Escaping, Treachery

In the small castle, the remaining people trembled, tightly locking the crude gates, fearing that the bloodthirsty orcs would break in. Fortunately, it seemed the orcs had no such intention.

All the horses were gathered, with each orc receiving at least three. Although they had never learned riding, for orcs, this skill seemed to be imprinted in their bones. After just a few familiarizations, they became as skilled as seasoned cavalry.

As long as they mounted their horses and sped away, following the route Barok had already scouted, they would reach the gravel wasteland in a few days. Almost all the orcs could see the barren gravel wasteland beckoning to them, a sight they had despised before, now strangely nostalgic. Barok erupted into a fierce argument with the tribe, as when all the orcs were ready to leave mounted on their horses, he didn't intend to follow.

"The humans will soon discover we've escaped, and pursuers could arrive at any moment. You can't hide here, Barok. Once they find you, they'll kill you in the cruelest ways." Old orc Ziyad advised, his mind disapproving... risking precious lives for a human woman wasn't worth it.

"Barok, don't interfere in human affairs, let them kill each other." Cecil also advised, "Perhaps if they're busy fighting each other, they won't pay attention to us. Lady Celine has helped us, but she won't be in danger... It's not worth risking yourself."

The debauchery of human nobles was well-known, even to the humblest orcs. In Cecil's imagination, Celine was of that sort. Would such a woman care about chastity?

"Get on the road immediately, take the map I drew, and I'll have Rack lead you. Once you reach the Tremson Forest, the rest of the journey to the gravel wasteland won't be a problem." Barok had no intention of arguing with the tribe, nor did he have time to waste. He commanded decisively with a stern face.

"If you don't allow it, then I'll stay with you!" Barotan said, just as he dismounted. Barok kicked him aside, cursing, "You staying will only be a burden, causing chaos? Get back on your horse and leave immediately."

Simple-minded Barotan was unexpectedly stubborn. Despite stumbling, he stubbornly got up, standing beside Barok with a tight-lipped expression. Barok laughed in exasperation, his tone easing as he said, "Have you memorized the mantra I taught you yesterday? Practice diligently for me. If I come back and find you've made no progress, believe me, I'll strip you naked and make you run across the gravel wasteland!"

When they first met in the arena, Barotan had suddenly erupted with power to save Cecil, hurling a thousand-pound grassland lion away. Barok had seen in the scrolls that this was an outstanding talent of orcs... meaning Barotan could cultivate Beast War Qi. Delighted, Barok directly taught him the mantra of Qi cultivation that the old gladiator Maximus had taught him.

Maximus had been discovered to have the talent for cultivating Qi at a young age, but unfortunately, he had been killed by the arena owner, who pierced his abdomen, destroying his Qi. Later, Maximus and Norman Shaman escaped from the arena, and it was Norman Shaman who restored Maximus's Qi with shamanic power, which the old man bought from a mercenary passing by a tavern. Although the set of mantras was ordinary, it was extremely practical and very suitable for the simple-minded Barotan.

Barok had an idea. As far as he knew, there were many orc captives in the human kingdom who could cultivate Beast War Qi, but unfortunately, their Qi had been destroyed by piercing their abdomens. If he could rescue these people and then use shamanic techniques to repair their damaged Qi, his new tribe's strength would undoubtedly be much stronger. At least, facing human hostility or even pursuit in the future, there would be more power to protect themselves.

The only regret was that Norman Shaman had died before he could pass on the shamanic spell to repair Qi to Barok. Barok needed to figure it out on his own, but with so many scrolls, there would surely be some clues... if he could repair the flaws in human spirits, he was confident that Qi would be no exception.

Of course, all this required him to successfully escape from Padea. Roughly driving the tribe onto their horses, he waved to Rack, the ice wolf who didn't return to his dog form, and let out a loud roar. All the horses obediently galloped along the road, driven by the magic beast, heading westward.

"Barok, you must come back alive...!" Barotan's voice almost choked with tears, his figure quickly receding. Barok shook his head. What a child, are you cursing me?

There was no time to waste. Barok activated his Beast War Qi, disappearing into the night sky like an arrow. Soon, he returned to the entrance of the sewer and slipped inside... back to the arena. The arena was chaotic and noisy, as if all the human gladiators had been summoned overnight, distributing weapons. Barok knew that tonight, many people might not sleep. But it had nothing to do with him; in such a big event, no one cared about the lives of orcs, and surprisingly, they hadn't been exposed yet.

The prison's iron gates were almost useless to him. Breaking the chains, he sneaked out of the arena and quickly found his direction, rushing towards Duke Delta's mansion!

Dividing Line...

The night was brightly lit, and the ball was in full swing. As a well-known ** figure in the capital, Duke Delta had a talent for such revelries. The luxurious hall, the best musicians, the most exquisite food, along with elegantly dressed and courteous servants, all showcased the high taste of this ball. Duke Delta and his wife always wore smiles on their faces, dancing and conversing with every distinguished guest during the breaks, flattering discreetly, always making guests feel at home.

As the most esteemed guest, Prince Alvin was always accompanied by beautiful women, but tonight all his attention was on the charming Lady Celine.

Although he despised such gatherings, it didn't mean he lacked taste. Tonight, Celine wore a blue evening gown, adorned with minimal jewelry, only a diamond brooch pinned to her left chest, accentuating her half-exposed fair and smooth bosom, which was particularly eye-catching. The sleeveless dress revealed her two slender and rounded arms, adorned with a pair of thin silk gloves. When Prince Alvin kissed the back of Celine's hand, there was even an impulse to tear off the glove and directly bite into her enticing hand.

Viscount Delta enjoyed such lively scenes, but Lady Celine seemed unable to bear it after persisting until midnight. After leaving a group of nobles behind, she directly loosened Delta's arm, and in a frustrated tone, whispered, "I've fulfilled my duty. You go and explain to the guests. I'm going back to rest, don't disturb me."

"Of course, I'm already pleasantly surprised that you've accompanied me for so long tonight, Lady Celine...," Viscount Delta said with a smile, picking up a glass of wine from a passing servant's tray. Celine turned to leave and didn't see Delta swiftly pour a packet of white powder into the wine, which dissolved upon contact, leaving no trace.

"Oh, by the way, Celine, before you leave, it's best to bid farewell to the esteemed Prince Alvin. After all, he's a prince of the Audria Empire, and we must show enough respect," Delta called after Celine, handing her the glass of wine. "Go and have a drink with the prince, don't upset him. Consider it my last request tonight."

Celine didn't suspect anything, taking the glass and walking over to Prince Alvin. Delta didn't follow, and nobody knew what they said. In the end, Prince Alvin and Celine clinked glasses, and after Celine finished the wine, she curtseyed and left!

Delta immediately approached Prince Alvin. "Your Highness, could I bother you for a moment? There are some small matters to discuss." He flashed a meaningful smile, and Prince Alvin understood.

Prince Alvin had been impatient, and he immediately apologized to the noble ladies beside him, "I'm sorry, beautiful ladies, let two men talk about boring topics, and then I'll come back to continue our chat. Of course, Viscount Delta, though he's a handsome man, holds no attraction for me. You can rest assured!"

After cracking this joke, amidst the women's giggles, Alvin followed Delta out of the hall, his lone bodyguard silently trailing behind to protect him.

The drug Delta had given Celine was very potent, and it would soon take effect. By now, she was probably lying in bed, consumed by desire. He crossed through a garden and led the prince to the small building where Celine resided. "Your Highness, it seems Celine has something she wants to talk to you about. I won't disturb you anymore. I hope you two have a pleasant conversation."

"Viscount Delta, I've always considered you an extraordinary person. Duke Lindon's rewards to you are well deserved... Oh, after tonight, he should be called King Lindon. I know you have many things to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer. I hope we all have a pleasant night." Alvin had experienced too many women; he couldn't even count them. But tonight, this anticipation made him particularly excited. Pure and gentle women like Celine were rare to come by, and he was almost impatient.

Delta bowed and left. Who knew what his mood was at this moment? No one knew. But he didn't have time to reflect on it. Seaton hadn't returned for so long, and Duke Lindon had sent his confidant to inform him that midnight was the time to launch the coup. He had to lead all the gladiators to the palace immediately. Duke Lindon intended to concentrate all his forces to capture King Corrick. With the intimidation of Prince Alvin of the Audria Empire, all problems would be easily solved...

Entering the small building, a servant was absent, having been sent away by Delta long ago. Alvin noticed several doors left open, seemingly too hurried to close. Step by step, he walked deeper into the building. In a cozy bedroom, Celine's figure came into view. At this moment, Celine seemed to be in a trance. Her face was flushed red, her mouth unconsciously moaning, her hands constantly tearing at her clothes. The evening gown was crumpled, exposing most of her ample bosom, the long hem almost torn apart, revealing a pair of incredibly perfect, fair and smooth breasts. Her legs were crossed, pressed against the soft velvet bedspread, rubbing against it, a scene of seduction that was almost fatal.

Alvin's mind was about to explode. Hastily removing his belt and tearing off his clothes, he was about to pounce. Suddenly, he realized that his bodyguard was standing by the door, staring at him.

"Damn it, do you have to monitor even when this prince is enjoying women? Get out, get out of this building. Without my orders, dare to approach, and I swear I'll let my father punish you severely," Alvin, consumed by lust, shouted angrily.

The bodyguard's face turned ashen, but he still silently left... For a Sky Knight, being insulted like this, even by a prince, would arouse hidden resentment. In anger, the bodyguard directly moved away from the small building. Anyway, this area had already been closely monitored. Out of sight, out of mind, it was better to keep a distance.

With his last piece of clothing removed, Alvin was burning with desire. With a lecherous laugh, he lunged towards the half-naked Celine...!