Chapter 406: Solenne and The Slave Trade Guild Captain
Chapter 406: Solenne and The Slave Trade Guild Captain
Inside the Slave Trade Guild hideout, members were moving quickly, packing all their belongings.
Wooden crates were stacked one after another. Heavy footsteps echoed continuously throughout the underground hideout.
The atmosphere was hurried.
No one dared slow down.
Most of the ordinary members’ faces were filled with confusion. They did not understand what was going on.
The sudden evacuation had caught everyone off guard.
Why would the guild move their resources?
The question lingered in everyone’s mind.
Even though many had various questions burning in their minds, they knew better than to ask unnecessary questions.
Thus, everyone silently obeyed.
"Move quickly! Do you want another whipping?" a burly man shouted, dragging the prisoners.
His thick whip lashed through the air with a sharp crack.
Groans and screams came from the prisoners.
Some stumbled from exhaustion.
Others collapsed before being forcefully dragged back onto their feet. Most of the prisoners had lifeless expressions.
Many had already lost any intention of surviving. They were merely waiting for their deaths.
Humans.
Horn Lizard Men.
Mantis Men.
Sandroach Men.
Dung Beetle Men.
And finally...
Scorpion Men.
No one would have believed the Slave Trade Guild would be so daring as to capture every species within the Crimson Dune.
Tied in chains, the previously arrogant Scorpion Men were now gaunt, their muscles dried, and their thick scales filled with cracks and dried blood.
Some had broken tails.
Their once proud eyes had become dull. They were no different from any other prisoner.
Several of them silently lowered their heads. The arrogance unique to the Scorpion Clan had completely vanished.
Just as the Slave Trade Guild members were urging the prisoners to move into the secret tunnel...
The atmosphere suddenly changed.
The bustling footsteps gradually disappeared and a strange silence descended upon the hideout.
Several Slave Trade Guild member instinctively frowned.
Something... Did not feel right.
Swish! Swish!
Thud! Thud!
One after another, heads separated from necks at an alarming speed. Blood sprayed across the stone floor.
Headless corpses collapsed heavily one after another. None of them understood what was going on.
No warning.
No screams.
Only death.
The prisoners widened their eyes in disbelief. Many instinctively shrank backward.
Several Scorpion Men stared blankly at the collapsing men. In less than ten seconds, the wide room became frighteningly silent.
The surviving prisoners held their breaths. Their hearts pounded heavily against their chests.
The chains around their wrists rattled softly.
No one dared make another sound.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the other end of the wide room leading toward the hidden tunnel. She merely glanced at the prisoners before heading deeper into the tunnel.
Her movements were swift.
Elegant.
Silent.
She disappeared almost as quickly as she had appeared.
Who was that?
Is she here to save them?
Various questions appeared in their minds as they desperately sought answers.
Unfortunately, the figure had long disappeared deep into the tunnel.
Deep inside the tunnel was a massive chamber. The chamber was filled with vats, shelves, and boxes. Large barrels containing unknown liquids were carefully sealed.
Iron cages occupied one corner of the chamber.
Additionally, prisoners bound in chains could be seen everywhere.
Some hung from iron hooks.
Others sat weakly against the walls.
Men and women moved boxes and vats into appropriate positions.
Everyone worked frantically.
No one dared stop.
Standing at the center of the chamber was a man clad in metal armor. Even under the dimly lit torches, his armor gleamed brightly.
Its polished surface reflected the flickering flames.
He stood confidently, commanding his men to move faster. His sharp eyes continuously swept across the chamber.
Although he had already prepared for everything and did not take the threat from the Crimson Arc Guild seriously...
His cautious attitude still made him move all the important resources deep into their hidden tunnel.
He trusted no one.
Not even his own subordinates.
Only after the resources reached the deepest chamber would he truly feel at ease.
Even if everything went south, he could retreat with all their main supplies intact.
As long as he returned to the guild headquarters with the intact goods, he would be highly rewarded.
Suddenly, a sense of danger washed over him. All the hairs on his body stood on end.
Whoosh!
The man reacted swiftly, unsheathing his long sword in one clean motion.
The sharp blade reflected the dim torchlight as it intercepted the incoming attack without hesitation.
Bang! Bang!
Steel clashed against steel.
The deafening collisions echoed throughout the massive underground chamber.
No talk.
No warning.
Nothing, just a straight life and death battle.
The moment Solenne appeared, both of them understood there was no need for words.
Only one of them would be leaving the chamber alive.
Clash after clash.
Sparks flew everywhere.
The dazzling sparks illuminated the dim chamber for brief moments before disappearing once more into the darkness.
The man was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief as he defended as if his life depended on it. His sword moved repeatedly, desperately intercepting every incoming strike.
His breathing gradually became heavier.
And indeed...
His life depended on it.
As for his attacker, Solenne’s expression did not change.
Her beautiful face remained calm. There was not the slightest ripple in her emotions.
Her dual blades moved with perfect rhythm, coming and going without pause.
Each strike seamlessly flowed into the next.
Every movement was precise.
Every attack targeted a vital point.
Not even missing a beat.
She looked less like a human fighting... And more like an elegant dance of death.
’How is this possible?’
The Slave Trade Guild Captain cried inwardly.
His years of battle experience told him he was gradually losing control of the fight.
He had heard rumors about Solenne and her abilities, but he had never experienced them until now.
But now...
He finally understood.
And now, he understood why she was feared by many.
She alone had kept the Crimson Arc Guild from falling for the years, even with all the odds against them.
Argh!
A soul rending scream escaped from the Slave Trade Guild Captain.
He tried desperately to match Solenne’s attacking speed, but he was still a few steps too slow.
Every exchange left another wound upon his body. His breastplate armor was torn open, and a deep gash appeared across his chest.
The sharp cut nearly reached his ribs.
Blood spilled out continuously.
It soaked the shattered armor before dripping onto the hard floor.
Stumbling backward.
His footsteps became increasingly unstable. He covered his injury with his left palm while staring at Solenne.
Fresh blood continuously seeped through his fingers.
’She’s gotten stronger.’
The realization caused his heart to sink.
As a Level 37 Knight, he rarely feared anyone. Even those of higher level, he believed he could contend with them.
Why?
Because of his armor.
A Low Bronze Grade Armor. It was his greatest confidence.
But now...
That armor had just been torn apart with so much ease.
’Impossible! Impossible!’ He screamed in his mind.
****
[AN:
100 Golden Tickets + 2 Chapters.
Message Chair +2 Chapters
Magic Castle + 5 Chapters.
Golden Gachapoon. + 12 Chapters.
For Magic Castle, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within three days.
Golden Gachapoon, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within ten days.
]