This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 222 The Prison Breakers

Old city.

A piercing magical alarm tore through the silence of the night, and a crimson warning light flashed wildly, staining the cold walls with an ominous crimson hue.

"Enemy attack!"

The guards' shouts, accompanied by hurried footsteps, echoed through the passage.

Almost at the same time the alarm sounded, the talismans pasted on the corner and the strange little objects hanging on the wall also started to glow, and three figures squeezed out of the shadows and suddenly appeared in the heavily guarded passage.

There were one man and two women, three strangers.

They were enveloped in a glow formed from tiny stardust. And in their eyes, there was no distinction between the iris and the sclera, only a deep, dark blue starlight, as if a miniature starry sky had been embedded in their eye sockets.

Without a word or any intention to continue stealthily advancing, one of them raised his hand the instant he appeared, his fingers spread wide, and dozens of sharp cones made of starlight instantly condensed in front of his palm. A piercing shriek rang out, and they rained down on the guards rushing towards the end of the passage!
[Starburst Torrent]!

The other person spread his arms, a flash of light appeared around his neck, and starlight shone brightly around him. A hazy barrier, seemingly formed from the starry sky, instantly unfolded, swallowing and deflecting all kinds of spells aimed at them, like pebbles thrown into a deep pool, only creating ripples.

[Star Vortex Zone]!

The last person did not participate in the attack or defense, but instead placed his hands, which were shimmering with starlight, directly on the door leading to the central prison area.

The runes engraved on the door were instantly activated, bursting forth with blinding golden light to counter the attack, accompanied by a teeth-grinding grinding sound. Meanwhile, the intruder's eyes swirled rapidly, clearly indicating they were desperately trying to break through the magical nodes of the door's security barrier.

"Take them down! No one is allowed near the center!"

The guard captain roared, his body radiating the aura of his martial arts skills, and charged forward despite the barrage of starlight cones.

Behind him, an elemental mage finished chanting, and a violent torrent of flames swept through the passage, colliding violently with the barrier of the star vortex. The energy, which could not be neutralized by the starlight, erupted with a violent impact, and for a moment, the entire passage trembled.

The battle instantly intensified. The invaders' attacks were pure and deadly, each skill carrying a chilling, starlike quality. They were terrifyingly silent, yet their coordination was impeccable, as if they shared a single will.

However, the city's defenses here far exceeded their expectations. The defenses here consisted not only of thick physical barriers and various runes, but also of elite guards stationed here and layers upon layers of backup measures.

Just as this uninvited guest was about to break through the access control—

Om-!
An invisible yet heavy force instantly enveloped the entire passage area!

[Area Spell Destruction]!
In the hidden chamber above the passage, a crystal engraved with a magical rune shattered, its spell's effect forcibly activated! The previously fluctuating magical energy was instantly pinned down, becoming as solid as steel. The intruder, whose hands were pressed against the door, stiffened abruptly, the starlight in his eyes momentarily dimming, his deciphering process abruptly interrupted.

At the same time, more guards poured out from the hidden gates on both sides, unleashing powerful control skills—like throwing money at the three intruders.

Their starlight shields began to flicker violently, clearly unable to withstand such a dense barrage of attacks for long.

The leader of the intruders' eyes flashed with starlight, as if he realized the situation was hopeless. He let out a sharp whistle, and the other two immediately abandoned their attack and attempts to break through, simultaneously moving closer to him.

The starlight surrounding the three suddenly ignited, as if they had activated some kind of final measure—

boom!
A violent explosion of starlight erupted, the intense light engulfing all vision, and the raging energy disrupting all locks.

When the light faded and the energy subsided, only a mess remained in the passage, along with guards standing ready for action.

The three intruders had vanished, leaving only a few wisps of energy residue that quickly dissipated, carrying a faint starlight glow.

"Inspect the damage! Reinforce the defenses! Maintain the highest alert level!" The captain wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, which had been shaken out by the explosion, and gave the order in a stern voice.

His heart was pounding, not from fear, but from lingering dread: the target was crystal clear—the underground central area of ​​the former city prison. Only one person was imprisoned there: Ping Xingdou.

It all happened so fast, from the invasion to the retreat, it only took a minute or two. But the information contained within sent a chill down the spines of everyone involved in the defense.

Just who are these guys?
The guards quickly cleaned up the scene and repaired the damaged facilities; the atmosphere was extremely tense.

In the central area, Ping Xingdou sat on the bed, his fingers unconsciously stroking the stone slab engraved with intricate star charts, and then continued to carve the star charts.

His movements were focused and mechanical, as if this work was the only reason for his existence.

He never explained the reason behind this to anyone. Other mind readers had come to investigate, trying to read information from his mind, but all they got back were intermittent, strange melodies. The melodies were relayed to music professionals, but they could never be fully reproduced. The mind readers always said that it sounded 'not quite right, but they couldn't say what was wrong,' which was puzzling and unsettling.

The prison door slid open silently.

Liang Zhenduan walked in, his face showing the fatigue of handling official business for days, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's.

He waved for the guards to retreat to a distance outside the door, and stood alone in the cell, watching Ping Xingdou, who was immersed in his own world.

“Fu Nian is in trouble.” Liang Zhenduan got straight to the point, his voice unusually clear in the small space. “Since that day, she has been in a coma, and occasionally she will say some nonsense that no one can understand.”

Ping Xingdou paused, his fingers stroking the stone slab, but he didn't look up.

“We tried to establish a connection with her by the best mentalists, but all of them failed,” Liang Zhenduan continued, his tone heavy. “The only fragments we could glimpse were some images in her mind, which were said to resemble star explosions.”

"The doctors and scholars have reached the same conclusion—a large part of her soul is missing. As for where that missing part went, no one knows."

There was dead silence in the cell.

After a long while, a drop of warm liquid fell onto the stone slab beneath Ping Xingdou's hand, making a soft sound. He kept his head down, but his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

Liang Zhenduan's gaze was fixed on him: "You know what happened."

This is not a question, but a statement.

Ping Xingdou's throat bobbed, and he made a dry sound: "...I know."

“You can speak.” Liang Zhenduan stepped forward, his voice low and imposing. “I’m the only one here. If you speak up, maybe there’s still a way to help her.”

"I can't say." Ping Xingdou's voice was filled with immense pain and struggle.

Liang Zhenduan frowned: "Because of the 'weight of knowledge'?"

“No…no…” Ping Xingdou shook his head violently, his fingers digging hard into the cracks in the stone slab. “I just…can’t…say it out loud.”

It was as if an invisible, powerful force had gripped his throat, sealing his will. Liang Zhenduan stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger. He changed his approach, his voice becoming extremely serious, even carrying a rare, almost pleading tone:

"...Ping Xingdou. For the sake of our compatriots, for the sake of the city not abandoning any of you during its most difficult times, for the sake of those times when we all went hungry and gave our last bite to you 'scholars' and 'seeds'—"

He paused, emphasizing each word:
“Say something. Anything that can help us understand the current situation. What can you possibly say?”

(End of this chapter)