The strange prison held many strange monsters that understood the human language but spoke differently.
They were extremely hostile toward humans and had a deep-rooted grudge for that black-robed figure. Their loathing was so deep that they disregarded their lives in the attack and would not stop until the figure was dead.
This was the impression Tang Ling had of the strange-looking monsters. Following their reaction, this impression raised questions about Tonnies’ identity! Since Tonnies was able to come in and go out of the prison freely, would he not know what the prisoners of the cells were like?
If he did, his identity would not be as simple as Tang Ling thought. On second thought, Tang Ling realized that the main street mission was as complex as it could get. He thought he had gotten a rough idea of the mission, but little did he know that he had only learned about a small part of the mission.
Soon, the black-robed figure was surrounded by the monsters.
The entire corridor in front of the cells was in a mess. Amidst the chaotic situation, Tang Ling and the golden-haired fatty had sped madly to the end of the corridor where there was a massive iron door.
Without a second thought, Tang Ling slice the iron door down.
“Bro! The leaf you’re holding must be some sacred relic once used by a saint! Let me have a look. I might be able to tell its origins, and maybe you can further bring out its potential.” The golden-haired fatty was breathing heavily after all the running but he was able to speak smoothly. His eyes were shining with sincerity when he said that, giving people the urge to believe him at first thought, but would Tang Ling believe him?
He chuckled coldly at the golden-haired fatty. Then, he shut the door with his hand in reverse and as he closed the door, he said without any concern, “Is that so?”
The golden-haired fatty seemed encouraged by Tang Ling’s response. While he looked around cautiously, seeming to look out for pursuers, he replied excitedly, “Of course, is there anything in the world that I, the great Finn, don’t know? I…”
Tang Ling turned a deaf ear to the golden-haired fatty’s nonsense. Before him was a rather creepy flight of stairs that led downward. The stone walls on both sides were rough and the ceiling had intersecting stone beams. All in all, it looked rather normal.
“Do you want to live?” Tang Ling looked at the fatty and pressed the Blood Bulrush Sword to his neck. He did not even exert any strength, but the sharp blade of the knife easily cut the fatty’s skin, causing him to bleed.
“Argh! Please don’t kill me! Please!” the golden-haired fatty screamed.
Tang Ling pulled the fatty closer and said, “In less than two minutes, that black-robed guy will shake off the monsters, and in less than a minute, this place will be full of guards. I’m also confused and panicked, but I know I have to escape to live, to regain my freedom! Do you remember what I said just now? Work with me, if you don’t I won’t mind killing you and take the burden off my shoulder!
“If you betray me or whatnot, believe me, I’ll kill you first even if it is the last thing I do! Don’t underestimate me. I’m holding the leaf that a saint used before, right?” Lastly, Tang Ling poked fun at what the fatty said earlier.
The golden-haired fatty nodded and answered repeatedly, “I got it! I got it! I’ll work with you!”
…
Bick was running in front of his men, leading everyone down to Black Dungeon No. 1.
He did not understand why the soul lamp in the prayer room would go off. Was Tonnies not just questioning a seemingly defenseless and unimportant young boy?
Tonnies was dead in Black Dungeon No. 1. The fact alone numbed Bick’s scalp.
He and Tonnies were the closest of friends. Their relationship was indubitable because they had grown up together. With Tonnies dead, Bick felt like a part of his heart was emptied. He did not just feel sad. He was panicked as well as if he had lost his pillar of support.
More importantly, he was scared! He was originally a high-strung person, and at that very moment, Bick felt sorrow that he did not have to hold back because it might be released on that particular day.
With mixed feelings, he hastened his steps. He still held onto a thin thread of hope. Maybe, he could still help Tonnies even if the soul lamp had gone off.
With that in mind, Bick pulled open an inconspicuous little door of a storeroom. He walked in and comfortably found a mobile rack that he pushed aside and revealed another door.
Behind the door was a creepy flight of stairs that led downwards.
Bick took the lead and rushed down. Behind him were five more men who were the guards on duty that night.
It was a terrible night for them. They had run into two bloody murders during their patrols and when they were on guard duty, this happened.
Before Bick came out, he had already contacted his mysterious contact through some special means because things were getting out of control and they were no longer something he could handle.
Running down the stairs, his footsteps echoed back and forth on the stone walls. A strange feeling arose in Bick’s heart as the echoing footsteps entered his ears.
No one would have thought that this seemingly normal building, which was where Bick usually worked, sat atop a terrifying prison hidden underneath.
Half of the prison was underground and half of it was sandwiched between the walls of the first floor. The row of little windows that looked like ventilation vents were actually the windows of the prison cells.
Behind the windows were criminals that had once terrorized the city.
No one was worried about the secret getting exposed, the shadow arrived and blanketed the land, everyone lived a numb and dull life, yet why Tonnies could not let it go?
Frustrated, Bick could not help but criticize Tonnies’ decision! However, when he thought of Tonnies’ soul lamp going off, sorrow swamped him again.
At that moment, the iron door at the other end of the corridor opened. A mangy-looking fatty pushed through the door while panting heavily.
Swindler Finn?! He’s escaped?!
Bick was already having a bad day, and after he saw Finn’s fatty figure, he shouted furiously, “Finn! How dare you break out of your cell?! You are done, I’m telling you! you are so done!”
Finn saw Bick and his men when he opened the door. Terrified, he wanted to run back but dared not. He fell on the ground and pleaded nervously, “It’s not me! It’s not me! Someone else escaped and he released me! I swear it’s not just me! Those monsters are out! And they are coming over!”
Bick’s tense feelings gave way and his numb scalp exploded.
It’s really happened…
Maybe, they were already on that deadly blacklist a long time ago and Tonnies’ death was a signal, but Bick did not reveal anything. Instead, he forced himself to be calm and ordered his men, “Take care of the situation!”
He then strode over to Finn’s face and grabbed him by the collar. Just when he was about to say something…
“One, two, three, four…” This moment was the best timing for Tang Ling who was hiding behind the stone beams. He used the Blood Bulrush Sword to support his body while counting how many men arrived.
There were a total of six men.
Before the men went into the prison and Bick grabbed Finn by the collar, Tang Ling sprang down from the stone beams quietly.
As he remembered the positions and even the postures of all the men, the moment he jumped down, the Blood Bulrush Sword followed with a forward thrust.
The first thrust punctured the chest of the man standing at the back.
The second thrust went through the first man’s chest and stabbed the other man’s heart through the former’s back.
Within a second, Tang Ling killed two men, but he did not even feel burdened about it. These so-called knights guarding a prison holding monsters were by no means good people either.
As though the Dream Domain was trying to prove Tang Ling’s theory, new information popped up in his mind.
‘Condition for recovery triggered. Fallen knights: 2/100.’
The new information was straightforward, but as it popped up in Tang Ling’s mind, he was enveloped by a slightly numb feeling.
A moment later, he felt a stream of warm energy rise from his belly as his strength recovered by a tiny bit.
It’s just like what I thought! There’re special conditions to meet in order to recover my strength! Fallen Knights?! Was Tonnies a Fallen Knight as well?
Despite his doubts, Tang Ling could not erase the first impression he had of Tonnies. The man should have been an honest and straight person.
While the thoughts about Tonnies filled his mind, Tang Ling did not stop his slaying since killing these so-called Fallen Knights could recover his strength. He had killed two of them, and just when he was about to go for the third, the unlucky Fallen Knights finally reacted to the situation.
At the same time, when he saw Tang Ling started killing mercilessly, Fat Finn responded quickly and hugged Bick.
“What are you doing?!” Bick shouted. He turned around and realized that two of his men had been silently exterminated and the killer did not stop there.
The more shocking fact was that the killer was the young boy they had arrested on the street!
“It’s you?! Did you kill Tonnies?!” Bick demanded.
Tang Ling did not answer. He swung his knife and killed the third man, then the fourth. These men were rather weak. They were even weaker than Tonnies, so killing them was a piece of cake for Tang Ling. Moreover, he was able to recover a tiny bit of his strength with every kill. With the Blood Bulrush Sword in his hand, he ambushed the men silently.
An instant later, all of Bick’s five men were dead under Tang Ling’s knife.
“Bro, you’re amazing!”
Bick had freed himself from Fat Finn’s hug. Despite Fatty Finn taking a punch from Bick, he did not skip flattering Tang Ling.
Anyway, Tang Ling did not care. When he saw the panicked Bick trying to open the door and escape to the prison, he ran up and knocked Bick out with the hilt of his knife.
After all, Bick was still useful alive.
