As night deepened, the streets were nearly empty under the city's full lockdown, save for uniformed patrols. The few civilians who were out walked hurriedly, afraid of drawing trouble.At that moment, a ten-man patrol unit approached the small courtyard where Warrick was hiding.Leading them was Mulder Frank, a burly man with a buzz cut. After ensuring the street was clear, he stepped forward and knocked on the courtyard door.The knocking followed a distinct rhythm, like a secret code. After the first knock, there was no response, so he knocked twice more.On the third knock, the gate finally creaked open a crack. A shadowed figure inside revealed only half their face and muttered in a low, deep voice, "The sun shines bright in the sky."Without missing a beat, Mulder responded, "I raise my glass and ask the blue sky."It was the secret code they had set up beforehand."Come in, gentlemen. Sir Prescott has been expecting you."The courtyard door swung open, and Kalen gestured
"To avoid trouble, the four guards must die," Mulder said bluntly.The four Red Legion guards instantly turned pale upon hearing that.Even Warrick frowned, his face darkening. "What nonsense are you spouting? They are my personal guards, my brothers-in-arms. How could they possibly betray me?""You never really know who you can trust. Betrayal happens all the time—even between comrades. For your safety, we can't take that risk," Mulder said solemnly."A warrior can be killed but never disgraced. We've followed Sir Prescott for years, through life and death. No matter the cost—even if it's our lives—we would never betray him," Geralt said."That's right. Don't judge loyal men by your own petty standards," Kalen snapped.Hmph! Scum like you could never understand the bond between men who have fought and bled together," another added.They responded to Mulder's words with a mix of anger and disdain. These men were Warrick's personal guards—battle-hardened and fiercely loyal. The
With Mulder leading the way, Warrick—disguised as a member of the City Defenders—walked openly through the streets.Night had fallen, and the streets were eerily empty—not a single soul was in sight. Only heavily armed patrols moved through the city.Every checkpoint along the main road was heavily guarded. Even the patrol squads had to show their emblems to pass.Warrick walked at the back of the group. His hat was pulled low so that it covered half his face. In the darkness, it was nearly impossible to make out his features unless someone got close."Austin is more meticulous than I expected," he muttered. "If it weren't for the Hall of Gods' undercover agents helping me, I'd never make it out of Celestria."Seeing sentries stationed openly on the streets and hidden in the alleys, Warrick felt a chill crawl down his spine. In less than two miles, they had already passed seven or eight checkpoints.In addition to the heavily guarded checkpoints on the main roads, countless hidde
"Stop right there!" Colton suddenly shouted and stopped Mulder just as he was about to pass through the checkpoint.In an instant, everyone tensed up. Mulder's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his blade, and Warrick clenched his fists, ready for a fight."Mr. Dane, is there a problem?" Mulder turned, smiling calmly."Are these men your soldiers?" Colton's gaze swept over the men, scanning each one from the front to the back."Of course. I trained them myself." Mulder nodded, the easy smile still plastered on his face."Show me their ID badges. I need to check them one by one.""Is that really necessary? I'm in a bit of a hurry to carry out my mission.""I'm just doing my duty, and I'd appreciate your cooperation," Colton replied, his gaze unwavering."Mr. Dane, it's not like we just met. Do you still not trust me?" Mulder's eyes narrowed slightly. "Besides, I have Mr. Cruz's signed authorization right here. Even if you won't do me a favor, surely you wouldn't disrespect
"Damn it!" Warrick cursed. "I was just getting started."He was covered in blood. His eyes burned with a wild, excited gleam.Warrick lived for the fight. After two days in hiding, he was itching to let loose—and now that he had, he wasn't ready to stop."Sir Prescott, think about the bigger picture. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late," Mulder urged, grabbing his arm.At the far end of the street, dark figures were already visible in the distance, rushing toward them.Though Warrick still seemed reluctant, he quickly calmed down."Fall back!" he shouted.With that, he and Mulder charged past the checkpoint and led a handful of battered soldiers into the outer city.Unlike the inner city, the outer city had much weaker defenses. The sheer size of the area made it impossible to secure every corner, so only the main thoroughfares had a strong military presence.Mulder had already mapped out their escape route and prepared the gear.According to the original plan—if they ha
"Damn you, Mulder! You've really screwed me over this time." Axel gnashed his teeth as rage boiled inside him. Mulder's betrayal hadn't just implicated Axel's sister, but it had also dragged Axel himself into the mess.Mulder had climbed the ranks to assistant chief of the City Defenders in just a few years, and Axel had played a major role in backing him.Now that this mess had blown up, Axel was right in the middle of it. No matter how he tried to explain, he was going to take the fall for it."Everyone, follow me! Let's capture that traitor."After learning Mulder's escape route, Axel waved his hand and led his enforcement team out at full speed.He had already messed up by failing to capture Warrick, which was a serious lapse in duty. Now, with his brother-in-law openly rebelling against them, things had only gotten worse.If Axel didn't turn this situation around and bring those traitors to justice, his days as an enforcement team captain were numbered.After a thorough s
"Here's the problem—even if we know Warrick's intentions, how do we stop him?" Austin asked.Right now, Warrick had already disappeared without a trace. Austin's team hadn't even come close enough to get a hold of him, so there was no way to track him down.West Lucozia's vast territory and resources made it impossible to seal off every exit route completely. While it might be manageable in the short term, prolonging such an operation would significantly impact West Lucozia's economy. Wasting resources on a single fugitive wasn't a wise move."Warrick is a wanted man across the entire city. There's no way he's leaving through official channels. He'll have to sneak his way out," Dustin analyzed. He continued, "According to the maritime charts, if he's traveling from West Lucozia to Artea, he'll have to go through Thaloria. That's our lead. Get someone on it immediately—find out how many smuggling routes there are from West Lucozia to Thaloria.""Got it. I'll get it done right away
"Who is it?" Warrick's grip tightened around the hilt of his steel blade. His eyes, sharp and alert, were like those of a startled predator—full of caution and menace.For the past few days, he had been on edge, like a cornered animal. He barely slept and was constantly on high alert, fearing danger would strike at any moment.The door slowly creaked open. An elderly man with gray hair stepped inside with a tray of fruit and pastries in both hands.Before he could even register what was happening, a flash of cold steel appeared, and Warrick's blade was at the elderly man's throat.The elderly man trembled with fear. The tray slipped from his grasp, and fruit and pastries scattered on the floor."Easy, Sir Prescott. He's one of us." Mulder stepped forward and pressed down on the flat of Warrick's blade with a finger. He smiled and explained, "His name's Leigh Houston. He's mute and has served the Hall of Gods for years. He keeps watch over this tunnel entrance and has never slipp