The King of Thieves possesses astonishing jumping ability; the ground and walls are indistinguishable to him, and the intricate network of alleyways in the Warehouse District is practically his natural domain.
Ordinary people could only see a dark shadow moving around in the alley, and even though the Black Sword Mercenaries had dragon blood, they couldn't catch a glimpse of the enemy with their naked eyes and could only fight haphazardly.
Under the barrage of bullets and crossbow bolts, even with VanCleef's incredible speed, it was impossible for him to escape unscathed. By the time he reached the shield formation of five mercenaries, he had already been hit four or five times.
The Mithril armor lining protected him from the flesh wounds, but the force of the arrow penetrated the armor, and the throbbing pain in his body reminded him that there were at least three bruises on his chest and thighs, which greatly affected his movements.
He wasn't foolish enough to charge head-on into the heavily armored shield bearers. Instead, he stopped abruptly outside the range of their spears, twisted his body, spread his fingers, and fired several small hidden weapons into the enemy soldiers' eyes. Then, he quickly lunged forward, thrusting a pair of broad blades straight at the knees of two mercenaries.
The mercenary, clad in heavy armor and wielding a steel shield, was too bulky for VanCleef to dodge, and the broadsword struck him precisely through the gaps in his leg armor.
The hidden weapons struck simultaneously, and several screams erupted. Of the five shield soldiers, two suffered knee injuries, one suffered an eye injury, and the other three were thrown into disarray by the shock.
The shield formation of five men crumbled in an instant, and VanCleef laughed wildly, brandishing his double blades as he leaped over it. The five shield bearers caught in the blades fell to the ground with screams of agony almost simultaneously.
The Black Sword mercenaries behind him were prepared; a huge, dark steel net was spread out in the air, covering the King of Thieves on three sides.
VanCleef sneered inwardly. He was an expert in all sorts of unusual weapons and equipment, and he was more skilled at using fishing nets than anyone else.
He pointed his single blade diagonally, leaped swiftly into the air, slightly twisted his arm, and used the tip of his blade to wrap around a corner of the giant net. Then, he suddenly turned around, and the giant net, disturbed by this force, was as if it had been torn apart by a gust of wind, and actually rolled back, trapping the seven or eight mercenaries in front of him into a rolling mess.
"Big eater!"
The Countess in the air was furious and cursed. She had been raising an army for a thousand days to use it for one day. These carefully crafted dragon-blood mercenaries were her trump card, but she never expected them to be so useless in front of the King of Thieves. If it weren't for maintaining her Eye of True Sight, she would have taken action herself.
Barbosa, on the ground, felt a chill run down his spine. As the Black Dragon Princess's closest male favorite, he could most directly sense his master's murderous intent.
VanCleef leaped over the giant net, casually scattering a handful of green poison powder, causing the mercenaries trapped in the net to scream in agony. Without stopping, he charged forward more than ten meters in the blink of an eye, and the archers and musketeers behind him could not stop him at all.
The King of Thieves broke through three lines of defense in succession, taking a life with each swing of his double blades. In the blink of an eye, he had killed six more mercenaries who dared to block his way. However, whether due to internal injuries or fatigue, he made a slight mistake and was grazed on the side by a dying mercenary's Warhammer, suffering some internal injuries.
There was only one enemy left, who looked like the mercenary leader. Killing him would open up a smooth path ahead.
VanCleef, enduring the pain in his waist, launched "Shadowstrike," increasing his speed several times over and transforming into a black shadow as he attacked his opponent.
Barbosa neither dodged nor evaded, nor did he even draw his weapon from his waist. Instead, he suddenly opened his strong arms wide, as if to welcome an old friend with a big hug.
VanCleef sensed a trap. He paused, his double blades, which had been aimed at the throat and heart, suddenly retracted. He transformed into a black arc wrapped in silver light, darting past his tall adversary's armpits and turning to deliver a Backstab.
With a slight hesitation, the twin blades pierced through the armor, and the feeling of the weapons entering flesh thrilled VanCleef. Once the invincible twin blades pierced through the armor, he was the Grim Reaper who held the lives of his enemies in his hands.
"Ouch!" Barbosa's heart and lungs were pierced at the same time. An ordinary person would die instantly, but he was no longer an ordinary human being.
His muscles bulged wildly, his armor burst open at the same time, and in the blink of an eye he transformed into a ferocious humanoid dragon beast, the blood flowing from his back immediately congealing into deep red crystals.
The King of Thieves's twin blades were tightly clamped in the dragon's chest. Startled, he tried to abandon his weapons and flee, but it was too late. A massive black tail suddenly lashed out from between the dragon's legs, striking his calf.
VanCleef groaned and rolled to the ground. He quickly struggled to his feet, a piercing pain shooting through his injured calf. He knew he was in trouble; this sensation meant his bone was cracking.
Barbosa was also in bad shape. He desperately activated the essence of dragon blood within his body to save his life, but the severe damage to his heart and lungs made it difficult for him to even turn around. After unleashing a full-force tail sweep, the wounds were already starting to become difficult to heal.
"Well done, Barbosa!" the Countess in the air shouted to the mercenaries, "Kill him!"
Mercenaries surrounded him from behind, but VanCleef calmly stood on one leg, and with a flick of his wrists, a long black whip appeared in his hands.
With two ear-piercing cracks, the two mercenaries at the forefront were struck on the forehead by the whip almost simultaneously. Blood spurted from their eyes and noses, and they screamed in agony as they collapsed unconscious.
VanCleef calmly assumed a one-legged stance, slowly retracting his whip. His composed demeanor momentarily intimidated all his enemies.
Everyone witnessed firsthand how ruthless and swift the King of Thieves' methods of killing were.
The remaining few pursuers hesitated, some taking out spare bows and muskets to fire, but VanCleef was a hundred times more agile than the average person, easily dodging the sparse bullets and arrows with a slight sidestep or a few small hops.
His hopping figure on one leg was rather comical, but none of the mercenaries could laugh. A terrifying Dragon's Presence's might pressed down from mid-air, and the Black Dragon Princess could no longer bear it and finally made her move.
Everyone on the ground suddenly noticed the air temperature rising sharply. VanCleef's heart pounded wildly, and his battle-hardened body reacted naturally to the threat of death, his muscles stiffening.
"Sprint!"
VanCleef immediately activated his trump card escape spell. Although he only had one leg, his speed increased several times over, and he escaped the range of Eye of True Sight like a wisp of smoke.
"Disappear!"
His powerful invisibility made him vanish without a trace, a combo that had saved him from countless desperate pursuits.
But at this moment, he felt no joy at escaping death, because he could feel that the heat in the air was decreasing rather than increasing, the shadow of death was still looming over him, and he was helpless.
"Aow!" A piercing howl, like that of a wild beast, suddenly erupted.
The sky brightened as the Black Dragon Princess's spell was finally complete. A massive fan-shaped pillar of fire appeared in the sky, instantly turning the white clouds crimson. The entire southwest corner of the Warehouse District trembled under the shadow of the dark dragon's breath.
Fire, fire, fire! It's all fire!
In an instant, whether it was buildings or living beings, whether it was the Black Sword Mercenaries or the King of Thieves, the flames of annihilation had already descended.
"Cloak of Shadows!"
Surrounded by deadly dragon breath from all sides, VanCleef had nowhere to escape. Instinctively, he used his last means of survival, his entire body enveloped in a shadow radiating an eerie light, as if he had vanished into another dimension. The dragon breath passed by like a spring breeze, unable to harm him at all.
But the Black Sword Mercenaries behind them and the surrounding buildings were not so lucky. Under the extremely high temperature of the dragon flames, even the mercenaries with Dragonflight blood were instantly roasted.
The surrounding warehouses were all set ablaze, and sporadic screams rang out one after another as a few Docks hiding inside were being tortured by the intense heat.
The "Cloak of Shadows," which only lasted for five seconds, quickly wore off. The King of Thieves ran forward without looking back, the burning warehouses on both sides scorching his body, and his body was rapidly losing moisture.
The continuous casting of spells and killing of enemies, coupled with various hidden injuries, finally took a toll on his stamina. The narrow path between the flames and thick smoke seemed endless.
Lost in the raging flames, VanCleef became disoriented, his steps growing heavier and his body staggering.
"Snort!"
A chilling laugh that sent shivers down one's spine suddenly came from overhead; the Countess had caught up with them from mid-air.
"Earthspike Cage!"
The ground shook, and several sharp stone pillars suddenly pierced out from under his feet. The King of Thieves leaped with all his might on one leg to dodge the spikes, but the wind howled overhead, and the top of his head was suddenly struck heavily by the Countess's staff, causing his entire body to plummet to the ground.
He twisted desperately in the air, trying to avoid the spikes below, but the Countess gave a sharp shout, and a sharp stone pillar suddenly grew larger. The terrifying force pierced through two layers of armor and instantly pierced his vital area between his chest and abdomen, suspending him on the stone pillar.
A surge of heat rose from his chest, and the King of Thieves couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. The blood flowing from his chest and abdominal wounds immediately stained the entire stone pillar red.
But he did not give up. He held onto the stone pillar with both hands and leaned forward with all his might, enduring the immense pain of his body being torn apart, trying to get off the top of the stone pillar.
The Countess, floating in mid-air, watched the human's death throes with excitement. The suffering of others always brought her great pleasure, let alone this enemy who had caused her so much damage. She wasn't in a hurry to twist off his head.
"I know it might be a pointless question, but I still want to ask," the Black Dragon Princess sneered mockingly, "Become my servant, and I'll allow you to live."
VanCleef stared with bloodshot eyes, coughing up another mouthful of blood. Despite his impending death, his mind was unusually clear— the Countess would never forgive him; she merely wanted to lure him into his ugly state and then mercilessly mock him.
And since the rebellion began, he has never intended to submit to anyone.
"My... daughter... will definitely..."
Before he could finish speaking, a golden glint suddenly Blink in the corner of his eye, immediately drawing VanCleef's attention.
The Countess also turned her head sharply, and saw a golden flash of light rushing towards them like a shooting star from the direction of the Docks, with a repulsive holy aura rushing towards them.
The newcomers appeared hostile. The Countess brandished her heavy staff and swiftly unleashed a unique earth-based spell characteristic of the Black Dragon: "Gravity Vortex!"
A huge black vortex appeared out of nowhere, its powerful gravity seemingly freezing the surrounding air.
Even the dying VanCleef was drawn in by this force; if he hadn't been impaled on the stone pillar, he might have been sucked into the vortex and crushed into a ball of Meatball.
The golden meteor didn't force its way into the Gravity Vortex; instead, it stopped abruptly a hundred paces away. Only then did the Countess see clearly that within the golden light was the human Paladin from Ironforge that Vandrin Bloodsoul had mentioned to her—black hair and black eyes, there was no mistake.
"Nice to meet you, Princess Onyxia!"
Unas hovered in the air, flapping his golden wings. Having finally spotted the Black Dragon Princess, he didn't rush to attack—he had flown alone, with Master Omar and his subordinates still behind. It wouldn't hurt to buy some time.
Although she was mentally prepared, the Black Dragon Princess was still somewhat taken aback when the other party called out her real name so readily. She hadn't taken this suddenly appearing human seriously, but upon meeting him, she realized that his aura was in no way inferior to her own, which made her abandon her contempt.
"You little worm, I don't care where you came from, the consequences of going against me are right under your feet!"
Unas glanced at the ground; the gruesome sight of the King of Thieves was too painful to bear. "Chief VanCleef, long time no see... are you alright?"
"Cough, cough," VanCleef coughed weakly, then suddenly rallied as if in a final burst of energy, "Give it to Vanessa!" With his last ounce of strength, he flicked his sleeve, and a dark gold dagger shot toward the Paladin.
The Countess wouldn't stand idly by while he made his move. With a flick of her staff, she activated Gravity Vortex to intercept him. The golden dagger was drawn by the vortex's gravity, its trajectory changing from straight to curved, flying towards the Countess's hand.
Just as Unas was about to make a move, the Countess unleashed three pillars of fire with her other hand, blocking his path.
The dark gold dagger was firmly sucked into the vortex, arcing through the air before falling into the Countess's hand in the blink of an eye.
Seeing his keepsake fall into enemy hands, VanCleef was frantic with worry. His greatest fear was that after his death, no one would be able to control Defias, the Brotherhood fall apart, and all his life's work would be destroyed.
Although the young daughter is already a skilled assassin, her ability to win people's hearts is probably not as good as that of an Orcs. VanCleef's most trusted lieutenants, Bakir and Russell Blood Oath, are not enough to command respect, so others are bound to have their own agendas.
The change of supreme power is always accompanied by fierce struggles. Even now, in the midst of war with Stormwind City, the notoriously unscrupulous bandit leaders are likely to engage in infighting.
Therefore, VanCleef had no choice but to entrust his token to the Paladin, asking him to pass it on to his daughter— Vanessa, whom he had previously appointed to monitor the three marshals. According to reports from his subordinates, the black- Paladin and Vanessa seemed to get along well. More importantly, VanCleef had no other options at the moment.
But the Countess's forceful interception plunged him into despair. The King of Thieves, coughing up blood, screamed hoarsely, "Paladin, reclaim it! You will receive unimaginable rewards!"
"Oh?" Before Unas could respond, the Countess chuckled with amusement, toying with the dark gold dagger. "I thought it was just a pointless ornament for you humans, but I didn't expect you to value it so much?"
A glint flashed in her eyes as she stared at the dagger, then she exclaimed in realization, "I see."
The Countess clasped her hands together; her fair fingers, though hard, were as firm as King Kong. The dark gold dagger was easily crushed, and a small roll of parchment appeared in the broken hilt.
"Is this a map?"
The parchment contained a picture covered in ciphertext, and only a vague outline of a map could be discerned.
VanCleef closed his eyes. His shouting just now seemed to have exhausted his last bit of energy. The fact that the Black Dragon Princess had discovered his secret was even more unbearable for him. Fortunately, he closed his eyes and waited for death.
Like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, VanCleef, as the most wanted criminal in the Kingdom of Stormwind, has countless secret hideouts, the most hidden of which is a small island overseas. Without a nautical chart, even he would not be able to find the exact route.
Since its founding, Defias had plundered and seized the gold mines of the Westfall. Of the vast wealth it acquired, aside from the portion used to build the Brotherhood, most of it was hidden by VanCleef in this secret stronghold. This was the most important legacy he left to his daughter—that even if they were ultimately defeated, she could use this wealth to make a comeback.
He had only taught Vanessa the coded messages on the nautical chart. If his own daughter couldn't obtain them, he would rather let the treasure remain buried forever than reveal the secrets to his enemy.
"It seems this map holds a great secret of yours, perhaps your secret stash?" The Countess glanced at the map casually, already guessing quite accurately. "I will fulfill your last wish and give this parchment to your daughter. However, I am currently lacking a maid, and she would be very suitable for this lowly profession!"
The Black Dragon Princess, possessing wealth beyond measure, didn't care about the illusory secret treasure of a bandit leader, yet that didn't stop her from enjoying the suffering of her enemy—since VanCleef's dying wish was for his daughter, she had to thoroughly torment her to vent her hatred.
VanCleef remained silent; his stubbornness in despair pleased the Countess even more, and she casually put the parchment away.
Unas, however, was somewhat envious. Disregarding his lofty, Holy Light image, he spoke with a greedy, mocking tone, "Mr. VanCleef, if it really is Booty Bay map, what percentage will I get if I help you retrieve it?"
"Haha!" The Countess laughed heartily, "You overconfident little reptiles, you can try!" She had already keenly sensed that several hostile forces on the ground were secretly watching her; they must be the Paladin's accomplices.
"Let's give it a try!"
With his reinforcements discovered, Unas saw no need to delay any longer. He suddenly soared upwards, tracing a golden inverted V-shape in the sky, and thrust his sword with both hands toward the enemy's head.
He spared no effort in his attack; the speed and power of this sword strike reached their peak in an instant. The torn air emitted a piercing shriek, and the entire sky seemed to be split in two by this golden light.
Before the person even arrived, the terrifying air pressure had already trapped the Countess in a storm. She dared not underestimate it. With a command, the Gravity Vortex in front of her suddenly expanded several times, and the force field reversed, turning attraction into repulsion.
Ignoring everything else, Unas plunged his sword into the black vortex. The immense repulsive force enveloped him, causing his speed to plummet, as if he were surrounded by sticky mud.
But from his elevated position, the power and speed beyond his limits gave him immense kinetic energy, and the sword still pierced through the vortex, heading straight for the Countess's forehead.
At the same time, blazing rays of fire and steel arrows suddenly appeared from the ground on both sides, attacking the Countess's back from both ends.
"Burst!"
With her life hanging by a thread, the Countess calmly shouted, and the Gravity Vortex instantly contracted, then suddenly expanded and exploded.
In the raging force field, Unas and the Countess were like two balls colliding violently, unable to maintain their balance and tumbling and bouncing back in the air. Even the flame rays and arrows were thrown off course by the chaotic force field and failed to hit their targets.
"Interesting!" The Countess grinned menacingly, a drop of blood trickling down her forehead, slicing diagonally across her delicate face— the Paladin's sword tip still left a small wound on her full forehead.
"What's coming next is even more interesting!" Unas retorted, the force field explosion suddenly pushing him in the opposite direction, as if he had been hit by a sledgehammer, a stench rising to his head, his muscles trembling incessantly.
On the ground, Perella and Huoye immediately shifted their positions after launching their attack, disappearing into the smoke-filled alleyways.
"Annoying little bugs!"
The Countess cursed and was about to get rid of the pests when suddenly white light Blink behind the Paladin. One after another, spellcasters in robes arrived via short-range teleportation—it was the group of the Mage Academy, led by Instructor Blackbeard.
Unas glanced back and saw Master Omar mingling in the crowd, which put his mind at ease.
Blackbeard the mage leaped lightly into the air, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Paladin. The two nodded to each other; though it was their first meeting, they had already reached a tacit understanding without needing to say a word.
A bad feeling welled up in the Countess's heart, and she questioned loudly, "Oink, how dare your Mage Academy ally with Windsor's accomplices? Such an act is tantamount to treason!"
Blackbeard, also known as the mage Oink, spoke with a calm voice that concealed his anger, retorting, "Ms. Prestor, please explain what exactly happened in the bank manager's office?"
The Countess was speechless for a moment, then immediately realized that the plot to assassinate Dean Hernan had been exposed.
It turned out that after Unas and his group landed, Unas flew first to the battlefield in the Warehouse District, while Huoye, Perella, and Nightmoon followed on the ground, and Master Omar and Natasha stayed behind to mediate the battle at the Docks.
Omar's reputation as a "dragon scholar" carries considerable weight in the mage world, Blackbeard Oink was naturally aware of it; the advice of the Archmage of Dalaran could not be ignored.
Russell Blood Oath, VanCleef's top bodyguard and advisor, was virtually untouchable on the Docks when no other bigwigs dared to disobey his orders.
With the help of two powerful spellcasters, the battle on the Docks temporarily ceased. Defias withdrew the sailors surrounding the Portal, allowing Oink to return to the bank in the Trade District through the Portal —he had been worried about the Dean's safety.
Upon arriving at the manager's office, they found Dean Hernan unconscious, on the verge of death. Oink immediately cried for help, summoning Priest for emergency resuscitation, before rushing back to the Docks.
Whether or not the Countess was, as Master Omar claimed, a Black Dragon in disguise, he had to find out the truth.
So he led all the mages at the Docks and teleported with Master Omar to the battlefield in the Warehouse District to face the Countess.
"Whatever happened at the bank, it was an accident." In front of so many people, the Black Dragon Princess refused to admit it, otherwise her years of hard work in Stormwind City would have been in vain.
"Could you please explain what exactly happened?"
"You have no right to question me, Oink!" The Countess's anger soared to the heavens. "I am the next Chief Justice of the Noble Council. Your rebellion against me is rebellion against Stormwind City!"
"End your futile sophistry," Master Omar's calm voice boomed through the room. The time Blackbeard had bought him was more than enough. He silently chanted the complex incantation until it was finished, and the illusion-breaking spell was complete. "Reveal your true form, Onyxia!"