Return of the Mythic Bloodline-Chapter 409: Rescue Mission III

Concealing their presence, Taranis and Vyaghra reached the central gigantic pillar. On the large open surface at the pillar’s top, numerous watchtowers were mounted at regular intervals. Two guards wearing the knight armor of the empire were stationed at each of them, and there were a total of a thousand such pillars.

"That many guards just to keep an eye on a possible intruder," Taranis murmured inwardly, hidden because of Vyaghra’s blessing.

At the center, a stone fortress had been built, where guards moved in and out continuously.

Exchanging glances, the duo began moving toward the central fortress, assuming that the path to enter the pillar must lie within it.

The surface of the pillar on which Vyaghra and Taranis stood radiated a faint glow, revealing the protective array wrapped around it. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

They entered the fortress easily, as the soldiers’ realms were not high enough to detect them.

In the basement of the fortress, a cave carved downward came into view, its entrance blocked by the invisible energy of the array.

Bending down, Taranis touched the surface of the array and whispered, "Vivi, activate Eyes of the Fallen."

"Initializing Host’s request..."

"Eyes of the Fallen activated!"

The invisible array transformed into a combination of numerous interconnected magical circles. All Taranis had to do was think of what he intended to do with the array. Whether he wanted to upgrade it, deactivate it, or manipulate it, his eyes revealed the methods for all.

He focused on how to alter the array so that he and Vyaghra could pass through it.

Patterns of golden energy appeared above the magical circles, showing the necessary changes that needed to be made.

Focusing a small amount of Soulforce into his index finger, Taranis began carefully tracing the patterns.

Taranis had no talent for spells. The complex integration of magical circles at the royal gate of Heaven’s Last Step had been enough to make his head spin. However, two things were different now.

Taranis had closely observed Ume many times while she drew array patterns, so he had a basic idea of how to channel Soulforce into an array.

Secondly, this array was nowhere near as complex as the protective array at the royal gate. If Taranis had to compare, it was like a problem of basic addition, whereas the array at the royal gate was a triple integration involving multiple variables.

It did not take Taranis more than an hour to successfully alter the array.

He deactivated his Eyes of the Fallen and entered the cave with Vyaghra.

Taranis’s eyebrows furrowed as they began walking down the path.

"So you have noticed," Vyaghra said, seeing him frown. "The inside of the pillar is devoid of Soulforce. A natural array has formed here that prevents Soulforce from entering the pillar."

After walking for fifteen minutes, the cave expanded, revealing a massive cylindrical internal structure. Floors upon floors were built along the walls, with thousands of soldiers stationed on each level.

Numerous ballistas and cannons were placed on every floor, all aimed at something in the dark depths below that Taranis and Vyaghra could not even see.

Now that the duo was inside the array, they could sense the number of soldiers stationed there.

"So this is where the remaining army of Kharos is," Taranis muttered.

Inside a place devoid of Soulforce, five hundred thousand soldiers, ten thousand ballistas, and six thousand cannons were stationed, all to guard a single prisoner whose dantian had been destroyed.

The army was not meant to defend against external infiltrators. The way they were deployed, along with the positioning of the cannons and ballistas, clearly revealed that they were meant to keep the prisoner in check or unleash a full assault the moment the prisoner attempted to escape.

"Your father must have been a perilous man to be imprisoned like this," Vyaghra said, unable to hide his shock.

"He is," Taranis replied as they began moving downward.

After getting closer to the bottom, Taranis ambushed a lone soldier and put on his clothes.

"Reason for changing clothes?" Vyaghra asked, letting the body of the ambushed knight be devoured by darkness.

"I can sense the presence of an early-stage Eternal Sage at the bottom," Taranis informed. "If I go any closer, he will detect me."

"Your disguise is useless. I was thinking of hunting him," Vyaghra replied with a sigh.

"No. If he is an Eternal Sage, he must be someone I know. I will deal with him myself once Father is freed."

With that, the duo began their descent again and reached the bottom. It was an open platform with a large room at the center. Weapons from every floor were aimed at that single room, whose walls seemed to be made of cold iron.

Taranis and Vyaghra stayed on the platform, observing the room. After two hours, the door of the metallic chamber slid upward. A man with short blond hair, clad in golden armor, walked out. An expression of annoyance was etched on his face as he wiped his hands, stained crimson with blood, using a small cloth.

The moment Taranis saw him, the inferno within him surged violently. His entire body trembled with restrained fury. Every part of his being demanded that he strike the man down instantly. Taranis was on the verge of losing control when Vyaghra tapped his shoulder and said firmly, "Do not forget why we are here. If we are exposed, you will not be able to save your father."

Taranis clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to contain his rage. The task was far more difficult than it seemed, as the man before him was none other than Adam Solaris, the second prince of the empire and the mastermind behind every misery of the Thunderbanes and Nymeria.

"I do not understand why Father is so afraid of this half-dead Bane," Adam muttered, tossing aside the bloodied cloth as he stepped onto the first floor. "Instead of using this army to crush those animals from the mountains, he lets them rot here."

Turning to one of the knights stationed there, Adam continued, "Are you not angered to be abandoned here for the past eighteen years?"

"Your Highness, how can I, as a subject of the Empire, harbor any discontent toward the Emperor?" the knight replied with a bow.

"Tch, you are all boring!" Adam retorted, entering a room carved into the side wall of the first floor.

On the other side, the moment Adam left the platform, Taranis and Vyaghra slipped into the chamber just before the door closed again.