The Devil's Cage

"F*cking h.e.l.l! I really sh*t myself every time!" he cursed as he slapped his own face.

The trio quickly leapt onto their horses and continued on their journey.

If the castle troops on their tail had been fewer, Kieran might have decided to face them head-on.

However, a hundred riders were a huge threat. If they’d fired arrows at him, he would have had to cut and run, and so would have the others.

Besides, Kieran had noticed that the riders were holding crossbows, not normal longbows.

Compared to longbows, which required two hands to use, crossbows were more convenient, powerful and precise, even more so for riders.

Kieran’s sharp eyesight had also noticed something else. The castle riders had a different kind of armor on than the troops Kieran had seen in the castle.

The crest on their armor was the same, but that was the only similarity. Their gauntlets were all different, and some parts of them were bulging up. They gave out a gloomy reflection, even under the morning sunlight.

"What are those?" Kieran turned his head around and carefully inspected the riders.

He doubted that they would have added a useless piece of armor.

Armor was crucial, as it protected the wearer from potential lethal attacks.

No matter how stupid one was, everyone feared death.

Kieran looked down at the riders’ horses. Every horse was almost one size bigger than the horse Kieran was riding. The horses’ limbs were also longer and firmer, which made them better at sprinting.

After a minor chase, the castle riders were already closing up on Kieran and his friends.

Their horses were exhausted from the sudden chase, but the castle riders’ horses were still as energetic as ever.

The troops’ armor was different than common soldiers’, and their horses were stronger and better at running fast for long distances.

"It’s one of the Grand Duke’s armed forces, the Hurricane Knights!" Kieran recognized the riders after some thought.

If the Hurricane Riders were on their tail, then Kieran’s theory about Hanses’ Main Mission had been right.

"The time limit in Hanses’ mission represents the Grand Duke’s victory! During a peaceful time, the Grand Duke could have spared to send the Hurricane Knights after us. When the uprising occurred at the castle though, it must have taken some time for the news to reach the Grand Duke’s ears. How can they be this fast?"

As soon as one of his doubts was cleared, a new one appeared, making Kieran frown again.

He was certain that the Hurricane Knights had been ordered to pursue them by the Grand Duke, as the Grand Duke himself was their commander.

The Hurricane Knights would only take orders directly from him, especially considering that almost half of them had been dispatched to chase Kieran and co.

Based on the number distribution of the three biggest forces under the Grand Duke’s command, the Barrier Infantry had the most soldiers. There were almost a thousand men in it.

The second biggest force were the Hurricane Knights, who were almost two hundred fierceful riders. The smallest force was the Bestowed Squad, which had little more than a dozen men.

Still, this did not explain why the Hurricane Knights had come after them.

"Maybe the Grand Duke knew there would be an uprising at the castle! That’s impossible though! If he had known beforehand, he would not have let his second and youngest son die! According to Hanses, the Grand Duke was very fond of his youngest son!"

His new theory was suppressed quickly.

With the Hurricane Knights closing in on them, time was running out for Kieran.

He turned around and told Lawless and Hanses about their pursuers.

"The Hurricane Knights? Why are they here?"

Lawless and Hanses were both in shock. Hanses even paled in astonishment.

"I don’t know. I have my doubts, but one thing is for sure. Given our current riding speed, we won’t be able to outrun them!" Kieran said.

"We need to find a way to stall them then! I’ll do it! 2567, you and Hanses go on! Remember, go straight to the Forest of Pilgrimage! Finish the Main Mission, don’t wait for me!" Lawless said in a resolute tone.

"Count me in!" Kieran said at the same time. Then he pulled the whip on Lawless’ saddle down and hung it over Hanses’.

"Hanses, I’ll leave my horse to you. At least you won’t have to worry about speed if you ride two horses! Don’t give me that face! You are the one who started this! You will attract the Hurricane Knights’ attention, so you need to run faster! I’m going back to finish my Sub Mission!"

Kieran showed his mission tab to Hanses, who looked agitated.

[Sub Mission Unlocked: Pursuers!]

[Pursuers: The Hurricane Knights were supposed to be on the frontline, but they suddenly appeared and started to chase you. You have two options. Either keep running, or turn around and fight! No matter your choice though, you need to remember that your objective is to escape from the Hurricane Knights’ pursuit!]

[Hint: Killing the Hurricane Knights will increase your final ratings].

The Sub Mission had confirmed the troops’ ident.i.ty.

Kieran understood that this Sub Mission had been unlocked because of his Main Mission [Escape Morko Princ.i.p.ality]. Lawless and Hanses’ missions already included the pursuit, so that Sub Mission had not appeared before them.

Kieran was glad to join a more difficult mission with a low dungeon entry number. He felt delighted over the potential rewards.

At the same time, the Sub Mission hint had also had an impact on him.

[Hint: Killing the Hurricane Knights will increase your final ratings].

As soon as he saw the potential benefits, Kieran automatically wanted to proceed with his original ideal and fully explore the Sub Missions and t.i.tle Missions before completing the Main Mission.

That was the reason he agreed with Lawless when he suggested stalling the Knights.

"B… But..."

"We are mercenaries! We took your money and signed a contract to fully protect you until you finish your mission! Now it’s time for us to do our duty! Don’t worry! Neither me nor 2567 will sacrifice our lives to buy you time! Your time is limited, so run faster!" Lawless cut off Hanses.

Then he extended his hand to Kieran, and Kieran jumped up on his horse.

The two of them turned around and headed towards the pursuers, while Hanses kept sprinting forward with the two horses.

"When we get back, the beer’s on me! Come back safely!" Hanses’ voice was heard from afar.

"I’m sure it will be a bad one..." Lawless sighed.

"Ready?" Lawless gripped the [Sharp Stinger] tight and handed Kieran the [Piercing Spear].

"Here, take this. It’s better than nothing!" he said.

Kieran took it without being courteous. Although he had no corresponding skills, he could spin it around with enough strength to inflict some damage.

"Two of us against a hundred! The thought alone is exciting enough!"

Lawless drew in a deep breath, adjusting his stance.

"If I had brought grenades, I would have been even more excited!" Kieran said, rolling his eyes.

If he had entered the Special Dungeon fully equipped, the situation before them would have been nothing. He would even have had enough confidence to turn around the uprising in the castle.

That was just a thought though. The difficulty of the Special Dungeon was the equipment restriction, and every danger branched out from there.

The same applied to the current situation with the Hurricane Knights. If he’d had three or even two grenades, Kieran could have easily turned the situation around.

"Don’t rely too much on firearms. Some dungeon restrictions are even harsher than you think. If you go in unprepared, you will mess up bad!" Lawless gave Kieran a word of advice.

"What are you saying?" Kieran asked in shock.

Lawless did not reply though.

The shooting arrows required his full attention.

The Hurricane Knights had started firing arrows without mercy.

Thick clouds of arrows poured down on them like rain, but they did not harm Kieran, Lawless, or the horse one bit.

Lawless wielded the [Sharp Stinger] fast, whipping up shadows one after the other, the blade flas.h.i.+ng as the shadows formed a barrier within a breath.

Every arrow was blocked as Lawless controlled the horse and sprinted out towards the Knights. He was blocking arrows and closing the distance between the two parties at the same time.

From high above, he must have looked like a golden comet cras.h.i.+ng into a thick cloud of dark arrows and breaking every single one in his path.

Although this was not the first time Kieran had witnessed Lawless’ advanced skill, each time he was in awe of him.

"Lawless’ skill combines defense and offense in one, especially when he beats many targets with minimal wielding. It must be an at least Rare Rank skill, or even a Legendary one! Lawless has always presented himself as a firearm specialist, but he must have at least a Rare Rank sword skill, and considering his advice just now… When dungeon entries increase, firearm limitations must increase as well!"

Kieran’s heart was swarmed with questions, yet that was not enough to affect his fighting abilities.

He gripped the long spear tightly, his eyes locked on the Hurricane Knights that were within range.

The arrows had lessened down. After a round of reloading, the Hurricane Knights had lost optimal firing range and it was hard for them to fire a second round while Lawless was closing in on them.

In other words, it was time for Lawless and Kieran to counterattack.

Kieran quickly stood up from his spot and jumped up.

"Up!" Lawless boosted Kieran’s jump by pus.h.i.+ng him hard with his left palm.

Kieran’s exceptional speed reached a higher level with Lawless’ support.

Kieran hurled himself towards the Hurricane Knights at lightning speed, the spear in his hands sweeping them away and spinning around like a tornado.