Chapter 221: Chapter: 220 Die, you devil worshipper!!
Deep beneath the Royal Castle, the underground passage remained wrapped in dim lights.
The walls on both sides were lined with ancient candle stands forged directly into the stone itself. Pale golden flames flickered quietly atop them, casting wavering shadows across the corridor.
What made the candles unsettling, however, was the fact that they never seemed to melt.
Not a single drop of wax trailed down the metal holders. The flames simply continued burning eternally, as though frozen in time for centuries.
Small openings had also been carved high into certain sections of the underground walls, allowing thin rays of sunlight to descend from above.
The beams pierced through the darkness like narrow pillars of gold, illuminating drifting dust particles that floated endlessly through the air.
At this moment, only four individuals were descending the massive stone staircase leading toward the underground transportation chamber.
Crypian Thorne.
First Prince Sebastian Evander.
Duke Rayene.
And Count Kalan.
Their footsteps echoed heavily throughout the underground passage while faint clinking sounds continuously rang out against the stone walls.
Crypian was currently being supported by Count Kalan as they slowly descended the stairs.
Although his outward appearance remained weak and pale, his mind was anything but calm.
Anxiety continuously churned inside his chest. Convincing the prince to allow usage of the underground transportation gate had not been easy.
Initially, Sebastian suggested using the public transportation gate located outside the castle grounds instead.
However, Crypian immediately rejected the idea inwardly. The Paladins had most likely already arrived by now.
If they spotted him attempting to flee, there was no doubt they would capture him on the spot.
And Crypian absolutely refused to die again. He had no intention of repeating that horrifying end once more.
That was why he forced himself to continue acting ill despite the exhaustion slowly building inside him.
In the end, he barely managed to persuade Sebastian by promising an unconditional alliance between the Thorne Family and the Holy Empire once the First Prince ascended the throne in the future.
Of course, maintaining such an alliance after his disappearance would become extremely difficult.
But that was a problem for later, right now, survival came first.
The group finally stepped off the staircase and entered the underground floor completely.
The coldness within the chamber immediately became more noticeable.
"Lord Crypian," Sebastian asked from the front while leading the group forward, "are you feeling slightly better now?"
"Y-Yes..." Crypian replied weakly while leaning against Count Kalan for support. "Somewhat..."
Then he deliberately coughed several times.
"Cough... cough...!"
His body trembled slightly afterward as though struggling to remain standing.
"But... I must take the medicine as soon as possible..."
The performance was flawless. Sebastian’s expression immediately softened with concern.
"Do not worry, Lord Crypian," he assured him quickly. "Just remain calm and walk slowly. We are not far from the transportation chamber."
"Thank you... Your Highness..."
Crypian lowered his head gratefully. Afterward, silence returned once more.
The four figures continued walking deeper underground while the echoes of their footsteps repeatedly bounced across the corridor.
Eventually, a massive iron gate appeared ahead of them.
The gate itself was enormous, nearly reaching the ceiling of the underground chamber. Strange patterns and faded magical engravings covered its surface while traces of blue mana particles faintly pulsed between the lines.
Prince Sebastian stepped forward before slowly placing his palm against the center of the gate.
The moment his hand touched the surface....it sank inward slightly.
A shimmering blue light immediately spread across the metal beneath his palm like flowing water.
Then....GROOOON!
A deep metallic groan echoed throughout the underground chamber as the enormous gate slowly began opening inward.
Cold air spilled from the darkness beyond it. The inside of the room could barely be seen at first.
Only faint darkness stretched ahead alongside a distant blue glow shimmering somewhere deeper within the chamber.
Sebastian gestured quietly for everyone to follow.
The group stepped inside. Their footsteps echoed softly across the massive underground room as they continued walking in silence.
No one spoke, the only sounds present were the dull clinks of boots striking stone and the faint humming noise resonating from deeper within the chamber.
And gradually.... The distant blue glow began growing larger.
Brighter and clearer, until finally, the enormous transportation gate revealed itself completely.
Crypian’s eyes immediately lit up.
A massive gate of shimmering blue light stood at the center of the underground chamber like a doorway leading into another world.
The surface of the portal rippled continuously like moving ocean waves while countless teleportation runes glowed along the ancient stone frame surrounding it.
Blue mana flowed endlessly through the carvings like veins of light. The entire chamber pulsed faintly with magical energy.
Prince Sebastian stopped before the gate and slowly turned around.
"Allow me to fix the coordinates first," he said calmly.
Then he kneeled before the transportation gate and stretched one hand toward the glowing runes etched along the lower frame.
The moment his fingers touched the symbols, the runes immediately brightened.
Soft blue light spread across the stone surface while countless symbols slowly began rearranging themselves beneath his hand.
Crypian watched everything silently. Anticipation and anxiety mixed violently inside his chest.
He slowly stepped away from Count Kalan’s support. Right now, he could not afford to lower his guard around anyone.
Especially Count Kalan. The man was loyal to the Church far more than he was loyal to the prince.
If Commander Cassian somehow discovered the escape attempt and contacted Kalan midway through this process, the situation could instantly become disastrous.
Crypian slightly bowed his head toward him.
"Thank you for your assistance, Count Kalan," he spoke politely. "I truly appreciate your generosity."
"Haha..." Count Kalan let out a small chuckle before waving his hand lightly.
"There is no need for gratitude, Lord Crypian. You are ill. Supporting you was merely my duty."
"How kind of you..." Crypian murmured quietly beneath his breath. The words were soft, yet still loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
Afterward, he slowly walked closer toward the transportation gate.
The shimmering blue surface continuously rippled while Sebastian adjusted the coordinates one symbol at a time.
Several moments later, the prince finally nodded in satisfaction.
"All done." He slowly stood back up before turning toward Crypian.
"You may enter shortly," Sebastian explained. "However, the connection requires exactly one minute to stabilize first."
Crypian gave a small nod. That much was common knowledge.
Transportation gates required synchronization between both ends before activation could fully complete.
Depending on the quality of the gate and the technology used, the waiting period varied greatly.
Some required several minutes while others required far longer.
However, the Royal Family’s underground transportation gate was among the finest within the empire. One minute was already considered extraordinarily fast.
Crypian quietly waited before the portal while his thoughts slowly drifted elsewhere.
Now that escape finally stood before him...
The thoughts he had forcibly buried earlier gradually resurfaced once more.
’Who framed me?’
The question echoed repeatedly inside his mind. Before regression, he distinctly remembered hearing the recording containing his own voice.
Yet the words themselves...they were not his.
Someone had clearly used some unknown method to imitate his voice before spreading the recording throughout the Church.
’But who?’ Crypian frowned slightly.
Did he possess enemies capable of such a thing? He could not think of anyone immediately.
As far as he knew, the Saint himself was supposed to be kind and merciful. There should have been no reason for someone like that to scheme against him personally.
After all...before this incident, they had never even met properly.
Yet the more Crypian thought about the Saint...the stranger everything became.
Because in his previous life...there had never been a Saint, not during the present era. Not even during the devastating war between humanity and the Zlycons in the future.
Uriel simply did not exist. The Saint had appeared suddenly, almost as though he materialized out of nowhere.
Initially, Crypian assumed it was merely a butterfly effect caused by his regression.
But now...Something about the entire situation felt deeply wrong.
Clink.
The sudden clicking sound abruptly broke his thoughts apart.
Crypian immediately lifted his head. The transportation gate pulsed brightly.
The shimmering blue surface stabilized completely.
Prince Sebastian stepped aside before gesturing toward the portal.
"You may enter now, Lord Crypian."
Crypian slowly nodded with a weak expression.
"Again... thank you for understanding my predicament and allowing me to use this transportation gate."
Sebastian let out a faint smile.
"Of course. Now go quickly and take the medicine first. We can discuss everything later."
As he spoke, he stepped aside and gestured toward the transportation gate.
The blue surface of the portal continued shimmering quietly like moving water while faint waves of mana spread through the underground chamber.
Crypian nodded with a grateful smile.
However, beneath that calm expression, anxiety and urgency were already reaching their limit.
He wanted to move immediately. He wanted to disappear through the gate before anything could happen.
But he restrained himself perfectly.
Slowly, Crypian stepped toward the transportation gate.
One step....then another. The blue light illuminated his face as he approached closer and closer toward the portal.
Finally....he stepped forward.
And at that exact instant...something sharp pierced straight through his chest.
Pshhk!
Crypian’s body froze.
A dagger suddenly emerged from the front of his chest. Fresh blood dripped slowly from the blade onto the stone floor below.
For a moment, the entire underground chamber fell silent.
And then....a voice filled with killing intent exploded from behind him.
"Die, you devil worshipper!!"
