The Useless Prince Is A Gangster
Chapter 108. Enter the Erin

Chapter 108: 108. Enter the Erin

On the fourth floor of the Pillar of Treachery, Vivien and Lysa sat in their cramped cell. Loud noises of cult soldiers running through the hallway made them look up. One soldier’s voice was sharp. "Hurry! The intruder’s getting to the second floor!"

Lysa’s eyes lit up with curiosity. She stood, her thin body shaking a little, and moved to the cell bars, peeking out. Vivien stayed against the wall, her messy auburn hair falling over her face, her red eyes watching Lysa quietly. The slave collar hurt her neck, but the noise outside sparked a bit of hope in her heart.

From the hallway, a far-off shout came, hard to hear. "Warden’s dealing with the intruder! Keep the experiments going, we need more refills now!" Another voice answered, "Yes, sir! Who’s next?"

"Cell 6!" the reply barked. "Move it!"

Footsteps got louder, and Lysa stepped back, eyes wide with fear. The other prisoners in the cell pressed against the walls, faces pale, trembling. Vivien’s eyes flicked to the bars, her small hands tightening.

Two cult soldiers appeared, their robes swishing, their blank masks shining in the torchlight. The prisoners flinched, pulling back. Lysa stumbled and fell, her scared eyes stuck on the soldiers. One tilted his head, looking over the cell. "Who’s the best one?"

The other’s voice was cold. "Take the noble girl. Her mana’s stronger."

Lysa froze as the soldier nodes and unlocked the cell, the bars creaking loudly. He marched toward her, boots thumping.

She crawled back, whimpering, "No, please!" But the soldier grabbed above her slave collar, pulling her up. Lysa fought, her small fists hitting his arm, but her kid’s punches were weak against him.

A loud clatter rang out as a hard, rock-like bread roll hit the soldier’s back. He stopped, unhurt, and turned to see Vivien standing, her tiny body shaking, her red eyes burning with fear and anger. Tears filled her eyes, but her voice was strong. "Leave Lysa alone!"

The soldier’s mask hid his face, but his anger was clear. With a growl, he kicked Vivien hard in the chest. She flew back, slamming into the stone wall with an awful thud and falling to the floor, gasping. Her vision blurred, but she lifted her head, tears falling as Lysa’s screams filled the cell. "No! Let me go!" The soldier dragged Lysa out, her fighting fading as the cell door crashed shut with a loud bang.

Vivien’s small body shook on the cold stone floor, her chest aching from the kick. Tears ran down her face. Lysa’s screams still rang in her head, getting quieter as the cult soldiers dragged her away. Vivien scratched at the ground, her nails scraping, her breath shaky. "Lysa..." she whispered, voice cracking. The other prisoners watched quietly.

On the first floor of the Pillar of Treachery, the hallways shone with fancy wealth, unlike the dark lower levels. Shiny marble floors, gold lamps, and fancy wall hangings hid the horrors below. Erin Dranemount stood in the middle, her cloak thrown off, silver hair catching the light. Her violet eyes burned with rage, her twin daggers dripping blood, their green blades flashing.

Around her, thirty or forty cult soldiers stood in a tight circle, weapons up, fear and desperate mixing in their eyes. Few dead soldiers lay scattered, blood pooling on the marble.

Erin’s voice was a low growl. "You guys making me mad. Where’s Leonhardt? Tell me now."

A brave soldier charged, his sword aiming for her chest. Erin stepped aside smoothly, tripping him with her foot. As he fell, she stabbed a dagger into his throat, blood spraying her hand. She kicked the body away, turning her eyes on the crowd. "Anyone else?"

The soldiers shouted and rushed her, weapons raised. Erin’s lips curled into a wild grin. "Fine. You all want to die." She jumped into the fight, wind mana making her legs fast, her body a blur. A spearman stabbed at her, but she twisted in the air, her daggers slashing, cutting off his arms.

He screamed, falling in a pool of blood. Landing, she ducked a sword swing, slicing the man’s legs, then stabbed his heart. "This caught Leonhardt?" she laughed, voice sharp with scorn.

The soldiers kept coming, their numbers huge, but Erin didn’t care about that. She made a swing in the air sending out a sharp wave of wind mana, cutting through the crowd. Five soldiers dropped, throats and chests torn open, blood splashing the walls. An axe-man charged, swinging hard. Erin rolled under it, cutting his knees. As he fell, she stabbed up, piercing his skull, blood and brains mixing on the floor.

The soldiers slowed, their fear growing, but they kept fighting. A swordsman swung fast, and Erin blocked with one dagger. She kicked his chest, sending him crashing into a lamp, glass breaking. She threw one dragger, piercing his eye. With a flick of mana, she pulled it back like a boomerang, catching it with a spin.

Five soldiers attacked together, Erin raised a hand, earth mana pulsing. The floor shook, then exploded, sharp stone spikes stabbing two soldiers through their chests, blood dripping like fountains. She dodged a mace, sliced the man’s throat with a wind-charged dagger, then spun, throwing her other dagger. It hit another soldier’s eye, dropping him.

The surviving soldiers hesitated, their courage fading. Erin stood, blood on her face and cloak, daggers shining. She kicked a kneeling soldier down, stabbing both daggers into his shoulders, pinning him. With a final kick, she freed her blades, turning as Warden arrived.

His huge body filled the hall, eyes narrowing at the mess. She’s a monster, just like that damn Ruler, he thought, watching her kill without mercy.

Warden stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "You’re covered in my soldiers’ blood. You better have a damn good reason."

Erin wiped blood from her cheek, her smile cold and scary. "I’m here for Leonhardt. Tell me where he is, and maybe you’ll die quickly."

Warden laughed, voice deep. "You want him? I’ll kill you both together."

On the seventh floor, the mercenary leader stood trembling. The hallway was a bloody mess, his men’s bodies scattered like broken toys. Leo faced him, his torn coat dripping blood, red hair sticky with blood. Cuts covered him, but his crimson eyes burning with rage, fearless. The longsword in his hand, taken from a dead mercenary, shone with fresh blood.

The mercenary screamed, desperation pushing him as he charged. Leo moved, his kick hitting the man’s knee at right precision, snapping it with a loud crunch. The mercenary fell onto his knees, and Leo drove the longsword through his neck, piercing down to his spine. He pulled the blade free, the body hitting the floor with a thud.

[Sub-Mission Completed!]

[Good Job Reo!]

[Rewards: 1000 Mana Shards, 1500 EXP Points!]