"Lord Jones, you must wait for me... you must wait for me..."
In the night sky, Dora continued to fly west with all her might, nearly spent, but still pushing herself. She was on the verge of tears.
"Faster! You bunch of useless trash!" Adelle roared into the night sky, followed by a large group of the Blood Clan.
"Young Master... please don’t act rashly. I’m begging you, really..." the butler pleaded desperately.
A large number of Deacon Council operatives armed with light crossbows and detox pills braved the poisonous gas as they swarmed into the tunnels. This time, they did not split up, because it was no longer necessary.
"Find the Hydra, and we’ve won! Move quickly!" Duke Clement shouted loudly.
"Madam! Hurry! They’ve already come in!" Jones shouted anxiously as he sprinted back.
"I’m stuck, little bat. You all go ahead without me. This place is terrible—I can’t even turn around." The Hydra replied helplessly.
Jones panted heavily, glancing back at the dwarves behind him.
The dwarves, leaning on each other for support, stared at him as well.
"You all go first. Head downward. The gas is spreading upward; we have a hidden exit at the base of the mountain. You can escape from there. Staying here is certain death."
"What about you?" asked Barrel.
"I’ll be fine. I’m Blood Clan—and I have magic."
The dwarves widened their eyes, panting heavily.
After a brief silence, Barrel was the first to take a step back: "Alright, we’ll go ahead. You have to make it out—if we escape alone, we’re dead anyway."
"Once you’re out, find a place to hide." Jones said softly.
Barrel turned and left.
The other dwarves hesitated in pairs and trios before also turning to leave.
In the blink of an eye, only Jones and the Hydra were left.
Transforming into a bat, Jones flapped his wings and said, "Madam, back up. I’ll guide you!"
"Alright, little bat."
Folding his wings, Jones quickly wriggled into the narrow gap between the Hydra’s massive body and the rocky wall.
"Your Grace, should we split up? Searching will be quicker that way."
In the thick fog, Duke Clement hesitated slightly before responding, "Split up, but stay within ten meters of each other. I’m worried he might still have traps. That brat is cunning."
Several Blood Clan members transformed into bats, taking on the role of scouting vanguards, while the others followed slowly behind.
"Madam, this way! Hurry!" Jones flapped his wings, flying ahead.
"Little bat, wait for me a moment. This place is truly ill-suited for Hydras—moving around is such a hassle." The Hydra wriggled through the cramped tunnel, inch by inch.
"Here, can we get through here?"
"No. It’s too narrow—my waist can’t fit through."
"Then there’s no other option. We’ll have to break our way out."
"I know a spot where it’s only a meter to the surface. You can crash through there directly."
"You even know that?"
"Of course, I dug it myself. Barrel even said I did it wrong. This way!" Jones flapped his wings and turned in another direction.
Under the starry night, amidst desolate mountains.
At the tunnel entrance, a swarm of dwarves poured out. Besides carrying their poisoned and comatose companions, they also hauled four captured Deacon Council operatives.
"Bring the explosives—collapse the tunnel entrance." Barrel ordered.
The surrounding dwarves froze in shock: "But... Lord still hasn’t come out."
"They won’t use this exit. The Hydra can’t get through. We’ll set off the explosives to create a distraction and buy them time! Move it!"
"Alright... Alright!"
"Cough, cough... cough." Count Dracula covered his mouth with his hand, coughing violently.
Nearby, Duke Clement and Count Messier looked over at him.
"Are you alright?" Count Messier asked.
"I’m fine." Count Dracula shook his head slightly: "Continue—don’t mind me. I’m just not used to it."
Suddenly, a muffled rumble echoed from a distance.
All the Deacon Council operatives immediately turned their heads toward the sound.
"Over here!" Duke Clement shouted.
In an instant, all the Blood Clan members, led by Duke Clement, rushed in that direction.
"What’s that sound?" The Hydra asked.
"Explosives. Forget it—let’s pick up the pace." Jones transformed back into his human form and landed next to a rocky wall: "Here it is. Barrel even reinforced it. Madam, you should be able to break through here."
"Alright, I’ll give it a try."
"Your Grace! This tunnel has been collapsed!"
"Everyone, stand back!"
At the command, the Blood Clan quickly scattered. Duke Clement raised a hand and began chanting. Magic power rapidly condensed in his palm.
With a deafening "boom", the tunnel erupted with flying debris, the force surpassing that of any explosive.
"This might be risky—what if the entire mine collapses..."
A series of distant booming echoes reached their ears.
It must be said, these echoes saved the Hydra’s life. It was ramming the rocky wall with great force, creating a racket. If not for the masking noise, the Blood Clan would have swarmed them by now.
"Roar—! No good, this space is too small—I can’t get enough momentum!"
"Madam! You can do it! Push harder!"
One blow after another, the Hydra kept slamming its massive body against the rocky wall. Cracks had already formed, with sand and dust raining down everywhere, yet it hadn’t fully broken through.