The Devil’s Cage

The swamp-like mud could not stop Kieran as he walked out easily.

The chains couldn’t bind Kieran’s body as they were blasted apart right away when Kieran shook his body.

The venomous snake didn’t even land its fangs on Kieran and was smashed into a pile of mashed meat by the flying broken chains.

The iron puppet that was used as a siege weapon?

It was sliced in half with one swing from [Elmerius Sword]!

“This…This… How is this possible?

“How can you possess such powerful strength!”

“You were in disguise all along!?”

The four Hounds turned around and ran as they cried out in screams disbelief.

It was at that moment the Hounds realized Melanie had somehow disappeared.

“That damn bitch!”

The four of them cursed at the same time in their hearts and they ran even faster.

However, just like how they underestimated Kieran’s strength, his speed was also something they couldn’t imagine either.

After limit breaking his Agility, it gained a +1 status like Strength and was pushed to the SS- rank.

Even if Kieran was wielding the heavy [Elmerius Sword], he could come and go like the wind.

Unconceivable expressions were frozen on the four Hounds’ face.

Until their last breath, they didn’t know how Kieran was so much stronger than their intel had described, similar to how they didn’t understand why what was supposed to be an easy victory end up failing so miserably.

Huu!

Kieran heaved a heavy breath when he saw the Hounds’ bodies falling down.

Then, he slightly shook his body and slowly relaxed his tightened muscles.

Right after that, lines of fresh blood flowed down from all over his body.

Especially the two wounds on his back, even with [Tenacious Soft Mail] and [Secondary Armoured Skin] as buffers, it was deep enough to see the bones.

Any slight movements would hurt his body and the pain made him frown hard, but still, he didn’t regret bearing all the attacks with his back, because of these two wounds, he had gotten two dead Hounds in exchange.

In fact, each wound on his body was exchanged for a Hound’s death.

From the very beginning when he decided to cripple the Twenty Hounds, Kieran chose to go with a quick battle to force a quick result. He didn’t spare a window for the Hounds to react and stunned them with a single blow.

Kieran had a very in-depth investigation of the Hounds, once he allowed the Hounds to put up defensive measures and allowed them to cast whatever they wanted, the one dead would be him instead.

Of course, summoning the Creature of Desire and transforming devil would be able to turn the tides around but once he did that, he would have to risk the possibility of failing his main mission.

Unless he was able to kill everyone who knew about his identity and erase every trace, it was near impossible.

Aside from the council’s men hiding in the area ready to ambush him, the extra “observer” that appeared made him understand what should he choose.

Pak Pak Pak!

When Kieran laid his eyes on a piece of shadow within the tunnel, slow claps sounded.

A tall and slim man walked out of the shadows while clapping his hands.

“Not too shabby! First, you used the Twenty Hound’s arrogance against them and traded their deaths for wounds on your body, thus creating a scene for yourself acting like you cannot be rivaled. After they lost their direction, the fatal blow was delivered. You are really something! But, this also means that the Twenty Hounds are nothing but items for show,” the man said with affectations.

Kieran didn’t reply but only sized up the man carefully.

“Oh pardon me, I’ve forgotten to introduce myself. I am Charter, leader of the mobile squad directly under the Union Ministers. Will you leave with me automatically or should I take you in with force? Of course, I don’t mind taking back a dead body either.” His words were filled with threats and the moment his words subsided, he made a sneak attack.

He pulled out a silver-white pistol and pulled the trigger at Kieran.

Bang Bang Bang!

Ding Ding Ding!

Sparks were splashing on [Elmerius Sword] as it was used as a shield again.

The mobile squad leader didn’t take it seriously when his sudden ambush failed.

Charter had been carefully inspecting Kieran’s wounds for a while now and he knew Kieran was heavily injured. Basically, he wasn’t as dangerous as before.

He’d even speculated that had the Hounds retained their senses and not been frightened beyond their comprehension, Kieran wouldn’t have killed the Hounds so easily.

Though, with such a heavily wounded state and after the last explosive action, Charter believed Kieran was at his limits and couldn’t last any longer now.

Look at the blood that Kieran had bled, the amount was enough for a common man to pass out!

With a malicious grin, the mobile squad leader swiftly moved his steps and wanted to go around [Elmerius Sword] and deliver the final blow to Kieran.

However, when Charter went behind the sword, he was instantly stunned.

A black gun barrel was aiming directly at him.

Bang!

Muzzle flash shone from the gun barrel in Kieran’s hand.

Charter, who was shot in between his eyes, staggered a few steps before falling to the ground, dead.

After finishing the idiot imposter with a single shot, Kieran quickly dodged aside from his position but the wounds on his back delayed his movements a little.

Puk!

A cold glare flashed as the rapier flew from the air and pierced his chest.

The sharp blade edge slightly grazed both of his hearts.

Wung!

The rapier suddenly buzzed and tried to rip his hearts apart but Kieran grabbed the blade quickly, he pulled it out with all his might.

His vigorous movements caused him to bleed from the corners of his lips.

The rapier flew back to its owner after breaking free from Kieran’s hands.

Melanie took back her blade. She used her finger to fling off countless of blood droplets on her rapier edge and looked at Kieran with an ice cold gaze.

“I thought you were like those idiots, thinking that I was gone. But it doesn’t matter! Killing you now is as easy as turning over my palm!”

Melanie said slowly as the rapier in her hand flew towards Kieran once again.

Puk!

The sword pierced Kieran’s body again. But Kieran angled his body posture to avoid his organs being damaged and at the same time grabbed the sword again.

“As easy as turning a palm? If I am not mistaken, you’ve suffered quite the damage yourself as well right?”

Kieran didn’t care much about his left hand being sliced into a bloody mess by the rapier as he stared at the bandage on Melanie’s body soaking with blood.

“But you will be the one who will die first!” Melanie looked at Kieran with a sneering gaze.

“I think you must have forgotten that I am a knight, healing wounds is one of my fortes!”

Kieran’s right hand then shone in white light.

The warm presence caused Melanie’s face to change for the worse.

She then charged towards Kieran immediately while disregarding the consequences.

Although it would be extremely dangerous to engage Kieran in close combat after he displayed such power, Melanie didn’t dare allow Kieran to heal up.

Once Kieran was healed and slightly recovered, she would be the one to fall into a dying state.

Engaging the heavily wounded Kieran in close combat might be dangerous but it wasn’t as bad as allowing him to heal up.

It wasn’t hard for Melanie to understand what choice she had to make.

A dagger appeared in her hand and was driven directly towards Kieran’s throat but at the next moment, Melanie’s arm wielding the dagger was caught by Kieran’s right hand at lightning speed.

The movements of his hand didn’t look like he was heavily wounded and dying.

“You!” Melanie widened her eyes, she couldn’t believe Kieran was still pretending, but why would he do so?

Doubts filled Melanie’s heart but she wouldn’t have the chance to ask anymore.

[Power Glory, Heavy Hand] was activated directly. The power impact from the glove multiplied the wounds on her body and after the secondary skill [Death Throw], it crushed all her bones instantly.

The moment the Head Hound died, many footsteps sounded from the further part of the sewer tunnel.

That was the reason why Kieran risked his wounded state to quickly kill Melanie.

A few seconds later, he would have to face a Hound leading many more men from the council.

It would be a disastrous outcome for Kieran should that happen with his current condition, but now?

Kieran looked at the messy crowd flooding the sewer tunnel, his body was glimmering in white brilliance.

When the brilliance was charged to a limit…

“DAWN!”