The Devil’s Cage

“Kill him!” Melanie shouted.

The four traitorous knights dashed out first, taking the lead.

Not just because of the rage at Kieran who messed up the situation, but they wanted to prove themselves as well.

Several Hounds were defeated by Kieran and now if they could take out Kieran, they would eventually gain recognition from the elders.

Perhaps they might even get compensation for the discounted rewards from before.

As for the elders not being at the scene and unable to see what they achieved, anyone from Elder Council knew the elder’s gaze existed everywhere.

Kieran lifted up one morning star and hurled it out like a shot put.

Wung!

Amid the numbing whistle, the morning star flew straight towards the four traitorous knights but it was easily dodged.

The sewer tunnel was built after the three wars and because of the workmanship and technology level which obviously taken references from the traditional way of building, it was narrow and suffocating, but it was still enough for several men walking through it side-by-side.

Therefore, it was very easy for the four traitorous knights to dodge a millstone-sized morning star mace.

In fact, when the four of them saw the morning star was hurled at them, they didn’t only dodge it easily but also counterattacked.

They split up in two groups and headed towards both sides of the wall while the morning star flew through in a straight line. They then tapped on the walls with tacit movements, charging up their speed as they continued dashing towards Kieran.

“This kind of straight line attack is no different than what that idiot Calga used to do! You shall di…”

The traitor knights clamored arrogantly but before the words could finish, it was stopped abruptly because other than a big sword’s box, they didn’t see Kieran’s figure.

He was right there a moment ago!

Could it be?

The four of them were stunned for a while before subconsciously realizing something yet it was already too late.

Kieran who hid behind the flying morning star then dished out a series of kicks at them, engulfing them completely.

Bang, Bang, Bang!

Layers of afterimages overlapped with each other, producing heavy kicking noises.

The four traitorous knights were sent flying away, crashing into both sides of the wall under Kieran’s kicks.

As their bodies were embedded on the wall, four green glows floated up on their bodies but Kieran didn’t care about it now.

He slightly took a step back.

Bang!

The Hound who jumped out from the shadows to deliver a fatal strike to Kieran’s throat was hit on his chest by Kieran’s shoulder as he was raising up his dagger.

As the bone breaking noises sounded, the Hound was sent flying without any signs of life.

In all but a mere moment, five of them died!

“Arrogant idiots!” Melanie didn’t even spare a glance at them.

The Hounds had no empathy for the losers and the rest of the Hounds didn’t fall into fear but instead were stimulated one after another.

However, before the Hounds could strike, Kieran quickly reached out to the fly morning star’s chain, grabbing it tightly with his palm and swung it left and right fiercely with vigorous movements from his arm.

Wung! Bang Bang Bang!

Following the chain’s movement, the morning star became a dancing giant hammer, smashing everywhere inside the sewer tunnel.

Debris flew and dust clouded the area.

After an instant, the whole sewer tunnel was filled with a gray dust storm, blocking everyone’s sight.

“2567, so this is the trick you’ve come up with? Do you really think some petty dust can block our sights?” Melanie said while standing in the middle of the dust storm.

She didn’t even mind exposing her position as well because, since the beginning, she didn’t even move.

She hoped that Kieran would have gone after her instead because if he did, he would be dead.

However, Kieran didn’t make any movements at all, aside from launching an attack at Melanie, even his breath had disappeared as if he had vanished into thin air.

“I didn’t expect this 2567, you too possess such a decent hiding skill! Shouldn’t a real Knight show disdain towards learning such a technique?”

Melanie’s words didn’t stop there. While she was provoking Kieran, she gave commands to the other Hounds in their secretive means.

‘Seal the tunnel and ambush him.’

Melanie wasn’t worried about the battle with Kieran, she was worried that Kieran would escape.

As for the words that Kieran uttered before, “settling the score between the Griffins and Hounds, no one shall interfere” or something like that, Melanie didn’t buy any of that.

The modern Knights may be as strong as the war era but their moral character was something not too praiseworthy.

The modern Knight’s resistance against all sorts of technological advancements and temptations was not too strong compared to others and might be even less than common men.

After all, the Knights possessed powers that common men didn’t.

As one of the Hounds from the council and their old rival, Melanie was very clear about the Knight’s changes, otherwise, she couldn’t have incited defection into the four knights in joining her side.

So, from Melanie’s point of view, Kieran was just saying something courteous.

Especially when Kieran had gotten decent battle results, if he was able to choose to retreat in dignity, he would.

“Do you think you can really escape?” Melanie said as she laughed coldly in her heart.

Then, she heard a series of unusual noises.

They were soft, on and off cutting noises. Melanie wasn’t a stranger to those noises. When she would slice someone’s throat, their neck would give out the same noises as well.

“Did we get him?” Melanie was stunned.

It was much easier than she had expected and things being too easy would always be an unsettling thought in people’s heart.

Melanie was ready to ask her Hounds but before she opened her mouth, Kieran’s voice entered her ears.

“Sixth!”

Souuu!

As his voice sounded, it was followed by the air breaking sound of an arrow tearing down space, then followed by another series of cutting noises.

“Seventh!” Kieran’s voice sounded again but this time, none of the Hounds attacked anymore.

After losing two Hounds in succession, it was enough for the others to react to the situation.

Kieran was not only skilled in hiding techniques, but he also excelled in it, even more so than all of the Hounds!

If back in the day, when someone would say the Knights of Saint Relic Association had a more excellent [Undercover] skill than the Hounds of Elder Council, it would only attract hysteric reactions from others.

Now, however, the remaining Hounds couldn’t even laugh.

None of them would joke with their own lives, the common men wouldn’t and even more so for the Hounds.

The Hounds scanned their surroundings in alarm, quietly waiting for the dust to settle down.

Though there was an exception, Melanie.

She didn’t think she had guessed wrongly but only slightly underestimated Kieran’s calculations.

Now, Kieran would certainly leave the sewer along the tunnel pass!

With such a thought in her head, Melanie gave out secret commands to the other Hounds again, then…

“Eighth!” The calm voice sounded again.