The griffon's size was too conspicuous, and Todd told it to return to the Shadowlands first. With the surviving boy in place, he and Rachel set out on foot to the Ulster's largest slave house, the Ancient Castle.

The two of them walked on the forest road, and the ruts of the heavy prisoner car were still faintly recognizable on the road.

Over several hills, Todd made his way to the plains outside the ancient city before the sun went down.

On the vast plain, war horses neighed and people were buzzing.

Ulster soldiers in battle armor handcuffed groups of captives on horseback and drove them into the makeshift fences made of wooden stakes.

The barbarian tribes from the southern forests ranged from a few dozen to hundreds of larger. The men, women, elderly, and children were taken into custody separately according to their gender, age, and physique, as determined by a group of medical examiners.

Suddenly, a young barbarian boy, taking advantage of the soldier's inattention, climbed out of the wooden spiked fence and fled desperately in the direction of the forest.

Crouching in the bushes at the edge of the forest, Todd nervously looked at the young figure that was getting closer and closer, his hands clenching his fists, and his palms gradually oozing sweat.

A slave catcher from the Ulster kingdom caught up with the fleeing boy on horseback, threw out the lasso in his hand, and the rope loop hit the latter's neck impartially.

The cavalry turned his horse's head, urged his mount under him, and galloped in the opposite direction.

Todd instinctively wanted to stand up and move forward, but was grabbed by the corner of his shirt by Rachel.

"With mutation and ability, you may be able to kill three hundred soldiers here, but in the barracks in the hills over there, there are thousands of Ulster's soldiers. And how long can your body last -- 20 minutes, half an hour?"

Rachel's warning, Todd was powerless to refute.

The boy was dragged to the ground and screamed terriblely, the soldiers whistled and cheered loudly, and the people hid their faces and sobbed.

Todd closed his eyes and rested his head on the grass, his hands slowly evolving into the claws of monsters, and the "Split" ability was activated at full capacity, turning plants to withering and stones to powder.

The boy's voice grew quieter and quieter, gradually disappearing.

Richer looked at the sun as it set to the west, and said to Todd, "When the sun goes down, we may be able to sneak into the slave barn." ”

Todd lay on the grass and said softly, "I thought I was used to seeing death, but it turned out that I was wrong. ”

Rachel was silent.

"Watching the warriors on the battlefield die for faith and hope, but watching the innocent young die at the butcher's knife, he is indifferent. Todd's mutated hands gradually returned to their original state, and he said weakly: "These two are completely different things. ”

Rachel lowered her eyelids and whispered comfortingly, "It's not your fault. ”

Todd shook his head vigorously, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's not talk about that! ”

——————————————

The sun sets, night falls, and the plains are still brightly lit.

The slave catchers are "sorting" the booty.

Sick, disabled, and emaciated individuals will be singled out first, kicked into the pile of defective products, and awaiting "treatment".

Stronger men would then be drafted into the army and given the title of Ulster's Servants, while women who were in good health and good looking would be included in the 'spoils of war' and offered to the upper classes or distributed to meritorious servants.

Boys and girls with good faces were sent to the slave exchange at a high price.

The rest of the "goods" will be sold on the spot to some well-known slave traders. Most of the latter are aristocrats who refuse to profess their names, or mysterious consortia with huge sums of money.

Todd and Richell, disguised as merchants, approached the slave enclosure, searching the crowd for any familiar faces.

It's not easy to find a specific number of people in dozens of fences surrounded by thousands of people.

After searching for a long time, the two still found nothing.

Soon, though, things took a turn for the better.

The slave hunters erected a stake at the gate of the city, and a man covered in blood was tied to it, dying.

"Come and see, come and see! the scum of the kingdom, the shameful deserter, the despicable traitor!" the clerk in a sackcloth jacket shouted loudly as he stood on the platform with his voice raised.

Grabbing the man's hair, the clerk spat at the distorted face: "This man's name is Boyle, and he was originally entrusted by the kingdom with an important task to lead the troops south. But he absconded with his troops halfway, freed slaves privately, and formed an army to rebel against the kingdom!"

Angry shouts and curses rang from the audience.

"Kill him!"

"Let him rot in the swamp!"

"May his soul be enslaved by the Magic Eye for all eternity!"

The clerk nodded in satisfaction and winked at the executioner behind him.

Watching the latter pull out the sharp-hooked scimitar from his bosom, he said loudly again: "According to the laws of the kingdom, Boyle will be sentenced to 'hook the intestines'!

Turning around and walking in front of Boyle, the clerk patted the other party's cheek and said with a sneer: "The last person's record is three days and two nights, don't let us down." ”

The executioner stepped forward, picked up the knife, and began to gesture towards Boyle's lower abdomen, as if looking for the best incision.

Todd, who hid his face under his cloak, looked at the terrain around him and said to Rachel: "Remember! As soon as you see my signal, you will use your 'mind power' to knock over these braziers at the gates. I will take advantage of the darkness to go up and save people. Regardless of whether it works out or not, after you use your ability, you can leave the scene immediately, and you must not stay!"

Seeing that Richer nodded, Todd lowered the brim of his cloak to cover most of his face, separated the flow of people in front of him, and slowly approached the city gate.

The executioner found the right position, lifted the sharp knife, and made a gesture to stab. Todd spotted his target, picked up a rock, and aimed it at the executioner's head.

Just then, a shrill voice rang out.

"The king has decreed that the execution has been cancelled. ”

Hearing this, the crowd suddenly burst into a flood of doubts and dissatisfaction.

The shrill voice rang out again.

"The traitor Boyle will be sent to the 'Red Circle' for his first performance the day after tomorrow. ”

The crowd of onlookers was silent for a moment, then let out earth-shattering praise and cheers.

Just when Todd was puzzled, Rachel walked up to him, gently pulled him to a no-man's corner, and whispered to him: "The Red Circle was built in the royal city of Ulster, and it is the most famous gladiatorial arena in the entire kingdom, and even in the northern continent. It is rumored that the gladiators sent there either fought each other or faced strong enemies, and died nine times, and it was rare to see anyone come out alive. ”