ebookslot Chapter 97 The Coup Begins
Chapter 97 The Coup Begins
First District.
In addition to the council chamber where the ruling parliament is located, there is also a vast stone square in the city center.
However, at this moment, the square, which is usually used for celebrations, is completely shrouded in an atmosphere of solemnity.
The ruling council guards, dressed in uniforms adorned with gold sword and shield badges, surrounded hundreds of Drow descendants who had been captured.
The prisoners were tied to wooden beds, with thick hemp ropes digging deep into their flesh, their limbs bound behind their backs, unable to even struggle.
Among the guards, those soldiers wearing bird-beak masks were particularly conspicuous.
Each of them carried a bottle of dark green potion filled with a slippery liquid, and they were prying open the mouths of the prisoners one by one to force the liquid down their throats.
The descendant of the Drow trembled violently after taking the potion, and a muffled "hoarse" sound came from his throat.
Several beaked soldiers quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and examined the pupils and skin of these "ritual participants" to confirm signs of abnormality.
Moments later, the prisoners' eyes bulged out, their bodies curled up and convulsed, like fish out of water.
The beaked soldiers ignored this, dragging away the dying bodies and bringing in a new batch to repeat the drugging process.
Standing on the high platform, looking down at the slaughterhouse-like scene below, the ranger Bell turned his head and asked the man beside him:
"Which batch is it, Rufus?"
Rufus, one of the commanders of the ruling council's guard, stroked the hilt of his sword, his voice cold and hard:
"The fourth batch."
Bell nodded and said nothing more.
Rufus suddenly frowned, his tone sharp and menacing: "Haven't you caught that escaped rat yet?"
"No," Bell shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," Rufus sneered, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Once we catch him, I'll teach him a lesson about what it means to wish he were dead."
"Count me in," Bell said, a smirk playing on his lips, revealing the smile of an accomplice.
Before the words were finished—
Suddenly, the sound of armor clashing, as rhythmic as muffled thunder, came from outside the square, approaching step by step.
Rufus looked up abruptly and saw a company of over a hundred soldiers marching in formation from the street corner, their steps firm and resounding.
His gaze swept over the leader, recognizing him as Jasper Ashby, the city guard squad leader, and his face immediately darkened.
"Captain Jasper Ashby."
Rufus gripped his sword, took two steps forward, and demanded in a deep voice...
"What exactly do you want by barging in here with your men?"
Jasper did not answer, but instead turned his head slightly to a masked soldier beside him, his posture respectful: "Sir, is that alright?"
"Can?"
Rufus frowned, a strange unease rising in his heart.
The next second, a familiar voice came from under the mask, tinged with a hint of mockery: "Make your move."
It's that mouse!
Rufus's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively drew his sword.
But the masked soldiers moved even faster.
A flash of light.
With a "thud," Rufus's right arm was severed at the shoulder, and blood gushed out.
He screamed and staggered backward, the excruciating pain causing his vision to blur.
"Damn it!"
The situation on the field changed drastically.
Bell and the other guards of the ruling council finally reacted and drew their swords.
But then Jasper saw the hundred soldiers behind him raise their hands in unison, and the sound of crossbows clicking in rapid succession.
Whoosh whoosh!
Black crossbow bolts rained down like a storm, and the council guards who had no time to dodge fell instantly, screams filling the air.
The ranger Bell was shocked and furious. Just as he was about to dodge, he sensed a murderous aura behind him.
He suddenly shifted to the side, an arrow whizzed past him, and as he turned, he saw a squad of Night's Watchmen had quietly appeared.
The leader was a man with a mustache—Hans, the captain of the Night's Watch.
"Your opponent is me."
Hans grinned.
Bell's gaze swept over the figures behind him, those bearing the Night's Watch badges, his face contorted with rage:
"The captain of the Night's Watch? You dare participate in the rebellion?!"
Hans stopped talking and the captains behind him drew their swords.
Bell's heart sank. Although he was a second-tier warrior of the ruling council and had many teammates of the same tier, the other party had obviously been planning this for a long time.
However, the ruling council's guard was soon in dire straits.
……
On the other side, Kane saw Reed force back two enemies with a second-circle spell, then turned and walked toward a bird-beaked soldier who had been shot down by a crossbow bolt and was on the verge of death.
Soldiers nearby had already subdued him.
"Speak," Kane said calmly, "where were the corpses brought down from the battlefield sent?"
The bird-beaked soldier trembled all over, his face beneath the mask deathly pale.
"If you don't tell us, we'll have to ask your colleagues," Kane added.
"There... there..."
The beaked soldier raised his hand with trembling hands and pointed to the magnificent building at the end of the square—the governing council hall.
Kane nodded.
Just as the beaked soldier's eyes showed a hint of joy, the city guards beside him pierced his chest with a sword.
The bird-beak mask landed with a clatter, revealing a terrified, wide-eyed face.
Kane didn't even glance at him, and said to Jasper:
"To the council chamber."
Jasper nodded and said in a low voice:
"In this coup, Commander Arthur has already tied down the other city guard forces, but that's all the troops we can use."
He paused, his tone heavy, "If we fail, both you and I will be sent to the gallows."
"I know, but as long as we can get evidence that the ruling council desecrated the soldiers' bodies, it will all be worth it."
Jasper responded immediately and gave orders to his men:
"Continue to suppress the remaining guards with crossbow bolts. The rest of you, hold the entrance to the square. We must not let the ruling council's reinforcements in!"
The shouts of battle in the square had already alerted the surrounding parliamentary guards, and the faint sound of hurried footsteps could be heard in the distance.
Kane and Jasper exchanged a glance, then, with only a dozen or so professional-level elites, strode quickly toward the governing council hall.
boom--!
The oak door was kicked open with a thud, and a strong, rotten stench hit us, making us want to vomit.
The scene inside the hall made many people gasp in shock.
The council hall, which originally accommodated hundreds of seats, is now a mountain of corpses.
Dozens of drow and human remains were piled up in the center, a bloody mess.
Beside the mountain of corpses, a monk in a magnificent robe stood with a vacant stare and drool dripping from his mouth.
He was the master of the tower of the Bewitching and Controlling School of Dharma.
Beside the mage, a burly monster was squatting and chewing, making a crunching sound.
The shackles on this ghoul were long gone, and its size had grown from six feet to nearly ten feet. Its shoulder muscles were bulging menacingly, and its withered skin was taut and about to crack.
Its cat ears swayed slightly, its blood-red eyes swept over the crowd at the door, and blood and bits of flesh clung to its teeth.
It slowly twisted its neck, its joints cracking, and saliva dripped from beneath its sharp white teeth.
"Kane".
The ghoul's voice was hoarse like a broken gong, carrying undisguised murderous intent.
"I didn't expect you to dare come back... It seems you came here specifically to die."
Kane remained calm.
Jasper, standing to the side, suddenly changed his expression and pointed at the stunned mage, shouting:
"What did you do to this gentleman?!"
Kane's gaze fell on the mage, his mind racing.
This is a third-tier mind control mage specializing in mental manipulation and brainwashing ghouls, skilled in mind control.
The fact that it could turn into this state means that this ghoul demon's rank has at least advanced from the second rank to the third rank.
The ghoul grinned maliciously, grabbed the limp and dazed mage, and bit down hard.
Pfft—!
Brain matter and blood splattered everywhere.
It licked the blood from its fingertips, its bloodlust evident in its eyes:
"The memories of the Mage Tower Master... are truly delicious."
The city guards raised their crossbows and aimed, but Kane raised his hand to stop them.
His expression was solemn; a third-tier ghoul was far beyond what their small team could handle.
The ghoul pointed its claws sharply and roared:
"Stinky Cloud Technique!"
A thick, yellow, poisonous cloud with a radius of twenty feet surged and spread, emitting a foul stench that rushed towards the crowd.
The third-circle spell struck Kane with a solemn expression. He then turned and bowed respectfully to the empty space behind him, his tone humbled:
"Thank you both for your help."
Before the words were finished, two invisible figures slowly emerged.
They were both dressed in magnificent mage robes; they were two third-tier mage tower masters, Edwin and Lucien.
"Wind-making technique!"
Two low shouts rang out simultaneously, and two gusts of wind appeared out of thin air, like invisible giant hands that swept the poisonous clouds back and rushed straight at the Corpse-Eating Demon.
The ghoul demon's constitution is immune to toxins, so it is naturally not afraid of the Stink Cloud Technique.
But upon seeing the two suddenly appearing third-tier mages, a hint of fear flashed in its blood-red eyes, and its expression finally turned ugly.
Lucien stared at the mage whose head had been gnawed off beside the mountain of corpses, his face so dark it could drip water.
He turned to look at Kane and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Kane, you're right. We'll handle this third-tier demon."
Kane nodded, thanked him, and said to Jasper, "Let's go."
The two led more than ten elite soldiers quickly toward the side door of the council hall, and immediately behind them came the sound of magic and explosions.
Kane was not surprised at all; he had contacted the two mage tower masters long before the operation.
However, both men demanded that there be evidence of guilt before they would take action.
……
Passing through the side door of the council chamber, there is a long corridor outside.
Kane stopped and looked toward the edge of the First District.
There stood a huge manor.
That was the residence of the royal representative.
……
On the third floor of the manor, in the reception room, a long table was set with exquisite tea and snacks and fine wines, while two maids stood with their heads bowed, holding their breath.
Royal representative Conrad Herman sat in the head seat, his gaze calmly sweeping over the two sweating members of parliament opposite him:
"What else do you two councilors want to discuss with me?"
The overweight councilor wiped the cold sweat from his brow and began to speak with difficulty:
"Lord Conrad... regarding the drow slaves, we would like to... request that a batch be allocated to be transported to the capital. We wonder if you...?"
He was the president of the city's chamber of commerce, and made his fortune by supplying goods to the council.
Just the day before yesterday, someone approached him, offering a high price of three thousand gold coins to keep Conrad occupied for two hours this morning.
The deposit of one thousand gold coins has been received; the remaining two thousand will be settled as long as we can stall the customer.
He was unwilling to get involved in this mess, but the other party offered him so many bargaining chips that he couldn't refuse.
He glanced furtively at another member of parliament beside him and noticed that the other was also constantly wiping away sweat, which made his heart skip a beat.
The two were located only a few miles away from the governing council hall.
At this moment, the shouts of battle and the sounds of magical explosions coming from afar were clearly audible, and one could even see the billowing black smoke rising from the direction of the council hall.
Even the most foolish among them understand that they are being used as pawns.
Just then, the sound of armor clashing grew louder as it approached.
The two looked out the window next to the dining table and saw dozens of heavily armored soldiers approaching the manor, and the manor guards had already clashed with them.
Soon, the guards who tried to stop them were knocked to the ground by the soldiers' shields and then shot through the throat by crossbow bolts.
The sound of carriage wheels followed closely behind, and two black-covered carriages slowly drove in from the manor gate, the carriages seemingly carrying something heavy.
"It's a riot...no, it's a coup!"
The overweight congressman slumped in his chair, his voice trembling.
The maids were trembling with fear and huddled in a corner, too afraid to make a sound.
Conrad sighed softly, his voice gentle:
"It seems that someone finally couldn't hold back."
He raised his hand and calmly ordered the two maids, "Kill them."
"What?"
Before the two councilors could react, the two maids suddenly raised their heads, their fear vanishing instantly, replaced by a bloodthirsty ferocity.
Their skin melted rapidly, and their bodies twisted and deformed.
A scream instantly echoed throughout the reception room, and moments later, the sound of chewing replaced the agonizing cries.
……
Inside the manor, Kane led his men to the foot of the main building.
He looked up and saw Conrad, the royal representative, looking down at him from the third-floor window.
Beneath the gentleness in those eyes lay the same cruelty and indifference.
Their gazes met in the air.
Kane smiled.
"Mentor, we meet again."