There was endless water, never stopping. It was such a strange thing; when it was cheerful, it could turn into lake, rivers, and sea, yet when it was depressed, it could turn into dark abyss and tunnels. Water indicated the development of human civilization, yet at the same time, it left behind devastating scars in the development of civilization.
The water was dark, deep and without boundary! The immense pressure hurt the people's chests and lungs as if they'd been heavily hit by something. The journey was dangerous. The rugged rocks were sometimes protruding and sometimes sunken. It was dark and cold. The people in the water tunnel searched for a way in difficulty as they kicked with their limbs.
The scene they saw was simply bubbles and darkness. Feeling the underwater flow, the people realized that they could not properly identify the flow of the underground river at all. A darkness that surrounded them from all directions made their heads hurt. The water flow that came from all directions surrounded their bodies as if forming a cocoon around them. This cocoon slowly drained their breaths and took away their mobility. When their consciousness too was gone, this cocoon would show the thing it nurtured in the end ----- death! Death was not scary. But no one would want to die in hell after seeing it.
Paul was in the lead! The King of Assasins still had high stamina. In the dark underwater tunnel, this huge crocodile even stopped to search for the right way! Oscar was the second of the group. He had already refilled his breath twice using the water bag. Even though he sensed that things were a little wrong, but the blood loss and water pressure adding to intense exercise rendered him unable to think about this problem. The last instinct to stay alive was pushing him forth.
Aeolia! The poor Countess Aeolia's shoulder injury had already deformed under the pressure of the water. Her blood had already clotted, yet the pain of the injury made her almost lose control! The hard rocks tore at her dress and the cold water almost froze her limbs! Aya wanted to breathe. She wanted to take deep breaths freely as she did before!
Shaw Curlink was complaining and cursing! He had already tortured the female family members of the King of Assasins, Snowstorm in his mind several times! The reason for this was because the Black Devil realized that every single time he refilled his breath, the air that escaped from the bag was even more than that the people took in. So, he knew that he was deceived by Paul! He was so willingly deceived! He regretted that he did not believe in his own judgment. No one could dive for 1000 meters!
Finally, there was no air left in the water bag. It became heavier and heavier and was soon filled with the river water.
Aeolia suddenly pushed Oscar's hand away. The Countess kicked both her legs violently. The dark underground river immediately became a chaotic whirlpool. She consciously sealed her nose and mouth, but the pressure in her chest made her claw at her neck crazily! Her need for breath could snatch away her life in an instant!
Black Devil rushed forward. He pulled the water bag open and put it over Aya's mouth. Aya slowly calmed down! Even though she had a mouth of icy water, but she was able to take in the last bit of air that was trapped in the water bag made of leather.
Endless! Oscar did not know what meaning there was from moving forward this way! His eyes slowly closed and the pressure on his body was slowly disappearing!
Paul suddenly increased his speed! He pulled the young Prince to dive quickly. The water flow became faster and icier as they moved faster. Oscar finally regained his conscious under the strong pressure.
Could it be that.... Could it be that we are about to succeed? Paul was going up! Oscar felt excited like never before! This excitement was the same as the scream that he let out when he came out from his mother's body. It was just like getting to orgasm with the woman he loved the most!
"Flush... Flush...." Great sound of water echoed in the cave! Following that, heavy breathing and vomiting sound filled the whole space! Just like the beasts that came from the abyss, the people were expelling the blood that was accumulated in their chests with the most primitive roar.
Paul climbed onto the side. He was groping within an indescribable darkness! Soon, after a series of tinkling sounds, the light of the fire torch lit by the King of Assasins finally brought light into this dark, cold and wet space.
"What.... What is this?" Even the Black Devil's tongue shivered when he spoke.
Oscar simply groaned. He found that no voice came. Aeolia simply moved her eyelids. Her lungs were burning and so was her blood. She was exhausted. She wanted to just die like this.
"Are you talking about this?" Paul turned his fire torch around in this enclosed space. The people found that there was no exit to this space. Nor there was any hint of life.
"Yes! I meant this!" The Black Devil climbed onto the side like a clumsy kid, but this guy truly had a strong stamina. He simply took a few deep breaths before helping Paul with the other two 'bodies'.
"Can't you see?" Paul glared at the Black Devil. "This is Plan B!"
"How could a water bag help us dive successfully for one kilometer? I didn't mention that there were a few underground holes that are higher than the water level because I hoped that everyone would complete this journey with their lives on the line. If not! To be honest, if we always think that we will be able to rest..... Be able to rest! Then believe me! We won't even reach this place!"
"Whatever that you said!" Black Devil turned his head away without help. With the help of the light of the fire torch, Sha began to scavenge through a huge sack that Paul threw out from a corner!
"Paul!" Black Devil was astonished. "Have you scouted this path before? Then you kept food here. Oh! O God of Light! You even prepared white wine!" Shaw said as he took the one bottle out of the sack.
"Hehe! Smart kid! You finally understand?" Paul was proud of himself. This King of Assasins took the white wine and quickly heated it up with the fire torch. Then, he held up Oscar's head and poured a huge mouthful of white wine into the young man's mouth!
Oscar immediately woke up from the intense coughing. God! He almost fell asleep just now! Who knew if he would wake up again after he fell asleep in this kind of place? Oscar scanned this cold and terrifying space. He smiled at Paul. "Ola! Thank you!"
"Look at you!" Paul smiled as he turned to Black Devil. "This is the correct way to treat a friend."
Black Devil shrugged. He took the white wine in Paul's hands and held Aeolia up. "Come! Brave lady, don't be scared! This thing will make you choke but it's definitely good for you!"
As expected! The strong liquor just ran down her esophagus! Aeolia then coughed violently. She even hoped that her whole chest would be expelled out of her body! Slowly, Aya's face reddened. Coughing made the pressure she felt on her chest and stomach disappear. Nice! The nice feeling of her body and heart made the Countess gave a forced smile. At this moment, Aya suddenly realized that the young Prince still held her hand. He really did not let her go.
"Everyone, have some food!" Paul took out the food that he'd stashed previously. Even though the bread and sauces tasted a little weird, the hungry people did not care about this at all. Even Aya was gobbling up the food.
Paul was very satisfied. His friends were all alright. And that hateful Black Devil's mouth was also shut by food. As an assassin preceded only by 13 of the Westland, Paul's days of hiding at the riverside were not in vain. During this time, he'd attempted to infiltrate the castle 6 times, but he realized that rescuing four people guarded by Paladin guards at different locations was impossible! Thus, Paul began to hide and wait for his opportunity. He was waiting for the day to make his move.
Who was Paul? Many years ago, he had simply been an unconventional country's knight that was helped by the land inherited from his family and his friends to go on with life. But one day, he'd found 13 in a broken farmhouse, and his life trajectory had changed enough to connect him to a whole different world.
Paul received the strangest, weirdest and scariest systemic education in this world. It was about assassination technique, the theory of infiltration, art of disguise, the opportunity of waiting and the secret of life!
So! Paul became the King of Assassins! It was because of this that he could successfully escape from the encirclement of ten thousand men. He'd searched for a thousand miles with only little hints until he came to Lombardy. He could infiltrate into the castle on high defense for six times. He could spend the dark days in that enclosed basement for half a month.
This underwater tunnel was only a test for the King of Assassins Paul! Since there was no chance for rescue in the short time, Paul then changed his thinking to a special line of thought for assassins. Their lines of thought were different than that of heroes and knights. For an assassin, life was the most important! Before he could carry out the rescue plan, Paul was already thinking about the possibility of running away. And this underwater tunnel, the entirely hidden path, was undoubtedly the best choice.
Half a month! Half a month of exhausting search finally allowed the King of Assassins to understand the rise and fall of the tide and the path in this underwater tunnel. Every underground space that could hide him had fire torches, weapons, and food. Every turning point in the darkness had a noticeable mark. When Paul had finally done all of this, he found that his actions were a little extra. This was because, at this moment, he could already close his eyes and dive from the well until he reached the river. In the meantime, he only needed to change his breath once or twice.
"Alright!" The King of Assassins clapped his hands at his companions. "Is everyone ready? There's still another 700 meters of distance underwater!"
"Is there still any chance to rest?" Oscar asked weakly.
"Hehe! I am not telling you!" Paul flashed a mouth of shiny white teeth. The people could only reply with bitter smiles.
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The forest disappeared into the faraway horizons, forming a dark line in the morning light. The plains that connected to the forest was not wide. Actually, it was only a poor, low-lying land. On this slightly bumpy low-lying land, the bodies were all buried. The weapons had already been collected, but the color of blood in the soil and the broken ashes of smoke were still presenting the tragedy caused by the war.
The light was weak. The sun was still hiding in the east. Venus was getting dimmer. Only the crescent moon created a shiny white silhouette in the sky. The few ruins in the army base were still burning. Beside these ruins and the road full of corpses, the Titan warriors quietly lay on the floor. The warriors let out a light breathing sound, only some individuals let out loud snoring sounds.
The warriors who were on the lookout tonight stood at every corner in the army base. They stared into the distance from the defense tower they'd built temporarily. Also, they were overseeing the Deiss hostages who had been ordered to bury the corpses. There were not many hostages, only a measly three to four hundred people. They were mostly injured and wore lifeless expressions like living corpses.
Alan seemed to have not slept for a whole night. In a wooden house that was luckily not destroyed in the army base, the Marshal of Guards was still studying the detailed map with the help of an oil lamp. His silverfish hair was dyed the color of sunset in the light. His mouth sometimes quirked, sometimes pinned. His eyebrows sometimes knitted together and sometimes relaxed. Alan was calculating and thinking. He was planning the winter attack and even the war strategy against Deiss in the future five or ten years.
"Has the order been relayed?"
Colonel Payne Lubelly who was napping at the side was suddenly jolted awake. He saw the many generals who were accompanying the Marshal directing friendly smiles towards him. This assistant felt his face became piping hot. He quickly opened up the notebook that recorded everything from the war.
"Setting the attack target from the frontline battlefield to all Deiss military targets in the Munich Province. Eliminating all armed forces that possess weapons and dare to oppose the Guards including the unfriendly citizens and civilians! Towards..."
"Alright!" Alan waved his hands. "Pass the orders!"
"Sir Marshal!" A general suddenly stood up from the seat of the map demonstration table. "Northern Army Group Chief of Staff requests to speak!"
"Lieutenant General Roggins?" Silverfox felt a little surprised. He did not expect the first person to stand up was the Chief of Staff of the Northern Army Group. His impression of this Lieutenant General.... This was a person that valued his words.
"Request granted." Alan looked at this general expectantly.
"Sir Marshal, if I am not mistaken, your order is...… Does it intend to turn the region within a certain range of the inner side of Deiss border into a no man region?"
"Why do you say that?" Alan gave a faint smile.
Lieutenant General Roggins sighed. It seemed that Marshal was forcing him to speak out the deeper meaning hidden in this order. Was it hard to understand? Roggins looked at his colleagues all sitting in this room. There were his subordinates in the Northern Army Group and the high-ranked generals that belonged to the Army Combat Department in the room. But all of them avoided his gaze at this time. Without any meaning, Lieutenant General Roggins sighed again.
"Report, Marshal. You ordered for Major General Silvio Barrick of the southern mountain area to be responsible for the Chief of Foreign Land's Scout. I think.... Your intention is obvious enough, so.... I don't want to say anymore."
Major General Silvio Barrick squirmed a little in his seat. He slowly raised his eyelids. He looked at the furious Lieutenant General Roggins and Marshal Alan who did not say anything. This killer that caused The Great Massacre of Horfansted only let out a cold snigger.
"Everyone!" Marshal Alan knocked on the table lightly. He attracted the attention of the people. "Major General Silvio Barrick was an excellent general. Even though he made some mistakes before, but his commanding ability and the battle spirit were worthy to be learned from by everyone, so..... I don't think there is any problem with my arrangement."
Lieutenant General Roggins finally could not sit tight. "Sir Marshal, I wanted to ask Major General Silvio Barrick a question!" Without waiting for Alan to react, the Chief of Staff of the Northern Army Group had already turned to his colleague of the southern area. "Sir Brigadier, if you encountered unfriendly civilians and towns, what will you do?"
Silvio opened his eyes. "Those with weapons..... Kill. Without weapon.... Chase away. Those towns that dare to stop the military officers.... Burn. Those towns that dare to resist..... Eliminate them from the map."
Lieutenant General Roggins reached out his shivering fingers and pointed at Silvio. "Sir Marshal! You've heard it! As the Chief of Foreign Land's Scout, his thinking is exactly the same as his known name 'butcher'! I....."
"Lieutenant General Roggins!" A military officer suddenly stood up. He interrupted the words of the Northern Army Group Chief of Staff. "Those towns provide clothing and food for the Deiss Border Army and those civilians provide free labor for the Border Army! Clearing them out is necessary! Only through doing this, we can destroy the border chain of the Deiss."
"No! No!" Roggins waved his hands violently. He glared at Silvio who was relaxing on his chair as if this was somebody else's business. "It may be like that towards the Italians! But our enemy now is Deiss! Even if the Deiss did not mind such sacrifices, they would use the same technique to treat the citizens of our country."
"Sir! You are scared!" A general that was from Army Division in the Capital suddenly interrupted Roggins' words. "You are scared of the revenge of the Deiss!"
Roggins waved his hands. "No! I am not scared. I am simply worried about the citizens of the north. If we take such actions towards the Deiss' towns...."
"Enough! Sir Lieutenant General!" Another general stood up. "You are scared. Don't forget that we are attacking now. You are actually worried about the retaliation of the Deiss. Don't you think this is a little overboard?"
"No! I only wanted to say that for our future defense work....."
"Roggins!" Alan finally spoke. This Marshal made the chaotic room became extremely quiet right after he spoke. "As the Empire's Military Affairs Chancellor and the Marshal of guards, I must say.... Your worries are indeed extra! Could it be that you see the winter attack of the Empire as a method to show our power? A demonstration of power?"
Roggins was rendered speechless. He still did not know what he was wrong about.
"You are wrong! You are completely wrong!" The Silverfox said as he shook his head. "I must tell you that the Northern Army Group no longer needs to defend against the Deiss! The current moment is the key stage for the Guards to change our defensive position. The only reason I appeared in the northern battlefield is to tell you the correct method to treat the Deiss! From before, it is always the Deiss that causes trouble at the border, challenging me continuously! Now it is the time for us to retaliate! After the winter attack, there will still be the spring attack. After the spring attack, there will still be the summer attack. After the summer attack, then the fall attack! Do you understand my meaning?"
Roggins had his eyes wide open. He actually shook his head in front of all the military generals in the room.
Alan also shook his head. "Alright. You can get out now. Go back to the base of your Army Group! This time you understand my meaning, right?"
Roggins returned the greetings. He walked out of the small room. To be honest, he could not stand that place. Let the Deiss people and those strategies of Alan to go to hell!
"Did you see that?" Alan pointed to the closed door. "Look at how weak the general that was responsible for the defense work of the Empire's Northern Border is! He'd rather sit in the office and build a fire than get on the bad side of the Deiss. But will Deiss do as he wishes them to? This nation that loves to invade will keep hitting on your back continuously, testing your patience until there is an opportunity for them to grab, then they will suddenly spring out and bite you! The Deiss army is the craziest and bravest opportunists in this world. As long as they smell blood, they will use their life as a bet to try it out."
"Sir Marshal! Lieutenant General Roggins was chosen by Her Majesty the Queen to lead the north...."
"Shut up!" Alan stopped the general of the Northern Army Group who was speaking. "Her Majesty the Queen is in Dulin. If you have any complaints, then go back to the Capital!"
The generals of the north in the room all lowered their heads. Actually, none of them wanted to be excluded from the battlefield like Roggins. Their Lieutenant General was just like a total coward just now. No soldiers would face such things.
"Major General Silvio Barrick!" Alan suddenly turned to the person of the south with the nickname 'Butcher'. "How do you see my order?"
Silvio kept a cold face all along. After The Great Massacre of Horfansted, the people had not seen this general showed a cheerful expression.
"Me? I don't have any opinion. I only obey orders."
"This is perfunctory! Tell me your true thoughts, Brigadier of the Guards!" Alan's words hinted a stubborn aura.
Silvio shrugged. Even if he still acted as if he did not care about anything in front of the Marshal of Guards, no one dared to do anything to him since the nickname 'Butcher' had spread in the army.
"To be honest, Sir Marshal! I didn't want to compliment you originally, but your strategy looks good indeed! Rather than letting the Deiss disturb our defense line continuously, it's better for us to do the same thing. Keeping a long-term attack towards the Deiss, keeping the continuous involvement of the army and keeping the stability of the attacks. There will surely come a time when the Deiss get impatient. They either fight with us or sit on the negotiation table obediently..."
"Alright!" Alan waved his hands. "That's the same as saying nothing. Anyone knew that! It can't be that no one thought of a long-term plan?"
The generals who were seated could not help but look at one another.
Alan shook his head. "Sirs! Look at the map! Deiss sits at the north corner of the strong chain of Western Kingdom Alliance. To the east, it can invade Czerroc; to the west, it can invade the Weden Kingdom and attain the port; to the south, it can invade Riel; to the northwest, it can invade the few small countries controlled by the Ollier Federation. Now you know the true reason we launch an attack at the south of Deiss?"
A military officer raised his hand. "Sir Marshal, we can stop the invasion pace of the Deiss and reduce the expansion intent of the Roulexberg Kingdom."
Another military officer raised his hand. "Sir Marshal, the south line is the place in which the Deiss Kingdom place their strongest army. Our attack will break the whole strategic position of this country!"
"Yes, Marshal!" Another general spoke. "Deiss has always seen our country as an enemy, but it is slightly different than that main reason....."
"Hehe!" Major General Silvio Barrick suddenly laughed coldly. All military officers in the room all stared at this brave Butcher. "Sir Marshal, just say it out loud! After spending so much time to invade Riel and to initiate the winter attack, you only plan to stop the intention of the Deiss to advance to the south after all. You want to divert their invasion target to their old rival, the Ollier Federation."
Alan smiled but he did not say anything. But Silvio immediately thought of another thing. The Empire's thirteen elite armies were stationed in the northeast area of Riel Kingdom. Duke Andrew's Narcissus Knights also had his Knights Army Group of more than 100 thousands men stationed at the Czerroc Border and the winter attack allowed the Empire's Northern Army to invade Deiss border by more than 100 kilometers! That was to say that the Empire had already surrounded Deiss. If Alan and Duke Andrew decided the same thing, then the Empire could definitely launch its attack from these three directions! All of these..... As if they were planned from the beginning! Silvio actually did not like war, but he did not know why he would have such instinct!
"Hahahaha!" The Silverfox laughed. "Look at our Butcher. It seems that..... Promoting him from Brigadier to Major General is a correct choice."
Many military officers only reacted by now! It was indeed that way! Deiss had already been surrounded from three sides. He could only adopt a defense strategy towards the direction of Titan! If Deiss still planned to expand its territory, then they would not choose the strong south. They would definitely start planning from the West and the north.
"That's right!" Alan nodded with certainty. "Major General Silvio is completely right! The winter attack and the attacks against Deiss after this are all strategies to prevent the fire from burning us! Attack is the best form of defense. We must further expand the attack line of the Guards and push the battle towards the enemy's border. Only this way can we attain our best form of defense. Deiss' administrative level is no fool. They know to retreat when they encountered something difficult --- to do things just right!"
Alan said as he took a sip of the black coffee that was cold and bitter. "So... Ah.... This thing is truly not for humans!" Alan frowned as he complained in a low voice. Colonel Payne Lubelly quickly poured a new cup of coffee for his Marshal.
"It's way better....." Alan sighed in content. "So.... The Deiss will surely think that instead of carrying out the endless battle that exhausts their resources with our country, it is better for them to search for another way out after the defensive line is stable. Believe me, sirs! Even though the Deiss Kingdom Army always has unexpected actions, but benefits and practicality are the rules of war that they've followed for thousands of years."
"Once they realized that they can't change the attacks of our country, their Supreme High Command won't even care about us anymore. Instead, they will start to create a plan to reignite war with Weden Kingdom, Lambo Kingdom, and Ollier Federation! Of course, this plan will need a long time to be produced because they still have to wait for the southern border to be stable. They still have to resume production, and tally population and armed forces after our attacks have ceased."
Major General Silvio Barrick suddenly stood up. He took the military hat on the table and placed on his head, not-so-neatly.
"Alright! Sir's present in this room! I need to carry out my duty now! I will bring my mountain warriors to carry out the orders of Sir Marshal."
"Hehe!" The old Marshal laughed. He seemed to not care about the rudeness of this Major General. "Let me ask you one more time. What do you plan to do?"
Silvio Barrick rolled his eyes. "Is there more to say? Just as requested in your order, destroy the Deiss' production, population, and army! Don't let the Deiss have their chance to rest and take a breath as much as possible!"
"Lastly, a warning to you, Sir Major General!" Alan finally put on a strict expression. "Don't go overboard! I don't want the second Horfansted to appear in the town of Deiss."
Silvio turned around at the door. "Then.... You and the Sirs seated here should begin your prayers from now on!"
***************************************
"Thank God of Light!" When Oscar came out from the water, he finally let out an exclamation!
This was the final place to catch their breath before the well. Except for Snowstorm, Oscar and his bunch were already exhausted. Just now, Aya had already had the symptoms of upsetting and fainting, but the Black Devil and Paul underwater could not wait any longer!
Oscar and Aya dived back in. This time the two super assassins were up. Paul was also a bit tired. He did not say anything to conserve his stamina as much as possible; Black Devil had already lost his usual cool and strict demeanor. He breathed just like a Deiss wolfdog that could not stand the heat!
Aya and the Prince surfaced from the water again. There was no choice! They could not hold it in any longer! Four heads were cramped in the rock indent. No matter they were companions or friends, they were fighting for the last survival right.
Aya's breathing became calmer. This time, she felt a little embarrassed. She was completely within the embrace of Oscar with her clothes all wet. In order to rest, she even had to wrap her strong and full leg on the waist of the young man. And her breast! The breasts which were once the capital for the young girl to feel contented and proud in front of the mirror, they now became troubling! Along with the quick breathing, the huge lumps kept touching and rubbing against the man's chest. The icy water temperature made Aya extremely conscious of the heat in front of her chest. She did not even dare to look down.
Oscar seemed to be kicking his leg all this time. He was to keep himself afloat in the water, but his kicking legs kept rubbing the most sensitive part of the lower body of Aya. The Countess at last still let out a light moan. She knew that now was not the time to satisfy her sexual imagination. But in this darkness, she was actually expecting that mesmerizing feeling. She became wet and hot because of this! Maybe... This was the human's heart! No matter under what condition, it was the human heart that would be infected by excitement.
Paul moved his body with difficulty. This location was not ideal, but he still listed this as the place that he must go through. This place was less than 200 meters from the well. If they could hold on for another 15 minutes, they could return to the surface and easily avoid the danger in front of them.
"Come! Use this rope to tie us to each other! No one can drop out of the team! Even if we die, we will die on land!" Paul got a thick rope out from somewhere. The King of Assassins tied a dead knot on him on one side of the rope as if he was proving his words! Then it was Oscar. The little Prince returned the gaze of his old friend. He tied a dead knot without hesitation as well.
Then, it was Aeolia, but the Countess shook her head. She did not tell everyone. Just now, her motor nerves had reached their limits. The muscles in her legs were almost cramping.
"I am the lightest. I will be behind. Even if anything happens, you men can still bring me forward!"
Oscar looked at Aya, confused. He had a very bad feeling that was hard to describe.
Shaw took the rope and tied it around himself tightly. Then he placed her at the last just as Aya said so!
"Alright! Everyone take care of each other! Victory is not far from us!" Paul reached out his hands in the narrow space. Black Devil immediately placed his hand on his old friend's. "That is right! I have never lost before!" Oscar also came forward. "Yes! We have never lost before!"
The people looked at the weak Countess. Aya gave a bitter smile, but she still flashed a beautiful smile as much as she could. She placed her pale hand on the stack of hands. "That is right! We won't lose!"
"Then.... Let's begin the final round!" Paul said as he dived into the water first.
Under the initiation of the rope, Oscar followed. He kicked his legs with effort and flanked his arms. Black Devil almost pulled Aya down to the water tunnel. This high tier assassin used up his strength more than the two passionate men. From the rope of high tension, it could be seen that the Countess at the last had no intention to move forward at all.
It was still good! After some time! Just when Shaw could not take it any longer, the pressure behind him suddenly relaxed! Black Devil turned around strangely. It was pitch black! But the struggle of the Countess caused a huge amount of water ripples and air flow! Aya crazily moved her limbs. She actually came back on their tails! The Black Devil increased his speed without worry. We are about to attain victory, no? Aya's effort more or less made him felt relieved.
The water level was rising. It was still dark in the surroundings, but the people had already reached the rock wall! They were already at the bottom of the well! Stop their breaths! Move upwards! Put more effort!
"Ola!" Oscar who leaped out of the water almost forgot that he was in the enemy's castle! He actually roared!
Paul laughed. He reached out his hand and pulled on the rope. The Black Devil also surfaced! This good-for-nothing appeared to be out of it! Paul had no strength to laugh at his old rival. He continued to pull the rope, but he immediately felt weird with the light touch of the rope.
Oscar pulled the rope that had a smooth cut in a violent movement. It was cut!
"Aeolia? My Aya?"
The little Prince pulled out the knife in his pocket. He kept saying Aya's name as he cut the rope violently! Paul was screaming something. Oscar could not hear any of it! Someone was pulling on his arm! Fuck this! Get the fuck out of here! Aya was waiting for me! I promised that I would not let her go!
Paul was staring blankly at the water ripples in front of him. This kid actually pulled such a strong punch! One of his eyes must be swollen now!
Oscar was searching! He was screaming! He was diving non-stop! He could not see anything. He could only go with his feelings!
It got darker and darker! Colder and colder! The dark underwater tunnel suddenly had a weak light. Oscar was guided by this weak light. He used all of his strength to swim towards it.
The body he held was extremely cold! Oscar knew that he was in the complete darkness, but the woman he held in his embrace was so bright. She was just like a sleeping beauty, waiting for her loved one to wake her up.
The young man kissed the cold lips. He opened her teeth and gave her warm breaths! It was as if time had stopped! They were not underwater now. Oscar was hugging the woman and flying up to the cotton-like clouds. His consciousness began to blur out! His senses had already numbed!
A warm tongue had connected with him since God of Light knows when. Oscar opened his eyes in a daze. He met Aya's gaze. It was the helplessness they'd felt when they first met! It was the happiness when they knew each other! It was the shyness when they flirted! It was the determined gaze when her true identity was exposed! Maybe.... There was something else! But Oscar kept falling. He could not remember any of those things!
A strong force hit him. Oscar held the person in his embrace tightly!
No matter what happened! Never let her go!
This was the promise....
Who was pulling me? It's painful! My whole body hurt!
My body was rising. Why?
I could breathe? Oh god! This was real!
All of a sudden! All noise and sense came back to him! Oscar's body shivered and he took a sharp breath! His heart was supplying pressure to his arteries and blood brought fresh oxygen to every part of his body immediately! Trying his best to control the urge to faint, Oscar was howling in his heart. "I am still fucking alive!"
The young man turned to the body in his embrace. He found that Aya's face was as pale as paper. The touch on his hand could not sense her heartbeat! Oscar once again opened Aya's mouth and urged the woman to breathe.
Paul rolled his eyes. He did not know if the Prince was taking advantage or busy with other things. The King of Assassins searched downwards from the chest of the Countess. He found the correct position where the lungs had accumulated water.
Snowstorm gave a strong punch! To be specific, the position of the punch was right at the fourth ribs under the nipple of the woman. This was the place where the right and left ventricles of the heart connect with each other. It was also the weakest place in the human's body! But it was the key to saving a human's life!
Aya bent her body in a violent movement. Her heart was forced to go to work by a strong external force! Her four limbs twitched violently as if in a spasm! She opened her mouth wide with a coarse throat! The icy water that had accumulated in the lungs and stomach were completely forced out by the force of that punch and the blood supplied by the heart. A terrifying vomiting sound echoed in the well!
The men were watching in silence. No one dared to disturb the Countess who'd encountered death. Even though Aya just came back from the border of hell, but her look was even more terrifying than the fierce ghost!
Oscar hugged Aya until she regained calm. Aya was lying on the man's shoulder. She could not speak a word.
"Why did you cut the rope? Can you not do stupid things? When did you become dumber than Sasha?"
Facing the scolding of the man, Aeolia who just realized that she was alive finally cried. She had no energy to stop the tears that contained many of her emotions. She just kept sobbing.
"Alright! It's alright! It's alright! Everything will be alright!" Oscar patted the Countess and consoled her with the softest voice.
The Prince said as he looked at the mouth of well that showed a little light. He gave a bitter smile. Who knew what would happen after this? The journey to home was still a long one, no?
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"Yes! It's still a long way home!" Big brother Ciel said as he knocked on the head of a small warrior. "You kid. You begin to think of home even before the war starts! Then what for you get enlisted here? Isn't it better for you to learn some technique to serve the women?"
"Hahahahaha...." A series of deafening laughs broke out in the army base of Titan Empire Eighth Region Second Corps.
Sargent Ciel! Remember him? Oh right! Ciel had been promoted to First Lieutenant now! Now he was the assistant of the Corps leader of the Second Corps and a unit leader! Don't forget about him! He was the Empire's warrior who'd led the assault team to turn the main defense tower of Italia's Horfansted Fortress into charred rubble. Even though he was the special ranked battle hero who was famous, the people who knew him could not remember his face! Because his look now was too hard to remember.
The tall mountain warriors from before were as thin as dry grass now. His body outside of the military outfit was covered with brown-colored burns. His face! Oh god! People were unable to identify his facial features. Only those bright eyes indicated the brightness that belonged to a battle hero!
The Guards' Eighth Region Second Corps was the only Independent Army arranged from the southern mountain area. The warriors were extremely curious about the exotic Deiss! The people here planted the purple Alfalfa and all sorts of grains between the mountains. They even made wine underground and used fences that were decorated with flowers and grass to keep the animals. They used large skirts made of thick cloth to cover their bodies.
The weather was a little cold. These kids who came to this battlefield from the south was still excitedly marching forward. They knew that the duty of the Corps was to eliminate any remaining enemies after eliminating the main force units. But.... It had been a whole afternoon! Three mountain corps in the Eighth Region Second Corps did not have much results. The towns along their way had already put up the flag that identified non-war areas. This more or less caused the depressed feeling of the warriors.
Clearing the remains at the back of the battle line! This order was not easy to be understood. The soldiers usually took it as the meaning to burn and kill, but for Silvio Barrick, that was the aim that he came here for!
The First Division of Second Corps passed by the outer part of a small town. The town was not large. Standing at a highland, one could see its whole landscape. Just like many small towns in Deiss, the citizens used fences as walls, and fresh flowers and trees to divide the streets.
The First Division did not run into any trouble! The warriors were in a near infantry formation as they moved forward quickly. Their destination today was not this place.
All of a sudden! When the warriors of the First Unit passed by a small house in the outer area of the town! A scream came from the unit! Following that, cursing rang. So did the laughter! The window of this house was opened. The golden hair of a boy flew in the air. His slingshot was still trembling. He seemed to plan to throw another rock at the invader, but his mother had already lifted him up and closed the window with great force.
The medic in the Division rushed this way. This sudden incident made the whole unit stopped moving. An unlucky warrior covered his face. His face seemed to have a hole now due to the rock flung at him using a slingshot. Fresh blood dripped down from between his fingers.
"What happened?"
Silvio Barrick rode his horse and reached the scene. He still did not know why the unit had stopped.
"Corps Leader!" The Division Leader of First Division immediately came forward. "One of our warriors is injured by a slingshot! The person is a Deiss kid! I don't know how that warrior can be so unlucky!"
Silvio's expression became cold. He turned around and scanned the town in front of him. After a while, he began to mumble to himself lowly.
"No! No! It is that boy and his town that are unlucky!"
Looking at the expression of the Corps Leader, First Lieutenant Ciel, as his assistant, was blinking his eyes. He knew what his Corps Leader wanted to do!
"Enemy attack!" Ciel screamed in a coarse voice.
The warriors were a little confused. "Where is the enemy?"
"Formation! Target..... The town in front of you! Aim.... Eliminate any potential enemy! Get the resisting people out!"
Even though they were confused, but the mountain warriors had already gone into battle formation towards the town that had no defense at all whatsoever.
After a while, smoke as thick as fog and noisy wailing filled the town.
There was endless water, never stopping. It was such a strange thing; when it was cheerful, it could turn into lake, rivers, and sea, yet when it was depressed, it could turn into dark abyss and tunnels. Water indicated the development of human civilization, yet at the same time, it left behind devastating scars in the development of civilization.
The water was dark, deep and without boundary! The immense pressure hurt the people's chests and lungs as if they'd been heavily hit by something. The journey was dangerous. The rugged rocks were sometimes protruding and sometimes sunken. It was dark and cold. The people in the water tunnel searched for a way in difficulty as they kicked with their limbs.
The scene they saw was simply bubbles and darkness. Feeling the underwater flow, the people realized that they could not properly identify the flow of the underground river at all. A darkness that surrounded them from all directions made their heads hurt. The water flow that came from all directions surrounded their bodies as if forming a cocoon around them. This cocoon slowly drained their breaths and took away their mobility. When their consciousness too was gone, this cocoon would show the thing it nurtured in the end ----- death! Death was not scary. But no one would want to die in hell after seeing it.
Paul was in the lead! The King of Assasins still had high stamina. In the dark underwater tunnel, this huge crocodile even stopped to search for the right way! Oscar was the second of the group. He had already refilled his breath twice using the water bag. Even though he sensed that things were a little wrong, but the blood loss and water pressure adding to intense exercise rendered him unable to think about this problem. The last instinct to stay alive was pushing him forth.
Aeolia! The poor Countess Aeolia's shoulder injury had already deformed under the pressure of the water. Her blood had already clotted, yet the pain of the injury made her almost lose control! The hard rocks tore at her dress and the cold water almost froze her limbs! Aya wanted to breathe. She wanted to take deep breaths freely as she did before!
Shaw Curlink was complaining and cursing! He had already tortured the female family members of the King of Assasins, Snowstorm in his mind several times! The reason for this was because the Black Devil realized that every single time he refilled his breath, the air that escaped from the bag was even more than that the people took in. So, he knew that he was deceived by Paul! He was so willingly deceived! He regretted that he did not believe in his own judgment. No one could dive for 1000 meters!
Finally, there was no air left in the water bag. It became heavier and heavier and was soon filled with the river water.
Aeolia suddenly pushed Oscar's hand away. The Countess kicked both her legs violently. The dark underground river immediately became a chaotic whirlpool. She consciously sealed her nose and mouth, but the pressure in her chest made her claw at her neck crazily! Her need for breath could snatch away her life in an instant!
Black Devil rushed forward. He pulled the water bag open and put it over Aya's mouth. Aya slowly calmed down! Even though she had a mouth of icy water, but she was able to take in the last bit of air that was trapped in the water bag made of leather.
Endless! Oscar did not know what meaning there was from moving forward this way! His eyes slowly closed and the pressure on his body was slowly disappearing!
Paul suddenly increased his speed! He pulled the young Prince to dive quickly. The water flow became faster and icier as they moved faster. Oscar finally regained his conscious under the strong pressure.
Could it be that.... Could it be that we are about to succeed? Paul was going up! Oscar felt excited like never before! This excitement was the same as the scream that he let out when he came out from his mother's body. It was just like getting to orgasm with the woman he loved the most!
"Flush... Flush...." Great sound of water echoed in the cave! Following that, heavy breathing and vomiting sound filled the whole space! Just like the beasts that came from the abyss, the people were expelling the blood that was accumulated in their chests with the most primitive roar.
Paul climbed onto the side. He was groping within an indescribable darkness! Soon, after a series of tinkling sounds, the light of the fire torch lit by the King of Assasins finally brought light into this dark, cold and wet space.
"What.... What is this?" Even the Black Devil's tongue shivered when he spoke.
Oscar simply groaned. He found that no voice came. Aeolia simply moved her eyelids. Her lungs were burning and so was her blood. She was exhausted. She wanted to just die like this.
"Are you talking about this?" Paul turned his fire torch around in this enclosed space. The people found that there was no exit to this space. Nor there was any hint of life.
"Yes! I meant this!" The Black Devil climbed onto the side like a clumsy kid, but this guy truly had a strong stamina. He simply took a few deep breaths before helping Paul with the other two 'bodies'.
"Can't you see?" Paul glared at the Black Devil. "This is Plan B!"
"How could a water bag help us dive successfully for one kilometer? I didn't mention that there were a few underground holes that are higher than the water level because I hoped that everyone would complete this journey with their lives on the line. If not! To be honest, if we always think that we will be able to rest..... Be able to rest! Then believe me! We won't even reach this place!"
"Whatever that you said!" Black Devil turned his head away without help. With the help of the light of the fire torch, Sha began to scavenge through a huge sack that Paul threw out from a corner!
"Paul!" Black Devil was astonished. "Have you scouted this path before? Then you kept food here. Oh! O God of Light! You even prepared white wine!" Shaw said as he took the one bottle out of the sack.
"Hehe! Smart kid! You finally understand?" Paul was proud of himself. This King of Assasins took the white wine and quickly heated it up with the fire torch. Then, he held up Oscar's head and poured a huge mouthful of white wine into the young man's mouth!
Oscar immediately woke up from the intense coughing. God! He almost fell asleep just now! Who knew if he would wake up again after he fell asleep in this kind of place? Oscar scanned this cold and terrifying space. He smiled at Paul. "Ola! Thank you!"
"Look at you!" Paul smiled as he turned to Black Devil. "This is the correct way to treat a friend."
Black Devil shrugged. He took the white wine in Paul's hands and held Aeolia up. "Come! Brave lady, don't be scared! This thing will make you choke but it's definitely good for you!"
As expected! The strong liquor just ran down her esophagus! Aeolia then coughed violently. She even hoped that her whole chest would be expelled out of her body! Slowly, Aya's face reddened. Coughing made the pressure she felt on her chest and stomach disappear. Nice! The nice feeling of her body and heart made the Countess gave a forced smile. At this moment, Aya suddenly realized that the young Prince still held her hand. He really did not let her go.
"Everyone, have some food!" Paul took out the food that he'd stashed previously. Even though the bread and sauces tasted a little weird, the hungry people did not care about this at all. Even Aya was gobbling up the food.
Paul was very satisfied. His friends were all alright. And that hateful Black Devil's mouth was also shut by food. As an assassin preceded only by 13 of the Westland, Paul's days of hiding at the riverside were not in vain. During this time, he'd attempted to infiltrate the castle 6 times, but he realized that rescuing four people guarded by Paladin guards at different locations was impossible! Thus, Paul began to hide and wait for his opportunity. He was waiting for the day to make his move.
Who was Paul? Many years ago, he had simply been an unconventional country's knight that was helped by the land inherited from his family and his friends to go on with life. But one day, he'd found 13 in a broken farmhouse, and his life trajectory had changed enough to connect him to a whole different world.
Paul received the strangest, weirdest and scariest systemic education in this world. It was about assassination technique, the theory of infiltration, art of disguise, the opportunity of waiting and the secret of life!
So! Paul became the King of Assassins! It was because of this that he could successfully escape from the encirclement of ten thousand men. He'd searched for a thousand miles with only little hints until he came to Lombardy. He could infiltrate into the castle on high defense for six times. He could spend the dark days in that enclosed basement for half a month.
This underwater tunnel was only a test for the King of Assassins Paul! Since there was no chance for rescue in the short time, Paul then changed his thinking to a special line of thought for assassins. Their lines of thought were different than that of heroes and knights. For an assassin, life was the most important! Before he could carry out the rescue plan, Paul was already thinking about the possibility of running away. And this underwater tunnel, the entirely hidden path, was undoubtedly the best choice.
Half a month! Half a month of exhausting search finally allowed the King of Assassins to understand the rise and fall of the tide and the path in this underwater tunnel. Every underground space that could hide him had fire torches, weapons, and food. Every turning point in the darkness had a noticeable mark. When Paul had finally done all of this, he found that his actions were a little extra. This was because, at this moment, he could already close his eyes and dive from the well until he reached the river. In the meantime, he only needed to change his breath once or twice.
"Alright!" The King of Assassins clapped his hands at his companions. "Is everyone ready? There's still another 700 meters of distance underwater!"
"Is there still any chance to rest?" Oscar asked weakly.
"Hehe! I am not telling you!" Paul flashed a mouth of shiny white teeth. The people could only reply with bitter smiles.
**********************************************
The forest disappeared into the faraway horizons, forming a dark line in the morning light. The plains that connected to the forest was not wide. Actually, it was only a poor, low-lying land. On this slightly bumpy low-lying land, the bodies were all buried. The weapons had already been collected, but the color of blood in the soil and the broken ashes of smoke were still presenting the tragedy caused by the war.
The light was weak. The sun was still hiding in the east. Venus was getting dimmer. Only the crescent moon created a shiny white silhouette in the sky. The few ruins in the army base were still burning. Beside these ruins and the road full of corpses, the Titan warriors quietly lay on the floor. The warriors let out a light breathing sound, only some individuals let out loud snoring sounds.
The warriors who were on the lookout tonight stood at every corner in the army base. They stared into the distance from the defense tower they'd built temporarily. Also, they were overseeing the Deiss hostages who had been ordered to bury the corpses. There were not many hostages, only a measly three to four hundred people. They were mostly injured and wore lifeless expressions like living corpses.
Alan seemed to have not slept for a whole night. In a wooden house that was luckily not destroyed in the army base, the Marshal of Guards was still studying the detailed map with the help of an oil lamp. His silverfish hair was dyed the color of sunset in the light. His mouth sometimes quirked, sometimes pinned. His eyebrows sometimes knitted together and sometimes relaxed. Alan was calculating and thinking. He was planning the winter attack and even the war strategy against Deiss in the future five or ten years.
"Has the order been relayed?"
Colonel Payne Lubelly who was napping at the side was suddenly jolted awake. He saw the many generals who were accompanying the Marshal directing friendly smiles towards him. This assistant felt his face became piping hot. He quickly opened up the notebook that recorded everything from the war.
"Setting the attack target from the frontline battlefield to all Deiss military targets in the Munich Province. Eliminating all armed forces that possess weapons and dare to oppose the Guards including the unfriendly citizens and civilians! Towards..."
"Alright!" Alan waved his hands. "Pass the orders!"
"Sir Marshal!" A general suddenly stood up from the seat of the map demonstration table. "Northern Army Group Chief of Staff requests to speak!"
"Lieutenant General Roggins?" Silverfox felt a little surprised. He did not expect the first person to stand up was the Chief of Staff of the Northern Army Group. His impression of this Lieutenant General.... This was a person that valued his words.
"Request granted." Alan looked at this general expectantly.
"Sir Marshal, if I am not mistaken, your order is...… Does it intend to turn the region within a certain range of the inner side of Deiss border into a no man region?"
"Why do you say that?" Alan gave a faint smile.
Lieutenant General Roggins sighed. It seemed that Marshal was forcing him to speak out the deeper meaning hidden in this order. Was it hard to understand? Roggins looked at his colleagues all sitting in this room. There were his subordinates in the Northern Army Group and the high-ranked generals that belonged to the Army Combat Department in the room. But all of them avoided his gaze at this time. Without any meaning, Lieutenant General Roggins sighed again.
"Report, Marshal. You ordered for Major General Silvio Barrick of the southern mountain area to be responsible for the Chief of Foreign Land's Scout. I think.... Your intention is obvious enough, so.... I don't want to say anymore."
Major General Silvio Barrick squirmed a little in his seat. He slowly raised his eyelids. He looked at the furious Lieutenant General Roggins and Marshal Alan who did not say anything. This killer that caused The Great Massacre of Horfansted only let out a cold snigger.
"Everyone!" Marshal Alan knocked on the table lightly. He attracted the attention of the people. "Major General Silvio Barrick was an excellent general. Even though he made some mistakes before, but his commanding ability and the battle spirit were worthy to be learned from by everyone, so..... I don't think there is any problem with my arrangement."
Lieutenant General Roggins finally could not sit tight. "Sir Marshal, I wanted to ask Major General Silvio Barrick a question!" Without waiting for Alan to react, the Chief of Staff of the Northern Army Group had already turned to his colleague of the southern area. "Sir Brigadier, if you encountered unfriendly civilians and towns, what will you do?"
Silvio opened his eyes. "Those with weapons..... Kill. Without weapon.... Chase away. Those towns that dare to stop the military officers.... Burn. Those towns that dare to resist..... Eliminate them from the map."
Lieutenant General Roggins reached out his shivering fingers and pointed at Silvio. "Sir Marshal! You've heard it! As the Chief of Foreign Land's Scout, his thinking is exactly the same as his known name 'butcher'! I....."
"Lieutenant General Roggins!" A military officer suddenly stood up. He interrupted the words of the Northern Army Group Chief of Staff. "Those towns provide clothing and food for the Deiss Border Army and those civilians provide free labor for the Border Army! Clearing them out is necessary! Only through doing this, we can destroy the border chain of the Deiss."
"No! No!" Roggins waved his hands violently. He glared at Silvio who was relaxing on his chair as if this was somebody else's business. "It may be like that towards the Italians! But our enemy now is Deiss! Even if the Deiss did not mind such sacrifices, they would use the same technique to treat the citizens of our country."
"Sir! You are scared!" A general that was from Army Division in the Capital suddenly interrupted Roggins' words. "You are scared of the revenge of the Deiss!"
Roggins waved his hands. "No! I am not scared. I am simply worried about the citizens of the north. If we take such actions towards the Deiss' towns...."
"Enough! Sir Lieutenant General!" Another general stood up. "You are scared. Don't forget that we are attacking now. You are actually worried about the retaliation of the Deiss. Don't you think this is a little overboard?"
"No! I only wanted to say that for our future defense work....."
"Roggins!" Alan finally spoke. This Marshal made the chaotic room became extremely quiet right after he spoke. "As the Empire's Military Affairs Chancellor and the Marshal of guards, I must say.... Your worries are indeed extra! Could it be that you see the winter attack of the Empire as a method to show our power? A demonstration of power?"
Roggins was rendered speechless. He still did not know what he was wrong about.
"You are wrong! You are completely wrong!" The Silverfox said as he shook his head. "I must tell you that the Northern Army Group no longer needs to defend against the Deiss! The current moment is the key stage for the Guards to change our defensive position. The only reason I appeared in the northern battlefield is to tell you the correct method to treat the Deiss! From before, it is always the Deiss that causes trouble at the border, challenging me continuously! Now it is the time for us to retaliate! After the winter attack, there will still be the spring attack. After the spring attack, there will still be the summer attack. After the summer attack, then the fall attack! Do you understand my meaning?"
Roggins had his eyes wide open. He actually shook his head in front of all the military generals in the room.
Alan also shook his head. "Alright. You can get out now. Go back to the base of your Army Group! This time you understand my meaning, right?"
Roggins returned the greetings. He walked out of the small room. To be honest, he could not stand that place. Let the Deiss people and those strategies of Alan to go to hell!
"Did you see that?" Alan pointed to the closed door. "Look at how weak the general that was responsible for the defense work of the Empire's Northern Border is! He'd rather sit in the office and build a fire than get on the bad side of the Deiss. But will Deiss do as he wishes them to? This nation that loves to invade will keep hitting on your back continuously, testing your patience until there is an opportunity for them to grab, then they will suddenly spring out and bite you! The Deiss army is the craziest and bravest opportunists in this world. As long as they smell blood, they will use their life as a bet to try it out."
"Sir Marshal! Lieutenant General Roggins was chosen by Her Majesty the Queen to lead the north...."
"Shut up!" Alan stopped the general of the Northern Army Group who was speaking. "Her Majesty the Queen is in Dulin. If you have any complaints, then go back to the Capital!"
The generals of the north in the room all lowered their heads. Actually, none of them wanted to be excluded from the battlefield like Roggins. Their Lieutenant General was just like a total coward just now. No soldiers would face such things.
"Major General Silvio Barrick!" Alan suddenly turned to the person of the south with the nickname 'Butcher'. "How do you see my order?"
Silvio kept a cold face all along. After The Great Massacre of Horfansted, the people had not seen this general showed a cheerful expression.
"Me? I don't have any opinion. I only obey orders."
"This is perfunctory! Tell me your true thoughts, Brigadier of the Guards!" Alan's words hinted a stubborn aura.
Silvio shrugged. Even if he still acted as if he did not care about anything in front of the Marshal of Guards, no one dared to do anything to him since the nickname 'Butcher' had spread in the army.
"To be honest, Sir Marshal! I didn't want to compliment you originally, but your strategy looks good indeed! Rather than letting the Deiss disturb our defense line continuously, it's better for us to do the same thing. Keeping a long-term attack towards the Deiss, keeping the continuous involvement of the army and keeping the stability of the attacks. There will surely come a time when the Deiss get impatient. They either fight with us or sit on the negotiation table obediently..."
"Alright!" Alan waved his hands. "That's the same as saying nothing. Anyone knew that! It can't be that no one thought of a long-term plan?"
The generals who were seated could not help but look at one another.
Alan shook his head. "Sirs! Look at the map! Deiss sits at the north corner of the strong chain of Western Kingdom Alliance. To the east, it can invade Czerroc; to the west, it can invade the Weden Kingdom and attain the port; to the south, it can invade Riel; to the northwest, it can invade the few small countries controlled by the Ollier Federation. Now you know the true reason we launch an attack at the south of Deiss?"
A military officer raised his hand. "Sir Marshal, we can stop the invasion pace of the Deiss and reduce the expansion intent of the Roulexberg Kingdom."
Another military officer raised his hand. "Sir Marshal, the south line is the place in which the Deiss Kingdom place their strongest army. Our attack will break the whole strategic position of this country!"
"Yes, Marshal!" Another general spoke. "Deiss has always seen our country as an enemy, but it is slightly different than that main reason....."
"Hehe!" Major General Silvio Barrick suddenly laughed coldly. All military officers in the room all stared at this brave Butcher. "Sir Marshal, just say it out loud! After spending so much time to invade Riel and to initiate the winter attack, you only plan to stop the intention of the Deiss to advance to the south after all. You want to divert their invasion target to their old rival, the Ollier Federation."
Alan smiled but he did not say anything. But Silvio immediately thought of another thing. The Empire's thirteen elite armies were stationed in the northeast area of Riel Kingdom. Duke Andrew's Narcissus Knights also had his Knights Army Group of more than 100 thousands men stationed at the Czerroc Border and the winter attack allowed the Empire's Northern Army to invade Deiss border by more than 100 kilometers! That was to say that the Empire had already surrounded Deiss. If Alan and Duke Andrew decided the same thing, then the Empire could definitely launch its attack from these three directions! All of these..... As if they were planned from the beginning! Silvio actually did not like war, but he did not know why he would have such instinct!
"Hahahaha!" The Silverfox laughed. "Look at our Butcher. It seems that..... Promoting him from Brigadier to Major General is a correct choice."
Many military officers only reacted by now! It was indeed that way! Deiss had already been surrounded from three sides. He could only adopt a defense strategy towards the direction of Titan! If Deiss still planned to expand its territory, then they would not choose the strong south. They would definitely start planning from the West and the north.
"That's right!" Alan nodded with certainty. "Major General Silvio is completely right! The winter attack and the attacks against Deiss after this are all strategies to prevent the fire from burning us! Attack is the best form of defense. We must further expand the attack line of the Guards and push the battle towards the enemy's border. Only this way can we attain our best form of defense. Deiss' administrative level is no fool. They know to retreat when they encountered something difficult --- to do things just right!"
Alan said as he took a sip of the black coffee that was cold and bitter. "So... Ah.... This thing is truly not for humans!" Alan frowned as he complained in a low voice. Colonel Payne Lubelly quickly poured a new cup of coffee for his Marshal.
"It's way better....." Alan sighed in content. "So.... The Deiss will surely think that instead of carrying out the endless battle that exhausts their resources with our country, it is better for them to search for another way out after the defensive line is stable. Believe me, sirs! Even though the Deiss Kingdom Army always has unexpected actions, but benefits and practicality are the rules of war that they've followed for thousands of years."
"Once they realized that they can't change the attacks of our country, their Supreme High Command won't even care about us anymore. Instead, they will start to create a plan to reignite war with Weden Kingdom, Lambo Kingdom, and Ollier Federation! Of course, this plan will need a long time to be produced because they still have to wait for the southern border to be stable. They still have to resume production, and tally population and armed forces after our attacks have ceased."
Major General Silvio Barrick suddenly stood up. He took the military hat on the table and placed on his head, not-so-neatly.
"Alright! Sir's present in this room! I need to carry out my duty now! I will bring my mountain warriors to carry out the orders of Sir Marshal."
"Hehe!" The old Marshal laughed. He seemed to not care about the rudeness of this Major General. "Let me ask you one more time. What do you plan to do?"
Silvio Barrick rolled his eyes. "Is there more to say? Just as requested in your order, destroy the Deiss' production, population, and army! Don't let the Deiss have their chance to rest and take a breath as much as possible!"
"Lastly, a warning to you, Sir Major General!" Alan finally put on a strict expression. "Don't go overboard! I don't want the second Horfansted to appear in the town of Deiss."
Silvio turned around at the door. "Then.... You and the Sirs seated here should begin your prayers from now on!"
***************************************
"Thank God of Light!" When Oscar came out from the water, he finally let out an exclamation!
This was the final place to catch their breath before the well. Except for Snowstorm, Oscar and his bunch were already exhausted. Just now, Aya had already had the symptoms of upsetting and fainting, but the Black Devil and Paul underwater could not wait any longer!
Oscar and Aya dived back in. This time the two super assassins were up. Paul was also a bit tired. He did not say anything to conserve his stamina as much as possible; Black Devil had already lost his usual cool and strict demeanor. He breathed just like a Deiss wolfdog that could not stand the heat!
Aya and the Prince surfaced from the water again. There was no choice! They could not hold it in any longer! Four heads were cramped in the rock indent. No matter they were companions or friends, they were fighting for the last survival right.
Aya's breathing became calmer. This time, she felt a little embarrassed. She was completely within the embrace of Oscar with her clothes all wet. In order to rest, she even had to wrap her strong and full leg on the waist of the young man. And her breast! The breasts which were once the capital for the young girl to feel contented and proud in front of the mirror, they now became troubling! Along with the quick breathing, the huge lumps kept touching and rubbing against the man's chest. The icy water temperature made Aya extremely conscious of the heat in front of her chest. She did not even dare to look down.
Oscar seemed to be kicking his leg all this time. He was to keep himself afloat in the water, but his kicking legs kept rubbing the most sensitive part of the lower body of Aya. The Countess at last still let out a light moan. She knew that now was not the time to satisfy her sexual imagination. But in this darkness, she was actually expecting that mesmerizing feeling. She became wet and hot because of this! Maybe... This was the human's heart! No matter under what condition, it was the human heart that would be infected by excitement.
Paul moved his body with difficulty. This location was not ideal, but he still listed this as the place that he must go through. This place was less than 200 meters from the well. If they could hold on for another 15 minutes, they could return to the surface and easily avoid the danger in front of them.
"Come! Use this rope to tie us to each other! No one can drop out of the team! Even if we die, we will die on land!" Paul got a thick rope out from somewhere. The King of Assassins tied a dead knot on him on one side of the rope as if he was proving his words! Then it was Oscar. The little Prince returned the gaze of his old friend. He tied a dead knot without hesitation as well.
Then, it was Aeolia, but the Countess shook her head. She did not tell everyone. Just now, her motor nerves had reached their limits. The muscles in her legs were almost cramping.
"I am the lightest. I will be behind. Even if anything happens, you men can still bring me forward!"
Oscar looked at Aya, confused. He had a very bad feeling that was hard to describe.
Shaw took the rope and tied it around himself tightly. Then he placed her at the last just as Aya said so!
"Alright! Everyone take care of each other! Victory is not far from us!" Paul reached out his hands in the narrow space. Black Devil immediately placed his hand on his old friend's. "That is right! I have never lost before!" Oscar also came forward. "Yes! We have never lost before!"
The people looked at the weak Countess. Aya gave a bitter smile, but she still flashed a beautiful smile as much as she could. She placed her pale hand on the stack of hands. "That is right! We won't lose!"
"Then.... Let's begin the final round!" Paul said as he dived into the water first.
Under the initiation of the rope, Oscar followed. He kicked his legs with effort and flanked his arms. Black Devil almost pulled Aya down to the water tunnel. This high tier assassin used up his strength more than the two passionate men. From the rope of high tension, it could be seen that the Countess at the last had no intention to move forward at all.
It was still good! After some time! Just when Shaw could not take it any longer, the pressure behind him suddenly relaxed! Black Devil turned around strangely. It was pitch black! But the struggle of the Countess caused a huge amount of water ripples and air flow! Aya crazily moved her limbs. She actually came back on their tails! The Black Devil increased his speed without worry. We are about to attain victory, no? Aya's effort more or less made him felt relieved.
The water level was rising. It was still dark in the surroundings, but the people had already reached the rock wall! They were already at the bottom of the well! Stop their breaths! Move upwards! Put more effort!
"Ola!" Oscar who leaped out of the water almost forgot that he was in the enemy's castle! He actually roared!
Paul laughed. He reached out his hand and pulled on the rope. The Black Devil also surfaced! This good-for-nothing appeared to be out of it! Paul had no strength to laugh at his old rival. He continued to pull the rope, but he immediately felt weird with the light touch of the rope.
Oscar pulled the rope that had a smooth cut in a violent movement. It was cut!
"Aeolia? My Aya?"
The little Prince pulled out the knife in his pocket. He kept saying Aya's name as he cut the rope violently! Paul was screaming something. Oscar could not hear any of it! Someone was pulling on his arm! Fuck this! Get the fuck out of here! Aya was waiting for me! I promised that I would not let her go!
Paul was staring blankly at the water ripples in front of him. This kid actually pulled such a strong punch! One of his eyes must be swollen now!
Oscar was searching! He was screaming! He was diving non-stop! He could not see anything. He could only go with his feelings!
It got darker and darker! Colder and colder! The dark underwater tunnel suddenly had a weak light. Oscar was guided by this weak light. He used all of his strength to swim towards it.
The body he held was extremely cold! Oscar knew that he was in the complete darkness, but the woman he held in his embrace was so bright. She was just like a sleeping beauty, waiting for her loved one to wake her up.
The young man kissed the cold lips. He opened her teeth and gave her warm breaths! It was as if time had stopped! They were not underwater now. Oscar was hugging the woman and flying up to the cotton-like clouds. His consciousness began to blur out! His senses had already numbed!
A warm tongue had connected with him since God of Light knows when. Oscar opened his eyes in a daze. He met Aya's gaze. It was the helplessness they'd felt when they first met! It was the happiness when they knew each other! It was the shyness when they flirted! It was the determined gaze when her true identity was exposed! Maybe.... There was something else! But Oscar kept falling. He could not remember any of those things!
A strong force hit him. Oscar held the person in his embrace tightly!
No matter what happened! Never let her go!
This was the promise....
Who was pulling me? It's painful! My whole body hurt!
My body was rising. Why?
I could breathe? Oh god! This was real!
All of a sudden! All noise and sense came back to him! Oscar's body shivered and he took a sharp breath! His heart was supplying pressure to his arteries and blood brought fresh oxygen to every part of his body immediately! Trying his best to control the urge to faint, Oscar was howling in his heart. "I am still fucking alive!"
The young man turned to the body in his embrace. He found that Aya's face was as pale as paper. The touch on his hand could not sense her heartbeat! Oscar once again opened Aya's mouth and urged the woman to breathe.
Paul rolled his eyes. He did not know if the Prince was taking advantage or busy with other things. The King of Assassins searched downwards from the chest of the Countess. He found the correct position where the lungs had accumulated water.
Snowstorm gave a strong punch! To be specific, the position of the punch was right at the fourth ribs under the nipple of the woman. This was the place where the right and left ventricles of the heart connect with each other. It was also the weakest place in the human's body! But it was the key to saving a human's life!
Aya bent her body in a violent movement. Her heart was forced to go to work by a strong external force! Her four limbs twitched violently as if in a spasm! She opened her mouth wide with a coarse throat! The icy water that had accumulated in the lungs and stomach were completely forced out by the force of that punch and the blood supplied by the heart. A terrifying vomiting sound echoed in the well!
The men were watching in silence. No one dared to disturb the Countess who'd encountered death. Even though Aya just came back from the border of hell, but her look was even more terrifying than the fierce ghost!
Oscar hugged Aya until she regained calm. Aya was lying on the man's shoulder. She could not speak a word.
"Why did you cut the rope? Can you not do stupid things? When did you become dumber than Sasha?"
Facing the scolding of the man, Aeolia who just realized that she was alive finally cried. She had no energy to stop the tears that contained many of her emotions. She just kept sobbing.
"Alright! It's alright! It's alright! Everything will be alright!" Oscar patted the Countess and consoled her with the softest voice.
The Prince said as he looked at the mouth of well that showed a little light. He gave a bitter smile. Who knew what would happen after this? The journey to home was still a long one, no?
******************************************
"Yes! It's still a long way home!" Big brother Ciel said as he knocked on the head of a small warrior. "You kid. You begin to think of home even before the war starts! Then what for you get enlisted here? Isn't it better for you to learn some technique to serve the women?"
"Hahahahaha...." A series of deafening laughs broke out in the army base of Titan Empire Eighth Region Second Corps.
Sargent Ciel! Remember him? Oh right! Ciel had been promoted to First Lieutenant now! Now he was the assistant of the Corps leader of the Second Corps and a unit leader! Don't forget about him! He was the Empire's warrior who'd led the assault team to turn the main defense tower of Italia's Horfansted Fortress into charred rubble. Even though he was the special ranked battle hero who was famous, the people who knew him could not remember his face! Because his look now was too hard to remember.
The tall mountain warriors from before were as thin as dry grass now. His body outside of the military outfit was covered with brown-colored burns. His face! Oh god! People were unable to identify his facial features. Only those bright eyes indicated the brightness that belonged to a battle hero!
The Guards' Eighth Region Second Corps was the only Independent Army arranged from the southern mountain area. The warriors were extremely curious about the exotic Deiss! The people here planted the purple Alfalfa and all sorts of grains between the mountains. They even made wine underground and used fences that were decorated with flowers and grass to keep the animals. They used large skirts made of thick cloth to cover their bodies.
The weather was a little cold. These kids who came to this battlefield from the south was still excitedly marching forward. They knew that the duty of the Corps was to eliminate any remaining enemies after eliminating the main force units. But.... It had been a whole afternoon! Three mountain corps in the Eighth Region Second Corps did not have much results. The towns along their way had already put up the flag that identified non-war areas. This more or less caused the depressed feeling of the warriors.
Clearing the remains at the back of the battle line! This order was not easy to be understood. The soldiers usually took it as the meaning to burn and kill, but for Silvio Barrick, that was the aim that he came here for!
The First Division of Second Corps passed by the outer part of a small town. The town was not large. Standing at a highland, one could see its whole landscape. Just like many small towns in Deiss, the citizens used fences as walls, and fresh flowers and trees to divide the streets.
The First Division did not run into any trouble! The warriors were in a near infantry formation as they moved forward quickly. Their destination today was not this place.
All of a sudden! When the warriors of the First Unit passed by a small house in the outer area of the town! A scream came from the unit! Following that, cursing rang. So did the laughter! The window of this house was opened. The golden hair of a boy flew in the air. His slingshot was still trembling. He seemed to plan to throw another rock at the invader, but his mother had already lifted him up and closed the window with great force.
The medic in the Division rushed this way. This sudden incident made the whole unit stopped moving. An unlucky warrior covered his face. His face seemed to have a hole now due to the rock flung at him using a slingshot. Fresh blood dripped down from between his fingers.
"What happened?"
Silvio Barrick rode his horse and reached the scene. He still did not know why the unit had stopped.
"Corps Leader!" The Division Leader of First Division immediately came forward. "One of our warriors is injured by a slingshot! The person is a Deiss kid! I don't know how that warrior can be so unlucky!"
Silvio's expression became cold. He turned around and scanned the town in front of him. After a while, he began to mumble to himself lowly.
"No! No! It is that boy and his town that are unlucky!"
Looking at the expression of the Corps Leader, First Lieutenant Ciel, as his assistant, was blinking his eyes. He knew what his Corps Leader wanted to do!
"Enemy attack!" Ciel screamed in a coarse voice.
The warriors were a little confused. "Where is the enemy?"
"Formation! Target..... The town in front of you! Aim.... Eliminate any potential enemy! Get the resisting people out!"
Even though they were confused, but the mountain warriors had already gone into battle formation towards the town that had no defense at all whatsoever.
After a while, smoke as thick as fog and noisy wailing filled the town.
