The Lord Castle of Border Town was not originally constructed at its present location.
During the initial construction of the stone wall foundation, an underground karst cave was discovered, causing a sudden ground collapse that forced relocation.
Most of the dug waterways were destroyed in the collapse, and even the ones that were intact were abandoned because of relocation and reconstruction.
As a boy, Brian often explored these tunnels. One day, he stumbled upon a secret passage that led from an abandoned well to the water well in Castle Garden. When he told his father about it, he was hanged and brutally beaten. His father warned him that trespassing on Lord Castle was a capital offense, and anyone caught would face the gallows.
Startled, Brian naturally avoided the waterway again, but during their drinking session, he'd repeatedly boasted about his ability to reach the castle directly. Now he was filled with regret.
The group consisted of nine people, including the gray dog. Clearly, the entire patrol team had been swayed by Scarlet—few could resist the temptation of serving Duke Laine, the lord of the kingdom's western border, with such a lucrative reward.
The abandoned well remained at the site of its initial collapse, now a desolate wasteland. Brian was forced into the well by the sword of the Scar, wedged between the ranks. The once spacious waterway had narrowed dramatically. Years of neglect, combined with the river's course change, had allowed vines to creep up many parts of the cave.
The man who stabbed the grey dog led the way, bowing as he advanced, holding a short-handled axe to clear the path.
While Brian pretended to reminisce about the road, he was secretly plotting a way to escape.
Clearly, in such a place of extreme inconvenience, he had no chance of escape. Only by reaching the castle could he possibly get a glimmer of hope. What then? Should he shout twice to summon His Highness's guards? No... that would let Scar finish him with a single move. He must first create distance—otherwise, his fate would be the same as Greyhound's.
When Brian thought of the greyhound, his eyes darkened once more.
Before Border Town was even established, he and I had been living here since childhood. We grew up together and both joined the patrol team on Brian's initiative. To our surprise, he was elected as the team leader, just like me.
Brian had been delighted for a long time, as the Greyhound had always been looked down upon due to his stutter. Now, he finally had the opportunity to be recognized—at least, that was Brian's belief at the time.
When Greyhound collapsed, Brian roared at Scarface, but the latter sneered at him, revealing the reason everyone had voted for him and Greyhound as captain.
"Fool, the patrol captain is supposed to stay until the Demon's Moon and light the beacon fire to alert the troops. If you won't do it, why should I take the risk?" These words pierced Brian's heart like a blade.
It turned out those feigned modesty... those insincere congratulations were all pretenses, their true motives as vile as they were ugly. He wore a look of shock and despair, a God-like expression, to mask the rage surging within him. Unforgivable, Brian thought, gritting his teeth—someone must pay for this!
After about half an hour of walking through the dry underground waterway, they finally heard the sound of flowing water.
This means they are not far from their destination.
After rounding a bend, the view suddenly became much brighter, accommodating two people standing side by side. The person at the front of the group said, "There's no way forward—it's a vertical shaft." "What's going on?" Xiongba asked, pressing his sword against his forehead.
"Tell him to look up," Brian said in a grave tone. "We're here." The abandoned waterway ran right through the middle of the well in the castle's backyard, and during the renovation, someone might have overlooked sealing the connection. Scar pressed his face against the well wall, peering down at the rushing water three feet below, while a sliver of night sky stretched above.
He had someone watch over Brian, then pulled a bundle of ropes from his backpack, secured the hook, and gently tossed it upward. With a sharp clang, the hook firmly lodged itself at the edge of the well.
The scarred man carefully climbed out along the rope. Soon, he tugged the rope upward, signaling the others behind him to follow.
After a grueling struggle, the group finally emerged from the well. The castle, once a distant silhouette, now stood before them.
The scarred man grabbed Brian and growled, "Get us to the warehouse now." Brian had only been here once before. Though the Castle's outline was already hazy in his memory, he remained composed, leading the group to pry open the lock of the nearest wooden door to the well and slip inside.
By now, most in the castle were asleep, and the oil lamps on the corridor walls had all gone out. In the pitch-black darkness, someone in the group lit a flint. The faint glow could only illuminate a few feet around, and Brian knew his chance to wait had arrived.
As the group reached a fork in the path leading to the basement, he aimed at the descending stairs and lunged forward. The man guarding Brian, though having been watching his movements, was caught off guard by the sudden leap. With a muffled groan, he was knocked down and rolled with him.
As they descended the stairs, the two instantly slipped beyond the flint's glow and vanished into the darkness.
"Damn it!" The scarred man immediately drew his dagger and lunged forward. He had expected Brian to play hide-and-seek with him in the darkness, but to his surprise, the man didn't flee. Instead, he stood motionless at the foot of the stairs, as if waiting for him.
The scarred man noticed his accomplice, knocked down by the impact, lying motionless on the ground. In Brian's hand lay the weapon of that man.
"You fool, do you think you stand a chance?" Scar maintained a defensive stance, waiting until the others had descended before his voice turned sharp. "We still have seven of us, and you're the only one left." Brian remained silent, his anger no longer needing restraint. With lightning speed, he swung his sword diagonally, striking Scar's blade with a forceful slash that sent sparks flying. Before the opponent could prepare for the next strike, his thrust had already pierced Scar's shoulder blade!
With a growl, the scarred man fell backward, while another stepped forward to block Brian's pursuit.
This is an ideal position to counterattack, where the narrow corridor prevents the opponent from exploiting numerical superiority. By positioning himself in the center of the corridor to face the enemy head-on, he leaves the opponent with no means to counter—there is simply no space for two people to wield weapons side by side.
When it comes to swordsmanship, Brian is confident he can hold his own against any member of the patrol team.
While these scum loafers gambled and drank in bars, he kept honing his combat skills through all weather conditions for years—this is why he didn't immediately call for help.
He wants to take revenge for Greyhound himself.