Dark grey clouds drifted across the sky, completely obscuring the moonlight and plunging the forest surrounding Viscount Morgan's estate into absolute darkness. The only illumination came from the dim, flickering torches atop the three-meter-high stone wall, swaying wildly in the gusting cold wind.
At the edge of the forest, twenty meters away from the wall, four dark shadows lay concealed behind a thick patch of bushes.
Lloyd Weston, draped in a dark cloak that blended seamlessly with the night, breathed softly to regulate his heartbeat. The throbbing in his temples had significantly subsided. His mana status bar had recovered to [35/100] , just enough for basic system usage, but far from sufficient for a prolonged clash.
System... open [Mini-Map] , fifty-meter radius, Lloyd commanded silently.
Ding!
[Mana Deducted: 5 points]
[Current Mana: 30/100]
A semi-transparent holographic window materialized before him. Two red dots were patrolling the northern wall, while four others were stationed in front of the iron gate leading to the underground dungeon below.
"The guards have changed shifts. The fifteen-second blind spot starts counting now," Elisa Blackwood whispered faintly. The former magic knight was clad in a set of black light-leather armor borrowed from Marcus's armory for stealth mobility. Her greatsword was wrapped in dark cloth to prevent any metallic gleam.
"Sylvie, clear the way," Lloyd nodded to the elf girl perched on a branch above.
"You got it," Sylvie smirked.
She silently drew back the string of her wooden bow. Emerald green mana was compressed until it completely lost its glow, achieving perfect camouflage. Two arrows pierced through the air into the darkness simultaneously!
Thwip! Thwip!
Urgh...
Short, muffled groans sounded in their throats. The two guards on the wall were struck precisely in the neck by arrows coated with Elder Aura's special tranquilizer. Their bodies crumpled to the walkway without having a chance to sound an alarm.
"All clear," Sylvie signaled with her hands before vaulting over the wall as nimbly as a phantom.
"Frank, boost me up," Lloyd turned to the towering youth.
Frank nodded. He crouched down, clasping his hands together to form a step. Lloyd stepped onto Frank's hands, and the young guard exerted his strength, effortlessly launching his master's frail body over the three-meter-high wall. Elisa and Frank quickly vaulted over right behind him.
The moment his feet touched the damp grass inside the estate, Lloyd quickly ducked behind a marble statue.
A stealth mission without an invisibility skill is incredibly nerve-wracking... Lloyd dropped a gamer quip in his mind, cold sweat beading on his forehead. It's literally like forcing a peasant unit to run past machine-gun turrets in an enemy base.
"My Lord, the four guards at the dungeon entrance—Elisa and I will handle them," Frank whispered, his large hand gripping the shaft of his trident tightly.
"Don't kill them. We're here for an extraction, not to start a war," Lloyd reminded them. "Elisa, use the flat of your blade. Frank, use the shaft of your trident... Go."
Upon his command, the former magic knight and the SSR-tier tank dashed out of hiding at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye!
The four guards stationed at the dungeon entrance were busy chatting about a tavern in town. They didn't even notice the reapers lunging at them from the dark corners.
Whack! Thud!
Elisa slammed the flat of her sword into the napes of the two guards on the left, knocking them out instantly. Meanwhile, Frank swung the shaft of his trident into the chins of the two on the right. Their bodies crumpled silently to the floor before they even had a chance to reach for their swords.
"It's done, sir," Frank signaled to Lloyd, who was hurrying over to join them.
Lloyd looked at the heavy iron door secured by a massive magical padlock. "Sylvie, keep watch on the roof. If anyone comes near, shoot to intercept. Frank, guard this door; don't let anyone in... Elisa, follow me down."
"Understood!" They all responded in unison.
Elisa approached the iron door. She placed her palm flat against the magical padlock. A dark purple aura seeped from her fingertips, precisely penetrating and destroying the runic mechanisms inside.
Clack...
The magical padlock split in two. The female knight slowly pushed the iron door open. The rusted hinges let out an ear-piercing screech.
The moment they stepped onto the stone stairs, a noxious blend of blood, antiseptic, and decay hit their noses so violently that Lloyd had to cover his face. The dim torchlight along the corridor illuminated dried bloodstains smeared across the stone walls.
When they reached the spacious basement, the sight before them made Lloyd take a sharp breath.
Surrounded by neatly arranged shelves of chemical vials and alchemy equipment... in the very center of the room, a young woman was pinned by her arms and legs to a cold stone altar with massive 'Mana-Suppressing Chains'.
Her bright purple hair was matted with blood and filth. Small, pitch-black horns on her forehead marked her demon lineage. Her frail body, covered in layers of scars from being sliced open time and time again, made her look like a broken, discarded doll.
Kyrene Darkeyes.
The moment she heard footsteps, Kyrene's body convulsed violently. Her previously vacant eyes widened with absolute terror and deep-seated hatred. She struggled frantically, pulling at the chains that pierced straight through her collarbones. The clinking of iron echoed throughout the dungeon.
"D... Don't come any closer!"
Her voice was hoarse and trembling, like a cornered wild beast. She bared her small fangs and growled, "Filthy humans... Are you going to take a knife and bleed me again?! Or did Morgan send you to torture me in a new way?! Come on... bring it on!"
Even though her body was battered to the brink of death, Kyrene stubbornly tried to force out her mana. A faint golden light began to flicker at her fingertips, but the magic chains immediately flared crimson red, ruthlessly crushing the power back down and forcing a groan of agony from her lips.
"Be careful, Lord Lloyd." Elisa stepped up to shield the young baron, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword tightly. "She's the one who unleashed the golden light when I scouted... Her power is extremely dangerous, even while suppressed by these chains."
"Lower your weapon, Elisa," Lloyd ordered calmly.
Elisa hesitated. "But..."
"She's terrified. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. She's just trying to protect herself."
Lloyd slowly stepped around Elisa. He raised both hands to chest level, showing he was unarmed and meant no harm. His deep blue eyes gazed at the demon slave girl with pure compassion and understanding.
"Who are you..." Kyrene stared at the frail boy before her, her eyes still brimming with paranoia. "Noble's clothing... You're with that scum Morgan, aren't you?! You bought me to use my blood for the elixir of life!"
Lloyd stopped two steps away from the stone altar. He stared deeply into her amethyst eyes, which were welling with tears of profound resentment.
System... Open [Inspect] on target Kyrene, Lloyd whispered in his mind.
Ding!
[Mana Deducted: 5 points]
[Current Mana: 25/100]
A golden information window flashed before him.
[Target Unit Data]
Name: Kyrene Darkeyes
Race: Demon (Forbidden Holy Bloodline)
Current Class: Experimental Slave (Level 10 - Sealed)
[Hidden Talent]
Tier: UR (Ultra Rare)
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Talent Name: Dawn of Twilight
Status: [Abnormal Status: Critically Injured / Soul-Suppressing Chains]
Lloyd closed the system window. He no longer cared about the 'UR' tier when looking at the pitiful state of the girl before him. As someone who had been isolated, abandoned, and looked down upon in the past, he could vividly feel the pain that cut deep into her soul.
The young baron slowly knelt down before the stone altar, ensuring his eye level was lower than Kyrene's—a deliberate gesture of respect and non-aggression.
"I am not here to buy your blood," Lloyd said in the gentlest, most sincere voice he could muster. "And I am not with the people who locked you up in here. My name is Lloyd Weston... and I am here to take you 'home'."
Kyrene froze for a second. The word 'home' was something she hadn't heard for as long as she could remember.
But the scars in her heart, carved by humans who had deceived and tortured her countless times, made her sneer mockingly through her tears.
"Liar! Humans only tell lies!" Kyrene struggled again, the iron chains grinding against her bones until fresh blood seeped out. "You just see me as a 'mana farm'! A tool to produce potions for you! No one would ever look at a demon like me as anything else!"
Slowly, deliberately, Lloyd reached out his hand, ignoring the panic of Elisa, who was preparing to jump in and intervene.
The young baron's cold fingertips gently touched the back of the demon slave girl's slashed and scarred hand.
Kyrene flinched violently. She had braced herself for the pain of a blade or a spell, but what she received was a warm, gentle touch—a sensation she had never experienced in her entire life.
Lloyd met her gaze unwaveringly. There was no calculation in his eyes. No disgust. No evaluation.
"Do you know, Kyrene..." Lloyd spoke, his voice firm, echoing straight to the bottom of her heart. "In the eyes of those perverted nobles, you might just be an energy source... In the eyes of that alchemist, you might just be raw material..."
The young baron gently squeezed her hand.
"But in my eyes... you are not a weapon. You are not a tool. And you are not an object..." Lloyd emphasized every single word. "You are a 'person'. You are a living being with a beating heart, who feels pain, and who has the right to freedom just like the rest of us."
The phrase 'You are a person' struck like a sledgehammer, entirely shattering the fortress of ice around Kyrene's heart.
Her amethyst eyes widened. The tears she had forcibly held back out of pure spite now cascaded down her bloodstained cheeks. She stared at the face of the boy kneeling before her, her lips trembling uncontrollably.
"I... I..." Kyrene sobbed. Her demeanor shifted from a ferocious, cornered beast to a fragile, utterly broken girl. "It hurts... I don't want to be here anymore... Please, save me..."
It was her first plea for help in years. The first time she had dared to open her heart to a human!
"I promise you," Lloyd smiled faintly, raising a hand to gently stroke her hair. "I will get you out of this hell myself."
Lloyd stood up, turning to nod at his knight. "Elisa, please sever these chains."
The female knight, who had been watching the scene with tears welling in her own eyes, gave a swift nod. She stepped forward, drawing her giant black sword. Dark purple aura coated the blade, making it gleam brilliantly in the dim light.
"Hold still, little one. I'll shatter these magic chains to pieces," Elisa raised her sword high, aiming for the joints attaching the chains to the stone altar.
However, in the exact split second before the blade struck down...
WEE-OO! WEE-OO! WEE-OO!
The blare of magical alarm sirens erupted, echoing deafeningly throughout Viscount Morgan's entire estate! Red lights flashed frantically along the upper corridors, indicating that someone had discovered the unconscious guards outside the dungeon!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The giant black sword, bathed in dark purple mana, struck the 'Mana-Suppressing Chains' with brutal, flawless precision. Orange sparks flared violently amidst the strobing red alarm lights.
The magical chains that had anchored Kyrene and drained her life force for years shattered into fragments. The frail, battered body of the demon slave girl plummeted from the stone altar, but Lloyd lunged forward, catching her securely in his arms just in time.
"Hah... Hah..." Kyrene panted heavily. Her body was freezing cold and felt as light as a feather, a grim testament to her severe malnutrition.
"You're safe now," Lloyd whispered comfortingly. He stripped off his noble's cloak and wrapped it snugly around her trembling form. "Hold on just a little longer. We're getting out of here."
"My Lord! We have a problem!"
Frank's voice bellowed down the stone stairs. "The patrols found our men at the door! They're swarming this place in droves right now!"
Lloyd adjusted Kyrene in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. The former RTS world champion's brain processed the critical situation in a fraction of a second. A throbbing headache violently reminded him that his mana was sitting at a precarious [25/100] .
"Looks like the stealth mission was a total failure..." Lloyd sneered, dropping a gamer quip in the face of a life-or-death crisis. "Alright, change of plans! Cancel stealth. We're switching to full 'Breakthrough' mode!"
"Understood!" Elisa tightened her grip on her black greatsword. The former commander's eyes gleamed with a ruthless edge. "I'll pave the way! Lord Lloyd, keep the girl safe!"
Carrying Kyrene, Lloyd sprinted up the stone stairs behind Elisa. As they burst out of the dungeon doors into the rear garden, they were met by over thirty heavily armored guards brandishing torches and swords, charging at them from every direction!
"Intruders! Over there! Kill them!" the captain of the guard shrieked.
"Don't even dream of touching my Lord!"
Frank roared. The giant youth stomped his foot into the earth, instantly activating [Iron Fortress] . A golden light flared into a massive ethereal shield, violently slamming into the three vanguard guards and sending them flying into a stone wall!
"Sylvie! Clear a path on the eastern wall!" Lloyd shouted over the heavy rain that had just begun to pour.
"You got it, Commander!"
The cheerful voice of the elf girl echoed from the estate's roof. Three emerald arrows pierced the curtain of rain with pinpoint accuracy, shattering the kneecaps of crossbowmen taking aim at Lloyd from a second-floor balcony. Their bodies plummeted, smashing loudly onto the ground!
System... Open [Mini-Map] ! Lloyd commanded in his mind.
Ding!
[Mana Deducted: 5 points]
[Current Mana: 20/100]
The holographic window flashed. Amidst the swarming red dots, Lloyd pinpointed a small opening to the east—the path Sylvie had just cleared.
"To the right! Skirt along the rose bushes!" Lloyd barked directions. "Elisa, watch your left! Five of them are flanking us!"
"Child's play!"
Elisa launched herself forward. With a single, devastating sweep of her black greatsword, a crescent of dark purple mana sliced clean through the bushes and the leather armor of the five guards, cutting them down instantly! Even though the female magic knight was not yet at 100 percent, her legendary combat instincts were more than enough to butcher ordinary guards with terrifying ease.
Lloyd ran through the rain, following the path Elisa was carving open, with Frank covering their rear. However, the weight of Kyrene in his arms—despite her being incredibly light—noticeably slowed the physically weak baron down.
"Ugh..." Kyrene whimpered, burying her face into Lloyd's chest in sheer terror. The chaotic clash of steel and the sharp scent of blood brought the traumatic memories of the dungeon flooding back.
"Don't be afraid. Keep your eyes closed," Lloyd bent his head to whisper into her ear, his voice remaining remarkably steady and warm. "I told you... I'm taking you home. And a man like me never breaks his promises."
Kyrene gripped the hem of Lloyd's shirt tightly. Warm tears soaked through the fabric. It was the first time she had ever felt safe while wrapped in the embrace of the human race she had once hated the most.
"We've reached the wall, sir!" Frank yelled as they arrived at the three-meter-high eastern stone barrier.
"I'll throw you over!"
Frank didn't waste a second. He clasped his hands together to form a step. Holding Kyrene securely, Lloyd gritted his teeth and stepped onto Frank's hands. The immense momentum from the SSR-tier tank launched both Lloyd and Kyrene over the stone wall effortlessly!
Thump!
Lloyd rolled onto the damp grass outside the wall to absorb the impact, twisting his body to shield Kyrene from injury. Elisa and Frank vaulted over right after him, while Sylvie glided down from the canopy to regroup.
"We made it out... Hurry, into the woods!" Sylvie pointed toward the dense treeline not far away.
The rescue team sprinted through the darkness toward the forest. Reaching the spot where they had hidden the horses, Frank rapidly untied the reins. Lloyd hoisted Kyrene up onto the saddle before jumping up behind her to hold her steady and prevent her from falling.
"Ride back toward Whispering Valley!" Lloyd ordered. "It's a bottleneck; they'll have a hard time tracking us there!"
They snapped their reins in unison. The warhorses galloped away through the thinning rain, leaving the chaotic, shouting estate of Viscount Morgan far behind.
Lloyd let out a long sigh. The piercing pain in his head began to ease. The UR-tier hostage extraction mission seemed to have concluded beautifully.
However... in this grand board game of a world, an easily won victory is almost always a mirage.
BWOOOOM!
The deafening blast of an animal-horn trumpet tore through the night sky! It didn't come from the estate behind them; it came from the 'Stone Fortress' situated on an adjacent hill—Viscount Morgan's main military garrison!
Marcus Grey had warned him: Morgan was a wealthy, perverted noble with a highly formidable private army!
"My Lord! Look at that, sir!" Frank snapped his head back, pointing a trembling finger at the distant hill.
Hundreds of torch flames flared up simultaneously, looking like a massive swarm of blood-red fireflies! But what made everyone's heart drop wasn't the sheer number of torches—it was the speed at which they were moving!
Those torches were charging down the hill at a pace several times faster than ordinary warhorses!
"That's... the Gale Cavalry!"
Elisa's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Viscount Morgan has a cavalry unit equipped with 'Wind Element Magic Horseshoes'?! Those are high-tier armaments strictly restricted to the Royal Army! How does a border noble have them?!"
Only Lloyd understood the answer to that with terrifying clarity.
"The invisible hand..." Lloyd gritted his teeth. "The people backing Baron Reinhardt must be supplying armaments to this perverted noble too! They're setting this up to secretly build a massive network of power in this region!"
The speed of the Gale Cavalry was monstrous. The distance of nearly two kilometers was closing rapidly. The thunderous clatter of hooves shook the earth so violently that Lloyd's group's horses began to panic and whinny.
"They're going to catch up!" Sylvie shouted over the rushing wind. "The gap is less than a kilometer! Regular horses can't outrun them!"
System... activate [Micro-Management] ! Lloyd had no choice. He had to play his final trump card.
Ding!
[Mana Deducted: 10 points]
[Current Mana: 10/100 - CRITICAL WARNING: Host body entering critical overload state! Forced system usage will result in loss of consciousness!]
Fresh, crimson blood instantly gushed from Lloyd's nose. A severe, agonizing pain flared through his skull as if his brain were about to physically rupture. His vision blurred, but he forced his eyes wide to stare at the [Mini-Map] .
Over fifty Gale Cavalrymen were forming a Crescent Formation, intending to completely encircle and seal off their escape route! If they were allowed to close the gap, his small, exhausted force would be trampled into paste in the blink of an eye!
"Frank! Prepare to abandon the horses and form a fortress wall!" Lloyd barked hoarsely, blood spraying from his lips. "Elisa! Gather all your mana and prepare to unleash a counter-sword wave! We have to break through their frontline!"
"Understood, sir!" / "Got it!"
Kyrene, nestled in Lloyd's embrace, felt the warm drops of blood falling onto her cheek. The demon slave girl looked up at Lloyd's deathly pale face, her entire body trembling.
This human boy... is willingly trading his life to protect a worthless demon like me?
"Don't... You'll die..." Kyrene whispered shakily, tears overflowing. "Leave me behind... I'm the only one they want..."
"Shut up... and hold on tight." Lloyd forced a smirk, even as blood dripped steadily down his chin. "I told you... I refuse to lose a single one of my people!"
NEIGHHH!
The deafening shrieks of magical horses echoed right behind them!
The Gale Cavalry had closed in to point-blank range! Dozens of long spears, coated in swirling wind-element aura, were ruthlessly aimed straight at Lloyd and Kyrene's backs!
The situation had spiraled into the ultimate crisis. Escape routes were sealed. The enemy outnumbered and outgunned them several times over. The decision to launch a rescue mission for the demon slave girl tonight... was on the verge of becoming the bloody end of the Lord of Verdant Province!
(End of Chapter 19)