Chương 572: Chapter : 572

Ryu roared loudly. He lunged forward. He moved with terrifying speed for a man of his massive size. He crossed the courtyard in a single bound. He landed right in front of the second Black Magician. The magician tried to cast a dark shield. He threw his hands up. A purple barrier appeared in the air. Ryu pulled his right fist back. Searing, crimson dragon fire engulfed his arm. The heat was absolutely immense. He threw a devastating, fiery punch.

"Dragon Strike!" Ryu shouted fiercely. His flaming fist smashed directly into the purple barrier. The dark shield shattered like fragile glass. Ryu's punch connected solidly with the magician's chest. The impact lifted the dark mage entirely off the ground. He flew backward through the air. He crashed violently into the stone courtyard floor. The crimson fire burned away his dark robes. The magician lay completely unconscious on the dirt.

"That is two!" Ryu grinned a wicked grin. He turned his golden eyes toward the remaining four enemies.

"Who wants to be next?!" The four Black Magicians panicked. They realized they could not win a direct fight. They decided to use highly aggressive, area-of-effect spells. They wanted to melt the entire courtyard. They raised their hands to the sky. Toxic purple fog began to swirl wildly around them. The ground shook. They prepared to unleash a massive, destructive wave of dark energy. Far away in the commercial district, Ken Eliot casually leaned against a brick wall.

He watched Naomi slice a giant flying wasp in half. He popped another potato chip into his mouth. He chewed it slowly. He maintained his mental link with his spirits.

"Hey, guys," Ken instructed lazily in his mind.

"Please remember the rules. Do not use your massive ultimate attacks. Do not blow up the prison walls. I absolutely refuse to pay for structural repairs. Just use precise, stealthy takedowns. Keep it quiet. The royal guards are already stressed out enough today."

"Understood, Boss," Karna replied instantly. Karna lowered his golden bow. The weapon dissolved into light. He decided to use pure martial arts. He wanted to finish the fight quietly. Karna dashed forward. He moved like a shadow. He slipped entirely under the swirling purple fog. He appeared right beside the third Black Magician. He delivered a swift, precise, open-handed palm strike directly to the back of the mage's neck. The strike hit a vital pressure point. The dark mage instantly lost consciousness.

He collapsed onto the cobblestones without making a sound. Ryu grumbled in his mind. He wanted to use more dragon fire. But he always obeyed his master's commands perfectly.

"Fine," Ryu muttered.

"I will do this the boring way." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! Ryu stomped his boot. He lunged at the fourth and fifth magicians. The two mages tried to blast him with acid. Ryu easily sidestepped the attacks. He reached out with his massive, scaly hands. He grabbed both magicians by the collars of their dark robes. He lifted them high into the air. He slammed their heads together with a loud, resounding thud. The two mages instantly went limp.

Ryu dropped them casually onto the ground. They were completely knocked out. Only the lead magician remained. The leader looked at his fallen comrades. He looked at the golden warrior. He looked at the giant dragon-man. His mission was an absolute, total failure. He knew he could not defeat them. He knew he could not rescue Dr. Raven. The lead magician turned around. He tried to sprint toward the melted hole in the back wall. He wanted to escape into the dark city streets. He wanted to save his own life.

Karna did not let him escape. Karna raised his right hand. He pointed his index finger at the fleeing mage. A single, thin beam of golden light shot from his fingertip. The light beam hit the magician's legs. The golden magic acted like a solid rope. It wrapped tightly around the magician's ankles. It bound his legs together instantly. The lead magician tripped. He crashed face-first onto the hard cobblestones. He tried to crawl away, but the golden rope held him firmly in place.

Karna walked slowly over to the trapped man. He looked down at him with cold, silver eyes.

"Your infiltration attempt is officially over," Karna stated smoothly.

"You failed to acquire your target. You will remain here until the imperial guards arrive to arrest you. I suggest you do not attempt to cast any more spells. It will not end well for you." Ryu walked over and stood next to Karna. The dragon-man cracked his knuckles again. He glared at the dark mage.

"You are incredibly lucky the Master ordered us to be quiet. I wanted to roast you completely." The courtyard became entirely silent again. The dark magic faded away. The six Black Magicians were completely neutralized. One was turned to dust. Five were unconscious or securely tied up on the ground. The perimeter was entirely safe. Deep inside the massive stone prison, the atmosphere was completely different. Dr. Raven sat on a small, hard cot inside his maximum-security cell. The cell was incredibly small.

The walls were made of thick gray stone. Iron bars blocked the door. The only light came from a tiny, flickering bulb on the ceiling. Dr. Raven wore a plain gray prison uniform. He looked terrible. His hair was messy. He had dark circles under his eyes. He shivered in the cold air. The faint, muffled sounds of combat outside slowly faded into silence. Dr. Raven did not move. He did not hope. He simply sat on his cot, staring at the cold stone floor.

He knew the corrupt politicians would send people to break him out. He also knew he had no intention of going with them.

Dr. Raven sat on the edge of a thin, lumpy mattress. The metal bed frame squeaked softly under his weight. The walls of the room were made of cold, solid gray stone. Thick iron bars blocked the only exit. The air inside the room felt incredibly cold. A small light bulb flickered weakly on the ceiling. He wore a plain, itchy gray prison uniform. He looked down at his hands. They were covered in dirt. He did not wear his expensive, tailored suits anymore. He did not have his shiny gold rings.

He was totally alone in a maximum-security cell deep inside the Imperial Prison. Suddenly, a strange buzzing sound echoed inside his mind. It did not come from the stone hallway outside. It came directly from inside his own head.

"Raven," a voice whispered. The voice sounded smooth, cold, and incredibly familiar. Dr. Raven jumped slightly. He looked around the empty stone cell. He realized exactly what was happening. Someone was using high-level telepathic communication magic to reach him.

"Who is this?" Dr. Raven thought back. He focused his mind to reply.

"It is Lord Voss," the voice answered smoothly.

"We are monitoring your current situation. We know you are trapped."