Chapter 435 - 409: Curse Workshop

Chapter 435: Chapter 409: Curse Workshop

Thomas took a deep breath and spread the charcoal-drawn parchment completely flat, his finger drawing several heavy circles on it.

"The entire structure of this underground workshop is like a target, divided into four concentric zones from the outside in."

He pointed to the largest, outermost circle.

"The first layer, the outermost one, consists of the abandoned mine shafts and transport tunnels you just came through. The terrain is complex, designed as a maze to confuse intruders. Even though Hector has diverted some of his forces, he still has two full squads stationed on this level. Add in the hidden sentries and roving patrols, and that’s at least fifty men. If we don’t..."

"They’re cleared."

Kael’s flat voice cut short his long-winded explanation.

The words caught in Thomas’s throat. He stared, wide-eyed, at Kael as if he were looking at a madman. "What did you say?"

"All fifty-three targets in the outer ring have been neutralized. Time elapsed: seventeen minutes." Kael raised his gaze, his black eyes devoid of any emotion. "The bodies have been disposed of. No one will find them. Continue with the next layer."

Thomas felt a chill shoot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

’That was over fifty fully-armed guards! Even rounding up a herd of pigs would take half the day, but they slaughtered them all without a sound?’

He swallowed hard, forcing down the terror in his heart. His finger trembled slightly as it pointed to the second circle.

"The... the second layer is the raw materials processing area. It’s mostly pulverizers and grinders, so it’s extremely loud. The guard presence is relatively light, only about ten overseers."

His finger then slid to the third circle, his expression growing grim.

"The third layer, this large red circle, is the ’Curse-Filling Workshop.’ It’s the outer wall of the workshop’s heart, and it’s the most problematic area."

Finally, his fingertip came to rest on the bullseye.

"Here. The fourth layer is the core control room. There’s only one entrance, a heavy alchemical gate that’s kept shut year-round."

Kael stared at the bullseye. "And what we’re looking for?"

"It’s all in there," Thomas said with conviction. "Hector’s correspondence with the Empire, the formula for the Plague Liquid, and the account books from the last few years are all locked in a safe inside the control room. It’s ironclad proof."

"Defenses?"

"Inside the control room, there are two Mage apprentices maintaining an Array. As for the man at the door, Adam..." Thomas gritted his teeth. "He’s a monster. A Level 5 Warrior, nicknamed ’Heavy Hammer’."

Kael’s brow furrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping between the third and fourth layers on the map.

"What about the terrain? In such a confined space, are there any blind spots suitable for an ambush, or for us to be ambushed from?"

Thomas considered this for a moment, tapping a few spots on the diagram of the third-layer workshop.

"There are. The workshop has suspended catwalks near the ceiling for maintenance. The line of sight from up there is excellent, perfect for archers or crossbowmen to set up an ambush. There are also a few large pieces of equipment that cast deep shadows, good for hiding in. But..."

Thomas’s tone shifted, becoming strained.

"It’s pointless. In the third-layer workshop, there are over a hundred workers toiling around the clock. There are also more than twenty whip-wielding overseers patrolling back and forth. The place is too crowded. The slightest sign of a fight would be seen by countless pairs of eyes."

"The moment a disturbance breaks out, even if just one person screams, Adam in the core area will be alerted instantly."

Kael’s fingers tapped lightly on the beak-like mask hanging from his waist.

"That’s the problem."

He looked up, his tone unsettlingly calm.

"If stealth is impossible, then we’ll just have to eliminate all the witnesses."

Kael looked to the team members behind him and issued his order.

"Ready the gas canisters. Since we’re all wearing these beak-like masks, we might as well put them to good use."

He turned to Thomas, his expression like someone stating a simple math problem.

"It’s an enclosed space. If we release the poison through the ventilation ducts, every living thing on the third layer will stop breathing within five minutes. That includes the overseers and the workers. As long as we’re fast enough, no one will be able to raise the alarm."

"Are you insane?!"

Thomas threw his arms out, blocking Kael’s path. His body was trembling, but he didn’t back down.

"Those workers are innocent! They’re civilians who were captured, refugees who were tricked! They’re already struggling every day in this hell, and you want to murder them all with poison gas?"

"This is war, Priest."

Kael watched him coolly, his gaze as sharp as a blade’s edge.

"Bringing along over a hundred liabilities will cause the mission’s failure rate to skyrocket. The moment we alert that Level 5 Warrior, our squad will be caught in a bitter fight. I will not gamble the lives of my team on the lives of a group of strangers."

The statement was cold, yet it carried an air of absolute logic.

Thomas looked into Kael’s unwavering eyes, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

As an enemy, the man was appallingly cold-blooded.

’But as a teammate... that decisiveness, the ability to unhesitatingly sacrifice anything and anyone else for the safety of his comrades, was actually incredibly reassuring.’

Thomas took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew it was useless to appeal to morality with a man like this. He had to be convinced with logic and self-interest.

"No... we don’t have to kill them. I have a better way."

Thomas spoke rapidly, "Killing them all is certainly the simple solution, but the sound of bodies hitting the floor... the commotion of over a hundred people collapsing at once would never escape the notice of a Level 5 Warrior. Besides, a sudden silence would be just as suspicious."