Entrapped

With these maids leading the way, things became much easier. I quickly navigated the maze of rooms and arrived at the courtyard. At the same time, I heard a commotion coming from nearby; it seemed the Princess's wedding was taking place. ♘♞ 🍮🎄

Having pinpointed the exact location, I slipped away from the maid and stealthily moved to another location to avoid being discovered by the guards and causing a disturbance.

Upon arriving at the wedding hall, I noticed that it wasn't decorated in a particularly festive style; the overall atmosphere was solemn, which seems to be a local custom in Ironhold.

Not everyone attending the wedding was dressed in formal attire; their clothes varied and were quite casual. I attended Jarvan and Ashe's wedding, and by comparison, this place was much simpler.

When the ceremony arrived, the Princess still hadn't appeared. I overheard people whispering that it was a marriage of convenience, and that she probably didn't want to get married.

Political marriages rarely end happily, especially since the Iron Kingdom has always been coveted by neighboring countries. It seems the Princess of the Ironhold is quite stubborn and doesn't want to be a sacrifice.

Soon after, a man dressed as a general approached the king and whispered a few words in his ear. The king was furious and immediately ordered the arrest of the criminal!

At first, I thought a maid had told the guards about my actions, but the king immediately explained to everyone: someone has kidnapped the Princess!

The guards immediately assembled, and the prince from the neighboring country was furious; he hadn't expected anyone to dare cause trouble here.

I was about to sneak up and follow them to take a look when I suddenly realized that this had nothing to do with me, since I was there to Destruction Array. Now that they had all left, it would actually be easier for me to find the array's core.

Based on my previous perception, the core of the formation should be nearby. I checked again and found that its location was actually beneath the King's throne!

Could there be a basement here? I used my Wind Force to probe and found that the area under the seat was solid. It seems that Kalista is quite clever and won't let me leave so easily.

Just as I was trying to Destruction Array, someone brought news that the culprit had been caught and the wedding could continue.

Soon the prince and Princess entered one after the other. To my surprise, the two were very affectionate, because their embrace was very natural and not at all fake!

Wasn't this just a political marriage, but a true story of lovers finally getting married?

Forget it, let's put these doubts aside and see how we can distract them. If all else fails, we'll just have to create a disaster!

Just as I was silently gathering my Wind Force to make my move, the Princess lifted her veil and kissed the prince. It was such a beautiful scene that I couldn't bear to ruin it.

But that's not why I stopped, because I saw that the Princess of Ironhold was actually the Mistress of the Mist!

Then I remembered what Yorick and the Mistress of the Mist said before they disappeared; they addressed each other as Princess and Knight. Could this be their wedding?

The wedding ceremony was quickly completed, and everyone began to enjoy the banquet. At this moment, a warrior dressed in silver armor entered and whispered something in the king's ear, which once again enraged him.

The king ordered the wedding to be canceled and sent men to arrest the prince from the neighboring country. All the guards who accompanied the prince were executed.

The prince was exceptionally skilled in martial arts and was not defeated for the time being. He stood alone against a large number of guards. At this moment, the king ordered the silver-armored warrior to kill the prince!

The Princess pleaded desperately, and the silver-armored warrior joined in, saying she did not want to carry out the king's orders.

The king flew into a rage, repeatedly calling his daughter and the silver-armored warrior traitors. At that moment, a group of guards behind the warrior suddenly attacked, staining her silver armor red...

The samurai fell to the ground, his helmet slipping off, revealing a strikingly beautiful face beneath long black hair—it was Kalista.

Although I don't know the details of what happened, Kalista's so-called betrayal should refer to this moment.

The king's anger was replaced by shock. He did not want to kill Kalista and was questioning the guards when another silver-armored warrior entered.

He rode a magnificent white horse, spear in hand, and with a cold laugh, ordered his guards to kill everyone present, including the king.

This is a rebellion.

The King of Ironhold was also a master of martial arts. He wielded a heavy sword and fought his way out, while the prince took advantage of the chaos to cover the Princess's escape from the hall.

A beautiful wedding instantly turned into hell, and in the end, everyone except the rebellious silver-armored warrior and his men died.

Kalista mustered her last strength. "Traitor, I will make you pay with your blood!"

After she finished speaking, her eyes suddenly turned to my direction, which startled me. At this moment, the colors around us began to fade, and various decorations rotted and decayed, making it as realistic as the previous Solar Cult!

Even though it was all fake, the way the illusion disappeared was so unbelievable!

The silver-armored warrior and his white horse merged into one, their life force instantly vanishing, transforming into an undead who attacked me—this is what Hecarim looks like!

Hecarim should be our next target, but we've already encountered him. However, he lacks his own consciousness and is likely an undead created by Kalista.

Like Kalista, he can launch powerful attacks without getting hurt, and his attacks also sting my nerves.

But it doesn't matter anymore. The illusion has disappeared. All I need to do is destroy the core of the formation, and it will all be over.

After getting rid of Hecarim, I gathered a powerful Wind Spear and thrust it directly at the location of the array's core. As the ground cracked open, Hecarim's afterimage disappeared.

I couldn't sense the space below the array's core while in the illusion, but now that the ground has cracked, I've discovered Kalista sitting below.

She sat hunched over in a chair, looking incredibly old, but her silver armor still gleamed, and the spear in her hand was razor-sharp!

"It's over. You shouldn't continue to exist in this world, nor should you be loyal to the Shadow Isles."

"You're a special kind of survivor; you were able to find my location."

"I am, after all, a god, and I was able to find the key to the magic array. Otherwise, I would have been trapped here by you."

"No, you will still be trapped here. The illusion has a key element, but the sealing array does not. Anyone who comes here alive will never return!"

"Stop bluffing! I greatly admire your martial arts skills, but unfortunately, we are enemies!"

"Heh... Why do you think I helped you break free from the illusion?"

Even if you don't untie it, I can still find your location; it's no different from untying it willingly.

"You're right, but you're too confident. Did you sense your companions' presence?"

Hearing Kalista's words, I became a little wary, because I really couldn't sense Nasus and the others' presence. Was I still inside the Magic Circle?

At that moment, Kalista let out a few cold laughs, and the castle suddenly began to collapse. I leaped out of the basement, trying to escape, only to find that the exit had vanished!