Chapter 475 Tartarus Invasion (2)

"As prisoners?" Ashton quizzed Lucia, the governor, "That's the only way to enter Tartarus?"

Lucia nodded, "I only have the authority to collect and send prisoners for experiments. One would require a recommendation letter from the president to join Tartarus even as a gatekeeper."

Ashton was hoping Lucia would at least be able to send him in as a guard. That way, he could move freely and gather information about his father. But being a prisoner would limit his ability to do so.

While he could change his appearance to imitate one of the guards to take what he wanted, it was unlikely that prisoners would be allowed to use their abilities freely.

Considering the undead are in contact with outworlders, Tartarus must have the technology to negate the inmate's abilities. Talking to Viper only confirmed his doubts.

'I won't be able to use [Corpse Parade] to control the undead either.'

[You might as well forget about using your inventory. If they can block people from using their abilities, they should have precautions in place against using one's inventory as well]

The more they thought about it, the more Ashton realised how stupid his plan was. Infiltrating Tartarus from the inside was impossible. Take his abilities and weapons, and there was little he could accomplish.

At this rate, an invasion would prove more fruitful than infiltration.

It seemed Viper was thinking along the same lines. Instead of infiltrating, an all-out invasion felt like a better choice, even though both options were suicidal.

But then again, invading Tartarus wasn't a joke. On top of that, they had no idea about the defences deployed around the facility. Attacking despite the lack of intel was like inviting death over on Christmas eve.

"I need to think things over." Ashton abruptly got up to leave but stopped for a moment, "As of now, you are not in charge of the city affairs. Since she's under my influence, she would help you out."

"I-I'm an assassin. Not a politician who can-"

"Don't worry, just let Lucia manage the city as usual. You need to make sure no one gets suspicious, and if they do, well, you know what to do then." Ashton replied, "I'll visit you when I have a plan in place. Until then, carry on your duty as an assassin for the crown."

"Alright, but i'm telling you, leaving me in charge is a risky move." Viper urged Ashton to rethink his decision, but in vain.

"What's life without a little risk?" Ashton smiled and left, pushing the trolley of cleaning supplies as he did.

***

There was never a dull night in Fright city. Despite being a town filled with undead, it was pretty lively. Ashton would have mistaken the city for a pre-war paradise if he didn't know the truth about Nirvana.

However, Ashton wasn't in the club for pleasure tonight, even if his appearance suggested otherwise. Altering his facial features had become a habit of his, one that had helped him immensely ever since stepping foot in the city.

As he slowly sipped down a cocktail consisting of human blood, he couldn't help but wonder how many people would have to be sacrificed to run the city.

"Fourteen thousand and fifty-two," Anna whispered in his ears before joining him, "I'm not sure how much livestock they have to provide an uninterrupted supply of food and drinks."

"That's something I would never want to know." Ashton sighed before chugging down the remainder of his drink, "So, got any success?"

Anna shook her head, "Catching her is going to be much tougher than I thought. I'm unsure whether it's something she received training for in Tartarus or something she picked up on her own, but tracking her is almost impossible."

"She escaped from Tartarus. If she weren't talented enough, she'd either be dead or have never made it out of prison in the first place." Ashton replied, "Either way, I found a lead."

Aston explained what he had been busy with, and Anna was both pissed and pleased simultaneously.

She was angry because what Ashton did was the single most reckless thing he could have done. However, since he managed to get some intel, his recklessness could be excused. But it didn't mean Anna wouldn't give him shit for it later.

"Now, all we need is a rough blueprint of the facility. Once we do that, we can think of striking them down." Ashton went on, "To get that, we will need someone who has been inside the place or, should I say, lived inside those walls."

"Alina."

"She's the safest option."

The way things stood, Ashton had two options. Either force the information out of Alina or persuade her to help. But for either of these, they would have to corner her so she would hear them out.

[Not the best way to go about a conversation.]

"Unfortunately, it is the only way to get her talking." Ashton mumbled, "Don't you think so, Alina?"

The woman shitting next to him choked on her drink. She hurriedly got up, intending to leave while she had the chance, but Ashton was faster than her. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her back to her seat.

"How did you know-"

"It doesn't matter," Ashton cut her off, "What matters is your answer- Will you help us or not?"

Without the blood on her face, Alina looked rather attractive, not as beautiful as Anna, but in the same league, with different ranks. However, the coldness in her eyes negated the beauty of her face.

"You know I could kill you this very moment without lifting a finger?"

"We both know you already tried and failed miserably," Ashton scoffed, "If you're going to bluff, then I'll suggest you get some more practice first. Just answer my question, will you help us or not?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to." Alina replied, "But I have a condition; I'll come with you."

"Mind telling us why?" Anna chimed in.

"I need to rescue someone; that's all I'm gonna tell you." Alina sternly replied before going silent.

"Very well then, let's get to planning."