Chapter 418
Shi Lei thought the Crownslayer was going to announce something important, but it turned out to be just this:
"Oh, and then?"
The other party's reaction surprised Vigna greatly:
"You... you remained remarkably calm."
The status of the surname Victoria in Victoria is self-evident. Every Victorians knows that it is a name exclusively used by the Royal Family.
As a time traveler, Shi Lei had watched countless films and television shows about emperors. He had absolutely no sense of awe for the imperial power that ordinary people rarely spoke of.
"So what if he's the emperor's son? Besides, you haven't even become emperor yet. What's the big deal?"
Upon hearing this, Vigna's lips twitched, and she chuckled self-deprecatingly:
"Indeed, it's nothing serious. Your answer surprised me, but it's true. I'm sorry, Doctor Zhongli, for making you laugh."
Perhaps it was the expectations of everyone along the way that led Vigna to place herself in the position of Heir to the Throne.
But she is not the emperor yet.
Then you're no different from everyone else.
Understanding this made Crownslayer feel much better. The pressure and negative emotions that had lasted for days vanished with just one sentence.
Everyone else saw Vigna as Victoria's future emperor, but he saw himself as the Crownslayer.
"Doctor Zhongli, let's go. I know an Underground Passage that leads directly to the Imperial Palace's back garden."
Shi Lei was preparing to build Rock platform to carry everyone to the designated area when he heard this, and he was slightly surprised:
"Didn't you say you were going to the Glass Gang?"
"Mister Zhongli, I'll pass for now."
Vigna shook her head, a relieved smile spreading across her face.
"I know a secret underground passage that leads directly to the Imperial Palace's back garden. Please follow me."
June 23, 7:45 pm
After Manfred finished arranging the bombardment locations, he left the city walls without stopping.
He arrived at the Moving Plot bordering the Blood Demon Great Lord's territory to handle some urgent matters.
Several months ago, a large number of citizens went missing in the city. As for who the mastermind behind it all was, many Sarkaz who knew the truth kept quiet.
The Blood Demon Great Lord has recently created a large number of [New Bloodline] in this region.
This is a unique Originium creation, a mindless worm that can be activated with just a few drops of blood.
The New Bloodline is agile, resilient, and difficult to defeat. It is more threatening than the [Lord's Touch] created by the Blood Demon Great Lord before, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is an upgraded version.
The New Bloodline has sharp teeth and a gaping maw; once it bites its prey, it will not easily let go.
To prevent these creatures from spreading into the area he was responsible for, Manfred had no choice but to take action to eradicate them.
During this time, he also fought with a deranged Blood Amber Warrior. New Bloodline was eventually driven away by a Sarkaz Blood Collector.
Before he could even feel relieved about getting rid of the trouble, an urgent phone call completely broke Manfred's composure.
The subordinates reported that all the City Defense Cannon had been destroyed at the same time without any apparent reason.
Manfred found it hard to believe; he had assigned a large number of guards to protect the area before he left.
To guard against Rhodes Island's Ascalon, they even used infrared cameras.
He hurried back to the city wall, where he saw rows of destroyed City Defense Cannon.
The cockpit was completely shattered, and the control panel inside was twisted and deformed, rendering it completely unusable.
"Damn it!"
This is a crucial time; there are only two days left until Your His Highness's grand plan.
Seeing that all the City Defense Cannon had been destroyed, Manfred flew into a rage and immediately gave orders to his men:
"It must have been that engineer! Arrest him right now! I shouldn't have trusted those Victorians; they're rotten to the core!"
Seeing how angry he was, the subordinate cautiously handed over the video recording and said something fair:
"General, it seems this time it really isn't the engineer's fault. You'll see."
Manfred glared angrily and immediately went to investigate.
The footage shows a Sarkaz Soldier sitting in the cockpit, adjusting parameters.
After about ten seconds, a huge amount of rocks suddenly appeared out of thin air around Sarkaz. In just two or three breaths, the rocks filled the cockpit and began to push outwards.
The internal control panel and cables were likely damaged at this point. After the rock shattered the cockpit, it didn't stop but instead pierced the sturdy metal Cannon Barrel, rendering the City Defense Cannon completely unusable.
Seeing that Manfred remained silent after reading it, the subordinate observed for a while before daring to speak:
"General, the other City Defense Cannon have encountered the same situation. These rocks vanished into thin air after damaging the cockpit, leaving no trace."
"Rock, rock..."
Manfred racked his brains, and suddenly an image popped into his mind of a creature capable of manipulating rocks:
"Damn it, it must be that Feline Sorceress from the Deep Pool Forces, I think her name is Man something."
"Mandela?"
"Yes, that's her! We lured Mandela's troops to Gate 404, but we failed to kill her on the spot. It's all my fault for not sending anyone to chase her, which allowed her to enter the city and carry out her crazy revenge!"
"Issue my order: Mandela Citywide Wanted! Notify me immediately of any news. If any other members of the Deep Pool Forces are discovered, inform me as well."
Manfred was truly angry this time; his repeated mishaps made him too ashamed to face His Highness.
Not long after his subordinates left the city walls, Regent Theresis suddenly approached.
Considering past experiences, Manfred was unsure whether the other party was the real Manfred or Shapeshifter.
But he couldn't gamble, so he politely asked:
"Your His Highness, how did you get here?"
Theresis looked at the destroyed City Defense Cannon, then looked up at the bright moon in the sky:
"The sky will brighten, and the sky will darken. Don't let yourself die in the darkness."
Manfred's face darkened instantly, and he directly identified the other party:
"Your Excellency, please stop impersonating His Highness. He doesn't speak in such a refined and scholarly manner as you."
"Okay, okay."
The Shapeshifter laughed heartily and returned to its original form.
"I heard you were in trouble, so I came to see if there was anything I could do to help."
Manfred's gaze was wary; he didn't believe the other party would be so kind, and that they might have ulterior motives.
"Sir, I have left several strongholds for the rebels to rescue, as you requested. Your presence here suggests you haven't infiltrated them?"
"No, we have successfully infiltrated."
Manfred's eyes lit up as he grasped the key phrase:
"Us?"
He had previously suspected whether the Shapeshifter were individuals or a group, but he had never had any evidence. Creatures that can imitate others at any time are very difficult to count.
The Shapeshifter realized he had let something slip but didn't explain, instead changing the subject:
"I've come here with bad news. The Scavenger Army is lingering outside the city, and the elite troops can no longer sense the King's presence. This suggests that the Scavenger Great Lord may have met with misfortune. With its strength, there's no reason for it to die silently. There is now a more terrifying being in Londinium City than that assassin from Rhodes Island. General, please be careful."
Manfred frowned, his expression serious:
You're saying... the King of Scavengers is dead?
"That's possible, but not certain. We can't contact it right now, and no body has been found. What you think is your business; I'm just here to let you know."
After finishing speaking, the Shapeshifter looked into the dark night. A strange sadness flickered in his eyes.
Now that the Ten Royal Courts is declining day by day, when will it be my turn?
[Urge Update Sign-in]
As the title suggests, Chapter Thirteen of the main storyline was updated today.
It would take at least four or five hours to finish typing and watching everything.
This is due to factors such as foreshadowing and plot adaptation.
If an author writes without a draft in hand, problems are likely to arise.
Therefore, I'm taking a day off today, but will update as usual tomorrow.
Just like last month, I'll be adding an extra 30,000 words in the last few days of the month.
I update at 10 PM every day; if I do, it means I don't have any drafts saved up.
Thank you for reading this far!
Chapter 496 As You Wish (4K)
June 23, 8:20 pm
Following Vigna's footsteps, the group arrived at the hidden underground tunnel leading to the Oktriug District.
The dark corridor was long and narrow, and the quiet environment amplified all sounds, including footsteps.
If you listen carefully, you can also hear the clicking sound of Stone Crab crawling through the sewers and the roar of machinery operating overhead.
The pipes were pitch black with no light source; you could only use your phone's flashlight for illumination. Walking around here with a torch was practically suicidal; if you ignited the biogas, you'd be instantly incontinent.
Shi Lei can see in the dark, and Texas has a similar talent. But the others are in a worse situation; they might step on something filthy the next second.
Underground pipes are filthy and murky; anything could happen there. Mudrock stared at his lover's back, suddenly feeling a pang of nostalgia for the days he spent with Exusiai. Her head was equipped with a high-brightness light source—safe, pollution-free, and energy-efficient.
The unseen future seems like an indiscernible darkness, an endless expanse stretching out before us.
Vigna arrived at the T-junction and reached out to feel along the wall. She quickly found the dusty Cover plate, opened it, and then grabbed the lever and pulled it down forcefully.
"Klala..."
With the sound of turning mechanisms and gears, what looked like Secret Door in the wall suddenly swung open.
Closure forward slightly and asked:
"Miss Vigna, are you very familiar with the underground structure of your Londinium?"
She regretted it as soon as she said it, because Crownslayer had just mentioned that his surname was Victoria.
Despite the Bloodfiend's awkward small talk, Vigna didn't show any aversion and chatted gently in return:
"This is my second time here. The last time was a long, long time ago. It is said that a hundred years ago, a huge fire swept through the center of Londinium. Only the royal family and a portion of the nobles escaped the flames."
From then on, a legend began to circulate in the city. It was said that a magical Magic Array had been built beneath the Royal Palace, capable of protecting the Royal Family. What they couldn't understand was actually this Secret Passage.
Crownslayer rarely mentions his past within the Glass Gang. His subordinates only recently learned of Vigna's Royal Identity.
Seeing that she had finally opened up, Indra, a native of Norbert District, chimed in:
"I've heard a similar story, but it's a little different from the version you've told. It says that the former Victorian Emperor was infatuated with a courtesan, but her reputation wasn't good. So, under the pretense of building an escape route, he built Secret Passage to meet her in secret."
Goodness, this sounds like something out of Water Margin.
Is this Victoria version of Emperor Huizong of Song, secretly meeting with courtesans through Secret Passage?
But the women of the night in this country shouldn't be involved in refined arts like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Instead of redeeming the other party from bondage, he specially built Secret Passage for their clandestine meetings. Shi Lei this behavior difficult to evaluate.
Before they knew it, the group had arrived at the next intersection.
Vigna quickly found the Cover plate by the wall, only to discover that the lever there was somewhat rusty. She gripped the Round Ball and pressed down hard, actually breaking it off in two.
"Damn it, this door is thick enough to withstand at least seven or eight hits from an armored vehicle. Maybe we should retreat and find another entrance into the Central Urban Area."
"Don't rush, let me take a look."
Closure, an engineer from Rhodes Island, who dealt with machinery all day, volunteered to conduct an inspection using her flashlight and provided her findings to the group: