F-ranker Sword Saint: My Soulbound Sword is Secretly SSS-tier!-Chapter 234: Being Wise

As the cacophony of steel, stone, snarls, and hisses sounded in the distance — from above, a few wretches, spaced from each other according to their weak hearts and how quick and decisive their betrayals were, ran desperately on fours.

Jia was good with directions.

She knew exactly where the drawbridge was.

Her emotions were a mess, but overall, she felt that her decision was right.

She kept telling herself that the operation was doomed from the start and that Caleb was wrong for not calling the retreat immediately.

Must she die due to his incompetence?

If she were to die, then she would do so on her own terms, not by following the orders of someone younger.

The youngsters were bold and hotheaded. It was only natural that they would make mistakes.

With such thoughts, Jia justified her actions to herself.

What she did was wise.

Furthermore, if they succeeded, she could always beg for forgiveness, no?

She was willing to do anything to escape this godless realm. If impossible, then at least live.

As long as she’s alive, another chance will come.

Turning a corner, Jia continued fleeing wisely — closer and closer to the drawbridge...then her smile froze.

What was going on?

If she remembered correctly, the drawbridge was here, so....why was there no exit?

Why was there only reinforced wood blocking the path?

This...something was wrong, no? After all, the wraiths of the first floor weren’t back yet, so why would the drawbridge close?

Jia’s speed slowed down, and the two others behind her caught up.

The three of them were rooted in place, uncertain of what to do next. Their minds hadn’t caught up with the shock yet.

Unfortunately, before they could, a mix of heavy footsteps and numerous lighter ones sounded in the distance...but on the same floor.

The three "Lost" Damnedlings turned slowly.

There, in the distance, a muscular wraith with a peculiar belly marched with his minions. Perched in their heads were pileus hats, and gripped in their hands were knives — a giant stone cleaver for their leader.

In some other part of the castle, another Damnedling fancied himself smarter.

Why run to the distant drawbridge when there’s apparently a wide-open stone gate on this side?

Indeed, there was.

Leiuph could smell safety the moment he saw the castle doors.

Only, the moment he got closer, a slim silhouette fell — a demonic jester with a demonic smile, his dark, soulless eyes as wide open as Leiuph’s door to freedom.

***

**

Daru assumed an L-stance, wiping out another forming squadron with a spinning cross-slash.

Then, a moment later, three columns of silver flyssa manifestations emerged from the ground, stabbing at more Legionaries and reaping their wretched lives.

The Condemned Centurion was able to dodge Elara’s Sword Skill, but the elite was wounded, and he could only retreat without the support of his comrades.

Unfortunately, even that was not allowed.

The wraithly centurion’s head rolled on the ground two more moments later.

Initially, it seemed that the operation was more or less lost, and that the leaders of the army were simply pressing on due to duty.

But no.

Their saviors...the spearheads, were proving otherwise.

Their Sword Skills were mighty, consistently paving the way and reaping the enemies’ lives.

Those that weren’t killed by a direct hit would be finished off by the other.

So, although they were being chased, their advance was more or less swift and steady, and the wraiths behind them were even starting to fall behind.

But a majority knew the widening distance was but a mere illusion.

One wrong turn to a dead end, and they would have to fight fiercely. To make matters worse, some, like Thrad, did not have lots of stamina.

They would have to locate the throne room soon.

Then, once they did, the Damnedling Army would have to hold off the wraiths until their leaders defeated The Crown.

So, the wretched army of Egress pressed forward, both desperation and determination gleaming in their abyssal eyes like a flicker of hope in the veil of dark despair.

Those that were not instantly felled by the blades of the Visitors were swallowed by the tide of the Damned, reduced to mere mangled gray flesh and severed limbs that painted the stone canvas black.

Only, each hallway seemed way too long, and the staircases to the third floor were nowhere in sight.

They could only continue running through the entire second floor.

That they did.

The expected dozen minutes turned into half an hour, and they had yet to locate the throne room.

All Nando said was that everything would be fine as long as they either retreated before it was too late or defeated the ruler of the Stone Castle.

Even now, whenever Caleb remembered the old man being all secretive yet refusing to elaborate, despite the gravity of the situation, his anger would flare up a bit.

It was yet another of Nando’s strange pieces of knowledge that he got from some random tome in some random ancient settlement somewhere.

They were highly certain that, to a degree, it was true, and that they wouldn’t die as long as they defeated The Crown.

The old man’s knowledge had never failed them, after all.

It was just a bit infuriating for youngsters like him to be kept in the dark despite being the leader of the entire damned army.

Still, in the end, weren’t they here already, trusting Nando blindly?

Gritting his teeth, Caleb lunged at a Forsaken Legionary, killing it in one blow by stabbing its eye with his gray jian, then kicking himself away, sprinting back to the rear of the Damnedling Army alongside Lesha, who had just reaped a wraithly life herself.

"Daru, what’s the situation?" he asked through the white ribbon.

To his unexpected delight...

"We can see a staircase in the distance," Daru responded.

Caleb’s mood instantly brightened.

"Finally! Damn it!" he cursed in elation, and he unknowingly cheered up his underlings with his tone.

But then, Daru suddenly added:

"But there’s a level sixty elite, four centurions, and four hundred legionaries guarding it."