At the same time, somewhere in prison.

Zelo stood alone in the pitch-black cell, unlit and facing the people in the cell.

The cell was eerily quiet, and he was the only one muttering to himself, "A few days ago, the Cultists brought back news from the land, and they said that Paladin had returned."

For thousands of years, the name had influenced him like a dream demon.

Even though he witnessed Paladin and his fleet being torn to pieces by sea monsters, and witnessing even the sea dyed red with blood, deep down he still felt that the heroes of that kingdom would one day return to this lost kingdom.

He had heard that there were still some remnants in remote areas.

No matter how cruel he tried, he could not make those voices disappear completely.

"I have put to death those who spread rumors...... You must have done it again, right?"

The people in the cell did not answer him.

Zelo didn't care about this, he suddenly laughed, "I miss the days when you and I fought each other, after all, there are not many people who witnessed that era, maybe you can help me clarify to those who have illusions, so that they can recognize the reality...... It is impossible for Paladin to return, for the master promised me that even his soul and consciousness were completely destroyed."

This is not the first time they have talked about this topic.

The people in the cell knew this, too, but she came up with some strange theories.

Someday, the one who inherits the will of Palatin will come to him?

It's a pity that he can't hear such a voice anymore.

"Speaking of which, I've studied a lot of torture to entertain your people, and I've seen some very creative methods from books brought back from land by some of the cultists, tying people to pillars, cutting off their flesh with a knife, and watching their bodies peel off until their blood runs out...... But that was a short-lived process."

"I have come to realize that death is the way to liberate you, so I begged my master to strip you of the right to die, but today I have decided to mercifully grant you the opportunity to be free...... You should be aware of the reality, right? Paladin won't be back, and you won't need to keep any more secrets."

The sound of a fierce tapping interrupted Zelo's self-talk.

Paladin felt his heart pop out of his throat, but he still slammed the iron rod in his hand into the back of Zelo's head with all his might.

This iron rod was used by him for self-defense before entering the whirlpool, but he didn't expect it to play a role at a critical moment.

Once in the maelstrom, he and his companions were scattered, and they could only fumble their way through the darkness with fear, until the sound of Zelo's own words attracted him.

He couldn't see Zelo's expression at the moment, only the viscous liquid splashed on his face.

The blow that carried out his belief finally paid off, and he guessed that Zelo must be dead, maybe his brains were spilled, but he didn't bother to evaluate Zelo at all, and instead went straight to the people in the cell, "Princess, I'm here to save you!"

Paladin knew that in this cell was the man he had been haunted by.

The distance between them was so close that he could touch each other by feeling if he had only to run two steps out.

"I'll take you away from ......."

The excitement came to an abrupt halt.

The hand he was holding at the other was bounced away like an electric shock, and the cold, hard touch caused Paladin to fall to the ground, and the iron rod in his hand fell to the side.

A terrible guess emerged.

"Betrayers can come here."

Zelo, who was supposed to be dead, suddenly spoke, and he heard Paladin's anxious cry, saying, "I appreciate your courage, and in return, let you see it."

Before the words could be spoken, two flames lit up the darkness.

The flames were in front of the throne, and Paladin reflexively screamed when he saw the figure above the throne

Come.

A skeleton of a lake of flesh and blood.

Its body was confined to the throne in a twisted position, and a heart beat slowly.

And Paladin also saw Zelo's state clearly.

The blow had opened a hole in the back of his head, but through the broken wound, he was greeted not by human tissue, but by what looked like a lump.

As if disturbed, they raised their heads and bared their teeth at Paladin.

"She's alive."

Zelo took the initiative to answer the doubts in his heart for him.

"What did you do to her?"

This unknowable scene caused Paladin to gasp violently, and he wished it was a nightmare, because perhaps only the most terrible nightmares would come before him.

"Do you know how it feels when your skin is peeled off your body?"

A hideous and ugly smile appeared on Zelo's face, "This is the punishment that the master has tailored for them, and they enjoy the pain all the time...... You might have a hard time understanding that, right? How about letting you experience it firsthand?"

The iron rod was less than a meter away from him, and reason told Paladin that he should rise up now.

But he had exhausted all his strength just by propping his hands on the flesh on the floor, and he watched as the loach-like creatures burst out of Zelo's head and tore at him.

To this, Zelo added, "However, only those with royal blood are eligible for 'eternal life', they will only gnaw away at your flesh little by little, and this process will last about 13 minutes, which is enough for a minor character like you."

As he spoke, the "loach" had already filled Paladin's gaze.

He could clearly see their dense fangs, which made him close his eyes, not wanting to see the flesh being torn off his body.

Just as his vision fell into darkness, he faintly heard a voice.

"Destroy this wall."

The next moment, the loach's body fell to the ground in a way that defied the laws of physics, and their bodies were instantly crushed by gravity until they turned into a puddle of blood.

The flesh that covered the walls burst open like blood packets, pouring blood into the room like rain.

Bloodied mechanical artifacts emerged from behind the broken walls, gleaming red prosthetic eyes locked onto Zelo.

Being stared at like this, Zelo's expression finally changed.

From its appearance, it is clear that it is the mechanical legion that has caused them problems on land.

But in addition to that, he heard some strange conversations.

"How many days is this fat man?"

The mechanical creature seemed to be talking to itself.