Chapter 880: Lucius rescue operation (9)
Chapter 880: Lucius rescue operation (9)
Chapter 880: Lucius rescue operation (9)
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The relentless blare of alarms punctuated the group's frantic escape through the prison's winding corridors.
The lights above flickered, transforming their urgent flight into a strobe-like nightmare.
As they ran, the cacophony of orders shouted by unseen guards blended with the sound of their pursuers' footsteps.
The prison's maze-like structure seemed to conspire against them, with each hallway mirroring the last and each choice fraught with the risk of meeting blackguards.
With Lucius safely on his back, Caiden moved with desperation-fueled determination. His mind trailed behind, but his gaze remained fixed ahead.
He was using all his mana to leave a trail of paralyzing mist behind so that, at least for the time being, they wouldn't be attacked. However, he was concerned about the front.
Becker and Richard were fighting many people along the way; some were strong, some were not, but regardless, all those fights were starting to take a toll on them and their mana reserves.
Besides, Lucius barely clung to consciousness, and Caiden didn't know how much he would endure during this ordeal. He was resting in the cell, if that could be defined as resting, but the escape was hard even for him, who was being carried by Caiden.
Richard and Becker flanked the two, their eyes sharp and their senses on high alert. Becker's hands remained poised for combat. Richard was alert while Caiden was in contact with the spy Noah planted inside the prison.
"Couldn't Noah have implanted more spies?" Between huffs and puffs, Caiden asked.
"It was too dangerous... and hard." Richard said.
"Whatever. The next time, we will do this with more people."
"I hope there won't be a next time!" Caiden said.
The path to freedom was a gauntlet; every step forward was bought with waning strength and dwindling mana.
"Left, then straight to the exit!" Becker said. The ex-general received nods of understanding in response. There was no room for doubt or hesitation.
Their pace quickened. The exit was now within their grasp, but the prison had not yet finished with them.
The sound of the enemy approaching their position intensified with every passing second.
Adrenaline surged as they neared the threshold of freedom, the outside world a mere sprint away.
"That's the door!"
However, in the side corridors, a nasty surprise awaited the three. There were two blackguards.
"Shit. Richard!"
"Yeah, there's no need to remind me!"
Again, Richard headed toward one of the Blackguards, while Becker did the same with the other.
The Stone Family's leader attacked the man with his war hammer, but the opponent threw something that looked like a dart at him.
Richard avoided the attack, but soon after, a tremendous explosion blasted the corridor from which the group just came. Richard shivered, but he couldn't turn.
<This bastard can make explosive mana? >
Richard's pace increased once he realized this. He had to stay close to the blackguard to prevent him from using his dreadful brain crystal power.
The problem was that the blackguard could aim at Lucius and Caiden. He had to prevent it.
Richard rotated his war hammer; the Blackguard was strong and avoided the attack, which ended up hitting the nearby wall and shattering into countless pieces.
However, the man didn't stay idle; he counterattacked, almost ripping Richard's throat in the process.
In the meantime, Becker was fighting against the other blackguard.
The man had a spear that cracked with electricity. It was already the second time they had found people with elemental powers.
Shouldn't they have been rare? Apparently, it wasn't that rare for the Blackguards, or maybe they were the reason they were so rare to begin with.
Becker was experiencing difficulties due to the severe constraints he faced in this location.
He couldn't unleash his powers because the building could collapse on them.
If he wasn't careful, he could end up destroying the bridges connecting the prison to the outside.
The best he could do was keep his weapons on and turn himself into wind whenever a dangerous attack threatened his life.
The blackguard's electric spear went past Becker's body.
It passed through him, as if Becker were an illusion. But he wasn't. He was the wind.
The ex-general counterattacked with a slash of his own, but the man parried the blow.
A serpent of electricity coiled around Becker's sword, striking forth like lightning toward the
man.
Becker was already incorporeal, and that gave him a couple of seconds to look at the
situation.
Caiden left Lucius on the ground and was now helping Richard fight the blackguard. That guy was powerful, while the one he was facing wasn't as strong.
<If only there wasn't this fucking prison around...>
But it wasn't only that. If Becker had been alone, he could have won and escaped this situation, but with Lucius and the others here, he couldn't do much.
Caiden and Richard were having trouble; not even in two, they brought the man down.
Things were going south in front of the fucking exit. Richard briefly turned to look at Becker; it was a fleeting moment, really, but he understood what Richard's glance meant. Becker nodded. Caiden must have sensed something, as he abruptly left the fight to pick up Lucius.
When he was ready, Becker partially turned into wind. He was corporeal, but only from the waist up.
He gained an untold amount of speed and slashed at the blackguard, who barely parried the attack. Though that wasn't what Becker was aiming at, it was the door.
The attack he unleashed produced a sort of pressure cannon that destroyed the door. Caiden walked through the door, and Becker did the same.
When the Blackguard started following the group, an enormous stone wall appeared in front
of the door, blocking the exit.
"Don't you dare think about it!"
Richard decided to sacrifice himself. For many, that would have been stupid.
What would they gain by rescuing someone just to lose someone else? That was true, but he
still had a chance to escape, while Lucius didn't.
He endured too much; he didn't have the strength, but most importantly, he knew something; otherwise, the Blackguards wouldn't have captured him.