Tails hadn't heard of Crassus's name, and he couldn't understand why the man named Hammer had changed color.

But he knew who the drill was.

Six years ago, on the night of the dragon's blood, it was this man who stood in front of the Grand Duke of Black Sand with a spring breeze, negotiating back and forth with the famous Charman Rumba to claim the ownership of the Prince of the Stars.

He and the taboo organization behind him played an indispensable role in that unprecedented and earth-shaking coup d'état: whether it was the thrilling assassination of Tails under the fortress, or the desperate confession of Archduke Parfit before his death, or even the terrible moment when the head of the Born King fell to the ground, their figures shuttled through it in a trance.

They are ghostly, ubiquitous, but also mysterious and nowhere to be found, and every time they appear, they bring blood and death, which shocks the viewer and makes the recipient regretful.

And the moment when this group of people reappeared......

Tails took a deep breath, holding back his apprehension and uneasiness, staring at the man so engrossed in the look that the fast rope gave him.

In the middle of the field, the chisel carefully observed the mercenaries around him.

The man solemnly found that although the smell of killing and fighting on their bodies was heavier, from top to bottom, no one had any intention to refute or show a strange look.

He wasn't lying.

The hammer's heart sank: he was indeed "Crassus".

Things are a little bit more unexpected.

But......

"It turns out that you are the Crassus of this generation. ”

"I have to say, I'm a little surprised," said the chisel, turning to Ricky, and his tone became cautious, inexplicably cautious, as if a thief outside the window was glancing at the contents of the window:

"Those in high positions rarely put themselves at risk. ”

High-ranking people?

Tails turned his attention to Ricky's body, but all he could see was a rough face, the light leather armor common to desert mercenaries, and a rude and casual sitting posture.

By any measure, he's just an ordinary mercenary leader.

The prince couldn't help but wonder: How can he be a high-ranking person?

"Or ......"

The drill's eyes were fixed on Ricky, and he turned his words to a tentative one: "What you have to do tonight is too important, and you have to go into battle in person if you are as high as you?"

The mercenaries around them were silent, but many of them subconsciously looked at each other.

The silence lasted for a few seconds.

A smile tugged at Ricky's face, and then quickly faded.

"Indeed, a good leader does not have to take the risk of doing everything," he nodded and said lightly, "but he must never lack the courage and responsibility to do so." ”

The chisel raised his eyebrows and made a sudden appearance.

"Admiration is immense. ”

The man smiled shyly, "But this makes me quite worried, you obviously have such an important action, but you lack the necessary ......"

But Ricky didn't let him continue.

“...... Otherwise," Ricky's eyes were fixed on the hammer, but he continued to speak without caring whether the other party had spoken:

"As a leader, he will one day be reduced to a behind-the-scenes waste, protecting himself from a bubble of lies to hide his cowardice and incompetence. He can only rely on hypocritical pretensions and despicable tricks to win the trust of his peers, and use empty threats and false incentives to maintain the obedience of his subordinates. ”

Ricky's tone was very soft, but it suddenly changed at the end:

"Tell me, how is Teng?"

If he pointed to something, he couldn't help frowning.

Tails, who was listening, was stunned.

What the...... What's going on lately?

He didn't understand the monosyllabic word.

But the chisel's reaction quickly made it clear to him: it was a name.

Rise.

The moment he heard the name, he froze in the face of Ricky's burning eyes.

But he quickly adjusted himself and smiled back.

"The shadow lord is all right," the chisel bowed again, and the afterglow looked at the mercenaries around him, his face humble:

"As good as you are. ”

Shadow Lord.

Tails frowned.

He is not the only one who has gained.

"Damn, Tails, I think ......" Fastrope turned pale and stabbed him under the table, whispering in disbelief, "I think I know who these people are......"

Tails nodded quietly.

"As good as I am?"

"I don't see it that way. Ricky chuckled and shook his head, holding up a finger and pointing at the drill across from him.

"If he's as good as I am...... It would not be unusual for Nateng to send you, an idea based in Longxiao City, into the Great Desert, into the Bladefang Camp of the Star People, and into a territory that is dangerous for you. ”

"I don't remember that Kaiser V pardoned you. ”

Compared to his previous good words and persuasions, Ricky became more aggressive when facing the drill.

The tavern owner sitting across from him, Kampa couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

The drill frowned.

Wrong.

It shouldn't be like this.

For this risky and special meeting, he should have initiated the topic, he made suggestions, and he revealed the conditions.

But......

At this moment, the chisel found that the initiative of this conversation was firmly grasped by the other party.

"If he's as good as I am," Ricky's face turned cold, and his tone slowly tightened like a noose around his neck:

"Then he will not send you, like a stupid and arrogant blackmailer, to knowingly come to the door at a moment that we value so much, with a triumphant face, and a lot of nonsense, and secretive, and in a pretentious manner, 'I know what you are going to do.'" ”

Ricky said in disgust, "It's like you're really holding us." ”

The pupils of the drill slowly constricted: "What do you mean ......?"

"Remember, chisel. ”

Next to Ricky, the middle-aged swordsman Clay stared at the hammer firmly, as if there was a stain on his face, and his voice was hoarse: "We have an account, and we haven't finished it yet." ”

The drill looked puzzled.

"Six years ago, in Longxiao City, you pretended to be in our name, making trouble in the most dangerous place in Exeter, and doing whatever you want," the middle-aged swordsman in the Northland was like a leopard staring at its prey:

"Thanks to you, we've lost a lot of manpower, including my students—calamity, dragons, rebellion, chaos, and even the aftermath of Longxiao City. ”

"It was a hard time. ”

"You think we'll let it go?"

The drill stared.

The mercenaries were in a commotion, and they all threw disgruntled and disgusted glances at the chisel.

Longxiao City six years ago......

Tails could feel the fast rope at his side breathing faster and faster, and he even clenched his fists.

For some reason, Marina behind her also gritted her teeth, staring at the chisel that Qianfu was pointing to.

The drill sighed.

"I feel guilty about this, please accept my apologies. ”

Clay sarcastically said, "Sorry?"

Disdainful grunts could be heard from the mercenaries.

But the chisels are completely unaffected, as if they are hypocrites who have nothing to do with themselves, and after hearing about a distant tragedy, they pretend to talk about sadness, prove their humanity, and gain the understanding of others.

"We were also surprised by what happened back then...... But I'm here today with absolutely all my heart and I want to make a win-win proposal......"

But Ricky looked up slightly.

"We don't have a 'win-win' situation. ”

He rejected the drill's words, leaving the latter stunned for a while.

"When you walked in the door, we hated your nostril-facing face, the timing of your appearance, your self-righteous tongue, and even more so the blood debt you left behind. ”

Ricky said coldly, "And we are not interested in your so-called suggestion or secret that you pretend to be mysterious. ”

The look on the drill suddenly stiffened.

"A mongrel that lives in the dark and rotten, chasing the flies that are chaotic and the smell of corpses," Ricky said without any positive feelings, looking at the frozen hammer:

"Now, do you understand our attitude?"

The hammer clenched his fists, his face full of disbelief.

"Why are you still wasting time here?" At the same table, the masked man sighed and knocked on the table: "Our schedule today is very full. ”

Northland swordsman Clay snorted coldly.

With his snort, almost all the mercenaries in the tavern held their weapons with cold expressions, and many even took a step forward.

In the face of the aggressive mercenaries, the drill froze, and he subconsciously looked around.

Clay said coldly: "Don't look anywhere else, Hammer, I promise you: if something happens, your group of companions who are squatting outside will not be able to do anything until your head hits the ground." ”

As a bystander, Tails silently retracted his head a little, while the fast rope remained staring at the drill.

The tavern was completely silent, but no one could feel how comfortable the atmosphere was at the moment.

The chisel looked around and frowned.

Damn it.

This bunch of brainless muscular guys.

But he can't turn his face.

No.

He still needs them.

This bunch of damn ......

"If you kill me here, the people of the stars will soon find out about your plot here......"

The drill lowered his head and looked serious: "Your plan will not succeed." ”

Ricky sighed.

"It seems that he didn't understand. ”

In the next second, a sword light suddenly flashed!

At a speed beyond what Tails could see with the naked eye, he instantly burst out of Clay's hand.

Let Tails, who was paying attention to the conversation and being caught off guard, skip a beat!

But luckily, Jianfeng wasn't coming at him.

A flash of sword light stopped in front of the hammer's neck.

A second later, the reacting chisel couldn't help but take a step back, and his face turned pale!

"Whoosh!"

The sword wind had just blown at the moment.

I saw Clay holding a strange long sword with a blood groove and a hollow sword body, and the blade of the sword quietly stopped in front of the drill.

And the mercenaries, as if they were commonplace, did not care, and laughed one after another.

The chisel's breath fluctuated, but he forced himself to say calmly, "Do you really want to do this?"

Clay held up his strangely styled sword and shook his head slightly, "It's 'dark light', when it tears through your veins......"

As he spoke, his long sword moved forward slightly, against the other man's neck.

The pupils of the drill shrank instantly.

Damn it!

"Okay, I see!"

He instantly raised his hands and gasped for breath, finally making Clay stop his long sword: "Dear Crassus, and all of you. ”

"It's your choice whether you want to listen to my advice or not......

"And I'm willing to ...... I'm here to answer all your questions. ”

The gesture is humble and the tone is respectful.

The three leading mercenaries glanced at each other.

"Very well," Ricky curled the corners of his mouth:

"Compared to the nonsense at the beginning...... You're finally starting to talk. ”

The chisel took a breath and re-examined the "Crassus" in front of him in reluctance and uneasiness.

Clay snorted coldly, putting away his longsword, which was too fast to see.

Ricky said lightly: "Say, how did you target us?"

A few seconds later, the chisel sighed as if resigned to his fate:

"The Tower of End. ”

At this moment, Tails saw that many of the mercenaries couldn't help but clench their fists or weapons, and their breath became short.

Clay and the masked swordsman frowned at each other.

Only their leader, Ricky's expression remained the same.

"That's right, I know," said the hammer, touching his neck and gritting his teeth, "we have eyes and ears there." ”

Ricky continued, "What have you heard?"

"Not long ago, the Tower of the End was raided in one night. ”

The chisel cautiously looked around at the mercenaries, observing their expressions.

"The opponents are of unknown origin, powerful, and numerous, and the lines of defense and vigilance have been breached layer by layer, and the invaders have not until they stormed the House of Inheritance," said the chisel in a storytelling tone, "before they were repulsed." ”

"According to our people, certain 'supernatural', unusual forces also appeared during the invasion. ”

Tails' eyebrows skipped a beat.

Wait a minute.

Recently.

Tower of the End.

Raided......

Supernatural ......

The Prince of Stars blinked, recalling in horror a "lesson" from a long time ago.

At that time, the guy who was about to go far said to him......

No way?

Is that what I thought?

"This is a rare vicious incident in the history of the Tower of End, even if the Gray Sword Guards keep it strictly secret internally, it will be difficult for them to cover it all - the eight major schools are all suffering heavy casualties, and even the army of the 'Red King' of the stars two hundred years ago was not so exaggerated in besieging the Valley of the Blades. ”

The drill sneered and looked at the dozens of mercenaries: "You did it, right, at least you are involved? You cooperate with the Blood Vial Gang, they have a lot of special warriors absorbed from the Western Wilderness......"

There was a commotion among the mercenaries around them.

The Blood Vials.

Tails covered his head in his heart, feeling that his guess was getting closer and closer to the truth.

Clay shook his head: "It has nothing to do with you. ”

"You then fled into the desert and retreated to the Bladefang camp, hiding in the sound of blood—one of our spies in the desert recognized you. ”

The drill continues:

"But the Bladefang camp is going to send troops to the desert, and after the blockade order was issued, it is clear that there is no business, but your mercenary group has not scattered, but continues to recruit people from all over the world, so I think: no matter what you encounter in the Tower of End, you are not going to give up on it. ”

"That's why I've sent you a message: Come tonight. ”

The masked man snorted disdainfully.

Ricky and Clay were silent.

"Listen, I don't care about your grudge against the Tower of Finish, anyway, you've been going back and forth for more than a hundred years," saw this, and continued with a roll of his eyes, "I don't care what you're raiding there for: do you want to vent your anger, do a coup d'état, or dig up treasure......"

and the Tower of the End, which has been fighting for more than a hundred years......

Tails' heart moved.

"But I know you're having a hard time right now: the cost to the invaders must be even heavier to damage the Tower of the Termination, which is so famous and standing between the two great powers. ”

The drill's eyes lit up, he raised his hand, and his tone was high, as if he had forgotten the embarrassment and humiliation just now: "Now, no matter what you want to do, there will definitely be a shortage of manpower - especially, you still want to break the famous Bone Prison in the Blade Tooth Camp of the Star Kingdom, and rob the prison like never before......"

What the?

Tails didn't react for a moment.

But others are different.

At this moment, whether it was Ricky, Clay or the masked man, they all suddenly raised their heads!

They stared at the drill in front of them.

As if I couldn't believe it.

The mercenaries also stirred up and were in a slight uproar.

"What?"

The incredulous fast rope whispered to Tails, "These people are going to ...... If you want to rob the Prison of Bones, that hellish place, there's something wrong with your brain!"

In the middle of the field, the drill vultures continued to speak: "This will not be an easy thing......

However, the next moment, the familiar sword light flashed!

Clay's sword once again pressed into the throat of the hammer.

"Who told you that!" the middle-aged swordsman from the Northland asked with a cold snort.

"Damn cockroaches. "This is a masked man.

Ricky frowned, "How do you know?"

Once again, the hammer was in doom and gasped sharply, but this time, he retorted without humility or arrogance.

"A few days ago, you deliberately sent some people to the prison of bones, as a reaction to the time," the chisel snorted coldly, "Tonight, you are scheduled to gather here again, and you drove away and kidnapped the guys early, including this tavern owner......"

"Isn't that obvious!"

Bang!

On the other side, Tampa, who had been silent for a long time, was stunned and slapped the table.

"!"

"That's why you kidnapped me?"

The tavernkeeper suppressed his anger and was shocked, "You have known for a long time that 'my house' is the place to supply the Prison of Bones......"

"You're trying to wait until dawn and then use our convoy to transport supplies......"

Mercenary Sonny slapped him the back of the head and pressed Tampa's words into his mouth:

"Shut up. ”

Why?

Tails wondered: Why did they rob the prison?

What are you going to rob?

And most importantly, if this group of mercenaries with mysterious identities really wants to do it.

What would that do with Tampa and the two of them?

The chaos lasted for several seconds before it fell silent under Ricky's arms raised again.

"We're underestimating you, Hammer," Ricky said thoughtfully, his eyes attentive:

"To be Teng's arm and deputy, you do have two hits. ”

At his motion, Clay withdrew his sword.

Rise.

Hearing the name again, he twitched his eyebrows imperceptibly.

"Look, I'm right," Hammer exhaled, carefully observing Ricky's reaction, "Your plan was too hasty, and your staff was stretched...... But what if we could help you?"

Ricky didn't speak.

Neither did the mercenaries.

"I know why you chose this moment in particular and not any other time, esteemed Crassus. ”

The chisel walked forward slowly, and his face returned to the confidence and calmness he had when he first came:

"Now, the Stardust Guards, the Skull Guards, the Raven Sentry Hussars, the Black Lion Infantry Regiment, and a handful of connected professional mercenaries—the most elite, fastest, and most loyal troops in these camps—all for some reason, have followed Williams to the front lines of the desert, unable to return for a while. ”

"And those who remained were either inferior garrisons, light infantry lacking mounts, or uneven temporary conscripts from all over the Western Wilderness, and even auxiliaries and servants who did not go to the battlefield very much—the barons were not there, there was no sufficient weight for the commanders to suppress, and they belonged to the royal family and local nobles were full of contradictions, conflicts, and it seemed that there were more troops than usual, but in fact the management was chaotic, the command was disorderly, and the dispatch was inefficient. ”

"This is a rare opportunity for you to rob the prison, is there a better time than facing the strict military appearance of the Legendary Wings?"

The chisel looked around and waved at the mercenaries around him, ignoring their disapproving eyes.

"That's why you've managed to get so many people together and take this tavern so easily—I've heard from the locals that in normal times, Williams would have thrown any group of suspicious warriors who gathered for no reason into prison and stripped them naked, and they wouldn't have been able to get out without losing twenty gold coins each. ”

At the end of his explanation, he confidently turned his head and looked at the groaning Ricky.

"Take advantage of the chaos to rob the prison, you are right," the hammer held up a finger:

"But it's still too hard. ”

"As far as you are concerned, less than a hundred, even if you are all professional mercenaries who have fought old battles, even if you are just facing these old, weak, sick and disabled, it is not easy to do - once you fail, casualties are inevitable, safety is difficult to guarantee, I really don't want you to experience another tragic raid to end the tower. ”

At this point, the mercenaries' expressions faltered.

In the next second, the drill turned around, and a bewitching color appeared in his eyes:

"But with us, it's different. ”

Ricky still groaned to himself, Clay looked at him coldly, silent, and the masked man was even more exaggerated, and his gaze at the hammer never had anything other than hatred and disgust.

"You know what we are capable of......"

The chisel tried his best to make his words sound more enticing: "With us here, you don't need this crappy plan, and you don't need this broken-mouthed boss." ”

Tampa stared at him viciously.

Hammer's eyes lit up: "We can provide you with the most accurate information and information, fight for the best conditions and timing, and even transfer or even paralyze the garrison of the White Bone Prison for you in a short time, so that you are equipped with the means to escape safely, you don't need to pretend to be a convoy in fear, sneak into the destination, or draw your sword and rush to break through those damn prison doors at a heavy cost." ”

He clenched his fist slightly:

"You'll get what you want faster, better, easier, whatever that may be. ”

The words of the drill were slightly paused, as if to observe the reaction of the crowd.

"Dear Crassus, and the mighty warriors. ”

The drill reopened.

"Your sword is the greatest refuge we can find at this moment in a land full of strangeness and hostility," he said at this moment, extremely humble, clasping his hands together with a respectful and obedient expression, "and we are the best ears, eyes and help you can find in a place full of strong enemies with armies." ”

The chisel carefully looked at each pair of eyes that crossed his gaze:

"But no matter which side we are, we are all alone here—you are a group of mercenaries who have been squeezed out, we are the wanted criminals that everyone shouts about, and no one can face Williams alone, face the Bladetooth Camp, face the Western Wilderness, face the behemoth and powerful backup behind them: the Kingdom of Stars. ”

Hammer's eyes widened, and he opened his hands: "Therefore, I suggest that we work together and take what we need: we will help you to open the door to the prison of bones with ease." ”

"Is there a better combination of the Sword of Calamity and the Shield of Shadow?"

The tavern was completely silent, except for the breathing of the warriors, one after the other, and the rhythm was erratic.

The chisel watched the other people's expressions without moving, and a pair of eyes rolled back and forth.

It seems like a year has passed.

Eventually, Ricky took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "Shadow ......"

"What do you want?"

As soon as he said this, both Clay and the masked man turned their heads sharply and stared at Ricky.

But Ricky ignored them.

"What are you going to do in the camp with our strength?"

Here, the chisel smiled.

He rubbed his hands together and slowly raised his head.

"We have extremely reliable information," the chisel said in a cautious tone, constantly observing even the slightest expression on the face of the person in front of him:

"A priceless target, implicated by all parties, just crossed the desert today and reached Camp Bladefang. ”

Valuable ...... Target?

What the?

At this moment, Marina only had to look down to notice that the red-haired youth and the black-haired teenager sitting in front of her were stiff in unison.

"That's our mission. ”

Ricky's eyes narrowed.

"Targets can be met with more than you can imagine at any time—piles of troops and countless masters, constant support and meticulous guards, which are far from being solved by stealth or forced attacks. ”

The hammer smashed his mouth and nodded with a sneer.

Under the watchful eye of countless mercenaries in front and behind, Tails and Fast Rope sat motionless, their eyes frozen.

In the boy's hellish senses, Tampa's angry breathing rose and fell, Marina's cold snort was vivid, and the murmurs of the mercenaries continued.

And the heartbeat of him and Fast Rope.

Only faster and faster.

Getting heavier and heavier.

"And we, esteemed Crassus, and all of you. ”

I saw the chisel bow his head, as if he was treasure some secret:

"What we have to do is work together to win this difficult but rewarding target in the camp in one fell swoop......"

Tails and Fastrope pressed their eyes to death on the hammer.

With apprehension and horror, he didn't dare to show half a bad mood.

Under the puzzled and hesitant gaze of many people, the hammer seemed to be a person who solved the mystery at the last moment, with a malicious smile, and said softly: "The second prince of the Star Kingdom, the only heir of the Supreme King." ”

"Tails ......"

"Bright Star. ”

For a second, Prince Xingchen's expression froze.

Together with his breathing, he stopped in this moment.

Beside him, Fast Rope smiled with relief and ......

Breathe a sigh of relief.

Failure out of context, grief inexplicable.

(End of chapter)