptible caution.
"Dragon Sky City," the guest said dryly: "I heard that Giza once appeared here and had a fight to the death with that evil woman Croixis, so I came here to look for clues. It's quite lively here now...
"
Frylan had no intention of listening to him anymore, and her face, glowing with purple light, shook slightly:
"Then the target is not in Longxiao City, at least not within a hundred miles of you."
The woman squinted her eyes slightly, as if she was experiencing something: "Well, the feeling this time is much more obvious than last time..."
After a moment, she suddenly opened her eyes:
"In the West Continent!"
"The great desert!"
She said decisively.
The voice in the void was silent for a while, and when it sounded again, it already had a hint of excitement:
"Can you be more precise? Your ability is better than theirs for searching. As long as we get there first..."
However, at the next moment, Sagar's voice suddenly cut off, as if he took a breath of cold air!
Not only him, the light on Fryland's face also trembled!
The woman seemed to feel something. Her color suddenly changed and she looked up at the sky.
Everything is normal in the sky, the clouds are silent and the sky is silent.
Only a few seagulls flew lazily across the dusk sea, crossing the waves and returning to their nests.
But that's not the point.
The purple light in the woman's eyes became increasingly unstable.
The voice in the void suddenly became cautious and trembling slightly:
"No, no, this is..."
The woman nodded solemnly:
"Um."
"Blood Thorn and Black Orchid," Frylan showed an unprecedentedly complex expression:
"They knocked on the door."
There is only quiet silence in the void.
The silence lasted for a while.
Until the woman sighed deeply:
"They must have prepared countless means just like us, and waited for six full years for the new person to show their flaws and for him or her to knock on the door again."
The dry voice in the void slowly spoke, hesitantly, with uncertainty and deep reluctance:
"So, that new person, that new person... once he knocks on the door successfully, he enters his original state..."
Fryland sighed and nodded sadly:
"It's like throwing yourself into a snare, and you can't escape even if you don't even have wings."
"Become the trophy of the two emperors."
The sea at dusk is pleasant and quiet, with only the waves and the sounds of gulls intermingling.
The setting sun has sunk two thirds, and the golden color of the sea slowly turns to deep red.
The woman stood quietly with a sad face.
The purple light dimmed from her face, restoring her original soft and beautiful face.
Until Sagar's voice came again:
"No, that's not the point anymore."
Frylan raised her head indifferently:
"What's the meaning?"
The guest in the void was silent for a long time before speaking with deep concern:
"Xue Jian and Hei Lan, they are jealous of each other, their hatred is as deep as the sea, and they want to tear each other apart whenever they get the chance."
"Once they find that new person at the same time, I don't think they will be willing to share..."
And that means...
The dry voice gradually became quieter.
Flelan frowned slightly, shook her head and said:
"No……"
But Sager was obviously lost in his own words and continued:
"Six years ago, because of that newcomer, they suddenly encountered each other in their original state and had a hasty fight. The aftermath of the battle triggered a tsunami that would end the area around the Eye of the Sea that had never been seen in a century. If the Lord of the Abyss hadn't awakened from under the Prison River,
Come and control the situation..."
The dry voice gradually weakened.
The woman's brows were furrowed and her face was full of sorrow.
The invisible Sagar said darkly: "And for this encounter, they must be well prepared."
"No matter for newcomers..."
"Still to each other."
he murmured.
The woman faced the sea and the emptiness with nothing on her face, an expression of incredible compassion on her face.
Are you prepared enough for the Double Emperor?
Facing each other as old enemies?
Her heart suddenly tightened.
"No."
The dark brown woman closed her eyes and sighed softly:
"They are the top magicians in the world, so they won't be desperate and short-sighted to destroy the world, right?"
This time, the hollow voice in the void laughed without emotion, rather gloomily:
"He told us the same thing more than six hundred years ago."
The woman's hand holding her forearm tightened slightly.
"who?"
The visitor in the void sighed slowly and whispered a strange phrase:
"Holy day."
Flelan was slightly startled.
Holy day.
How long has it been since I heard nothing more?
I heard the mysterious man in the void whispering:
"In the last battle of the Ending War, when he personally came to the triumphal capital of the final empire to meet Brother Truth who was at the end of his rope..."
"Before final negotiations."
Fryland didn't answer.
With another wave, the setting sun in the west completely submerged under the sea.