On the flagship's deck.
Men hurried back and forth, swift but orderly, loading shells into the guns.
General Barry stood at the bow in a black military uniform, his face no longer young, bearing a soldier's characteristic sternness and stubborn resolve.
His hawklike gaze swept over the island before him.
The place he had sought for twenty years: Sanctuary Island!
A place hiding a secret powerful enough to overturn the entire world.
And today...
He would bring that secret back into the light!
"Fire!"
Barry gave the order in a low voice.
The signal officer beside him, who had long been ready, abruptly raised the red flag in his hand.
At once, over a hundred naval guns fired in unison.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The distant island was immediately engulfed in cannon fire.
Fierce flames.
Thick black smoke.
They completely obscured the entire island.
After advancing roughly three kilometers and passing through tilting-floor traps, pits, poison gas, and crossbow bolts along the way, Qin Ran and Shiqi reached a wooden door.
All three passages ended here.
Shiqi looked at the solid wooden door before him, its edges clad in iron and its only fitting a handle, with a trace of hesitation.
He had remembered what Qin Ran had said earlier.
Much as he hated to admit it, Shiqi knew that, given their current circumstances, it was the most likely outcome.
Instinctively, Shiqi looked at Qin Ran.
"We've come this far. There's no turning back now!"
Qin Ran smiled, feigning ease.
"But..."
"I'd rather take my chances than stay here as Smoot's prisoner-even if you're willing to keep me company as a cellmate, Shiqi."
"Now, let's stick to the plan!"
Qin Ran interrupted Shiqi and pointed at the door.
Shiqi sighed and backed away to show he understood.
Only after retreating