In an empty warehouse in the factory area.

A group of sea hunters were finally able to take a break after a long journey on the sea. As for the dilapidated warehouse, which does not even have a bed, it is not a problem at all for them, who are used to eating and sleeping in the open.

"Everyone worked hard tonight, divided into two groups of people to be on duty at the highest alert level, one in the first half of the night and one in the second half of the night. After the transaction is completed tomorrow, in addition to the share that everyone deserves, I invite everyone to the 'Pink House' for three consecutive days, and I will treat you!"

"Long live the boss!"

"Fantastic....."

"No problem, don't worry, boss, leave it to us. ”

Stanley boosted the morale of his subordinates, and in order to ensure that there were no problems on the last night before the trade, he decided to personally lead the team to keep vigil.

For a full-fledged knight with a strong body, a night without sleep was nothing.

After the bonfire was lit and the dinner was hastily settled with the dry food they had brought with them, dozens of people formed a large circle. A group of people hurried to lie on the ground to rest, and a group of people did nothing and stared at the box, ready to relay at any time.

Trample.. Trample.. Trample...

Even if one person held the box and the two followed, constantly circling in the warehouse, the sea hunters, who had long been tired, were not affected in the slightest and quickly fell asleep.

"Whew-zzZZ..."

After a while, there was already snoring in the kung fu warehouse.

Tonight's handover was smooth, from about nine o'clock in the evening to the warehouse, three handovers have been successfully completed, and there are no surprises.

The time gradually came to one o'clock in the morning, when normal people were most sleepy.

Stanley, who had completed his extraordinary transformation, was full of energy, even if he didn't sleep for several days in a row, he was undoubtedly the most awake one here.

Watching his companions stay on the move and complete the shift change, Stanley breathed a sigh of relief again. When he got up, he just habitually looked around his companion on night again, but he soon realized that something was wrong.

"Where's Todd?!"

Stanley's face changed slightly, and his long adventurous career had given him extraordinary intuition and vigilance. After discovering that Todd, a key person, was not in the warehouse, he became alert in an instant.

Whether it was this temporary shelter or the subsequent buyer, Todd, who was left alone on the shore, was responsible for the arrangement. Although Todd, who has taken on heavy responsibilities, has always been his confidant, if something goes wrong with him, the consequences will be the most serious!

He immediately whispered to his subordinates: "Go, call everyone up, be careful, don't make a noise." ”

"Hmm..."

After a long and common expedition, the sea hunters have enough tacit understanding, and they have all regained their consciousness without making any noise, except for the three people who are still in charge of holding the box, all gathered around Stanley.

Stanley gestured, and the group quickly sorted out their weapons without asking a word.

Muskets, bows and arrows, crossbows, spears, knives, swords, sea hunters have a wide variety of weapons, each with its own characteristics. But they are all equally efficient, skillful and cooperative.

Then, under Stanley's command, the three people who were still circling in a circle moved quickly towards the side of the warehouse. As an experienced leader of the old sea hunters, Stanley had already scouted the terrain when he settled in.

There is a small gate that leads to the depths of the factory area, where there are many buildings leading in all directions, which is very conducive to the escape of the team if an accident happens.

It has to be said that Stanley, as a qualified leader, reacts quickly, but for a betrayer who knows him very well... But it's not enough!

Before they could move to the door, the doors on both sides of the warehouse had been slammed open at the same time.

Bang –

In the drowsy night, the door was already crowded with aristocratic private soldiers in black armor.

They were half-crouched on the ground, armed with well-studied, heavy crossbows, and even in the middle of the moonless night, the triangular clusters of arrows of the crossbows shimmered with a cold light.

Not a word of willingness to talk.

"Shoot!"

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!......

The continuous burst of crossbow arrows is not comparable to ordinary muskets in terms of accuracy and power, and in the hands of these well-trained semi-professional private soldiers, it has turned into an extraordinary killing weapon!

"No ——!"

"Ah——!h

"Stop——!"

The shouts and screams of the sea hunters did not change their outcome in the slightest.

Clusters of steel arrows easily pierced through the human body, creating brilliant flowers of death in the sporadic and feeble counterattacks of the sea hunters.

Because of the betrayal of his companions, the leader Stanley, who had long been known about his specific strength, not escaped because of the powerful ability of the extraordinary knight, but was focused on the fire, and was shot into a hedgehog after just two steps.

The low-ranking knights were nowhere near the strength to crush the secular armies.

"Uh... Todd... You..."

Bang –

Fell to the ground.

Although he was never a good man, the leader of the sea hunters never imagined that he would die such a and ugly death...

After three volleys, the black-armored private soldier skillfully shot the survivors who were still moving, and in just one minute, there was no longer a living person who could stand in the unsheltered open space where the sea hunter was.

If in the mountains, forests, islands, or even cities with complex terrain, it is impossible for these experienced sea hunters to sacrifice so worthlessly, and they will inevitably inflict huge casualties on these noble private soldiers.

It's a pity that there are no ifs and wits in battle.

The officer led by the nobleman's private army grinned at the results in front of him and waved his hand, and the soldiers in armor had already rushed in.

Hiss –

I don't know why, when the soldiers actually entered this warehouse, they felt a cold aura lingering around them. However, the mission goal was already in sight, and they all ignored the slight discomfort.

"Find me!"

The corpses of the sea hunters were removed and discarded aside, unable to resist the frenzy of the private soldiers, even in the face of the blood-stained and round-eyed faces.

This mission is as simple as it gets, take out these junk sea hyenas and bring them back to the box. There is nothing more perfect than the fact that their masters will bestow upon them a wealth and status that was unimaginable in the past.

"My lord, no box found. ”

"Not here. ”

However, when all the bodies were removed, the private soldiers in charge of the search brought him bad news.

"What's going on?!

"Dear Mr. Todd, I need an explanation!"

The elite private soldiers who faintly surrounded him gave him great pressure, Todd swallowed his saliva, raised his hands, and said innocently with a bitter face: "I really don't know, I was obviously here before I left." ”

Having killed all his companions for a promise, Todd didn't dare to play any tricks at all. Truth be told, he hoped to retrieve the box more than a private officer.

"Huh, what's the sound?"

Tick... Tick...

At this moment, a clear dripping sound suddenly sounded in the empty warehouse, and it was getting louder and louder, closer and closer...

"Where's the sound of the water!?"

"I don't know. ”

The privates, who were still searching for the box, stopped and looked around for the source of the sound.

Suddenly, Todd felt some burning heat on the back of his neck, and reached out to wipe it, and it was blood-red. Looking up, drops of red liquid dripped from the cracks in the ceiling, ticking, and falling on his face.

The heavy smell of blood instantly overflowed his mouth and nose.

"Ah——!!!h

A terrible scream streaked across the silent night sky, and then came to an abrupt end...

I don't know when.

The box wrapped in black cloth had been opened, revealing a black wooden box carved with various strange theatrical character motifs.

It sat in the middle of the annihilated Sea Hunter squad, untouched, but miraculously undetected by the looking privates.

With the sound of the clockwork twisting, the box again uttered that terrible aria:

"Oh——! thank you for the sacrifice you made for me, I... Very much!

Port Newinn, what a familiar and wonderful atmosphere, I'm back, oh hehehe... Scold... Ga... Quack..."

As if it was stuck, the already terrible voice slowly turned into a strange laugh like an old owl, echoing in the empty warehouse, making people shudder.

It's just that there is no longer a living person here who can react!

"Get up, get me out of here. I can already feel the smell of that old thing, he's still in the city!"

Hear the words.

"Stanley", who had been dead for a long time, and had lost most of the blood in his body, got up from the ground, pulled out the crossbow bolt on his body and threw it on the ground.

Picking up the box on the ground without saying a word, he staggered out of the warehouse with some difficulty at first, but then quickly adapted to it, walking faster and faster until he walked like a fly, and soon disappeared into the buildings in the distance.

Only a lingering voice remained: "Oh roar, the game has just begun... The first scene. ”

Silence has just returned to the warehouse.

A faint glow appeared in the air.

Squeak –

An ornate brass, intricate geared door appears out of thin air, slowly pushed open with the sound of clattering gears.

An old man in a long robe with pure white hair walked out from behind the door, looking at the miserable scene in the warehouse soaked in blood, and his face showed an expression that was indeed like this:

"Is it too late?

Dead Soul Box... It's a god's toy!"

Turn and step back through the brass door.

"Perhaps, that's not a bad thing...", the voice seemed to dissipate in the wind.