I, the slave boy, awaken with the most potent seed!!

Chapter 351 Infiltration

The second guard's footsteps echoed through the corridor as he rounded the corner, his hand resting casually on his weapon. His eyes fell immediately on Marcus's slumped form in the chair, wine bottle dangling precariously from limp fingers."For heaven's sake, Marcus," he sighed, shaking his head. "Not again."

What he couldn't see, from his angle, was the thin film of translucent slime supporting Marcus's arm, or the way Cassandra and Sakura had wedged themselves into the shadows behind a support beam, barely daring to breathe.

Marcus's hand raised in a lazy wave, the movement controlled by Cassandra's careful manipulation of her slime. "'uhm fine," she growled in a passable imitation of Marcus's gravelly voice, keeping the words slurred and brief.

The guard crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. "You know, one of these days Raxus is going to catch you like this. That'll be the end of your cushy posting here. Probably the end of your career, too, if you're lucky."

Cassandra grunt and made Marcus give a clumsy thumbs up, praying it would be enough to send the guard on his way.

"Unbelievable," the guard muttered, turning to leave. "Just... try to stay awake, will you? And for gods' sake, put that bottle away."

They waited until his footsteps had completely faded before allowing themselves to breathe again. Sakura's shoulders sagged with relief as Cassandra carefully withdrew her slime from Marcus's unconscious form.

"That," Sakura whispered, "was too close."

"Come on," Cassandra responded, already moving deeper into the dungeon. "We need to move before someone else decides to check on him."

They crept forward, keeping to the shadows, expecting to hear the sounds of other prisoners—whispers, movements, anything. But as they progressed, an unsettling reality became clear: the cells were empty. Every single one.

Sakura grabbed Cassandra's arm, her fingers digging in with sudden fear. "Where is she?" Her voice trembled slightly. "You don't think they..."

"No," Cassandra cut her off firmly, though her own heart had clenched at the possibility. "They need her alive. Raxus needs to find Zafron, and Matilda's his best lead." She paused, thinking quickly. "She has to be somewhere else in the mansion."

"We should split up," Sakura suggested, but Cassandra was already shaking her head.

"Too risky. We don't know what kind of security they have up there. If either of us runs into serious resistance..." She left the sentence hanging. "No, we stick together."

They retraced their steps, moving past Marcus's still-unconscious form and up the stairs. The mansion's interior was eerily quiet, their footsteps muffled by thick carpets. Ornate wallpaper and expensive artwork lined the walls.

Cassandra held up a hand as voices drifted from around a corner. They pressed themselves against the wall, listening as two guards passed by, deep in conversation about shift changes and dinner plans. Normal, mundane talk that made the whole situation feel somehow more surreal.

"You were right," Sakura breathed once the guards had passed. "There aren't many of them here."

They moved methodically through the mansion, checking every room they could safely access. Each empty room increased their tension, the fear that they might be too late, or worse, that they were walking into a trap.

Finally, peering through an ornate keyhole, Sakura's breath caught. "There," she whispered urgently. "Corner of the room."

Cassandra looked. Matilda sat huddled in the corner of what appeared to be a study, her usual confident posture replaced by something more defensive. But she was alive, and apparently unharmed. Discover exclusive content at empire

Slime began to form around Cassandra's fingers as she examined the lock. With careful concentration, she shaped it into the necessary form, creating a perfect key. The lock clicked open with agonizing slowness.

They slipped inside, and Matilda's head snapped up, her eyes widening in disbelief. Before she could speak, Cassandra pressed a finger to her lips in warning.

"Not a sound," she breathed, barely audible. "We're getting you out of here."

Matilda nodded, but her expression was tense. "The governor's here," she whispered back. "Raxus and some official I didn't recognize. They're all in the building."

"Then we move fast," Sakura replied, already checking the hallway. "Stay close."

With that, they left the room and retraced their steps down the hallway. Suddenly, they froze and quickly ducked into a hiding spot when a shout echoed from behind them.

"Guard down in the dungeon! Marcus is unconscious!"

Another voice, closer: "The prisoner! Check the prisoner!"

"She's no where to be found!"

"Lockdown!" The word echoed through the halls, followed by the ominous sound of heavy doors slamming shut. "No one leaves! Governor's orders!"

Heavy footsteps were approaching from both directions. The shift in guard patterns was immediate and obvious—they were