At a similar time, Benedict, Shirley, and Freon were recovering from their injuries. Out of them, Freon was arguably in the worst state. Though he lacked any physical wounds, his Core was severely depleted. Magical Energy was equivalent to stamina, so he felt exhausted all over. As if that was not all, he had also tapped into his World Energy or lifeforce to fuel his spell. Even moving a muscle would be difficult, such that he needed Shirley to help him walk. Without Magical Energy, his combat power was at an all-time low, so he focused on collecting the ambient World Energy around him to transform into Magical Energy.
However, it was a painfully slow process. The concentration of World Energy in most places was minimal. Of course, there were areas which had a higher concentration that were blessed lands for Arcanists. Not only would their spells receive a minor boost in potency, but their recovery rates would also be boosted. Searching for such places required either luck or an advanced Magical Perception, neither of which Freon possessed. The most famous blessed land was none other than Firecast, the Zino Kingdom's capital city! Here though, in the Yunyun Stronghold, Freon would be farfetched to recover a mere fraction of his Core in a day! Why else would Magical Energy be considered a strategic resource?
Meanwhile, Benedict was helping Shirley tend to her wounds. Despite their intense fight with the guards, neither of them suffered any fatal wounds. Benedict had some experience in tending to wounds, after seeing physicians do it so many times. One must not forget that he had his own share of battles on the frontlines of the war! While tending to Shirley's chest, she had to take off her shirt. It was already ripped to shreds and covered in blood anyways. She covered her breasts with a hand, while Benedict worked quickly with a reddened face.
Yet, she was not the least bit shy or embarrassed. Instead, her thoughts were elsewhere. She thought back to the previous fights in the prison and tried to calm her beating heart. She had killed! This was the first time she had taken a life! In the rush of the moment, she had no choice. Her actions moved faster than her mind. Shirley took several deep breaths. To see their horrified and reluctant lifeless eyes, she felt a bit sick inside. Her desire for vengeance could not help but waver.
After bandaging everything up for Shirley and himself, Benedict was possibly the best well off one. He was the most accustomed to combat, so he shared none of the qualms of Shirley. Kill or be killed! If he wanted to live, he had to take their lives! That was the rule of the jungle! One could say his innocence and naivety died when Isabella died. The Battle of the Millennium only solidified that thought process. He sighed. The war changed him in unimaginable ways. In a way, he feared how cold and merciless he could be. He feared what he might turn into.
Once they rested enough, they did not wait around and left immediately. Knowing that their actions in the underground prison had likely been discovered, they dare not try the same stunt with their disguises. They knew it would not work twice. Furthermore, with their killing of several guards, they were beyond any mercy. If the guards encountered them, they would be killed on sight! So, they kept to the alleyways and other secluded areas, sneaking around while heading towards the stronghold gates.
Here was the crux of the problem. None of them had much hope in escaping the underground prison, so they were at a loss on how to proceed. Although they wanted to help Elizabeth, they had no idea where she was held. She could be held here, or on a carriage for a distant city, or on a ship for a port. It was not like they could stop and ask around as well… Although they wanted to escape the Yunyun Stronghold, it was called a stronghold for a reason! Every entrance and exit were carefully safeguarded by several platoons around the clock. Sneaking by would be nigh impossible. The fact that the Li Family managed to bypass the detection of the entire stronghold spoke volumes of their influence and power!
But they knew they had to try. As soon as they escaped their cell, they were already beyond turning back! The trio twisted through the darkness, slowly and carefully. Shirley kept an eye out for Elizabeth, while helping Freon up. Despite recovering for nearly an hour, Freon was still in a wretched state. He could not walk by himself, much less defend himself. He was gloomy. If another fight broke out, he would become a burden! Benedict was slightly further ahead, making sure the way was clear. Through this meticulous process, he managed to avoid a few wandering patrols though he soon frowned. There were a lot of guards! Perhaps if was a combination of their breakout and the Li Family's conflict, but it was getting difficult to advance.
Sadly, for them, they had no knowledge on the layout of the Yunyun Stronghold. This was a massive difference from the prison, where Freon could remember the path out. They were wandering blindly in a general direction, hoping it would bring them closer to escaping. Just when things were going well, he found patrols approaching from multiple directions. He started to panic. They were safe for the time being because it was dark and they were hidden, but the guards were rapidly approaching. There was no time to think! Before he did anything drastic, a hand covered his, Shirley's, and Freon's mouths before pulling them back around the corner. The patrols passed by without noticing anything.
Benedict was horrified. Despite being on high alert, constantly watching out for danger, he allowed someone to sneak up behind him! Furthermore, by standing behind him and holding his mouth shut, the perpetrators held all the cards. A quick stab in the back was all it took to kill him! He tried to wiggle out of the hold, but it was ironclad. There was nothing he could do! Shirley and Freon also exchanged hopeless gazes. Without even seeing their killers, was this how they would die? But the death they expected never came. Instead, the vague sound of someone being surprised entered their ears.
"You three are…" a girl said.
Being allowed to turn around, the trio saw none other than Princess Xiuying Tzu, one of the Imperial Princesses! Her eyebrows were raised, unbelieving of the scene before her. Next to her, quiet and composed, was Princess Ming, and a tall imposing man who Shirley and Freon did not recognize. Only Benedict knew who this was, and he felt his legs give out a bit. Imperian Qiang Li, the current patriarch of the Li Family! Compared to the Twin Imperial Princesses, they truly paled against their uncle. After all, Qiang was on nearly equal footing with the emperor himself!
"Who are they, sister?" Ming wondered.
"They were people captured alongside the heir of the Alzar Kingdom," Xiuying explained. "Though I wasn't expecting to see them here…"
"They escaped from the underground prison?" Qiang asked confusingly.
Ming gave Xiuying a thoughtful gaze and understood all at once. It was hard to believe that they could escape without any help. Knowing her sister's personality, it was easy to figure out. This girl truly is… Ming thought disapprovingly with a shake of her head.
"Should we kill them?" Tai asked, holding Benedict tightly. "It'd be quick and clean."
"What do you think, sister? Do they pose a threat?"
"This…" Xiuying was at a loss.