Chapter 90: Escape? Never!

The armor and weapons worn when overthrowing the 'Dark Dynasty'!

Killed several key figures of the 'Dark Dynasty'!

After hearing Silic's introduction, Goethe could finally confirm his guess: on those two rusty longswords, there should be [Bloody Honor]!

"Can I take a look at these two sets of armor and weapons?"

Goethe looked at little Gratz and Andinan.

Nominally, after the death of Grand Duke Gratz and Big Gratz, everything here was inherited by the two of them.

"Of course!"

Andinan wouldn't object at all.

Goethe's trust before had given the young man the greatest comfort.

At this moment, let alone just looking at the two sets of armor and weapons that were obviously more commemorative than practical, even this treasure trove, the young man was willing to share with Goethe.

And little Gratz?

He kind of wanted to object.

But, he didn't dare.

Although little Gratz was not as smart as Andinan, he was not a real fool. The second son of the Grand Duke knew very well that now was the time to rely on Goethe, and refusing at this time would be extremely unwise.

So--

"No problem."

Little Gratz replied.

With the permission of the two owners, Goethe strode towards the corner.

He carefully examined the two sets of armor and weapons.

The longswords were rusty, and the armor had been repaired layer by layer, as if patched up. Such armor and longswords, naturally, had lost their original function.

But, they represented honor.

The honor of the ancestors of the Ryan royal family.

The honor of the ancestors of the Snake royal family.

"Every nick on the blade, every repair on the armor represents a battle experienced by the ancestors of the two royal families - there are people in the royal family who specialize in recording this, and they can recount every battle represented by each nick and repair in detail!"

Behind Goethe, the old advisor explained.

Goethe never doubted the nobility's obsession with 'honor'.

Even if they didn't have it themselves, their ancestors did, it was the same.

Even more important.

Because this was the family's history!

Even if they declined, as long as their mouths were clever enough, they could rely on this history to get one, or even several, chances to 'rise again'.

Therefore, every noble heir would carefully maintain the armor and weapons left by their ancestors.

But these two sets of armor and weapons from the ancestors of the Ryan and Snake royal families were too old!

So old that even with careful maintenance, it was difficult to ensure that the two sets of armor and weapons were the same as they were back then.

In fact, it was beyond Goethe's expectation that these two sets of armor and weapons could still be basically preserved intact. In Goethe's original guess, even if there were armor and weapons preserved from the 'Dark Age', their original shapes would have long been unrecognizable.

Therefore, Goethe's original plan was to find similar divination techniques and use them to find [Bloody Honor].

And now?

No need!

Goethe reached out and gently touched the armor and weapons in front of him.

[Rusty Longsword: This was once the sword of the ancestor of the Ryan royal family, known as the 'Lion King' Ryan. The blacksmith Aslan personally forged his own sword; in order to create a peaceful country, he was brave and fearless, charging ahead, killing one enemy after another. Finally, after establishing the Ryan Kingdom, he passed the throne to his eldest son and chose to retire to the mountains and forests, spending the rest of his life with his mount and companion, the 'lion' Simba.]

[Obtained Bloody Honor X3!]

...

[Rusty Longsword: This was once the sword of the ancestor of the Snake royal family, known as the 'Shadow Snake' Snake. Snake, who came from a noble family of the 'Dark Dynasty', joined the 'Hero' team by coincidence. When he discovered that there was profit to be made, he firmly stood behind the 'Lion King' Ryan and offered him advice and strategies. When the seven kingdoms were established and King Ryan retired, Snake's ambition erupted, and he wanted to annex the remaining six kingdoms. However, before he could launch the war, he was 'persuaded' by King Ryan to retire to the mountains and forests together.]

[Obtained Bloody Honor X1!]

...

4 [Bloody Honor]!

Goethe's eyes lit up with joy.

Perhaps it was a bit less than the 'Killer in the Mist' incident.

But it was enough for him to have the confidence to deal with the current situation.

Without hesitation, Goethe directly chose the secret technique 'Burning Hand' that he had just obtained!

[Burning Hand: The inexplicable power and terrifying flames made the 'Robert Family' known as the 'Dragon Bloodline', and the 'Robert Family' was proud of it, even though the initial power only came from an exploration of ruins.]

[Effect: Consumes a little stamina, shoots a cone-shaped flame forward from your palm, the flame angle is 30°, the length is 5 meters, the judgment level is bullet level, continuous shooting will increase stamina consumption]

(Note 1: No gestures or graphic languages are needed, when you think about it and raise your palm, the flame will shoot out)

(Note 2: You can shoot flames with either hand, but not both hands at the same time)

(Note 3: This secret technique cannot be upgraded)

...

Feeling the burning sensation rising from his heart and flowing to his hands with his blood, Goethe resisted the urge to raise a palm and shoot out flames. He turned his head to look at Andinan, little Gratz, and Silic who were waiting for him.

"Give me a little more time."

"Soon!"

After saying that, Goethe walked towards a more secluded corner.

How could one [Burning Hand] be enough?

He also needed Extraordinary level [Hand-to-Hand Combat]!

Previously, due to the constraints of "Bloody Honor," Goethe had always been patient.

But this time?

He finally didn’t need to endure anymore!

Remembering the pain from the last time he upgraded "Unarmed Combat" to the Transcendent level, this time, before making another upgrade, Goethe stuffed his handkerchief into his mouth.

He was afraid he might scream from the pain.

"Bloody Honor, upgrade Unarmed Combat!"

Goethe silently recited in his heart.

Immediately, the pain arrived as expected!

But...

It was far less intense than the first time when it felt like his body was being crushed and then pieced back together, pain beyond his limits. This time, it was just as if his flesh was being cut with a knife.

Although the latter was also painful, compared to the former, it was nothing.

Moreover, the whispering voices, which seemed like hallucinations, also disappeared.

Goethe focused and listened, confirming that apart from the breathing of Andinan, Little Gratz, and Sileck, there was no other sound.

"Have I adapted?"

Goethe speculated in his heart.

The pain hadn’t exceeded his limits, so Goethe's mind was extremely clear. He didn’t need to use the ‘Beautiful Thing Distraction Technique’ to shift his attention; he could simply endure it in silence.

He could even count in his mind.

After counting to ten, the pain quickly subsided, and the text began to reappear—

[Unarmed Combat (Transcendent I): Your skills have surpassed the ordinary, reaching a certain pinnacle. With another step forward, you will open a new realm.]

[Effect: Body +1.8 (Basic, Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Master, Peerless 0.1, Transcendent +0.5, Transcendent I +0.6), Skill +1.7 (Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Master, Peerless 0.1, Transcendent +0.5, Transcendent I +0.6)]

[Transcendent I: Surpassing ordinary techniques opens up new possibilities. When performing unarmed attacks, you will gain an additional ‘above blade-level’ attack effect, which will also be effective against intangible entities!]

(Specialization options omitted)

...

The significant increase in [Body] caused Goethe's muscles, bones, organs, and nerves to start writhing.

Goethe could clearly feel himself becoming stronger, his physique surpassing that of a normal person by more than three times, filling him with power.

And the infusion of [Skill] gave Goethe a deeper understanding of his meticulously honed combat techniques.

Goethe now felt confident that with a simple kick, he could not only break an egg but also shatter the root.

However...

"[Mind] hasn't increased!"

"Is it just once?"

"Or..."

"Not enough level?!"

Goethe felt regret, especially when he discovered that upgrading [Unarmed Combat (Transcendent I)] again would require three pieces of [Bloody Honor], intensifying that regret.

But soon, Goethe dismissed the regret from his mind.

Now was not the time for regrets.

Thinking about the possible upcoming battle and glancing at the remaining 4 pieces of [Bloody Honor], Goethe decisively made a choice—after [Unarmed Combat] reached the Transcendent level, each upgrade required time!

And in real combat, there would be no time for him to upgrade his skills!

So—

"Bloody Honor, upgrade Unarmed Combat!"

[Unarmed Combat (Transcendent II): With your exceptional talent and hard work, you've once again touched a certain pinnacle. With another step forward, you will discover a broader world.]

[Effect: Body +2.5 (Basic, Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Master, Peerless 0.1, Transcendent +0.5, Transcendent I +0.6, Transcendent II +0.7), Skill +2.4 (Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Master, Peerless 0.1, Transcendent +0.5, Transcendent I +0.6, Transcendent II +0.7)]

[Transcendent II: Surpassing ordinary techniques opens up new possibilities. When performing unarmed attacks, you will gain an additional ‘bullet-level’ attack effect, which will also be effective against intangible entities!]

(Specialization options omitted)

...

Ten seconds later, clear text appeared before Goethe's eyes.

Feeling the newfound power in his body and skills, a smile appeared on Goethe's face.

No one could resist such instant strength.

Similarly, the number of [Bloody Honor] pieces had sharply decreased to just one.

But it was worth it.

With a [Body] of 4.1, his [Stare of Despair] would be effective against more people.

With a [Skill] of 3.7, his understanding of his favored moves had reached a new level, beyond mere instinct, almost like a natural gift.

And the additional ‘bullet-level’ attack gave him even stronger conventional means!

Imagine, when a kick to the groin lands, and the additional ‘bullet-level’ attack erupts, what would be the result?

Your crotch would be blown to pieces!

Of course, more importantly, Goethe once again felt the pinnacle!

The pinnacle of [Unarmed Combat] after reaching the Transcendent level!

Goethe had a premonition that when the level increased next time, his [Mind] would increase again.

However...

The next level of [Unarmed Combat] would require 4 pieces of [Bloody Honor].

And following this pattern, the required amount of [Bloody Honor] would only continue to increase.

"Not enough! Not enough!"

"I need more!"

"More [Bloody Honor]!"

Goethe told himself in his heart, then stepped out of the corner.

By this time, under the old advisor's direction, Andinan and Little Gratz had already packed up some "travel expenses."

Of course, if possible, Little Gratz wanted to take everything.

But that was clearly impossible, so he could only pick the most valuable items.

And Andinan, after picking a few extremely precious jewels, began to choose the least conspicuous items.

The less conspicuous, the easier they would be to sell, and they wouldn’t attract unnecessary trouble.

The road to escape wouldn’t be easy.

The young man didn’t want to make it even harder.

"There is a secret passage in the treasury leading outside of Heisington—this treasury, including the passage, is unknown to His Majesty, but considering His Majesty’s style, he will definitely send the army to search the surroundings. If we are discovered, we must fight quickly, or else we’ll face total destruction if surrounded."

"After leaving Heisington, we'll head straight for the Ouse Mountains. The mountains and snow will hinder Ryan's cavalry. Then, after crossing the Ouse Mountains and entering the Kingdom of Beta, which is hostile to Ryan, it will be our refuge for a long time to come."

Sileck cautioned as he watched Goethe.

The old advisor knew very well that in the upcoming battle, the heir of the Robert family before him would be the main force.

So when he saw Goethe frown slightly, he immediately stopped speaking.

"Lord Polo, do you have any suggestions?"

The old advisor inquired.

Goethe nodded.

"Yes."

"I prefer a more direct approach!"

Back home, Goethe knew one thing: a prolonged defense would eventually fail!

Given the current situation, once they started fleeing, they would be relinquishing the initiative!

They would be facing the pursuit of an entire country!

How many pursuers could a country send?

Thousands?

Tens of thousands?

Or even hundreds of thousands?

Even if they reached the terrain advantage of the Ouse Mountains as Sileck said, would the pursuers stop because of the terrain?

They would simply switch from cavalry to infantry and continue the chase!

And what if they were caught by the cavalry before that?

That was the most likely scenario!

Among the four of them, aside from him and Sileck, Andinan and Little Gratz were ordinary people. Bringing along two ordinary people and outrunning the cavalry’s pursuit was something Goethe, even in his current state, knew he couldn’t do.

And abandoning Andinan?

Goethe, who had made a promise, couldn’t do that either.

So, he would likely face cavalry charges again and again!

And how many charges could he withstand?

When he was exhausted, it would be the end.

Goethe didn’t want such an outcome!

He had continuously used [Bloody Honor] to improve himself, not to seek death!

So he wanted to take control!

So he had to take control!

So he wanted...

To assassinate the king!

(End of chapter)