# Chapter 35: The Lucky One
On the border of the Rhine Kingdom, in the frigid zone, Sekain Prison.
Howling wind carried snow flurries as a steam-powered vehicle drove across an icy road. Chains wrapped around its wheels clattered against the ice and snow, kicking up large chunks of ice shavings.
This military steam vehicle hadn't traveled far before it was blocked by a road barrier ahead. The barrier was formed by several thick steel rails crossed together, covered in frost. Not even a tank from the Niyel Duchy could survive crashing into it.
A fortress loomed faintly ahead through the wind and snow. This massive structure was almost entirely constructed of metal, giving off an aura of insurmountability. In truth, this wasn't a fortress—it was a prison.
Bang~
The steam vehicle's door closed as an officer wearing the Rhine Kingdom military uniform, bearing the rank of colonel, stepped out. He used the document in his hand to shield his face. The wind and snow were too fierce; the cold wind cutting across his face felt like knives scraping against his skin, bone-chillingly cold.
A signal flare shot into the sky, especially conspicuous against the wind and snow. A dozen seconds later, orderly footsteps came from ahead. A group of soldiers in white uniforms rushed out from the wind and snow, quickly setting up a temporary defensive perimeter.
Thump, thump, thump~
Heavy footsteps approached. The colonel standing by the steam vehicle looked into the wind and snow. A figure nearly three meters tall walked forward under the escort of many soldiers. Each soldier held a metal rod in their hands, with iron chains connected to the tall figure.
"What... the hell is this thing?"
When the figure drew closer, momentary shock appeared on the colonel's face. This wasn't a person at all—it was a thick metal shell constructed from heavy metal, steam-driven, with a person imprisoned inside. Aside from being able to blink, this person couldn't move any part of their body, and they had been injected with suppressive drugs.
The colonel glanced at the document in his hand. It read: Necromancer·Yuyur, Sentence: 95,610 years. To be transported within 2 days to 17 kilometers outside the eastern suburbs of Sodo City, subsequent handover to the "Smoke Pest Extermination Company."
Below this document were three signatures: the King of the Rhine Kingdom and two councilors from the Eastern Valley Federation.
Meanwhile, inside an underground prison, a narrow metal corridor was covered in rust. The stench of rot mixed with mold constantly assaulted the senses until the sense of smell was completely numbed.
Amelia, wearing a short skirt and high heels, stopped in her tracks. The documents in her hand trembled slightly, her expression tense. It seemed like displeasure, but in truth, she was fighting the urge to vomit.
"Ms. Amelia, Ape·Rocky is held on the fifth underground level. There's still some way to go. If you feel unwell, you can wait in the reception room on the surface."
The warden, whose face was covered in burn scars, spoke. He didn't have a single hair on his head—the result of being scalded by high-temperature steam when he was young.
"That's... not necessary. I'm... fine."
Amelia, who had lived a life of luxury since childhood, fought the urge to dry heave. Beside her stood a man wearing a crow's beak mask—a Plague Doctor, assistant to Madam Xiang. He had been sent this time to assist Amelia in bringing Ape·Rocky back to the Watch Guild headquarters.
"Warden, the environment in your prison is... too poor."
"This place doesn't hold people. It holds trash, residue, scum."
The warden forced his expression to be somewhat amiable, said nothing more, and quickened his pace. When the group reached the deepest part of the fifth underground level, the surrounding stench became pungent.
"Female... the smell of a woman. You're too cruel, bringing a woman to see me."
From within the nearly twenty-centimeter-thick metal door came the loud sound of chains being pulled. Amelia instinctively stepped back a few paces. Even through the iron door, she felt a sense of dread.
"Quiet down, Ape."
The warden slapped his hand against the metal door. A dull thud echoed, and the cell fell silent for a moment. But a few seconds later, manic laughter came from inside.
"Shut up."
The Plague Doctor's voice wasn't loud, but the cell immediately fell silent. Sometimes, "beasts" had keener perception of danger.
When the metal door was opened, Amelia was stunned by what she saw. The creature before her could no longer be called human. It was covered in black hair, over two and a half meters tall, with arms nearly twice as long as a normal person's, and cracked pupils.
"An impressive figure has arrived. You need me again? Who to kill this time? Let me be clear first—you haven't fulfilled your promises from last time."
Ape·Rocky sat at the back of his cell. His hands, feet, and even his neck were bound by chains and shackles.
"We have a good opportunity for you this time."
The warden's eyes held a hint of amusement. He had long wanted to dispose of Ape·Rocky but had never had the chance.
"Hah, what good opportunity could there be? Dropping me into the enemy country in the southern territory?"
Ape·Rocky's eyes showed some disdain. He had done many shady things for the Rhine Kingdom and was long accustomed to it.
"This time, the Watch Guild headquarters needs you. The God Hunter and Guardian have specifically requisitioned you. Isn't that a surprise?"
"The... Watch Guild?"
The sneer on Ape·Rocky's face gradually disappeared. He clearly realized the seriousness of the situation.
"Don't even think about it. I don't want to deal with those monsters. But it seems I don't have the right to refuse. Warden, if you want me dead, just say so. After all these years of 'friendship,' you're throwing me into the monsters' nest."
Ape·Rocky's left arm suddenly bulged. The shackles binding his wrist shattered. His long arm shot out, grabbing for Amelia—he was preparing to take a hostage and find a chance to escape.
Just as Ape·Rocky was about to grab Amelia's neck, his entire body suddenly went limp. The scene before him spun. Without him noticing, three anesthetic needles with feathered tails had embedded themselves in his chest.
With a thud, Ape·Rocky collapsed to the ground. Amelia, who had nearly been taken hostage, also slumped to the floor.
...
Inside the Watch Guild headquarters, on the third floor of the cafeteria. The layout here was somewhat similar to an employee dining hall, but food and drinks were available 24 hours a day. It could be said that all Watch Guild staff who had been employed for more than two months had a very vague concept of money. Everything they needed could be collected periodically from the logistics department.
Su Xiao finished the last piece of meat on his plate, his gaze fixed on the supply list in his hand. He had previously commissioned Madam Xiang to gather alchemy materials, and many of those materials were already on their way.
Destroying the Dark Prison Gate was the responsibility of the seven criminals. The reason was that the environment there was very complex. The old hunters' combat strength was indeed stronger than these seven criminals, but the Dark Prison Gate couldn't be destroyed by strength alone. Numerous supernatural mechanisms and traps were set up there.
In the year 1559 of the Awakening Era, the Watch Guild had successfully closed the Dark Prison Gate. They had set up supernatural mechanisms and traps in the only passage leading to the Dark Prison Gate, to prevent anyone from accidentally entering and opening it.
Now, over a hundred years later, the Watch Guild had tried to repair those supernatural mechanisms and traps. But because the energy activity there was too intense, the originally installed supernatural mechanisms and traps were already in a semi-activated state, becoming very unstable.
To pass through there now required not only strength but also extremely strong adaptability and intelligence. More importantly, escape experience was needed.
The old hunters were good in every other aspect, but their escape experience was almost zero. In battle, they almost never fled, because they simply couldn't escape. Once they fled, the injured Dark Demons or Wraiths would go on a near-mad rampage, preying on civilians in the surrounding area. It was either fight to the death or win—this was almost the modus operandi of all hunters.
In that passage leading to the Dark Prison Gate, even if Amu went in with his shield to withstand it, he might only last a dozen seconds. The seven criminals were different—they were better at surviving, which was why they had lived this long.
After the Dark Prison Gate was opened, 160 old hunters would lead the way. Su Xiao and Ta Balder would each lead a team, each taking 80 old hunters, charging straight to the deepest part of the Dark Prison. Ta Balder would take the World Child to destroy the sub-structure of the "Realm Array," while Su Xiao would go to settle things with the Ancient God once and for all.
These 160 old hunters were the reason Su Xiao had asked Madam Xiang to gather alchemy materials. He planned to prepare permanent enhancement potions to boost the overall strength of these 160 old hunters. As for the origin of the potions, he certainly wouldn't claim to have made them himself—he would attribute them to the Holy Flame Alchemist identity.
The only problem Su Xiao couldn't solve now was where exactly the World Child was.
The most direct way to find the World Child was to look for someone with good luck, especially someone whose luck had suddenly skyrocketed recently. Viper's method was to offer a 1 million Schiller prize and have a wealthy merchant host a private celebration. That wealthy merchant was very famous, known for flaunting his wealth.
The pretext was that the merchant's daughter was having her coming-of-age ceremony. They wanted to select the luckiest person to offer blessings to the merchant's daughter and have dinner with her. After dinner, the merchant would reward the lucky person with 1 million Schiller. It sounded somewhat absurd, but that merchant had done many things that made people laugh.
What no one expected was that the Rhine Kingdom actually praised this celebration and promoted it in various cities across the country. Viper's time was too tight. Besides intelligence channels, he could only use this seemingly absurd but actually effective method.
As soon as this news was released, all kinds of strange characters appeared. By the morning of that same day, nearly 340,000 people had signed up. After all, the allure of 1 million Schiller was right there.
Even more interesting was that at 11 AM, Viper really did find a lucky person whose luck was through the roof.