As Ardur ordered, the negotiator headed to the Dark Hand Prison first thing in the morning.

It was the right decision on Kreyn's part to keep Laura alive. If Ardur had known for sure that his eldest daughter was already dead, the full might of the Wurhen Family would be unleashed on the rebellious prisoners.

It seemed that the Wurhen Family would do so either way, but that was the whole point — Laura's life was worth more to Ardur and any member of the Wurhen Family than a hundred prisoners.

Of all the rewards and treasures Kreyn had received so far, Laura was his most valuable asset, not as a person but as a hostage.

Crash.

The gates opened as Kreyn stepped outside. Only Daren was with him, as Liam and Azura stayed behind. They had the Veyr Type Catalyst, so it was the best distance to intervene in the fight.

In addition to a dozen guards in gray cloaks, riding forward on a black horse was a woman in a long black coat, similar to the one Enor wore. It was a distinctive feature of those who held a special place in the hierarchy of the Wurhen Family.

The woman's short black hair framed her face while her predatory eyes pierced Kreyn, who was striding forward carelessly.

She jumped off her horse and headed forward. The guards prepared for battle, as did the prisoners on the walls, but no one would act until their leaders did.

"So, it's you, the very Kreyn who started the riot?" The woman looked at Kreyn appraisingly. "My name is Merina, I represent the Wurhen Family, and I have come here on the orders of Ardur von Wurhen himself!"

"Merina? Are you some kind of Enor, the arrogant bastard I beat to death with a sledgehammer?" Kreyn smirked.

One of the guards drew his sword from its sheath. "Miss Merina! This is unacceptable, we must—!"

"Shut up!" She threw out her hand, as if her words had frozen him. "Enor knew what he was getting himself into. He fought and lost, and he can only blame himself for that."

After that, Merina stared at Kreyn.

"Now, show me where Lady Laura is. Do it immediately!"

"Hmm?" Kreyn raised an eyebrow. "What? Aren't you even going to offer us some kind of rescue plan? Are you a negotiator or an idiot?"

"Tsk. Don't try to provoke me, worm, you won't succeed. Just show me where you're holding Lady Laura! Her life is worth more than all of you put together!"

For some, such a comparison would be humiliating, but not for Kreyn.

He smirked slyly as his eyes narrowed into slits.

"I know, that's why she's still alive."

Kreyn stepped forward and—

SLAP!

With all his might, his palm crashed into Merina's cheek, as her face snapped to the side.

Shock covered the faces of both guards and prisoners. It was unthinkable audacity on Kreyn's part.

Merina?

Well, she was just as shocked as everyone else, feeling the burning trail of his palm on her cheek. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been through something so humiliating.

"Look, enough of these games. Everyone here understands that everything revolves around Laura. As long as she's with me, my people and I will live, and at the same time, there's nothing you can do about it."

In response, Merina stroked her cheek and looked at him with quiet, boundless anger.

"What do you want, animal?"

Kreyn yawned widely, finding no seriousness in their conversation.

"Me? I want to sleep and eat something delicious."

He waved his hand and headed toward the gate.

"Hey! Wait! Where are you going!?" Merina exclaimed in outrage.

Kreyn glanced at her over his shoulder with his half-asleep gaze.

"Come back tomorrow. Today, you failed. I have no desire to negotiate with you right now. If you want to know if Laura is alive, come up with something that might interest me instead of empty threats."

Merina didn't have time to come up with a decent response before the gates closed and the prisoners standing on the walls grabbed bundles of dynamite, preparing for the worst.

For a while, Merina just stared at one spot. Her reality shattered, she couldn't believe what had just happened.

Moreover, everyone else was in the same situation.

"Kreyn!" A menacing voice rang out as Groza emerged from her hiding place. "What the fuck was that? Do you have any idea how much you risked?"

"Nah, she's weak with her mind. You'll see, she won't even go back to their mansion because she's too afraid of Ardur's wrath."

"But..." Azura bit her lip, even she didn't understand. "Why did you do that? That slap in the face, you crossed the line. What's your plan?"

Everyone wanted to know the answer to that question, and Kreyn held up two fingers.

"First, I just won us a whole day. You can be grateful to me for that. Second, fuck, I want to sleep!"

Daren, Liam, Groza, and Azura exchanged glances. Oddly enough, they were in the same situation. If they fought the Wurhen Family in a drowsy state, they could forget about winning.

"Tsk." Groza kicked a pebble. "Can this guy at least sometimes share his plans before he takes action?"

Azura stared at Kreyn's receding back.

"Well, more often than not, he improvises. I'm sure he slapped her because she started to annoy him, that was only a minor part of the plan."

The others nodded in agreement. Daren and Liam learned a lot about Kreyn during their trip to Boneveil Village.

…

Thus, about eight hours had passed. It wasn't that long, but Kreyn couldn't afford any more as his eyes opened on their own. He was in the warden's office, right in the chair.

When he tried to open the door, he saw something behind it.

"Valyra?"

Kreyn raised an eyebrow when he saw the girl with obsidian hair sleeping right there, leaning her back against the door.

"Oh, you're finally here? Great, you have to see this."

"Hmm?"

"Here." She got up, and soon they were on the roof.

Right in front of the gates, several lights, torches, and a bonfire were burning because Merina and her people had set up camp there, waiting for the next day.

"Hah, she's really a coward, right?"

Valyra nodded.

"It seems so. But what are you going to do now? Maybe we should attack them?"

"Nah, we'll waste time that way. Remember, time is our most valuable resource, and I have an idea how we can use it to our advantage in this situation."

Under Valyra's confused gaze, Kreyn turned toward the Worm Mine.

Soon, the next part of his plan would come to light.

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