After giving Alice and Sylphy their instructions,
Cui Ciyou took a deep breath and approached the shabby wooden door.
He reached out and, relying on his physical strength, which far surpassed that of an ordinary person,
made almost no sound
as he twisted the long-rusted door handle clean off.
"Who's there... ngh..."
The guard behind the door noticed something amiss.
He had barely begun to call out a question.
Mental Power-link-Sword of Light!
Cui Ciyou had already slipped inside like a ghost, and a blindingly fast flash of sword light swept past.
The guard clutched his throat.
Before he could even scream, he slumped to the floor.
Blood instantly stained the ground beneath him red.
After disposing of the guard at the entrance,
Cui Ciyou and Rujierd slipped deeper into the wooden house like two silent shadows.
With Cui Ciyou's precise perception and their seamless teamwork,
they silently dispatched two more guards keeping watch in the shadows.
The entire operation was swift and clean, without alerting anyone.
Soon, they found the hidden door leading to the cells.
"Alice, Sylphy, stay up here and make sure no one escapes."
"Rujierd, let's go down and rescue them!"
Rujierd nodded.
One after the other, they carefully descended into the narrow, dark passage.
At the end stood several crude cells built from rough stone.
In the dim light of an oil lamp, they saw that the first cell actually held a...
Well... an unusually enormous white dog with long fur.
The dog looked somewhat listless, but its eyes were fierce, and a low, threatening growl rumbled in its throat.
The Beastfolk's Forest Sacred Beast? Cui Ciyou was slightly startled.
Here, at this point in time?
Could this be the butterfly effect, too...? It appeared early?
Just then, a girl's anguished sobs drifted from another