Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 551: Breaking in

The compound did not look imposing, and that in itself made it more dangerous in a different way, because places like this were not built to intimidate from the outside but to function quietly without drawing attention, and as Lucas observed the patrol patterns and the distribution of guards, he quickly realized that while the security was not overwhelming, it was deliberate enough to prevent careless intrusion. The soldiers stationed around the perimeter moved in steady rotations, their spacing calculated to ensure visibility across most angles, yet not dense enough to suggest they were expecting an immediate breach.

Lucas let his senses expand briefly, gauging the strength of those present, and what he found confirmed his initial thought. None of them were at a level that would pose a real threat if he chose to engage directly, the highest among them barely reaching Master rank, which in another situation would have made this a simple matter of force, but here, inside a city already on alert, brute strength would only invite a flood of reinforcements they could not afford to deal with.

He glanced at Patrick. "We can take them."

Patrick nodded slightly, but his expression remained cautious. "And then the entire district comes down on us."

Lucas didn’t argue with that. "So we try to avoid them."

Patrick shifted his attention back to the compound, his eyes narrowing as he studied the flow of movement more carefully, not just the guards but the spaces between them, the blind spots that existed only for seconds at a time, and after a few moments, he leaned slightly toward Lucas.

"There," he said quietly, gesturing with the smallest movement of his chin.

Lucas followed his line of sight and saw it immediately, a section of the fenced perimeter where patrol overlap thinned just enough to create a gap, not obvious, not constant, but present if timed correctly, and more importantly, positioned near a part of the compound that seemed less active than the others.

"Less traffic," Lucas murmured.

"And fewer eyes," Patrick replied.

Lucas nodded once. "That’s our entry."

They waited.

Not long.

But long enough.

Both of them syncing their awareness to the rhythm of the patrols, counting movement, tracking steps, reading intent rather than just watching positions, and when the moment came, it was not announced, it was felt.

Patrick moved first.

A silent lift from the ground, controlled and precise, clearing the fence in a smooth arc that avoided unnecessary disturbance, and Lucas followed immediately, matching the motion with equal control, both of them landing inside the compound without a sound, their descent absorbed through careful positioning rather than force.

They did not linger in the open.

The moment their feet touched ground, they shifted into cover, slipping behind a low structure near the inner edge of the compound, using shadow and positioning to break line of sight before any guard could turn in their direction, and for a brief moment, they remained still, allowing the environment to settle, ensuring that their entry had gone unnoticed.

No alarms.

No sudden movement.

No change in patrol rhythm.

Patrick exhaled slowly. "We’re in."

Lucas’s gaze moved across the interior of the compound, sharper now, more focused as he began mapping the inside just as he had done from the outside, identifying potential holding areas, guard routes, and structural weak points that could serve them later.

"Where would they be kept," he asked quietly.

Patrick’s eyes scanned the buildings ahead, his mind already working through memory and instinct.

"Not near the entrance," he said. "And not in the open."

Lucas nodded slightly. "Then deeper inside." ƒrēewebnovel.com

Patrick gave a faint nod. "There should be an inner section. More controlled. That’s where they’d be."

Lucas shifted his stance slightly, preparing to move. "Then we don’t stop here."

Patrick’s expression hardened as he looked ahead, knowing that every step from this point forward would carry more risk than the last.

"They’re close," he said.

Lucas didn’t reply.

He just moved.

And Patrick followed.

They had barely taken a few steps deeper into the compound before the tension snapped.

The interior was tighter than it looked from outside, with narrow walkways between storage-like structures and low buildings that cast deep shadows, making it easier to hide but also easier to get cornered, and as Lucas and Patrick moved carefully between them, scanning for any sign of where captives might be held, a lone guard turned the corner ahead of them at the worst possible moment.

There was no hesitation.

Patrick closed the distance in a single smooth motion, one hand clamping over the man’s mouth while the other twisted sharply, a clean, practiced snap that ended it instantly before even a breath could escape, and he lowered the body carefully to the ground, easing it into the shadows.

For a fraction of a second, it seemed like they had gotten away with it.

Then footsteps followed.

Two more guards, turning into the same path, their eyes landing directly on the scene before Patrick could fully conceal it.

There was a pause.

A heartbeat.

Recognition.

"Intr—"

They didn’t finish.

Lucas moved, his speed cutting the distance before the word could fully form, striking one down with a precise burst of force while Patrick lunged for the second, but this time it wasn’t clean enough, the man’s voice breaking through in a sharp, panicked shout that echoed across the compound before he was silenced.

The damage was done.

The alarm spread instantly.

Not like the castle’s deep resonance, but sharp, urgent calls from guard to guard, voices rising, footsteps shifting, the entire compound snapping into awareness as soldiers began converging from multiple directions.

Patrick didn’t waste time looking at the bodies.

"We’re exposed," he said, already moving.

Lucas’s gaze sharpened as he scanned the compound again, faster now, more decisive, no longer looking for the perfect path but the fastest one.

"Where," he asked.

Patrick pointed toward the inner section, where a slightly more reinforced structure stood, its entrances fewer, its guards already reacting faster than the rest. "There. That’s where they’d keep them."

Lucas nodded once. "Then we break through."

The sound of boots closing in grew louder, not distant anymore but immediate, turning corners, crossing open ground, narrowing the space around them with each passing second.

They moved.

Not stealth anymore.

Speed.

Lucas surged forward first, his movement direct as he intercepted the first group rushing toward them, cutting through their formation before they could properly engage, while Patrick followed close behind, using the disruption to push deeper into the compound rather than getting locked into a prolonged fight.

More guards poured in.

From the sides.

From behind.

From ahead.

The compound had become a tightening net, and the earlier advantage of scattered patrols was gone, replaced by coordinated response that would soon escalate beyond what even Lucas could handle quietly.

"They’ll lock the exits next," Patrick said as he forced his way past another guard, his voice tight with urgency. "We have minutes at best."

Lucas didn’t respond verbally.

But his pace increased.

Ahead of them, the reinforced structure loomed closer, its entrance now guarded by soldiers already forming a defensive line, alerted and ready, and without slowing, Lucas raised his hand, fire gathering in controlled intensity as he prepared to shatter the last barrier between them and their objective.

Behind them, the compound was no longer searching.

It had found them.

And now, it was closing in.