That afternoon, within the stronghold of Shaoen.
"What should we do now?" Will asked, confusion evident in his voice. He looked around at the others, but they too appeared just as lost, unsure of what to do next. It seemed as if the previous plan had completely fallen apart. None of them had anticipated the overwhelming force that would arise when the people began to revolt.
"There's no other choice. We must implement our plan ahead of schedule," said Jin, suddenly rising from the couch. He spoke with grave seriousness to the others around him.
"Early?" General Lei asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Originally, we had hoped that Shaoen's men would orchestrate the revolt, but now it's clear that the people in the slums are beyond our control. The only option left is to have Shaoen's subordinates disperse the rioters, forcing the palace to divert its attention," Jin replied calmly. He showed no sign of the mental collapse others had predicted for him.
"Ah, well then. I can assist with that," Shaoen nodded to Jin.
"While chaos reigns in Arus, we four will storm the palace and engage the mages in a fight to the death," Jin told Will, Lisa, and General Lei.
"Storm the palace directly?" General Lei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. You are familiar with the palace's layout. You'll come with me to free the king and your family," Jin instructed General Lei.
"They are your family too, Jin. You remain a member of the Jiliu family," General Lei looked into Jin's eyes, his gaze far softer than it had been previously.
"Hmph, let's talk about that later," Jin replied, a rare smile appearing on his face as he teased the general.
"What about us?" Will asked.
"Will, you and Lisa should head straight through the palace's main entrance," Jin instructed.
"When do we leave?" Will asked eagerly.
"Now," Jin answered firmly.
"Understood!" Will nodded and immediately turned to run with Lisa toward the distance.
"Jin, how do we proceed?" General Lei asked, his voice filled with urgency. Though they had agreed to rescue their families and the king, Jin had yet to clarify how exactly they would accomplish this, leaving the general feeling perplexed.
"We? We go from above," Jin said, pointing toward the ceiling.
General Lei looked up at the sewer ceiling, recalling Shaoen's earlier words about the abandoned underground chamber beneath the palace. It was high, at least ten meters or more. How were they supposed to climb up to reach the top?
"How do we do that?" General Lei asked, confused.
"You just stand here, extend your hands, and let me use you for leverage," Jin instructed.
General Lei complied, squatting down and clasping his hands together. Jin took two steps back, then suddenly surged forward with remarkable speed, placing a foot on General Lei's hands and launching himself upward toward the sewer ceiling.
"Wow, it's so high!" Shaoen exclaimed, smiling as he gazed up.
"Ah!" Jin gritted his teeth and, with a powerful swing of his fist, struck the ceiling with a deafening crash. A massive hole formed, and Jin soared through it.
"What was that noise?" Will, who had been climbing up from the sewer below, asked.
"It must be Jin and General Lei. Hurry, Will," Lisa urged as she followed him.
Meanwhile, within the Arus Palace, the loud crash had also drawn the attention of the palace mages.
"Go investigate that noise. Was it another mishap during the testing of new magic?" Merlyn, sitting in the king's study, instructed a young mage.
"Yes, Master," the young mage nodded before leaving.
"Almost done... almost done..." Merlyn grinned with excitement, watching the massive magic stone being forged.
Below the palace, Jin and General Lei had silently begun searching for the imprisoned King of Arus and the general's family.
"Where are we?" Jin crouched, his back pressed against the wall. "It's completely dark."
"This should be the royal armory, if I'm not mistaken," General Lei said, looking around cautiously.
"Ah, perfect. I still haven't grabbed a weapon," Jin said coldly. As he moved forward, he began groping around, hoping to find a suitable weapon. Just then, hurried footsteps echoed nearby.
"Someone's coming," Jin whispered to General Lei, halting his movements and crouching motionless in the darkness.
Sure enough, moments later, the armory doors creaked open. Two Arus guards and a UN mage entered, carrying torches. The guards moved to opposite walls, lighting the oil lamps, dispelling the darkness. Jin and General Lei crouched behind suits of armor.
"There's a big hole here," one guard remarked, noticing the crater Jin had made. The other guard, intrigued by the hole, approached as well.
Perhaps out of haste or panic, General Lei accidentally brushed against one of the suits of armor, causing a loud metallic clang.
"Who's there?" The guards, like hungry wolves sensing prey, were immediately drawn to the sound. Upon locating the source, they unsheathed their swords and began approaching General Lei, while the UN mage remained motionless, watching the guards closely.
With the guards distracted, Jin suddenly dashed out. Moving at lightning speed, he reached the armory door and delivered a crushing punch to the mage's abdomen, sending the mage staggering back, instinctively clutching his stomach. Jin swiftly grabbed the mage's throat, cutting off his ability to cast magic or call for help, before delivering a final blow to the mage's head, sending him crashing to the floor unconscious.
At that moment, General Lei shoved a suit of armor with all his might. It flew across the room, crashing into the two guards, who cried out in pain.
"General Lei?" The guards, now dazed, asked in confusion.
"Hmph. As Arus guards, why are you working with UN mages?" General Lei asked sternly, glaring at them.
"General Lei, aren't you supposed to be in the Paralar Empire? Weren't you imprisoned by them? How did you end up here?" one guard asked in disbelief.
"Hmph. I came back to drive these mages out," General Lei said, pointing to the unconscious mage at the door. The guards followed his gaze and, seeing the fallen mage, broke into delighted smiles.
"We too have been under their surveillance. We dared not resist them. You have no idea how terrifying these mages are," one of the guards confessed, pleading with General Lei.
"Fine, I won't pursue that. But tell me, do you know where the king and my family are being held?" General Lei asked urgently.
"The king? He's locked up at the top of the tower," the guard replied.
"The tower? I see. Hurry up and leave here," General Lei instructed the guards.
"No, General Lei. We want to reclaim our palace. Let us help you," one of the guards said, his voice filled with emotion, almost to the point of tears.