Inside No. 3 Mine.
After all the assassins had gathered, Caesar's face was terrifyingly grim.
The four assassins he had brought with him were all veterans who had fought through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Their skills in tracking, concealment, and scouting were etched into their very bones.
At this moment, they were searching through the massive domed mine and all surrounding hiding spots with startling efficiency, like a fine-toothed comb.
They didn't miss a single rock crevice, earthen pit, or abandoned mining tunnel.
Their movements were silent, their gazes sharp as eagles.
A mere brush of their fingers against the ground allowed them to sense the faintest traces.
With a slight twitch of their nostrils, they could distinguish any lingering unfamiliar scents in the air.
One even lay flat on the ground, pressing his ear tightly against the cold rock.
He listened for any hint of movement that might travel through the deep layers of the earth.
However, there was nothing.
Lin Gui, Elvia, and the crucial Holy Saintess.
It was as if they had vanished into thin air, leaving not a single trace behind.
This was simply unbelievable.
The mages outside had vowed that they had never left.
Moreover, when Caesar was checking the exit traps himself, he had caught a distant glimpse of that black-haired, black-eyed mage.
Where on earth were they hiding?!
Caesar instinctively pulled the Transmission Stone used to contact Valk from his robes and infused it with mana.
"Valk, are you certain the Saintess is in No. 3 Mine?"
...There was no response.
The other end of the Transmission Stone was as silent as the grave.
"Valk?"
Caesar called out again, his voice unintentionally carrying a hint of anxiety.
It remained silent.
An ominous premonition suddenly gripped Caesar's heart.
Had something happened outside?
But as soon as the thought emerged, he forcefully suppressed it.
Impossible!
He had positioned nearly half of the rebels' core strength around the perimeter of the mine.
More than twenty Transcendent Rank practitioners, over a hundred High Rank ones, and the regional isolation barrier obtained at an enormous cost!
With such a formation, even if the main force of the Royal Capital Knights were to strike out in full strength...
With the advantage of the terrain and the barrier, he was confident they could hold out for at least a month.
With a barrier outside and heavy troops within, what could possibly go wrong?
Perhaps the energy field deep within the mine was interfering with the transmission?
He steadied himself, put away Valk's Transmission Stone, and pulled out several others.
These Transmission Stones had different shapes and slightly varying colors, but they all originated from the same massive Transmission Raw Stone.
Only with this "common origin" could point-to-point magical communication be achieved over short distances.
He tried to contact the leaders of the other teams one by one.
At that moment, the assassin codenamed Black Scorpion couldn't help but speak, his voice dry.
"Boss... the situation isn't right. Should we call Dead Rat and the others over?"
Dead Rat was another High-tier Transcendent assassin tasked with the Saintess Assassination Plan.
There were several other experts like him within the rebels.
Yet for some reason, at the critical moment of assassinating the Saintess, they hadn't shown up.
Caesar's cold gaze swept over him.
Black Scorpion licked his dry lips and spoke quickly.
"You know our strength. We might not be the top in the Royal Capital for tracking and concealment, but we're definitely seasoned veterans."
"The targets are clearly inside this mine, yet we can't find a single trace. There's only one possibility..."
He paused, a flash of alarm crossing his eyes.
"Someone stronger and more skilled at hiding than us is lurking in here! They've hidden our targets."
"And as for someone stronger than us... that can only be a Legendary!"
He looked at Caesar, his tone pleading.
"If there's really a Legendary lying in wait, just the few of us are going to our deaths."
"But if we call Dead Rat and the others and combine our efforts..."
"Even if we face a Legendary, with our numerical advantage and... that item, we might have a fighting chance!"
Hearing Black Scorpion mention "those few," a subtle glint flickered in Caesar's eyes.
A fleeting, indiscernible darkness crossed his face.
He remained silent for a moment before speaking in a heavy tone.
"Dead Rat and the others... won't be coming."
"What?" Viper and Black Scorpion frowned simultaneously.
Caesar sighed, as if recalling some agonizing experience.
"To test the power of the divine artifact and ensure this operation is foolproof..."
"I took them to the Twilight Fortress before to try the blade against that Low-tier Legendary, Duke Sam..."
He paused, his voice dropping low.
"We did succeed in heavily wounding and crippling him, but... the cost was too high."
"The other brothers... were all lost in the Duke's counterattack."
Viper and Black Scorpion looked at each other, both seeing deep suspicion in the other's eyes.
They knew the strength of those comrades all too well.
Even if they weren't a match for a Legendary in a one-on-one fight, a group of them—as assassins—should have been able to strike once and retreat immediately. How could they have been wiped out?
An assassin's creed was always to flee a thousand miles if a single strike failed.
Risking one's life was already a poor move, and dying together was even more impossible.
Caesar's explanation seemed reasonable, but in their eyes, it was riddled with holes.
Before they could dwell on it, Caesar seemed unwilling to discuss the topic further.
His tone shifted abruptly as his sharp gaze swept over the group, his voice full of alarm.
"...Where is Lust Demon?"
Everyone froze and immediately looked around.
Only then did they realize that Lust Demon, who had been searching with them just a moment ago...
Had somehow vanished without a sound!
...
Hundreds of meters away, deep within a more secluded branch of Mine No. 3 filled with rotting minecart frames.
Lust Demon was holding his breath, treading lightly as he crept forward inch by inch.
His face, which was usually filled with lewd desire, was now slightly distorted with excitement.
His eyes shone as he stared intently at a spot not far ahead.
It was a narrow crevice hidden in the shadow of a massive ore deposit.
Just a few minutes ago, while he was searching this area...
The corner of his eye had keenly caught a flash of a golden figure deep within that crevice!
That graceful silhouette was undoubtedly the Saintess.
"Little beauty... you're hiding quite deep..."
A suppressed low growl came from Lust Demon's throat, all caution and the mission cast to the back of his mind.
"Let your uncle treat you right..."
In his view, this was definitely a flaw the Saintess had inadvertently exposed while hiding in panic.
He could already picture that holy body trembling and pleading beneath him.
Adrenaline surged violently. Without a second thought, he had broken away from the squad.
He lunged toward this "accidental discovery" alone.
He failed to notice that in the shadows of the dome high above him...
A faint, nearly imperceptible ripple was stirring the air.
A pair of emerald eyes were silently watching him.
Rate on N.U.
