Chapter 74: The Guard’s Party

The night deepened as guards drifted along the shadowed corridors, patrolling back and forth, checking every corner in case any slave had dared attempt a foolish escape.

Neo moved among them, dressed in stolen armor, having silently knocked one unlucky guard unconscious and taken his gear for himself. Thanks to years of brutal training under Eiris, he’d picked up more than just swordplay, stealth, silent movement, and a handful of assassination techniques, though his mastery of them was still far from perfect given his current rank. Still, it was more than enough to slip past guards whose individual strength paled in comparison to his own.

Most of the men patrolling here sat somewhere around Expert rank, weaker than him individually, but their sheer numbers made a direct, open confrontation far too risky. Better to pick them off quietly, one by one, than march in recklessly without knowing exactly how strong the fortress’s captain truly was.

Pressed against the wall, Neo watched the guard’s shadow approach from around the corner.

The moment the man stepped into view, Neo moved. He closed the distance in an instant, gravity compressed around his fist as he drove it straight into the guard’s stomach.

The armor crunched inward with a sickening crack, the man’s internal organs rupturing instantly. Before so much as a gasp could escape his throat, Neo’s hand clamped firmly over his mouth, dragging him backward into a shadowed alcove. A quick slash of his dagger across the throat finished the job, and Neo pressed a wad of cloth against the wound to keep the blood from pooling visibly on the floor.

He let out a quiet breath and glanced down the corridor, waiting for the next patrol.

One by one, he dealt with the guards in the area, moving carefully and keeping as quiet as possible. He made sure none of them were left alive to raise the alarm.

Nearly an hour later, he finally reached a heavy door leading deeper into the fortress. He had no idea what lay beyond it, but hesitation wasn’t an option anymore. He was far too deep inside now. Turning back meant stumbling straight into the trail of bodies he’d already left behind, and once that was discovered, there’d be no quiet way back out.

Steeling himself, Neo pushed the door open and stepped through.

His breath caught instantly.

A long hallway stretched out before him, lined with dozens of patrolling guards, maybe a dozen or more scattered throughout. Along the floor, slaves lay huddled together, shivering violently in the cold night air, their thin rags offering almost no protection at all. Their bodies looked gaunt and hollow, barely clinging to life on what had to be nothing more than scraps of bread.

The nearby guards noticed him entering but paid little attention, dismissing him as just another passing patrol.

Neo forced his posture into something casual, falling into step alongside the other guards, blending into their slow, routine rounds while his mind raced through every possible plan.

’First, I need to figure out how many of them there actually are. And whether this is the only section holding slaves, or if there’s more locked away somewhere else in this place.’

"Ah, please, let me go—ow—!"

A sharp cry rang out from somewhere down the hall.

Neo’s head snapped toward the sound. A guard had grabbed a young girl roughly by the hair, forcing her against the wall despite her desperate struggling.

Every instinct in Neo’s body screamed at him to charge forward immediately, to end the man’s life without hesitation. His fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms.

’No. Not yet. If I screw this up now, I’m not the only one who’ll pay for it. Calm down. Think.’

He took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down despite the anger building inside him. Then he quickly came up with a different plan.

*Clap-Clap-Clap!*

Neo stepped forward into the center of the hallway, clapping loudly enough to draw every eye toward him.

"Alright, alright, listen up, everyone! Who here’s in the mood for a little party?" he called out, his voice carrying a warm, easygoing tone, nothing like the cold efficiency he’d used moments earlier.

The guards turned, confusion written plainly across their faces. The one holding the struggling girl paused mid-motion, glancing over with a scowl.

"What the hell are you talking about? We’re on duty." One of the guard called out.

Neo smiled casually, snapping his fingers as he reached into his inventory and pulled out several large, bottles filled with expensive wines preferred by nobles, which Neo had carefully hidden from his mother.

"Come on, don’t tell me none of you miss a proper drink. I managed to swipe these from a merchant caravan before we came here. It’s the best stuff we could find around, trust me. Figured a bunch of hardworking guys stuck out here in the middle of nowhere deserved something to take the edge off."

Neo held the bottles up so everyone could see them clearly.

A few guards exchanged interested glances, their earlier suspicion melting rapidly into curiosity.

"That’s real Velmire Reserve? That stuff costs a fortune. Where’d you even get your hands on bottles like that?" one of them asked, his eyes widening slightly.

"Let’s just say I know people. Come on, who’s thirsty? It’s not like the captain’s going to find out. We’ve got plenty of time before the next shift change."

Neo winked, placed the bottles on a nearby crate, and popped the cork off the first one with a satisfying pop.

That seemed to settle it. One by one, guards began drifting over, abandoning their posts along the hallway, drawn in by the promise of expensive liquor and a rare break from the monotony of their miserable assignment.

Even the guard who’d been harassing the girl finally released her, shoving her roughly back toward the huddled group of slaves before wandering over himself, clearly unwilling to miss out on free alcohol.

Neo poured generous portions into whatever cups the guards carried, keeping his own smile easy and friendly the entire time, even as his stomach churned with barely contained disgust.

"So, you guys been stationed here for long?" Neo asked casually, settling down among them as the drinks began to flow.

"Too damn long. Three years now. Feels like a lifetime," one of the guards grumbled, already halfway through his second cup.

"Three years? That’s rough. What’s it like working under the captain here? He seems like a decent boss, at least?"

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. A few of them chuckled nervously.

"Decent isn’t exactly the word I’d use," one of them muttered, tossing back the rest of his drink.

"Yeah, no kidding. The guy’s a monster. Literally. You ever seen him fight? I once saw him tear apart an entire pack of Hellborn with his bare hands. He didn’t even break a sweat," another guard added, already starting to slur his words.

Neo kept his expression neutral as he casually refilled the man’s cup. "Sounds terrifying. What rank is he?"

"Master Rank. Peak Master Rank, from what I hear. The dude’s basically untouchable. Even the other captains from the other fortresses treat him with respect, and that’s saying something."

Neo’s grip on the bottle tightened almost imperceptibly.

’Peak Master Rank? That means he’s stronger than me...’

’Wait. Are there more fortresses like this one? If there are, then there must be more slaves being kept around here and forced to work.’

’From the way these guys talk, I can at least be sure of one thing. They’re not from the Desolate Land. They’re probably guards belonging to some noble family from the Velkrath Empire... or maybe even another nation.’

’But who could have come this deep into the Desolate Land, built a fortress like this, and established their own territory? There has to be someone powerful backing them.’

"Man, you guys really got the worst assignment, huh? Stuck out here with a monster of a boss and a bunch of slaves to look after. Doesn’t exactly sound like a great job."

"You know what? The worst part is, we don’t even know where most of this stuff goes. The slaves mine the crystals until they’re half-dead, then every few weeks some caravan comes by and takes everything away. Nobody tells us a damn thing," one guard slurred, leaning heavily against the wall.

"Caravans, huh? Where do they usually take everything?" Neo asked casually, keeping his expression relaxed despite his mind racing behind the easy smile..

The guard shrugged, his words growing increasingly slurred. "No idea. The captain handles all of that himself. He’s pretty secretive about it too. Doesn’t trust anyone with the details."

Neo nodded slowly, refilling their cups and keeping the conversation flowing naturally. He let the guards drink themselves deeper into a careless, loose-lipped stupor, each one revealing a little more than they probably should have..

By the time the last bottle ran dry, most of the guards had slumped over. Some were snoring loudly on the floor, while others mumbled incoherently to themselves.

Neo quietly got to his feet and glanced around at the scattered, unconscious guards. His expression was grim and tired.

He let out a slow breath, glancing briefly toward the huddled group of slaves still watching him with wide, frightened, uncertain eyes.

’Whatever’s really going on here, it’s bigger than just one fortress. I need to find out exactly what this place is really being used for, and I need to do it fast, before I run out of time, or luck.’

...

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