Chapter : 661

Ken sat up slowly. He dusted off his navy blue suit. He looked at Vespera. He gave her a big, goofy grin.

"You missed," Ken stated casually. He popped a piece of strawberry candy into his mouth. He chewed it happily. "You should probably practice your aim. And maybe wash your face. You have a meatball on your forehead."

---

Far away from the chaotic, noisy ballroom, the capital city was very quiet. The streets were dark. The moon hid behind thick gray clouds.

Deep inside the city, the Imperial Prison stood tall and silent. It was a massive fortress made of solid gray stone. High walls surrounded the building. Iron bars covered the small windows. It looked intimidating.

Inside a maximum-security cell on the lowest floor, Dr. Raven sat on a thin mattress. The corrupt politician wore a plain gray prison uniform. He looked terrible. His hair was . He had dark circles under his eyes. He shivered in the cold air.

He stared at the stone wall. He thought about the secret telepathic message he received earlier. He remembered Lord Voss threatening him. He remembered the Anti-Empire faction promising to burn the outer districts. He had refused their help. He had chosen to stay in prison.

Dr. Raven knew he was a massive liability to the corrupt nobles. He knew he possessed too many secrets. He knew they would not let him live until the trial.

"They are coming for me," Dr. Raven whispered softly. His voice shook with fear. He pulled his knees to his chest. "They are going to silence me permanently."

Outside the thick stone walls of the prison, a group of figures moved through the dark shadows.

There were six of them. They wore sleek, black tactical armor. They wore smooth, featureless metal masks over their faces. They moved with absolute, terrifying silence. They were highly trained assassins from the rival nation of ZulFarah.

The Anti-Empire faction had hired them. Lord Voss paid them a massive fortune. Their mission was very simple. They needed to infiltrate the Imperial Prison. They needed to execute Dr. Raven in his cell. They needed to make it look like a sudden medical failure. They had to ensure the corrupt politician never spoke a single word to the Emperor.

The assassins reached the back wall of the prison. The area was deserted. The regular royal guards were busy dealing with the chaos in the city. The security was very relaxed.

The lead assassin raised his hand. He placed a small, glowing magical device against the stone wall. The device hummed quietly. It melted the solid rock instantly. It created a smooth, circular hole in the wall. The assassins stepped through the hole. They entered the dark, quiet corridors of the prison's lower levels.

They walked down the hallway. Their soft boots made no sound. They bypassed the magical alarms effortlessly. They moved like ghosts.

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They reached the final corridor. Dr. Raven's cell was located at the very end of the hall. Two regular prison guards stood outside the iron bars. The guards looked very bored. They leaned against the wall and drank coffee.

The assassins did not hesitate. They threw two small, silent darts. The darts hit the guards in their necks. The guards collapsed instantly. They fell asleep on the floor. They did not make a single noise.

The lead assassin walked up to the iron bars. He looked inside the cell. He saw Dr. Raven sitting on the bed.

Dr. Raven saw the dark figures. He gasped loudly. He jumped off the bed. He backed up against the far wall. His eyes widened in terror. He knew why they were here.

"Please," Dr. Raven begged. His voice cracked with panic. "I will not say anything. I will keep quiet. Just leave me alone."

The assassin did not answer. He pulled a sharp, silver blade from his belt. He pointed a magical tool at the cell door lock. He prepared to open the cage and finish the contract.

Suddenly, a voice echoed down the quiet stone corridor.

"You are trespassing."

The voice was smooth. It was calm, polite, and professional. It carried an aura of absolute, chilling confidence.

The six assassins spun around. They raised their weapons. They looked down the hallway.

A tall, flawlessly handsome man stood in the middle of the corridor. He wore a sleek black tactical jacket and dark trousers. His silver eyes looked sharp. His dark hair was styled perfectly. He stood perfectly straight. He placed his hands neatly behind his back.

It was Karna. The legendary spymaster and elite servant of Lancelot had arrived.

Ken Eliot had felt the presence of the foreign assassins hours ago. Ken knew the corrupt politicians would try to silence their loose ends. He had secretly ordered Karna to guard the prison. Ken wanted Dr. Raven alive. He wanted the politician to face justice.

Karna looked at the six assassins. He did not draw a weapon. He did not look intimidated by their numbers. He just offered a crisp, perfectly polite bow.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Karna greeted smoothly. "This facility is currently under the protection of my employer. You are not permitted to execute the prisoner. I must ask you to leave immediately. Please turn around and walk away. It is the most logical choice."

The assassins stared at him. They did not speak. They did not care about his polite warnings. They were elite killers. They only cared about finishing their job.

The lead assassin raised his hand. He signaled his team to attack.

Two assassins dashed forward. They moved with blistering speed. They swung their sharp silver blades. They aimed directly for Karna's neck and chest. They wanted to slice him into pieces.

Karna did not panic. He did not pull his hands out from behind his back. He simply shifted his weight.

He moved with impossible, flawless grace. He tilted his head one inch to the right. The first blade sailed harmlessly past his ear. He stepped slightly to the left. The second blade missed his chest . He moved like a ghost. He dodged the lethal strikes with absolute, effortless precision.

"Your attacks lack refinement," Karna stated politely. He did not break a sweat. "You rely on speed. You possess zero actual technique."

The two assassins swung again. They tried a rapid flurry of slashes.

Karna finally moved his hands. He stepped inside their guard. He delivered a swift, precise, open-handed palm strike directly to the first assassin's chest. He hit a vital pressure point. The impact cracked loudly. The assassin’s eyes rolled back in his head. He collapsed onto the stone floor instantly. He was knocked out.

Karna spun around smoothly. He grabbed the second assassin's wrist. He twisted his hips. He tossed the man cleanly over his shoulder. The assassin slammed into the stone wall. The stone cracked. The assassin slumped to the ground and stopped moving.

The remaining four assassins realized they were outmatched. They realized this man was a monster. They pulled out glowing magical staffs. They prepared to fire dark energy blasts.

Karna let out a soft, polite sigh. He raised his right hand.