The black sun hangs high

Chapter 371 Shock and Surprise

Unlike experienced veterans.

The other miners who had followed him to clear the outposts in the mine were extremely excited, especially after seeing blood; their demeanor changed noticeably.

The miners had little affection for the soldiers who stood guard on the mine's watchtowers every day, threatening and aiming their guns at them from time to time. Not to mention, these guys weren't residents of Watchtower or the surrounding area at all, but rather "inspectors" who had joined the Black Sun Society long ago and followed them here.

In the eyes of these simple people who still hold considerable affection for the former Saint Steel dynasty, these guys who have begun to work for the Black Sun Society are nothing but traitors to the kingdom, destroyers of national and ethnic stability, and lackeys of those evil gods and beliefs.

The frigid North has forged an iron will in these ordinary people, but in exchange, they have lost some of their patience.

Therefore, when dealing with their enemies, the inhabitants of the North often resort to methods that appear quite ruthless or even merciless to outsiders.

Even Hadra, the mine manager who was hunched over and had previously seemed quite hesitant on the matter, has now become unusually resolute.

Like the veteran, he also sensed something was amiss in the mine, but the die was cast and the original plan had to be carried out.

Looking at the two bodies of the Society soldiers, shoved into small mine carts by the miners and covered with waste, old Hadera could only repeatedly tell himself that this was the only way for the young people in the mine to survive, and the only thing they could do now.

Soon, the message that "the obstacles ahead have been cleared" was successfully communicated to the miners who had already gathered.

Under the veteran's guidance, they successfully eliminated several overseers guarding the tool warehouse and seized some tools from the warehouse, as well as the weapons from the overseers.

It was also thanks to the baron assigning these overseers a lot of physical labor during the day that they became so exhausted. It is worth mentioning that when the miners successfully got behind these guys, they were even complaining about Baron Fiorento's decisions and orders.

And so, under the cover of night, these gathered miners picked up all sorts of tools and silently made their way along the cleared roads in the mine, heading towards their usual workplace. Today, the mine shaft that had always caused them so much pain would become their vital escape route.

Everything went very smoothly.

However, the veteran, holding the captured crystal gun and standing guard near the mine entrance, grew increasingly uneasy.

Throughout the night, he did not encounter any of the Black Sun Society's dark hounds in the mine. These creatures were supposed to be everywhere. According to the Black Sun Society mage, the mine at night was the hunting ground for these dark hounds, and anyone who dared to operate in the night would be considered their prey.

however……

Where have all the hunters gone?

Such questions kept flashing through the veteran's mind as he leaned against the darkness beside the mine entrance, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings.

However, if it wasn't discovered, it wasn't discovered.

There were indeed no more enemies nearby. He could even hear faint conversations coming from the other end of the mine, greetings exchanged between two patrol teams meeting at the edge of the mine.

The veteran gritted his teeth. Intuition had saved him many times before, so this time he still chose to trust the warning signs his intuition was sending. He raised his hand and gestured to the others, signaling them to speed up and quickly enter the depths of the mine.

Just then, a shrill magical alarm suddenly sounded from the direction of the miners' camp. Bright yellow magical light spread out from the top of the watchtower in the middle of the camp, sweeping across the night sky and immediately attracting everyone's attention.

Clearly, someone has already noticed the anomaly in the camp. Regardless of whether the alarm was raised by the sentries on patrol or by the miners who have decided to join the Black Sun Society, the entire Rock Lake Mine will be placed under complete martial law within minutes. At that time, the fully armed overseers and soldiers will swarm in!

"Let's go! Speed ​​up!"

At this point, all talk of covert operations became meaningless. The veteran waved his hand and immediately began urging the remaining personnel who hadn't yet entered the mine. He strode forward, grabbed a young man who was trying to stuff two pieces of high-quality crystal ore into his pocket, glared at him fiercely, and then pushed him toward the mine entrance.

The next second, loud gunshots rang out nearby.

The one who fired the shot was another worker with military experience. He was holding a newly captured crystal gun and firing it at a crossroads in the distance. In the light of the exploding crystal bullet, people saw several shadows with long tails, like large hunting dogs, flash by quickly.

Their worst fears have come true.

Those strange and extremely ferocious monsters were rapidly approaching the mine. As miners, they were confident that they could use their familiarity with the mine to outmaneuver the pursuing soldiers inside, but when faced with those more agile and bizarre creatures, they lacked the courage to fight them.

The miners' firing was futile; their firepower was far too limited. So, after a few rounds of threatening volleys, the last group of workers retreated into the mine, keeping watch as they walked along the tracks of the small mine carts deeper into the mine.

The veteran at the back glanced at the open mine entrance and gently squeezed the hard object in his hand. It was an alchemical bomb he had confiscated from the outpost soldiers. It seemed to be a new weapon that the Black Sun Society had provided to its followers. Compared to other alchemical bombs, this one was much smaller.

However, the veterans dared not let their guard down.

He had no idea whether throwing the bomb now would successfully stop the enemy's pursuit or completely bury him and his men.

After hesitating for two seconds, he finally decided to give up. After firing two bullets at the figures that appeared in the distance, the veteran gritted his teeth and retreated into the depths of the mine, chasing after the team ahead.

Their goal is now very simple: to get to Mine Tunnel No. 6 as soon as possible, move the ore blocking the old mine passage, and escape to the outside world through it.

……

As the current Baron of the Rock Lake Mine, he arrived at the scene very quickly. Before the two patrol teams from other directions had even gathered, he had already arrived at the opposite side of the mine entrance with his guards.

He turned his head and glanced at the earthen wall beside him. The violent explosion of the crystal bullets had left two huge craters on it. The last miner who retreated into the mine was clearly experienced in the military. If he hadn't been so hasty, those two bullets might have even directly triggered the protective rituals set up on Hughes.

This night is important.

This was true for the fleeing miners, for Hugh and the other spies and agents who had infiltrated Saint Steel, and especially for the soldiers who rushed over, fearing punishment from Baron Fiorlando.

When these men saw that their new superior had arrived at the scene even faster than they had and had almost been killed by the reckless miners, their faces turned pale. This was especially true for the junior officers responsible for patrolling the camp and the outposts; their facial expressions were now on the verge of losing control.

They couldn't understand why the warning magic devices in the Rock Lake Mine would inexplicably malfunction all at once on one night. They also couldn't understand why the dark hounds, which were supposed to have designated their patrol areas and attack any that entered their territory, had mysteriously disappeared.

All signs indicate that there is more to tonight's events than meets the eye.

However, when these officers approached the gloomy baron, they were speechless.

At this moment, the spotlights from the nearby mines were already shining in this direction. In the bright light, Baron Fiorlando's expression was so solemn that he looked like an executioner statue standing in an old execution ground.

An officer finally mustered his courage, steeled himself, and approached the baron, bowing his head as he reported, "Your Excellency, eighty percent of the miners in the camp have escaped; they should all have gone into the mines!"

Baron Fiorlando, with his cold and stern face, glanced at him sideways: "Should?"

The officer couldn't help but shudder. He quickly corrected himself, "Uh... no, not should, definitely. I'm certain that no one has passed through any of the other exits. They could only escape into the mine!"

"Oh."

Baron Fiorentino finally nodded and asked, "So what do you think we should do now? Tell me."

“We should chase them in. Those miners have some weapons, but we can use the Dark Hounds… They are no match for the Dark Hounds. We can drive them out in just half an hour!”

"Alright, then do as you say. Go and take my orders to gather all the dark hounds inside and outside the camp. I want to see those people in the mine torn to pieces by them."

He spoke casually, as if he were not issuing a slaughter order at all, but simply instructing a servant to feed his pet.

The officer then strode away with the baron's orders, while the baron leisurely walked over to the rest of the group: "I am disappointed... I am extremely disappointed in you. Although I knew from the beginning that I shouldn't have too many expectations of you, you are all fortunate enough to have witnessed divine miracles. I thought you would be more serious and focused in your faith, but unfortunately, you seem to..."

He stopped and poked the dusty ground with his black wooden cane: "It's not as devout as I imagined."

These words terrified the officers present.

"What, are you scared?"

The baron sneered: "Those miners alone could never have done this. They have an inside man. Someone here is guiding them and sabotaging our security systems... So, who is it? Step forward."

No one responded.

The baron smiled and shook his head: "Very well, since no one is willing to confess, then let me personally verify your loyalty... Now, I want you to admit with your own mouths that you are absolutely loyal to the Society and your new faith! Say it out loud!"

This request was obviously strange, but at this moment, no one dared to question it.

So everyone, whether soldiers or officers, opened their mouths.

They either swore oaths as the baron had said, or they kept trying to explain and distance themselves from the situation. During this process, a deep black cloud once again appeared in the depths of Hugh's eyes, while around him, a series of mesmerizing, rainbow-like colors slowly appeared.

At the same time, cold magical lines erupted, and with the support of the power of the Roots of Destiny, these fine lines quickly burrowed into the bodies of everyone present, and roamed freely in their mental world.

Under the spell of this magic, everyone's thoughts became clear and discernible. Every corner of their minds, every fleeting idea, became a page that Hugh could freely flip through and examine.

The process was soon over.

Those present noticed that the Baron's expression seemed to have become even more gloomy. He sighed and then slammed his cane heavily into the ground. Immediately, many black, misty tentacles spread out from under his feet. These roots quickly burrowed into the crowd and precisely "picked out" some people.

About one-third of the soldiers were selected, while there was only one officer.

Anxiety and panic began to spread rapidly.

People vaguely guessed what was going on. Those who had been chosen began to feel fear and anger. Some began to sob quietly, while others abandoned their original obedience and began to stare angrily at the Baron. However, under the control of those magical tentacles, the soldiers' weapons were confiscated in an instant, leaving them standing there empty-handed, waiting for the situation to develop further.

At this moment, the officer who had left earlier had also returned. Led by several Black Sun Society "dog trainers," twenty or thirty strange-looking dark dogs with long, narrow rat tails arrived at the mine. At the Baron's command, these pursuers immediately burrowed into the depths of the mine. The soldiers and officers who had been spared by the tentacles followed closely behind, preparing to use the miners' blood to regain the trust and favor of their superiors.

However, the Baron did not even glance at the mine.

For the first time, a look of distress appeared on his face. He looked at the soldiers who had been selected and shook his head helplessly.

"There are still too many... There are still too many people willing to believe them."

(End of this chapter)