Chapter 760

Chapter 24 Sudden Developments

“Here they come…”

In the dim and narrow alleyway, the two sides met silently. Without much talk, they quickly exchanged introductions before hurrying toward the nearest side gate under the cover of night. They turned several corners along the streets and alleys before reaching the high walls and the gate.

Considering the relatively quiet atmosphere within the city, there should have been a curfew at this hour. It would be highly unlikely to leave the city at night, but the guards at the gate seemed familiar with them. After all, they were part of the Warhammer army. After a brief conversation, one of them handed a bag to the guard who took it without hesitation. With a laugh, he opened the heavy gate just enough to let them out.

I hid on a rooftop, watching from afar.

Once they passed through the gate and checked that no one was around, a blue light flashed in my eyes. Frost mist rose swiftly from beneath my feet, and I stepped onto an ice platform, riding the turbulence as I leaped hundreds of meters into the air. I soared past the towering city wall. At this distance, the guards stationed there probably couldn’t see me.

Only when we were far from the wall did I lower slightly. Scanning below, I soon located their tracks again. Seeing them walking briskly along a muddy path leading to a distant farmhouse, I followed from behind. Occasionally, I stood on an ice platform in the night sky, waiting for them to move further away before continuing to glide after them. This went on for about half an hour until they finally stopped at a small hill.

Have we arrived…

I descended silently from the air.

Looking around, this desolate area was about five or six kilometers outside the city. The rain-soaked land was dotted with sparse grass and shrubs, and a few tall pine trees.

I slowly approached them and then hid behind a pine tree. About fifty meters ahead, on the hill, the four of them crouched, looking toward a farmhouse still under construction in the distance. Their whispered conversation drifted to my ears with the cold wind.

“Is this the place?”

“Yeah, the southernmost farmhouse. If nothing went wrong, they should be hiding inside.”

“I’ve been here for nights on end, watching. I saw someone sneak out at night… And once, a beautiful female noble brought food—she was the injured girl I recognized. She delivered it at night too…”

“Did you check her identity?”

“Not yet, but she seems to be a family member of the former lord. The name is Neppster, right? The people working on those houses seem to be hired by the Neppster family…”

“Huh, even fallen this far, they still dare to do such reckless things… Protecting a wanted criminal by the church, what were they thinking…”

“They didn’t move somewhere else after that day, did they? How can you be sure they’re still here…”

“Where else could they go…”

“So we just wait here?”

“Let’s observe first… Where’s the telescope? Give me the telescope…”

“Hey…”

“Something feels off…”

“Look over there…”

“What’s happening…”

“Is it a fire?”

“It looks like it’s on fire…”

“Who started the fire… No! There’s someone over there…”

“There’s someone fighting!”

“Damn it, we’ve been beaten to it—”

“Let’s go!”

What had seemed a covert operation suddenly changed course with these brief exchanges. The four of them noticed something amiss and stood up from the hill. Two of the Warhammer soldiers drew their swords from their waists and rushed toward the farmhouse ahead. The other two hesitated but only briefly before running out as well.

What’s going on…

Could there be another group acting tonight?

I wondered as they descended the hill.

Emerging straight from behind the tree, he dashed several steps and appeared at the position where the four people had previously stood. Bowing his head, he looked down the slope and saw that they had already run far away. Under the night sky, the moonlight was faint, and the entire wasteland was dark. However, looking ahead, he could see in the not-so-distant partially constructed farmhouse, amidst the crisscrossing scaffolding on the southern side, there was a flickering flame burning fiercely.

Although he couldn’t see the situation clearly, he could hear vague voices and movements coming from that direction.

It seemed…

someone was engaged in intense combat.

Something unexpected…

“Follow them! Quickly, damn it, follow—”

“Their heads are ours; no one else can take them!”

The four people who had been tracking them ran frantically down the muddy slope. Their shouts faded as they ran, and he watched their shrinking figures disappear into the farmhouse. Soon, they would be close to the burning flames. He tilted his head in thought for a moment, then pulled off the hood covering his head, opened the bag at his waist, and took out a fox mask, which he put on his face.

The mask was something he had stumbled upon and bought while wandering around Port City looking for food.

Just after dealing with the团长 of the Sixth Knight Order, he couldn’t be sure if that guy had seen his face during that dark and windy night. Although wearing a hood was safe, it wasn’t foolproof; in a fight, any sudden movement might inadvertently reveal his appearance. So he bought this fox mask, thinking it might come in handy someday—little did he know it would be so soon.

If what they said earlier was all true…

then I guess I might meet Barry soon.

Or at least, I’ll meet some people related to him…

Let’s go and check it out.

Bang!

He started running, splashing mud everywhere.

The wind roared again by his ears. In an instant, he leaped hundreds of meters into the air, straightened his body, let his hands hang at his sides, palms facing backward. As he felt himself falling, he twisted sharply, and frost mist spewed out behind him like an arrow, quietly gliding towards the farmhouse.

Below, two members of the Warhammer Army, among the four, seemed to have already reached the burning flames. Their figures turned into wriggling black dots under the night sky, but their voices could still be vaguely heard.

“Warhammer Army business, bystanders get out of the way quickly!”

“Who are you—”

“Bullshit Warhammer Army! Damn it, we’ve encountered peers…”

“Should we retreat or stay…”

“Retreat my ass! We were here first! These two don’t follow the rules—”

“What, do you want to fight!?”

“Let’s fight them…”

In the dim light, other people seemed to emerge from the scaffolding, one, two, three, four… Each wielded weapons and shouted as they charged toward the two members of the Warhammer Army. The clashing sound of blades rang out, and the two approaching figures stopped abruptly.

“Help us!”

“Dare to make the first move! Damn it, cut these bastards down…”

“They still have others!”

“Ah—”

In the chaos, someone was struck by a sword, and a piercing scream tore through the night. A figure fell into the firelight, blood spreading in a dark red hue. The two newcomers seemed to realize the danger and abandoned their comrades, fleeing instead.

“Crap…”

“Cowards!”

“Hold on, the wanted criminal is gone too!”

“They ran towards the grass!”

“You guys go after them! Leave two to stop these freeloaders…”

“Not so fast—”

The struggle below became even more intense. In the confusion, someone swiftly turned and left. He landed on top of the moving wooden boards near the scaffolding, barely steadying himself. From behind the mask, his gaze began to wander and search.

Then he saw two staggering figures, both seemingly injured, limping to escape in the grass outside the fence.

Behind them, three figures, no longer within the light of the flames, drew their swords and pursued them in the darkness.