Chapter 165: The Brilliant Plan

"Enough talk! Tell me now, or I'll kill you this instant!"

The ground surged with earth elemental energy, pressing close to the black-robed elder's ear. His eyes filled with terror as the intense pain clouded his mind, making him grit his teeth and shout, "No, don't kill me!"

"Quickly, where is the Black Crow's Sorrow formula?" Rhett demanded coldly, his gaze shifting to the knights at the entrance of Blueleaf Castle, who were already rushing toward them. The air was thick with tension, and the sound of alarms echoed in the sky.

A high-pitched wail resounded through the air, making Rhett feel a twinge of anxiety.

Woo-woo-woo

The sharp sound reverberated through the sky, adding to the urgency of the situation.

Rhett intensified his focus on gathering earth elemental energy for another Earth Spike spell, his eyes sharp. "I'll ask you one last time—talk, or die!"

"Rhett! What are you doing?!" A furious, incredulous voice roared out as Avalan's figure shot toward them like a blue streak of light. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at the familiar figure in front of him.

"Water… the underground chamber of Watermoon Castle!" the black-robed elder blurted out in desperation. He could feel the earth energy reaching a dangerous peak, and with reinforcements, including a Sky Knight—Avalan—closing in, he realized that even if he revealed the information, it wouldn't matter. There would be no time for Rhett to escape.

In his desperation to stay alive, he quickly revealed the location of Black Crow's Sorrow.

"My lord, what should we do now?" Hank was genuinely panicked, swallowing hard as he looked at the soldiers surrounding them from all directions. His gaze then focused on Rhett.

"Hmph, don't panic," Rhett chuckled softly. He had already learned that the formula for Black Crow's Sorrow was hidden in the underground chamber of Watermoon Castle. This simulation had accomplished its goal, and there was no need to resist further.

In the next simulation, he could start from a new point with a different plan...

He took one last look at Avalan, whose speed was like a shooting star, and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, Lord Avalan, but everything you see is just an illusion—a false world."

"Hmm? What?" Avalan's furious eyes flashed with confusion.

"End simulation!"

Buzz

Ripples spread through the air, and the tense atmosphere of imminent conflict dissipated instantly.

Rhett found himself standing once again before Blueleaf Castle, the surroundings quiet and peaceful.

He exhaled softly, reminding himself that everything that had just happened was an illusion—no need for guilt or regret.

"My lord, long time no see!" Hank emerged from Blueleaf Castle once again, his face filled with joy and excitement at the sight of Rhett.

Rhett smiled faintly. Although this scene had played out three times now, he still took two steps forward to greet Hank, making sure not to draw the attention of the guards at the castle. "Hmm, Hank, it's great to see you again!"

Without delay, he pulled Hank aside and repeated the steps from the previous simulation.

At this moment, Hank's expression was a mix of shock and complexity. After taking a deep breath, he looked at Rhett and asked, "My lord, what's the plan? I'll do whatever you say!"

"Good! Now, I need you to find a way into Watermoon Castle, locate the entrance to the underground chamber, and figure out how to access it. Once you do, come back and tell me..."

As Rhett explained the plan in detail, Hank's expression became thoughtful. He nodded and said, "Hmm, I understand. But if there's truly a passage to the underground chamber inside Watermoon Castle, there will likely be strong guards. I may not be able to get the information to you in time."

Rhett pondered this for a moment before saying, "Try your best. If it doesn't work, I'll stake out the entrance of Watermoon Castle and wait for Moss or Yumi to come out, then force the information out of them."

"Alright, that's the best we can do," Hank agreed reluctantly.

An hour later, Rhett stood outside Watermoon Castle, listening intently. He suddenly heard a faint cry of pain.

His expression turned grim—it was Hank's voice!

Rhett knew the plan had failed, but with some time left in the simulation, he decided to gather as much information as possible.

Even though Watermoon Castle forbade entry to outsiders, he couldn't afford to be cautious now!

He cast Seismic Slam.

Rumble, rumble

The ground and surrounding space trembled violently. Rhett took advantage of the disoriented knights, who were struggling to keep their balance, and charged inside.

He followed up with Rockfall, blocking the castle's entrance with boulders to buy himself some time.

Rhett carefully surveyed the interior of Watermoon Castle. The space was extremely narrow, filled with intersecting corridors and dark, stone walls.

This layout was typical of an alchemy workshop—mostly individual rooms with little communal space.

He focused on the direction from which Hank's voice had come. If Hank had encountered trouble, it must have been because he had uncovered something important.

Moments later, Rhett locked onto the correct path and hurried toward it.

"Hmph, you're just a temporary alchemist. Why are you searching for the entrance to the underground chamber?" A knight clad in black armor stood in a narrow passage, his cold gaze fixed on a bloodied Hank, who lay on the ground.

This was a secluded part of the castle, where the walls were old and crumbling, a place rarely visited by alchemists.

Hank, looking miserable, with a bloody hole in his chest, coughed weakly. "I-I was just trying to find Lady Yumi... I had some questions for her!"

"Hmph, you're just a second-tier mage. How could you possibly sense Yumi's presence?" The black-armored knight squinted suspiciously. "Or perhaps... you have accomplices? Tell me now, and I'll make your death easier."

Cough, cough Hank spat out blood, his voice growing weaker. "I have no accomplices. I just know Lady Yumi loves milk-flavored sunflower seeds. I found some seed shells on the way here and followed them..."

The black-armored knight fell silent, not because he believed Hank's poor excuse, but because he was considering his next move.

Suddenly, the ground trembled violently.

Rumble, rumble

The entire passage shook, with debris falling from the ceiling and dust filling the cracks in the walls.

The black-armored knight's expression changed dramatically. "So, you do have accomplices!"

He summoned his dark battle energy, brandishing a long sword, and charged toward the disturbance.

The source of the commotion was none other than Rhett, who had just arrived. Emerging from around the corner, Rhett's eyes flashed with grief as he saw Hank's severe injuries.

Without a word, he cast Rock Armor, covering himself in sturdy, earth-colored armor. Then, gathering his spiritual energy, he summoned the surrounding earth elements and unleashed Earth Spike.

Whoosh!

A sharp spike of earth shot through the air, aiming directly at the black-armored knight.

Sandwolf Howl!

Rhett followed up with another spell.

Amidst the dust and chaos of the passage, three sand wolves formed from yellow sand leaped from the air, pouncing toward the black-armored knight.

At this moment, both the black-armored knight and Hank were stunned.

"My lord has become a fifth-tier magus?" Hank gasped, then remembered Rhett's mysterious ability to reverse time. No longer surprised, he pointed weakly to the left wall. "The entrance to the underground chamber... it's right there!"

"What good does it do to know? You'll never take anything with you!" The black-armored knight roared, slashing one of the sand wolves apart with his sword.

But the other two sand wolves detonated as they approached!

Boom! Boom!

The explosive force sent Hank crashing against the wall, where he coughed up blood and lost consciousness.

Suddenly...

Dance of Fire Serpents!

Before the dust from the sand wolves' explosion had even settled, two fire serpents, intertwined and blazing, shot down the passage. The air grew hot as a wave of searing heat rushed forward!

Earth Spike!

Rhett's expression tightened. Instead of retreating, he advanced, sending another sharp spike of earth hurtling through the air.

His thoughts raced.

Earlier, only Hank and the black-armored knight had been present. Now, this fifth-tier fire spell—Dance of Fire Serpents—could only mean one thing: someone from the underground chamber had arrived!

With this realization, Rhett's heart pounded as he used wind elements to clear the smoke and dust ahead.

A stunning, middle-aged woman appeared before him, clad in a white robe with a crescent moon symbol on her chest. Her hair cascaded naturally around her, giving her a lazy, casual air.

Her eyes glinted with surprise as she looked at Rhett. "It's you?"

Rhett had no time for pleasantries. His gaze shifted past Yumi to the dark corridor behind her.

He cast Sandwolf Howl once more.

Rhett cast a cold glance at Yumi and the black-armored knight, controlling the sand wolves to keep them at bay while he, clad in his rock armor, endured a heavy sword strike from the black-armored knight and sprinted down the tunnel.

The passage wasn't long, with only about twenty meters of stairs leading down, lit by dim candlelight on either side.

For a fifth-tier Earth Knight, twenty meters was a distance covered in the blink of an eye.

The black-armored knight roared in fury, cutting down a sand wolf with his sword before turning to pursue Rhett and slashing at him twice.

Rhett grunted as the blows struck. Seeing the door less than three meters away, his eyes filled with determination. Another sword strike shattered his already cracked rock armor, which disintegrated into fragments of yellow light, dispersing back into the earth.

But in the end...

Despite his injuries, Rhett pushed open the slightly ajar door, revealing the truth inside!

Suddenly, a sharp spike shot toward him from the front.

Rhett's pupils contracted; the spike was unavoidable, and in his current state, he couldn't continue. He chose to end the simulation immediately.

[The real simulation has ended. Please choose one attribute to retain.]

[1. Physique]

[2. Battle Qi]

[3. Spiritual Power]

Presented with this choice, Rhett selected the third option.

As soon as he returned to reality, he couldn't wait to begin another simulation.

Standing in front of the gates of Blueleaf Castle, Rhett paused in thought, "This time, I already know the path to the underground chamber, but getting in clearly won't be easy."

"My lord, long time no see!" Hank greeted him, his face full of joy and excitement as he walked out of Blueleaf Castle once more.

Rhett smiled faintly and took two steps forward to greet him. "Hmm, Hank, it's great to see you again!"

After experiencing the same scenario multiple times, Rhett felt as if he was playing a save-and-load game, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over him.

"But... this time, I'll win!" he vowed silently.

Wasting no time, Rhett quickly pulled Hank aside to repeat the previous steps.

Hank's expression was still a mix of shock and complexity. After taking a deep breath, he looked at Rhett and asked, "My lord, what's the plan?

You mentioned there's a fifth-tier Earth Knight and a fifth-tier Mage inside, along with other mysterious figures. How do you plan to get in?"

Rhett stood silent, deep in thought. "Indeed, how should I get in?

All I need is to get inside and see the formula. What happens after that—whether I live or die—doesn't matter..."

Suddenly.

A flash of inspiration hit him.

Rhett's lips curled into a smile, a confident glint in his eyes.

He looked directly at Hank and said confidently, "Hank, you won't need to do anything this time.

I'll handle it all myself!"

At the Central War Fortress, in the first-floor hall.

After leaving Hank, Rhett rushed to the fortress. As soon as he arrived, he held a handful of ashes and, with a panicked expression, said,

"Commander Ambiru, I've received new intel!"

Ambiru, who had been facing away from Rhett, marking areas on a map, immediately turned around at the urgency in Rhett's voice and asked sharply,

"What? That mysterious person contacted you again? Tell me everything, now!"

"Yes," Rhett nodded. "I went to visit my subordinates at the alchemy workshop when I found a note in my pocket without realizing when it got there.

I immediately opened it and found it said:

'There's a traitor in Watermoon Castle, trying to steal the formula for Black Crow's Sorrow and destroy the latest batch of materials.

Yumi and several alchemists have already been bribed as spies.

The formula itself has a special code—use Dawn Powder to reveal it.'"

Boom.

This news struck Ambiru like a bolt of lightning.

He couldn't believe that even the alchemy workshop had been infiltrated so deeply.

Ambiru was silent for a long time before taking a deep breath and rubbing his forehead. "Even Yumi was bribed? She's a student of the royal alchemy master..."

Rhett also remained silent for a moment before sighing, "I don't know for sure, but that's what the note said.

I can't believe a fifth-tier Mage could be bought off either. If that's true, then the enemy's power is terrifying!

The extent of their infiltration is beyond belief!"