Chương 570: Chapter : 570

Laxmi jumped over a broken wooden cart. The fire user wore a massive, excited grin. She punched her fists together. Bright orange flames roared to life around her hands.

"Burn!" Laxmi shouted at the top of her lungs. She threw a gigantic fireball down the street. The flames hit a group of giant centipedes. The bugs hissed loudly. They turned to ash instantly. Laxmi pumped her fist into the air. She loved fighting. She wanted to roast every single bug in the capital city. Sayma stood near a stone fountain. The intelligent Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She held a neat notebook. She clicked her pen.

"The swarm density is increasing," Sayma stated politely. She wrote a quick note.

"We cannot eliminate them all manually. We need to find the source. This invasion is highly illogical. Bugs do not attack a capital city without a specific reason." Zinia cracked her knuckles. The strong earth mage stomped her boots on the cobblestones. Solid rock walls shot out of the ground. The walls blocked a massive group of charging beetles.

"Sayma is correct," Zinia agreed. Her deep voice carried across the street.

"This feels like a massive distraction. Someone is flooding the city with monsters on purpose." Ira stood perfectly still near the wall. Her pale face showed zero emotion.

"Statistically speaking, deploying a massive swarm in a populated area is a classic diversionary tactic. It forces all military assets into the streets. It leaves secure locations completely vulnerable." Luna sat on a wooden bench. The lightning user rubbed her sleepy eyes. A knitted blanket covered her shoulders. She pointed two fingers at a flying wasp.

"Zap," she mumbled lazily. A yellow lightning bolt shocked the bug. The wasp fell to the ground.

"I hate diversions," Luna yawned.

"They make me do too much work. Can we just go home?" Risa hid behind the wooden bench. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly. She looked very nervous.

"I hope the bugs do not find the hospital. The sick people cannot run away." Princess Iris stood in the center of the street. She held her silver rapier. Her violet eyes scanned the chaotic battlefield. She looked at the endless swarm of monsters. She listened to her team.

"A diversion," Princess Iris repeated softly. She frowned deeply.

"If this insect invasion is a diversion, what is the real target? What are they trying to distract us from?" Ken Eliot popped another potato chip into his mouth. He chewed it loudly. He slouched his shoulders even further. He looked at the sky.

"This is incredibly obvious," Ken complained lazily. He pointed a finger at the sky.

"It is a basic anime trope. The villains always do this. They spawn a million weak monsters in the main city. The heroes run around swinging their swords. The heroes waste all their mana on the small fries. Meanwhile, the real bad guys sneak into the local prison." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Naomi looked at Ken. She blinked her green eyes.

"The prison?"

"Yes," Ken nodded confidently.

"It is the classic jailbreak arc. The villains always need to rescue their captured boss. They create a massive, noisy distraction. Then they break through the back door of the jail. It is a very unoriginal plot. The writers are just reusing old storylines." Sayma pushed her glasses up. Her analytical mind processed Ken's goofy words. Her dark eyes went wide with sudden realization.

"Ken is absolutely right," Sayma announced. Her polite voice turned very urgent.

"The Imperial Prison! Dr. Raven is currently locked inside a maximum-security cell! He possesses all the blueprints for the Solurious radiation weapon! He knows the names of the corrupt politicians! He is a massive, incredibly valuable asset to the enemy!" Princess Iris gasped softly. She gripped her rapier tightly.

"The conspirators are trying to rescue him. They sent the bugs to keep the Royal Guards busy in the streets. They are raiding the prison right now." Zinia slammed her fist into her open palm.

"We have to go to the prison! We have to stop them!"

"We cannot leave this district!" Naomi argued. She slashed another flying bug.

"If we leave, the bugs will destroy the residential area! The citizens will get hurt! We have to stay here and protect the people!" Laxmi threw another fireball.

"Naomi is right! We are completely stuck here! There are too many bugs!" Princess Iris looked incredibly stressed. She knew her vanguard was correct. They could not abandon the innocent citizens. But they also could not let Dr. Raven escape. If Dr. Raven returned to the corrupt politicians, the Empire would face a massive disaster. Ken watched his friends panic. He ate his last potato chip. He crumpled the empty plastic bag into a small ball. He tossed it into a nearby trash can. He slouched his shoulders.

He did not feel worried at all.

"Do not worry about the prison," Ken stated casually. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"The prison guards can handle a few sneaky villains. They probably have very thick walls. We should just focus on the bugs. I want to finish this level so I can go take a nap."

"The prison guards will be completely overwhelmed, Ken," Sayma explained politely.

"If the attackers are elite mercenaries, the standard guards do not stand a chance."

"I am sure it will be fine," Ken smiled a goofy, relaxed smile. Ken closed his eyes for a fraction of a millisecond. He did not cast a flashy spell. He did not chant any magic words. He simply opened a silent, telepathic link in his mind. He contacted his elite spirit servants.

"Karna. Ryu," Ken thought silently. His internal voice was completely calm.

"We have a situation. A group of bad guys is trying to execute a jailbreak. They want to rescue a corrupt politician named Dr. Raven. He is located in the Imperial Prison. Go there immediately. Do not let anyone break him out. And please, do not destroy the prison building. I do not want to pay for property damages." Miles away, hidden in the dark shadows of the capital city, two powerful spirits received the order. Karna stood on a tall rooftop. The silver-eyed spymaster wore a sleek black tactical jacket.

He placed his right hand over his heart.

"Understood, Boss. We will intercept the infiltrators. The target will remain secure." Ryu crouched in a dark alley. The massive dragon-man wore dark, ancient armor. His golden eyes burned brightly. He cracked his knuckles.

"I will crush them into dust, Supreme One! They will not take a single step inside that building!"

"Just keep it quiet," Ken reminded them lazily.

"Use stealth attacks. The bugs are making enough noise already." The telepathic link closed. Ken opened his eyes. He looked at Naomi. He gave her a lazy wink.

"I have a very strong feeling the prison will be totally safe today. My intuition is flawless. Let us just squish these bugs."