The boy led Thane into an underground tunnel, its entrance hidden within a small sewer in the residential district. This place had originally been a dungeon left unfinished, then abandoned for reasons unknown. The stench of decaying animal corpses hung thick in the air, but the boy seemed long accustomed to it.

  They passed through maze like junctions, avoiding traps set by those who lived here, and eventually reached a spacious open area. The structure was identical to the dungeon inside Allblack.

  “This place also lies within the range of the ancient formation. That is why there is no mana here. Follow the passage ahead and you will reach where we live.”

  The boy spoke slowly, pointing toward a pitch black corridor.

  Thane had toured Allblack before. He knew that this passage likely led to a prisoner holding area. It was intriguing that the remnants of SilverFang used it as a refuge.

  Sure enough, once they passed through the corridor, rows upon rows of connected cells came into view. The flickering firelight of torches illuminated the place, casting an oppressive and eerie atmosphere.

  Suddenly, a shadow struck Thane with lightning speed. It drove a heavy kick into his abdomen, sending him flying backward to slam hard against the wall. Seeing this, Hati rushed to protect its master, growling at the shadow with feral intensity, its eyes filled with savage menace.

  “Stop it sister Rin. He is a good person. He is our leader.”

  Recognizing the newcomer, the boy hurriedly spread his small arms and stood between them. The shadow froze in surprise and grabbed a torch to inspect Thane more closely. The torchlight revealed the figure of a small and delicate girl. She had brown eyes and firm resolute eyebrows.

  “Leader?”

  Rin examined Thane again and realized that he did not possess even a trace of mana. Even within the formation, mana should not dissipate that completely. Those who lived here could always go outside to replenish their mana. Rin used a torch simply to conserve the mana within her own body.

  “What nonsense are you talking about Teddy. What leader. He is weak. And where is Ullar. Was she not with you?”

  The mention of Ullar caused Teddy to burst into tears once more. His crying echoed through the dungeon, yet it also eased the tension. Rin sighed. She knew something terrible had happened.

  …

  Rin cradled Teddy and laid him on a hammock woven from coarse cloth. The boy sobbed for a while, then gradually calmed and drifted into sleep. Only then did she have time to speak with Thane. After seeing Thane produce the emblem, she immediately understood that everything Teddy had said was true. In the darkness of the dungeon, the silver light it emitted was even clearer than outside.

  Their living space was inside a cell. Apart from Rin and Teddy, there were two other children. They were currently gathered around petting Hati. The wolf cub was clearly displeased, but under its master’s threatening gaze, it could only endure in silence.

  Rin brewed a cup of hot tea and slid it toward Thane. She waited quietly for his questions, her eyes bright.

  “Where are the adults here?” Thane asked bluntly as he drank the tea.

  “Some died. Some committed suicide,” Rin replied calmly.

  They had never had many people to begin with. Aside from Rin and Teddy, the remaining two children had been born later.

  “Why separate the two? Are they not the same?” Thane found her answer interesting. Rin was perhaps slightly older than him, yet her bearing and temperament closely resembled his own.

  “Of course they are different. Suicide is an act of cowardice. Only death in battle is a true death.”

  Rin answered without hesitation. Her eyes turned indifferent. She glanced briefly at a rope hanging in a nearby cell, then looked again at the two children playing with the wolf.

  “That is an extreme view. You should know that in certain situations, rather than being captured and tortured by the enemy, suicide can be an act of courage.”

  “Then do you think Ullar would commit suicide?” Rin shook her head.

  “Our lives do not belong to us. They represent hope, and they should not be lost so easily because of pain.”

  Thane did not argue. He noticed the rat mark on Rin’s chest, along with numerous scars of varying sizes across her body. Perhaps she was not merely speaking bravely, or perhaps the enemy had not yet been cruel enough. However, to Thane, it was still an unrealistic answer.

  “Why do you not leave? If you did, you would have a better life, instead of hiding like this.”

  “We are waiting for you.”

  “Waiting for me?”

  Rin nodded. They had been waiting for the one who held the badge to return. Without the badge, everything was meaningless. Before, they could not leave. Now, they could.

  “Do you not plan to rescue Ullar?”

  “There is no need anymore.”

  She had been trained to become the next Ullar. Now that the leader had returned, there was no longer a need to risk everything to save her. She knew that Ullar would never surrender and never commit suicide, but they were simply too weak.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Actually, we can still save her.”

  “Really? The leader has a way?”

  Rin hesitated. It was not that she did not want to believe him, but Thane’s strength was far too weak, even weaker than hers.

  “Of course. Sometimes, we must know how to use our heads.”

  Thane smiled with confidence. He truly did have a plan.

  “What are you doing, Leader?”

  Rin asked curiously, eyeing with unease the pitch black, foul smelling liquid Thane was concocting.

  “Just a bit of poison. It is quite useful.”

  The substance Thane was preparing was the same poison used by Momo and his father. He had found the formula in their bedroom. Its effect could cause mana to stagnate. In heavy doses, it could even render a warlord weak and powerless. Thane had never expected that he would one day make use of this poison himself.

  “You are using poison, Leader? This is unacceptable. We are warriors. We do not resort to such despicable methods.”

  Rin shouted. She lunged forward, trying to knock over the brewing apparatus, but Thane stopped her in time. This time was different from before. Thane did not yield. He forcefully restrained her and pinned her to the ground.

  “What exactly did Ullar teach you to become?”

  Thane frowned. Most of those who had survived Allblack were borderline mad, their way of thinking distorted. Compared to Exitus, they were truly mediocre.

  “This is not despicable. It is wisdom. Using the right tactics in the right situation. If you know the enemy is countless times stronger and still charge in headfirst, that is not courage. It is stupidity. And if you regard me as the leader, then you must obey me and abandon that outdated way of thinking.”

  Thane admonished her, holding her firmly in place. Rin struggled desperately but could not break free. In the end, she gave up. Though deeply unwilling, what Thane said was correct. He was the leader, and she had to submit to his command.

  “I understand, Leader. Could you please let me go?”

  After calming down, Thane realized that his body was pressing against something soft and resilient. Only then did he smile awkwardly and release her.

  Rin blushed slightly, but quickly returned to normal. She rubbed her wrists, astonished by Thane’s overwhelming strength. Rin was not weak. She had already reached the Warlord level. Even though the formation weakened her, it was not something just anyone could overpower.

  “This will not work on Terax.”

  “I know. Against Terax alone, I already have a separate way to deal with him.”

  Terax stepped out of the dungeon with an irritated expression, his body covered in blood. Another day with no gains. The old woman was far more stubborn than he had expected. Extracting information from her mouth was proving to be extremely difficult.

  The good news was that, unlike last time, she had shown no intention of committing suicide. The bad news was the way she looked at him, as if he were a pile of foul, reeking filth. Terax grabbed a cloth hanging on the wall and calmly wiped the blood from his body.

  “Hey. Find me two male horses in heat, and get some more medicine.”

  Terax barked the order at the guard standing nearby, his gaze icy cold. When dealing with extremists, he had to use extreme measures. His creed was simple. To achieve his goal, no means were forbidden.

  “My lord. The Two Hands branch requests your presence.”

  Suddenly, the report from a messenger pulled him out of his grim thoughts.

  “What does that mongrel Most want this time? Does he think he is Melor? Tell him I am busy.”

  Just a manager of a minor branch. One day, Terax would deal with him. Right now, he had far more important matters to attend to. As long as he could find the insignia, his standing in Melor’s eyes would rise significantly.

  “My lord. Sir Most said the matter is extremely serious. It concerns the output of Cerebus manure, and he intends to report it directly to Melor.”

  It seemed Most had anticipated Terax’s refusal and had instructed the messenger to add that last sentence.

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  Terax scowled. That bastard Most was clearly trying to cause trouble again. After a long moment of contemplation, he ultimately decided to go to the branch and take a look. He did not want unnecessary trouble with Melor over a lack of cooperation with a branch manager. After all, he was a late defector, hardly comparable to one of Melor’s trusted aides like Most.

  “Damn it. He had better have a legitimate reason,” Terax thought bitterly.

  The moment his carriage left the fortress, Thane and Rin were already hiding in a secluded corner nearby, ready to act.

  “How did you manage it?” Rin asked, both delighted and curious. She had not expected Terax to actually leave, just as Thane had said.

  “It was nothing. Just a conversation,” Thane replied.

  He took out the medicine he had prepared and kept close to his chest. It could be burned to produce a poisonous gas, or delivered directly into the body through a wound. Rin immediately took it and applied it to her dagger. Although she hesitated slightly, there was no turning back at this point.

  “My weapon is not very suitable for using it, so it is best if you do,” Thane said.

  The two guards at the main gate were swiftly taken down by Rin. Following Thane’s memory, they quickly made their way into the Allblack dungeon. The sheer number of guards made it clear how much importance Terax placed on Ullar. Among them were many of Warlord rank.

  Inside the chamber where Ullar was imprisoned, two Warlord level guards were idly gambling. The era of peace had made them bloated and corrupt. Thane was confident he could defeat them, but to avoid detection and being surrounded, caution was still the wiser choice.

  Thane poured all of the medicine into a small paper packet and ignited it. White smoke rose, but quickly dispersed into the air, forming a colorless, odorless poison. He slipped the paper through a crack in the door, allowing the toxin to gradually seep into the room.

  The two guards seemed to sense nothing at all, completely absorbed in their game. By the time Thane burst in, it was already too late. The guards were startled and tried to circulate their mana, only to realize it had somehow been sealed.

  “Slash.”

  Rin swiftly sent them to hell with her razor sharp blade. Everything happened far too easily. Two Warlords were slain in a single strike each. A strange realization slowly formed in her mind. Perhaps using tactics was not such a bad thing after all.

  Ullar was in a horrifying state. Her limbs were tightly bound, her body crisscrossed with ghastly wounds. All of her fingernails and toenails had been torn out. Part of her thigh had been carved clean of flesh, exposing white bone beneath. Half conscious, half delirious, the pain prevented her from thinking clearly. She did not recognize that the person before her was Thane.

  “Kill me. You will never get it,” Ullar moaned.

  “She is incredibly resilient. She is still alive,” Thane thought.

  He suddenly recalled what Rin had said earlier. He had not believed it then, but now he truly did. Perhaps there really were extraordinary people like this in the world. He asked himself whether he could endure such suffering, and the answer was no.

  “Ullar. Ullar. We are here to save you. Hold on,” Rin said.

  Seeing the old woman’s condition, Rin’s eyes filled with tears. She rummaged through the guards’ clothing in search of the keys, but found none. They could not stay here for long. Guard units rotated shifts to prevent mana from drying out within the dungeon. It would not be long before another group arrived.

  “These chains are made of special materials and engraved with runes. They cannot be destroyed. Terax is truly thorough,” Thane said after examining them for a long time, letting out a sigh.

  It seemed there was no other option but to sever the old woman’s limbs. In any case, her condition could hardly get any worse. A few more minor wounds would mean nothing.

  “Well then. It seems you will not be able to carve again in the future. But that is fine. At least you will still be alive, right?”

  Thane raised his broad bladed sword high. The more he thought about it, the more brilliant his decision seemed. Fortunately, he had not listened to Rin. His weapon was perfectly suited for this task.