“What do you think, Adrian? Are you proud of my artwork?" Caroline chirped cheerfully, completely unaware of Adrian's mounting irritation.They had not had dinner, and after traveling overnight while subsisting on dry rations, Adrian's mood was understandably sour."Be quiet! How are you always so cheerful?" Adrian growled.Winston hurriedly said, "Caroline’s just an idiot."Bucky wanted to laugh but did not dare. He instead turned his face and pressed his mouth against the carriage. Suddenly, his body leaned toward Adrian due to the jolting of the carriage and he quickly turned, afraid of bumping into Adrian.Bam!He crashed into Winston instead. Winston's face swelled and turned purple from the pain, but he did not dare retort. He gazed at Adrian, hoping for some support."Ahem!" Adrian grunted, considering jumping off the carriage.Were it not for keeping an eye on Kyril, he would not have tolerated the carriage ride. Caroline's antics were giving him a splitting headache.
Adrian was speechless at how foolish Kyril was. His lack of understanding of the situation, combined with his incessant pleading, was unbearable to witness."No!" Adrian thundered.Kyril burst into loud, exaggerated sobs.Winston scoffed at this display. "Quit your acting. Your feigned sorrow won't work on Adrian. He won't let you go that easily.""Coward!" Caroline sneered. "I want to change carriages. I can't stand to sit with someone like him. Stop the carriage!"Boom!The carriage suddenly shook violently as if it was going to overturn. Caroline stuck her head out of the carriage, ready to curse, but she hastily swallowed her words. Outside, a dense crowd armed with bows and flame-tipped arrows surrounded them.Adrian sensed imminent trouble. Caroline was headstrong and would not back down unless the situation outside was dire. "Winston, protect Caroline!" he ordered.Winston swiftly moved to Kyril's side and pressed a knife against the man’s neck. "Don't worry, we have a h
Bucky rushed forward to pull Arlo back. He knew that Arlo joining Adrian and Carson’s intense battle would only escalate the chaos, so he intervened."Mr. Adrian will avenge you, don’t worry,” he said.Amid the fierce battle, Adrian found himself being pushed back. Carson wielded his twin hammers skillfully, leaving no gaps for Adrian to counterattack.Carson's confidence grew. "Your pathetic scimitar is no match for my hammers!""Hmph!" Adrian sneered.Carson had not managed to inflict any injuries, and all his attacks had been repelled so far. Their strength was evenly matched, and the crucial factor lay in their weapons."Your hammers aren't all that impressive either.""Pfft! Stop bullsh*tting" Carson was exceedingly proud of his renowned Violetaurum Hammers. "I'm done playing with you. I’m going to send you to the afterlife now." He then channeled even more force into his hands.Caroline watched anxiously. Seeing Adrian being forced backward made her extremely uneasy. She
Arlo, possessing keen eyes, immediately recognized the substance on Adrian's foot as Shadow Clay—a rare material that granted the user the ability to traverse both the skies and earth.Adrian was very fortunate to have come into contact with it. In his opinion, Adrian should keep it and never give it back. Arlo immediately intervened, "Wait, Arwen. Since Adrian has a connection with this thing, it should belong to him."Adrian eyed Arwen Bates. The man’s imposing appearance contrasted with his unrefined attire, and his pale complexion hinted at a life spent away from sunlight."Arlo, I don't want to keep it if it belongs to someone else,” Adrian said.He did not want to take advantage of others as he was well aware that there was no such thing as a free lunch.Upon spotting Arwen, Carson's expression changed as if he had seen a savior. Arwen, one of the top ten experts, was famed not only for his strength but also for his remarkable craftsmanship, capable of turning trash into e
"Sir, pleeeease?""Fine, take it," Adrian said flatly as if the object was an unremarkable piece of wood.Bucky was thrilled. Anything from Arwen was undoubtedly exceptional. He promptly stashed it away in his bag, intending to thoroughly study its purpose later.Arwen departed with Carson.Adrian glanced at the Shadow Clay beneath his feet. "What is this thing?""Adrian, Arwen’s no ordinary person. He's very clever and often crafts incredible things." Arlo sounded somewhat envious. "But it’s just a lump of clay!" Adrian exclaimed in frustration, "I can't make out its purpose, and it almost made me slip earlier."Swoosh! Swoosh!The Shadow Clay under his feet suddenly morphed into two wheels, lifting him off the ground and bringing him into the air."Stop! Let me down!" Adrian said in a slight panic.Everyone was incredibly envious. Who would not want to soar through the skies and traverse the earth? Adrian could freely ascend and descend, and it made for a magnificent sight
Pow! Pow!Furious, Arlo punched Winston. If it were not for Ophelia’s intervention, he would have beaten Winston to death."You fool!" Arlo was so infuriated that he trembled as he reprimanded his son indignantly. "Now that Kyril has escaped and Sir Dieter’s life is at stake, Sylvas might kill at any time! How could you not know that?!"Winston realized that he was in the wrong, so even though Arlo was reprimanding him so publicly, he did not budge. If he had not been so focused on the commotion earlier, Kyril would not have escaped.Adrian frowned. Violence would not solve the problem, and Kyril was undoubtedly crucial to this operation. They could not let him escape. Their surroundings were filled with thick bushes, and there was a ravine on the other side of the mountain, so finding him should be easy."How long have you been down here?" Adrian asked."Not more than three minutes,” Winston replied honestly, "His hands and feet are tied, so he shouldn’t have gotten far."Altho
Caroline muttered to herself, "Kyril really is something huh? He didn’t even say a word and just snuck away. This is too much. He’s usually just like me—not particularly skilled. His only option is to go underground, but he isn’t known for such methods."This statement gave everyone an idea. Kyril could not have escaped in such a short time. The news of his capture must have reached Carson, and the latter must have been trying to rescue him. The brawl earlier was just a diversion, providing Kyril with an opportunity to escape."Everyone, search the ground now,” Adrian ordered, "Check if there are any signs of loose soil, especially in areas with plenty of dried branches and leaves."As soon as Adrian finished speaking, Caroline pointed at the grass next to him and said, "This spot looks strange. How does grass grow on such a hard surface?"Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn to Caroline’s discovery. She had a point—the ground here was unusually solid with almost no vegetation.
Everyone was curious. Winston had no opportunity to communicate with the other party, so how could he have conveyed any message? Adrian did not ask further, indicating that he already knew what was going on.Bucky could not hold in his curiosity anymore. "Sir, please tell us what happened.”"Do you want to explain it or should I?" Adrian asked Kyril indifferently.The method Kyril had used was extremely unique, so he did not believe that Adrian could guess it. Therefore, he had no intention of revealing it. "You can have a go,” he said."Turn around, Winston," Adrian instructed gently, "Take a look at his back, guys. Do you notice anything?""It’s limestone powder!" Caroline exclaimed, "The carriage has been clean all this while, so where did it come from?"Winston’s heart sank. When he had been about to get out of the carriage earlier, he had checked Kyril’s ropes, fearing that they were not secure. They had been seated pretty close at that time, and that was when Kyril complain