Chapter 346: The Dark Clan and the Dragon Flag Pirates

What in the world should I do...?

Xiao Kai felt as though his entire body were pinned in place by an invisible force, unable to budge a single millimeter.

That narrow opening in the ground—barely wide enough for him to squeeze through—gave off the suffocating aura of a doorway into the abyss. A single glance down into it sent an icy shiver running through his veins, drenching him in cold sweat.

He swallowed hard.

The piercing, agonizing screams rising from below shattered any lingering composure.

"I'm going to make a name for myself across the seas just like the Legendary Four Brothers! One day, my comrades, my brothers, and I will stand on the grand stage under the eyes of the entire world!"

Back then, his boastful outburst had only earned him teasing and laughter from his peers.

Just when he had been burning with humiliation, Brother Hu had stepped up, patted his shoulder, and offered an encouraging smile.

"What is there to be afraid of? At worst, it's just death!" With resolved determination flashing in his eyes, Xiao Kai plunged headfirst into the opening.

His body fell into a rapid descent, twisting around sharp turns as he slid downward. It was not a pit, but an underground chute!

After several twists and turns, a faint light emerged at the end of the tunnel—clearly the exit.

As he slid lower, the harrowing shrieks grew sharper and louder, sending chills through his core every time they echoed.

"Not good! I can't stop!"

Sliding down the chute with uncontrollable momentum, he hurtled toward the bottom without any way to brake.

It's over!

I'm a dead man!

With this much noise, there was no way Im wouldn't notice him.

Once discovered, possessing no combat strength whatsoever, he would face certain death.

At this point, the only thing he could do was...

Clench his teeth, squeeze his eyes shut, protect his head with both arms, make as little sound as possible, and leave the rest to fate!

THUD!

Just as expected, he shot out of the chute and crashed heavily onto the ground.

Fortunately, his physical conditioning was decent enough to absorb the impact without injury, but the landing had made a loud thud. He had surely been exposed...

Wait... maybe she didn't notice?

A faint sliver of wishful thinking crept into Xiao Kai's mind. Gritting his teeth, he decided that since his fate was already sealed, he might as well open his eyes and see.

The moment he opened his eyes, familiar, suffocating black mist filled his entire field of vision.

It really is over!

Isn't it true that whatever bad outcome you expect usually doesn't happen?

I was just bracing to get caught, so logically, I shouldn't have been caught!

Ah! You really can't leave anything to wishful thinking.

Xiao Kai's face turned as pale as ash.

Yet after waiting a few moments, the black mist showed no reaction at all. Xiao Kai's heart leaped with joy.

His theory was right after all! Because he had expected to be caught, he ended up going unnoticed!

The terror gripping him eased considerably.

If that was the case, things might actually work out.

Lord Drake and the others had likely received the report by now, but reaching this location would take at least half a day.

In that case, he had to buy time.

A faint smile touched Xiao Kai's lips. If he succeeded, wouldn't he be taking a massive leap toward standing among the world's greatest powerhouses?

The mere thought sent a rush of excitement through him.

Alright!

I'll be the one to rescue that young lady!

With his goal set, Xiao Kai scrambled to his feet, drew a small flintlock pistol from his belt, and crept along the cavern wall, carefully poking his head out from behind cover.

Right at that moment, a pair of colossal, piercing eyes materialized directly before him, staring unblinkingly at his hiding spot.

The sight frightened him out of his wits.

His body froze solid, staring back at those massive, cold eyes in stunned silence.

Those eyes remained utterly devoid of emotion, gazing straight through him.

After a long pause, a sudden realization struck Xiao Kai: These eyes must be an illusion! It looks like they're looking at me, but maybe they aren't!

"Fine, let's test it." Xiao Kai darted out in a low dash, slipping behind another jagged outcrop.

Now those eyes should—

Xiao Kai froze once more, entirely petrified. As he had shifted positions, those massive eyes had tracked his movement across the room!

He was definitely, undeniably caught!

Damn it all...

Who was the idiot who claimed that expecting the worst keeps bad things from happening?!

Isn't that just a lie to fool kids?!

"Damn you!" Xiao Kai made a split-second decision. He knew he had only himself to rely on now. Even facing certain doom, he was going to go down fighting.

At the very least, he would die as a warrior!

Raising his pistol toward those colossal eyes, he pulled the trigger repeatedly.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A rapid string of gunshots echoed through the underground chamber.

"Take this! I'm taking you down with me!"

Emptying the cylinder in a single breath, Xiao Kai turned and sprinted forward. Suddenly, his gaze caught a hidden alcove in the depths of the underground cavern.

Bound to a crude wooden cross stood a beautiful, golden-haired young woman, her body soaked in crimson blood...

"Hold on!!" Casting all fear aside, Xiao Kai charged straight toward her, even though terror had paralyzed his rational thought.

Whoosh—!

The massive black mist surged violently, coiling around him and locking his limbs so tightly that no amount of thrashing could free him.

The coils contracted with crushing force, making Xiao Kai's eyes bulge as the breath was squeezed from his lungs, pushing him to the brink of asphyxiation.

Is this... the end...?

He suddenly questioned what he had even accomplished. Sliding down a tunnel, getting spotted immediately, and dying a meaningless death...

What purpose did any of this serve? He truly was an irredeemable fool!

A powerless child coming all the way down here—wasn't this sacrifice entirely pointless...?

Is this how my life ends...? Without achieving anything grand at all...

His eyelids grew heavy.

BOOM!

A concussive shockwave ripped through the cavern.

"Not bad at all, kid. That desperate stand of yours bought dozens of seconds—and completely rewrote the fate of four people down here. No, make that... five!"

Xiao Kai's eyes snapped open. In the next instant, a voice brimming with radiant confidence and composure resonated across the cavern.

"Spatial Rend!"

The surrounding black mist fractured into splinters, and the dense fog constricting Xiao Kai was torn to shreds, releasing him from the binding grasp.

"Im, your fate ends right here!"

Drake stood suspended in mid-air. With a single forward step, the spatial fabric locked down in absolute stasis.

"You again! You destroyed my vessel, and now you dare interfere with my plans?! I will tear you apart!"

The severed tendrils of black mist began writhing, attempting to reforge themselves. Drake gave her no such opportunity, striking without a heartbeat of delay.

"Kenshin, Bell, cover the perimeter! Everyone else, prepare for extraction!"

"Understood!" Thunderous lightning cascaded from the heavens, blasting through the mountain ridge and pouring straight into the subterranean depths.

"Xiao Kai! Up we go!" A figure appeared behind the stunned boy, firmly gripping his arm.

Looking up at the man, Xiao Kai's pupils dilated to their limits as tears welled in his eyes. "You... you're alive..."

"Shift!" Drake swept his arm, instantly teleporting several figures out of the blast zone.

"Locke! How is Kaya?!"

"She's stable," Locke answered from across the chamber, nodding toward Ain, who was gently cradling Kaya in her arms.

"Good! Get to the surface, now!"

"Don't you dare! Where do you think you're taking her?! That is the vessel I painstakingly prepared—none of you are leaving alive!" Im's form coalesced into a humanoid shape, lunging a shadowy hand straight toward Ain.

"Try it and see! Locke, get them out of here!" A smirk touched Drake's lips as he materialized directly in front of Im in a fraction of a second.

"World Severance!"

A dimensional rift tore across the subterranean expanse for miles, cleaving the underground realm in two and sealing the writhing black mist entirely on the opposing side.

The Dark Clan and the Dragon Flag Pirates had arrived!