"Aunt, someone’s coming," the Stone Assassin on watch reported.
"They’re really here?"
Nili raised an eyebrow and quietly peeked out from behind a ruined wall.
On the bumpy path, a pitch-black carriage with a dim, swinging kerosene lamp was making its way toward them.
A blood slave with a vacant gaze flicked a whip, driving the carriage right past their hiding spot before bringing it to a slow halt.
The carriage door opened, and Casimir, dressed in a magnificent, dark red formal suit, elegantly stepped out.
He straightened the collar of his suit, then turned toward the shadows and bowed again respectfully.
"Your Majesty, your loyal believer has arrived as promised."
Nili listened, her expression turning odd.
’What in the world? A member of the Blood Race actually worships a Slime. No matter how hard she thought about it, the only explanation she could conjure was that this little lord must have some dirt on the vampire.’
The group emerged from the shadows.
Nili led the way. Though not tall, she carried herself with an imposing air, her arms crossed and her chin held high.
She had been about to make a few cold, sarcastic remarks, but Casimir beat her to it, stepping forward with a smile and bowing once more.
"You must be the renowned ’Miss Shadow’ of the Dark Land, Lady Nili. Casimir offers you his most sincere greetings."
Nili shot him a surprised glance, then snorted. "Spare me the pleasantries. Your presence here means you’re ready, I assume?"
Casimir nodded gravely. "Everything is in place. Please, follow me to the inner wall of the bastion. It is time to open the gateway to the Eternal Night Territory for good."
With that, he turned to the side and gestured elegantly for them to board the carriage.
Nili was wary. She whispered to the Slime on her shoulder, "This guy isn’t sticking to the plan. Weren’t they supposed to start a coup inside the Eternal Night Territory, cause some chaos, and then we’d coordinate an attack on the walls from both inside and out?"
Before Chen Yu could reply, Casimir sighed softly and explained with a helpless shrug, spreading his hands.
"Changing the plan was a last resort. Fewer of our Blood Race brethren were willing to follow the new path than we expected. On top of that, the Goblin Army sent a large number of reinforcements to the old castle tonight and tightened security."
"A coup with only the forces we currently have at our disposal is almost certain to fail."
"My confederates will keep them busy at the old castle. To see this coup through, we need the help of the Demon Army."
The Stone Race members were undecided and looked to Chen Yu for guidance.
"Listen to him," Chen Yu said.
Only after Chen Yu nodded his approval did Nili and the Stone Assassins lower their guard slightly and board the black carriage one by one.
Driven by the blood slave, the carriage soon arrived smoothly at the base of the towering inner wall of the Greystone Bastion.
"Follow me," Casimir said, stepping out of the carriage first, his voice confident. "With me around, those Mercenaries won’t question you."
The group followed Casimir up a flight of stone steps that ran along the inside of the wall.
Just as he had promised, the patrolling Mercenary squads they encountered merely gave Casimir a hasty bow as he led the way. They didn’t even dare to spare a glance for his entourage, let alone stop them for questioning.
They easily reached the midpoint of the wall, near the gate’s control hub.
"Lord Casimir."
A young member of the Blood Race with furtive eyes hurried out from the shadows and reported in a low voice, "Baron Tim has left the wall. He’s returned to the old castle for this evening’s banquet."
"From now on, this section of the wall is ours alone."
Casimir placed a hand over his heart, his expression solemn and reverent. "Praise be to His Great Majesty, the Slime," he murmured.
The young member of the Blood Race immediately struck the same pious pose. "Praise be to His Majesty," he replied.
Nili watched this scene, utterly dumbfounded.
’Has the world gone mad? When on earth did this Slime worship infiltrate the Blood Race? From the looks of it, quite a few of them really do believe in some Great Slime Sect.’
She couldn’t resist turning to the Slime on her shoulder and whispering, "So, uh, excuse me, Your Great Majesty the Slime... are there any, you know, benefits for joining this Great Slime Sect of yours?"
Chen Yu thought for a moment. "If you’re looking to get some free eggs, I don’t think Casimir would refuse your request."
"That’s it?" Disappointment was written all over Nili’s face.
She pursed her lips, certain that these members of the Blood Race must be getting some incredible secret benefits. But since Chen Yu wouldn’t elaborate, she couldn’t be bothered to press him on it.
Led by the young member of the Blood Race, the group soon entered a fortified bunker built into the wall.
The place was heavily guarded. It was the central hub that controlled the opening and closing of the main gate in the inner wall, a post typically managed by two Elite-Level Professionals.
Their positions were unique; within the Dark Land, they even had the authority to refuse direct orders from most of the Blood Race, making them the greatest obstacle to Casimir’s plan to seize control of the wall.
The bunker’s interior was a complex network of winding passages, lit only by the faint glow of Fluorescent Stones embedded in the walls.
The main control room was located deep inside the bunker, filled with enormous winches, thick iron chains, and a shimmering Magic Array.
In theory, with Nili and her Stone Assassins present, taking down the two Elite Professionals shouldn’t have been difficult.
However, when Casimir led them to the control room, pushed open the iron door, and got a clear look at the scene inside, his expression changed instantly.