Chapter 68: It’s time to use the Prince’s password

The dust from the marching line rose into the afternoon air as the five-hundred-man squad moved down the rocky southern ridge. The news of the dead Prince’s broadcast had changed our entire layout. We were no longer setting up defensive boundaries; we were moving at a fast, steady tempo toward the hidden coordinates before the competition could secure the location.

I walked right at the front of the convoy, Suzy kept her pace steady beside my shoulder.

"Malakor’s vanguard will likely take the eastern river trail to avoid our perimeter guards," Suzy said. The proximity felt very grounding in the middle of this high-stakes sprint. "If they reach the crevice first, they can set up a defensive lock before we can even get inside the tracking zone."

"They won’t get the chance to settle the account, manager," I said, a smile showing on my face. "Victor, halt the main guard column here. Keep the five hundred men in a tight defensive ring across this canyon junction to block any enemy scouts from flanking our position."

"Okay sir don’t worry,i will handle that," Victor gave a bow.

Then I looked at Suzy and said"Victor will hold the back door secure. You and I are going to move ahead of the main army to lock down the front desk before the competition arrives."

Without waiting for a reply, I slithered out from my boots, my body dissolving smoothly into my small snake form. I silently through the high grass and rocky cracks, my movement speed increasing to its maximum . Suzy did not hesitate either; she gathered her power into her legs, launching her body forward in a series of quick, powerful leaps across the canyon ledges to keep pace with my invisible line.

We bypassed the main mountain tracks completely, cutting through a dangerous shortcut that my system panel had marked on the screen.

[System: Proximity alert, Barry! You are approaching the South Valley Crevice. Malakor’s vanguard unit has just reached the eastern entry track! They are three minutes away from the main treasury door! Move fast, you stupid snake]

I uncoiled my body as we hit the bottom of the deep valley crevice, snapping instantly back into my human form. The environment here was completely dark , the high stone walls closing in above our heads to block out the sunlight.

Right at the end of the dark ravine was a door built from ancient panels, embedded directly into the solid bedrock. Standing right in front of the bronze entry point was a group of twenty elite enemy horsemen wearing crimson armor—King Malakor’s vanguard squad.

"Look! Someone is already here!" the lead enemy captain shouted, drawing a long weapon as his horse reared back in surprise. "It’s the manager from the capital! Do not let them near the door! Cut them down! Kill them."

The twenty elite riders charged forward all at once, their blocking our path. I focused my strength straight into my bare fists, using my high movement speed to slide inside their front line.

I grabbed the shaft of the lead captain’s weapon, my fingers tightening like metal clamps as I activated my verbal skill.

"your transaction is completely denied!" I roared, the wave of manager authority blasting out of my chest.

The skill slammed into the captain’s face, freezing his internal joints mid-movement. While he was locked, I used my palm connection to trigger my main conversion skill on his weapon, melting the weapon instantly into a stream of bright coins that splashed onto the ground.I followed up with a fast, brutal punch straight into his chest armor, knocking him completely off his horse and throwing his body backward into the rocky wall until he stopped moving.

Suzy moved right next to my shoulder, her sword spinning in a quick circle as she parried two incoming strikes at the same time. Her eyes flared with a cold, deadly focus, her movements flawless as she delivered a sharp kick to an enemy rider’s knee, knocking him down into the gravel.

"Barry! The remaining ten riders are trying to form a defensive ring around the door matrix!" Suzy called out, her voice clear and serious over the noise of clashing weapon.

"Okay i got it , Let’s clear the whole database, queen," I laughed, stepping next to her side.

We closed our eyes at the same time, triggering the internal mind link between our two mid-stage cores. I released a steady stream of my snake energy, while Suzy channeled her deep purple magic right into the same track. The two forces blended perfectly, creating a wide, glowing dome of pure Ascendant power that expanded outward from our bodies, filling the narrow crevice.

The moment our combined energy loop touched the remaining soldiers, the sheer pressure short -circuited their defensive core networks completely. The horses panicked, throwing their riders onto the ground as the enemy soldiers collapsed in total confusion, their weapons slipping from their hands as they completely submitted to our tier output.

In less than two minutes, the entire vanguard squad was completely cleared from the sector, their bodies lying unconscious across the rocky paths.

I walked up the basalt steps, standing right in front of the massive bronze vault door. The ancient surface was covered in glowing security lines, but right in the center sat a small audio node panel shaped like a horse’s head.

"It’s time to use the Prince’s password," Suzy said, stepping right up to my side, her face turning a tiny bit pink as she smiled at our quick victory.

I leaned closer to the bronze horse panel, my voice sounding very deep and clear in the quiet ravine. "Gold-Hoof."

The moment the words left my mouth, the purple security lines on the bronze door flared bright, the internal gear mechanisms turning with a heavy, steady grinding sound as the ancient lock split down the middle, throwing the supreme treasury doors completely open to us , and now we can finally see that hidden inventory.