Ancient Dragon in Arknights

After all, she was the most capable in terms of learning and practical skills among the entire gang.

"So you're saying—there really are smuggled goods in this area?"

Ta-da—my heart started beating.

"How to do it?"

Morgan was indecisive. The Glasgow gang had never done anything so dangerous before—it was smuggling! Depending on the smuggled goods, the penalties ranged from the death penalty to a fine. Most importantly, the smugglers might be transporting different things than their employers had described; some things even smugglers wouldn't dare to carry.

In those situations, the best approach is to deceive the smugglers as well.

"The entire area is now sealed off by the Royal Guard Academy. Smugglers can't get in either, so we can try to investigate."

Nesario actually wanted to see what the smuggled goods were—smuggled items were either seriously illegal or officially controlled.

If it's something dirty, then report it to the school and let the military handle it; if it's something useful and precious, then Nesario will accept it without hesitation.

"Vina, what's your opinion?"

Indra and Morgan awaited Vina's decision, taking Nesario's words only as advice.

"It's all here."

Okay, Vina is interested in that too.

Although she was not the king, and didn't even fully understand the duties of the crown prince, she didn't want to see any dangerous items harm the innocent people of Lentinium.

"'Very deep'? Is it possible... that it's inside the city's pipeworks?"

Nesario recalled his memories of walking through the city's pipes with Vina, which indeed fit the description of "extreme depths," and more importantly—it could indeed hide things.

At Nesario's prompting, everyone looked at the pipe in front of them.

"That pipeline is a transport pipeline, and there are rest areas at intervals inside."

"Go in and have a look."

The four entered the pipe and proceeded forward, searching carefully without missing any clues—sure enough, there were traces of graffiti on the walls.

"Bingo!"

Nesario knew they were about to win the lottery!

As the pipe went deeper, the faint light disappeared completely, and the only illumination came from the red glow of the warning light on one side of the pipe; the howling wind in the city also gradually disappeared, as the city wind could not reach this dark corner.

"——!?"

Just as they were moving forward, Nesario suddenly stopped and blocked the other three.

"Nai—"

"come out!"

Before Indra could voice his doubts, Nesario roared in anger.

An empty echo reverberated from afar through the pipe, followed by the sound of a heavy crossbow bolt.

Thud—Nesario dodged quickly, the metal crossbow bolt piercing the pipe behind him, the sound of steel being pierced echoing.

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Sarkaz Mercenaries

"What the hell!?"

Indra and the others were all seasoned fighters; they had sensed the fleeting shadow and the sound coming from behind. Clearly, this expedition had encountered its most dangerous situation yet.

"There are enemies, about eight of them. They have ranged weapons, so be careful."

Nesario can move freely in the dark, but Vina and the others cannot. Even if they are not injured now, they are likely to be shot in the long run.

Nesario didn't think the smugglers' weapons were any cleaner. Poisoning might be a minor issue; contracting Oripathy was the worst possible outcome.

He swiftly swung his tail, the sharp blade scraping against the metal ground, the intense heat accumulating on his tail, and the gunpowder grass component in Neltharion's body began to evaporate—whoosh!

Flames suddenly shot out, surging towards the enemy and illuminating the surroundings.

Wearing black mercenary uniforms, carrying various weapons, with twisted black horns on their heads, and exuding cold indifference—they were a group of Sarkaz mercenaries!

Sarkaz—one of the most unique races on the continent of Terra. The race has many branches. Sarkaz are born with extremely high Originium adaptability. This characteristic makes every Sarkaz a natural-born sorcerer, but at the same time, they are also more likely to suffer from Oripathy.

More importantly, Kazdel, the Sarkaz's homeland, is rife with war and bloodshed, and many Sarkaz learn to wield a knife before they learn to hold a spoon. Growing up in this environment, the Sarkaz develop values ​​completely different from other races. Coupled with the large number of infected and their undeniably cruel nature, the Sarkaz face discrimination in most areas.

The Sarkaz are often referred to as "demons," a term filled with fear and discrimination.

The above is Nesario's understanding of the Sarkaz.

In short, the Sarkaz mercenaries are one of the most dangerous forces in Terra. They are terrifying, powerful, and troublesome, like a pile of shit. But if you don't use this pile of shit, others will throw shit at you.

Therefore, many dirty and shady jobs were left to the Sarkaz mercenaries.

Nesario didn't know whether to call himself lucky or unlucky to encounter the Sarkaz mercenaries in Londinium.

'We must retreat; these guys are beyond Vina and the others' capabilities.'

Of course, Nesario wasn't sure if he could handle them.

Sarkaz people possess powerful magical talents, and if they are hit by multiple spells at once, they will definitely not fare well.

"go!"

In the blink of an eye, as soon as the shooting flames died down, Nesario quickly issued a retreat order.

Thump, thump, thump—the sound of chaotic footsteps rang out in an instant. Vina and the others weren't fools. When they saw that the other side was fully armed, they immediately realized that there was no possibility of fighting.

So they all turned around and ran outside.

"Nesario!"

Vina's keen observation revealed that one footstep was missing—Nesario's presence remained steadfast in place.

"You guys go first, I'll cover the rear. Call for backup immediately after you get out!"

The Sarkaz mercenaries remained motionless, as indifferent as ice cubes, showing no sign of tension at being discovered.

"Our original mission was to wait for reinforcements, but the sudden blockade disrupted our plans. Now, we have no choice but to break through."

The Sarkaz at the front held a broad-bladed sword and seemed to be the leader of the group; there were three others like him. Behind the four sword-wielding Sarkaz, three others were aiming at Neltharion from the gaps in the crowd with crossbows in hand. In addition, there was one Sarkaz with empty hands, and it was impossible to tell what weapon he was using.

'Four guards, three crossbowmen... the last one is probably a sorcerer.'

“It’s difficult…”

Nesario swiftly drew his sword, shattering the red-glowing alarm light on the wall, plunging the entire pipe into complete darkness.

'That guy probably attacked based on the faint light and sound... It's good to reduce the threat a bit now.'

Nesario controlled his body to dissipate heat rapidly—if his tail remained scorching hot, it would also emit light, effectively turning him into a target.

"illumination."

The Sarkaz leader did not panic because of the sudden darkness. His squad had been through countless battles and would not be thrown into chaos by a brief period of darkness.

Under the leader's command, a guard quickly took out a tactical flashlight from his waist—a piece of equipment commonly carried by mercenaries.

flash!

Before the lights were turned on, an even more dazzling flash appeared—all the mercenaries were staring ahead, trying to kill Neltharion the moment he appeared.

But this is the opportunity—to witness the hunter's skills!

Flash Projectile! Sonic Boom Projectile!

He executed classic combos with ease, and the intense flashes and sharp whistles exposed the Sarkaz's weaknesses.

Double claw thrust!

Nesario didn't use his tail because the space was too cramped, and he couldn't use his Razorblade to maneuver freely; in such a confined space, his swift and agile claws were more reliable.

*Thud*—a sharp claw swiftly pierced through the eye of a Sarkaz, along with the hand covering it; but Neltharion's expression turned horrified.

His left hand was intercepted—sharp claws left several marks on the metal sword, but this also caused it to slide to the side, and the attack aimed at his neck landed on his shoulder, which was of little use.

With a whoosh, the Sarkaz leader swung his sword horizontally, judging Neltharion's approximate location based on the direction of the force from the claw on his shoulder.

This guy went straight for Neltharion's life!

If you try to kill him, you'll be slashed in half at the waist by a counterattack. Neltharion can't possibly block such a heavy sword!

With a heavy thud, Nesario used the Sarkaz leader's shoulder to quickly flip over and attack from behind.

"Launch towards the sky ahead!"

In a team, the archers and warlocks are the first to be targeted. They have less defense and pose a greater threat, so they are naturally the targets that both sides protect and target.

The Sarkaz leader did not intend to replace anyone in Neltharion. They were about to force their way out of the city and escape through the outer encirclement. Every mercenary was a crucial force in this process.

*Thud x3*—As the three crossbows snapped their strings, three armor-piercing arrows flew toward Nesario. Because they were fired blindly, none of them were aimed at vital points.

However, being hit by three arrows at the same time would not be good for Nesario either, so he would naturally avoid this situation—he swept his blade across, and the three arrows were quickly knocked down.

Neltharion leaped again—his target wasn't the archers right in front of him! But the warlock at the very back of the group!

Chapter 100: Originium Explosion!

Although Sarkaz are all warriors, warlocks specialize more in spellcasting than melee combat.

So Neltharion easily pinned the stunned warlock to the ground and dragged him aside. He didn't rush to kill him; the value of a hostage alive far exceeded that of a corpse.

'Although the Sarkaz are known for their cold-blooded ruthlessness, this guy is the only warlock in the team, and from a purely practical standpoint, they shouldn't abandon him.'

While Nesario was strong enough, he couldn't handle eight armed Sarkaz mercenaries in a confined space; he might be able to in a more spacious area where he could move around more freely.

"Stop it, all of you. This guy's life is in my hands right now."

"..."

In the darkness, Neltharion's voice went unanswered. What business? Abandoning the warlock?

'Kid, you'll pay a heavy price for your stupidity!'

The other Sarkaz dared not utter a sound, not because they were worried that their noise would cause Nesario to kill the hostage, but rather because they were afraid of the bound hostage.

"(Intermittent, disorganized Sarkaz language)"

Nesario increased the pressure in his hand. He felt the struggle of the person under his grasp; this guy's strength was surprisingly great!